DON'T BE LEFT OUT OF THE GLORIOUS 100th MONONGAH HIGH ALUMNI BANQUET, OLDEST HIGH SCHOOL REUNION IN WEST VIRGINIA HISTORY!

Among the 66 people who have told me they are coming to the 100^th Monongah High Alumni Banquet at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the Knights of Columbus building on Mary Lou Retton Drive in Fairmont will be Sabrina Haught, Class of 1964, who will be giving the invocation.

Sabrina married Richard Haught, pastor at TLC (Tender Loving Care?) Ministries for 17 years.

Sabrina is retired from Dept of Homeland Security Marion County 911. She spent 31 years at HSMC and with fire departments and police agencies, including the final 5 years as part of the management team who handled public relations and advertising.

 

There are plenty of Haughts in Monongah High history.

 

Starting with the legendary late Gary Haught, whose sister is Tammy Haught Vandergrift, Class of 1977, of Frankfurt, Kentucky.

 

She went by Tama Haught when she was at Monongah High. She attended the 40-year reunion of her class at the 2017 Monongah High Alumni Banquet.

Tammy was an accountant for 27 years with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet when she retired, only to return part-time to KTC.

 

Tammy told me:

 

“I'm divorced. I have one son, Christopher Vandergrift, who graduated as an electrical engineer from the University of Kentucky and one grandson, Isaac Maxwell Vandergrift, who will soon be 3.

 

“Son Chris is a senior engineer at Schneider Electric after working for the Kentucky Transportation Center, Ashland Oil and Toyota.”

 

Tammy’s brother was the previously mentioned Gary Allen Haught. Their parents are Nellie Fortney Haught, who shared a Traction Avenue home in Monongah with Gary till she passed away in 2018, and the late Jennings Haught. Gary was the guy who ran Gary’s Pro Painting.

 

Gary’s dad, Jennings Haught, also predeceased Gary. Gary is survived by his children Shawn, Jennifer and Sunnie.

 

Gary’s sister, as I noted above, is Tammy Haught Vandergrift of Frankfurt, Kentucky.

That’s only one of maybe hundreds of stories that will be recalled and laughed about and cause tearful memories in the K of C Hall in Fairmont.

I have the names of 66 people who have told me they will be there. I haven’t bothered Monongah High Alumni Association treasurer Donna Davis, who handles the reservations checks and information, or Alumni president Linda Lopez Gandy, both Class of 1965, about the names they have received officially that are not on my list.

But I would be amazed if there are not 2 x 66 people at the historic 100^th reunion of the oldest high school reunion in West Virginia history, thanks to the efforts of Donna, Linda and others.

And I will do all I can to promote the event, which I will attend. It may be one of our last chances to see each other again, in my case 73 years after I graduated from dear old Monongah High.

My home is covered with Lions memorabilia and my heart is covered with fantastic memories.

As many know my longtime friend at Monongah High, starting when we were 5-year-olds at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School and going through first year at Fairmont State when Robert “Satch” Kasper and I began our college studies (I switched to WVU as a sophomore).  

Bob and I spent 85 years having reunions in his Michigan, my Ohio, MHS Banquets in West Virginia, vacations in Florida till Satch (who got his nickname from Huntz Hall’s Sach – we got spelling wrong for Bob’s nickname – who was never seen without a cap, the same as my beloved friend Satch).

Bob sent me a Christmas card in 1955 headed “Old Times, Old Friends” and I sent him a card that year, too. Till Bob passed away less than a year ago, we exchanged those two cards EVERY year.

I have one card and Bob’s son, Steven Kasper, adopted like so many of the Kasper family members, has the other card.

It is such a precious friendship for me. Satch will live forever in my heart, my memories and, at times, in my dreams.

Bob’s sister was the late Evelyn Kasper Boggess, who married Okey Boggess. Sadly, Evelyn and Okey also have joined Satch in the Great Beyond.

                      Regina Ann Jones Clark,

                     husband Roger L. Clark 
           

Regina Ann Jones Clark, Class of 1979 (the last MHS graduation class before Monongah merged into North Marion High), who lives in Cambridge, Ohio, also will attend.

