Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith
Publisher: Jalon Smith Burton
2016 WIN SCHOLARSHIP
QUILT KICK-OFF
QUILT KICK-OFF
Sue Selby Moats (WI 1955)
wrote to me in May 2005 with a wonderful suggestion. She came up with an
interesting idea of a way to raise money for the WIN Scholarship. This is our
only money maker for the Annual Scholarship. Always before I would beg for
money each month. You readers apparently became numb to my requests and the
money slowed down and there wasn’t much coming in. So I decided that this year,
we would try extending our sale of tickets for the Quilt drawing and see if we
could indeed make enough money to support the scholarship without me begging
each month.
Remember, anyone from any
place in the world can buy tickets. We accept any amount of money. We have
received money to buy tickets from $5.00 to over a thousand.
This is the best bargain on earth.
Inflation has not hit our
ticket prices.
Ticket Price has not increased in 10
YEARS
The quilt for the
2017 WIN Scholarship
is
named
“PIECES
OF THE PAST”
HERE IS
HOW YOU GET YOUR LUCKY TICKET
For $5.00 - I will designate 6 tickets to your
name
For $10.00 - you will receive 12
tickets reserved for you
For $50.00 - you will get 60 tickets.
If you send $100.00 - you get 120 etc.
Your
chances of winning keep increasing with the more you spend
Be
thoughtful, be generous, and be kind
MAKE
CHECKS PAYABLE TO:
Roleta Meredith c/o WIN SCHOLARSHIP
MAIL CHECKS TO:
Roleta Meredith
3201 Charles MacDonald Drive
Sarasota, Florida 34240
HURRY DON’T FORGET TO DO
IT TODAY
Pictured above is Roleta Meredith
in front of the first WIN SCHOLARSHIP quilt awarded at the Clarksburg Picnic
held in Sarasota, FL on March 4 2006.
COME ON
HELP GIVE A SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2017
The Drawing will be held
on April 15 2017
Something good to look forward to
on Tax Day
If you have any
questions, please write to Roleta1@aol.com
“PIECES OF THE
PAST”
Here are pictures of quilt squares that will be in the “Pieces of the Past” Quilt which is the
2017 WIN Scholarship Quilt. Each square is made up of pieces of materials from
the past and each quilter has the option to add any materials from their stash
of fabrics.
These are from 3 of the WIN Volunteer Quilters:
First Picture is Mary Barbour Hulick's lovely block.
Second Picture below
is created by Mary Wilke (WI 1955)
Her description is:
I finally finished my quilt square using the fabric
that Sue sent me. It is a Dresden Plate Square but different from the others that
were made in that it was with rounded corners! I started off trying to
make it all hand sewn as my Mom & Grandmother did, but ended up on the
machine. Hope you all like it!
Third and Fourth Pictures are: Grandmother’s
Fan and Grandmother’s flower garden and both squares were created by: Sherry Hutchison Keith (WI 196)
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER ASSIGNMENT
MR. LOUIS BUTTAFUSCO
A TAP DANCE TEACHER IN HARRISON
COUNTY SCHOOLS
From: Rod Kid (WI 1970)
I also remember taking tap dance class from
Mr. Louie and I can only imagine what a sight that must have been. My rhythm
never was great, and I’m sure back then it would have been comical to see. I
remember the three famous words he would start us off with Shuffle, Tap, Too
From: Barbara Paugh Patton (WI 1961)
I took tap dancing
classes from Mr. Louie. He was a lot of fun. He not only taught us how to
dance, but as I look back now he taught us some good exercise moves. I forget
how much each lesson cost once a week. He was very kind and gentle. He
certainly had a lot of patience. I took dancing all the time I was in grade
school. He came once a week. We had a dance recital every year. I had black
patent leather shoes with cleats in the bottom, they called them cleats. You could
hear us coming down the hall. I loved to dance back in the day.
From: Becky Stalnaker Fowler (WI 1960)
I remember so
enjoying Mr. Louie’s tap dance classes. My Dad liked to dance and he and Mother
made me do it and I really liked him and his classes. I think it was a relief
to get out of class. As far as our costumes they were always Mr. Louie's idea
but our Mother's helped. Mr. Louie was quite a great dancer with such flair. I
found out later that my husband Bill Fowler took lessons at Alta Vista. Maybe
that's why he was a good dancer when I met him. I loved Morgan Grade School.
Those were the days.
From: Jody Buffington Aud (WI 1977)
Sorry, I write these notes to you as I’m going through the
newsletter. I should just hold on to
them and send all at once. I saw the
pictures from the Morgan tap dancing classes. Some people may not know this,
but Mr. Louie has two sisters, still living, who have been featured recently on
the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. He discovered them one weekend on Facebook (They have their own page called
Gramma and Ginga). One sister is 102; the other is 97
and still volunteers at the hospital. All three of them danced in vaudeville
together!
From: Roleta1@aol.com
Dear Readers, I
interviewed (through emails) the great-niece of Mr. Louie. His 2 sisters Gramma
and Ginga are very famous TV personalities. They have appeared many times on
Ellen, on Jimmy Kimmel and other shows. They are a hoot, you can go on Facebook (click on the link or search Gramma and Ginga) and see all about them. You can also watch them on
YouTube (again click on the link or search Gramma and Ginga). They are so funny. I am now a fan!
My questions are in
bold print:
Did the family live
in Northview?
Yes, we did-
our whole lives.
Did they graduate
from Victory High School?
Gee (our grandmother) ran away from
school when she was 15 and our grandfather (Frank Musci) was 16- they took a
cab to Oakland, Maryland and got married. They were married for 58 years until
our grandfather passed away.
I don't think either finished high
school. I'm not sure about Louie, Peenie or Arlena.
Was Louis ever
married?
Yes, Louie was married 2 times- I was
not born when he married the first time- it lasted a short time. Then he
married our Aunt Blanche who was a wonderful nurse and they were married a long
time until she passed away.
Why the name Ginga?
Aunt Arlene is
called Ginga. Our mom could not pronounce "Arlena" when she was
little and somehow called her "Ginga" so our whole family ended up
calling her Ginga.
Thank you for reaching out to us. My
brother, Frank, and I run G&G's FaceBook page. We are the grandchildren of
Genevieve. Louie was our great Uncle.
Yes, Gramma (Genevieve Musci) &
Ginga (Arlene Bashnett) are sisters of our late Uncle Louie Buttafusco (Mr.
Louie). Not sure if you know this but Ginga used to dance with Louie when she
was a teenager. (see picture of Mr.
Louie at the beginning of this article. That is Ginga with him)
Below is a picture of Gramma on the
left and Ginga on the right. The man on the right is Jimmy Kimmel from the Late
Night Show.
Louie has 3 sisters: Floranda (everyone
called her "Peenie"), Genevieve ("Gee" or "Gramma") &
Arlena ("Ginga").
One of the only
photos we have of all the sisters together.
Gee is far left,
Peenie is the tallest, & Arlena is the youngest.
If you haven’t seen them or heard of them...you must
really look them up. They also have a website now. CLICK HERE to read more about these wonderful gals.
READERS: Won’t you please write some of
your memories of Mr. Louie?
