I am not surprised but I am proud at how Monongah is rallying around Kelly Danielle’s family, whose residence was devastated by the fire on 852 Park Avenue across from the Mount Calvary Cemetery.

That’s the way Monongah has always been. People who don’t have millions of dollars share what they do have with others in distress.

So there’s a movement underway to provide clothing for Kelly’s four children – Caydance Clark, Gabrielle Lynn Dotson, Nevaeh and Aiden Clark – and other items for the family.

Kelly, a customer service associate at Lowe’s Home Improvement, is a North Marion High graduate who married George Nicholson from Worthington in 2015.

On her Facebook page, Kelly calls herself “a mother who don’t take no crap from anyone and will do whatever I have to do to provide.”

That’s an attitude that I like. My late wife, Monnie, had that same protective stance for her children and even me.

Dale Allman, from Lost Creek but living in Alaska, is Kelly’s uncle.

Mayor Greg Vandetta, because the town can’t legally hand over money to an individual, suggested that an individual lead a clothing collection for the family.

Chrissy Shaver gave the children’s sizes:

“Gabby wears a girls 10 to 12, the 2 boys 6 to 7 and the baby 2 to 3 t.”

Location for the dropoff of clothing, Kelly Danielle wrote, will be at Chris Prahl’s home. Chris is a North Marion grad living in Monongah at 819 Center Avenue.

That's just around the corner from Kelly's house.

 

Bernice Goush Rogers passes away

Bernice Goush Rogers, sister of Chester Goush and Paul Goush, Jr., Class of 1954, passed away Thursday, November 9.

All three grew up in Monongah in a family of nine children.

Bernice Goush Rogers

Bernice’s parents were Paul and Katherine Goush. Bernice’s sister, Pauline Goush Colvin, passed away in 2010. Pauline was the widow of Ward Colvin. Bernice and Pauline were predeceased by siblings Josephine Goush Mazak, who married Ralph Mazak; Joseph Goush, Edward Goush, Anthony Goush and Walter Goush.

Paul lives on Cottage Avenue with wife Dietta Harden Goush, Class of 1959. A 1984 North Marion grad, Marcie Goush Raddish of Monongah, and Mark Raddish of Fairmont were the parents of Dietta’s granddaughter, Brogan Raddish, who passed away from cancer (Ewing's Sarcoma) at the age of 14 in 2009. The Brogan Camille Raddish playground is next to the Rails of Trails by the Monongah town parking lot.

Dietta regularly raises money for the Brogan Camille Goush Scholarship Fund. The total is in five figures and growing every year. Fairmont West High handles the money and writes the checks to the scholarship winners. Brogan attended West before her passing.

Alabama football coach Nick “Brother” Saban was photographed holding Brogan when she was a few years old. When Brogan was 13, she received an autographed photo of Brother, a football signed by all the players and a sweatsuit from Alabama. Brogan's mother, Marcie, has the items enclosed in glass today. Then-West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin spoke at Brogan’s funeral. Today, he is U.S. Senator Joe Manchin.

The father of Brother’s wife, Terry Constable Saban, and Paul Goush worked together in the mines for years and Terry’s dad put the kitchen in for Dietta Goush’s family.

Dave and Luann Raddish of Fairmont are Brogan’s other grandparents.

Other Goush graduates of Monongah High:

Edward Goush, Class of 1933, and Jody Goush, Class of 1978.

Mindy Goush Tossonne is a 1981 North Marion grad.

Bernice’s obituary:

Bernice Ann (Goush) Rogers, 97, of Monongah passed away peacefully with her family at her side on Thursday November 9, 2017 at the Genesis Tygart Center in Fairmont, where she had been a resident for the past eight years.

Bernice was born January 4, 1920, in Monongah, the daughter of the late Paul and Katherine Goush.

Bernice was Catholic by faith. She was a wonderful homemaker and enjoyed shopping and working in her flower gardens. She loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren so very much. Family was everything to her.

Survivors include her son, Harry Rogers, Jr. and wife Cathy of Fairmont and daughter Tracy Priolette and husband Michael of Fairmont. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Robin Borosos (Mike) of Inwood, Stacy Rauer (companion Dale) of Inwood, Jeffery Mike Rogers (Tanya) of Fairmont, Amie Marchesani (Nick) of Fairmont and Michael Priolette II (Laura) of Fairmont and; great grandchildren Stephanie Borosos, Tyler Crim, Paula Racey, Mikey Rogers, Tessa Rogers, Rocco Priolette, Nicky Marchesani and Cathrine Abigail Marchesani. Also surviving are a special nephew Brent Colvin (Sue) of Fairmont and a special niece Karen Sloboda of Monongah and a very special friend, Linda Comer of Fairmont. She is also survived by two brothers Chester Goush and Paul Jr. Goush (Dietta) of Monongah.

