Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith
Publisher: Jalon Smith Burton
WI CLASS OF 1969
50TH REUNION
If you
graduated from WI in 1969 or you know someone who did, please share this
information with them. Thank you.
Classmates
of 1969, plans for our 50th reunion August 2nd and 3rd are in full swing! We
hope to see each of you Friday the 2nd at Bud and Joan Henderson's farm in
Grafton from 2:00 pm until ??? for an afternoon of fun, activities, and
conversation! There will be a covered dish dinner with hometown members
providing hot dishes, hot dogs, and the works. Out-of-town classmates are asked
to bring chip, drinks or something easily picked up at the store.
Then we will continue sharing our memories and catching up at “The 5th Floor”, a bar where we can purchase snacks or drinks, if we would like.
Then we will continue sharing our memories and catching up at “The 5th Floor”, a bar where we can purchase snacks or drinks, if we would like.
On
Saturday, August 3rd at 2:00 pm, we will have an opportunity to tour WI, which
is now a middle school. Won't it be nice to walk through the halls again and
stand on the "Senior Stairs"!
Then at
7:00 pm on Saturday, we will gather at the beautiful Robinson Grand Center for
Performing Arts for an evening of dancing, fellowship and celebration. There will be a catered buffet dinner and cash bar.
We are
so proud of our classmates who served in the armed forces and would like to
recognize them. Please email your name if you served, or the name of a
classmate who you know served to:
Also,
there are many of you who have been honored for achievements or service or have
been given awards for accomplishments in your community, jobs, churches, and
elsewhere during the last 50 years and we would love to acknowledge you, too!
Please send your name and a short description of your accomplishments or send
the name of a classmate and their achievements to Libby.
Don't
be shy! Please help us honor each other!
If you
have any questions or suggestions, please contact:
or
or
or
We are
all so excited to see each of you! Please plan to join us!
WI CLASS OF 1974
45TH REUNION
If you
graduated from WI in 1974 or you know someone who did, please share this
information with them. Thank you.
Class of 1974,
we are planning our 45th reunion this October 19th at the Robinson Grand
Theater. We are still in the planning stages but are trying to reach as many as we
can without mailing out a notice.
If you
are interested (even if you were not in our class but just at school with us), please
feel free to contact me, Jackie Donnellon Costello. You can friend me on FB at
Jacqueline Donnellon Costello or on our Facebook Class Page “Washington Irving High
School Class of 1974 and others” or you can email me at:
If you
know someone who graduated in 1974 or close to then, please share this information
with them... the more the merrier!
Thank
you so much!
Check out our Facebook page:
"Washington Irving High School Class of 1974 and others"
THE WASHINGTON IRVING HIGH SCHOOL
REUNION PICNIC
AUGUST 24 2019
The WI Annual Picnic will be held on August 24 2019 at
the HILLTOP PAVILION at the VA Park. Arrival time is around 11:30 when we will start visiting and
seeing old friends from our past.
We have a lot of new things for you this year as we
like to keep everyone excited to attend. We have prizes for the person who
comes the farthest, the person from the oldest class and the person from the
youngest class.
We are providing the drinks, plates, cups and
utensils, as usual. We are also providing the main entrees, which include wings,
meatballs and hot dogs in chili. This will give you an idea of what you might
like to bring as your contribution to go with these main dishes. Some
suggestions are potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad, garden salad, veggie
tray, relish tray, chips and dip, pretzels, nachos and dip. All of these
items can be picked up at Walmart or Kroger at East Pointe. Of course, we
always welcome your favorite homemade dish and deserts, too. By the way, a favorite of everyone
is pepperoni rolls!
So, let’s start making plans to get together again
this year.
Any questions, please contact Penny Donnelly:
JUNE MYSTERY CHILDREN PICTURE
From: Sara
Stephenson Laber (WI 1955)
Those pictured are: John Stephenson (WI 1951), Georgia Millender (?),
Sara Stephenson (WI 1955), and Tippy.
From: Carolyn Hinzman Ramsay (Weston HS 1952)
I think the boy is Johnny Stevenson (? sp). The girl beside him is
his sister, Sarah & the girl behind him is Georgia Millender. We all lived
in Stealey.
From: Catherine Custer Burke (WI 1952)
The children are our playmates, Georgia Millender, John Stephenson,
and Sara Stephenson. The picture was taken in the early 40's on Milford Street
in front of the Stephenson children's grandparents’ beautiful home. Georgia is now Georgia Johnson and resides in Lawrence, Kansas.
John died young. Sara is Sara Laber of Florida.
JUNE MYSTERY PICTURE
The
Truck O'Tel was on the right side of old Route 50 East slightly above where
Trickett (now Cava) Cadillac garage is located. It was open 24 hours which was
unusual for those days. Good food and pastry. They were known for their greasy
bacon and eggs dinners.
Here's some landmarks: It's about a 1/4-mile past Minard’s Spaghetti Inn on
the right. It's across the road from Compton's Bowling. I hope that will help
you with locating it.
From:
Lyle Corder (RW 1957)
I think
the June mystery picture is the Truck-O-Tell restaurant located at the base of
Bridgeport Hill, on the Clarksburg side. They had sleeping quarters on the
second floor for truckers. It was open all night so it was the last place to
stop before calling it a night after hitting all the hot spots. I think the
Lapeers from Nutter Fort owned it in the 50's.
From:
Bob Kramer (WI 1965)
The
mystery building is the Truck O’tel on Bridgeport Hill.
Sports Editor: Bill Meredith
(Monongah HS 1957)
billmere@aol.com
ROAD TRIP WITH JERRY WEST
From: Mike Snyder (WI 1957)
Few of us get any chance of encountering greatness
first hand. I'm not speaking of an historic event; I mean a period of time
spent with someone who is truly great. I had just that opportunity in the
summer of 1959 when I took a road trip with Jerry West. Jerry was then a
household name in this state after earning All-American first team and leading
WVU to the NCAA finals and losing the national title by just one point.
