Issue 213

Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith

Publisher: Jalon Smith Burton

*Please Take Note:

We have filled May's issue with beautiful Patriotic images... Enjoy.

A SALUTE TO THE MILITARY

WI GRADUATE 

HELPED DESIGN NAVY SHIP

From: Dave Kuhl (WI 1962)

Recently a brand new navy ship, USS Zumwalt, which I helped design broke down while going through the Panama Canal and had to be towed to San Diego. Very embarrassing! Click HERE to read all about that. 

The ship was built at Bath, Maine and was way over budget.

The DDG-1000 USS Zumwalt is the newest class of Navy ship which was initially designed to replace the class of ships which includes the Cole.    

I was on the Gold Team led by Northrup Grumman Ship Systems back in the year 2000. My job was to review new developments and see how they would fit into the design and if they would be ready when they were needed. With each new technology under development, we had to analyze progress, budget allocations, etc.  In the event that the technology failed, we had to analyze the fall back position. The competing Blue Team was led by Lockheed Martin.  We shared an office with a team from Boeing which had stealth coatings used by both the Blue and Gold teams. They would get to arguing so loudly that we threatened to throw water on them.

Example of new technology: a laser gun was being developed to replace the traditional 5-inch deck gun. It was still in development then but had successfully shot down two Katyusha rockets at the same time. The final design back then had two deck guns and the ship they built had two deck guns. Going from 2000 to 2017 is a long time and a lot could have happened. Time wise that is comparable to the time between WW I and WW II.

My employer won the design competition and the contract to build the new ship. However, the company executives decided to trade the contract to Bath Iron Works (BIW) in Maine for some conventional ship contracts.

Interesting how the bow design for the Zumwalt has reverted back to the bow designs used by the Great White Fleet back in Teddy Roosevelt’s day, well over a century ago. What is the line in the song?  “Everything old is new again.”

THE SIZE OF THESE SHIPS:

Most of us who have not spent time around big ships have no comprehension of how big they are.

If you could pick up the USS Cole and set it down in the middle of Hite stadium aligned length wise, it would hang out more that 100 feet on either end. The Cole and her sister ships in the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke class are each 505 to 509 feet long. The standard football field is 300 feet. To see more facts about the Cole, Click HERE. 

Another even bigger ship has been in the news recently. The USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 is a Nimitz Class nuclear powered aircraft carrier and is 1,092 feet long. That is almost 4 football fields. If you set it down in Hite stadium, it would extend 1 and ½ football fields over on each end. The Carl Vinson is over twice as long as the Cole.

If you could stand the CVN-70 on one end, it would be as tall as a 109 story building. For a comparison the twin towers were 110 floors.

It is an interesting footnote to my memoirs as to how a 17 year old boy from a land-locked state like West Virginia joined the Air Force and then ended up his career working for a major ship builder and helping to design a new ship which then broke down in the Panama Canal in 2017.

 The DDG-67 USS Cole underway after being repaired.

The DDG-67 USS Cole being carried on the heavy lift ship Blue Marlin shows the massive 40-foot hole in the side of the ship after it was attacked by terrorists in Yemen.

To read more about the design and the cost overruns, Click HERE

The hull design is called a Tumblehome wave piercing hull. When it breaks down and has to be towed, the design might more appropriately be called a limp-home or tow-home design.

The one thing they got right is the AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar (MFR). In fact the whole ship is an MFR.

My group was called the Technology Insertion Team. All of the other teams had a three word name and had little signs with their three letters above their cubicles. We chose to spell out the group’s entire name for obvious reasons.

The team leader had a PhD in something and was always in meetings. The only time that I saw him was when I had to bring him up to speed on what we were trying to accomplish. The one other team member who came from my department had a BS in Physics. He had worked on detection of underground nuclear testing and was let go from design engineering because he was so over qualified. He fit right in with technical writing because we were always getting hit with strange challenges. After six months, when I got back to my department, nothing had been delivered and everything was six months behind.

That was also during the period when the Cole was attacked in Yemen. We were pulled off of the DD-X/DD-21 new ship design team for a few days to make proposals to prevent another Cole style attack.  That was a busy time.

It might make a good newsletter topic for everyone to talk about some of their experiences. Many of us might have crossed paths at different times.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, all three Kuhl brothers were in the US Air Force. 

I was watching George Gobel on the Johnny Carson show one night. To watch, Click HERE.  George said that during WW II, he spent the entire war as a flight instructor in Tulsa and the Japanese never got past Tulsa.

I can honestly say that the Cubans never got past Colorado Springs.

AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR

From: HG Jaranko (WI 1960)

Credit to my friend James Golden for this story

EDITOR’S NOTE: Even though Mr. Golden did not attend WI, this story is too good to omit from the newsletter.

This is a true story about the father of H. G. Jaranko (WI 1960)

My dad was in Patton's Army. He was in the Battle of the Bulge and never said a word during my early years about WWII. After I joined the service and many years later while on a visit to my parents' house did he disclose a few memories---stuff that movies are made of. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for gallantry and obviously being wounded. I have his write up on my office wall here at my house. What he did then to receive the Bronze Star would be awarded a much higher ribbon in today's Army.

He only mentioned any of this because his brother found an old shoe box up in a closet at the home my Dad grew up in with some old letters and ribbons in it. He dropped it off while I was up visiting and while my Dad was not home. I happened to look in it and saw on old letter from the "War Department". I opened it and found the original Bronze Star Citation. I, being in the Navy at the time, of course asked my Dad about it. He was embarrassed but told me a couple of short vinyets about the citation and his time in Europe.

I was in awe, humbled and dumbstruck because my Pa is/was 5' 7" tall and weighed about a buck 30. What he did made him sound like A Giant and much different.

Those boys back then were of a completely different cut from today. We have some great guys and gals in our Military today but they really can't compare simply because the times are different.

WWII AIRPLANES

From: HG Jaranko (WI 1960)

I think we don't hear these stories because the men who lived them never shared them outside their intimate group.

I had an uncle who flew P-51 over the English Channel and volunteered to fly a B-17 when pilots were in short supply. I asked but he never told a story. His sister, my Mother, said he bailed out over the channel once. No more story.

I worked with a WWII Marine pilot who told me that his crew chief told him, after he looked over his plane on the aircraft carrier, that he didn't know how the plane that full of holes stayed in the air.

When men were men and bragging was unnecessary.

THE KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL

From: HG Jaranko (WI 1960) 

I attended the dedication of the Korean War Memorial. My immediate family was invited by the sculptor, a family member.

The sculptor is an Airborne participate in D-day. He had one of his combat comrades with him to attend the dedication.

I rode in a cab with that man to the Mall where President Clinton was to make the dedication of the Memorial

Traffic was at a standstill so I suggested that we walk across the Mall by the Vietnam Memorial thinking that was a shortcut and faster than the cab.

He walked with a limp and I was constantly stopping and waiting for him to catch up. I just wished he would hurry up.

Please notice what I am about to say about these two men.

During the dedication the sculptor was not on the dais, even though his badges and protocol indicated that the dais was where he was supposed to be. Rather he sat in the crowd of attendees. Just one of many with no grandiose ideas of fame nor position.

Back at the hotel after the dedication the sculptor spoke about his buddy. "If it weren't for him I would not be here and several others would not have survived D-Day. John here was wounded 3 times while taking out 4 machine gun nests".

I apologize everyday for the things I thought during our walk to the dedication.

True American Heroes both.

From: Blair Gloss (WI 1961)

Below is a brief write-up of a WW I veteran, my great aunt, who died as a nurse during the war.

Lovie Lucinda Rose, 1889-1918, bears the unique distinction of being the only female West Virginia casualty of World War I. She was my Grand Mother’s sister and thus we knew of her from an early age. Lucinda graduated as a registered nurse from St Mary's Hospital in Clarksburg in 1914. She volunteered to be a nurse with the Red Cross, during World War I. She was on a troop ship going to Europe when influenza spread in the ship and she began caring for the sick, day and night, throughout the voyage. She had little opportunity for rest, and became ill. She died on November 21, 1918 upon reaching Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. Lucinda was first buried in a military cemetery in Morn Hill near Winchester, England. In 1920, her remains were returned to the Green Lawn Cemetery in Clarksburg and laid to final rest with full military honors. The auxiliary of the Meuse-Argonne Post of the VFW was named for Lucinda Rose.

PHILIP DUBAL BEALL

WW II VETERAN

WHO RECEIVED 2 PURPLE HEARTS

From: Brooke Beall (NDHS 1958)

I was reading the current edition of the WI Newsletter on my old laptop and remembered that I had a newspaper article on it about my uncle, Philip Duval Beall. My family moved from Berkeley Country to Harrison County in 1946. All of the rest of my family remained in the Hedgesville/Shepherdstown/ Martinsburg area. My father served in the US Army during WWII in the Pacific. My uncle served in the US Army in Europe. My father came home after the war and started his food brokerage business in Clarksburg in 1946. My uncle attended WVU, graduated, got married, and was called up for Korea. After Korea, he had so much time and grade that he decided to stay in the army and make it his career. The article that I have attached is about his building a library in Ethiopia while he was there training the Ethiopian army. The article is pretty much self explanatory. 

My uncle received two Purple Hearts while in the service (one in WWII and one in Korea) and retired in FL receiving the Cross Service Award. My brother and I both served during the Vietnam era, but were never in that country. Some of your readers may remember my uncle. He was the PMS&T in Army ROTC at WVU, not sure of the years, sometime in the 1950’s. He entertained his classes with his amateur magic show. Anyway, I have not submitted anything for the Newsletter in a long time and just happened to think of this article.

GREAT PICTURES OF MILITARY AIRCRAFT

YOU SHOULD REALLY LOOK AT THIS

From: Gary Robey (WI 1957)

Here is a LINK to some great pictures of military aircraft. Take a moment and check them out!

 SAME FAMILY

DIFFERENT NAME SPELLING

Why?

From: Roleta1@aol.com

If you have ancestors who came to the US through Ellis Island or who had to give their names to a census taker. Often the name of your ancestor was spelled phonically as the person heard it. I had ancestors who arrived from Germany, thus my ancestors were Coontz but had family members who spelled their names Coonts, Kuntz, Koontz, Counts, Kunce, etc. It is interesting and you will find a lot of this if you do your genealogy. You can’t count out anyone with a similar sounding name. Only your DNA can arrive at the truth.

