Monongah High Lions

                     MITCH VINGLE WITH OWEN  SCHMITT AND LORI                      BERNIE VINGLE AND JOHN OLESKY MEET UP AT MONONGAH'S MOUNT CALVARY CEMETERY CATCHING UP WITH Mitch Vingle has sports blog Mitch Vingle, son of Bernie Vingle, Class of 1955, has a sports blog, The New View with Mitch Vingle for Wheelhouse Creative LLC. Fairmont West and WVU graduate Mitch, once sports with of the Charleston Gazette,   is a son of Bernard Frank “Bernie” Vingle, Class of 1955, was part of the famous musical Vingle family of Monongah, which put the Von Trapp family to shame. Mitch lives in Glen Dale, West Virginia these days. Bernice and I met at Monongah’s Mount Calvary Cemetery several years ago. He was paying respects to Vingle family members there. I was doing my usual “thank you” top with a flower for former Monongah High super math teacher Mary Teacher for the 3 years of math and discipline she instilled in me than helped me immensely in my life and 42-year newspaper career.

                            JOHN YOKAY III, WIFE ANGIE 39 th wedding anniversary for John Yokay III & wife Angie   John Yokay III , a Barrackville High and WVU grad from Monongah whose father is John Yokay, Class of 1953, and wife Angie are celebrating their 39 th wedding anniversary in Sacramento, California, where they live.   They wed after dating for 4 years.   John III is a retired Sacramento City Unified School District in California teacher. John III and Angie have a daugher, Petrina,   podiatrist.   John III was a student at California State University in Sacramento, Fresno Pacific Univeristy, University of San Diego, University of Nevada-Los Vegas before graduating from WVU.   Allie Tarkington, John III’s cousin, is a granddaughter of Leatrice Yokay Greaser, Class of 1950, who lives in Fairmont. The connection is through Bill Talkington, Leatrice’s first husband who passed away June 21, 2013. Leatrice is the widow of Bob Greaser, who passed away Dec.

                             MARION "JOE" MATHEWS Marion ‘Joe’ Mathews, 104, passes away   Marion “Joe” Mathews, former owner of Mathews Gun Shop in Monongah, passed away April 11 at the age of 104. His wife, Margaret Minear, passed away in 2000.     Joe   was an expert in creating furniture and his work with gunstocks. He was buried April 16 at Pruntytown’s West Virginia National Cemetery.   Joe’s obituary:     Marion L. ("Joe") Mathews, age 104, of Fairmont, West Virginia, died April 11, 2024. He was born on June 9, 1919, in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, to the late Marion Wheeler Mathews and Georgia Cochran Mathews.   Marion spent his early years in Williamsburg, West Virginia, before relocating to Fairmont. He was a machinist by trade, having worked at Consolidation Coal Company and then at Westinghouse Electric Corporation, from which company he retired.   He was also a skilled woodworker and gunsmith. For several years he had Ma

  Jamie Davis Richards passes away   Jamie Davis Richards passed away. Her parents are Mary Ann “Minnie” Davis and Harry W. “Chick” Davis. Jamie’s siblings are Dianna Davis Fugera, Class of 1975 and Mark Davis, Class of 1978. Jamie married Tony Richards.   Monongah Mayor Johnboy Palmer posted: “ It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Jamie Richards passing this evening after her courageous battle with cancer. Please join me in keeping her entire family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Jamie's strength and resilience will always be remembered. Rest in peace, Jamie.”

                               FRANK FRANZE  Frank Franze 2 nd MHS teen gang member to pass away in 4 days   Frank Franze, Class of 1950, passed Thursday, April 11 in Fairhope, Alabama 4 days before Donald “Jake” Halpenny, Class of 1950, both used their fathers' cars to transport the teen gang I ran around with in Marion County, passed away in Fairmont. Bruno’s parents were Lucille and Theodore Franz. His wives Earline Brownell Franze and Linda Corken Fraze predeceased him. Bruno, Jake and I were part of what I faceitiously called The Gang That Terrorize Marion County. We didn’t. We were just prowling for fun. Other members of the “gang” were Ronnie “Cooley” Delovich, Anthony “Plumber” DeMary, Lawrence “Sonny” Godby, Bob “Satch” Kasper, Joe Manzo, Jim “Judge” Starcher, all deceased, and Tony Eates, Duane Harbert and Steven “Bucky” Satterfield. We were a doozy dozen prowling Marion County before wandering into the rest of the world. Most of us did pretty well in our a

  Don ‘Jake’ Halpenny passes away     Donald “Jake” Halpenny, Class of 1950, passed away Monday, April 15 in Fairmont.   His parents were Luella May Kanavy Halpenny and Harvey Halpenny, who car we rode in often as teenagers with Jake driving it.   Don was the widow of Anita Rosalee Cremeans Halpenny. Their 5 children are Keith Halpenny, Brian Halpenny, Kathleen Halpenny Comas, Colin Halpenny and the late Shawn Halpenny. They have 9 grandchildren.   Don’s brother, John Halpenny, predeceased him.   Don was buried Friday, April 19 at Beverly Hills Memorial Garden in Morgantown.   Don, called “Jake” when he ran around with what I called faceitiously The Gang That Terrorized Marion County (we were harmless), is a   Fairmont State graduate. Jake, Class of 1950, lives with his daughter Kathleen, a retired nurse. His late wife, Anita Rosalee Cremeans, had 5 children – Brian, Colin, Kathleen, Keith and Shawn – and 9 grandchildren.     Don/Jake retired from Monongahela Power Company, now Alleghe