Girl Friends
I saw Jerry play each week in the Field House along
with packed crowds of other students. But I also saw him almost nightly in the
Chi Omega sorority house when we both escorted our sorority sister girl friends
back before the nightly curfew. If you know anything about Jerry West
personally, you probably know he was one of the quietest men going. Beyond
saying “Hi,” and talking to Janey and his teammates, he was pretty much silent
around the rest of us.
Summertime
The summer of 1959, I drove to Weston in my 1950 Ford
coupe. There I was to meet with a small group of other Chi O girls and their
dates which included The Jumper, a nickname some of us gave Jerry before his
later Mr.
Clutch pro-ball days. I have read that by his freshman college year
Jerry West from Cabin Creek did not have a driver's license and never had a
date. This sunny day, he was driving a late model green Oldsmobile. It was
arranged that my girl and I would double with him and Janey and Jerry would
drive.
Our Trip
It was a rather longish trip in those pre-interstate
days to our destination at one of the Weston gal's rustic cabin beyond Rock
Cave in Upshur County. All that time, Jerry and I had little conversation as I
was more focused on my girl, and Jerry on the road. I cannot remember anything
we talked about. Remember, by Jerry's own admission he was a terminally shy and
introverted person, notwithstanding the fame that by this time had zeroed in on
Number 44, who one year later became a gold medalist in the Olympics. We made it
to the cabin in the boondocks and Jerry and his girl promptly disappeared.
Night fell and still no Jerry. The rest of us were drinking and socializing and
growing irritated at a naval academy cadet who was plastered and doing the
manual of arms with his sword. I remember chiding him about the academy have a
codfish for a mascot. Sometime in the early morning hours, Jerry and Janey came
out of the woods and we got back in the Olds with Jerry as our chauffeur. I
can't recall a single word we might have exchanged on our journey back to
Weston. It would practically fill up this month's Newsletter to cite all of Jerry's
coming successes as one of basketball greatest players of all time. I've never
forgotten that road trip and I expect Jerry remembers it also--but whether. He
later married Janey and they had three children but later divorced. Jerry
remarried and he and his current wife and extended family live three months of
the year in West Virginia in their home at the Greenbrier resort—where you can
order a 44 West steak, all 44 ounces of it, in the resort's restaurant.
SPORTS AND STUFF
Two
months and counting. That's how long it is until college football begins. As
I've written many times over the years, June through August are what I call the
"Dog Days" of sports. It wasn't always so. Back in the day, Major
League Baseball was king. There were only 16-teams and every fan knew most of
the players’ names by position. Then along came free agency, which changed
everything for many of us. No longer would the Stan Musials of the baseball
world play for one team for their entire careers. Expansion, teams changing
leagues and interleague play added fuel to the fire. As we get older, the one
thing we don't like much is change and MLB has really changed since I was a kid
and I don't like the changes. Thus, I have about three months of downtime, Dog
Days.
Regardless,
there have been some interesting things happening lately and below are a few I
noticed as I scanned the news this month.
Jerry
West:
Mike
Snyder (WI 1957), sent us an interesting story about Jerry at just the right
time. West has been in the news recently, but the news was not about
professional basketball. In early June, President Donald Trump announced that
Jerry West will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is our
nation's highest civilian honor, "for his outstanding career both on and
off the court". I have not heard anyone criticize the choice, which is
very surprising, considering the political climate in the country.
As
always, I'd like to hear your take on this. I think it is a very big deal for
one of our state's most famous native sons to receive this award. Do you agree?
Have any of you had the opportunity to meet and talk with Jerry? We would love
to hear your opinion and any story about West you could share with us.
As
always, send your thoughts and comments to:
Bill Meredith at
billmere@aol.com
1.
Your Complete Name
2.
Your School's Name
3.
Your Year If and/or When You Graduated
Thank you.
Baseball:
For the
first time in recent memory, there was a lot of excitement about the WVU
baseball team. They finished the season with a 38-22 record and hosted an NCAA
Regional for the second time in school history. Pitcher Alek Manoah earned
first team on six different All-America teams and was selected 11th overall in
the Major League Baseball draft. Seven other players were also selected in the
draft. It looks like Head Coach Randy Mazey really has it going in Morgantown.
Hats
off to the Bridgeport High School baseball team, which won their record-setting
sixth straight Class AA state championship recently. That makes eight
championships overall for Coach Robert Shields' Indians. What an
accomplishment!
Basketball:
If you
recall, Bob Huggins' Mountaineer basketball team lost five scholarship players
from next fall's roster through transfers. As expected, Huggs went out and
promptly replaced all of them. The latest is Ethan Richardson, a 6'-10"
transfer from Fresno City College. There are still scholarships available, but
I would be surprised if Huggins used them this year. The exception would be for
a late, late transfer, who could help the program immediately. By the way,
Huggins has vowed to bring back the "Press Virginia" defense and it
can't come too soon for this fan.
Finally,
on a sad note, it was recently reported that Teddy "Buckets" Allen,
the former WVU forward, who transferred to Wichita State after the 2017-18
season, has been dismissed from the Shockers basketball team after an arrest
stemming from a domestic disturbance. Teddy Buckets was one of my favorite
players while he was at WVU and hopefully, he can get his act together and be
back on the court soon.
Remember,
this is your newsletter and we need you to write to us. Your thoughts and
comments on any sports subject are welcome.
Bill Meredith (Monongah HS 1957)
Write your sports memories and comments to: billmere@aol.com
When
emailing, please always include:
1. Your
Complete Name
2. Your
School's Name
3. Your Year If
and/or When You Graduated
Thank you.
