Kim Shuttlesworth Snider passes away

Kimberly Shuttlesworth Snider, Class of 1978, passed away Tuesday, April 17.

Her mother, Opal Cool Shuttlesworth, widow of Howard Shuttlesworth, Class of 1973, passed away in 2015. 

Kim Shuttlesworth Snider

Opal had been pastor of the Four States Tabernacle since 1964. She also was an Annabelle Grade School cook.

Kim’s father, Howard Shuttlesworth, passed away in 2004.                                                                                      

Kim’s siblings are Howard, Jr. of Fairmont and Sherry Shuttlesworth Bubnowski of Lumberport.

Howard, Jr. attended the monthly get-togethers in Worthington with David Willis, Class of 1961; Edward Burley, Class of 1962, widower of Katherine Ely Burley; Roy “Jaybird” Murphy, Class of 1966; Joe McCullough, Class of 1962; Clifford Morgan, Class of 1961; Harold Maze, Class of 1961; and Wilbur Smith, Class of 1960.

Jaybird lives in West Milford with Patricia Beccaloni Murphy, Class of 1964.

Other Shuttlesworths at Monongah High:

Mary Raddish Shuttlesworth, Class of 1940, who attended the 2015 Monongah High Alumni Reunion at the age of 94.

Mary Dalton Shuttlesworth, Class of 1941.

Edith Shuttlesworth Anderson, Class of 1942.

Kim’s obituary:

Kimberly Sue Snider (57) of Four States, WV passed away on April 17, 2018 at United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, WV. Kimberly was born September 1, 1960 in Fairmont, WV, the daughter of the late Howard and Opal (Cool) Shuttlesworth.
Kimberly was a homemaker and talented musician. She enjoyed cooking, quilting and playing the dulcimer, bass, mandolin, guitar and banjo. She loved spending time with her family especially her grandchildren.
Those left behind to cherish her memory are; her loving husband of 36 years Jackson Clay Snider, one daughter Kaila R. Snider, one son Benjamin J. Snider both of Four States, WV, six grandchildren: Paige Snider, Emily Snider, Raelynn Snider and Kailei Holbert, Benjy Snider and Kaine Snider, one brother Howard Shuttlesworth and wife Jeannie of Fairmont, WV, one sister Sherry Bubnowski of Lumberport, WV, and several nephews and nieces.
Kimberly had a lot of people that were very dear to her including her sister-in-law Pamela Shuttlesworth of Four States, WV, cousins and friends Janet and Tammy Cowger, Starla Silvy all of  Vermillion, OH.
The family will receive friends at Dorsey Funeral Home, 701 South Pike St., Shinnston, WV 26431, on Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 2:00pm - 8:00pm. A funeral service will be held at Dorsey Funeral Home on Friday April 20, at 11:00am with Pastor Mike Hamrick officiating. Interment will be at Shinnston Memorial Cemetery, Shinnston, WV.
Dorsey Funeral Home is honored to assist the Snider Family at this time.   

$17 million for Heather, $200,000 for dad Joe Manchin

Mylan, the big pharma firm whose CEO is Heather Bresch, has donated nearly $200,000 to the campaign of her father, Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator from West Virginia.

Farmington native Manchin has been one of Mylan’s staunchest defenders in Congress, even asking his colleagues to be “open-minded” in their investigation into his daughter’s skyrocketing EpiPen prices . . . 400% since 2007 at $600 for ONE dose. 

This for a drug that the U.S. government developed so Mylan got it without spending any money on research and development.

Mylan has kicked in $51,250 in the first quarter alone to Manchin’s reelection campaign.

Heather’s salary rose from $2.4 million to $19 million. Buy-or-die EpiPens, which treat severe allergic reactions, particularly in children, paid for that since it brings $1 billion a year to Mylan.

To help her daughter, her mother, Gayle Manchin, as head of the National Association of State Boards of Education in 2012, spearheaded a push to require states to purchase the EpiPens.

The whole family is involved in raking in money from insurance and the parents of children who don't want their kids to die.

West Virginia teachers set an example of courage nationally

West Virginia teachers galloped into the national spotlight with their 55-county nine-day walkout that brought a 5% pay raise to lift them from No. 48 among the states in teacher pay.

They were named among Time Magazine’s 100 more influential people and organizations.

They were listed among Fortune Magazine’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.

West Virginia teachers ranked No. 31 on Fortune’s list of 50. They were in some remarkably amazing company: The Parkland Schools massacre survivors, Me, Too movement founder Tarana Burke and special federal prosecutor Robert Mueller, investigating possible Russian interference with America’s presidential election.

