Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith Publisher: Jalon Smith Burton
THE WI PICNIC IN CLARKSBURG ,
WV
The annual WI Picnic will be
held in the same place it has been for several years. It is at the large
Osborne Shelter at the Veteran’s Park in Clarksburg ,
WV . The date is Saturday, August 29,
2015 from 10:30 until everyone leaves.
Bring a covered dish to share.
The shelter, dinner ware, paper products, pop and water will be furnished.
Donations will be accepted to help cover the costs.
Volunteers are needed to help
set up.
Please call Joy DeFazio at
304-969-9179 or
e-mail joy41941@frontier.com to volunteer or if
you have questions.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE
PRESERVING THE
HISTORY OF WI WWII VETERANS
At the top of the newsletter you will see the header with
a picture of Washington
Irving High
School and the title. Right under that, you will find several
different blocks with names in them.
These are files. The file that I
am excited about this month is the WI HISTORY file. When you click on this file, it will open and
you will not only find excerpts from all of the WI Yearbooks, but now the
HISTORY is going further. Tim Cork (WI
1961) has really undertaken a major task to preserve…
THE HISTORY OF WI WW
II VETERANS
SOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
What do you do now? Well, go to
the top of the newsletter, click on WI History, and read to see what is
there. Tim has given directions on how
to explore this file. He has copied all
of the names from the plaques which used to hang in the hall, on each side of
the doors to the main entry to the auditorium.
(I think there were about 1,400 from WI, males and females listed, who
served their country. Some returned and
some didn’t. Tim is matching up each
name listed with the senior picture in their yearbook. And this month, he has listed the people
whose last name started with A and B.
Check it out and see if you know any of them. Next, Tim would like to hear any information
about military service or any information you can supply about any of those
listed. Just write to Tim at tpcork@bellsouth.net so he can add some history about
each one.
What a wonderful
project!
WE SHALL NEVER
FORGET THESE BRAVE SOULS.
We thank all who
have served our country.
GOD BLESS AMERICA !
PICTURE OF INTEREST
I doubt if anyone reading the
newsletter will see themselves in the picture above but I thought you might see
the name of a relative or someone you knew.
If indeed you do recognize someone, please write and tell us about that
person: We should embrace and share
memories with each other and for the younger generation too.
Write Roleta1@aol.com
NEW READERS:
Jim Sims (WI 1963) jim33sims@yahoo.com
Tom Daquino (WI 1957) Potbellypoppy@aol.com
Joanne Jeffries Cyr (WI 1953) cyrjoanne@yahoo.com
CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
Donna Elsey (WI 1968) donnaelsey2@aol.com
Curtis Edwards (WI 1969) curtisadi@americandestinations.com
Karen Griffith Askins (WI 1960) angelid1@comcast.net
Carolyn Hornor Wilson (WI 1960)
chw1712@verizon.net
Dianne Jeffries Kanzler (WI 1953)
dikandu@hotmail.com
CORRECTED EMAIL:
Ray Carter (WI 1962) rcarternc2008@gmail.com
Removing the following
emails from our listings:
Larry Johnston (RW 1957) Larrysez@aol.com
Joellen Fletcher Allman (WI 1953) Tollady123@netzero.com
I really enjoyed the June
Newsletter as usual and got to busy to respond to the May one. Mother's Day, visits, etc. Hope your day was great! Subjects that I should have covered for May
& some for June as well!
1. Robinson Grand –I spent a
number of my weekends seeing movies with my Mom and girlfriends. I loved the
opulence of the theater! The one thing that
nobody mentioned was that the theater was offered and taken when the First Methodist
Church was destroyed by
the fire. We went to church at the
theater! It was quite a change but was
handled so well.
2. My summer days as a wee
child was spent riding bikes, climbing trees, playing with friends, going to
church and attending all the potluck dinners, summers at the lake, taking piano
lessons & singing in the little town of Bridgeport until I was nine years
old. Then we had to move and things
became much different! My Mom and Dad separated;
we moved and ended up in Clarksburg . Then my Mom went to work as a Nurse's Aid and
later obtained her LPN. So with her job,
my sister, Betty and her husband, Arthur decided that I should spend every
summer with them in MD from age nine to sixteen years of age, which was a
blessing for my Mom. I learned about a
lot of things in MD including loving seafood, especially the crab cakes and
wonderful big shrimp.
3. The term of
"y'all" was a proper local pronoun as far as some of our teachers
explained to us. I have used that for as
long as I can remember. As far as
southern drawl, I didn't think I had one until I went to MD and they teased me
that I was Southern, and I politely told them that WV was North of the Mason-Dixon
line!!
4. When I was a Junior in High
School, I went to WV Girls All State Camp at Jackson 's Mills. So for two weeks, I got to experience time
with some classmates and really enjoyed that plus I met girls from all over WV
and I learned about the government first hand.
Really enjoyable! I took my daughter, Michea Lynn to visit the
Mills when we were back in WV for my WI 50th reunion.
5. As for military, my brother
Robert Duncan was a Marine in WWII, my brother, Bill Duncan was a Marine in
Korea, my son, John Johnson just retired after 30 years in AF, my granddaughter
Jennifer Thomas had to retire from AF on disability and her husband, Brian
Thomas is still in and is retiring this year from AF.
So, Roleta, keep the newspaper
rolling & I will look forward to it each month. Thank you, Jalon and the new blog for
providing the news and the remembrances of all the good people of WV and those
Country Roads!
Sincerely,
Mary Virginia (Duncan-Johnson) Wilke (WI 1955)
From: Catherine Custer Burke (WI 1952)
Congratulations on the new look
of the newsletter.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks, my
daughter created the original blog address and my sister creates the format and puts it all
together each month. I still do all the written
word. Creativity is all thanks to Jalon. Please check
out her blog by clicking on ALL IN THE DETAIL located over on the side board of
this newsletter (or you can click on the blue link here)
VISIT AND ENJOY, and leave her a comment...