JULY MYSTERY PICTURE
Ok, you
know the drill… DO YOU REMEMBER?
What was the name of the building, and where
was it located?
Yes, give us the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and
WHY... and anything else you can remember.
What is
this? Where is this? Have you ever been inside? Why did you go inside? Etc. Etc.
Etc.
1. Your
Complete Name
2. Your
School's Name
3. Your Year If
and/or When You Graduated
Thank you.
JULY MYSTERY PERSON PICTURE
Who is
pictured here? What type of car is pictured? Where do you think he was headed
and why?
Yes, give us the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and
WHY... and anything else you can remember about this person, this car and anything else that this picture represents.
Write your memories to
Roleta1@aol.com.
And remember when emailing, please always include:
1. Your
Complete Name
2. Your
School's Name
3. Your Year If
and/or When You Graduated
Thank you.
MARCH MYSTERY PICTURE
In the
March issue of the WI Newsletter, I ran a mystery picture of the Esso Station
in Point Comfort. Joe Williams sent his guess on June 14 2019. Usually I
wouldn’t run a guess that is so dated. But he is right and I thought some of
you readers might like to read what he had to say:
From: Joseph
Williams (WI 1956)
and Shirley Heidelmeier Williams (WI 1957)
The
Esso Gas Station in Point Comfort was run by Carl Clovis and his sons also
graduates of WI. Wanda Lee Curtis, (Carl’s Sister) and her husband Jim Curtis
took over in maybe the 60’s. Wanda and Jim lived in the house behind the
Station. Carl Clovis and his family lived down the street which was Ave. We
were friends and neighbors with them.
GUESS WHO WROTE THE WORDS
TO THIS SONG?
HINT: IT WAS A WI
TEACHER!
Hail, Washington Irving, Hail to you.
In high school years, through smiles or tears, our hearts are
true.
We bravely fight with all our might to win our due.
May days to come bring victories won and laurels new.
Then Hail Washington Irving, Hail to you, and hail the colors.
Our old Gold and Blue.
We will all be true.
Our faith in you will never fail.
Then Hail to you, Washington Irving, Hail.
ONLY ONE LETTER
WAS RECEIVED ABOUT THIS
and here it is...
From: Joe Malone (WI
1952)
Another outstanding
issue! I particularly enjoyed the contributions from Jim Fragale. I will order
his book today. Also, Mike Snyder's offering and the story from Dave Kuhl about
Burt Spangler. Good Stuff & a very touching tale!
That said, you do know
how to pitch directly into my wheelhouse. The song, "Hail Washington
Irving" (Title) was written by E.W. James Jr. (Music)
and Maud Yoak (Words). I can't tell you when, where or why it was
crafted; nor why or where I sang it but believe me, it was sung! Assemblies?
Ballgames? Commencements? Acapella Choir programs? It was appropriate for all/any
occasions where WI merited praise.
Upon my graduation in
1952, Miss Yoak saw fit to "cut and paste" an original (now yellowed)
copy of song into the last page of my yearbook. Opposite the song sheet, she
penned a very personal and touching note which I shall let you decide if it's
appropriate to publish in the Newsletter. Certainly, the last paragraph
resonates with your basic charter.
"Joe - I'll tell the
world!! Girls, Go Away - This is for me!
Everyone tells you what a
swell guy, pal or fellow you are. I want to be different. I just like you the
way you are, with a few human frailties, a nice disposition and a sense of
humor. I'm wishing a lot of good wishes for you, lots of opportunities, lots of
work, lots of loving kindness to others and one woman who comes up to your
standard of perfection, which is getting exceedingly perfect by this time.
Don't forget, you'll
always be "Washington Irving" - not just a graduate - you earned that
too, the right to wear the letter. For that I'm adding my tribute to all men
who have or will wear the letter and who keep on representing all that's best
that they carried with them from this school. Remember -
"Our faith in you
will never fail,
So_ Hail to you!"
(Back story) I had
Miss Yoak my Senior year for English Lit. I was not a good "student"
nor a "reader" and rarely understood her offerings (Chaucer;
Shakespeare, English poets, etc.). However, I could read aloud and memorize
individual lines/whole pieces. (I had the "lead" in the Sr. Play)
Both Miss Yoak & Miss Bauer loved it. +/- 7 decades later, these are good
memories.
* THANK YOU, Joe Malone for sharing this interesting article with our readers and THANK YOU for sharing all your contributions over these years.
HERE IS ANOTHER SONG
Words and music by
Charles D Giauque
I don’t know the year, I have never even heard of it.
“GOLD AND BLUE”
To Gold and Blue, our hearts are true,
Join one and all as now we sing; with voices strong,
We’ll raise our song, and make the heavens ring.
Thy honest fame and glorious name, forever in our hearts we’ll
hold.
Hilltoppers true, we’re back of you.
To Win the game for Blue and Gold
(Re-read that last song.
Strange the title is “Gold and Blue”. He starts out
“Gold and Blue” with the
title and the first line of the song, but ends it with “Blue and Gold”?)
Do you know anything
about this song? Date? When it was used? Anything about the author?
Write to Roleta1@aol.com
When emailing, please always
include:
1. Your Complete Name
2. Your School's Name
3. Your Year If and/or When You Graduated
Thank you.
HITCHHIKING
From: John
Campbell (WI 1959)
Since
the subject of hitchhiking came up, I’ll tell you my story. In the Fall of 1959
or 60 I went down to University Ave to thumb to Clarksburg from Morgantown.