When checking your ancestry, did you run into any family members spelling their names differently? Did you find any surprises?

Write and share with us.

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

JERANKO, JARANKO, JURANKO

From: Mary Beth Hilburn (WI 1955)

In your most recent newsletter someone referred to my cousin Greg and my aunt Arreta sent in a picture. The way the last names were spelled is a tribute to our immigrant grandparents. Greg’s last name was spelled Jeranko, but he spells it Jaranko, as does Arreta, though hers was spelled Juranko. All the spellings make perfect sense if you realize our grandparents were illiterate, and when they went through customs, they just pronounced their last name. We got spellings of Jeranko, Jaranko, and Juranko. Any other immigrant families that had this happen?

There are probably many stories of immigrants that impact the history of Clarksburg. My dadu (grandfather? father?) came into Boston in the early part of the century from Ukraine. In order to get off the ship he had to have a job. The story goes that he was hired to mine coal in I think Kentucky. (Help me out here Arreta or Greg). He was put into a train car and not a nice one with seats and sleepers. I am not sure what made him leave and go to Clarksburg to work in the tin mills. He sent for his family, still in Ukraine and they came into N.Y. They lived in Despard. My dad told me that it wasn’t unusual for him to see dead bodies of men around the railroad tracks. He never knew if the victims were from crimes or hobos who died of hunger or from falling from the train.

The Jeranko family was large, 10 kids, and very poor. My dad, Stan played football for Victory H.S. and said that the first time he ever remembered being full was eating at the training table. He grew up in the depression as did most of the families of my classmates.

My father was the only one of the kids who went to college, and only because his mother insisted he take the football scholarship he earned. He was making good money in the tin mills himself, and would have stayed there. He went to Glenville, met my mom, and another story began.

Tell us about your ancestors. Write to Roleta1@aol.com.

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

THIS DEFINITELY IS A FAVORITE

From: Jalon Smith Burton (publisher)

I don’t include writings from me (I left WV when I was barely walking) but I ran across this great video the other day and I thought to myself, 

“I know a whole lot of people who would enjoy this!”

So... please, ENJOY!

This was our, (Roleta, my sister, and me), mother’s favorite song. Is it your’s?

What is your favorite song about West Virginia?

WARNING

From: Roleta1@aol.com

This is a very long newsletter this month (thank you, thank you, thank you for all the wonderful help!). I am sure you will have to check back several times to read all that is in this newsletter.

Remember last month I asked you to check out the new tab, at the top of the newsletter, which is marked “CLARKSBURG HISTORY”?. Well if you didn’t, please take the time and look it over, read through it. You will be amazed at the history that Tim Cork has amassed and put in order for the WI Newsletter.

He just sent me another amazing project which I will uncover to you next month but first, I want each of you to pay a visit to the new tab and find out something new about our city.

CHECK THE CLARKSBURG HISTORY TAB

AT THE TOP OF THE NEWSLETTER EACH MONTH

Tim is the researcher who is responsible for the CLARKSBURG History Project which is now available through the WI Newsletter blog. He also copied every WI yearbook which is available through WI Newsletter by clicking on the WI HISTORY tab at the top of the Newsletter, just under the heading with the picture of WI.

Tim just finished another master project which we will present to you in the June newsletter.

If you are interested in finding something about the past in Clarksburg, or if you are a History lover, check out the tab. This is amazing. I just know that you will return from time to time to read more.

MAY MYSTERY PICTURE

Please send us your guess of the identification of the place pictured above. I would like for you to share more about the place than just the name. Tell us some of your memories. I only print correct answers. Please include your name, school and year of graduation.

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

...IN CLARKSBURG

AND

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE HIGH SCHOOL?

FRIENDS REALLY WANT TO KNOW

Here are a few answers to my question about--Where did you live while in Clarksburg? And what have you been doing since high school? Friends really want to know. Even some old friend may be living just around the corner from you now and this would be a way to get in touch. So write and tell us more about yourself and where you are located now. I would love for this to become an on going project of this newsletter. It is a way of bringing together people with common interests or who live in the same state or city. 

Thanks for those who are participating.

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

From: Habie Snyder (WI 1959)

I recently was going through some stuff and came across a brochure that was distributed at our 50th class reunion. It is a directory of our class-mates, both living and deceased at the time, along with their addresses and the names of their spouses. It brought back fond memories of that event, but then I started thinking, where are they now and what are they doing? I know we are scattered far and wide, but it would be nice to receive an update from as many as possible in the form of a short summary. For example --

Bonnie and I have been married for forty-eight years. I was a manager of causality claim offices for one major insurer for thirty three years, and Bonnie loved to teach elementary school children. We have two married sons, both Virginia Tech graduates, in their forties. Scott is a chemist with a pharmaceutical company in Richmond, and Mitch is a self employed architect in Portland, OR. We currently have three grand children, and will have a total of five by mid-summer. Foreign travel includes Amsterdam, Paris and Italy. Bonnie and I spend a great deal of our time at our beach house in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. We enjoy good health and live comfortably in Midlothian, Virginia.

I hope this inspires our class-mates to write a snap-shot of what they are doing and where they now are located, as it would be comforting to us all to hear from everyone.

From: Harriett Stout Noel (WI 1959)

My days in Clarksburg were only sophomore, junior and senior years at WI. We moved there from Beverly, W.Va. It was a hard move for me personally because I love the out-of-doors and the freedom we had to roam the hills and valleys there. We moved to a large, old home on Meigs Ave. (rented) until Mother and Dad found the house of their dreams on Ryder Ave. That only lasted one year until my grandmother became too ill to stay in her house so, we moved again into my grandmother’s home on Maple Ave. It was cost effective to do that since the care of my grandmother was a large burden on my aunt and Dad. Three moves in three years! Yukky! I did enjoy working at the Palace Furniture Co. for two summers before going to Pittsburgh, Pa. to the Art Institute of Pgh. Bobbie Johnston was my roommate at the Salvation Army Bldg. for one year where we lived while attending school. Two years later, after the death of my grandmother, my parents decided to move to California. After graduation I followed them to the land of “milk and honey” and sunshine. Dad was tired of shoveling snow! Wellllll, I am definitely not the So. Calif. beach girl type! I did meet my husband there. We subsequently moved to Sacramento where we raised our two children. All along the way, I have dabbled in many kinds of art, from painting wall murals (inside and outside), illustrated books, designed some jewelry and always painted anything that didn’t move. Example: last year one of our wineries called and wanted me to paint an egg-shaped wine vat to resemble Humpty Dumpty! Crazy! It was fun except the surface of the vat was cement and grooved which made it hard to get any kind of a straight line. I have been fortunate to enjoy these past twenty four years in the beautiful area of Roseburg. Oh, we love it here!

Roleta, none of this is publishable but I wanted to answer your question regarding how long and where in Clarksburg we lived. FYI, Dad managed Meadow Gold Dairy and my Aunt was the secretary at the Methodist Church. They were both born and raised in Clarksburg as I have mentioned. My grandfather was killed in a truck accident (he was driving his lumber somewhere) while quite young, I think 38yrs. old. After his death, my grandmother opened a boarding house. One of the boarders was a teacher at WI. My aunt, Irene Carskadon, was also widowed quite young and the two of them moved into the house on Maple Ave and stayed there until my grandmother died. My uncle, Guy Carskadon, was a buyer for Palace Furniture Co. My grandmother’s sister was Lena Coston so we are related to the Coston family too. They lived in a large, beautiful home just around the corner from Maple Ave. My grandmother was Lily Myrtle Holden and Connie Bailey and I were also related. You already know my uncle, Malden Stout, was a teacher at WI.

O.k. now I have really said enough! Thanks for listening. Tell Bill that I agree with you.......he does a great job with the sports!

Happy Spring!

From: Gloria Hunter Kennedy

(would have been WI 1957 but graduated from Santa Monica High).

EDITOR’S NOTE: Prior to moving to Santa Monica, California, Gloria lived in the Hartland section of Clarksburg. She writes about this in the section of the newsletter re: The APRIL Mystery Picture.

My husband was in the Air Force for a while, but they said he had a heart murmur and let him out. He has never had a doctor find this heart murmur, but when he got out he went to college. He was older than I, but we graduated from Long Beach State at the same time. We met in Math Society there. We have been married 55 years, and moved to Oregon when he retired. I was born at old Union Protestant Hospital; lived in Clarksburg through grade 7, age 12. Lived in Los Angeles area 45 years, got the advantage of the CA College and university system when it was almost free. Both grandkids are in the Oregon University schools and they are anything but free

From: Jim Strider (WI 1955)

From age 3 to age 20 I lived at 301 Ryder Ave. The pictures show the house as it was when we moved there in 1939 as well as the view of Clarksburg from our front yard, also in 1939.  The 1950 picture of the house shows quite a bit of change, for the better I might add.

In 1956 we moved to Wheeling. Ryder Ave. and Stealey, was a great place to grow up. Good friends that have lasted a lifetime.

  

From: Terry Shorr (WI/Elkins 1958)

I spent most of my life in EMS education, particularly testing. While at the National Registry of EMTS (on Columbus, BTW) I coordinated 6-8 exam writing sessions a year, preparing paramedic questions. It was an interesting experience, but my contributions were mainly editing to minimize words, as time is a premium in didactic exams. When I left there in 2003, they were about to transition to computer testing centers. I still am a NREMT Representative, supervising 2-3 psychomotor skills exam per year.

I wish I could write, as in rapidly typing thoughts.  Funny, when I transferred to Elkins HS, I found boys there smoked less than those at WI, however, more of them used snuff, which I thought was dumb. I smoked, which was dumber. The Elkins guys also tended to take typing to meet girls, and home economics for the same reason - as well as the free food.

One good thing for me has been having friends at both schools and attending reunions for both.  Problem is my WI  1958 class has had only three - at 10 years which I knew nothing about, at 30 and 51 years, both of which I attended, thanks to a marriage of classmates.  David Hamstead from WI married Nancy Fisher from Elkins. They told me in 1988 of the later scheduled WI reunion.

Meanwhile, my Elkins classmates have been having two reunions every five years - one on our graduation anniversary, the other dating in five year increments from our ~ 1940 birth dates.

Tell Bill I will be writing to him about WVU sports.

And thanks again for the terrific job you've done with the newsletter.