She would love to hear from you.
VISIT AND ENJOY, and leave her a comment...
She would love to hear from you.
INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION
From: Mary Sue Clark Spahr (WI 1956)
Below is a picture of my brother, Tom
Clark (WI/1939), and his wife of 68 years, Betty (McMillan) WI/1944. For many years they have hosted an
Independence Day party/picnic/reunion at their home at Maple Lake for family
and friends. The party starts at about
noon and continues until the last firework has been detonated. Both Tom and Betty say that July 4th is their
favorite holiday.
Tom was a Marine in the Pacific theater
during WW II and was recalled for the Korean War. Fortunately, for the Korean
War he did not have to leave the US. Tom
and Betty are two of the most patriotic people I know. The flag is flown at their home 24/7 and is
illuminated at night by a light that automatically turns on just before dark.
Most years Tom is a member of the honor
guard that raises the flag at Maple Lake on the holiday.
Some of our grandchildren don't even
remember not going to Uncle Tom and Aunt Betty's for July 4, and they look
forward to it every year. I'm already
planning what to cook and bake to take to the party. Can't wait for the fun to begin.
REMEMBERING POOTER CLOVIS
From: Bob Patterson (Victory HS 1954)
james22055@aol.com
“Pooter’s” dad ran a gas station which was an Esso.
I remember “Pooter” there. “Pooter” had polio as a young man, I remember him
with a build up shoe. He used to do the Sky Castle
show at Ellis Drive In.
“Pooter” moved to Marietta , Ohio
where he was an announcer for radio station WMOA and later on he may have owned
it. He was doing a remote at local market there and someone called him
“Pooter”, he said “I moved all the way from Clarksburg to get rid of that name and the
first person I see calls me “Pooter’”. He was really a nice man and people here
liked him very much. He is deceased now.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you remember “Pooter” Clovis ? Write to the
newsletter and share your memories with us.
To Bill:
Should WVU renew its rivalry? No.
There are great memories of
exciting games and atmospheres, but it's over - like a bad relationship.
I'd much rather have a border
rival recurring game with Maryland
or Virginia Tech. I wish we played Kentucky . Heck, even rotate those three.
But not Pitt. Though I have Pitt friends with whom I've
watched games in Pittsburgh and Morgantown , their fans don't measure up to
ours, or to the level of our Big 12 opponents, or the three schools above
mentioned. When we play in Pittsburgh and have more
Mountaineer fans than Pitt fans in the stadium - that says enough.
No more, thanks.
My first brawl was my first
Mountaineer game, 1953, in old Pitt Stadium, with Wyant, Huff, Bosley, Marconi,
et al. beating them 17-7.
The '94 game is the only game
in 40 years that I have never seen, not even on video. My niece's husband was
game hero Zach Abraham's roommate at WVU.
I was with two of my Pitt
buddies in 1996 when Zereoue touched the ball for the first time and went 69
yds untouched. We won 34-0 and it was hard to celebrate next to my friends.
The onerous 2007, 13-9 game got me banned forever from Pitt's
web site. They, nor Michigan
as I later found, have any semblance of a sense of humor.
The 2009 game at Heinz Field
was as memorable as the 2004 game, when Tyler Palko bounced a pass that the
refs missed, leading to their winning TD.
All these and many more are
indelible for the rest of my life, and beyond I hope.
But for me, it's over. You
can't go home, some say. I believe you can go home, but it will unfailingly be
different. Likewise, for me, we can't return to the supercharged aura of that
annual game. The appeal was largely due to us playing that game each and every
year and looking forward to it from 0:00 to the next year's kickoff. And it
existed because our fathers and grandfathers had known of the game. Jack
Fleming's vitriol toward Pitt helped us to hate the bastards. Because of their
ancient history successes, a la Penn State , both nationally and against WVU, we looked
forward to beating them the same way Marshall
has agonized hoping to beat us.
When we were routinely laying
52 points on them it just wasn't fun, to me, because they were unworthy. We've
had close, nail-biting games against Big 12 foes with more recent cachet than
Pitt can muster, and we've had similar games against lesser opponents that are
fun for me (see East Carolina 1996).
Pitt fans, collectively, are
unimaginative, non-supportive of their team, and are few in number leaving the
'burgh. Pitt fans are un-engaging, waaaay unlike our Big 12 brethren, who are
more like us. Even ECU, (AA or whatever they're
now called) schools, and Marshall (for gosh sakes) fans are easier to banter
with.
But just as Texas vs A&M is by the wayside, so is
Pitt - WVU. The four years since the
last game seems, to me, more like 14. By
the time they could even schedule a game, the percentage of Mountaineer fans
who could even remember 2011 will have further diminished. Even now, to WVU fans under 30, Zereoue might
as well be Jim Thorpe.
If WVU were today to announce a
future game with Pitt, my reaction would be, "Aw, hell, there's an
inter-sectional game chance lost - perhaps with a P5 school we've never played."
I just don't give a rat's about Pitt,
nor about playing them, aside from a bowl game.
From: Terry Shorr (WI & Elkins 1958)
Reply to Terry:
I think that you REALLY don't want WVU to play Pitt
on a regular basis. You give a very nice
history of the series in recent years.
I can't disagree with your points, but, like many
fans, I hated to see the rivalry die.
Their upset win in 2007 will forever be etched in my mind and I long for
revenge over and over and over.
However, all good things come to an end and in
reality, even though a game or two might be played, this series is over. Thus,
the rivalry will eventually die. Time will take care of that.
Thanks for the great letter. Keep'em coming.
To Bill:
I ran across this from a Pitt
message board via rivals.com's WVU site.
It is from a Pitt fan bemoaning their sinking athletic department. He included a Pitt game photo at Heinz Field
(see above) which illustrates their sad case.
