Hank Riefer passes away




Hank Riefer, Class of 1963, passed away Friday, April 8 in his Monongah home.

He was on the prom committee during his Monongah High days.

 Hank Riefer Francis Hank Riefer (April 5, 1944 - April 8, 2016)    Francis Hank Riefer, 72, of Monongah passed away Friday, April 08, 2016 at his home.  Francis was born April 05, 1944, son of the late Francis and Ruth (Hatfield) Riefer.   Francis was a veteran of the United States Army; he was stationed in South Korea at Camp Casey.  He retired from Owens-Illinois glass plant.  Francis enjoyed antique cars and spending time with his family. Senior photo   Francis is survived by his wife, Debbie R. Riefer; one son, Scott Riefer and wife Vivian of  California; one daughter, Jessica Riefer and fiancée Trevor of Manassas, VA; two step children, Walter Lewis and wife Teresa of Bridgeport and Debbie Marie Rose and husband Ron of Clarksburg; a granddaughter, Alexa Riefer; and a step granddaughter, Kayla Marie Burch. The family will receive friends at Domico Funeral Home, 414 Gaston Ave. Fairmont, Monday from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until noon.  The funeral service will be held at noon Tuesday in the Funeral Home with Rev. Robert Shingleton officiating.  Interment will follow at the WV National Cemetery in Grafton.  Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.domicofh.com

 



Laraine & Denny Clark with John Olesky at 2010 MHS Alumni Reunion

Laraine Lushinski Clark’s husband passes away

Denny Clark, husband of Laraine Lushinski Clark, Class of 1964, passed away Wednesday, April 5.

They live in Mt. Clare near Clarksburg.



Denny Clark

Laraine and siblings Rosemary and the late John, Jr. grew up on Church Street, two doors down from the Olesky family. Their parents were Sophie and John Lushinski, Sr.

 

My sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, tipped me off about Denny’s passing. Jackie, Rosemary Lushinski Tetrick and Laraine had an emotional reunion at the 2010 Monongah High Alumni Reunion.

John, Jackie & Rosemary at 2010 reunion

Rosemary is the godmother of Jackie’s daughter, Renee Straight, a WVU Ruby Memorial pharmacist. Rosemary is married to Ron Tetrick. Both are Class of 1958 and live in Baden, Pennsylvania.

Jackie taught Denny and Laraine’s daughter, April, when April was working her way toward a North Marion High diploma. Jackie also taught at Rivesville High before it consolidated with Fairmont West and Monongah consolidated into North Marion.

The Sayres family lived between the Olesky and Lushinski families on Church Street.

Denny’s obituary:

NUTTER FORT — Denzel “Denny” Clay Clark, Jr., 68, of Mt. Clare, WV, passed away on Wednesday, April 5, 2016, at Ruby Memorial Hospital.

He was born in Clarksburg, WV, on November 18, 1947, a son of the late Denzel Clay Clark, Sr. and Lillian Ada Haslebacher Clark.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Laraine S. Lushinski Clark, whom he married July 17, 1971, and who resides at their home in Mt. Clare.

Also surviving are one son, Clay Christopher Clark and wife Sherri of Clarksburg, WV; one daughter, April Marie Santee and husband, Vernon of Grant Town, WV; four grandchildren, Cassidy and Cameron Clark and Hunter and Holden Santee; four stepgrandchildren, David, Danny, Cody and Cassius Santee; three sisters, Elnora Ganoe of Clarksburg, WV, Sandra Hoffman of Brigantine, NJ, and Donna Fournier and husband Mike of Martinsburg, WV; and several nieces and nephews.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by four brothers-in-law, Tony Ganoe, Stanley Grooms, John Lushinski, Jr. and Tom Gawthrop and his mother and father-in-law, John and Sophie Lushinski.