If you write I will
share more of your memories with Gramma and Ginga via Sheila
Thanks
NOVEMBER MYSTERY PICTURE
The picture above
is the November Mystery Picture. Please guess what it is and tell us how you
know what it is or why you know. Write some memories about this place. I will
not publish answers that are just the name. I want something interesting. I
will not print wrong answers but I will tell you if you are right or wrong so
you can guess again.
Send your information to: Roleta1@aol.com
CURSIVE WRITING
From: Mary K. (McDaniel) Bellisario
Slidell Louisiana
Our state just passed a law this summer
mandating the teaching of cursive, since with Common Core the teaching of
cursive had been relegated to “if you have time”. Naturally, most teachers quit
teaching it. A freshman senator introduced the bill to the Louisiana
Legislature this past spring, and it went through unanimously!
I am proud that a freshman senator in
Louisiana pushed through a bill this spring to mandate cursive writing in
public schools, and it passed both houses unanimously. Thanks to the nationwide
Common Core movement, cursive was falling by the wayside. Teachers were telling
us that kids couldn’t even read the cursive assignments they were writing on
the blackboards. Those in power at the state and federal levels were ignoring
all the important research on issues, such as learning hand/eye coordination
that comes from learning cursive. Visual learners learn best when writing down
(not printing) what they need to recall. And cursive is simply faster than
printing, which may help later in life. Of course, technology has created new
paths to learning. We’re all for that! But cursive is still important.
Generations later might not even be able to read the Constitution or
Declaration of Independence, if they only know how to print. What significance
would someone’s signature have? And lastly, a lot of forgers would have to go
out of business! All kidding aside, I’m glad that Louisiana is bucking the
trend and re-enforcing what is fast becoming a lost key learning function in
many states.
From: Becky Stalnaker Fowler (WI 1960)
I loved cursive. I
got the best penmanship award in Mrs. Malone's fourth grade at Morgan School I
remember that the boys had more trouble doing it than the girls. I still to
this day when I doodle I make ovals on paper. I hope they do not do away with
this but thank you for computers because my husband and two of our 3 sons had
and still have pretty bad handwriting.
SEPTEMBER
MYSTERY PICTURE
From Roleta:
My apology to Bob, I missed putting this in the October Newsletter.
My apology to Bob, I missed putting this in the October Newsletter.
From: Bob Williams (WI
1945)
I used to go here
many times with my Uncle Gordon Williams to cattle sales. At one time he was a
buyer for Swift & Co. and also had a dairy farm just off what is now I-79 and
below the highest point in Harrison County. On part of the land above the dairy
farm is now the large development on the road to the FBI center. Another
interesting story about his farm was the time a tornado came through and he saw
a cow going through the air and the tornado passed over the hill and destroyed
the Hope Natural Gas company compressing station situated on RT 73 the old road
to Fairmont.
THANK YOU'S TO THE NEWSLETTER STAFF
From: Nancy Swing (WI 1961)
Congrats once again for a great
newsletter. I really appreciate your putting in the news of the 5-star review
of my book, but what I really like is news of other grads, their books, their
thoughts, their memories. What would we do without you?
From: Ruby Elizabeth Carson
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, my
husband Gail was a graduate of WI. He sure was proud of it too. He talked about
it all the time. He loved to sing and would often sing the WI fight song. I
miss him terribly. God Bless.
Sports Editor: Bill Meredith
To Bill:
I’d like to change my predictions.
Did you see the TCU game today? Wow! I didn’t see the final score on the Ohio
State game. Did they lose or pull off a last minute miracle?
Buzz Floyd (VHS 1956)
Reply To Buzz:
I think you have a lot of company on
that request. There sure were a lot of readers who thought 7--5 were the right
numbers. Then there was the guy who predicted a 6--6 season and said Holgorsen
would be gone.(I wonder who that was?) Stay tuned. It should be fun to see how it all
plays out.
I stayed up to watch the OSU-PSU
game. Late, late, late! I thought the Buckeyes were a little overrated and I
was right for a change. I was disappointed, not only because OSU lost, but
because Penn State won. I can't quite get over the old days when we lost 18 in
a row to Papa Joe. Nice win for the new coaches at Happy Valley, though.
Bill (billmere@aol.com)
To Bill:
For one thing, the powers that be have turned their “expansion”
into a too-long drawn-out process. It should have been completed months ago.
Until they were eliminated, I thought adding East Carolina University would
have enhanced the Conference’s standing – particularly in the Southeast where they
currently have a presence. WVU is the only school in the East – ECU would have
been the only school in the Southeast. Putting a Big 12 School right smack in
the middle of the ACC would have done wonders for recruiting. Would you rather
see Wake Forest play Syracuse or Oklahoma visit East Carolina? No big picture
thinking. I am disappointed.
Jim Hovey (WI 1962)
Reply To Jim:
East Carolina could have been a decent fit for the Big 12, but so
would several other teams. Unfortunately, as announced a few days ago, the
powers that be in the conference have decided to stand pat---for now. I suspect
that there were several reasons, not the least of which was pressure from ESPN
and FOX. As previously mentioned, it is all about money. Nothing else matters
in big time college football. I've always thought that the best thing to do was
to "steal" a team or two from the other Power 5 conferences. Who? I
don't know. Plus, most conferences have their teams pretty well tied up for a
few years. Finally, it is a fact that the Big 12 is really Oklahoma, Texas and
the other eight. Without the Big 2, the conference folds.
Thanks for your comments I hope to hear from you again soon.
Bill (billmere@aol.com)
WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK IT?
Back in August, if
someone had told me that the Mountaineers would start the season 6--0, I would
have thought they were way too big of a fan to be rational. Well, no one told
me that, so I'm as surprised as everyone else. I just hope I don't wake up from
this dream for a few more weeks.
After attending the
WVU--BYU game, I wrote that the defense was terrible. They were, in that game.
However, time has proven that BYU is a pretty good football team. Plus, the
defensive coordinator in Morgantown has done a great job of getting his players
to improve every week. That makes for a chance for have a special season.
Am I sold on this
team yet? No, but they have played much better than I thought they were capable
of playing. They have had some breaks, but teams that have magical seasons need
those. Skyler Howard is much better than last year. He makes good decisions and
has stayed healthy. I pray that he doesn't get dinged up like a couple of
recent QB's who started for WVU.
Due to an early
deadline, I had to write this earlier than usual this month, so by the time you
read this you will know the result of the Oklahoma State game. If it is a
Mountaineer victory, count me in. That would mean that they have a reasonable
chance to run the table. My concern is that they might take somebody too
lightly. That would be a big mistake. Kansas will beat someone before the
season is over and Iowa State is capable of scoring some points. Then there is
Texas. They will be playing for Charlie Strong's job the rest of the season, so
they will be a tough out. I hate to even mention Oklahoma and Baylor. They are
both scary.
Don't forget to let
us know what you think of this team. You must agree, they have put WVU football
back in the national spotlight and Mountaineers everywhere are loving it.