From: Frank Bush (WI 1959)

Yes I am still alive and at frankbsh@sbcglobal.net. Just a little to bring you up to date since WI graduation. I went to Marshall College and was roommate with Bill Flower (WI 59) for one semester. Since I wasn’t ready for the freedom of college life I enlisted in the US Air Force. I started out as a flight simulator technician first on B-47 bombers for students learning to fly it and later on mobile KC-135 tankers mounted on Pullman train cars traveling the western United States testing and training pilots. I was accompanied during this time by my wife Donna Jo Nutter (WI 61). When I reached my level of incompetence (the Peter Principle) in electronics I switched to management engineering and rose to the rank of Master Sergeant and was selected to return to college by the Air Force. They sent me to Kent State to study accounting. As it was I was there at the time of the Kent State killings. After being commissioned as an officer I served as a finance officer and fiscal control officer before being sent to the Air Force Academy as an assistant business officer of the athletic association. While there I earned my MSBA from Northern Colorado University. With a desire to teach I applied for and was accepted as an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies (ROTC instructor) at the University of California Berkeley. Within a year I lost my wife to cancer and in the next year was diagnosed with ulcer colitis and was medically retired from the Air Force with over 21 years of service. I wanted to work for an airline so I could travel but the airlines were going into deregulation and laying people off so I went into travel. After five years of bachelorhood I met and married my present wife and became the father of two boys. Now I am the proud grandfather of six and great grandfather of three. After the last thirty five years of working in travel and accounting fields I have decided to slow down but I still work three or four days a week as a money checker for a local chain of grocery stores. It helps keep the brain and body active.

From: Charles McClung (Victory HS 1948)

I would have graduated Victory 1948, but we moved to Kincheloe from North View in 1947. I moved from WV in 1950 and lived in Brimfield Ohio. Left there in 1966. I now live in Glendale Az. My last 50 years have been spent in greater the Phoenix area.

From: Eleanor Ruth Kuhl (WI 1957)

I can’t say exactly how many years I have been reading the newsletter. I think my classmate and good friend Nancy Schlicker (WI ’57) got me started on the newsletter. Nancy is in Delaware and I am in Colorado but we still keep in touch with a phone call every few months. Nancy grew up on Duff Ave. in Stealey and I grew up on South Chestnut Street so we did not meet until we were at Central Junior High School. It was through Nancy that I got to be good friends with a lot of girls from Stealey. Unfortunately there were no girls in my neighborhood and I had three brothers. It seems that all the boys called me “sister”. Maybe that was easier to say than Eleanor Ruth. Family lore tells me that my mother had to go to the elementary school (then called Monticello) to tell them I had a real name and it was not “sister”. Things were so casual back then. It seems that my oldest brother Bob enrolled me at school. Maybe the principal said to him, “Don’t you have a little sister about ready to come to school?”, and he said yes and that was it. I started first grade at five (no kindergartens then). So, I was always the youngest in my class, but I would catch up with everybody when my birthday finally came in March.

After graduating from WI in 1957, I went to WVU. I had received a couple of small scholarships but still didn’t have enough money to pay for all my college expenses. I remember having to borrow money from my father and I actually had to sign a promissory note. Some of you might remember that my father was the local Justice of the Peace (Mirth H. Kuhl) and he was very stern and very strict. I think he did approve of my going to the university, because my older brother had just graduated from there, he had been in the ROTC program and had gone into the Air Force. I graduated from WVU in 1961 with an English major. But when I decided to continue my education at Duke University, he did object to that. Fortunately Duke University has a wonderful Endowment program and I was able to work for the Endowment for ten weeks during the summer and my tuition was paid. That summer of 1961, the Duke Endowment sent me to work at Hot Springs, Virginia, where I worked with the local Methodist Churches and conducted 13 Vacation Bible Schools, one at each of the Methodist Churches in Bath County, Virginia. One of the church members got me into the famous Hot Springs resort and I had a fabulous spa experience one afternoon at the hot springs resort.

Duke was a wonderful experience and I loved being there. It is a beautiful campus. After the Masters in Religious Education degree in 1963, I worked as a youth director in churches in West Virginia and in Ocala, Florida. Eventually that work wore me out and I went back to graduate school at Syracuse University and obtained a Library Science degree. I became a Librarian at InterAmerican University in San German, Puerto Rico, and married a German artist. We had a son born in Puerto Rico at a hospital in Mayaquez where he was the only blond baby. Someone made an offer to my husband to buy the blond baby for $10,000. Family joke: when our son became a teenager we thought maybe we should have taken the offer. After four years in Puerto Rico, we returned to the mainland and I worked at various colleges and universities which took us westward. I ended my career as the Library Director for the Navajo Nation’s own college. I worked at the Shiprock Campus in Shiprock, New Mexico (Navajo Nation) for nearly a decade and also helped to start the college library on the developing campus at Crownpoint, New Mexico.

I am retired now and live in Cortez, Colorado. The marriage to the German artist ended after 28 years. I have been back to West Virginia for a class reunion for the class of ’57 but it is quite some distance to travel from the “Four Corners” of the Southwest back to Clarksburg. Three years ago I was attending a national United Methodist Women’s meeting in Kentucky and made a visit to my two brothers who still live in West Virginia, Bob Kuhl (WI ‘52) in Charleston, and Arnold Kuhl (WI ‘60) in Grafton. My former home on South Chestnut Street is no longer there. It is sad but that hillside was undermined by an old coal mine. That explained the sink holes that might appear on the hillside along South Chestnut Street On my last trip back east in 2014, I also visited my youngest bother David (WI ’62) who lives in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

From: Sandy Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956)

Where did I grow up? Hartland and with the best bunch of kids ever. We would play outside until dark or even bedtime. It was a long hike to Morgan Grade School on Duff Street and I walked home for lunch. Imagine a kid doing that today? Every once in awhile I would fill in for Safety Patrol on Milford Street. I rode the city bus to Lee and Chestnut Streets while going to WI. I ate quite a few hot dogs from Webb's, which was just across the tracks from our house. My mother worked there.

I got married in March of my senior year, 1956, to Gene Thomas who had graduated from WI in 1954. He was in the U.S. Navy at the time. Our first child, a son, was born in August of 57. Ok, now you can start counting backwards. Ha! Ha! Our second son was born in July of 1958, a daughter in November of 1959 and another son in November of 1960. Yep, that is close. I have 10 grandchildren and they have given me 13 great grandkids. The best job I ever had was as a school bus driver in Michigan.

From: Jackie King (WI 1971)

I grew up on S. 7^th Street, right up behind WI and when I was 16 we actually moved to Chestnut Hills and I still attended WI graduating with the class of 1971. I also noted in the newsletter was Barbara Morris, I grew up with her daughter Missy Morris, we went to school together from 1^st grade thru graduation and lived a couple of blocks from each other, I still feel blessed to call her my friend and her mom was great!!!

What have I been doing since graduation?: I graduated from WV Wesleyan in 1975. I was blessed to teach Home Economics at Liberty High School in Clarksburg for 3 years before getting married and moving to North Carolina. I have been working at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, NC in the General Surgery/ Surgical Oncology Clinic for 25 years.

I love the newsletter, you do a great job and it brings back so many wonderful memories.

WINNING TICKET HAS BEEN DRAWN

THE QUILT HAS BEEN GIVEN

From Roleta1@aol.com

Since there was no Clarksburg Picnic this year, I had to figure out a way to have the ticket drawn in the presence of others so no one would think that I had drawn the ticket.

I put all the tickets in a large white bag. I mixed them up several times. I took the bag of tickets to the club where I play cards and had the preacher’s wife draw a ticket while about 10 other ladies watched.

The winning ticket shown belongs to Barbara Palmer. Barbara is the wife of Dale Palmer (WI 1959). They live in Clarksburg WV and Dale is retired.

Sue Selby Moats will ship the quilt to Barbara.

YOUR GIFTS TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND 

ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Starting in December and ending April 15, 2017 the generous readers of the newsletter sent checks to me of various amounts. All together we raised $7,620.00 for the Washington Irving Newsletter Scholarship. I wish I could send a Thank you note to each of you but I just don’t have the time. 

So consider this your's:

Those who sent checks the later part of March and early April are:

C. William and Anita White (WI 1956)

Marianna Waroblak (WI 1956)

Glen Cowgill (WI 1959)

Jim and Gwen Clark (Victory 1956)

Judy and Marty Ashland (WI 1956)

Alan Alvarez (WI 1958)

Jim Gallo (WI 1961)

Joe Malone (WI 1952)

Sandy Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956)

Esther and Phil Hooper (WI 1959)

Herbert Cashdollar (RW 1967)

James and Mary Burnell

Ann and Martin Oushkin

Here is ONE of the RECIPIENTS of the

2017 WIN SCHOLARSHIP

I received a phone call from a very grateful student who was selected by the counselor at Robert C. Byrd High School.

The first recipient selected for the 2017 WIN Scholarship is:

Kevin Wolford

Kevin plans to attend WVU and study criminal science and hopes to work for the FBI. He was so grateful. He called and talked to me for some time.

Kevin is a very polite young man. If you are in Chick-fil-A, in Clarksburg, say hi to Kevin. Congratulate him for winning the scholarship. He works there part time but nearly full time. He has to work to help out with family expenses. His father is disabled.

I hope all goes well for this young man and he is able to attain his dream. At least we have helped him some with his first year of college expenses. The scholarship is for $3,000.00 and is given to him at $1,500.00 check in august and another in December. These checks go into his financial Aid account and he can draw on it for educational costs. I only wish we had more to give him.

Hopefully next month I will have the name and some information concerning the other recipient.

MAY 14th

DID YOU KNOW?

The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900's as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gaining financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia.

Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. By 1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. But once Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it was not long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity.

While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother’s Day’s profile, by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized. She outwardly denounced the transformation and urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies. Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether, and even actively lobbied the government to see it removed from the American calendar.

Sports Editor: Bill Meredith

billmere@aol.com

To Bill:

Re: Obit of Joe Retton

A mistake that most people make and a fact that many do not know is that Jerry West was not born nor was he from Cabin Creek, WV. He himself said he always hated to hear that,

He was born on 5-28-38 in Chelyan, WV. On Page 9 of his book, "West By West, My Charmed, Tormented Life" by Jerry West and Jonathan Coleman, you can find his birthplace. It is a great book.

