Monongah High Lions

    MIKE PREOLITTI AFTER KNEE SURGERY AND WALKING AN HOUR LATER!!!                      MIKE PREOLITTI WITH WIFE IRENE FAZIO PREOLITTI   Mike Preolitti walking HOUR after knee replacement surgery! Mike Preolitti, Class of 1962, had his knee replaced, as I have had, and walking an hour after the surgery.   It took me 2 to 4 weeks to do that.   Irene Fazio Preolitti, Class of 1966, my cousin because her father was the amazing Renzy Fazio, Class of 1937, and my dad’s sister was Renzy’s wife, Frances Olesky Fazio, also Class of 1937.   Irene’s siblings are Steve Fazio, Class of 1975; Mary Chris Fazio Ramsey, Class of 1969; Dave Fazio, Class of 1968.   Mike and Irene’s children include Pittsburgh Half-Marathon runner Monica Jo Preolitti and   Ann Marie Cochran, whose daughters are Rhyan and Renzy (yes, for her grandfather).  

                 ARLENE MARTENEY EDGELL AND OKLA ELMER "OKEY" EDGELL                                 OKEY WITH HIS NUMEROUS MILITARY MEDALS War hero Okey Edgell passes away   Okla Elmer “Okey” Edgell, Class of 1944, passed away. He had been married to Arlene Marteney Edgell, Class of 1951, since August 5, 2006.   Calling at Domico Funeral Home, 414 Gaston Avenue in Fairmont, are 2-8 p.m. Tuesday, October 24. The funeral at the funeral home will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will follow at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton.   I enjoyed many reunions with Okey and Arlene, in Florida at the Sarasota home of Bill Meredith, Class of 1957, and his wife Roleta, a   Clarksburg Washington Irving High graduate who helps other WI grads keep track of each other, just as I do with my Monongah High Lions blog (jo4wvu1954.blogspot.com). Roleta also arranges WI reunions, much like Bill and Roleta do MHS reunions.   Okey was born in Worthington.   Astou

  Mary Lou Retton home from hospital   Mary Lou Retton’s daughter told the world that her mother is home from the hospital after battling to stay alive for weeks.   McKenna Kelley said: “Mom is HOME & in recovery mode. We still have a long road of recover ahead up, but baby steps.”

  Blast from the past: Bob Shears   Bob Shears, 1978 Fairmont East graduate, reconnected with 1980 North Marion graduate Cindy Corder. His father, also a Bob Shears, Class of 1949, lived at 549 Camden Avenue and had a reunion with me in my Ohio home decades ago. Bob Shears the son posted to 1980 North Marion graduate Cindy Corder Brooks:   “Our house was on the corner of Camden and Walnut. The bank bought that whole block I think it was like 71 or 72.”   Walnut Street, at the intersection of Pike Street, is where I (John Olesky, Class of 1950) was born in the 2 nd floor bedroom of my grandparents, Martin Olesky and Marie Perumba Olesky.   Cindy told Bob Shears the 1978 son that her sister graduated from Monongah in 1948. But I didn’t find a Corder in my Monongah High graduates lists that go from 1918 through the final class in 1979 before Monongah merged into North Marion. Bob Shears the son retired from the Farmersville Fire Department and EMS Association. He st

               NANCY KANTURA             NANCY KANTURA WITH SON LEE KANTURA, SISTER CHARLOTTE DAVIDSON SOLES (DEBBIE SOLES SHAVER'S MOTHER) Nancy Kantura, 86, passes away   Nancy Kantura, Class of 1955, passed away Friday, October 13. Nancy was a medical transcriptionist/editor at Lakewood Hospital till she retired. She was George Kantura’s widow. Nancy’s obituary: NANCY C. KANTURA (nee Davidson), age 86, beloved wife of the late George W.; loving mother of Lee (Cheryl), Jeff (Gail), Chris, Nancy A. Slater (Jim Prokop), George W. IV (Lynne) and Amy Dienes (Joe); devoted grandmother of Stephanie, Dan (Lauren), Lindsey (Cameron), Luke (Samantha), Holly, Matthew, Amanda, Corey, Kelsey (Charles), George W. V, Monica, Rochelle (Nick), Jordan and Donald and great-grandmother of nine; dear sister of the late Charlotte Soles (John) and Donna Lou Murray; special aunt of Debbie Shaver (Mark). Passed away October 13, 2023.      Funeral Mass Tuesday, October 17, The Church of S

  Joyce Ahouse Blake moves from Salem to Mineral Wells, still in West Virginia     Joyce Ahouse Blake, cousin of Mary “Kitty” Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968, has moved from Salem, WV to Mineral Wells, WV. Kitty will visit Joyce in Mineral Wells on Nov. 1. Joan and I will be in Marion County Oct. 30 and 31 to visit my sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, in Rivesville. Jackie, Joan and I will be having dinner at a Fairmont restaurant to be named later Oct. 31. Phone me at (330) 388-4466 if you’re interested in joining us for a Lions reunion and, when I know it, I’ll tell you the name of the restaurant and the time of the dinner. Joan and I will stop at Fallingwater in Pennsylvania to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home that I love each time I want through it and on the grounds, then head to Marion County for Jackie’s home in Rivesville and the dinner in Fairmont. Then Joan and I will head to Glen Burnie, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb, where she will complet

  Kitty Morrison’s cousin survived brain surgery   K itty Morrison posted: Please keep my cousin Henry Ahouse in your prayers, he was taken to Ruby last night with a brain bleed and he will be having surgery today. AFTER THE SURGERY, KITTY POSTED:   Henry from Doddridge county. Dad’s side of family, Joyce’s brother. Lived in West Union but has been living with his son and family outside of Salem for a while.   He has had several medical issues but is a fighter. He is doing very well from brain surgery. In regular room and out of ICU. Called me earlier and seems chipper as always.