"For FY'14, according to
the state's Snyder report, Pitt's athletic department had $49,234,695 in
revenue on $57,023,655 in expenses, meaning a $7,788,960 subsidization to make
up the difference provided from the university's general operations. That is a 13.66% subsidy of the overall
budget.
Compared to the 53 public Power
5 universities in the USA Today report, Pitt would therefore be ranked the
following out of 54 total universities:
"In annual athletic
revenue Pitt would rank #54 with $49.2 million (dead last among current Power 5
schools that USA Today has numbers for). Pitt generates over $5 million less than the
next lowest revenue generator, Washington
State . Let that sink in."
This and more descriptions of
their plight can be found by CLICKING HERE
It appears that Pitt's poor fan
support, in these days of spiraling operating costs, has created a financial
crisis. The University of Pittsburgh
may have to make some drastic decisions.
Thanks to Jack Fleming, I hate
Pitt. Thanks to Joel Osteen, I feel some
compassion for our old rival. Thanks to
our being in separate conferences, we won't have to participate in a telethon
fund raiser for them.
From: Terry Shorr (WI/Elkins 1958)
Reply to Terry:
These figures reinforce your points in the earlier
letter. In researching the school
(Pitt), I was surprised to discover that they became a public university only
in 1966. I fear that if the taxpayers
weren't subsidizing the sports programs, Pit might not continue to be in a
Power 5 conference.
One last point; as I've mentioned before, big time
college football is all about money. The
dollar makes every decision. I still
think the day will come when it will all come crashing down and as far as I'm
concerned, the sooner the better.
Thanks again for your letter.
To Bill:
Certainly,
resume the Pitt series, because it's cheap travel. It would result in more profit for WVU
athletics and surely will add another TV game, which would create even more
profit. And, more importantly for
selfish reasons, it would allow viewers from out of state another game to see
on TV.
Marty Elliott (WI 1957)
Reply
To Marty:
It would be nice for fans to be
able to see more Mountaineer away games in person, but conference realignment
has robbed WVU fans of that opportunity. I recently read that someone thought that West Virginia was one of
the schools that suffered the most by the shuffling of the league
memberships. I agree and so do most WVU
fans. But, we can't go back and we are
fortunate to have landed in a Power 5 conference.
Let's hope that someday, the
powers that be will come to their senses and reform the conferences to reflect more
accurate geographic groupings. In other
words, put us back where we belong. Then
and only then will the Pitt series resume.
Thanks for the letter. I hope to hear from you again soon.
SLOW TIME IN SPORTS
Every year at about
this time, I write about how the sports world has slowed down to a crawl and
this year is no exception.
The NBA and NHL
have finally finished their playoffs and baseball has four more months to
go. At least I have something to cheer
about, since the Cardinals and the Pirates are the two best teams in the NL Central Division.
Congrats to Jerry
West, who according to what I've read, had everything to do with building the
Golden State Warriors into an NBA champion.
If you remember, he did something similar in Los Angeles with the Lakers. Oh, how they need him now.
I was sorry to hear
of the passing of Bevo Francis. When I
was a young high school player, he was the big name in college basketball. He played for little Rio
Grande College , a
two-year school at the time, in Rio Grande ,
Ohio , near Gallipolis. He was a scoring machine and was almost
unstoppable, scoring 113 points in one game.
One of our readers
wrote to say that he once saw Bevo play in Carmichael Auditorium in Clarksburg against Salem
College and to quote him, "Many
thought Rio Grande
got some home cooking by the referees".
I remember hearing about that game and have no doubt that the refs made
sure the fans got their money's worth.
We are only about
nine weeks from the start of the college football season. As many of you know, each year I ask the
readers to predict how WVU will do for the upcoming season. I'll be doing that next month, so put your
thinking caps on and study up on the schedule.
I hope to have at least a dozen participants and I promise that I won't
criticize anyone, regardless of how "far out" their guesses are.
In the meantime,
write to me about "anything sports", especially from the good old
days in Clarksburg
and the surrounding area. Send your
comments and memories to:
Bill (billmere@aol.com)
JUNE TRIVIA QUESTION
WHAT YEAR WAS Hi Y STARTED AT WI?
The Trivia question for July
was for you to tell us if you were in Hi-Y and anything you can remember about
it...
From: John Teter (WI 1961)
And from the Tim Cork history
channel:
In 1927, Mr. Gudekunst founded the Hi-Y for boys to
emphasize clean living and to support WI athletics.
NOTE: You can find pictures of Hi-Y
members in the yearbooks located in the WI History…..tab at the top of the
newsletter.
From: Ronald R. Harvey
(WI 1955)
w4hh@charter.net
Searching Mr. Google for
Washington Irving Hi-Y, brings you to the year of 1927. Looking in the 1927
Year Book, it says, "In 1927, Mr. Gudekunst founded the Hi-Y for boys to emphasize clean living and to support WI
athletics." My recollection of the Hi-Y in 1955 amounted to: Mr. Gudekunst
did head up the group, we did attend churches on Sunday morning as a group, we
parked cars at the WI football game, and we did have a jacket which had
"Washington Irving Hi-Y" on the back of it.
Did you go on June 18th of this year? Tell us about it... |
DeMOLAY
I asked if you belonged to DeMolay, what is it and
what did you do:
From: Robert Kidd (WI
1970)
I saw in the newsletter the
invitation to the spring dance that was held at the Masonic Temple
on Pike Street .
I was the Master Counselor in the DeMolay club that year and we shared this
dance with the girls sorority about every year. It usually had a great crowd
and good fun. I was with my date at the time who is now my wife of 42 years.
She is from the WI Class of ’68. As long as it has been it seems like yesterday
when you see this kind of memorabilia once again.
NOTE: Thank you
Robert for writing in reply. I was a
member of the Lambda Sorority at WI and I bet I was at one of these dances but
a few years before you were Master Counselor.
Thanks for writing.
JULY TRIVIA QUESTION
What
was the advertising slogan Wilson Motor Company (the Ford dealership near Pierpont Grade
School ) used to advertise the '50 Ford?