Clyde Douglas (Lost Creek High School 1961)

Reply To Clyde:

Thanks for the correction. Apparently, the author of the article "drank the cool aid". Elgin Baylor used to call Jerry "Zeke from Cabin Creek".

I would guess that very few have ever heard of Chelyan, WV. My first knowledge of the town was many years ago, when one of my customers built a new bridge across the Kanawha River at Chelyan. Now, every time I drive down I-77, I always think of Jerry West and my good friend, the bridge builder, when I pass the exit to Chelyan.

Thanks for writing. I think you are the first Lost Creek grad to contribute to the sports section of the newsletter. Please don't let it be the last time you write to us.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)

Hi Bill,

A question has been eating at me for years, and it may be stupid, but wanted to run it by you. I cringe when I see good players miss a free throw, it always reminds me of back in high school when Coach Moore made everyone hit something like 50 in row before they could go to the showers. And that was with a small metal ring he put over the basket. I remember our boys almost never missed a foul shot. “Itsy”  DeFazio had 21 points one night against Fairmont (east or west, I forget) and 19 of them were free throws. He never missed one.

My question is this: did someone outlaw the use of underhanded free throw shots, or is it that they just don’t look cool? I remember seeing coach Sappington shooting underhanded shots one day from every position on the court, and never missing one of them. I understand that during a game they would most likely be blocked, but it just drives me crazy to see a player, especially a great three-point shooter, miss a simple foul shot. And they all shoot them over-handed. I’d think coaches like Huggins would go nuts over missing those shots. If they are afraid an underhanded shot wouldn’t look cool, or just don’t like to shoot underhanded shots, at least a two-hander overhead shot would be more accurate.

What do you think? Am I just being and old “fuddy duddy” again?

Buzz Floyd, VHS 1956

Reply To Buzz:

You have brought up a question that I have thought about for many, many years. While watching college basketball games on TV, I always comment to Roleta about the poor free throw shooting of many college teams.

One example was our beloved Mountaineers. Every time they missed a free throw, especially late in the game, I died a little more. How many games this year would have turned out differently had we made a few more free throws. Another was in the NCAA Finals last night. North Carolina won despite shooting below 60% from the line. I thought for sure that their errant free throws would cost them the game.

So, you ask, why not try the underhand method, also known as the "Granny Shot"?  Speaking from my personal experience, your guess as to why more players don't try it is right on the mark. While playing basketball in grade school, I always shot free throws underhanded. I seldom missed. However, once I got to high school, everyone was shooting them one handed, like a set shot. Fearing my fellow players would make fun of me, I changed my style to suit the crowd. After I did, I was an average free throw shooter at best.

The most famous player in modern times to shoot the underhanded style was Rick Barry. He played in the ABA and the NBA. His free throw percentage made was 89.3%. He consistently led the league in that category. If you want to see him show his stuff, Google "Rick Barry" and you can find a You Tube clip of him in his prime.

There may be others, but the only major college player I know from this past season, who shot underhanded was a player for the Florida Gators. His name, Canyon Barry, who just happens to be Rick Barry's son. He only made 88.3% of his free throws, so he is still learning from his Dad.

All it would take for the style to come back into the game would be for a coach to demand that his players shoot that way and end up being among the leading free throw shooting teams in the country. Perhaps then, others would follow.

Thanks so much for writing to us about this subject. Hopefully, other readers can add something to the discussion.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)

WAS LUCK RIGHT?

Since the first day Oliver Luck took over as the Athletic Director at WVU, it seems there were always two opinions of everything he tried to do. You either loved it or you hated it. There was no in between. The majority of the fans disagreed with almost everything he did. He was not very popular across the state.

Of course, Luck is long gone, now being in the No. 2 seat at the NCAA. However, his legacy at the school continues to evolve.  The article below, written by Bob Hertzel for the Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram discusses this and explains what many fans don't realize. That is the fact that WVU athletics are in better shape today than they were at any other time in recent memory.

I always backed Luck, often stating that he was bringing Mountaineer Athletics into the 21st century. Only time will tell if the climb continues, but, as of now, Oliver Luck looks more like a genius than any of us were willing to acknowledge when he was in Morgantown.

To read the WVU Sports article titled 'WVU owes a lot to Luck for today's success', CLICK HERE

So, what do you think? Was Luck "The Man" and do you wish he had remained at WVU?

Send your thoughts and comments to:

Bill (billmere@aol.com)

CLOTHES YOU WORE IN HIGH SCHOOL

WHAT WAS THE TREND?

From: Sand Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956)

Now for styles? I wore long full or straight skirts or dresses. Slacks were reserved for after school and weekends. I had bobby socks, saddle oxfords and penny loafer shoes. My hair style was shoulder length page boy with bangs. as for class rings, Gene had his ring made to fit my finger.

Thanks for all you do for out enjoyment Roleta, keeping classmates in touch with each other and letting us know when one passes.

From: Jackie King (WI 1971)

As for dress codes: I graduated in 1971, while we were at WI was the first time girls were allowed to wear pants at all but they had to be under a “tunic top” that came almost to the knee. Almost like pants under a dress or skirt. Also that was the time miniskirts were becoming popular and there was a very strict policy for the length of skirts I was actually the Home Economics student assistant for Miss Jarvis (great teacher!) but if you were sent to her to see if your skirt was too short ( and you would be sent home to change ) you had to get up on the table in home etc. on your knees and a ruler was placed on the table top and measured to the bottom of your skirt ( I think policy was 3” above the knee ) but back then that 3” was measured from the table to your skirt, not nearly really 3” inches above the knee.  LOL and many were sent home to change!!!

From Greg Jaranko (WI 1960)

Each time I read your newsletter I think of several things. It is difficult for me to stay on topic. I also hesitate to write since there are names that I can't immediately think of. That breaks my artistic flow. So I don't complete and submit my topic.

I want to write about how the students dressed while I was in school i.e.: ducktail hair, white socks, shiny black Cuban heel shoes ( if you brushed your shoes while they were on you might have to change your socks due to brushing the polish on them )and the cue de grace, pegged pants ( I could only pull off a size 13") and loose fitting around the waist, so loose that when the boys went to their locker their pants were often pulled down around their ankles by their friends. HaHa.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thank you for telling us what the guys wore to high school in 1960! Does this remind you of what you wore?

Write and tell us.

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

From: Roleta1@aol.com

What was the latest fad in clothing when you were in school? Come on, all kids wanted to be in style! What did you wear to school?

I remember we girls used to call each other to see what we were going to wear when we went places together…seems then we wanted to dress a like. Usually straight black skirt just below the knees, a white button up blouse or pullover sweater and a little collar with lace trim around the edges or a string of pearls. Flat black slip on shoes, “Mary Janes”, I think they were called and always stockings! Not panty hose, but garter belt and hose.

Here is Sothern Florida the trend seems to be shorts or jeans and tee shirts? Is that the way you dressed? 

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

Thank you for helping me continue to bring you a very interesting newsletter each month.

 THE ROBINSON GRAND THEATER

From: Mike Snyder (WI 1957)

Type in Robinson Grand Theater Clarksburg WV and you might be able to pick up the story about its renewal as a performing arts center. The staggering amount of dough involved has some people questioning the deal--but that's another story.

That's about all I know.

From: Charles McClung (Victory 1948)

He wanted us to share the Robinson Grand Theater website with you. Click HERE to see more.

Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center   www.therobinsongrand.com

The Robinson Grand Theater first opened its doors in 1913 in downtown Clarksburg. It will become a symbol of the city's revitalization of the downtown area.

Write and tell us what you remember about the Robinson Grand Theater? It was my favorite. Did you sit in the balcony or on the main floor? How much did I cost when you went to the movies? Do you remember the name of any of the movies you saw? Was there “Body Invaders”, I never liked the science fiction ones and I still don’t!

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

ATTENDING SPORTING EVENTS IN CLARKSBURG

Did you play or attend any sports events in Clarksburg?

From: Roleta1@aol.com

I remember attending baseball games or was it softball games at Clearlite field in the summer. Were the games made up of Glass Factory Worker’s Teams or guys from the area? I attended playground softball or baseball games. Seems like the playground games were softball? Am I right?  Well, there you have it! My baseball/softball game attendance in Clarksburg. I played playground softball at Stealey Playground and we traveled to other playgrounds in the city area, but I think Stealey had the biggest and most well equipped playground, do you? Also, while I was living in Clarksburg, I traveled to Pittsburgh to see a Pirates game with Bill, his sister and brother-in-law. So I went BIG LEAGUE! LOL

Football. My brother played high school football for WI. He was number 11. He was the shortest guy on the field being maybe 5’7” and weighed maybe 150 lbs and that may have been with all his equipment on. (He worked out to build muscle and he still does lift weights and exercises). But he was very strong and very fast. My parents and I, of course, attended every game he played at home and even went to most of the away games. Many of you may remember Roy Smith?. I started working on Friday nights, and Saturdays the summer before my junior year in high school so I seldom saw a high school football game after my sophomore year.

I especially liked going to the WI games as of course football was a fall sport. And there was often a harvest moon hanging low in the sky. We called it a Harvest Moon, it looked as though you could reach up and touch it! I remember singing “Mr. Moon, Moon, Bright and shining Moon. Won’t you please shine down on, talk about your shine on. Won’t you please shine down on me”. Were those really the words?  Correct me please.

Basketball: I attended the WI games at Carmichael Auditorium. I was a fan! Oh what a wonderful experience that was. I loved going to the basketball games. The thrill started when we walked up that ramp to enter. I remember how loud we got when WI came onto the floor. And a special memory was when WI scored over 100 points! I can’t remember what game it was.

The Cheerleaders led us in great cheers, much different than we hear today. When I have attended high school games recently, I couldn’t understand what the cheerleaders were saying and I guess the kids couldn’t either as no one cheered, they just sat.

Remember the crazy songs we sang at the games? Some were: My brother Bill had a still on the hill, etc”. Then there was one that went something like “Did you ever see a Rubber Band, A Rubber Band, A Rubber Band? Did you ever see a Rubber Band, no you tell us one”? That went on and on as some of the crowd would answer with another verse. Do you remember any of the verses?

Oh and what about “Two bits, Four bits, Six Bits a dollar, all out for WI stand up and holler”! And we would stand up scream and stomp on the stands!

We always sang the WI Alma Mater and we sang it also including, “

“Far above the West Fork River, standing on the hill”, but what was the rest of it?