After a short time, a car stopped to pick me up. I was a little bit skeptical
but a ride going in the right direction is a ride. The car was an early 50’s
Chevrolet, well worn, with the driver and a passenger who were characters. Soon
after we started going toward Fairmont on old Rte 73, I noticed a clicking in
the front wheel bearings while going around turns. The driver said that had
been going on a while and that the brakes weren’t good either. Needless to say,
I was a little bit nervous. All was going OK until we started to catch up to a
1954 Ford sedan with a fellow and his girlfriend sitting close beside him. They
were traveling slow and wandering around the lane. My driver managed to avoid
hitting him for a while, but down one long stretch the brakes just were not
working. The Chevy bumped into the Ford and the bumpers locked. They managed to
get down the hill and pulled off into a small church parking area near the
road. The Ford driver had an embarrassing look on his face and the Chevy driver
and his friend said they could get the cars apart in no time. Out came a bumper
jack and the Ford was up in the air. The Chevy driver wanted to push the Chevy
back, out from under the Ford, but while he was saying this and explaining that
his jack would go up but not down his friend shoved the Ford forward and the
top of the jack punched a hole in the trunk lid. The cars were apart and
apologies exchanged, and we started on down the road to Fairmont and on to
Clarksburg. The brakes worked well enough to get us to the West End where I
exited and thanked them for the ride. That’s my hitchhiking story and I’m glad
I don’t have a better one!!
From: Ronald Harvey (WI 1955)
I had a car my senior year in WI and transportation was no
problem. But, when off to WVU -- freshmen could not keep a personal car on
campus. So, we had to rely on something else. Hitchhiking was the best thing to
do. Getting from Clarksburg to Morgantown was hard to do unless you got a ride
to Grafton and then thumbed from there. Coming back from Morgantown to
Clarksburg was easier. If you really wanted to get a quick ride, all you had to
do was wear your Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) uniform and
you could get home in a hurry.
Away from the Clarksburg area was a different story. Having
met a girl in 1957 (from Smithfield, VA) at a summer camp, to save money
hitchhiking was the thing to do. The trip to her home was only about 360 miles,
so here we go. Not too much problem except while riding in a Tractor Trailer
down Route 1, we stopped to check the weight on each axle. As fate would have
it the weight on the drive wheels was to heavy and the load would have to be
moved back to the trailer wheels. They loosened the load of pipe on the
trailer, I held the brakes on the truck and another truck tried to slide the
load to the back. It did not work and the driver was going to have to move pipe
one-by-one. At that point, I got another ride. On the way back to Clarksburg a
ride was harder to get, so I caught a bus much of the way.
I would not recommend hitchhiking
today.
From: Bill Bryan (RW 1957)
Two
major hitchhiking experiences for me:
First,
as a student at R-W and living in Broadway at the bottom of Broadway Hill, I
would walk the Industrial Bridge to the corner of Marshall St. and E. Main in
the evenings and thumb to Nutter Fort to spend some time. I would thumb back
from Maryland Ave. in Nutter Fort back to E. Main. and walk the bridge to
Broadway. Usually loafed at Gin's Pick-Up on Maryland Ave. I did this many,
many times in three years at R-W--without incident! Secondly, while in the Navy
and for a short time home port-stationed in Norfolk, I would thumb (in uniform)
US 17 to Winchester and US 50 to Clarksburg (pre-interstate days-1958) on a
Friday afternoon. Usually I would get to Clarksburg in about 10 hours. On
Sunday, my parents would drive me to Romney (in a 1937 Plymouth!), and I would
thumb back to the base. Again, without incident! Being in uniform, rides were
really easy in those days. Once I got to US 17, many other military people were
on their way to Norfolk and would give me a ride. Occasionally I would be asked
for a couple dollars for gas, but was glad for the ride. Thankfully, this was
the late '50's--a much safer and saner world. For sure, hitchhiking today would
not be as easy. Definitely brings back good memories!
NEW READERS
Shelia Gonsorchik Moore (WI 1974)
Sheliamoore175@yahoo.com
Mark Richards (WI 1972) richardstx@hotmail.com
Teri Thompson Clement (WI 1974)
tericlement@rocketmail.com
Linden Perkins (WI 1959) perkinsle@gmail.com
RESPONSE TO JUNE’S D-DAY ARTICLE
*Article was written by Dave Kuhl (WI 1962)
From: Terry Shorr (WI/Elkins 1958)
The D Day commemorations were sobering, at least to
those of our vintage. Fox News, I think, did a fine job of news coverage from
France.
No relatives of mine were known to have been there or
served in the European Theater. My Dad and four uncles were in the Navy and
another was in the Army (WWII and Korea). I attended two of my Dad’s USS
William P. Biddle shipmates’ reunions and was honored to be in their presence.
Dignified gentlemen all, with genuine camaraderie and humility.
Heading for Japan in 1987, the Army uncle suggested I
go to Suehiro’s Restaurant in Tokyo for a great steak, where he’d eaten during
the post-war occupation. My Dad said, “@#%$, that restaurant won’t be there
after 40 years.”
LOL. It was and the steak was outstanding.
FYI, after nearly 75 years, Suehiro’s is still
open in Tokyo.
APOLLO 11 PLUS 50 YEARS
From: Dave
Kuhl (WI 1962)
Bob
Spangler, WI Class of 1939, was the Project Manager for North American Aviation
on the Apollo Command Module. If you worked on any part of this historic
accomplishment, share your story with the newsletter readers in a future
newsletter. We may be surprised at how many participated.
After
50 years, you would think there would be nothing new to share. While
researching this subject, I found that a teenage boy who lived near the
Australian ground tracking station called Honeysuckle Creek got bit by the
space bug. Fortunately for us, Colin Mackellar, now an Anglican minister, had
enough sense of history to create a website and preserve some material that may
not be available from any other source.