Question Submitted By Ron Harvey (WI 1955)
Thank you, Ron!
Write your guess to
Roleta1@aol.com
FRONT
STEPS
At Washington
Irving High
School we had outside front steps. These steps were reserved for upper class
students only. Before school in the
morning and at noon they would gather there.
If any freshman or sophomores came they were told to leave. It was all done peacefully and with respect
because everyone knew their turn was coming.
Did you observed this tradition at WI? Tell us what you remember about who was
allowed there and who wasn’t;
From: John
Iaconis (WI 1959)
The privilege of
using the front steps was a well established tradition at WIHS. When started, I do not know.
I rarely used the front steps;
perhaps a couple of times.
Is this correct?
Freshmen NO unless accompanied by an upper classman.
Sophomores YES ???
Juniors YES.
Seniors YES.
NOTE: I was on the
front steps often but I think it was mostly the seniors and a few juniors. I don’t remember freshmen or sophomores being
there….What do you remember about this tradition? Write to Roleta1@aol.com
TRACK AND FIELD
From: Parke Thrush (WI 1978)
thrush5@ma.rr.com
Re: The RCB track and turf
project. Both the RCB track and field
are in extremely poor condition. The
Board of Education has pledged some money and approved the project but a
significant amount is still needed to make it go. We are trying to raise around 400,000 dollars
through various projects. At the link
below you will find some information on the project as well as a letter from
the student group Eagle Cabinet. Donations can be made by mail or on line
through RCB website.
THE JUNE MYSTERY PICTURE
Picture and identification was supplied by Eugene Jaumot (Victory 1954)
This picture was taken on East
Pike just past Joyce Street
on the left side of street; it is where lots of WI students hung out in the
evening. It was called the
Satellite. They would bring food out to
you car.
It was a very popular place to
hang out for kids.
Those Who Remembered the Satellite and Shared Memories:
From: Jim Alvaro (WI 1956)
Although I cannot remember going there, I think the
mystery picture is that of Satellite Drive-in Restaurant located on Pike St in Kelly
Hill. Minard's Italian Restaurant is up
the street on the same side of Pike
St as the Satellite.
From: Fred Alvaro (WI 1959)
The mystery picture surely
looks like the Satelite on Pike
Street in the Kelly Hill area and owned by the
Madia family. I think it was open a
little later than the popular Sky
Castle . I recall when I worked one summer at the “M
and L Zinc Plant” in Zeising on an all-night shift, I would stop at the
Satelite before my shift and socialize with some friends.
From: Cheryl Corder McClure (WI 1964)
redroc@me.com
That picture is the satellite I
went there a lot. Susan Beakes Madia’s husband's family owned and ran it. I think they made the best hoagies. I can still taste them and the fries were
yummy!
What fun everyone had we all
were lucky. You drove very slow going by
to make sure your boyfriend's car wasn't there, ha ha! The movies, the Satellite, and the Parrot - forgot,
Twin Oaks.
Cheers All
THE
JULY MYSTERY PICTURE
Above is the picture for you to identify this month.
Please write to me at Roleta1@aol.com with the identity of this location and any
memories.
Some suggestions on memories that you might share with us:
Do you remember what this is?
Where is it located?
Why did you go there?
Who did you go with?
Do you know someone who worked there?
Who owned this?
What did you enjoy most about this place?
Write any other memories that you may have.
In other words, tell me anything you can about the picture.
Write to Roleta1@aol.com
Come on, play along with us...
You might just be right and if you aren’t
right, what the heck. I won’t embarrass you by publishing your incorrect
guess….Only correct guesses make the publication so please make sure to always
sign your letters to me with your name, school and year of graduation.
WHAT
DID I DO IN THE SUMMER?
From: Jim Alvaro (WI 1956)
Letter from Jim is in response to Bill Meredith’s
letter in the June issue saying he would stand outside pool halls listening to
the scores of major league games.
Though I am a little younger(???) than Bill, I do
remember a couple pool rooms I was just old enough to go into. There were a
couple pool halls in Kelly Hill, if I remember correctly, Pat's Place, I
believe owned by Jo Jo and Jr Dinaldo's father Pat, and the other The Loop. One
or maybe both had the "ticker tape" machines. I remember someone would walk on a high table
or a board and read the tapes coming out of the machines and he would go to the
chalk board and write the current scores of games being played. Not for sure, but I think there were some betting among the men in the place. You would hear cheers go up as the scores were
being posted on the chalk board. I know
there are readers my age around Kelly Hill, PK Addition, Broad Oaks, and
Despard that remember those places. They
should "fess-up" and admit it or say they heard of someone who
frequented them. I think the statute of
limitations is in affect. They were
great places and safe places to have a lot of fun and get with your buddies to
watch the outcome of games and into some friendly card games as Pinochle and
Spades. Most of us know how safe things
were back in the 50's. Oh, if we could
bring that back again.
From John Teter (WI 1961)
jateter@aol.com
In reading my article in the June Newsletter, in regard to what I did during the summer, I forgot to mention that I played Little League Baseball for several years. I also remember my family going to Willow Beach to watch baseball games. I also remember making weekend trips to Ohio . One summer I remember going to Wildwood, New Jersey where my sister was working.
During
the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring
the United States
independent from Great
Britain . After voting for
independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement
explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated
and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A
day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
The
second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America .
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the
great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of
deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be
solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells,
bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from
this time forward forever more.
Historians
have long disputed whether Congress actually signed the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on
that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly
a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly
believed.
Coincidentally, both John Adams and
Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to
serve as Presidents of the United States ,
died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the
Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but
another Founding Father who became a President, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831, thus becoming the
third President in a row who died on the holiday. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4,
1872, and, so far, is the only U.S. President to have been born on Independence
Day.
A SUBJECT TO WRITE ABOUT...