From: John Teter (WI 1961)

I used to go to see all of the basketball, football, and track events being played by WI. I can remember many a "rainy night in Clarksburg" watching football games, and many WI basketball games being played at Carmichael Auditorium, and track events held at Hite Field. I especially liked going to home football games, as my mother was in the concession stand and my brother was on the field playing the CENTER of attention there.

The walk back up the hill to Chestnut Street after the game was over was always an experience, as there were no lights along the path leading the way. Rainy nights everyone walked up the street at the end of the parking lot to get to Chestnut Street.

From: Mary Virginia (Duncan Johnson) Wilke (WI 1955)

You asked about sports.

I attended basketball games at Carmichael Auditorium, I don't recall who with but I'm sure it was with girlfriends.

I, also, went to the Circus at Carmichael Auditorium and really enjoyed the high flying acts. I went with my Mom and girlfriends.

I went to the football games at Hite field and was sometimes with girlfriends and sometimes with my former husband, Hugh Johnson Jr (known as Junior then). I was a big fan of your brother, Roy, and many others starting with Sal Vespoint and "Punky" Goodwin. It was a good year to start at WI in 1952 as all the football stars were in basketball and in some cases, track! I admit, I had a school girl's crush on quite a few of them.

From: Bryan McIntyre (WI 1965)

After playing junior varsity football and basketball my freshman year at RW, I was one of only three freshmen to make the varsity baseball team. Tim Brinkley, a legendary athlete, Gary LaRue, a good catcher, and me, who till this day I believe the coach kept on the team so we would have 18 players to have scrimmage games at practice. I could hit a fastball; but if anyone threw me a curve, instant strikeout. That spring my mom remarried and we moved from Nutter Fort to Virginia Avenue in WI territory. After practice one day after school, I was hitch hiking home toward Clarksburg and the coach picked me up. "Where you going?" "Home, we just moved". He said that I could no longer be on the RW baseball team. Since WI did not play high school baseball, my career was over. I think I might have played in the last inning of some RW games when we were either way ahead or way behind.

WI HAD A CANNON?

From: Jackie King (WI 1971)

Sports memories: I did not play sports but it was always a highlight going to the Football games at Hite Field and our very loud cannon being fired by the Wonderful and Hilarious Mr. Bill Lear.

EDITOR’S NOTE: CANNON? Who had a cannon? Tell us more!  How interesting. Who was Mr. Bill Lear? Did he bring the cannon to all of the football games or was it there at Hite Field all of the time and he fired it when the WI Football scored?  I really am interested in this.

Come on people write and tell us about the CANNON!!! Do you have a picture? I would love to see it! Anyone know where the cannon is now?

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

This gives me an idea of a subject for you to think about and write to: Roleta1@aol.com

From: Jim Alvaro (WI 1956)

Trying to figure the names out got me looking through the yearbook again. I don't think I have ever gotten  out the yearbook and read every comment as I did this time. Comments from classmates as well as teachers. Some were very interesting. Don Sager and I were talking one day about classmate's comments in the year book and he had noted the amount of times "swell" was mentioned. I started reading and was surprised at the number. What did they mean by "swell" boy. To me, as I was a little heavy, could have meant "swollen". So much for that.

Looking through the year book made me wonder if the girls thought as much of the boys as we did them. We had a great class of girls. They were all wonderful. Reading the comments brought back some real good memories, and some stories of which I've forgotten. Some were of different dances such as the Hi-Y and football banquet dances. Other dance places, Lake Floyd, Willow Beach, Friends Place, Billy's Meadowbrook, Moose, Eagles, and VFW clubs. Also senior skip day, I believe at Maple Lake. Interesting how many times I was asked to help fix-up some break-ups. I must have had a good shoulder to cry on. Also reminding me of the good times at Ellis Drive-in Restaurant.

Some of the comments brought me back to our senior play. I did a Coach Folio skit, a Bucky Beaver commercial, and impersonation of Louie Armstrong. I can't believe how many mentioned the silly stuff that I did. I'd completely forgot about those. Pretty disgusting.

Some comments came from teachers. Some of those were from teachers I didn't even have. One was from Lillie Mae Bauer. I never got above a "C" in her speech class and said I didn't even deserve that. Then she writes in my year book, "You are a good impersonator, now do something creative with your brain and personality. I'll be watching". After the Folio skit, Ms Bauer came up to me and

asked why I didn't show that kind of enthusiasm in her class. I told her because it was boring. I am glad she already had the "C" written down.

Ms Howard, who I never had, wrote: "I'll never forget your Folio act, or you helping out your buddy sneaking his girl friend out of study hall".

Maud Yoak, teacher I don't think I had, wrote towards the end of the yearbook. "The end of the year of Memories". Best wishes Jim. Don't drive too fast and be careful where you park. Remember, I'm psychic and may drop right in on your thoughts. So, think right or be ashamed. Do be good-good for something."....Maud Yoak."Scary!"

Whew! I must have been a real mess-up!

I'll bet not too many people have sat down and read every entry in their yearbook.

I sure was surprised of some of the comments when I did.

Great Newsletter as usual.

EDITOR’S NOTE: What’s in your YEAR BOOK? Have you looked in it recently? Write and tell us what people had to say about you. Did any of the predictions come true? Did any teachers sign your yearbook?

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

From: John Teter (WI 1961)

I just spent some time going thru my 59-60-61 yearbooks, and I found some things very interesting that seemed to stay consistent over that three year period of time.

1. The signatures are as follows:

 a. “A friend always" or "Always a friend"

 b. "A friend"

 c. "Best wishes

 d. "Good luck"

2. One thing that I noticed was that most of the "signatures" listed above were from the girls. Most of the boys that signed my yearbooks normally just signed their name.

3. I had "reserved" certain pages in all three yearbooks for that SPECIAL PERSON, being the love of your life; or your best friend (male or female).

4. I also noticed that after one person signed a certain page in the yearbooks, the "signatures" from above seemed to stay consistent on that page.

5. GOOD MEMORIES of a really good time in my life and some really good friends. Good friends that I have maintained friendships with up to this very day.

HOW DID YOU GET TO SCHOOL?

HOW DID YOU GET AROUND TOWN?

TAKE US ON A WALK WITH YOU AND REMIND US OF THE STREETS AND THE AREA

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

Now let’s walk to school along with Jim Alvaro (WI 1956)

I bet this will bring back a lot of memories for some of you.

I hope this encourages you to write about walking around Clarksburg or how you got to school.

From: Jim Alvaro (WI 1956)

How I got to school was never by bus. I cannot ever remember riding the bus to Central Jr High or WI. It really didn't enter my mind. I would walk from Haymond Hwy down Monicello Ave to Main St. Walk up Main St. until reaching the Arcade Bldg. Walk up the Arcade to Washington Ave. to 5th (I believe) then on to WI. When the weather was nice I would go down Monticello Ave., cut across the swinging bridge at Market-Waybright Bakery to Water St.. Walk out Water St., pass the horse stables, and go beside Kelly Miller HS onto Ben St. I would then walk up some wooden steps that led from Ben St to Washington Ave. Head up on Washington Ave to 5th St, then up to WI. Sometimes while walking out Monticello Ave my Uncle Tony with my cousin Nick would pick me up and take me on to school. Also, Judy Rice's chauffeur, Paul Blackwell a good friend of my fathers, would pick me up and take me to school. Now, that was a trip riding in a limousine. I had no desire to ride the bus to school. I walked across the swinging bridge to Water St. when the weather was nice because it was easier to walk Monticello Ave when there was snow on the ground. There was more traffic on Monticello, which wasn't much at that time that would allow me to walk in the street.

Walking was the way to football practices and back home. We would walk out Lee St. to Chestnut St. then to the path that runs down from Chestnut St. to WI Field. Rain or shine we walked that way. After practice, we reversed and started up the path, go by the high school and walked home by the Arcade, Main St. to Monticello and then home. Sometimes we got a ride with Greg Myers' father. The only time I rode the bus was to away football games. Nah, walking wasn't a problem back then.

NOW WRITE YOUR MEMORIES OF WALKING AROUND CLARKSBURG

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

SUGAR GROVE 

NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAM

From: Eleanor Ruth Kuhl (WI 1957)

As soon as I finished the March newsletter, I went straight to a Google search on Sugar Grove National Security Program. Mike Snyder’s article revealed a naval base in the mountains of West Virginia. I had never heard of it. I did know about the great antennae at Green Bank but I had never heard of the naval spy station at Sugar Grove which was not far away. This is just an example of the interesting topics that come up in the WI Newsletter.

I appreciate receiving the WI newsletter and appreciate the newsletter being forwarded to me by my classmate Dave McMunn who is well remembered as #44. I really enjoy hearing from others in the class of ’57 and Mike Snyder is just one example of the great stories my classmates have provided. Be honest, how many of us had ever heard of a naval spy station in the mountains of West Virginia with the sweet unassuming name of Sugar Grove???

I would like to hear from more of my 1957 classmates.  Where have you been and what have you been doing?

Coal miner and his wife.                Courtesy: New York Public Library

SOMETHING YOU MIGHT ENJOY

Click HERE to read The Appalachian Magazine article:

'Before You Make that Next West Virginia Joke, Consider These Facts'

ALTA VISTA SCHOOL BAND

Do you recognize any of those pictured here?

Jim Alvaro sent the picture and identified some but he would like for you to help him remember the others.

Please write to Roleta1@aol.com and with your help, we will fill in the blanks next month. When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

From Jim Alvaro (Alta Vista'50, Central Jr High.'52,WI 1956)

Pictured above is the Alta Vista Band around 1950-1951. I believe that Mr. Staton. On the far right is the principal, Mr Lawson. Several I can recognize but I'll just name those I think I remember.

Top left to right: _________ 2nd Harold Brewster, Jim Alvaro, Roy Feldman, Bob Dennison

2nd row: 1st Eddie Lantz, 4th Fred Alvaro, 5th Jack Borror

3rd row: 4th Carol Muntzing, 5th Jerry Paugh

4th row: Next to last, Mark Garrett.

I am sure there are a few who can name some others.