                          NICOLO "NICK" FIORI      2019 obituary for Nick Fiori, Class of 1948   The 2019 obituary for Nick Fiori, Class of 1948, stumbled into my view 5 years later. Nicolo Fiori passed away in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. His parents were Angelo Fiori and Pasqulina Garbrielli Fiori. Their Walnut Street home was adjacent to a Camden Avenue/Walt Street baseball field we used as children. Nick caddied at Fairmont Field Club when I did. He was famous for playing a Japanese soldier up a tree who fell out while shot from one of us playing an American soldier. Nick whacked all the breath out of himself for several minutes, to our dismay. But he recovered quickly. Nick served his country in the Navy, was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, and spent his post-Navy life mostly in South Carolina. Nick’s sister was Rosemary, who brought along her friend Betty White to visit Nick in New York. Three months later Nick and Betty married in 1954 in Fairmo

                  SABRINA HAUGHT WITH BROTHER GREGORY POSTLEWAIT  SHEILA MOBLEY McCUTCHEON WITH HER GRANDDAUGHTER  26 of 59 coming to Class of 1974 reunion May 27 . . . so far. What about YOU?   Sheila Mobley McCutcheon tells me that 26 of the 59 Class of 1974 graduated signed up to attend their reunion   at 5 p.m. Monday, May 27 at Ellis’s Restaurant outside Shinnston where the old drive-in theatre used to me. Sheila and Sabrina Haught are organizing the reunion. Sheila’s phone number is (304) 319-7373 if you want to attend the Class of 1974 reunion. Sabrina says the planning committee -- her and Sheila plus Marcia Westfall, Sissy Justice Powell, Goldie Huffman and Cindy Corder Brooks -- will meet Friday "to make sure we are all on the same page." Sabrina lives in Worthington and is a pastor at TLC Ministries.

  Emma Delovich Mike passes away     Emma Delovich Mike, Class of 1955, who married Frank Mike, passed away.   Eva Tarley Robinson, whose sister the late Annie Lee Tarley Delovich, Class of 1952, married the late great golfer Homer Delovich, told Dolores Edwards, who for decades helped organize the fantastic annual Monongah High Alumni Banquet that lasted for 100 years. Dolores told me. Now I’m telling you. Deloviches in Monongah High and Monongah history included Tony, Ronnie, Dave, 1987 North Marion grad Dewey, Mickey, Mary Ann Delovich Matheney, Class of 1976.   Dewey won the West Virginia high school Class AAA golf championship in 1968. Dewey met his wife, Adrianne Tetrick Delovich, at Green Hills when she was in college and working at the golf course’s restaurant and bar. Dewey was long-time golf professional and instructor at Kiaah Island Club in Cassique and is current director of operations at The Station in Freshfields Village and lives on Johns Island in S

  JOANNE DAVIS ASH, AS AN ADULT AND IN HER SENIOR PHOTO  Joanne Davis Ash, Class of 1954, passes away Joanne Davis Ash, Class of 1954, passed away March 15 in Marshfield, Missouri. She was the widow of former Monongah High baseball player Claude “Max” Ash, Class of 1953. They married in the last day of 1956. Max passed away in 2020. They their children Carl Ash and Shellie Ash Jones, also of Marshfield. Joanne was born in Four States to Fred and Nellie Riley Davis. Joanne was on the yearbook and newspaper staffs, in the band and in the minstrel at Monongah High. Max’s brother is Frank Ash, Class of 1965. Joanne’s obituary: Joanne Ash, Marshfield, was born June 8, 1937, to Fred and Nellie (Riley) Davis in Four States, West Virginia. She departed this life March 15, 2024, in her home at the age of 86 years. Joanne was a member of Crossbridge Church and Daughter of the American Revolution. She loved church and her family. She enjoyed attending the square dances. Joanne

        SLIDELL DAMAGE FROM 3 TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS IN LOUISIANA CITY WHERE FRANK FRANZE LIVES 3 tornado touchdowns in Slidell, Louisiana where Frank Franze lives   About 75 homes and businesses were damaged by 3 Wednesday F-1 tornadoes that touched down and ripped through Slidell, Louisiana, where Frank Franze, Class of 1950, lives. Multiple injuries were reported. Worse damage was in Old Spanish Trail area. No word about Frank yet but I’m trying to reach him after things settle down. His phone number isn’t working, probably because more than 30,000 homes and businesses lost power in Slidell, 30 miles northeast of New Orleans. By Thursday morning 19,000 Slidell residents still didn’t have power. Crews were working to restore the power for everyone in Slidell. Road debris and flooding impeded their progress. Slidell tree limbs littered the streets and homes’ yards were flooded by 8 inches of rain. Roofs were torn off buildings. Rescuers plucked residents out of a heavily dam