Write to Roleta1@aol.com
Do you remember the
first time you ever ate pizza?
Where was it and who
were you with?
From: Roleta Meredith
Roleta1@aol.com:
I remember the first pizza I
ever had, my brother, Roy Smith, took me to a pizza place which was on Pike Street near
the Kroger store. I don’t remember the
name. I thought it was delicious and was
amazed at how different people ate it.
Some picked up the triangle and started eating from the point end;
others folded it in half and then ate from the point end. I don’t remember anyone using a fork. I remember that I thought it was silly to eat
it folded as the piece was gone too quickly.
Roy was
apparently 16 or over as he drove, I must have been around 12 years of age.
From: Jim Alvaro (WI 1956)
I remember the first Pizza I ate; besides my mothers
was Romano's on old Bridgeport Hill. Albert Romano's mom was known as the Pizza
Queen. They made a very good pizza. I believe it was near the Clique Club. I believe Sky Castle
originated near there also. I am not
sure but that might jar some memories of the happenings back then.
NOW WRITE AND SHARE YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF
EATING PIZZA
We would love to hear
from you - help us out here... write to us!
How did your spend your summer when you were a kid?
Did
your family ever take trips out of town for a few days? Where was your favorite
place to visit?
A Thank You Note
Would
you like to thank someone for something nice they have done for you-be they
living or dead?
The Military
Have
you served your country or has someone you know served? Tell us about it—who,
what, when and where. Send a picture if you have one. We would like to honor
service people every month
Playgrounds in Clarksburg
Name the playgrounds
you can remember. Which was your favorite and why? Which playground was closest
to your home or where you went most often?
MEMORIES OF THE RED CABOOSE
From: John Teter (WI 1961)
The Red Caboose was located on Pike Street on the
corner of what I think is Buckhannon Pike.
It is on the right side of Pike
Street as you are heading out of Clarksburg
toward Bridgeport ,
and before you get to Minards. I do not
remember ever going there to eat, as it seemed like parking was not the best.
To read a great article about One of the Country's Oldest and Most Well-Known Restaurants, The Red Caboose, Closes Its Doors... CLICK HERE
A SALUTE TO
AN AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBER
From: Jim Caputo (Bridgeport High School 1959)
jimcaputo9@gmail.com
Pictured are the Caputo
brothers during the war years, all are sons of Pete and Rose Caputo.
Six of the seven brothers
served in the armed services. The seventh brother, Tony (not pictured), worked
in the defense industry; building tanks.
Some of the brothers served in the European theater, some severed in the
Pacific and others remained state side.
By the Grace of God, all returned home safely, to live successful and
productive lives.
All of the Caputo brothers
attended WI.
Tony, Jimmy, Louie, Sam and
John all played football, Guy was manager (water boy). All the brothers
lettered. Tony made the team as a freshman and lettered as a freshman.
Sons of emigrants, they are
just one of the many Italian families from Clarksburg , who served and represented this
country; as well as WI, with courage and pride.
WE WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP HERE
EDITOR'S
NOTE:
I would like to salute one or two pictures each month of people who served our
country. Would you please send me a picture and a small write up of yourself or
anyone you know from Clarksburg ?
We would like to thank them for their service. All correspondence should go
directly to Roleta1@aol.com
From: Charles McClung (Victory 1948)
CLICK HERE for a list of wonderful things to do in West Virginia this Fall.
TEACHER SALUTE
YVONNE TIENNEBRUNNE
From: Marty Eliott (WI 1957)
She taught
me Spanish 1 and Spanish 2. She was an excellent teacher and I excelled in
Spanish 1 so she liked me, however, I slacked off in Spanish 2 and did Ok
because of my knowledge from Spanish 1 but it disappointed her. .I remember her asking Tom Lee a question and
since he was chewing tobacco he had to spew it between the Spanish Book pages
before trying to answer her question.
Also, I recall there were a lot of students who had absolutely no
interest in learning Spanish which made her job rather frustrating and
difficult.
From: Charles Ferrell (WI 1946) 69 years ago
Retired Health Physicist and Nuclear Engineer
In response to your request on
Miss Tiennebrunne as our teacher, I have the following comments. She was one of the best teachers I had at
WI. I was in her Spanish class. Afterwards I took Spanish at Salem College . Much later when I was involved in reactor
safety at the US Nuclear regulatory Commission I was one of several specialists
that flew to Porto Rico to evaluate a potential reactor site. We flew from San Juan in a large helicopter to the site to
review conditions there. My boss wanted
me to go to a remote met tower installation on the coast a distance away in a
smaller helicopter. The pilot spoke
local Spanish and I knew Castillation Spanish with a West Virginian accent
which did not communicate. I used his
map to point out where I wanted to go and safely return at a low elevation
flight. I later flew around other US reactor
sites with English speaking pilots. My flights were to check out any dangerous
items that would effect power reactor safety.
From: Rick Wilson (WI 1961)
wilsonmaple@msn.com
As you know, so many of us
enjoy your newsletter. Not only personal
WI memories but many happy events there and about town are recalled by your
musings and monthly queries; thank you profusely.
I had Miss Tiennebrunne for
French I and II in the early ‘60’s. She
was an exceptional teacher, always pleasant, never a cross word and not easily
side-tracked. It was a great experience
having a teacher that natively spoke the language. Her lectures often were only in French, well,
that is French as understood by a three year old, heh,heh. Repetition coupled with lots of facial
expression and signing until sharper students caught the meaning, usually Nancy
Swing in our class. --But she made it
fun. Occasionally we’d fire up an enunciation
record on the record player that sat in the front of the room right by the
door, great for French songs too. Yeah,
we sang them all, patriotic, kids rhymes, and Frere Jacques.”
She taught not just the written
syntax but proper vocal French of common phrases, so that we wouldn’t starve,
get lost or lose track of time if we ever toured a French speaking nation or
province. Several of us wanted to know
what accent our crippled French imitated.