KELLY MILLER

MR SAUNDERS, ILLINOIS WILSON

From: Patricia Ford de la Tejera (RW 1951)

I have a wonderful memory of a field trip when I was in high school at RW. I graduated in 1951. Our principal, Louis Bauld, arranged for us to visit Kelly Miller High School, on Water Street. I remember we were amazed at the spotless cleanliness of the building, and of a young student, Illinois Wilson, singing "That Old Black Magic" from the stage of their auditorium. He had a terrific voice. I have always wondered what happened to him, career wise. Their principal, Mr. Saunders, made us feel so very welcome. He also impressed us with his way of speaking, a real gentleman. Did he have another teaching position after Kelly Miller was closed? That field trip was the best civics lesson we ever had. Thank you for all the work you do. I enjoy reading the newsletter every month. I am now retired, living in Leon, Gto., Mexico, with my daughter and her family.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Can anyone answer some of the questions about Kelly Miller, Illinois Wilson and Mr. Saunders that Patricia has asked. Please write your answers so we can put them in the June newsletter.

If you have any memories of Kelly Miller, please write and share them.

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

ADDITION

Sandy Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956) sandylindke@gmail.com

Helen (Anne) R. Wygal Keith (WI 1949) HelenKeith@comcast.net

Terry Shorr (WI/Elkins 1958) terryshorr40@gmail.com

Paul Martino (NDHS 1984) pmartino@rtjgolf.com

DELETION

1952 Mary Ann Hite Williams mahwms@cox.net (Not Valid)

1953 Henice Williams deGive pansyflower1@iwon.com (Not Valid)

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you know someone who will be deleted, please contact them and see if they still want to be included in our notifications. Either send me their email address or tell them to contact me. Thanks

 SPRINGTIME IN WEST VIRGINIA

From: Mike Snyder (WI 1957)

Yellow Transparent apple tree in full bloom--in the background is bottom ridgeline of Allegheny Mountain in Randolph County. This greenish-yellow summer biennial is a longtime West Virginia favorite for applesauce and pies. It came to America from Russia around 1870 and is guaranteed to make your mouth pucker when eaten early; some folks eat it with salt. It turns a transparent "whitish" pale yellow when fully ripe which is too late for best results. Locals call it the Early Harvest apple.

From: Roleta1@aol.com

Boy, Mike, this makes my mouth water! One of my favorite apples and I have never seen them anyplace but in WV and not usually at stores, but for sale at some house, etc. Growing up we had an Early Harvest tree and I later sought them out to make applesauce and pie fillings. It is true that they are best when the peel on the apple is almost transparent and if you get them then, you better work them up or eat them quickly as they will rot overnight.

Oh thank you for the beautiful picture.

Write and tell me about your memories of spring apples in WV. 

Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

From: Mary Virginia (Duncan Johnson) Wilke (WI 1955)

I apologize for not writing more for the newsletter which I look forward to receiving each month! I had a delightful holiday and was busy as I think everyone was.

My favorite memory was of the times I went to Washington Irving High School; all the amazing teachers. My Freshman year, I had Miss Nutter as my class advisor and she was my teacher in Latin, until one day I told her "that Latin was a dead language". She continued as my advisor and never held it against me that I didn't want to learn Latin. I took a business course after that.

I went every summer to Maryland with my sister, so I didn't get to attend a lot of summer events and I babysat most evenings until my Senior year. Then I was seriously involved with "Junior" then and married him on June 11th, 1955.

On seeing the Dancing Girls picture in the newsletter, I think the one girl is Charlotte McGumphy. She was a dear friend of mine, even if she was a year younger. She died of a brain complication in 1960 or so. I don't recognize any of the others.

My daughter, Michea Lynn and her husband, Bill came in from WY twice to attend weddings and to spend Christmas with me. Unknown to me, they had a surprise birthday for me on the 18th of December, which was to be her party as her birthday was on the 19th. They all gathered at my niece Edna's house and surprised me. There was a house full as nieces and great nieces and nephews who even came from CO to celebrate me. They told me that I was always celebrating Christmas in July and they decided to celebrate my 79&1/2 July birthday at Christmas! Well, It was a surprise, with 29 of my family gathered, 24 or so were missing due to health issues or travel arrangements.

Please keep writing the newsletter and I will keep looking forward to it and I will try to write more often.

From: Joy Gregoire DeFazio (WI 1959)

I know I haven’t been much help in the past year or so, too much going on here at home and helping with the WI Picnic. In fact, there’s been too little time to even get to read the blog very often. I did read it all today. I needed that trip down memory lane.

My husband, John DeFazio, is a 1960 graduate of RW. He had a stroke the first week in February. Fortunately, he received treatment in time and has had wonderful rehab from the folks at Health South. He has only a couple of residual issues, mostly slowing him down when he has to get up from a chair or getting into the car. Sharyn McGahan was a tremendous help one day while he was in hospital at the VA. I was pretty stressed and she invited me for dinner. That was just what I needed. Just to get away from it all for a bit! My WI Classmates are some of the best ever!

From: Lynne (formerly Marcia Lynn Fox)(WI 1963)

I'm learning so much about Clarksburg from the monthly newsletter. Thank you so much for this!

Warmest regards

From: Nancy Swing (WI 1961)

Thanks for a bang-up newsletter. I especially enjoyed all the history info. Hope more folks will write in with this sort of thing. So much I didn't know about my home town.

Thought you did a nice job with my book news. You've got talent, gal!

From: Harriett Stout Noel (WI 1959)

One quick remembrance: My grandfather, H. P. Sturm, had an automobile company on Water Street for many years. I think he sold Plymouth, Chrysler, Dodge and other cars there and probably did repairs too. I wasn’t the least bit interested in cars then so I did not pay attention to all that was going on when I would go there. I do, though, remember Mother saying that he was very worried about the business when the depression hit. He decided to tell the employees that he was taking a pay cut and if the other employees wanted to keep working they should consider that too. I think everyone agreed to do just that. His was only one of two automobile companies in the State of W.Va. that did not go broke during the depression. That is the way I remember the story and Mother said that was something of which he was very proud.

Thank you everyone for a job well done.

 WE NEED HELP ON IDENTIFICATIONS

PROBABLY MOST GRADUATED WI IN 1957

From: Gloria Hunter Kennedy (WI 1957)

I am not sure whether this is a Vacation Bible School class or a Sunday School class. It was taken outside Stealey Heights Methodist Church. I think it was probably summer of 1946. I don't remember the teacher. The girls, from left: Nancy Sole, Corky Guy, Rita Drummond, Gloria Hunter, Mary Supler. The boys, from left: I think Donny Moran, I think Jimmy Westfall, don't know 3 and 4, and that is Bucky Hornor in lower right. These people would probably have graduated from high school in 1957, as I did. Only I graduated in California. Corky Guy moved to Pennsylvania after grade 6. We went to Morgan Grade School, then Central Junior High. Rita Drummond was apparently the valedictorian at WI. I would sure like to know who the boys were.

Write and tell me if those names are correct and who else is pictured? Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

FIRST DAY AT WI CONFESSION

From: Janet (now Jan) Bee (WI 1966)

I have always wanted to tell my fellow WI class of 1966 the story of how I became “stuck-up” (remember that phrase? Haha) When I transferred to WI from a little rural school called Bristol in my second semester of Freshman year, Spring semester of 1963. Bristol High School, you may know was a small school on a hillside on the way to Salem, WV on Route 50. It had grades from 7th to 12th and boasted maybe 150-200 students. After being the big fish in a small pond (class President and cheerleader 7th, 8th and first half of 9th grade), I was warned by an uncle that I was about to fade into obscurity when I started at WI. “All those doctors and lawyers’ kids are gonna snub you” he darkly opined. “You just wait and see.” Oh, no, they won’t, I decided” Not if I snub them first.

His words stayed with me as I entered the side door of WI on my first day there. “Don’t go up the front stairs,” I was warned. “Those are for seniors only.”

I entered the main floor and was struck by what seemed like a gazillion kids hanging out there. The chatter was deafening; I found a spot to stand on in the middle of the room and it seemed like everyone in the place was staring at me (I’m sure they weren’t). As I stood there, I felt more and more conspicuous and ridiculous as not one person came over and introduced themselves to me. It seemed like a long time and I don’t remember what happened next. I just know that it was one of the scariest and saddest moments of my life. It seemed to validate what my uncle had told me.

As a result, I spent the next three and a half years “with my nose in the air” even while making quite a few good friends, thankfully. It was several years and this newsletter that made me realize that the “cliques” I was never a part of had been established years ago by kids who had known each other since First Grade. I understand that now. But, at the time, I never had the courage to try to break into any of the “beautiful people’s” cliques. However, now I am friends with some of them on Facebook, so that’s gratifying! And I remember when I was at WVU in the late 60s I was shocked by how many people from my high school days came up to me and said, ”Janet, I always wanted to get to know you in high school but you always seemed so unapproachable.” Wow. Just wow. I was scared to death of being rejected! Seems so silly now.

I hope this doesn’t sound whiny or complaining. It’s just something I’ve wanted to say for a very long time. My own lack of self-confidence was the driving force here, not what anyone else did or didn’t do.

All my best regards to the class of 1966!

ANOTHER SWING BRIDGE

IN CLARKSBUG

TELL US ABOUT THE SWING BRIDGES YOU KNOW

From: Tom Keenan (WI 1949)

When I walked to WI or Central with my friends, we crossed the suspensions bridge at the bottom of Tyler Ave and across Elk Creek to Elm St. For me, this picture coincides with the story of the bridge in Hartland where the boys would terrify the girls. When we crossed the Tyler Ave bridge, we were very careful not to get it swinging. As, in the late 30s or early 40s, a group of young men from Broad Oaks, got it swinging and it collapsed, putting them in the water. Thankfully, the water was high and all survived, thus the warning from our parents.

There was a swinging bridge that ran from Water Street, now MLK, and Monticello near where Haymond Highway intersects. It was beside the Market-Waybright Bakery. I delivered morning papers there for several weeks when I was in the sixth grade.

As to why no more of my class write, I think there are two reasons. One, we are getting thinner, my guess is about ten to fifteen. and two, we were of the Depression Generation and WW2. We played on the streets, there were no leagues (the men were in the Service), very few playgrounds, and a very minimum transportation (We had one guy in our class that had his own car, Jimmy Mills had a Ford Model A that he had resurrected and hand painted) and for a lot of us, the future was very unknown, i.e.: starting as a laborer or the Service. I was very lucky, I had an Aunt in Glenville where I could live and attend College. Not to mention that WI was a drag as most of the teachers were old and bored. Our big event of the day was to go to the Stonewall Pool Room, watch and play pool when we had a dime (loser pays), and visit with our friends. Al and Ray Heck who owned the Pool Room were adult friends and ensure all were going back to school after lunch. However, the absence of a clear future drove most of us to be achievers and good folks but most of us left the State for better opportunities.