He was a 1965 graduate of Washington Irving High School and attended electronics school for two years in Baltimore, MD. He then volunteered in the United States Army having served in Vietnam where he was a recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He graduated from Fairmont State College with a Bachelor Degree in Accounting. He retired after 31 years as a self employed Tax Consultant in Mannington, WV, and was a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Stonewood, WV. Denny enjoyed hunting and fishing trips with his family and traveling with his wife. He loved spending time with his family, especially with his grandchildren and following their sporting events.

Family and friends may call at the Amos Carvelli Funeral Home, 201 Edison St., Nutter Fort, WV, on Friday, April 8, 2016, from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2016, at the Church of the Nazarene, 9254 Cost Avenue, Stonewood, WV, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Richard Settles presiding. Graveside services will be held at the West Virginia National Cemetery, Grafton, WV, on Monday, April 11, 2016, at 10 a.m., where full military honors will be accorded.

Expressions of sympathy may be extended to the family at www.amoscarvelli.com

Lupo’s ‘licious ‘lunch’

During my Monongah childhood, I NEVER went to downtown Fairmont without getting a fabulous hot dog from Lupo’s Lunch near the bus station.

Even when my sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, who lives in Rivesville, and I would come back from a visit to the dentist!

To me, that Jefferson Street food was like filet mignon. If I remember correctly, it was a quarter, which I always made sure I didn’t spend before getting to Lupo’s.

If you remember Lupo’s hot dogs, loaded with meatsauce and onions, email John Olesky, Class of 1950, who lives in Tallmadge, Ohio, at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll add your memories to this article.

 

'Brutal coal baron' gets year in prison

Don Blankenship

Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, 66, who ran one of the most dangerous mines in West Virginia that killed 29 miners when Upper Big Branch exploded in 2010, was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $250,000, the maximum allowed in both categories by U.S. District Judge Irene Berger in Charleston.

A federal jury convicted Matewan High and Marshall University grad Blankenship on Dec. 3 of a misdemeanor conspiracy to violate mine safety standards at Upper Big Branch. The jury acquitted him of felonies that could have extended his sentence to 30 years.

At Upper Big Branch, four investigations found worn and broken cutting equipment created a spark that ignited accumulations of coal dust and methane gas. Water sprayers were broken and clogged, allowing an inferno to erupt.

This by a company that had revenue of $3.2 billion a year. It earned Blankenship the label of "brutal coal baron."

In 2009, Massey Energy, the sixth largest coal company in America, was fined $382,000 for "serious" unrepentant violations. A month earlier, authorities cited the mine for 57 safety infractions. The mine received two safety citations the day before the explosion, 600 in the preceding 18 months and 1,342 in the preceding five years.

Is this MHS’ Theodore Uchiek?

This obituary for Buddy Davis refers to the late Ted Uchiek, who was married to Buddy’s sister.

I don’t know if this is the same Theodore Uchiek from Chieftain who attended Monongah High in the late 1940s. If you know, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com

Buddy’s obituary:

Clyde Ernest “Buddy” Davis, Jr. 68, of Fairmont, passed from this life Tuesday, (April 5, 2016) in his home, under Hospice care. He was born in Fairmont on October 23, 1947 a son of the late Clyde E. and Ruby Ashcraft Davis.

Buddy was a Christian by faith. He worked as a truck driver all of his life primarily for Wall Plaster and Champion Block and then started his own company Davis Trucking. He was a member of the Teamsters Union.

He enjoyed working on trucks and used to hang… out with the gang at A1 Tire and Repair. He also enjoyed the truckers reunion at Grey’s Run every year. He enjoyed watching wrestling and more than anything else spending time with and seeing to it that his grandchildren were taken to wherever they had to be. He seemed to know how to do about anything and if he didn’t know, he knew somebody that did. He dearly loved his family and will be missed very much.