She answered in French, of course, that mine was same as northern Belgium .
- Yeah right, northern W.Va.
more likely.
Miss Tiennebrunne emphasized
that to learn a language you had to learn and immerse yourself in the culture;
they go hand in hand. She’d visit Quebec and French Canada
during the summers to keep her skills sharp. I asked her once if she dreamt in French. “Well, I don’t know! I’ve never thought about it but probably at
times.”
The only thing she didn’t teach
was not to try out my French phrases on real French people as though a native
too. It helps to give them a “heads up”
when touring. I found that usually the
condescending stares and non-answers were kind of humbling. I’d ramble all day about all the stuff we did in her class but better
not mention any more names and situations.
You know who you are. This
letter’s gotten long enough.
Many thanks again for your
great newsletter Roleta.
From: Charlie McClung (Victory 1948)
PHYLLIS DEE KNIGHT SWIGER
Phyllis Dee Swiger, 81, of
North View, Clarksburg , went to her eternal home
on Wednesday, June 10, 2015, in the United
Hospital Center .
She was born in Clarksburg on April 30,
1934, a daughter of the late Gladys Wyatt Knight, Marion Dee Knight and the
late Kathleen Reeder Knight.
She was married to the late
William A. “Wiggy” Swiger on September 12, 1953. They celebrated 40 years of a
wonderful marriage together. He preceded her in death on May 25, 1994.
Phyllis Dee is survived by her
son, William Dee “Bill” Swiger and his wife Fleta; a sister, Barbara Kay
Cooper, Arizona ; and a brother, Richard D.
“Rick” Knight, Clarksburg ;
and 4 grandsons.. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, and cousins; a
special cousin who was her caregiver, Jamie Rae Patterson; and Lakyn Della
Gear, who was like a great-granddaughter to her.
In addition to her husband and
parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Ronald Gene “Genie” Swiger, a
brother, David Allen Knight, and a nephew whom she raised as a son, Richard Lee
Swiger.
She was a 1952 graduate of Victory High School . While there, she was in the
choir and was inducted into the National Honor Society.
She and her husband owned and
operated Swiger’s Grocery Store on Pride
Avenue in North View for many years. During that
time, they sponsored a baseball team yearly. After closing the store, Phyllis
went to work for the Louis
A. Johnson
Veterans Administration
Hospital , from which she
retired after 22 years of service. She was the owner of Spray N Save car wash
located in North View, which she and her late husband built many years ago.
Phyllis was a devout Christian,
serving her Heavenly Father in many capacities. She had a heart of gold and
enjoyed doing for others. She was a member of the North View United Methodist
Church for many years,
attending regularly, serving in many capacities and was a member of the Davis
Bible Class. She was a member of the NVUM Women, holding different offices over
the years. She was also a member of Church Women United, where she held
different offices through the years and attended conferences. She was presented
a certificate on April 13, 2008, from WV Conference United Methodist Women in
recognition of 50-plus years of outstanding service.
Phyllis was also an auxiliary
member of Gideons International and Queen Esther Star, Chapter 11, OES. She was
adamant on giving her monthly tithes, as well as giving monthly to Northern
Appalachian Teen Challenge of Clarksburg and to the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association.
When her boys were small, she
was Den Mother of Cub Scout Den 1, Pack 12. She will be sadly missed by her
family and all who know her.
WILLIAM G. LAMM
William G. “Bill” Lamm, age 74,
of Clarksburg , WV ,
departed this life on June 7, 2015, at the United Hospital
Center .
He was born in Clarksburg , on December
14, 1940, the son of the late Harold G. and Flossie Marie Hughes Lamm.
Bill married Alberta Kay
Singleton Lamm on September 16, 1960, who resides at their residence.
Also surviving are three
children, Kimberly “Kim” Castor and husband Rick of Mount Airy, MD, William G.
“Greg” Lamm of New Mexico, Scott A. Lamm and wife Glenna of Crooked Run; and seven grandchildren. He is also survived
by his brothers and sisters, Betty Flowers and husband Don of Moundsville, Ken
Lamm and wife Jane of Clarksburg, Bernard “Mick” Lamm of Glenwood Hill, Larry
Lamm of West Milford, Robert “Bob” Lamm and wife Brenda of Clarksburg; several
nieces and nephews; and his former sister-in-law, Linda Lamm of Clarksburg.
In addition to his parents, he
was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Brittney Lamm; his brother, Bud
Lamm; and an infant sister, Jeannie Lamm.
Bill was a graduate of Victory High School , Class of 1958. Upon
graduation, he worked in the mail room at The Exponent Telegram and for
Adamston Flat Glass. He retired from Mountain State Linen Services as a sales
representative and route driver. He and his brother Bob had B&B Painting
until Bill’s retirement in 2002. Bill was an avid golfer at Lake Floyd Golf
Course for many years and a member of the American Legion Post 13. He was a
dedicated husband and father.
CHRISTOHER GENE WILFONG
Christopher Gene Wilfong, 35,
of Bridgeport ,
went to his Heavenly reward on Monday afternoon, June 8, 2015, at his
residence.
He was born in Clarksburg ,
son of Gary Wilfong and Katrina Creak Wilfong, who survive in Bridgeport .
Also surviving is his girlfriend
of the last five years, Chelsie Watson.
He is also survived by his
paternal grandmother, Geneva Wilfong; one brother, Sgt. Gerald Edward Wilfong
and his wife Loreen of Fort Lee, VA; three nieces, Alyssa, Michelle and Trinity
Wilfong; one nephew, Ryan Wilfong and one on the way; and also his aunts and
uncles and a host of cousins. He also leaves behind many close friends
especially Ryan Dieringer, Frank Annese and Chris Eneix.
Chris was preceded in death by
his maternal grandparents, Elenore and Maurice Creak and his paternal
grandfather, Raymond Gerald Wilfong.