Despite leaving the State, WV and Clarksburg are still home. For the forty plus years that I was away, I think I only missed one year not being Home and I was in California

Would love to hear from the Class of 49. I think there are a few of us left.

THE TOKEN PICTURED IN THE

APRIL NEWSLETTER

From: Joy Gregorie DeFazio (WI 1959)

The Mystery Photo is a City Lines Bus token. Although I walked to WI, I rode the City Lines bus from East End to Adams Avenue in Adamston, getting off the bus in front of the little red brick gatekeeper’s building (across from Barron’s Restaurant) at the Adamston Flat Glass Plant. My grandparent’s lived the next to the last house on the far end (west end) of the street. Now that Route 50 and the demolition of the old glass factory has changed the scenery there, the house that was my grandparents’ is now the last house still standing on the west end of the street. The token was used for trips in town. There was a City Lines bus that also ran to Weston from Clarksburg. One of the drivers was Paul Bishop, father of Alicia Bishop who, I think, would have graduated or did graduate in 1960. The last I knew, Alicia was living in Akron. I’d be interested in knowing what became of her.

From: Jim Strider (WI 1955)

I believe that to be a bus token, common in our high school days. I THINK the normal fair was 10 ct, but you could get three tokens for a quarter.

From: Buzz Floyd (VHS 1956)

I haven’t submitted anything in a long time (because I’m old and never feel like writing?) but thought I’d answer the question about what this is.

It’s an old streetcar or bus token. I think they used them on both the streetcars and busses. I remember when we went from streetcars to busses and everyone was sorry to see the streetcars go. They were a lot more fun to ride. I don’t know the value of this token, but remember when the price of a ride went from 7¢ to 10¢ and everyone thought that inflation was killing us.

From: Wayne White (WI 1960)

That is a Clarksburg transit Co Bus Token.....They were used to pay fare for each ride. The token was only good for one fare. The tokens were used from early 1946 to 1951...The value of them is $5.99 on eBay.

EDITOR’S NOTE: You mean they quit using the tokens in 1951? I thought I remember them being around a few years after that??? Don’t you? Write to Roleta1@aol.com

When emailing me, please include your name, school and year you did or would have graduated.

Thank you.

From: George Cinci (WI 1960)

The "what is it" is a bus token used on the city bus line. When you got on the bus you had to have a token to put in the box, or else you would have to buy it from the driver first.

I remember the drivers wore uniforms and even hats. One of the drivers wore his hat like you see the WW2 pilots with the sides pushed down as if from having on headphones.

I thought it was cool.

From: Bob Kramer (WI 1965)

The token was for riding the city lines bus. You could buy them at a discounted price. This was used for bus fare.

From: Patty Rogers Hood (WI 1950)

The metallic button object is a bus token. They replaced tickets, but I don't remember when. I was going to visit a friend one evening, and all I had was my bus token home. An elderly lady got on the bus, and realized she didn’t have a token. I reluctantly gave her mine. About a week later she sent me a lovely handkerchief (we used them in those days).

My friend's mother drove me home.

From Bob Kramer (WI 1965)

The token was for riding the city lines bus.  You could buy them at a discounted price. This was used for bus fare.

From: Wade Coffindaffer (WI 1968)

The coin in the April edition was a City Lines trolley/bus token. My uncle, Corbly "Jack" Coffindaffer worked for them prior to joining the US Navy during WWII and again upon his return from the war. He ended up in Parkersburg as a manager for the company, and then left the company to follow the family profession as a public school teacher there.

I don't remember using the tokens, but my sister, Connie Ferrell, may. I do remember using the books of pink (?) card stock student bus tickets to ride the bus from the corner of Verdun and Magnolia Streets to Morgan Grade School, then Central Jr. High and WI.

From Roleta1@aol.com

It seems to me that you could pay for a bus ride with either a token or a dime. I rode the City Lines Bus to and from downtown to go to Central Junior High and to Washington Irving High School. We didn’t use tokens to ride the bus to school, instead we would go to the bus station and buy a book of tear off paper tickets. It cost one ticket each way to school. I don’t remember the cost but it was cheaper than a token. We could only use the tickets to go to school or home from school.

From: Bob Twigg (WI 1955)

The token pictured was for city lines fares, you could buy them so many for a dollar and use them to ride the bus. Don't remember what they cost.

 APRIL MYSTERY PICTURE

From: John E. Stealey III (WI 1959)

The primary structure featured in the mystery picture for April is Gribble’s Grocery on Traction Street, Hartland. Jim and Vera Gribble owned and ran the neighborhood store, one of many in Clarksburg.  Vera usually waited on customers while Jim often sat in the back behind the meat case. The Gribbles lived above the store. The room was small. Some merchandise reposed on high shelves near the ceiling from which items were plucked by toppling them with a long hooked pole into waiting arms. Previous owners were the Nichols. The store has been razed.

The white house in the background was the Zickefoose’s on Magnolia Avenue where Sandra, Judy, and Rex lived. Across the tracks from them was Webb’s Confectionary and the bottom of the boardwalk up to Hartland Avenue. A tall post with railroad crossing signs, all wooden, was located here. This area was the “corner” where neighborhood kids often gathered.

From: John Campbell (WI 1959)

As an addition to what John Stealey said above re:Gribble’s Store, Jim suffered from diabetes and had some amputations before he passed. These things stay in your mind when you are young.

From: David Stalnaker (WI 1961)

The picture is of Gribbles Grocery on Traction Street in Hartland. It was owned by Jim and Vera Gribble and they lived upstairs over the store.

I believe Jim died sometime around the late fifties and the store was run by Vera for many years after he died.

I grew up on Magnolia Avenue, less than a block away. I was in the store almost daily either getting something for my Mother or buying penny candy.

From: Sandy Ziclefoose Lindke (WI 1956)

Oh my gosh!!! The mystery photo is of Gribbles grocery store. The brick home belonged to Abrozinos (spelling) and the white house in the background was the Zickefoose house. The back second floor window was mine and Judy's bedroom. The photo is looking at the corner of Traction Street and Magnolia Ave. The street car track became switching tracks for the railroad when the street cars stopped running. THANK YOU ROLETA!!

From: Wade Coffindaffer (WI 1968)

The mystery building was in our Hartland neighborhood on Traction Street housing Gribble's Grocery on street level and I believe the owners, Jim & Vera Gribble, lived on the second floor. And it was one of two "corner grocery" stores on that 2-block street. The other was Wade's Grocery. Saved the day when you needed sandwich meat (sliced from rolls and loaves)' milk, bread and other staples. In that little area of Hartland there were 3 stores: Gribble’s, the other grocery was Ware's and we also had Webb's Confectionery on Magnolia at the intersection with Traction. It faced down the street. All three of them within a stone's throw. Webb's sold hot dogs, hamburgers, Sealtest ice Cream, snacks and soft drinks.

Ware's even had its own small butcher shop set up in a back corner.

My sisters, Debbie Oyler and Connie, and I spent a lot of pennies, nickels and dimes in Gribble's store as kids buying gum, candy, snacks and pop. I even emptied the bottle opener bin on their pop cooler to collect Pepsi caps for the Saturday morning movies at the Robinson Grand Theatre.

A great neighborhood in which to live and grow up and the Gribbles were fine folks.

From: Gloria Hunter Kennedy

(would have been WI 1957 but graduated from Santa Monica High)

Of course I recognize the picture of Gribble’s Grocery, since I took it myself in 1970 during my first trip back to Clarksburg.  (Attached, as well as close-up of the sign). Occasionally I send pictures of Clarksburg to Tim Cork for his Clarksburg my home town site. Tim seems to have brightened the colors, since my slides faded a little before I transferred them to digital. (NOTE: I may have gotten this picture from Tim’s blog; I get pictures wherever I find them) Looking at this picture, you can see the Zickafoose house in the background.  What would be in the foreground would be an alley and then Claude Ware’s Grocery. I will attach a re-worked fuzzy picture from that angle taken by my brother Jim in 1963.

Both stores were on the same block of Traction Street in Hartland.  For some reason we always shopped at Gribble’s. I think I might have been inside Ware’s twice in the seven years I lived in Hartland (1945-1952). His store seemed bigger, and so had room for a few tables and chairs like you might find in an ice cream parlor. Periodically the neighborhood ladies would pass the word that Claude was on a “toot” and his store was closed. There would be much conjecture about how long it would be closed this time. Oscar Helmick’s barber shop was in the same building, at the Liberty end. I think Claude Ware had married into the Helmick family. I did not realize when I lived there that when the Stanley Helmick family moved to the building across Liberty they were moving closer to relatives. When I was in the first grade, Stanley, Frances, and Barbara Sue lived in the house next to Ridenour’s in Stealey. I used to stop by on my way to Morgan School and wait while Frances braided Barbara Sue’s hair and Barbara yowled. At that time, Frances was expecting the baby boy. After they moved to Hartland, Frances and our mother became good friends and Barbara Sue and I shared a few sleepovers.

When we first moved to Alexander Avenue, Gribbles had not bought the grocery store yet. Actually I am not sure they owned it, perhaps they just managed it. Before them, it was managed by a crabby old lady named Reatha Nichols. Sometimes she left the store to walk down the alley to her house on Magnolia for lunch. She would try to make me buy the first popsicle she encountered when she put her hand down into the freezer. I held out for a flavor that was worthy of my nickel. When Jimmie and Vera Gribble ran the store, they were very patient with children who wanted to know what flavor popsicles were available before they made their choice. Or, who were trying to decide which candy bar to buy. I was partial to Mallo Bars, and eventually got a complete set of cards with all the letters. Fortunately, when my whole box of Mallo Bars came, no one in my family liked them, so I kept them under my bed. When my brother Jim and my sister Susie and I would buy soda pop to drink at the store, I always chose Grapette. My little sister insisted on Coca Cola, but after one swig she gave up and my brother got extra. I think by drinking the soda there we avoided having to pay a deposit on the bottle. There was a wooden frame near the back door which held empty bottles for return.