Bill (billmere@aol.com)
LOST IN THE 50’S AGAIN
This is a LINK that you may have seen before but I think it is a
little different. This was sent to me from A.D. (Augie) Malfregeot (WI 1956). This
is all based on the song of the same title and is full of pictures of
commercial products, movie stars, TV stars, some athletes, lots of cars, and
all from the 50’s and carried over into the 60’s.
I think you will enjoy this.
HOME DELIVERY FROM THE DAIRY
When I was around 8
yrs old my father had a milk route for Producers Diary. When I was not in
school I was recruited to help him deliver. One of the areas was a lake
community. I do not remember which lake but it had a lot of homes on hillsides.
It seemed it was my job to delivery milk to the ones with the most steps to
climb. Dad would "pay" me with my own bottle of chocolate milk. My
mother was a beautiful quilter. She quilted by hand. My brother built her a
quilting frame that would hold over sized king quilts. She embroidered a square
for each state with the bird and flower of that state. I have that queen sized
quilt. Mom made quilts for all her grandchildren. I have a oversized king done
in blue, purple and lavender. She made quilts from old clothes too. Mom also
made my sister and me clothes from printed feed sacks. The patterns would fade
with time and washing but they never wore out. As for salt rising bread, mom
would set it to rise on the fireplace mantle. It made wonderful toast. I can
remember running through the arcade on salt rising baking day while holding my
nose. How could anything that smelled so bad taste so good?
From: Bill Wilson (WI 1975)
When we lived on our farm on
Meadowbrook Road in Bridgeport, the house had a milk chute for the deliveryman
from Producers Dairy. This was about a 1-1/2 foot diameter opening on the side
of the house with a metal door. It would open up into a cabinet into the den,
which was off of the kitchen. We would open the cabinet up, and pull out a long
tray that the milk sat on.
If we got home from school,
and mom was on an errand, I would climb through the milk chute and let my other
brothers into the house. Later, that became my younger brother Fred’s (WI 1978)
job when I could no longer fit.
With six brothers, our house
went through a lot of milk!
Comment
from Roleta:
First I can’t imagine having 6 boys!
Second I believe you when you say that your
family used a lot of milk.
Third I have never seen a milk chute! Actually I
have never heard of one.
NOVEMBER 6 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
Daylight saving time (DST) or summer time
is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that
evening daylight lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times.
Typically, regions with summer time adjust clocks forward one hour close to the
start of spring and adjust them backward in the autumn to standard time. Some
countries do not use standard time. For example, the Greenwich meridian passes
through France but it does not use Greenwich Mean Time. People use the terms
"spring forward" and "fall back" when referring to this.
NOVEMBER 8 ELECTION DAY
Election Day in the United States is the day
set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the
Tuesday immediately after the first Monday in November
(this does not mean the
"first Tuesday" in a month because the first day of a month can be a
Tuesday). The earliest possible date is November 2, and the latest possible
date is November 8 (as it will be for the 2016 election).
For federal offices (President, Vice
President, and United States Congress), Election Day occurs only in
even-numbered years. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years
divisible by four, in which electors for President and Vice President are
chosen according to the method determined by each state. Elections to the United
States House of Representatives and the United States Senate are held every two
years; all Representatives serve two-year terms and are up for election every
two years, while Senators serve six-year terms, staggered so that one third of
Senators are elected in any given general election. General elections in which
presidential candidates are not on the ballot are referred to as midterm
elections. Terms for those elected begin in January the following year; the
President and Vice President are inaugurated ("sworn in") on Inauguration
Day, which is usually on January 20.
NOVEMBER 11 VETERAN’S DAY
Veterans Day is an official United States
public holiday, observed annually on November 11 that honors military veterans,
that is, persons who served in the United States Armed Forces. It coincides
with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, celebrated in
other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I; major
hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day
of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.
The United States previously observed Armistice Day. The U.S. holiday was
renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
Veterans Day is not to be confused
with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military
veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who died while in military
service.
NOVEMBER 24 THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in Canada and the United
States. It was originally celebrated as a day of giving thanks for the blessing
of the harvest and of the preceding year. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second
Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United
States. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations.
Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural
traditions, it has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well.
NOVEMBER 25 BLACK FRIDAY
Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United
States (the fourth Thursday of November). Since 1932, it has been regarded as
the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the U.S., and most major
retailers open very early (and more recently during overnight hours) and offer
promotional sales. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but California and
some other states observe "The Day After Thanksgiving" as a holiday
for state government employees, sometimes in lieu of another federal holiday
such as Columbus Day.
Many non-retail employees and schools have both Thanksgiving and the
following Friday off, which, along with the following regular weekend, makes it
a four-day weekend, thereby increasing the number of potential shoppers. It has
routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005 although news
reports, which at that time were inaccurate,
have described it as the busiest shopping day of the year for a much longer
period of time.
Similar stories resurface year upon year at this time, portraying hysteria and
shortage of stock, creating a state of positive feedback.
NOVEMBER 28 CYBER MONDAY
Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the
Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. The term
"Cyber Monday" was created by marketing companies to persuade people
to shop online. The term was coined by Ellen Davis and made its debut on
November 28, 2005 in a Shop.org press release entitled "'Cyber Monday
Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year".
According to the Shop.org/Bizrate
Research 2005 eHoliday Mood Study, "77 percent of online retailers said
that their sales increased substantially on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a
trend that is driving serious online discounts and promotions on Cyber Monday
this year".
1961 CLASSMATES GATHER
From: John Teter (WI 1961)
We had our "local WI dinner"
here in Northern Virginia on Saturday, October 8th.
Below is a
picture of those present.
(left to right) Bob Swiger, Karen Pleasant Booker, John
Teter, Barbara Wilmoth Falkenstine, Mary Jo Pulice Benedetto
SALUTING OUR VETERANS
Each month we would like to salute our veterans.
Would you please write and tell us your story.
Write to Roleta1@aol.com.
God Bless our Veterans and God Bless the USA
My Dad's Service in WWII
From: Jim Nutter (WI
1971)
My father, Oscar L. Nutter, WI 1928, served in
WWII. On 21 April 1943, at the age of 34, he entered into sea duty with the
U.S. Merchant Marine. According to the Merchant Marine website, one in 26
merchant mariners serving at sea during WWII died in the line of duty.
Suffering a greater percentage of war related deaths than all other U.S.
services.
Dad made ten successful convoy trips across
the Atlantic and several more in the Mediterranean War Zone. But, on 28 August
1944, his liberty ship, the USS John Barry, was torpedoed and sunk by German
U-boat 859. The John Barry was sailing alone off the coast of Oman with U.S.
Lend-Lease war supplies for Russia. The first torpedo hit the starboard at 10
PM, causing the ship to take a heavy list. It was Dad’s duty to lower the crew
in the number 2 life boat. Afterwards he jumped overboard. The sea was choppy
that night and the waves carried him away from the life boat. The second and
third torpedo sunk the cargo ship by breaking it in two pieces. When the
submarine surfaced, Dad turned off his beacon light. It was common practice for
German submariners to machine gun any survivors. After the U-boat left, Dad was
able to cling to a floating piece of timber. Later that night, he found the
ship’s Armed Guard Officer floating limp in a life jacket. U.S. Navy Lieutenant
John C. Kelly was very weak due to exhaustion and had a wound to one of his
hands. Dad took a second timber, crossed it with the first one and secured Lt.
