John Woods, Class of 1957, lives in Raleigh, where WVU’s football game with North Carolina State was cancelled because of the impending landfall of Hurricane Florence.

When Florence made landfall in Wilmington, she punted south and away from John.

John tells it better:

“We were originally projected to have very high winds and 10-12 inches of rain.  But when the storm turned south at Wilmington instead of moving straight up to Raleigh, we were just on the outer fringes. We had some wind gusts up to 50 mph, rained almost steady from Thursday afternoon until Sunday evening but still only about 5". So our area is good.

“However, about 50 miles southeast of Raleigh (like New Bern and Fayetteville) the swells have caused major flooding and other problems.  And of course Wilmington (Wrightsville beach) is where the eye of storm made landfall.  My son lives about 2 miles directly in from the beach and they were hit hard -- still has not been able to get in to see the damage.

“Hope other Monongah-related people who live down here fared as well as I did.

“John Woods

“Class of 1957”

John’s wife, Ardyss, who was from Maine, passed away in 2014.

He’s an IBM retiree and math graduate of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

As John explains, “We have been gone from West Virginia for a long time.  My wife and I moved to Raleigh in 1966 (52 years ago) and our sons were both born here in Raleigh.  So they are not related to Monongah nor North Marion at all.  We moved to Raleigh when I hired on with IBM in Raleigh.

“My sister, Harriet (Jane Woods) was at Monongah High when you were -- she graduated in 1949.”

John is the youngest child of Helen Boydoh Woods, whose other children are Harriet Jane Woods, Class of 1949; Bill Woods, Class of 1952, whose widow is Dorothy Browning Woods, Class of 1955, a Registered Nurse living in Indiana; and Shirley Woods DeMarco Merchant, a schoolteacher in Akron, Ohio, which borders on Tallmadge, where Paula and I live.

John and Bill Meredith, Class of 1957, who has homes in Sarasota, Florida and Buckeye Lake, Ohio, have been friends since first grade at East Monongah Grade School through Monongah High School, just like Bob Kasper, Class of 1950, and myself, also Class of 1950, although Bob and I attended Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Monongah.

John’s father, Bill Woods, was Bill Meredith’s Sunday School teacher and a father figure to Bill Meredith because Bill’s dad passed away when Bill was six years old, which would have made Bill’s sister, Pat Meredith, Class of 1950, about 13 at the time.

John and Bill Meredith both were on the Monongah High football team.
 
Warren Sloan, a 1983 North Marion graduate who has lived in South Carolina since 1984, and wife Kathy had only minor damage to their trees in Conway, reports Warren's sister, Joeline Sloan-Swann, 1981 North Marion graduate.

Joeline works in the WVU Extension Service and is a Fairmont State graduate who lives with husband Randy in Rivesville, where my sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, resides on Paw Paw Creek Road.

Their late father, also Warren Sloan, was Monongah and Rivesville police chief and a former Monongah councilman. His other children are Randy Carpenter of Monongah and Lark Dunbar, who lives in Rivesville with husband Tom.

 
Greg Urban, Class of 1966, son of Stanley Urban, Jr. and grandson of Stanley Urban, Sr., was smacked with high winds and rain but he came out of it OK. He’s a stock trader in Denver, North Carolina.

His sister, Brenda Urban, reports “We were spared in Surfside Beach, South Carolina (about 30 miles from Myrtle Beach). A great deal of wind and rain but there was damage to some of the units around me. Drainspouts broke off and one lady had her glass porch door shattered. Her whole porch was glass-enclosed but the door shattered everywhere.

“No Trees down in our area. We were very fortunate.”

Brenda Urban is a Fairmont State business administration graduate.

Greg was valedictorian of his class.

Greg and Brenda’s brother is the late Mark Urban, Class of 1969. Mark passed away in 2016 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Josephine Smolanovich Jurasko Urban is Class of 1932, the same year that Julia Urban graduated from Monongah High.

Sally Wood Tarley, Class of 1959, who lives on iHiHilton Head Island in South Carolina, escaped any harm from Hurricane Florence.