  Mary Lou Retton ‘fighting for her life’   Mary Lou Retton, who went from Fairmont to Olympic glory in gymnastics, is “fighting for her life” and unable to breathe on her own in intensive care in a Texas hospital. At the age of 55!!! Pneumonia is the culprit. A fund-raising drive byMary Lou Retton's daughter, who said her mom didn't have insurance, had a goal of $50,000. So far, $175,000 has been raised and the numbers keeps going higher and higher!!! Mary Lou was 16 when she dazzled the world at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles when she landed on her feet with a perfect 10 off the vault to win the individual all-around gold medal 5 WEEKS AFTER KNEE SURGERY!!! Mary Lou had FIVE medals in 1984, including in floor exercise and uneven parallel bars. Mary Lou has 4 children. Mary Lou Retton Drive in Fairmont, where she lived, was renamed to honor her.

                      KAY FRANCIS ZICKEFOOSE MENARD                   KAY FRANCES CARSON ZICKEFOOSE MENARD WITH HALLIE JO CHRISTENSEN, CHASE  CHRISTENSEN  Kay Frances Carson Zickefoose Menard passes away   After checking this article at my request, Julie Zickefoose Dye replied to me: Kim Zickefoose Pellillo, Class of 1979. Her brothers Ray Carson, Donald Carson and Lonnie Carson also attended Monongah High. Lonnie, known as Jerry, played football for Monongah High. My Mom got married when she was 16.  Kay Frances Carson Zickefoose, who attended Monongah High but I didn’t find her name in the graduation lists I have for every year, passed away Thursday, October 5. There have been Zickefooses and Carsons at Monongah High over the years but they are not listed in the obituary if they are related, maybe distance relatives. Robert Morris , Class of 1964, posted: “Kay has been a friend of mine for several years on Facebook. I was a neighbor of Kay's in Carolina. Lonnie Jerry Carson h

  Dave Willis released from hospital Dave Willis, Class of 1961, husband of Linda Willis, Class of 1964, is home after 34 days in the hospital. Linda reports: “He is doing much better and so glad to be home! Thank you for caring and sharing.” Dave had urinary tract infections. Dave and Linda attended the 2021 annual Monongah High Alumni Banquet. They live in Worthington as Linda did while attending Monongah High.   Linda’s parents are Virginia Minardi Nottingham and Russell J. Nottingham. Linda, who worked for State Farm Insurance after being a majorette and class officer at Monongah High, married Dave in 1965. Linda’s brother,  John Tommy Nottingham, Class of 1968, married Victoria Blocker Nottingham, Class of 1969. Linda and Dave’s sons are Shawn Willis, who married the late Melissa Feathers Willis, and Kevin Willis, married to Christa Willis. Grandsons are Kyler, Bryson and Camden.

                                IRENE VINGLE MAZUREK Irene Vingle Mazurek passes away   Irene Vingle Mazurek passed away Tuesday, September 26 at Fazio’s Eldercare. She was 97! Irene was a nurse at Fairmont General Hospital and private medical practices and was Director of Nursing at Saint Barbara’s Memorial Nursing Home just south of Monongah in Frogtown before switching to MVA Health Center, once known as Fairmont Clinic. Being a Vingle, Irene naturally took to music as the legendary Vingle music family did. Irene’s passion from a young age was the piano. She accompanied her father, Edward Vingle’s orchestra for local weddings and other celebrations where, at the age of 12, she met her future husband, Alferd Marurek. They were married 69 years when he passed away in 2017. Irene also sang in the church choir. Her mother was Sophia Urban Vingle. Urbans and Vingles dominated the Monongah High and Monongah landscape for decades. Irene and Alferd have 3 children, Nancy Mazurek Laughlin of

                                    MINNIE HARBERT Minnie Harbert passes away   Minnie Harbert, born in Monongah to John and Mary Manzo Hinerman, passed away Sunday, October 1. She resided in Idamay and was the widow of Farmington High and Fairmont State graduate David Keith Harbert. They were married for 63 years. Their five children all live in Maryland – John Harbert, Paul Harbert, James Harbert, Kathy Harbert Kolson, who lives in Edgewater, Maryland, and Joseph Harbert. Minnie was predeceased by her best friend, Charlotte Martin. Dave’s father was Sam Harbert, brother of former Thoburn Elementary principal Frank Harbert, who married Goldie Harbert. Their son, Donald Duane Harbert, Class of 1951, There’s another David Harbert, whose parents are Donald Duane Harbert, Class of 1951, and late wife Mary. Duane Harbert is Frank Harbert’s son. Duane’s mother was Goldie Harbert. Donald Duane Harbert, who we called Duane, lost his wife, Mary Dunham Harbert, in 2019 and his