Kelly to the timbers by using their belts. They were retrieved the next morning
by the same life boat Dad had deployed. Later in the day, they were rescued by
the SS Benjamin Bourne and taken to Khorramshahr, Iran, and reassigned to
another liberty ship. Lt. Kelly survived the war, minus a finger, and became a
lawyer in Harrisburg, PA. On 23 September 1944, British submarine HMS Trenchant
found U-boat 859, while it was cruising on the surface of the Malacca Straits
near Penang. One English torpedo split the German sub in half. However, this is
not the end of the USS John Barry story.
The crew of the John Barry believed that they
were also transporting gold. This was due to the large number of guards present
when 750 heavy wooden boxes were loaded into the cargo hole, prior to departing
Philadelphia, PA. At the time of the attack, Dad had just ended his shift at
the helm and he remembered the ship’s position. He thought that someday the gold
would be recovered. He read an article in the Clarksburg Telegram on 18 January
1978. It reported that the cargo hole of John Barry held 3 million Saudi
Arabian Riyals (silver coins) worth about $840,000 at the current rate of
exchange (1978). The U.S. Maritime Administration was taking bids for recovery.
On 9 November 1995, I read in the Herald-Dispatch (Huntington WV), that 16 of
the 17 tons of the recovered coins were auctioned at $20 million. On 30 October
2009, I saw the coins advertised for sale in the USA Today, for $36.95 each.
And of course, my coins came with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Gov.
Mint. Later that year I purchased a book, listed on Amazon.com, detailing the
story of the USS John Barry and the recovery of 1.3 million Saudi Riyals that
were provided and minted by the U.S. Government. Attached is a picture of the
book and coin.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised
veteran status and benefits to the U.S. Merchant Marine for their war service.
But that promise was not fulfilled until March 1989. Unfortunately Dad had
passed away the previous year. However, Mom did receive his DD214 with list of
medals and awards, Certificate of Military Service, and a military grave
marker.
 |
BEAUTIFUL WEST VIRGINIA DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS? |
From: Steve Limbers (WI 1957)
As a lifelong
stutterer, I have been through speech therapy four times and even maintained
fluency for more than a year at one point. I feel I have to comment on the left
hand vs right hand thing as it pertains to stuttering.
There are many
experts on stuttering but no one knows for sure the cause, if there is one. It
would vary from individual to individual. There is usually a genetic component
but only the tendency to become a stutterer is inherited. Almost all
experts agree on this.
Some folks think
forcing a child to use one hand (the right) versus the other will make his/her
life easier. (Please don't do that.) Having three sons, we were extra
careful. We observed each child and placed eating utensils in the center above
his plate so that he could choose which hand to use. Long story short, we got
one right hander, one left hander and one ambidextrous kid -- no stutterers. No
stuttering grandchildren, either.
Very important: never
interrupt or rush a young child trying to express himself. And never label a
child a stutterer until you have seen a good local therapist (at age 5 or so). Dysfluencies
are normal at various stages of attaining normal speech in most children. Don't
rush it.
There is much more
to this, of course, but I had to address the left handed thing since it has
come up in two newsletters. Many people are hung up on it. If you need to
provide therapy by age 10 or so, contact Hollins Communications Research
Institute at Hollins College in Roanoke, VA.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We
would love to hear from other lefties.
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
Can you name these three people?
Share a memory with us.
Write
to Roleta1@aol.com
From: Jim Strider (WI
1955)
My first car was a 1930 A model Ford. I paid
$95 cash in 1954. Great buy if you’re handy with tools. I think I “test drove”
it more than I drove it. The radiator leaked so I always carried a gallon jug
of water. But I did learn a lot about cars and how they worked. Dave Nickols’ (WI
1955) dad loaned me his professional spray rig and I painted my rust and green
car metallic blue. A few runs, drips and errors and it looked a lot better. Sue
Selby (WI 1955) wanted me to paint it charcoal & pink. The cars name was
Aesop. The summer of 1956 Buck Horner (WI 1958) bought Aesop and had her
running like a brand new car. He was RILEY handy with tools.
From the Ford I moved up to a comparatively
ultra modern 1936 Plymouth. This fine car set me back $125, I named it
Bucephalus after Alexander’s war horse. This car found its way to Hartland
several times. A girl with the initials Judy Zickefoose (WI 1957) lived there.
In 1958, after going into the Air Force, I bought a 1956 Austen Healy and my
twin brothers took over the Plymouth.
Come on Bob
Twigg (WI 1955), tell us about your coup with the rumble seat and Phaeton
with the air horns. We painted it with your mom’s Electrolux vacuum cleaner as
I recall.
 |
Yes, it's not a Flop... Does anyone have a picture of one? |
PEANUT
BUTTER
CHOCOLATE FUDGE SAUCE
Should taste like the
sauce that Rufus put on our Peanut Butter Flops
From: Wilma Costlow
Allman (WI 1953)
Originally appeared in our WI Newsletter May 2001
Boil 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water until clear.
Add
2 cups peanut butter, 1 cup Hershey's syrup and 1 cup marshmallow creme. Mix
well and refrigerate.
Serve over vanilla ice cream.
Let us know how it tastes. Write to Roleta1@aol.com
From: Roleta1@aol.com
To the Class of 1961:
How special that you had your own class
band. When I heard there was such a group, I wanted to know more. So I asked
for some of the guys to write and tell me about the band, where they played,
who played in the band etc. The funniest thing in one of the letters is the
part where Mr. Cubbon was afraid the balcony full of freshmen would fall down
because while the band was playing, the kids got a bit rowdy. I think poor Mr.
Cubbon had that fear very often. I remember that same reaction from him when I
was a freshman.
From: Bob Swiger
As always Gary Dawson is correct about the Electra band members.
He and Mike King have great memories of those days.
I remember we practiced at McGlumphy Funeral Home but not when
they were having services. In addition to playing the "funeral home"
, we played the WI gym to raise money for the Coach Castellana and the athletic
department and we played The WI auditorium for an assembly. Coach shared with
me that Principal Cubbon was very concerned that we would act the fool and
cause problems but Coach assured him we would be ok. I remember students
dancing in the aisles when we played Shout by the Isley Brothers. I'm not sure
it was our excellent playing and singing as much as it was an opportunity for
the students to break loose. Remember this was 1961 where all students were
respectful to all adults.
Mike King went on to Stardom at Willow Beach
With another band while the rest of the Electras went into
retirement and lived off of our royalties.
From: Irv Miller (WI 1961)
Bob Maxwell, Bob Swiger, Mike King, and Charlie McGlumphy had a
rock band I do believe. I don't remember them being in the school band. If my
memory was good I would write something but I can only recall a few. Jeannie
Christie, Melinda Goodwin, the Ellis brothers, Lewis Martino, Frank Martino,
Brooks Gainer, David Talkington, Christopher (cannot remember his last name)
but he went to MIT and was 1965 class Val or Sal, I think. Several I believe
were in the class of 1965.Never did have a good memory.