He was a 1998 graduate of Bridgeport High School
and received his Associates Degree in Aviation Maintenance from Fairmont State University
PATRICA ANN NICHOLSON
Patricia Ann Nicholson, 60, of
Stonewood, passed away unexpectedly Thursday afternoon, June 4, 2015, in
Genesis Healthcare, Salem .
She was born in Clarksburg on November 4,
1954, a daughter of the late Paul Jacob and Virginia Belle Taylor Hardman.
She was preceded in death by
her husband, Gary L. Nicholson, on June 8, 2000.
She is survived by her
daughter, Tiffany Hardman; a granddaughter, Courtney Lindsey; stepchildren
including Rusty Nicholson and Katrina See; a brother, Michael Hardman and his
wife Linda, Bridgeport ; and a sister-in-law,
Paula Hardman, Clarksburg .
Two nephews, Eddie Hardman and Michael James Hardman; three nieces, Michelle
Stacy Shepherd, Kimberly Dawn Jenkins and Angel Dawn Cox; great-nephews, Cody,
Davie, Drew and Tommy; and great-nieces, Hanna, Dwandia and Kylie complete her
family.
In addition to her husband and
parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Paul Hardman, and a nephew,
Rodney Hardman.
Patty was a graduate of WI In
1973, and the PCA Training Program through Salem College She had previously worked at Salem Americare,
where she was a team leader, and she spent most of her life caring for others.
She enjoyed watching TV, reading, and listening to music.
GLEN A. MATHENY
Glen A. Matheny, 84, of Mount Clare , WV , passed
away June 6, 2015, at United
Hospital Center .
He was born March 18, 1931, in Reynoldsville , WV ,
the only son of the late Glen A. and Wanda Dove Hawkinberry Matheny.
Glen was married to Margaret
Ann Borchert Russell Matheny on September 13, 1977. Also surviving are one son, Glen Matheny Jr.
and wife Summer; two stepchildren and seven grandchildren. Glen was a graduate of Victory High School
and was in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean conflict. He worked for the
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and retired from the Harrison County Board of
Education as a school bus driver.
BETTY INGRAM HYRE
“A Navy wife never dies; she
stands eternal watch in the sky.” Betty
Louise Hyre, age 81, of South
Chestnut Street , Clarksburg ,
died Saturday, September 6, 2014, at St.
Joseph ’s Hospital in Buckhannon.
She was
born on May 3, 1933, in Harrison
County , a daughter of the
late George Freeman and Pearl Johnson Ingram. She was united in marriage on
July 21, 1952, to Richard B. Hyre, who survives.
Also
surviving are one daughter, Richadeen (Gary) and one son, Rick (Mary); six
grandchildren; six great grandchildren; and one brother, Freeman (Margie) Ingram.
In
addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Maxine Jones.
Mrs.
Hyre was a 1951 graduate of Washington
Irving High
School and a member of the Calvary
United Methodist
Church in Clarksburg .
SANDRA LOU SMITH
Sandra
Smith was born Feb. 1935 she wasn't given a middle name at birth but later used
the middle name of Lou. At the age of 7 the family moved to Connellsville ,PA and once again at age 17 to California . She married John Richard Beattie
of Jax Fl. They are survived by their five children and several
grandchildren. She is preceded in death
by her parents Harold Russell Smith and Helen Louise Spurlock Smith, her sister
Ruth DeAn Smith Burton, Granddaughters Patricia and Stephanie and one great
grandson Christopher. She became a member of the Daughters of the American
Revolution on 17 Apr. 2010 National No. 882103. She passed away on the 3rd of
Aug.
Carlton K. Hoskinson, Sr., 74,
of Bridgeport , passed away unexpectedly Monday
morning, June 15, 2015, at United
Hospital Center . He was born March 12, 1941, in Anmoore, a son
of the late Lillian Virginia (Hathaway) and Guyle Salathiel Hoskinson.
He is survived by his wife,
Loretta Cable Hamrick Hoskinson, whom he married August 4, 2013.
Also surviving are his sons, Carlton “Sonny”
(Diana) Hoskinson, Jr, Carl David (Missy) Hoskinson and Sean ( Melissa) his
grandchildren; his great-grandchildren, his stepdaughter, Lisa (Travis) Wittstruck; three stepgrandchildren,
one brother, Floyd (Willa) Hoskinson;
and two sisters, Carolyn(Jim) Fittro and
Judy Lawson.
Mr. Hoskinson was a graduate of
Bridgeport High School and was employed as an
elevator repairman for 35 years, retiring in 1999.
ROBIN DALE NEWHOUSE
Robin Dale Newhouse, 67, passed
away on June 17, 2015. He was the son of
the late Wallace Brooks and Ruth Virginia Rogers Newhouse.
He is survived by his wife,
Lynn Kirby Newhouse.
Also surviving are two sons,
Wallace Brooks (Harriet) Newhouse II, and Gregory Aaron Isaac (Sabrina)
Newhhouse; one daughter, Rebecca (Eddie0 two grandchildren; and several nieces
and nephews.
He was also preceded in death
by one sister, Sharlene Peck.
Mr. Newhouse was a 1965
graduate of Roosevelt-Wilson
High School and a 1974
graduate of Fairmont State College. He was a United States Marines veteran,
having served as a Corporal and Mortarman with the E-2-27th Marines during the
Vietnam War, and was a retired inspector for the State Alcohol Beverage Control
Commission of WV.
Mr. Newhouse was a member of West Milford
United Methodist
Church .
RONALD NEAL BOYER
Ronald Neal Boyer, age 76, of
Romines Mills, passed away at his home on Thursday, June 18, 2015.
He was the son of the late Mary
and Orbin Orender.
Ronald is survived by his wife
of 58 years, Wilma J. (Maze) Boyer; four daughters: Sherri Sandy, Ronda
DeMeester, Lisa Thomey and Melody Nutter; and one son, Ronald “Bub” Boyer. Also surviving are eight grandchildren and 12
great-grandchildren.