When I inquired, she replied:

“John,

“Hilton Head Island was spared from Hurricane Florence.  We didn’t even get any rain. There was a mandatory evacuation  (that was lifted the next day) and all the tourists left and many islanders.  But it was all for naught! 

“We are now back to what I call ‘normal.’ “

If other Monongah High alumni had experiences with Hurricane Florence, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com with as many details as possible, MHS graduation years, spouses, children, etc. and I’ll post them on this Monongah High Alumni blog. Lions like to keep track of fellow Lions.
 
 

 

 

 

 

Fairmont facility activated for Hurricane Florence

Monongah High alumni in possible path, too

Just in case National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland, and Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Station in Wallops, Virginia get whacked by Hurricane Florence, for the first time NOAA has activated its date back-up site at its 54,0000 square-foot Robert H. Mollohan Research Facility in Fairmont.

T.J. Saverno

The Fairmont facility included three 16.4-meter satellite arrays at the I-79 Technology Park.

The activation ensures that the NOAA weather satellite data will be available to the National Hurricane Center, even if the primary operations sites are impacted by the storm.

Much of the Florence imagery and animation the Fairmont facility is collecting is coming from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, part of a fleet that monitors the entire Western Hemisphere.  

Fairmont was chosen due to its proximity to the Washington, D.C. area 8 hours away.

T.J. Savereno, Class of 1979, reports “the track is looking worse and worse for us.” T.J. is a senior associate agent for Clemson Cooperative Extension in South Carolina. He lives in Florence, South Carolina with wife Lynette Savereno.

“We are getting ready and staying put,” Anthony James wrote. “We are a good ways from the coast, so storm surge is not a threat. Wind is biggest worry.”

Phil Colanero

 

T.J.’s parents are Harriet Hattie Savereno and Tony Savereno, Class of 1941, Monongah's mail carrier for many years. His siblings are Linda Savereno Moorehead, Class of 1968, and Mark Savereno, Class of 1970.

Philip J Colaneri, Class of 1963, who lives in Morgantown with Betty Hanlin, wrote:

“I am leaving Knoxville after delivering first aid supplies to the football team, then going to Nashville and then on to Memphis to visit my brother, Tom. We may go to the Mississippi/Alabama game and relax a few days.”

#1 Alabama, coached by Nick “Brother” Saban, Class of 1969, will travel to Oxford, Mississippi to play the University of Mississippi, commonly referred to as “Ole Miss,” at 7 p.m. Saturday. ESPN will carry the battle of Southeast Conference unbeatens.

Phil’s siblings are Paulette Colanero O’Connor, Class of 1966, and Tom Colanero, Class of 1968, who married Julie Khuri Colanero.

North Marion and Fairmont State grad Joeline Swann, who lives in Rivesville and worked at the WVU Extension Service, reports that “my brother is riding it out in Conway, South Carolina.”

It’s not safe from Mother Nature, even in Marion County, Eva Jarvis, Class of 1975, has more than three feet of floodwater in her Grant Town basement and “lost all my stuff.” Eva grew up in Everson.

Eva and Dewayne Jarvis, her husband for 28 years, had to deal with the mess. They’ve had trouble with that house from top to bottom. In 2015 they had re-roofing done.

Eva is a former Wal-Mart sales assistant.

Her mother is Marie B. Huey. Eva' a Georgia peach whose children include Eva Huey Jarvis, Class of 1975.

 

Jay Holman

Marie lives in Worthington. She is a graduate of Ringgold, Georgia High School in Catoosa County.

 

Her children are Eva; Ethel, in Shinnston; John, in Worthington, engaged to Lisa Haynes; Ruth, in Fairview; and Paul and Sandy, both in Ohio.

Jay Holman, Class of 1971, who resides in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina with wife Margaret, a Fairmont West graduate, reports that, "After 30 years with utilities, I know how to stay out of the rain."
 
Jay lived in Carolina during his Monongah High days.

 

 

If you have information about Monongah High alumni in Florence’s path, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com or post it on my Facebook page and I’ll add it to this article. Thank you..

How Lions did with Irma

How Monongah High alumni and family did during Hurricane Irma:

Joe Martin, Class of 1957, and Canadian wife Arlene Kitchin, who left their Treasure Island, Florida home near St. Petersburg to stay with Mandi and Brad Tucker in their new house, are “fine.” The Tucker home never lost power, which is more than nearly 7 million Floridians can say.