From: Mike King (WI 1961)
The name of the band was the Electras,
named after the Buick car.
Members included:
Robert Maxwell- the heart and soul of
the group played both guitar and piano.
Charlie McGlumphy.....piano (sometimes)
Artie Asby on sax
Roger Petitto- guitar (never plugged
in)
Tom Kearns and Jr. Waugh on drums (they
took turns)
Gary Dawson, Bob Swiger and Mike
King....singers whistlers, and clappers.
Also Bill May who was a sophomore at
the time, played with our group because he knew how to play the guitar.
We did play at several events including
fund raisers at the school gym and the VFW. We also played at the grand opening
of a night club on B-port Hill which was located below where McDonalds is now.
Can't think of the name.
We also brought down the house at
Senior Assembly. Kenny Cubbon was a nervous wreck. The balcony was swaying up
and down.
Our theme song was
"EASTBOUND" an instrumental written by Robert Maxwell and named for a
sign we saw getting on the C-burg Expressway before it became RT 50.
We had a lot of fun.
From: Gary Dawson
I am not quite sure what you are asking
but if it was the small band that Robert Maxwell started then it was:
Robert Maxwell - guitar
Charlie - piano
Tom Kearns - drums
Artie Aspy - sax
Mike King - lead singer
Bob Swiger
Gary Dawson
We were the Electra's
Theme Song was Eastbound and as Mike
King remembers, the name Eastbound was the expressway entrance sign on the part
being built in downtown Clarksburg.
Songs we thought we knew were:
Bony Maroni
Gee Whiz
Shout
Regards
From: Mary Beth Jeranko Hilburn (WI 1955)
What if I had stayed in Phoenix as I
wanted to, instead:
I went to Juneau, Alaska,
kicking and screaming, as my husband’s work took us there. We arrived just as
the oil leases were being auctioned off. Alaska was in for seismic changes in
population and cultural disruption. The villages were being abandoned as young
people left to make their fortunes on The North Slope. Alcohol, always a problem, and drugs of every
description were about to destroy a way of life for villagers and city dwellers
alike.
I was walking down
the street in Nome, Alaska in 1970 thinking “can I believe that I am doing
this?” It was high noon and completely dark (winter of course), nostril hairs
freezing as I breathed. It was amazing and wonderful.
Our children saved
an eagle that was wounded. They had the chance to sail, fly and ski right
outside the door.
My husband Paul and
I travelled quite a bit around the world, but our travels in Alaska were so
memorable. We both worked for the State, and had the unique opportunity to visit
villages and towns that few others get to see. I fished out on the ice with a
local woman, gigging fish, and seeing them flash freeze as they hit the cold
air. We traveled to almost all of the National Parks, living for long periods
of time at Katmai, Denali, and Glacier Bay. Bears were the local populations in
those parks, and I admit I am afraid of bears. Mosquitoes are the state bird of
Alaska, swarms and swarms that drive animals mad in the summer.
We made trips in
our small boat to islands around Juneau, catching fresh fish and cooking them
on the shore. We flew to Haines and Skagway to attend the state fair every
year.
Could I have
imagined any of that in 1955 in Clarksburg? No. Maybe it catching me by surprise
was the greatest gift of all.
My first job was
with the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (now NOAA) working on bottom fish
research. A chance lunch got me an offer from the State Dept. of Ed. to write a
grant for drug abuse funds. (Remember that war?). The initial grant led to a
statewide job as Coordinator of all the drug programs in the state. It was an
interesting opportunity to live in Alaska and travel to Anchorage, Fairbanks,
and villages. As the drug war dragged on, it became clear to me that the best
drug prevention strategies involved parents and significant adults allowing
kids to make safe decisions and live with the consequences. The second best is
an appropriate education with lifetime skills in continuous learning. I haven’t
changed my mind. After 9 years, my husband retired and wanted to farm in
Hawaii, and here I am.
Could I have imagined
any of that in 1955 in Clarksburg? No. Maybe it catching me by surprise was the
greatest gift of all.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A “WHAT IF” moment in
your life would be a decision that you made that changed your life. It could be
a life saving quick spur of the moment decision: When you had to decide to take
the right fork in the road instead of the left and later found out that the
river had washed out the left fork of the road. Or a big move to another place
to live, which is a decision so many people have to make and sometimes it turns
out good and sometimes it turns out not so good. A move to another job is a “WHAT IF” moment….maybe it was a go “WHAT IF” you hadn’t left that job,
maybe now you would be the manager or the president of the company? There are
so many “WHAT IF” moments. EVERYONE
has had them. Won’t you share your “WHAT
IF” with us?
Write to
Roleta1@aol.com
From: James
A Fragale (WI 1958)
I left Clarksburg on
February 5, 1964 after my last exam at Salem and wrote about that in detail in
the well-received “Huffington Post” blog “Is it Art? Or, Is it Soup?” In that
piece, I told about my first New York job, right off: 1964 New York World’s Fair.
I was a speed typist hired to work-up, on a machine called Friden Flexowriter,
announcements which were viewed from electronic arches through-out the Flushing
Meadow Fairgrounds.
Soon, in the Big
Apple, one of my first writing assignments went this way: Six young lyric
writers were picked to write words for movie music in feature film, THE
SWIMMER, music by Marvin Hamlisch. Alas:
There were two finalists. About my lyric: I wrote the words using the woman
character in the movie, Lucinda. I was a finalist with one other writer. Folks
at the publisher April/Blackwood Music thought mine would be chosen. On DEE-DAY
Hamlisch chose the other lyric – and, by the way, he never got anyone to ever
record that other lyric. As I child, I rarely cried. That day, I shed tears for two hours.
1969. Within a year after
that and note, five years after arriving in NYC, at age 29. I was producing and
writing songs for soon-to-be Tony Winner Melba (“Purlie”) Moore.
1970. The 1970s turned
out to be a whirlwind. I was getting
other writing jobs: Small example: An American Airlines interview with Pat
Boone for their In-Flight magazine. Nothing gigantic, but I was writing, and
penning songs as well as advertising copywriting. In 1970, I also got an
apartment with a view Riverside Park, The Hudson River and New Jersey. Soon:
Under my belt, I had two produced albums with Melba Moore. Moore recorded ten
of my songs. At that time, I produced a
pHI-so-Hex commercial with Motown’s Valerie Simpson on vocals and Four Seasons’
arranger conducting the recording sessions.
By the late 1970s, I
was caught up in New York City social life: out every night; invited
everywhere. A tsunami. And then one day the writing started tapering off.
Meanwhile, as fate and the Universe would have it, my Mother was diagnosed with
cancer. (She was to have what’s usually
describe as a long and painful battle with it).
Quite frankly, her illness threw me).
Even though about
then, I turned out four consecutive Gentlemen’s
Quarterly Cover story assignments as well as a double-truck column in GQ called PULSE, I was not feeling
successful. I was conflicted; torn; pulled by work, my social life; my mother’s
illness. It should be noted: I was writing a column for “West Virginia Hillbilly” at this time, a weekly on
famous West Virginians in Manhattan -- via Hillbilly owner-editor Jim Comstock.