Exactly
50 years ago, on July 16, 1969, an Apollo Range Instrumented Aircraft (ARIA)
EC-135N with an Airborne Lightweight Optical Tracking System (ALOTS) was flying
at 43,000 feet (8 miles) above the cape headed east during the Apollo 11
launch. The ALOTS was calibrated at 75 miles.
Colin
synchronized the video with audio. The images show very detailed stage
separation, supersonic shock waves and other detail which you may not see in
typical videos. This site provides a three-minute video of the launch of Apollo
11 (the first to land on the moon) taken from a viewpoint which you don’t
normally see – taken from above.
Of
course, the Apollo launch quickly rises above the aircraft at 8 miles high and
was soon at 12 miles high. An early test flight is shown below.
In late
1966 and early 1967, I worked on the first eight planes converted from C -135
(equivalent to Boeing 707) to EC-135N. Remember that this was before communication
and navigation satellites and before much of the miniaturization that we expect
today. Cabinets of electronic equipment were bulky and often had water cooling
systems to remove heat. Positioning of equipment affected the center of gravity
and how hard it would be to trim and fly the airplanes. Deploying a trailing
wire antenna substantially changed the center of gravity. The bulky radar dome
in the nose made the plane look as if it would never fly.
On Nov
3, 2000 this Apollo tracking aircraft was retired to the National Museum of the
Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.
They promised to protect this historic aircraft from
weather. Let me know if you visit and it has been moved indoors.
Note from Editor:
Thank you, Dave Kuhl, for all the wonderful research
you have done over the years and shared with the readers of the WI Newsletter.
I am very appreciative of your continued support. This article was very
interesting and well done.
From: Anita Bartlett White (WI 1948)
anitawhite30@gmail.com
Julia Young Lawson and Betsy Bartlett Davis will be 97
years young this summer. They graduated from WI in 1940. Wonder if there are
other 'WI 1940s' that read the Newsletter that we could hear from?
You know, Roleta, I also wonder if there are any of my
WI 1948 classmates that read the Newsletter? I would love to hear from them.
Thank you.
THE WASHINGTON IRVING
NEWSLETTER SCHOLARSHIP
A big thank you to Sandy Lindke Zickeffose (WI 1956)
for sending her recent check to the WIN Scholarship.
Also, a big thank you, Ann Brannon Pushkin (WI 1952)
for your nice check.
In case you missed it, in the June issue of our newsletter, there as a nice letter from this year's recipient,
Payton Riley, including her picture.
If you didn’t see it, check it out! Look on the right
side of this (or any) Newsletter page and you will find the newsletter's Side Bar Menu. Within that Menu is our newsletter's Archives. Below the Archives Heading, click on 2019, then on the June (Issue 238) issue.
If you wish to give to the WI Newsletter scholarship, make your check out to:
Roleta Meredith c/o WIN Scholarship
And mail it to:
Roleta Meredith
3025 Switzer Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43219
This information can always be found on the right Side Bar Menu of this or any Newsletter page, too.
THANK YOU to each and every one of you who has helped support this scholarship over the years.
THANK YOU to each and every one of you who has helped support this scholarship over the years.
WI
NEWSLETTER SCHOLARSHIP QUILT
From:
Sancy Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956)
I am so
proud to be the last one to receive a WIN quilt. I wish to thank all who made
the blocks and Sue for the quilting, binding and shipping.
From:
Sue Selby Moats (WI 1955)
As the
saying goes: "All good things must come to an end."
As
Roleta hosted the last Sarasota/Clarksburg picnic in March this year, she has
also decided not to have a WIN quilt done again. So, the 2019 WIN quilt, "Autumn Visions of West Virginia" is our Last Hurrah.
Donations
will still be sent to her for the scholarship fund.
It has
been a privilege to work with all of the "coordinators" of the WIN
quilts. It has been a joy to see the growth in our creative endeavors with each
year's quilt.
We are
pleased with the amount of donations that have been sent to the WIN scholarship
fund as a result of the quilts. We are even more proud of the many RCB HS
students we have helped further their education.
It was
a fun doing the quilts for the scholarship, and to all who participated, may
you keep stitching,
Note from Roleta:
Thank you so much to Sue and her group of quilters who
have diligently worked year after year to make a quilt for the WI Newsletter
Scholarship fund. I have decided that Sue deserves a rest from the pressure of
doing the quilt. She deserves to have some extra hours to do what she wishes to
do.
Happy Retirement!
Even though we have no quilt project, the scholarship
will still go on. You can still be part of this by sending your check today.
Make it out to:
Roleta Meredith c/o WIN Scholarship
And mail it to:
Roleta Meredith
3025 Switzer Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43219
Thank you.
JUNE MYSTERY OBJECT PICTURE
From: Connie
Sayre Marshall Findle (VHS 1953)
First,
I would like to commend you on the work you have put into this newsletter. I
have done a bit of this for my class so I know fully well how much work is
involved.
I am
writing about the June mystery object. I have one exactly like it, and as you
said, it is being used as a door stop. But I have used it myself for what it
truly is, an iron. It was placed on the hot, wood-burning cook stove to heat,
and then used to iron your freshly washed clothes. And, as you can guess it was
never the right temperature, either too hot or too cold.
It was
very cleverly designed. The lower handle moved from one side to the other and
served as a lock. When pushed to the right the heavy bottom piece came loose
from the top onto the stove. When it got hot, you reversed that procedure and
picked up the bottom piece with the top, pushed the lower handle back to the
original position and locked it in place. You could then pick it up without
getting burned if you were very careful.
I am
not sure exactly how old the iron is, but I got it from my great-uncle who
inherited it from his parents probably in the late 1800's. This is just a guess
based on the age of my uncle and his parents. A lot of the things that were
handed down to my great uncle from his parents they had from the time they were
married. They were then passed to my mother and dad when he passed away, and
eventually to me. That still doesn't prove the exact age but shows that it is
extremely old.
