Monongah High Lions

  Kathren Herndon Loss, 99, with John Olesky, 90     Susan Staron Sanders, John Olesky, Joan Salisbury   Ahouse sisters Kitty Morrison, left, and Sue Schrader     CLASS OF 1968     From left to right Charlotte Fullen Lloyd, Dene Saban Thompson, Kitty Ahouse Morrison, Tom Nottingham, Linda Savereno Moorehead, Linda Moorehead Larry, Bonita Lavencheck Waybright.               Connie Coldres Cameon (left), Bonita Lavencheck Waybright      Bill Meredith, right, with John Olesky    Dennis Edward, left, and John Olesky    L-R: Jim Gandy, Donna Davis, Bill Davis    Rosemary Raymond Pagliaro and John Olesky   Bonita Lavencheck Waybright, left, John Olesky and his companion Joan Salisbury of Maryland at former teacher Mary Turkovich's grave at Monongah's Mount Calvary Cemetery.         Otis Shaver   Jack Slimmer and Jackie Olesky Straight    John Olesky and companion Joan Salisbury dressed in red and black colors of Monongah High     John Olesky and Tom Commodore     Susan Staron Sanders

  Allen Lee, Class of 1971, Passes away   Allen Lee, Class of 1971, passed away Saturday, May 27 in Morgantown.   His wife, Brenda, posted: “I miss the love of my life. He was a great husband and dad. He was kind to everyone. Heaven is to lucky to have him.”   I can’t add anything better to that assessment.   Allen’s obituary:   Allen M. Lee, 70, of Pleasant Valley, suddenly passed away Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Ruby Memorial Hospital, Morgantown. He was born February 28, 1953 in Fairmont, a son of the late James Richard Lee and Kathleen Saunders Bissett, who survives from Kingmont. Also preceding him in death was his brother, Ricky Lee of Swisher Hill. He is survived by his wife, Brenda Lea Lee, Pleasant Valley; his sister DeAnn Moran and husband Mark, California; his brother, Randy Lee, Swisher Hill; his daughter Amanda Marie, Enterprise son Billy John, Glassport, Pa; Grandson Caleb Lee, Fairmont; Granddaughter Sydney Long, Fairmont; daughter, Love Lee, Fa

            Brenda Manzo & Danny Manzo  60 th wedding anniversary  for Danny and Brenda Manzo Danny Manzo, Class of 1957, and Fairmont East graduate Brenda Manzo celebrated their SIXTIETH wedding anniversary.   Brenda is busy with the Bees hive, organizing reunions of Fairmont East alumni.    Brenda and Danny have lived in Monongah since 1967.     Danny was on the 1955 Monongah High state champ football team and was co-captain with Joe Meffe of the 1956 Monongah High state football title game runnerup team.   There has been a Manzo at Monongah High in at least four decades -- from 1935 through 1949 and 1969 through 1978 (the year before the final 1979 MHS graduation class that preceded the consolidation into North Marion High).

  180 coming to MHS Banquet! Time almost up for you to make reservation!     I was getting ready to post another article about the 100 th Monongah High Alumni Banquet May 27 but Jay Holman beat me to it so I’ll let his post be the article.   Only addition I’ll make to what Jay wrote. While current Alumni Board will not longer be handling more reunions, Brenda Mills, Class of 1970, and Roseann Orwig, Class of 1969,  said they will take over for 2024.   By Jay Holman, Class of 1971   MONONGAH — The 100th annual, and possibly final, Monongah High Dinner and Dance will be held on May 27.   The Monongah Alumni Association, believed to be the oldest high school alumni association in West Virginia, will host the event at the Knights of Columbus on Mary Lou Retton Drive in Fairmont.   Class pictures will be taken at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. Live music will be performed by father, son and grandson trio “Steppin Stones.”   This year, the classes of

  Cindy Saloky found a photo that her mother, Ida Foster Shaver, Class of 1943, had saved. Ida wrote names on back on the Monongah High reunion photo of her Class of 1943, but maybe not in the right order. Lower photo is Ida's retirement photo.   I’m sure it will stir up memories for Lions who look at the photo and read this article. It sure did for me. Helen Mary Pawlaski Bright, Class of 1943, who married Warren Bright in 1947, was a sister of Jean Pawlaski Suszek, Class of 1945, who married Henry Suszek, and Eddie Pawlaski, Class of 1947. Their parents were Andrew and Sarah Pawlaski.   Helen’s daughter, Sarah Bright Yanero, is Class of 1969. Her sons are David Lee Bright and Warren James Bright, Jr. Irene Vingle Mazurek, Class of 1943, was a sister of Ronald Vingle, who passed away in 2020 in Orange City, Florida. Irene married Illinois native Alfred Mazurek, a Barrackville High graduate who passed away in 2017 in Fairmont. Alfred was in the United Mine Workers of

  Harold Cooper, Classs of 1967, is a Renaissance Lion, which Leon Battista Alberti (1404-72) described as that “a man who can do all things if he will.” It embraces the notion that men should try to embrace all knowledge and develop their own capacities as fully as possible. Other label is Polymath. That’s Harold! Italy’s gifted men of the Renaissance sought to develop skills in all areas of knowledge, in physical development, in social accomplishments and in the  arts . For example, Alberti was an accomplished architect, painter, classicist, poet, scientist, mathematician and as a horseman and in physical feats. A most famous Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci  (1452–1519), painted the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous works of art over the centuries, and excelled in science, music, invention and writing. As for Harold, who has been married to Betty Grimes Cooper for more than a half-century (nearly 60 years if you count courtship years): Attended United Electronics Institute in Loui

  Health reports on 2 Lions Kitty Morrison, Class of 1966, is dealing with “whatever crud I have going on with my sinuses and keeping me awake.” But “nothing is helping.” Not even sinus med, cough syrups and lozengers. “All I want to do is sleep,” Kitty laments. Jay Holman, Class of 1971, is in East Carolina Heart Institute at Vident Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina, with a heart problem.

  129 or more coming to 100 th Monongah High Alumni Banquet That’ll be DOUBLE the number that showed up last year! Donna Davis has 129 reservations for 100 th annual Monongah High Alumni Banquet. It has all the makings of a chance to see a lot of your former classmates and current friends if YOU make YOUR reservation! Only 72 showed up in 2022 for the special 100 th gathering will be much more impressive and more fun. I’ll be there with Joan, my non-Lion guest from Maryland, my sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, who lives in Rivesville, and Jackie’s daughter, Renee, a pharmacist at WVU Medicine in Morgantown. Join us! Print up and mail in your reservation with $30 per person attending or just call Donna Davis directly at (304) 534-5636 or, if you live in Marion County, stop by her Monongah house at 858 Park Avenue near the Mount Calgary Cemetery. Linda Lopez Gandy, Monongah Alumni Association president, added this reminder: "Remember the registration c