But inside, I felt, I had lost my mojo.
Was it too much too
soon? Was I intimidated by all the big
name, wealthy, worldly New Yorkers? Maybe. What was fact, my work wasn’t
satisfying by the time my mother passed away in July 1981. That tragedy gave me
time to reflect.
I thought and I
ruminated. What went wrong? I decided: the answer was education. I was not
smart enough, I reasoned; not savvy enough; not well educated enough. Why,
people in NYC were well dressed, articulate, and Ivy-Leagued. My problem, I
irrationally reasoned, I didn’t know enough; I had to learn more to get that
old feeling of being successful back.
I began a tornado, a
hurricane, a Northeaster, a Perfect Storm of studying. I took the est training (EDITOR: that’s
e s t all in lower case, italicized). I signed up for a music theory class at
NYU. I took several screenwriting seminars at world-famous Greenwich Village
New School. I began private studies with high-profile teachers: SYD FIELD,
ROBERT McKEE, CHARLES SCHULMAN, VICKI KING … Class after class, in New York AND
even Los Angeles; YMCA Writer’s Voice seminar after seminar, program after
program, even controversial 12 Step Programs – (AA, and other ones). I was on a
mission.
FOOTNOTE: I found every
class/program/seminar valuable, even the time spent in 12 Step programs – all
of it was fodder for the novels and “Huffington Posts” to come. Nothing was wasted on me. NONE OF THE STUDYING, THE CLASSES, THE 12
STEP PROGRAM MEETINGS was wasted.
PART
TWO???
Finally, I went back
to basics. I got a day-job ABC TV, and in my spare time, began writing again: song
lyrics, magazine articles, and items for columns all the while taking notes for
a novel (which at one point was totally lost, but I started again, writing
pages).
Finally, one day,
abruptly, I stopped socializing in New York City. I quit going to cocktail
parties, refused invitations to art openings – to any event where at
they door, they shoved a drink in your hand. Yes! I was to realize I discovered
I was not an alcoholic, but I could actually live without any
substance as well as I could and would exist without parties!
Succinctly: 2010 ABC
TELEVISION newly purchased by Walt Disney Company on a single day, January
2010, downsized laying off 400 employees in a massive cutback. I was one of
them. I was devastated and elated. I, once more, I was on my own. And so I
began I began to use my time and energy EVERYDAY I wrote every morning
and every afternoon I worked-out at the gym.
(Occasionally I injured myself I was trying so hard, but I was on a
mission to be productive in every area of my life). Evenings: I leafed through
three New York newspapers and looked through magazines.
Late
2010:
I pulled together funds to produce an album with songs I had been writing with
singer JOE LUTTON. THE UPSHOT: a new well-received CD called “Oil and Coal” I
produced the work and wrote the lyrics; Joe Lutton did melodies and sang.
I was back in the
saddle again.
2011. I began rearranging
the novel’s notes, piecing, stitching the story together; a tale I had, years
before, begun literally jotting down on jury duty.
2012 Pages on novel,
resurrected. I had some old scribbles and did a massive, creative scanning at
KINKOS/FEDEX. amalgamating old pages into one big document.
Meanwhile, I started
blogging for the on-line monster “The Huffington Post,” and I was to turn out
one every year or so, sandwiching blogging with drafts of the novel – (At this
writing I have five “Huffington Post” and I’m now considered a contributor
there).
SPRING
- 2014
-- FIRST NOVEL OUT THERE TO 18 well-like, GOOD REVIEW ON AMAZON.com: “THE ANSWER TO LIFE.”
2015. I began writing
another novel and worked on it every day until, summer 2016
RESULT: Second novel: “F.U.! (Follow Up)! The Answer
to Life Revisited.” And, I repeat: At this juncture, five (5) Five-Star Reviews
on Amazon.
WILL
THERE BE A THIRD NOVEL? I don’t
KNOW. Right now I’m working on some
pages--and unsure I’ll ever finish them.
Why? I woke up one morning 76 YEARS OLD! I had a realization: my father,
James senior, had passed away at 76. Maybe a new/third novel about the concerns
of a 76-year-old man in a youth-oriented world might
work.-Possibly:-“Seventy-Six Trombones.”--Maybe.
To be continued…
FOOTNOTE:
NOVELS: 1). “The Answer to Life,”
amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. 2).
“F.U.! (Follow Up)! The Answer to Life
Revisited.”
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Jim just shared his “What If” moment
with us. He decided to go to NY City, a big jump for a young man from
Clarksburg, WV. Then after hitting a slow time, he had another “What If” moment when he decided to
expand his life through more education. Then he found the answer to life. And a
new door was opened for him
“WHAT IF"
OCTOBER MYSTERY PICTURE
From: Cliff Cleavenger (WI 1970)
I'm pretty sure
that it the inside of New York Hat Shop located on W Pike across from
Waldomore.
It was operated by
Angelo Alostanis (spelling) I believe. I attempted to become a shoe shine boy
there in the 13-15 year old range. Didn't last too long because getting an
opportunity was extremely difficult with older and experienced shoe shine boys
were pretty aggressive and unwilling to give up $.Saturday was the busiest day
and only opportunity I had to work. Everybody went to town on Saturday. No
malls then. Most guys wanted their shoes to look good also. Few wore tennis
shoes to town.
At the extreme left
in the window you can see (I believe) the corner of the Waldo Complex. Also
there is an office chair there that was used by Duty, proprietor and only
employee of Duty's Watch Repair that was located inside the hat shop.
I don’t know the
man in the picture.
From: Charlie
Wilson (WI 1981)
The New York Hat
Shop and it is Angelo.Duty the watch smith. Spent many a day in there blocking hats
and shining shoes learning to fix watches and waiting for Grandpa. Dr. Charles
C Wilson D.O.S to finish his card games or lunch at the Manhattan. Dad Edwin S.
Wilson OD. WI 1944 Office was just up street by the Robinson Grand and I knew
everyone. Times were safe then and fun!
From: Chuck Wilson
(WI 1967)
The October Mystery picture is Dominick’s shoe
shine parlor located on Pike St. On the walls were pictures of famous athletes
he had met, all the pictures were signed, he also sold hats and cleaned them.
He gave many boys there first job, shinning shoes. He always had a smile and
loved to talk sports.
From: Fred Alvaro (WI 1959)
The mystery picture
sure looks like the New York Hat Shop on Pike Street across from the
Workingman's Store. If my memory is correct, it was owned and/or operated by a
Greek gentleman, Angelo Alastanos.
From Jim Smith (Victory 1962)
The mystery picture is the Old New York Hat
Shop on W Pike Street across from Waldo Hotel. In the picture is Steve
Alastanos who took over business when his brother Angelo retired. I worked
there when Angelo bought it in 1956. I was almost 12 and I shined shoes there
until I was 16. We also cleaned hats, and Angelo sold hats. Building is now
gone and the wall is part of Jackson Square. I used to go out back door to an Alley
to get hot dogs from Cooks Restaurant that was also Greek owned.
From: Gladys Williams (WI 1971)
The New York Hat Shop on Pike St. It
was owned by Angelo Alastanos. He sold hats and gave shoe shines. It looks like
Steve Alastanos in the picture.