Regina retired in 2022 as Deputy Clerk for mostly rural Guernsey County in eastern Ohio.

She married Roger L. Clark, a 1977 Shinnston High grad who has been Regional Loss Prevention Manager at  AutoZone for 25 years.

They will celebrating 45 years of marriage June 17, but if you meet them at the 100^th Monongah High Reunion give them a hearty early wedding anniversary salute.

Regina will have reunions with Class of 1979 graduates Tim Cunningham of Huntsville, Alabama, Gene Hartley and Terry Hayhurst.

They are the "babies" of MHS graduates going back to 1922 when Greta Martin Mike, Class of 1922,  founded the Monongah Alumni Association and came up with the first Monongah High Alumni Reunion that today is the oldest high school reunion in West Virginia history. 

If your name is not among those 66 who have told me they are coming to the 100^th Monongah High Alumni Banquet, and you definitely will attend, Facebook me on the John Olesky page or email me at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com with your full name, including maiden name if you are female, your current city of residence and your graduation year and I will add your name to the list of those attending the 100^th reunion.

It will be a glorious time. Show up or you will regret it when you read the article I post on this blog after the 100^th reunion with a gazillion photos of Lions having a great time together!

Don’t get left out of this 100^th amazing gathering of a pride of Lions.

 

My list of the 66 who told me they will attend:

 

CLASS OF 1948

June Paxton Rogers

Otis Shaver

Tom Dean, who lives in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and his daughter

 

CLASS OF 1950

John Olesky

 

CLASS OF 1955

Jackie Olesky Straight

 

CLASS OF 1957

Bruce Edmond

Danny Manzo, married to Fairmont East graduate Brenda Manzo

 

CLASS OF 1958

Dixie Edmond  

 

CLASS OF 1959

Sally Wood Tarley

 

CLASS OF 1961

Nellie Georgette Blake Ford

Davis Willis

 

CLASS OF 1962

Don Pitman

 

CLASS OF 1963    

Cheryl Boydoh Fordyce will be attending with her three daughters

Bernie Fullen

Donna McGinnis Fullen

Lindy Huffman

Sharon Raines Martin

 

CLASS OF 1964

Jim Gandy

Sabrina Haught, married to Richard Haught. Sabrina will give the invocation.

George Leroy Thompson

Linda Nottingham Willis

 

CLASS OF 1965

Donna Davis

Linda Lopez Gandy

Linda McGinnis Sandy

 

CLASS OF 1966

Paula Kaye Huffman, married to Raymond Lewis and living in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Catherine Mike Markley

 

CLASS OF 1967

Linda Nobel Carr

Sheila Haun

 

CLASS OF 1968

Kitty Morrison

Dene Saban Thompson

 

CLASS OF 1969

Pauletta Ellison

 

CLASS OF 1970

Brenda Mills

Cynthia Shaver Saloky

 

CLASS OF 1971

Dennis Edwards

Jay Holman

Judith Lemley Shaffer Mancino

Dr. Pat Levelle, lives with wife Cindy in Beaufort, South Carolina

Susan Staron Sanders

Sue Schrader

Judy Rose Mills

 

CLASS OF 1972

Aaron Justice

Elaine Willis Reynolds

 

CLASS OF 1973    

Mark Aldridge

Robin Huffman Satterfield

David “Mickey” McDonald

 

CLASS OF 1974

Linda Dorene Pyles Wright

 

CLASS OF 1976

Denise Ann Wood Roncone, married to Mike Roncone, who graduated from Moon Township high school near Pittsburgh.

 

 

CLASS OF 1978

Donnie Wells

Tammy Beveridge Wells

Susie Jett

Barbara Melton Earl

Robin Moorehead McDonald

Kevin Daniel Wood, wife Karen McNally Wood

 

CLASS OF 1979 (final year for MHS)

Tim Cunningham of Huntsville, Alabama

Gene Hartley

Terry Hayhurst

Regina Jones Clark, who married 1977 Shinnston High grad Roger L. Clark 45 years ago as of June 17.