Sometimes Johnny Campbell’s mother sent me to the store for something she needed. When I brought it back, she would offer me a dime. I always told her that wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. Other times I went with my mother. She would point out exactly which piece of meat she wanted from the meat counter. Our Kelvinator refrigerator was not trusted to keep meat or ice cream cold very long, so my mother had to shop very often. My father had a rule that hamburger had to be cooked the same day it was bought. As I recall, Jimmy ground the hamburger to order. He wrapped meat in paper than had some kind of coating to prevent leakage. I also remember when she bought brown sugar, he would use a scoop to put it into a brown paper bag, then roll the top over and wrap string around it. My brother remembers that Vera had a long pole to tilt items from the top shelves. She would put the pole away, then turn back in time to catch the item.

I don’t know if grocery stores were closed on Sundays by law or by custom. A few times I heard of a customer with an emergency of some kind persuading the Gribbles to open the store on a Sunday. This is the up-side and the down-side of living above your store. We never had such an emergency ourselves. I don’t remember Gribbles carrying medicines, but perhaps they did. They would not have had paregoric, used for diarrhea, since it had to be signed for at a drugstore. I don’t remember whether codeine cough syrup had to be signed for at that time. I seem to remember a problem about a cough syrup with codeine called Cheracol being abused to keep kids quiet. Maybe the emergency was running out of milk.

Sometimes I just hung around in the store. Jimmie Gribble would amuse me by smoking his unfiltered cigarette first from one end, then from the other. The summer that polio was an issue (1950?), my father made a rule that we could not be in a group of more than three people, including ourselves. So when I spent an afternoon visiting with Vera and Jimmie, I thought that was three. Didn’t think about the customers coming and going, but my father sure did. He was really mad that I could be so dumb. We couldn’t even go to the theater, where we got in free because our father was the projectionist.  At the end of that very difficult summer, he gave each of us a fifty cent piece for our “cooperation”.

In 1963, as my brother and his new bride were driving east from California, to where they would embark for Germany, they took a few pictures around Hartland. One was the picture I am attaching of the other side of Gribbles Grocery with Ware’s beyond. When he and his family returned again in 1977, as they entered the store, Vera had her back to them.  When she turned around, she exclaimed “Jimmy Hunter”. She hadn’t seen him since we left in 1952, when he was 10. 

I can’t say she exclaimed “Gloria Hunter” when I visited in 1970, but she was very cordial.  When I asked if my kids could use her bathroom, she sent us upstairs to the living quarters. I was surprised to see a vent in the floor of the bathroom where you could get a good view of the inside of the store including the meat counter.  Jimmy had died in 1956 and she ran the store alone.

I am also attaching a picture of Vera with Susie Hunter outside the store, taken in 1976.  It looks like she had had the sign painted since 1970.

I heard in later years that Vera had closed the store and just lived above.  The story was that she had been robbed three times by a neighborhood youth, and that was enough. Vera died in 1984.  Looking on Google maps, it seems the store has been torn down.

From: Dave Stalnaker (WI 1961)

The picture is of Gribbles Grocery on Traction Street in Hartland. It was owned by Jim and Vera Gribble and they lived upstairs over the store.

I believe Jim died sometime around the late fifties and the store was run by Vera for many years after he died.

I grew up on Magnolia Avenue, less than a block away. I was in the store almost daily either getting something for my Mother or buying penny candy.

From: Dahrie (Christiansen) Hayman (WI 1964)

My guess is Gribble's Grocery Store on Traction Street in Hartland. Theirs was the "mom and pop" neighborhood grocery "back in the day", where they carried a little of everything you might need (to include fresh veggies and a small variety of fresh deli meats and cheeses). Mr. & Mrs. Gribble greeted everyone with warm smiles and kind words -- and for us kids, always with a handful of penny candy. For many of us, they were the neighborhood grandparents.

From: Bob Twigg (WI 1955)

The building was Gribbles Grocery store located on Traction St. in Hartland section of Clarksburg. There was another store at the other end of the street that also had a barber shop. Past Gribbles was Webbs Confectionary. (At the time had really good hot dogs.) Years ago there were mom and pop stores in every neighborhood before the chains wiped them out.

LATEST NEWSPAPER REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF JAMES FRAGALE

DATELINE:  NEW YORK, NY.   N. Y. POST, March 27, 2017, Cindy Adams’ syndicated column

Quote: “Jim Fragale’s second amazon.com novel, ‘F.U.! (Follow Up)! The Answer to Life Revisited,’ contains 50 of his mama Louise’s old-world, Calabrian recipes” – and, we’d like to add, garnered seven 5-Star reviews on Amazon out of the starting gate.

Jim’s first memoir-faction was called: “The Answer to Life,” also Amazon.com.

BARBARA CHRISTIE MORRIS

ZIP CODE CORRECTION

From Penny Christie Johnson (WI 1960)

My sister Barbara Christie Morris (WI 1950) was a teacher and librarian for many years at WI. She is now a resident at Maplewood in the long term care facility. Life has been very hard for her the past two years.

If any of her students or library acquaintances would like to drop her a card, her address is:

Barbara Morris

1000 Maplewood Dr. #3119

Bridgeport, WV 36330

HENRY ALVAREZ

Henry Alvarez, 95, of Clarksburg, passed away March 26, 2017, at his residence following an extended illness.

He was born in Spelter, WV, on February 24, 1922, a son of the late Eugene and Mary Vega Alvarez.

He married Lucy Costa Alvarez on December 29, 1946.

He is also survived by one son, Henry E. “Weed” (Sue) Alvarez and one daughter, Mary Jo Bragg (John) Lopez; four grandchildren and extended grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and 6 extended great-grandchildren, one brother, Paul (Edith) Alvarez, as well as several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by six brothers, Herman Alvarez, Joe “Kelly” Alvarez, Raymond “Huskie” Alvarez, David Alvarez, Louie Alvarez and Richard Alvarez.

Henry was a graduate of Victory High School, and a veteran in the U.S. Army 99th Infantry Battle of the Buldge. He retired from AFG Glass Plant with 33 years of service.

He was a member of the St. James Catholic Church, a lifetime member of Meuse-Argonne Post 573 VFW and the Elks Lodge. He was an avid gardener

GUY JOHN BREWER

Guy John Brewer, 71, of Clarksburg, passed away, April 6, 2017, at his residence.

He was born in Washington, D.C., on February 12, 1946, the son of the late Robert Paul Carr and Rose Mary Pratt Carr, who survives.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife, Terry Leigh Myers Brewer, whom he married on December 26, 1971, four children, Dr. Jamie Leigh (Brewer) Miller V, Joshua Paul Brewer, Jessica Mae Brewer, and Theresa Lynn Carr; and 6 grandchildren, son-in-law, Dr. Thomas (Bradley) Miller and daughter-in-law, Leigh Ann Leemasters Brewer.

Mr. Brewer attended Washington Irving High School in Clarksburg, WV, as well as Fairmont State College and West Virginia University.

He served six years in the U.S. Army National Guard with the 1092nd Combat Engineers in Salem, WV, and the 119th Floating Bridge Engineers in Clarksburg, WV.

John was a member of Clarksburg Baptist Church and Hermon Lodge No. 6, A.F.&A.M., in which he served various officer posts, including Past Worshipful Master.

He owned and operated the American Service Station on Chestnut Street in Clarksburg for a time and also his own car repair business, Mountaineer Automotive Specialties. John also worked as blacktop foreman for the City of Clarksburg, sold Goodyear and B.F. Goodrich tires commercially and in later years taught computer classes to staff at the VA Hospital in Clarksburg, along with having his own neuromuscular therapy practice.

His hobbies included drag racing in his younger years (at which he was a champion) and NASCAR (for which he was a technical inspector). He also loved fishing, especially trout fishing in mountain streams.

ROBERT FRANKLIN DAVIS

Robert Franklin “Bob” Davis, 71, of Clarksburg, passed away March 29, 2017, in the United Hospital Center.

He was born in Clarksburg February 20, 1946, a son of the late Raymond Franklin and Lillian Paugh Davis.

He is survived by his wife, Sharon Ann Brooks Davis, whom he married July 16, 1970; one son, Robert Franklin (Tammy) Davis Jr; one granddaughter; one sister, Barbara Elliott; and several nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by five siblings, Gary “Sonny” Davis, David Davis, John Davis, Donna Jones and Joyce “Billie” Rinehart.

Mr. Davis was a 1965 graduate of Roosevelt-Wilson High School and was retired from Fourco Glass Company with 36 years of service. He was a member of the Meuse Argonne Post 573 Veterans of Foreign Wars, Roy E. Parrish Post No. 13 American Legion and Clarksburg Aerie No. 2353 Fraternal Order of Eagles.

ROSE MARIE YOUNG

Rose Marie Young, age 78, of Clarksburg, W.Va., passed away on Friday, April 14, 2017, at United Hospital Center, surrounded by her family.

She was born August 25, 1938, in Cumberland, MD, the daughter of the late Hubert Hershberger and Aretta (Wetzel) Hershberger.

Rose is survived by her daughter, Marla A. Young (Jimmy) of Fairmont; a son, Mark A. Young (Joyce) of Clarksburg; two brothers, Fred Smith of Clarksburg, John Hershberger of Cumberland, MD; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews

In addition to her parents, Rose was preceded in death by her husband, Robert L. Young, who died on April 27, 1999; two brothers, James Hershberger and Hubert Hershberger; four sisters, Mable Jenkins, Mary Judy, Eleanor Menendez and Sylvia Summerfield.

Rose graduated in 1957 from Notre Dame High school. After high school, she attended WV Business College. She worked for the Elks Club, PJ Kelly’s and City Window. She was a member of the United Methodist Temple and VFW Post 573. Rose loved to crochet and garden.

PENNY SUE BOYLES

Penny Sue Boyles, 75, of Clarksburg, passed away Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at Clarksburg Nursing and Rehab, surrounded by her family.

She was born Aug. 8, 1941, in Clarksburg.

She was the daughter of the late Jackson L. Boyles and Ruby N. (Swiger) Boyles Sands Griffith Posey.

Penny is survived by her sister, Karen Clayton of Nutter Fort; niece; two nephews; a great-niece; two great-nephews; two half brothers, and a half sister.

In addition to her parents, Penny is preceded in death by her stepmother, Betty Boyles; and a great-nephew.

Penny was a 1958 graduate of Washington Irving High School and a 1962 graduate from Alderson Broaddus University with a degree in Nursing.

Penny worked for Broaddus Hospital, Charleston Memorial and the Louis A Johnson Medical Center.