From: Jerry Mitchell (WI 1963)
Hi Roleta, you explained about the NEW YORK Hat Shop very well. I
worked there when I was 16-17 years old. I didn't make a lot of money there; I
was paid $1.00 per day plus Tips! I was hired to shine shoes (men's and women’s)
and also to clean hats, mostly men's, also I had to wash the windows, sweep, and
do just about anything that needed to be done. The owner was Angelo Alastanos.
Angelo was/is one of the coolest guys I've ever met I worked there every day,
but Angelo also hired kids who were going to school to work on Saturdays giving
them a chance to earn some money. I don't know if you know this but there was
also a watch repair man at the hat shop. The man who repaired the watches was
named Doody (not sure about the spelling and don't remember his first name) but
he was always greeted as "Howdy Doody". I'm looking forward to seeing
the October newsletter and hope I'm on your email list. Thanks for letting me
know about the picture.
From Roleta1@aol.com
I was trying to
explain to some of the younger family members about how a man owned a hat
cleaning and shoe shine/repair shop on Pike St. I said men would take their
chapeau (hat) in and drop it off to be cleaned, brushed, steamed and blocked.
The kids didn't understand about cleaning hats. I told them that in the 20’s,
30’s, 40’s and 50’s men always wore hats (not caps like today), they were
expensive to buy, and they got dirty and the band inside got sweaty, so they
dropped off the hat to be redone basically. The hats were made of heavy felt or
sheared beaver.
Am I right? I
couldn't explain how the hat and band were cleaned. I think there was a wooden
form that the crown of the hat was pulled down over and then steamed, and
brushed.
But how was it
cleaned? I don't know what the cost was or
how long the customer had to wait on the hat. Did they drop it off and pick it
up later? This is a lost art, a style from the days gone by!
READERS: THOSE WHO KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THIS, PLEASE WRITE
AND TELL US THE PROCESS.
My father always
wore a Fedora style hat. He had some for the winter, usually one each - brown,
gray and black. For warmer weather he wore a white one or a light natural straw
one. I think sometimes in the summer, he wore a Panama style hat. I don’t think
the warmer weather hats could be cleaned so they were replaced almost every
year. The strange thing is I never knew much about the process of the cleaning
and blocking the hat. Now I would like to know more about it. Will you write
and explain it to me?
Thank you
Write to Roleta1@aol.com
CLASS OF 1961
LAST NAME---FIRST NAME ---MIDDLE ---MAIDEN
BABER STEWART ARNETT
BAILEY EUGENE CLAUDE
BEDELL JOHN ANTHONY
CORBETT DAVID OSBORN
CORK JOHN CARL
COX CAROLYN JOYCE
CRISS JUDITH ANNE BARNES
DENNISON MARGARETTE
ANN CRISLIP
DENT JR RUSSELL PAUL
DEVERICKS RONNIE BLAINE
DILLMORE REBECCA SUE CHESSER
FERRELL CHARLES STANLEY
FIORENZA ROSE LEE QUISENBERRY
FRAGALE PETER
GOTLIEB LAWRENCE DAVID
GUM KAY MIHALIAK
HINZMAN SHARON ANN HUKILL
HURST JAY JACKSON
KEARNS FOREST THOMAS
LAWMAN FREDERICK FOSTER
LINDSEY ROBERT ALLEN
MARTIN HUGH MCGEE
MAXWELL ROBERT HAYMOND
MCDONALD JR CARL EDWARD
MCGLUMPHY CHARLES ARTHUR
MCGUIRE MARY ANN JENNINGS
MCINTIRE JAMES EDWARD
MOORE SHIRLEY JOANNE
DEFAZIO
NICHOLSON CAROL SUE
LIPTAK
NORRIS LARRY WAYNE
NUTTER DONNA JO
PATRICK PATRICIA BLANCHE
REYNOLDS ALICE MARGARET DAVIS
ROLLAND CHARLENE
ANN LEON
SANFORD MILDRED JEANNE
BAXTER
STEELE RACHEL ELLEN
COLLINS
TALKINGTON DAVID WESLEY
THIEM UDO RUDOLF
TORYAK JOHN STEPHEN
TRICKETT SHARON KAY
WALTERS DAVID GALE
WAUGH JR YANCY HARRY
WEBB JOHN ROBERT
WICKES EDWARD THEODORE
WISE ROGER ELTON
WISEMAN PATRICIA FAYE WILSON
WOODWARD VICTOR JUNIOR
WOOLARD ROBIN LOUISE
If you have a list of deceased
classmates from you graduation class, please send it to me. This is a good way
to advise others of their demise.
NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES
Ray Allen
(WI 1959) jara222@comcast.net
Ruby Elizabeth Carson (Extra) rubycarson@aol.com
Jerry Mitchell (WI 1963) jrmitchell924@gmail.com
EMAIL CHANGES
Suzanne (Suzi) Workman Lehosit (RW
1973)
from
sdl@mcmbusiness.com
to suzilehosit@gmail.com.
Skip
Smith and Sharon Delmore Smith (WI 1958) sharonSkip58@gmail.com
PAULINE K. WAGNER
Pauline K. Wagner,
88, of Stonewood, passed away on Friday, October 14, 2016, following a brief
illness.
She was born in
Clarksburg, WV, on September 29, 1928, a daughter of the late John and
Katherine Prcuch Krivosky.
She is survived by
her husband of 61 years, Robert Lee Wagner. Also surviving are two brothers,
John Krivosky, and Fred (Lavonne) Krivosky; two sisters, Florence “Pook”
Krivosky; and Helen “Babe” Powell; one sister-in-law, Betty Krivosky; and
several nieces and nephews. he was also preceded in death by two brothers, Paul
and Frank Krivosky; and three sisters, Margaret Bavlsik, Rose Drgon and Marion
Maxson. rs. Wagner was a 1946 graduate of Roosevelt-Wilson High School and was
retired from C&P Telephone Company as an operator with 36 years of
dedicated service. She was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic
Church and the Telephone Pioneers of America.
ROSEMARY BUTCHER
TINGLER
Rosemary Butcher
Tingler, age 70, of Daleville, VA, passed away on October 13, 2016, at the Roanoke Memorial
Hospital. She was born on December 1, 1945, in Clarksburg, a daughter of the
late Ray “Doc” Butcher and Lucy (McCormick) Butcher.
Rosemary is
survived by her husband of 48 years, William L. “Bill” Tingler; two sons:
William L. Lee Ann)Tingler II, and James Eric (Jami) Tingler; nine siblings:
Brenda Conley of Quiet Dell, Linda Altovilla (Pasco) of Clarksburg, Ronnie
Butcher of Clarksburg, Jerry Butcher of OH, Terry Felts (Butch) of Clarksburg,
Barbara Johnson of Roanoke, VA, Ray Butcher of OH, Richard Butcher of
Clarksburg and Sharon Alonso of Nutter Fort; and five grandchildren: Ransom,
Mitch, Erica, James and Payton.
In addition to her
parents, Rosemary was preceded in death by three siblings: Margaret
Schweinebraten, Olive Boyce and Sarah Spohn; one grandson, Justin Eric Tingler;
and one brother, James Butcher.