Joe's niece, Debby Abruzziono Coleman, and husband Dan, who lives in Naples, are safe but are surrounded by uprooted trees and their pool screen is torn. No power, like 7 million Floridians, and using bottled water. They have sore throats, fever and coughing.

Deb’s mother is Connie Martin Abruzzino, Class of 1962, widow of Danny Abruzzino and Joe's sister.

Jay Holman, Class of 1971, relayed this message from Mark Raddish, Class of 1974:

“To all all family and friends up north. We are all okay. Have been without power, cable, phone and internet since 10:30 Sunday night. But, we have cell phone service and running water. We are at a friend's house in order to communicate at this time.

“Thanks to my brother Keith for updating us on what has been happening in the aftermath of the storm. We were on the west side of the hurricane, probably close to the eye sometime Sunday morning around 2-4 a.m. with 60-70 or more mph winds.

“Our house and property was spared any damage, just some tree limbs in the yards. Hope to be back on line soon. Thanks everybody.”

Later, Mark posted:

“We got our power and other services back this afternoon-out for 40 hours. A lot of damage in South Florida and the Keys.”

Marcie Goush Raddish of Monongah and Mark Raddish were the parents of Brogan Raddish, who passed away from bone cancer at the age of 14 in 2009.

Brogan’s grandmother, Dietta Harden Goush, Class of 1959, sells jewelry and T-shirts to raise money for the Brogan Raddish Scholarship Fund (in 6 figures by now).

Joyce Cowart Davis Peck, Class of 1966, who lives in Palm Bay, Florida, is “safe in Dayton, Tennessee.” Her first night was spent in Macon, Georgia before she continued northward.

Anthony Pulice, Jr., Class of 1945, reports that his granddaughter and family, en route back to their Florida home, “ran into bad weather and had to stop at a Beckley hotel for the night.”

Bill Meredith, Class of 1957, who lives in St. Petersburg, reported in “safe.”

Ron Manzo, Class of 1969, waiting to play golf in The Villages, where Paula and I hang out in the winter in Paula’s home there, also is safe along with his wife, Fairview High graduate who could be a model, Janice Manzo.

So is Tammy Weintraub and family, who came from living in Brazil with husband Jacob to be greeted by Irma in Naples, Florida, which was only a few miles from Irma’s second landfall at Marco Island. Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, is Tammy’s grandmother living in safe Monongah.

Bob Cottrill, Class of 1951, who lives in Melbourne near the Atlantic coastline, evacuated to Pinehurst, North Carolina, where his wife, Thelma, has family and friends.

Donna McDonald, 1980 grad of North Marion who attended Monongah High thru 1979, fled her Port St. Lucie home for Virginia.

Adam Michna’s cousin, Sandy Stevens McComas, 68, and her son returned from a Caribbean cruise to their Daytona home not long before Irma came along.

Adam reports:

“Sandy is safe. She rode it out. No damage to her house in Daytona. Lost electricity for about 38 hours. She said this was worse than Matthew last year.”

Sandy was a 1965 graduate of Shinnston High School and Fairmont State School of Nursing in 1969. She is the daughter of Adam’s uncle, Clifford Stevens, WWII veteran, 92.

Sandy was the first child born by C-section at St. Mary's Hospital in 1949. Her mother was in labor for more than 48 hours.

 

Even though Mareia Wilmoth McDougal, Class of 1964, lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina, Irma gave her a fright:

“A lot happened around us. Power outages, downed trees, flooding, at least one killed. All this within a few short miles all around us but we had much rain.

“I can tell you it scared me to death. I’m a big chicken.”

Maria is married to Earl McDougal, whose siblings are Helen McDougal Mudry, Class of 1965; Monongah High grad Johnny McDougal; Edna McDougal Saunders, Class of 1948; James McDougal, Class of 1961; and Reva McDougal Ash, Class of 1950.

If you know of any other Monongah High alumni endangered by Irma, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com with information about their safety and whereabouts and I’ll add them to this article.