And the teachers did it while spending their money to feed children who got free lunches when school was in session so that those kids would not go hungry over the walkout.

And in a once solidly Democratic state that gave billionaire Donald Trump, whose policies often benefit the wealthiest among us at the expense of the poor and middle class, nearly 68 percent of its votes for President.

And the West Virginia teachers started a national movement among teachers that spread to Oklahoma, Kentucky, New Jersey, Arizona and other states.

“Seeing what happened in West Virginia gave us some hope, an outline of what to do and what not to do,” said Mickey Miller, an economics teacher at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa.

West Virginia has a history of being critical to the labor movement. The Washington Post labels West Virginia “the birthplace of the American labor movement.”

Octogenarian Mother Jones, who actual name was Mary Harris Jones, and legendary United Mine Workers President John L. Lewis had some of their best success in the Mountain State.

West Virginia miners are the only Americans bombed by their own government during their efforts to organize coal mine employees in 1920 in what is called The Battle of Blair Mountain. 

And coal operators routinely hired goons to beat those who tried to better the coal miners’ situation.

Coal miners went from mine to mine, and at times committed violence, where cheap non-union labor was used.

Despite a lot of deaths by protesting miners, it took the Great Depression and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal to skyrocket union membership in West Virginia and elsewhere. But the Mountain State has been the bedrock of unionism for more than a century.

West Virginia’s teachers picked up that baton admirably and won the day.

Much of the union progress in West Virginia was beat back by greedy, out-of-state coal operators … and machinery.

Machinery began to replace miners during the late 1940s and continued unabated at the turn of the 21st century. The number of miners declined from 127,304 in 1950 to 59,098 in 1960, and by 1999 only about 20,000 miners remained in West Virginia.

Politicians like John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump came into the state in election years and made grand promises that unemployed coal miners and their families grasped like straws clutched by a drowning person. But mine employment steadily dwindled with one continuous loader able to do the work of 100 miners.

The New York Times lauded the teachers, and deservedly so. “Strikes as broad as the one in West Virginia are vanishingly rare. But when they do happen, they prove that our labor history is not that deeply buried. If workers are pushed hard enough, those ghosts will rise.”

West Virginia teachers’ actions were not a piece of cake. As the New York Times pointed out, “The 2011 labor uprising in Wisconsin looked very similar to this one, and ended in defeat.”

Not this time. You don’t mess with West Virginians.

Personally, I was on a 1932 picket line in Monongah opposite a line of company goons on horseback before I was born. My mother, Lena Futten Olesky, was eight months pregnant with me. 

My father, John W. Olesky, Sr., was such a relentless force for the UMW as a checkweighman that, when he was injured in his second cave-in that had four or more feet of coal before rescuers got to any part of his body, Consol dropped him from the payroll.

When he didn’t die and returned to the mines after 18 months of recovery, he had to seek employment at other mines in Carolina and Four States.

His crime? When the company checkweighman would announce the weight of a coal car brought out of the mines as, say, “20 tons,” my father would say, “25 tons.” They would settle on a number between the two. That cost Consol a lot of money and put a lot of food on miners’ tables.

So Consol got even with a Polish-American miner and his Italian native wife and their children, John Olesky, Jr., Class of 1950, and Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955.

I guess the union bug got to me, too. When I was at the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News I was fired and blackballed for my union activities at the union-hating Atlanta-based Cox Media paper. 

I had my Cinderella native (adjacent to Williamson) wife Monnie Turkette Olesky and three children paying the price for my principles. 

It took five payless weeks, and having my applications followed by derogatory blackballing letters from Daily News editor Jim Fain, before I found a newspaper, the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, and an editor, Ben Maidenburg, who said, “After 15 years (of me being employed in Dayton), it must have been their fault.” 

So I was hired and worked for 26 years at the Beacon Journal, owned by John S. Knight, probably the best newspaper owner in American media history. 

As it turned out, my financial fortunes, career and respect improved immensely at the unions-friendly Beacon Journal.

I have been retired since 1996. I have been able to afford travel to 56 countries, 44 states, take 14 cruises and spend 25 winters (as long as four months each time) in Florida.

And kept my principles.

The West Virginia teachers out-did me far better. 

Kudos to them.

Cheryl Riley’s cousin passes away

Jimmy Summers, cousin of Cheryl Rhodes Riley, Class of 1979, passed away at a too-young age of ALS (Lou  Gherig’s Disease) Saturday, April 14.