Mr. Davis is survived by his loving wife of forty-seven years Kathryn “Kathy” Shaver Davis, whom he married on March 15, 1969; his son and daughter-in-law Kevin and Brittany Davis of Fairmont; his daughter and son-in-law Pam and Shawn Bleigh of Fairmont; one brother Jackie Davis of Fairmont; three sisters and two brothers-in-law Helen and Loren Jackson and Geneva Casella both of Fairmont and Sue Ann and Walt Beer of King George, VA; his three grandchildren Michael Davis and Breahna and Makenzie Bleigh; also his sister-in-law Marge Davis and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a brother James Ashcraft; a sister and brother-in-law Sandy and Ted Uchiek; three nephews Ryan Gross, Jamie Phillips and Creed Davis and his in-laws Harold and Robena Shaver.

Friends may call at the Frey Home For Funerals (Addition Chapel A) 320 Madison St., Fairmont Thursday from 1-8 pm and Friday from 11 am till 1 pm. Services will be held in the funeral home Friday at 1:00 pm with Dr. Holley Faulkner officiating. Interment will follow at Grandview Memorial Gardens. Condolences may be sent to the family at either www.freyhomeforfunerals.com or fhff320@aol.com.

3 WVU fraternities suspended

WVU indefinitely suspected Delta Tau Delta fraternity for posting a video online to audition for a TV show that "included a tour of the Delta house while making inappropriate comments toward women, describing social functions that violate the WVU Interfraternity Council conduct code and referencing activities that violated the values of the national fraternity."

Along with being suspended by the national headquarters of Delta Tau Delta, the fraternity and student may face disciplinary action by the WVU Interfraternity Council and Office of Student Conduct.

Also suspended in the same week were Sigma Chi and Sigma Nu for unacceptable behavior.

Roy Baker, associate dean of students and director of Greek Life, posted:

"It's unfortunate that this comes at the same time when almost 1,000 Greeks spread out over our community last Saturday for more than two dozen community service projects."

A few rotten eggs stink up the whole place.

Nancy Watson Sokolosky’s sister passes away

Four States native Deloris Jean Watson Tennant, sister of Nancy Watson Sokolosky, Class of 1973, passed away Monday, April 4.

Other Watsons who are Monongah High graduates:

Pearl Villers Watson, Class of 1930.

Margaret Watson Hatcher, Class of 1960.

Deloris’ obituary:

Deloris Jean Tennant, 70, of Fairmont died Monday morning April 4, 2016 at her residence with her family by her side. She was born in Four States on December 13, 1945 daughter of the late Abraham Leonard (Ted) and Alta Dale Lawler Watson.

Deloris is survived by one son and daughter-in-law Donnie and Barbara Tennant of Grafton, two daughters and one son-in-law Tami and Jesse Shroyer of Bunner Ridge and Charlene Tennant of Fairmont. She is also survived by four grandchildren Rebecca Shroyer and Steve James of Monongah, Devin Shroyer of Bunner Ridge, Stacie and Ed Carpenter of East Grafton Road, and Stephen Tennant and Celeste Kelly of Grafton, and three great grandchildren Elijah Carpenter, Grace Carpenter, and Hadessah Carpenter.

Deloris is also survived by six sisters, Clarice Watson Prince of Four States, Charlotte Watson Rohrbaugh of Four States, Linda Watson Elliot and husband Joseph of Four States, Joyce Watson Roupe and husband John of Four States, Nancy Watson Sokolosky  and Joseph of Rachel and Shelia Watson Amant and husband John of Missouri.

She is preceded in death by her husband of fifty years Donald Lee Tennant on April 11, 2014, two brothers Dorsey Leonard Watson and Terry Wayne Watson both from Four States, three sisters Shirley Watson Davis from Missouri, Roberta May Watson from Four States and Carolyn Watson Swisher from Four States.

Family will receive friends on Wednesday April 6, 2016 from 2-8:00 P.M. and Thursday from 11:00 a.m. till 1:00 P.M. at the Ross Funeral Home 801 Fairmont Avenue Fairmont. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 1:00 P.M. at the funeral home with Pastor Ed Carpenter officiating. Entombment will follow at Grandview Memorial Gardens.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rossfh.com .