Bernice is preceded in death by her husband Harry Rogers, Sr., two daughters Brenda Rauer, Paula Wolfe and son-in-law, Robert Rauer.

The family would like to thank the Tygart Center, especially Mike Bartlett, Barbara Rinehart and Kayla Hayes for the wonderful care they provided.

In accordance with Bernice’s wishes, all services will be private. Burial will be at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Monongah.

Donations may be given in Bernice’s honor to the Tygart center resident council Activity Department, 1539 Country Club Road, Fairmont, West Virginia 26554, Attention  Missi Smith, Director.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Ross Funeral Home, 801 Fairmont Avenue, Fairmont.

Condolences may be sent to www.rossfh.com .

Veterans Day 2017 seems like an appropriate time to revisit a story about the TWENTY grandsons of Texan J.T. Mick who fought in World War II.

One of those grandsons was Rufus Mick, son of Homer and Pearl Mick, who came to Monongah from Texas.

Rufus, either 17 or 18 years old because he was 10 in the 1940 census of the Mick family in Monongah, was in the Navy when he was killed in Europe on December 16, 1944.

That was six months after the most massive military landing in history – 160,000 Allied troops, 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft were involved -- on the beaches of Normany in France.

Rufus’ brother, Ralph Mick, served with the Army in the Pacific.

Another brother, Reuben, was in the Army Tank Corps.

Still another brother, Sgt. Roy E. Mick, was decorated with the Silver Star and was in charge of a tank destroyer crew that destroyed four enemy tanks in the Solomon Islands in October 1942.

Irene Mick Huffman, Class of 1947, was 14 years old when her brothers went off to war.

Reuben Mick, Jr., Class of 1970, is the son of Reuben R. Mick of the Army Tank Corps.

Other grandsons of Texas T.J. Mick fought on Tarawa in the Pacific.

Other Micks at Monongah High included sisters Marlene Mick Harrison, Class of 1965, and Paula Mick Webb, Class of 1966.

Paula was on Coach Gene Kendzior’s 1960 Marion County girls softball champs from Monongah. She also was in the MHS prom court, escorted by Steven Duckworth, before marrying Dick Webb and living in Monongah. Marlene became a widow, remarried and lives in North Carolina.  

Paula was a Monongah High Band feature twirler and in the class tournaments all four years. She also was on the Black Diamond Yearbook staff and in the senior class play, “Captain Kidd’s Return.”

Other Micks graduating from Monongah High:

Robert Mick, Class of 1962, and his brother, Richard Mick, Class of 1967.

Sharon States Mick, Class of 1965.

Veronica Luszcynski Mick, Class of 1941, was the sister of super Monongah High multi-sport athlete Eddie Luszcynski.

The 20 grandsons of T.J. Mick had plenty of company in World War II. 407,300 died fighting for America and freedom.

Counting civilians and the military, 60 million people died because of World War II.

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:

“We resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain . . . and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

We owe our veterans, of all wars, a debt that we can never repay.

But personally thanking those still alive for their service on Veterans Day is a small, but good, start.

Timothy D. “Taxi Tim” Clowers, brother-in-law of Kim DeMary Clowers, Class of 1979, who is the widow of Earl Lee Clowers, passed away Tuesday, October 30 in Palatka, Florida.

Kim and Earl Lee were married for 17 years. Earl Lee had a grandson named Anthony DeMary, who is not the late Anthony “Plumber” Demary, Jr., Class of 1950, in the faceitiously named Gang That Terrorized Marion County that I ran around with in my teen years at Monongah High.

Tim and Earl Lee’s parents were John and Barbara Jean Clowers. Tim’s widow is Brenda Parsons Clowers. They have three daughters.

Kim lives in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee.

Helen Mary Prahl Graffius, one of 13 children and the mother of several Monongah High alumni, passed away Friday, November 7.

She lived in Monongah and was the widow of Donald “Chick” Graffius and the daughter of Paul and Beulah Toothman Prahl.