Lions in Irma’s path

Now that we’ve gotten Janet Duncil Skarzenski, Class of 1966, Joette Martino Bowie, Class of 1967, who lives in Spring, Texas, and her sisters Karen Jo and Suzanne, safely through Hurricane Harvey that hit the Houston area, we have Lions and other Marion Countians in Florida to worry about because of even-wickeder Hurricane Irma.

Joyce Cowart Davis Peck, Class of 1966, who lives in Palm Bay, Florida, reports that “I am safe in Macon, Georgia and I am leaving for Dayton, Tennessee in the morning. Please, everyone, be safe, too.”

Judy Stewart Monell Razook, Class of 1959, who lives in North Palm Beach, will hunker down and ride out Irma with her daughter in Palm Beach Gardens, a mile from Judy's home.

 

Judy emailed me:

 

"I am safe and secure with all my hurricane shutters up and will spend the next few days at my daughter's home with my Harley, my retired Police German Shepherd!!"

Judy's daughter "also has all shutters up!! It will be very intense and wet, but we are saying our prayers!!"

 

Judy's stepfather was Virgil Vingle, Class of 1939, whose Vingle Band entertained Monongah residents for decades.

Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, who lives in Monongah, reports that her granddaughter, Tammy Wientraub, who recently moved from Rido D Janerio, Brazil, to Venice, Florida, “had to evacuate. She and her husband, Jacob, and twins Samuel and Dina and Dina’s youngest daughter, Mia, spent the summer in West Virginia. They moved to Naples, Florida in August in time for the children to start school.

“Prayers for all Floridians.”

Bob Cottrill, Class of 1950, who lives in Melbourne near the Atlantic coastline, "had to flee the hurricane" and is Pinehurst, North Carolina. His wife, Thelma, is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Bob married Thelma, twice widowed, after Bob’s wife Barbara passed away. Thelma and Barbara were friends for years. Thelma and Bob married in 2011.

David Kelly, a 1980 North Marion grad after three years at Monongah High while growing up on Manley Chapel Road, reported:

“Donna McDonald, 1980 grad of North Marion who attended Monongah High thru 1979 is in Port St.Lucie.

"My son and his family live in Holiday.  They are evacuating this evening and heading to Virginia.

“Thank you for all of your work and keeping us aware of alumni.”

 

Kay Yerkovich Hoffmann, wrote from Venice, Pennsylvania:

"I am so glad that my daughter Kristen doesn't live right on the water any more in Miami, although she is inland I am still worried. I won't rest until this is over and I know she is OK."

Kristen isn't evacuating, Kay wrote, because she's "on B team at the hospital which goes in after the storm to relieve the A team."

 

Kay's parents were Virginia Sparks Yerkovich, Class of 1949, and Peter Yerkovich, Jr.

 

Prudy Tetrick Funk, Class of 1960, who lives in Longwood, 15 miles north of Orlando, wrote:

 

"We will stay unless they say to evacuate. Supposed to hit Sunday."

 

Prudy is married to Jim Funk. They moved from Denver, Pennsylvania to Longwood, where their daughter, Stacey Funk Jackson, lives. Stacey is an IT person.

Monongah High grad Charles Sailor reports that “my stepdaughter and her family" are in Irma's path.

Janet Sowers Rinehart reports that Jean Crayton Downing, Class of 1962, and family “are in New Port Richey” (Gulf of Mexico side) and they are evacuating tomorrow morning.”

Jay Holman, Jr. said that “Mark Raddish is there also.”

Prudy Funk says that Frances Keefover Riggs, Class of 1960, lives in Ft Myers.

Monongah High Class of 1945 graduate Anthony Pulice, Jr.’s Angie and family left St. Petersburg at midnight, leaving their house and second car behind. They are heading for Indiana.

Fairmont West and Fairmont State grad Brenda Wilson’s family is hunkering down in Port St. Lucie.

Fairmont resident Judy Wagner’s nephew and wife left Florida at 4 a.m. to stay with her family in Georgia.

Fairmont Supply retiree Doris Robinson said her Becky is staying because they live on the west coast of Florida.

Gerald Hall, from Fairmont, has three cousins and some friends who live just south of Lake Ockeechobee.

