CATCHING UP WITH MITCH VINGLE OF THE FAMOUS MUSICAL MONONGAH MUSIC FAMILY

 

                   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.

Every time I receive payments from my stock portfolio I thank Miss Turkovich. Coincidentally her brother taught my wife’s father in the Logan/Williamson area of West Virginia long ago.

Bernie told me “I’m probably the only member of the Vingle family without musical talent.”

There was the Ray Vingle band of the 1950s. The United Mine Workers band with a Vingle as its leader, often playing in the UMW Union Hall in Monongah.

Barry Vingle, son of Anthony “Bugs” Vingle and Mary Martha Cavrich Vingle, brother of Scott Vingle and Robert Vingle of Fairmont and Brian Vingle of Concord, North Carolina and great-grandson of Peter Urban, the only survivor of the 1907 Monongah mines twin explosions that killed 362 officially, was long-time Fairmont West High band director, past President of the West Virginia Jazz Festival, in 1995 was named West Virginia Band Director of the year, in 1996 received the 25 years of Distinguished Service Award from the West Virginia Music Educators Association, in 1997 received The City of Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission's Music Award and in 2002 was inducted into the West Virginia Music Educators Hall of Fame.

 

Barry has played with the United Mine Workers Concert Band, the Morgantown Municipal Band, the Jim Talkington Jazz Quartet, the Royals rock band, the Virgil Vingle Orchestra, The JR Farley Band, The Sydfx Rock Band and the Orlando Colombo Orchestra and today performs with the Subway Band out of Morgantown.

 

He has played drum set for The Four Aces, The Shanri-Las, These Three Tenors and Fabian. 

Other Vingles in Monongah High:

Delores Vingle Olender, Class of 1951.

Irene Vingle Mazurek, Class of 1943.

Raymond Vingle, Class of 1945.

Ronald Vingle, Class of 1955.

Vincent Vingle, Class of 1939.

Virgil Vingle, Class of 1939.