You
might get something from someone who has more actual facts about the iron, but
I hope that what I have told you will be of some interest.
Again,
congratulations on publishing such a nice and informative newsletter. I looked
through the grads and saw a few names that were familiar to me.
From:
Ronald Harvey (WI 1955)
The
June mystery object picture was a holder for Irons. In the 40's and 50's many
kitchen stoves were heated by coal or wood. The top of the stove was flat and
several irons could sit on the stove and stay warm. Then when the user wanted to
iron, the shown device would fit over the smooth iron, and the lever would lock
the iron to the holder which contained the handle. When the ironing was done or
the iron was getting cool another Iron could be attached to the holder and
ironing could continue. It worked.
From:
Joe Tipper (VHS 1958)
Roleta,
the first picture is that of an antique clothes iron. I have never seen one in
action, but I do have a cast iron one that you have to heat on a wood stove or
gas range and yes, it does make a good door stop. The second picture is that of
the “Truck-O-Tell” restaurant that was located at the bottom of Bridgeport hill
across from the Compton Bowling Lanes. I do not know if the bowling lanes were
there yet. Also, I suppose that truckers could stay at place of business, too.
I remember eating there with my parents and I remember they had a great
breakfast.
From:
Ann Brannon Pushkin (WI 1952)
The
June mystery object is an “iron” used to iron clothes before the invention of
electric irons as we know them today The ancient iron had to be set “flat” on
the cooking top of a wood stove or coal burning kitchen stove long enough to
heat the iron so that wrinkles could be ironed from cotton clothing items on an
ironing board. Imagine how cumbersome and time consuming this procedure was
before the advent of electric irons,
I am
old enough to have experienced this technique. I stayed with my great
grandmother during the summer months on a WV farm in the community of Liverpool,
WV. In the early years (the 1940’s), she had natural gas that provided light
for night time activities (no electricity) and used a coal/wood kitchen stove
for cooking. And, as you can imagine, the kitchen stove was also used to heat
the mystery iron. I treasure these memories.
From:
Sandy Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956)
The
item shown in your photo is an iron used for clothing and linens. It was heated
on the stove. Yes, they make good door stops or weapon because of the heavy
weight. Can you imagine shoving something that heavy around the ironing board?
You sure built up the arm muscles. I never used one but saw them at great
grandparents’ homes. I would think that more than one was needed to complete
the task because they would soon cool off. I bet it got very warm during the
summer with the stove on and working over the hot iron. God bless permanent
press/no iron. Best thing since sliced bread.
From:
Linda Purnell (WI 1967)
I
believe this is an old fashion iron- can you imagine ironing with this heavy
object? I know a lot of people don’t even know what an iron today looks like-
because they don’t iron- thanks for the tumble cycle on the dryer
I have
one of these and yes, I use it for a doorstop, works quite well.
From:
Evan Bice (WI 1962)
The
picture is an iron to press pants, and many more articles. I have seen some
that are sold metal with handle on top. I assume this one operated with very
hot water.
Later
there were solid metal irons. This one, l think used hot water and may have
been a for runner for the push button steam iron, these were used before homes
had electricity.
From:
Mary Sue Cark Spahr (WI 1956)
The
mystery object for June is an iron, used for getting wrinkles out of freshly
washed and dried clothing for those of you who have used perma press and wrinkle
free clothing all your lives. This one doesn't even have an electric cord, so
it had to be heated another way. Back in the dark ages when I was a child, some
folks, especially those who lived back in the country without electricity,
cooked their food on wood fired stoves. The burners were flat and were always
hot as long as the coals burned, so this was the place the irons were heated.
Folks who could afford it had more than one iron so they could continuously use
a very hot iron without interrupting their work. My aunt, who lived in a tiny
little community called Denver near Tunnelton, WV, labored over her three
daughters' dresses as she worked to get out every wrinkle. When those girls
went to Sunday School, they were perfectly pressed. My dear aunt only lived to
be 57 so I doubt she ever had the luxury of an electric iron. Times most
certainly have changed in my lifetime.
From:
Gloria Caruso Shaffer (WI 1958)
The
mystery picture for June is an iron. They would put it on the stove or
fireplace to get hot and then they would iron clothes. I have one that belonged
to my husband’s (Mike Shaffer, WI 1958) great grandmother. I am now using it as
a door stop.
I also
knew Ms Nutter was married while she and her husband were in college.
From: Bob
Kramer (WI 1965)
The
MYSTERY object is an iron. You would fill it with hot water to iron. I have a
few of these from my grandmother. They came in different sizes.
From:
Carolyn Hinzman Ramsay (Weston HS 1952)
We had
moved to Clarksburg during WW II and then my dad was drafted into the Navy in
May 1944. We were renting our home on Hall St. Without any notice, the owner
sold the house and that left my mother with 4 kids, no husband and no home.
Luckily Dad's parents in Weston had a large home and rented part of it. We went
back to Weston for 2 yrs. and rented 2 rooms. (That was a way of life during
the war) My grandfather Hinzman had a farm in Gilmer County, so Mother took 4
kids to the farm during the summers of '44, '45 & '46. (She had NEVER lived
on a farm in her life!)
The
farm had no electricity, but free natural gas. Even the lights were gas. Our
only connection to the outside world was a battery-operated radio. We turned it
on for 30 mins. each evening to hear world news of the war etc.
The
mystery object is the method women had to "press" the clothes before
there were electric irons. Yes, I used one. The part of the iron that is at an
angle in the picture releases the plate that is at the bottom of the iron. (the
picture isn't EXACTLY like the one I used). You had 2 plates that were set
directly on the flames of the gas stove. You would set the iron on a plate,
move the part that attached the plate to the iron, and remove it from the
flame. You would use that plate till it began to cool, then you would put it
back on the flame & use the other plate till it began to cool.