Helen’s 12 siblings were George Prahl, Class of 1965; the late Charles “Tinker” Prahl; the late Jack Prahl, survived by his wife of 60 years, Shirley Jones Prahl; Paul Prahl, Lorraine Prahl Yaquinto, Robert Prahl, Betty Lou Prahl DeVores, Clyde Prahl, Coralee Prahl Delligatti, James Prahl, Thomas Prahl and the late Sarah Prahl Kerns Dusenberry.

Helen’s children are Ed Graffius, Class of 1971; Brenda Graffius Barna, Class of 1974, and the late Dave Graffius, Class of 1973, and Donald Graffius, Jr. 

Ed has been married to Brenda Ridenour Graffius, Class of 1974, for 44 years. They live in Pleasant Valley. Ed and Brenda’s children are Jennifer Graffius Linn, who lives in Kentucky, and Eric Graffius.

 

Brenda Graffius Barna is a nurse who lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with husband Charles “Chuck” Barna.
 
Brenda heard about her mom’s passing while at work in Fargo, North Dakota. She flew to Atlanta, drove a rental car 4 hours to her Hilton Head home, unpacked and repacked and then flew from South Carolina to Pittsburgh airport before driving to brother Ed’s home in Fairmont.
Helen’s obituary:

Helen Mary Prahl Graffius, 86, passed away on Friday, November 7, 2017 at St. Barbara’s Nursing Home. She was the last surviving member of the family of Paul and Beulah Prahl. She was preceded in death by twelve brothers and sisters.

She was preceded in death by her husband Donald “Chick” Graffius and sons Donnie and David Graffius.

She is survived by her children, Edwin and wife Brenda, Brenda and husband Chuck, and Jon; a daughter-in-law, Debbie; grandchildren, Jennifer, Eric, Jamie, and Jared; and great grandchildren, Kylie, Erin, Levi, Connor, Ian, and Camden.

She enjoyed having family at the homeplace for Sunday dinner and holidays. She loved to cook and her food was delicious. She was an avid gardener and really loved her garden and flowers. She also loved baking and would take goodies to the VA Hospital and her friends at Wal Mart. She would do anything for anyone and would give to those who needed it.

The family would like to thank the staff at St. Barbara’s for the wonderful care given to Helen and their friendship.

Her wishes were to be cremated with no formal services. Arrangements are under the care of Domico Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.domicofh.com.

Amy Westfall Raines, married to Chad Raines.

Amy's mother is Marcia Michalski Westfall, Class of 1974, the motorcycle-riding schoolteacher from Kilarm married to Dave Westfall, Class of 1948, who dodged Colorado tornadoes while traveling thousands of miles on their Harley Electra Glide motorcycle.

Marcia’s mom is Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, who lives in Monongah and is the widow of Frank Michalski, a pretty fair Monongah High football player in his day. Ramona is my “Monongah bureau chief” for this blog because I frequently phone her when I need to untangle relationships of Monongah families for a blog article.

So Brevon got some good football DNA in his genes from his great-grandfather. Brevon attended Monongah schools from the time his family moved from Petersburg when he was in the third grade.

Caden Michael Michalski, young Michael Michael's son and Jay Michalski's grandson, while still pretty young, is a good athlete, too, when it comes to wrestling. Good enough to make the Junior State Wrestling Tournament in Huntington last year.


Somewhere in Heaven Frank Michalski is smiling and telling St. Peter: “My DNA still knows how to play sports.”

Frank and Ramona’s children, besides Marcia Westfall, are

Mike Michalski (wife Jan), of Monongah.

Jay Michalski (wife Debbie), of Monongah.

Carol Michalski Drake (husband Bob) of Shinnston.

Ramona Michalski, who lives with her mother (Ramona Jean) in Monongah.

Another child, Mary Frances Michalski Gapen, Class of 1968, who married Rick Gapen, passed away in 2012. Like Marcia, she also was a teacher -- at Barrackville Middle School and Monongah Elementary.
 
Ramona's grandson, Tony Michalski, is Marion County Parks and Recreation Comission executive director.

There was a lot of activity on Park Avenue in Monongah opposite the Mount Calvary Cemetery today, and it wasn’t a good thing.

Four fire departments, the Marion County Rescue Squad and a variety of emergency vehicles showed up although reports are that all the humans and pets got out OK.

Tax records show the home is owned by Pam Nicholson and Brenda Warren, Adam Michna tells me. The house was once owned by Chad Puccio. And, at another time, by Bill Shaffer. It’s a small white house on the corner.

There’s no word yet on who was living there.