Rosemary was a
graduate of WI High School.
ALAN KEITH MASON
Alan “Keith” Mason,
80, of Rt. 19 South, Clarksburg, went to be with his Lord and Savior on October
12, 2016, at home surrounded by his family following.
He was born in
Clarksburg Jan. 6, 1936, to the late Kenneth W. Mason and Virginia D.
(Proudfoot) Mason.
He is survived by
his wife of 57 years, Jean Harper Mason; three daughters, Michele D.(Bill)
Underwood, Tammy K.(Duane) Molina, and Kristi A.(Bill) Brady, all of Clarksburg;
four grandchildren,; two stepgrandsons, and four step great-grandchildren.
In addition to his
parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters-in-law, Lucille Harper Bowers
and Janet Bowers Harper.
Keith graduated
from Washington Irving High School in 1954, and attended WVU from 1954-1958,
studying mechanical engineering. He was in the U.S. Army Reserves from
1959-1965 in the 293rd Transportation Unit. Keith owned and operated Mason
Machine Shop, Inc. in Clarksburg until illness forced its closing in 2010 after
61 years of business.
In 1974, he built a
Class A Climax Locomotive in his machine shop and, along with a caboose and
flat car he had previously built, added track and it became the Locust Heights
& Western Railroad which has operated every summer since then for 43 years.
It has been enjoyed by children and adults on a 1 and 1/2 mile round trip. He
had many dedicated friends and neighbors who volunteered their time to help him
in this enjoyable endeavor.
The railroad has
been featured in several publications and media, including The Narrow Gauge
& Shortline Gazette in 1997, Goldenseal in Winter 2007 and again in Spring
2014, the January 2011 issue of Trains Magazine, the Charleston Daily Mail in
2014, and was also featured on Channel 8 WCHS show “Traveling WV.”
He showed his
prized possession, the 1885 L. Spence 6 HP steam engine for 7 years at the
Mountain State Forest Festival in Elkins, the Treasure Mountain Festival in
Franklin from 1970-1986, the Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts and Crafts Jubilee
in Jackson’s Mill from 1989-2008, and at Volcano Days near Parkersburg for 10
years. Previously, he hosted the WV Region Antique Auto Club’s “Fun Day” car
show for 25 years.
Keith was a member
of Duff Street United Methodist Church.
FRANCIS “MAC” JOSEPH McQUILLAN, JR.
Francis “Mac” Joseph
McQuillan, Jr., 73, passed away on October 12, 2016, after a brief illness.
He was born on
September 23, 1943, the son of Francis J. and Iris Sargent McQuillan.
Francis graduated
from Notre Dame High School in 1960. Thereafter he served in the Army Reserves
and graduated from Fairmont State College with a bachelor’s degree. He owned
Barmac Inc. and was a tax preparer.
Francis is survived
by his wife of 42 years, Barbara Jo McQuillan; two daughters, Amanda L. (Zachary)
Mealey, Brianna (Joseph) Satterfield of Fairmont; one son, Jason (Jodi); one
brother, Sargent (Mary Ann) McQuillan; one sister, Colleen (William) Moore;
four; and two nephews.
Francis was a
loving father and grandfather cheering his family on in the sports they played
and would often help coach. Also, he was an avid golfer and enjoyed bowling and
camping.
PAUL ALLEN “SONNY” DAVIS, JR.
Paul Allen
"Sonny" Davis, Jr, age 76,(WI graduate) died August 28, 2016, at
Carolinas Healthcare Cleveland in Shelby, NC.
Born in Elkins, WV
on October 10, 1939, he was the son of the late Paul Allen and Rachel Mae
Wright Davis.
Paul was a member
of Lafayette Street United Methodist Church. He was a US Army Veteran who
served during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He retired from Buckeye Fire Equipment
in Kings Mountain, NC as a Sales Manager. Paul enjoyed watching Carolina
Panther football, fly fishing, camping, and woodworking. He was a loving and
devoted husband, father, and grandfather.
Paul is survived by
his wife of 57 years, Annabel Day Davis (also a WI graduate); three children,
Deborah (Doug) Page; Jeffrey (Leslie) Davis; and Lucinda Davis-Kettner and
husband Benjamin, two brothers, Stephen (Sandy)
Davis and Mitchell (Barbara) Davis; four grandchildren Makayla (Dustyn) Peters,
Orion Page, Kairi Kettner, and Kaylee Kettner
He was buried at
Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, NC.
Many Thanks,
Steve Davis (WI
1973)
JAMES WILLIAM McGAHAN, II
James William McGahan II, 77, of Clarksburg, passed away on
Tuesday, October 11, 2016, in the WV Veterans Nursing Facility.
He was born in
Clarksburg on November 18, 1938, a son of the late James William and Lorraine
Ross McGahan.
He is survived by
his wife of 55 years, Sharyn Lane Cottrill McGahan, (WII 1959) whom he married
March 24, 1961.
Also surviving are
three sons, James William (Bil) (Lisa) McGahan, Patrick Michael McGahan and
Timothy Page (Rebecca) He was affectionately known by his 11 grandchildren and
3 grandchildren as “Bunkie.
In addition, he is
also survived by one brother, Thomas L. (Brenda) McGahan; one sister-in-law,
Lynda Cottrill (Bill) Trickett; and several nieces and cousins.
Mr. McGahan was a
graduate of Grafton High School and attended Furman University. He was a United
States Air Force Veteran having served in Germany with the 14th Troop Carrier
Squardon (MATS). He was proud of the fact that he never missed a day of work in
39 years with C&P, Bell Atlantic and Verizon Telephone companies. He was
Past President of the Clarksburg Telephone Pioneers, and Past President of WV
Chapter 42 Telephone Pioneers of America, a member of the North Bend Jamboree
for the disabled, and was a Charter Member of the Clarksburg Volunteer in
Police Service (VIPS).
He was also a member
of the Bridgeport Jaycees, where he held many offices, and the Central
Christian Church, where he served as a greeter for many years.
FRANK LOUIS GALLO
Written by: Tim Cork
Frank Louis Gallo, age
74, of Jane Lew, passed away Saturday, September 24, 2016 at his residence
surrounded by his family following an extended illness.
He was born December
19, 1941 in Clarksburg, the son of the late Rocco Gallo and Theresa Tiano
Gallo.
His wife, Betty Jane
Shinn Gallo, whom he married November 11, 1964, survives.
Also surviving are
three children, Rocky Gallo and Frank Gallo, both of Jane Lew, Beth Helderlein
and her husband Phil of Statesville, NC; four grandchildren, Anthony Gallo,
Santino Gallo, PJ and Kimberly Helderlein; one sister, Cathy Freeman and her
husband Ralph of Jane Lew, along with several nieces and nephews.
Frank was a graduate
of Washington Irving High School, Class of 1958. He attended Fairmont State
College. He was retired from the Army National Guard with over 25 years of
service, having also played saxophone for the 249th Army Band. He was well
known in the Clarksburg and surrounding areas having owned and operated Rocky’s
Shoe Shop. He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