If you know of any other Monongah High alumni endangered by Irma, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll add them to our watch and pray list.

3 Martino sisters safe from Harvey

Janice Hoffman, Class of 1967, who lives in Salem, Virginia, reached Joette Martino Bowie, Class of 1967, who lives in Spring, Texas, 25 miles north of Houston, and reports that “she and Ron are staying home and safe.”

Joette’s reaction: “We are good, as are all our families. The rain has been unreal and is still coming down.”

Karen Martino

“All our families” includes Joetta’s sisters, Karen Jo and Suzanne, who also live in the Houston area hit by Hurricane Harvey’s heavy, horrific rainfall that has turned streets into rivers in southeastern Texas.

The sisters are daughters of Joe and Virginia Martino. Another daughter, Toni, lives in Fairmont.

Gerald Pulice, Class of 1974, is keeping a close eye on the Martino sisters. They are his cousins.

Anthony Pulice, Jr., Class of 1945, is Joe and Virginia's cousin.

Previously, Janet Duncil Skarzenski, Class of 1966, wrote:

“All good at our place (Cypress area, where a tornado touched down briefly). My oldest son & family are also good (I-610 & Eldridge area of Houston). My daughter & family live near Brazoria and had to evacuate but are safe.”

On Tuesday, August 29, Jan posted:

“So much better-looking today. Rain is little to nothing. It almost makes me feel like the sun is out.

“We are fine. The reservoirs (that were breached by the floodwaters) are more south of us. We personally have not lost power through any of this. Street flooding, yes but we did not get any water in the house. Our street appears to have been spared as far as I can see."

Carmella Catania Allard, Class of 1947, who lives in San Antonio, 150 miles from the Rockfort landfall of Harvey, writes her sister, Mary Catania Heywood, Class of 1945, who lives in Covina, California, reports:

“Thankfully for Carmella and her family in San Antonio and Austin they have not had any problems.”

If you have reports about Hurricane Harvey’s effect on other Monongah High Alumni, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com or post it on Facebook if we are Friends and I’ll get the information there.

 

This blog is a conduit to help Lions keep track of each other during difficult times.

Click on the blue http://jo4wvu.blogspot.com/search?q=hurricane+harvey to read previous MHS blog articles about Hurricane Harvey and the Monongah High Alumni who are dealing with it.

Update on Lions in hurricane’s way

Janet Duncil Skarzenski, Class of 1966, slapped with Hurricane Harvey’s up to two feet of rain that hit the Houston, Texas area, reports:

 “All good at our place (Cypress area, where a tornado touched down briefly). My oldest son & family are also good at this time (I-610 & Eldridge area of Houston). My daughter & family live near Brazoria and had to evacuate but are safe .... thanking God and prayers for all.”

We haven’t heard yet from the 3 Martino sisters from Worthington who live in metropolitan Houston. That would be Joette, Class of 1967 (Chris Shamrock Henning tells me), Karen Jo and Suzanne (Jim McDaniel tells me).

Jim and I are trying to contact the three sisters. We’ll let you know what we hear.

Joette Martino Bowie lives in Spring, Texas, 25 miles north of Houston. She attended the 2017 Monongah High Alumni Reunion in Fairmont.

A tornado touched down in the Houston suburb of Cypress, damaging several homes. There have been fatalities from the rampaging waters in the Houston area. Thousands are homeless. Texas National Guard have been called out. Federal assistance is on the way, too.

Carmella Catania Allard, Class of 1947, lives in San Antonio, 150 miles from the Rockfort landfall of Harvey.

Carmella’s sister, Mary Catania Heywood, Class of 1945, who lives in Covina, California, reports:

“It seems that Harvey is still active, but thankfully for Carmella and her family in San Antonio and Austin they have not had any problems.”

If you have reports about Hurricane Harvey’s effect on other Monongah High Alumni, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com or post it on Facebook if we are Friends and I’ll get the information there.

This blog is a conduit to help Lions keep track of each other during difficult times.

Click on the blue http://jo4wvu.blogspot.com/search?q=Harvey+drenching+ to read the earlier story about Hurricane Harvey and the Monongah High Alumni who are dealing with it up close and very personal.