Cheryl and husband Eugene Riley live in Enterprise. Eugene was from Akron, Ohio.

They were married in 1978.

Rose Demus Argiro passes away

Rose Demus Argiro, Class of 1941, who passed away April 4 in Severna Park, Maryland, was intertwined with two legendary Monongah High families.

Rose Demus Argiro

Her parents were Nick and Teresa Santa Croce Demus, who came to America from Calabria, Italy.

Nick and Teresa had nine children, including two named for Nick and Teresa.

Rose was married to Larry Argiro, one-time owner of Country Club Bakery which invented the pepperoni roll, who passed away March 18, 2017.

Rose’s siblings are Nellie Demus Bailey, Class of 1938; Joan Demus, Class of 1941; Nick Demus, Class of 1945, who operated the Demus Market in Worthington till it closed in 2012 after a 55-year run; Mickey Demus, Class of 1948; Teresa Demus, Class of 1950; and Jim Demus, Class of 1954.

Later generations included Ramona Rose Demus, Class of 1971, and Nick Demus III, Class of 1973.

Rose and Larry’s son is Larry Jr, daughter-in-law Barbara, of Annapolis, Maryland, and Larry’s late sister Amelia Argiro Fanto and late brother, Frank “Cheech” Argiro. 

 

The Argiro family previously owned Country Club Bakery, famous for its pepperoni rolls invented by the original Joe Argiro in 1927.

 

Rose’s obituary:

 

Rose Cecilia Demus Argiro, 97, of Severna Park, MD, died peacefully April 4, 2018 at home surrounded by her loving family. A first generation American, she was born on February 16, 1921 in Uniontown, PA., the daughter of Nick and Teresa Demus from Reggio Calabria, Italy.

Rose and her eight siblings grew up in Worthington, WV.  As a young girl she always dreamed of becoming a nurse and in 1943 she graduated from Saint Mary’s Nursing School in Clarksburg, WV. Rose’s nursing career began as a staff nurse at St Mary’s Hospital and then continued on to include employment at John’s Hopkins University Hospital working as a Supervisory RN in a coveted section of the hospital reserved for famous personalities i.e. movie stars, athletes, politicians and an assortment of dignitaries. Additionally, Rose worked as an elementary school nurse (Severna Park, MD), worked as a nurse for the Maryland Health Department Head-Start program, and ended her nursing career after working 13 years providing nursing care at the Maryland State Legislature where she was recognized for her excellent service and received numerous awards.

Throughout her career Rose represented only the highest standards and values as she attended to the well-being of her patients with compassionate and selfless care.

In 1946 Rose met the love of her life in Worthington, WV—a handsome intelligent and dashing Lieutenant, Larry Argiro. Within a year they were married and for 69 years remained in a loving marriage until his death approximately one year ago.

Family was always Rose’s priority and she and Larry welcomed their son Larry Jr in 1952.  He has always been the light of their life.  Rose was a consummate homemaker and decorator, enjoying her passions of cooking, gardening, quilting, and bringing friends and family together to enjoy wonderfully home-made Italian dishes and hosting the perfect party.  Though a Maryland resident for many years, Rose remained proud of her West Virginia roots and returned often to spend time with her beloved family.

She is preceded in death by her husband Larry Argiro Sr. and survived by her son and daughter-in-law Larry Jr and Barbara Argiro., of Annapolis, MD and one sister Nellie Demus of Worthington, WV.   Rose is also survived by brothers/sister-in-laws Jim and Erma Demus (Shinnston, WV), Michael Demus (New York, NY) and Merelyn Demus (Worthington, WV).  She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Friends and Family may call on Monday 1-8:00 p.m. at Ross Funeral Home, 801 Fairmont Avenue Fairmont. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday April 10, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church with Fr. Joseph Konikattil as Celebrant. Interment will follow at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.  

A vigil service will be held Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home.  

In lieu of Flowers, please share a donation in Rose’s memory to West Virginia University (WVU) Foundation-Rosenbaum Family Center.  The Center provides a home away from home for adult patients and their families while receiving medical care. 

Condolences may be sent to www.rossfh.com

Larry Argiro’s obituary:

Larry J. Argiro, Sr. 96, formerly of Fairmont, died peacefully Saturday March 18th at his Severna Park, MD home.

 

He was born November 23, 1920 in the city of Caulonia, Reggio Calabria, Italy, the son of the late Guiseppe and Teresa Santa Croce Argiro.

