CLASS OF 1967 ... IN SAME CLASS AT THOBURN, AT MONONGAH HIGH AND TODAY

 

I was intrigued by the Class of 1967’s 50-year anniversary photo at the Monongah High Alumni Banquet in 2017. And a Thoburn School photo when many of them were in the same grade there.

So, using my 42 years in newspapers, as a reporter and sportswriter but mostly as an editor, I investigated the people in the photo.

Joetta Martino Bowie, 3^rd from the right in the 3^rd row, was Queen of the Letterman’s Club Christmas Dance at Monongah High. She was escorted by John Larry (front row, far left) and crowned by Roman Prezioso, just to the left of Joetta.

Mary Chris Fazio, my cousin because her father, Renzy Fazio, married my father’s sister, Frances Olesky Fazio, was first runnerup, Trudy Damico 2^nd runnerup, Debbie Basagic 3^rd runnerup, Donna Westfall 4^th runnerup.

Joetta studied at Maryland Medical Secretarial School in Hagerstown, Maryland and lives in Houston, Texas with veteran Ron Bowie, her husband since 1976. So do her sisters, Karen Jo and Suzanne, who was matron of honor at wedding of Sharon Hawkins, Suzanne's friend during their Worthington days. 

Brenda Shumate Edmonds, 3^rd row, 2^nd from right, was Homecoming queen. Linda Bonasso was senior princess, Debby DeFazio was junior princess, Pam Yanero was sophomore princess and Nancy Manzo was freshman princess.

Judy Henderson was prom queen. Her court was Dotty Woody, Linda Shipco, Gela Cameon, Joyce Viney and Brenda Knoble.

Valentine Dance queen was Linda Samuels, escorted by Butch Beans and crossed by Philip Hayes.

Sharon Garrett was first runnerup, escorted by Roman Prezioso. 2^nd runnerup was Donna Westfall, escorted by Rod Glover.

Sandra Lee Thompson Barton, second row, far left in photo, a 1991 Northeastern Bible College graduate, is a Bible teacher, author and speaker living in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. She was at the 2018 annual Monongah High Alumni Banquet when the largest crowd in 7 years (210!) showed up. Also at 2005, 2012 and 2014 Reunions.

Sandy is in dialysis and waiting for a kidney transplant. Her sister is Carole Thompson Spatafore, Class of 1965, widow of John Spatafore. Carole handles the Monongah High Alumni Association scholarship fund. She once handled the Monongah High Alumni reunion golf outings at Green Hills till interest grew so small that they quit doing it.

Daniel Thompson, Carol’s brother, lives in Monongah with wife Letha.

Phyllis Wilson Ellison, second row, 2^nd from left, once lived in Four States and today resides in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

Linda Knoble-Carr, second row, 4^th from left, worked at Philips and lives in Morgantown. She married Sanford Carr, former Monongah Councilman and a guy who helped out everyone he could to fix up their property, in 1969. Sanford passed away in 2020 after suffering eight heart attacks.

Their children and spouses are 1989 North Marion grad Tonia Carr Posten & Bill Posten, also a North Marion grad, and Bryan Carr & Amie Carr, all living in Monongah. Their grandchildren are Tyler Carr, Teala Jesseman and her husband David, Patrick Carr, Gabriel Carr, Peyton Taylor and Raquel Taylor.

Bill is in Mobile maintenance at First Energy and Tonia works in the Monongah Water Office. They live in Monongah.

Linda and Gloria Sypult are close friends.

Susan Blocker, 3^rd row, 5^th from left, retired after 43 years at Fairmont Supply and was a part-timer at Ace Hardware. She lives in Fairmont.

Roman Prezioso, 3^rd row, 6^th from left, was in the West Virginia State Legislature for more than three decades. He was in the House of Delegates from 1988 to 1996, then the State Senate from 1996 to 2020.

Roman and wife Deborah live in Fairmont. Roman’s sister, Marie Prezioso, lives in Charleston.

Roman’s parents were Amelia Ann Yerace Prezioso and Roman Prezioso, Sr., who ran Prezioso Grocery at the top of Jackson Street. Amelia was famous for her canned peppers, which she grew, canned and sold for decades.

Monongah’s Preziosos include Lavania Serge Prezioso, Josephine Prezioso Westfall, Bea Prezioso Mangino, Brulina Prezioso Sweeney, Barbara Prezioso Vozniak (who married Mitch Vozniak), Eugene Prezioso and wife Pat and Dr. Ronald Pearse and wife Julia of Fairmont (his branch changed the name from Prezioso to Pearse).

Mickey Salai Satterfield, 3^rd row, far right, is a Fairmont State graduate in accounting/CPA who lives in Morgantown. She’s married.

Judith Henderson Betonte, Patsy Paszuale and Vernon Beans, not in photo, have passed away.

1967 yearbook was dedicated to teacher Geneva Brumage, who taught me typing that I used throughout my 42-year newspaper career.

Teachers in 1967 that I had in 1950 are Mary Turkovich, my favorite math/algebra/geomedtry teacher at MHS, and Eleanor McElroy, who taught English and later became a minister.