FYI, my
dad came home in Nov '45 & we moved back to Clarksburg (Stealey) late
summer of '46. The fall of '48 we moved to Nutter Fort where I attended R-W
High School. The fall of '49 we moved back to Weston for the last time. Now you
understand why I know so many kids from so many different areas.
Keep up
the good work. I really enjoy the newsletter!
From Brooke Beall (ND HS 1958)
As you
know my wife, Judy, and I have lived at Lake Gaston (on the VA/NC border) for almost
twenty years. Over the years we have joined a local church, a local community
center, and made friends in our neighborhood and the small town of Bracey, VA.
When
the church asked for members to submit recipes for their local church cookbook,
I submitted the WI Football Mothers hot dog sauce. I think the recipe first
appeared in the Newsletter in an early edition. It was accepted and many, many
copies of the recipe book have been distributed.
Our
little community center is always looking for ways to make money. We needed to
update the facility and we invited a local country band to use our building for
practice. We then advertised that the band would be playing once a month,
admission was free, we would have a 50/50 drawing and food would be available. We
decided to sell hot dogs, slices of homemade pie and cake. We also had soft
drinks and water available. I made the hot dog sauce using the WI recipe. What
a great success, we sold hot dogs right and left. Rarely had anything left over
after an event.
One
final story about the WI recipe. We have a young couple in the community that
are true entrepreneurs. They have been running a very successful landscaping
business and decided to open a small deli. There are two WV connections in this
story. The wife of this duo is from Morgantown originally and as a teen worked
for T & L Hot Dogs. They wanted to sell hot dogs, but not offer a regular,
medium, and hot sauce like T & L. I gave them a sample of my sauce made
from the WI recipe. They really liked it and decided to use it for their hot
dog’s main topping. My idea of a true WV hot dog is simple. They should be made
like this--Bun, hot dog, mustard, chili (sauce), and topped with onions. I call
that a WV hot dog. No slaw, no sauerkraut, etc. When I go into Furr’s Deli
& Dogs, I order a WV hot dog, and get it my way.
Not
bragging, as a Notre Dame graduate, but unduly influenced by WI friends, have
perpetuated the WI Football Mothers Hot Dog Chili Recipe well into the future. I
have enjoyed the Newsletter since the first edition. Keep up the good work!
This business is owned and operated by Robert &
Tammy Furr. They own two other businesses. Sticks & Stones and Shoreline by
Design. Two great young people I am proud to call my friends.
PICTURES
FROM JOHN TETER (WI 1961)
Picture
1 is Patty GEMMA and I from her senior prom in 1960 (I went with my brother and
his date). I actually saw Patty at my brother's 50th reunion back in 2010.
Picture
2 is Sonnie CORK Brown and I from my senior prom in 1961. I have seen Sonnie at
Twin Oaks, the WI Centennial Celebration and the WI picnic at Veteran's Park a
few times.
Picture
3 is the Little League team that I was a member of. I have the names of those
on the bottom two rows, but not the top row. I think that I have another
picture of this group somewhere else in what I found, but I will get you names
later, as I am not sure where the other picture is right now and/or if the guys
are still in the same positions
From: James Fragale (WI 1958)
jamesafragale@yahoo.com
When I
took a break from working on Novel Five to brew some coffee and listen to some
relaxing tunes, to my surprise, on the computer I heard, playing the title song
from my West Virginia honored CD “Oil and Coal.” (In the words, I mention both
Harrison and Pocahontas Counties.) Lyrics below.
*Lyrics to
“Oil and Coal” - There’s a grandfather clock on the fireplace that chimes the
time every hour on the hour./ Dinner at 6, potatoes this thick and a fly
caught, pan-wide pan fried brook trout / imported champagne never tasted as
good as my granddaddy’s homemade wine/I still miss my dog Mingo who found me on
a dusty road near the Ohio Valley line /Call it self-pity, or nitty-gritty, but
everything I knew/ everyone but Drew has let me down./ I’d run to a bar down
Harrison County where a fellow can always find a way to come unwound / I would
not spend one more winter-time on the Summerville county countryside / I need a
roadside dive outside of town for a drink or a dance or a place to hide
The
album/CD is titled “Oil and Coal,” lyrics by Jim Fragale and music by the vocalist
name is Joe Lutton—Produced by James A. (Jim) Fragale, Nine Songs, Available at
CDBaby.com and elsewhere.
These days, all four of my five-star novels are in the window of the
world’s most intimate, charming Mom-and-Pop-store, Jay Depaolo and Lesa’s Books &
Gifts, “Choices” which is located on East 78thStreet
off Third Avenue, in New York City.
“Breakthroughs!”,
favored by folks of a certain age--about growing up and growing old but not in
that order has gotten five-star reviews on Amazon. Book Five is in the hopper
and I am hoping for a 2020 release near my 80th birthday in February.
You may
remember me as being active class, photographer junior and senior years and
secret “Hallwalker,” columnist on the newspaper, “The Hilltopper;” and Sports
Editor on the Yearbook, 1958.
MARY JEAN WHITE
(WI 1940)
Mary Jean White, 97, of Weston, passed away on
Thursday, June 6, 2019, at Sundale Nursing Home in Morgantown following a brief
illness.
She was born in Clarksburg on May 5, 1922, a daughter
of the late Roscoe and Sylvia McNurlen Francis.
On August 6, 1943, she married Ross White and together
they shared 64 years of marriage before his passing in 2007.
Jean is survived by three daughters: Patricia Gray and
husband, Danny, of Ronceverte, WV, Diane Taylor and husband, Terry, of
Winchester, VA, and Kim Jacks and husband, Mike, of Morgantown, WV; eight
grandsons: David and Jeffrey Gray, Ryan, Chad and Scott Taylor and Michael,
Jonathan and Kevin Jacks; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Preceding Jean in death were her parents; husband; and
two siblings: Helen Francis Beatty and John Robert “Bob” Francis.