 

He immigrated to this country and ultimately Fairmont with his parents when he was four years old.  He often recalled the excitement of seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time and how it impacted those aboard as the ship approached Ellis Island. 

 

 In 1947 Larry married Rose Demus who became the Love of his life for over 69 years.  Their deep devotion for each other was an inspiration to all who knew them. 

 

Larry was devoted to his family and is survived by Rose; his son Larry Jr, daughter-in-law Barbara, of Annapolis, MD, sister-in-law Nellie Demus and brothers-in-law Nick Demus, of Worthington WV, Michael Demus, of NY, and Jim Demus, of Shinnston, WV and many cousins, nieces and nephews located in the U.S., Australia, Canada and Italy. 

 

He was preceded in death by his sister Amelia Fanto and brother, Frank “Cheech” Argiro.  The family previously owned Country Club Bakery, famous for its pepperoni rolls.

 

Larry graduated from West Virginia University in 1947 with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering.  He served in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific as a commissioned officer in the Signal Corps. 

 

Post WWII he began his career in 1947 with the David Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development Center, Annapolis, Maryland and progressed from entry level engineer to become a member of the Senior Executive Service and Director of the Machinery Research and Development Directorate responsible for developing quiet advanced machinery systems.

 

Larry was a pioneer in developing machinery acoustic silencing technology for reducing noise from shipboard machinery and controlling environmental and habitability noise on ships.  He and his laboratory team (who he often credited for his achievement) were extremely successful in developing and applying new silencing technologies that allowed the U.S. Navy to enjoy the strategic advantage of having the quietest ships in the world.  The total benefit to the Navy, DOD, and the Nation as a whole are incalculable. 

 

During his distinguished career which spanned 50 years, he received numerous prestigious awards and accolades for his leadership and engineering accomplishment.  In 1994 his retirement was announced on the U.S. Senate Floor and a Tribute by Senator Sarbanes (MD) acknowledging his achievement became part of the Congressional Record. 

 

Among his many awards two in particular remained close to his heart; in 1995 he was inducted into the WVU Distinguished Alumni and in 1997 selected as Italian-American Man of the year. 

 

He is a lifetime member of the Society of Naval Engineers; a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America; a member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering; and registered Professional Engineer in Maryland.

 

His intellect matched with his kind and warm spirit will be missed by all who knew him.  

 

Friends may call at the Ross Funeral home 801 Fairmont Avenue Fairmont on Wednesday from 12-8:00 P.M. Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated on Thursday at 10:00 A.M. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Monongah, with Fr. S.A. Arokiadass as Celebrant . Interment will follow at Mount Carmel Cemetery.

 

A vigil service led by Deacon Lou Belldina will be held Wednesday evening at 7:00 P.M. at the funeral home.

 

Marion County Veterans Council will conduct full military honors at the cemetery.

 

Flowers may be directed to Ross Funeral Home or in lieu, memorial donations may be made to the WVU Foundation 1 Waterfront Place, Morgantown, WV 26501.

 

Condolences can be sent to www.rossfh.com Ro

Talent show in Monongah

There will be a regional talent show in Monongah this summer (date to be announced later) with winners advancing to the Marion County Parks and Recreation finals August 25 at Fairmont’s Palatine Park.

Monongah’s talent will compete against regional winners in Fairview, Rivesville and Fairmont.

Regional winners will get gift certificates or wave pool passes. Palatine finalists have a shot at $500 and booking for a Marion County Parks show next year.

John Provins is parks director.

Tony Michalski, Marion County Parks and Recreation Comission executive director, is a grandson of Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, who lives in Monongah, and the late Frank Michalski, who played football for Monongah High through the 1948 season.

Ramona lives off Bridge Street Extension in Monongah (near the top of the hill) and is my de facto Monongah Bureau Chief for Lions news with help from Adam Michna, who graduated from North Marion in 1980 after attending Monongah High for 3 years.

Mama Mia time in D.C.

Pepperoni rolls, born in West Virginia, have emigrated to the nation’s capital.

Karen Shannon, who was born and grew up in a Fairmont Italian-American family, is “honoring her roots” with Pepperoni Chic, a pop-up restaurant, in Washington, D.C.

Shannon said her customers “love the story of the coal miners and the invention of the pepperoni roll” by Joe Argiro at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont in 1927.
Click on the blue http://www.timeswv.com/news/pepperoni-rolls-pop-up-in-d-c/article_4ac453ac-3ed2-11e8-b4a4-d780f4a5e0f6.html to read the Fairmont Times article.