Ronald was a graduate of Roosevelt Wilson High School ,
Class of 1957, and then went on to serve his country in the United States
Marine Corps from 1959 to 1962. He later retired from the Union Carbide plant.
Ronald enjoyed woodworking and photography.
He loved spending time with his grandchildren and was the “Best Pop”
ever.
M. JANE ASHCRAFT
M. Jane Vannoy Ashcraft, 56,
passed away at her residence.
Born January 5, 1959, she was
the daughter of the late William D. and Ruth E. Weekly Vannoy. Along with her
parents, she was preceded in death by her grandmothers, Gladys Vannoy and Mable
Weekly.
Jane is survived by her two
sisters, Barbara (H.C. “Bud’) Burnett,
Margaret A. (Michael) Pringle aand nephews; great nieces and nephews and a great-great
niece,and a great great great nieceand ; special friend, Cindy Hutson (who was
like a sister) and; aunt and uncle, Chuck and Jeanette Vannoy and several
cousins.
Jane graduated from Liberty High School and Fairmont State College.
She was employed with the FBI for 24 years. Jane was a past member of the
Rainbow Girls, Eastern Star, Sunnycroft Country Club and Mountaineer League and
was an active member of Calvary
United Methodist
Church in Adamston.
EARL LYNN STANELY
Earl Lynn Stanley, age 88,
passed away Saturday, June 20, 2015. He was
the son of the late Clyde Stanley and Orcie Davis Stanley. His wife, Juanita
Weaver Stanley, preceded him in death.
Surviving are two children,
Rodney (Jeanie) Stanley, and Sharon (Bill) Conway. Five grandchildren, as well as Kristel
Gallagher, a close friend of the family. Eight great grandchildren. One sister,
Patricia Cook, and special friends, Francie Yeager and Mildred Benincosa.
In addition to his parents and
his wife, he was preceded in death by one brother, Eugene Stanley.
Earl grew up in Nutter Fort,
having graduated from Roosevelt
Wilson High
School , Class of 1945. He was a United States
Navy Veteran having served in World War II on the USS Wrangler in the Pacific
Theater. He was a salesman having retired from Sears Roebuck with 43 years of
service. He was a member of the Clarksburg Masonic Lodge #155 AF & AM and
32 Scottish Rite. He was Protestant by faith.
LEWIS NICHOLAS STEVENS
Lewis Nicholas Stevens, age 70,
passed away on June 21, 2015, after a brief illness. His wife and children were
at his bedside.
He was preceded in death by his
mother, Evangelyne Kaites Stevens.
He is survived by his wife,
Jamie Wellman Stevens of Rockville ,
MD ; his daughter, Evangelyne (Leah)
Stevens his son, Brian, (Dorothy) Stevens, and granddaughter, Amelia Rose
Stevens, his father, James X. Stevens; and brother, Jamesarol) Stevens Jr. He
is also survived by his aunts; and numerous cousins with whom he shared many
happy memories.
Nick was a graduate of Washington Irving
High School and West Virginia University .
Since 1984 he has been President of
Keener Ridge Coals Inc., marketing and mining coal.
CAROL ANN RILEY
Carol Ann Riley, age 70, passed
away June 22, 2015.
She was the daughter of the
late Paul H. and C. Gay Ellison Frame.
In addition to her parents she
was preceded in death by her half sister, Fairy Frame Morgan.
Carol is survived by her
husband, Benjamin Oliver Riley; four children, Gloria (Dana) Butcher, Beth
(Denny) Burnside, Benjamin W. Riley, and Steve (Missy) Riley. She was the proud
grandmother to five grandchildren that meant the world to her. She is also
survived by five sisters and one brother, Margaret (Patrick) Linda (Jim)
Badgett, Ann (Lanny) Long, Darla Frame, Pamela (Jim) Kirby, and Larry (Pam) Frame.
Also surviving are numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews
that she loved dearly, as well as numerous cousins.
Carol was a graduate of Victory High School , Class of 1963, and
Christian by faith. She worked with the public in retail for more than 40 years
at Hills and Ames Department Stores and JC Penney.
WILLIAM JAY CARDER
William Jay Carder,
80, of Aurora , passed away
June 22, 2015.
Bill
was born December 11, 1934 in Clarksburg , West Virginia ,
the son of Harold and Eleanore (Waters) Carder. He was a graduate of Washington Irving High
School
class of 1952. He earned a BA in History and M.Ed. from West Virginia University and an Ed. D. from the University of Northern Colorado .
On June 18, 1960 he married Mary Elizabeth Custer, of Clarksburg , West Virginia .
In a career in
education for over four decades, Bill touched many lives in the junior high,
high school, and college classrooms as a teacher, professor, and public school
administrator. In 1978, he came to Aurora Public
Schools
where he served as Director of Curriculum until his first retirement in
1994. He then opened a grants office for Aurora
Public Schools bringing in millions of
dollars to better the education for the children of Aurora .
He is
survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Carder; two sons, William J. (Janet)
Carder Jr. and Jeffrey P. (Laura) Carder; six grandchildren: William J. Carder,
III, John E. Carder, Charles J. Carder, Eleanore D.J. Carder, Sarah E. Carder,
and Grace A. Carder; mother, Eleanore Moore; sister, Nelda R. Moore; and brother,
Charles A. (Nancy) Moore; uncle Paul Carder and aunt Eartha Carder. He is
preceded in death by his father, Harold Eugene Carder, granddaughter, Rebecca
Rose Carder and step-father Raymond P. Moore.
The obituary can be
found at: http://www.newcomerdenver.com
You can also leave a
message for Elizabeth “Liz” Custer Carder there.
Graveside services
will be held in our home town of Clarksburg ,
WV on Friday, July 3, 2015.
Thanks to the
Clarksburg Exponent for permission to use excerpts from their obituaries.
Thanks to those who sent the obituaries to the newsletter.