Jean graduated from Washington Irving High School in
1940 and from Salem College in 1944 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Education. She was a member of St. Matthew United Methodist Church, United
Methodist Women and Theresa Snaith Hospital Auxiliary.
WILLIAM
JAMES “BILL” SIGLER
(WI
1977)
He was an avid Pittsburgh Pirates and Mountaineer
basketball fan. Bill leaves behind a legacy of friendship, community and
service.
He is survived by four children, J. Ryan Sigler and
wife Teresa, Morgantown, Sarah Sigler and fiancé David Whittaker, Morgantown,
Rachel Monroe, Carmichaels, PA, Tommy Kovar and girlfriend Chelsey Altman,
Clarksburg; four grandchildren, Benjamin, Piper, Landon and Heidi; one
stepbrother, Michael J Burks, Clarksburg; niece, Kelly Prouty and husband Tyler
and their children, Haley, Karis and Lexi of Fairmont.
In addition to his parents and stepfather, Bill was
preceded in death by one sister, Christine L Womeldorff.
MELBA
JO HARMER
(WI
1944)
Melba Jo was preceded in death by her husband, David
J. Harmer, who passed away October 2, 2005; her son-in-law, Richard Zirkle; and
her brother-in-law, Robert Rector.
She is survived by her daughter, Eve Zirkle of
Shinnston, son, Jay Harmer, and his wife Pam of Shinnston, daughter, Gwen
Kerns, and her husband Gary of Elkins, and daughter, Leslie Haning, and her
husband Steve of Clarksburg; grandchildren, Miranda Buckhannon and her husband
Steve, Courtney Rogers and her husband Derek, Jeremy Harmer, Jacob Harmer and
his wife Chelsy, Paige and Hayley Haning, Alissa and Jared Kerns:
great-grandchildren, Kennedy Linville, Kohen Harmer, Prea Buckhannon, Laine
Rogers and Cooper Harmer; her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Rector; nephew, Mark
Rector, and wife Susan, all of Wilmington, Delaware; and several cousins.
Melba Jo was a 1944 graduate of Washington Irving High
School and a 1948 graduate of Ohio University, where she served as Head
Cheerleader. She was active in Pi Beta Phi sorority and graduated with a BS
Degree in Education. At the age of 19, she began her teaching career at Summit
Park Junior High School as Miss Yates.
In 1951, she married David J. Harmer and moved to
Orlando, Florida, where he completed his military service. Afterwards, they
moved to Pittsburgh, PA, where she was employed as a Home Economist for Hope
Gas Company. Upon returning to Shinnston, Melba Jo and Dave started their
family and became lifelong residents.
In 1975, after raising her family, she returned as a
substitute teacher for Harrison County Board of Education. She retired at the
age of 82.
She was an active member of Woman’s Club of Shinnston
for over 60 years. Melba Jo volunteered for many community service
organizations, including the Shinnston Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, the
Clarksburg League for Service, Shinnston and Lincoln Band Boosters, Athletic
Boosters, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, as well as the Shinnston Swim Team. She
loved playing golf and was an avid bridge player.
DR.
JAMES F. CARNEY
(Notre
Dame HS 1958)
DR. JAMES F. CARNEY, age 78. Beloved husband of 56
years to Antoinette (nee Diamond). Loving father of James Jr., Phillip, Robert
(Ann), Mary Jo Assink (Michael), Joseph and Stephen (Kerry). Cherished
grandfather of Maria, Robert Jr., Adam Assink (Katherine), Owen Assink,
Anthony, Mia, Jack, Aidan, Garrett, Teagan; great grandfather of Penelope. Dear
brother of John (Gerda), Patrick (Kay), Michael (deceased), and Christopher
(Barb). Also survived by nieces, nephews and many dear friends. In lieu of
flowers the family suggests contributions to Kemper House, 10890 Prospect Road,
Strongsville, Ohio 44149. Dr. James Carney was one of the founders of the
Associates in Dermatology Offices located in Lakewood, Westlake and other
suburban locations. He was a respected dermatologist and friend to many and
will be missed by all. U. S. Air Force Vietnam Veteran. Mass of Christian
Burial Friday May 31, 2019 St. Mary’s Church, 250 Kraft Street (Berea) at
10:00AM. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery.
VERONICA
“RONNIE” GARRETT SEABORN
Veronica "Ronnie" Seaborn passed away suddenly
and went home to be with the Lord on May 19, 2019. She was born on February 27,
1958.
She is survived by her son, Joshua W. Owens and
companion Mendi Eakle of Navarre, FL; and daughter, Honey J. Williams of
Clarksburg, WV; and her grandchildren, Justin Lee of Fairmont, WV, Memorie A.
and Serenity J. both of Navarre, FL, Janiah L. Williams and Halo G. Horton both
of Clarksburg, WV. Ronnie is also survived by her mother, Ann B. Garrett of
Clarksburg, WV, and her siblings, Jerry D. Garrett and wife Susie of
Clarksburg, WV, Larry D. Garrett and wife Brenda of Double Springs, AL and Fred
Garrett and wife Kim of Clarksburg, WV.
Veronica is preceded in death by her father, Jerry J.
Garrett.
Veronica graduated from W.I. High School and attended
WV Business College. She loved her family and friends and liked to write, draw
and crochet. Veronica was a born-again Christian, and she loved Jesus. She
attended Word of Life Assemblies of God and Christian Assembly Church.
There will be a memorial to celebrate her life at
Christian Assembly Church (corner of Buckhannon Pike & Rt. 98), September
6, 2019 at 6 p.m.
