WI CLASS OF 1959 NEWSLETTER
| Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith | Issue 15 | November 2000 |
Many thanks to all who responded to my letters this month. Without your input there would not be a newsletter. Thank you for helping. I hope more of you will write to me.
If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE to this newsletter, please notify ROLETA1@aol.com
This is the Thanksgiving issue of the newsletter. I hope each of you will take some time this month and reflect on your blessings.
submitted by: Jim Martin
JEMartin12641@email.com
Nice Job on the newsletters. I enjoy them very much.
submitted by: Robert McDaniel
rgm@U.Arizona.EDU
Hi Roleta: Thanks for the note. I'm still here; busy with teaching 50 "diverse" students, and a big grant research project ... plus writing deadlines. Tried to access the website from home ... aol wouldn't let us in ... haven't had a chance to access from lab or office computers. Haven't forgotten you. At some point I'll read the newsletter, and see, in perspective, what I may be able to add of interest. I owe several fraternity brothers several e-mail replies also!
Best wishes
submitted by: Glen Cowgill
GCowgill@ix.netcom.com
Nothing much going on here, deer hunting in SC and playing golf.
submitted by: Dick Hanifan
RKHanifan@aol.com
Roleta, You did it again! The newsletter was a real treat. No pun intended. I sure liked Judy's picture of the Waldomore. Nice job. It looked like it was taken just after a rain.
I like the idea of including people on both sides of the class of 59. All of us had friends both older and younger than ourselves and many had brothers and sisters. It's good to know many of my classmates are still out there and I enjoy hearing of their exploits.
Thanks for a good read.
submitted by: Carolyn and Jerry Warne
wrmychsnut@aol.com
Well, it might not be much but we are about to finish our shows for the season and we will be at home more... We had a great season and we appreciate the letter that Dick Hanifan sent to us about the Wormy Chestnut... If any of our class mates know of Wormy Chestnut for sale, they can always email us... We are always looking for it... That is what Jerry makes our furniture from .... However, he will use all woods but for our shows we use the Chestnut... That is why we are called Chestnut Collectibles.... The only way we can get the wood is when they are tearing down old buildings, such as old school houses and old warehouses or just old homes.. Most of the time there is Chestnut in them. Weston, Lewis County was full of it at one time.
We have had a great season, despite our fire..... We thank God that we could get up and running in time for our shows... The support from family and friends has been most inspiring... Thanks to all .........
Keep well and Happy
submitted by: John Iaconis
jiaconis@erols.com
I have been on a trip to Italy visiting paternal relatives in southern Italy. I also went on a brief tour of 15 cities throughout central and northern Italy. I started the trip in September and ended in October 2000. The trip lasted almost a month and covered about 3,000 miles.
ciao
submitted by: Jim Alvaro
JAlvaro@aol.com
Roleta, I just got back from a couple of weeks in Clarksburg. Sonny Oliverio (Oliverio's Restaurante) and I got together and started talking about all of the places we use to go dancing and how there are hardly any places to go now. We started reminiscing about the "OLD" days and the places we took dates and places where all the guys would go and meet all the girls to dance. Just a few places: Our #1 place was Billy's Meadowbrook and the #2 was Willow Beach. However there was, Midway Manor, Melody Manor, Westend Danceland, Friends, Friendly Tavern, Little Rock, Green Parrot, and a few others. That is where we would go when we were not hanging out at Sky Castle. I remember we could take a date out for a buck and a half to the Green Parrot. A couple of cokes and a bucket of ice and the rest in the nickel juke box. (6 songs for a quarter). Sonny and I had a big laugh about all of this.
Well I hope you and Bill are doing well. Keep in touch. By the way, I think the '55 and '56 classes are going to have a reunion in June. I will start putting some info in the newsletter when it is finalized.
submitted by: Cheryll D Rasmussen
WOW41@casco.net
Hello! I would love some WVA recipes for canned tomatoes and peppers, Italian of course!!! Also, Brenda Martinos' Mother made the most wonderful Christmas goodies. One I remember most and would love the recipe, was a sort of deep fried pie dough, honey or confectionery sugar on top. It was yummy!
My favorite teacher was Ms. Williams. She was always so nice to me. She also offered me a scholarship in art, but at that time all I could think about was getting married.
I remember going to the Green Parrot to dance. They had a wonderful dance floor and juke box. If we took any booze (smuggled) it had to be under the table in a bag.
I loved the Hill Top. Seeing friends there.
Ellis Drive-In Movies......I liked Esther Williams and Doris Day, yep, singing and dancing.
I would like to hear what classmates would re-do if they had a second chance.... I wouldn't be so shy and afraid to meet new people. I would have gone to college, then marriage. Told many, many people how much I really valued their friendship....and so much more.
Love Sheri
submitted by: Judy Zabeau Shepherd
jzshepherd@aol.com
Roleta, what a moving Veteran's Day Newsletter. I enjoyed reading each one even though I didn't know everyone on the list. " In Flander's Field" and "Wouldn't It" were very moving and so appropriate.
My husband, Jack, graduated from WVU in 1960 and the next spring entered Officer's Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. After graduation he was sent for additional training at Fleet Sonar School in Key West, FL. Upon completion and marriage, we were stationed on the island of Eleuthera, BWI for two years. We finished our tour of duty at the Naval base in Norfolk, VA where our first child was born. In later years, his billet became unclassified and what was once classified material became public knowledge and was written in the book, Hunt For Red October. We were fortunate in that the only conflict going on at that time was the Cuban crisis.
Thanks for all the work you do on the WI Newsletter's. Even though I didn't graduate from WI, I did go to Morgan Grade School and WVU so I knew some from grade school and others from college. Now that I am "older", and the children on their own, I have more time to touch base with those from my past.
Thanks for including me on your mailing list.
Did you know that you can read the Clarksburg-Exponet-Telegram on line? Check it out:
http://www.cpubco.com
A bit of news from the Exponet-Telegram----
GLASS PLANT BLAZE FINALLY BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL
by Paul Darst
staff writer
Ten thousand tons of paper that caught fire Sunday night at the former Anchor Hocking glass plant in Clarksburg are expected to continue smoldering for the next couple of weeks, fire officials said Monday.
AND THE STORY CONTINUES---see newspaper for more
CBhammer12@aol.com
The regular season football schedule is about complete with only the final game against Philip Barbour remaining. The team is enjoying a fabulous season, having won eight games out of nine. Only a 7 to 6 loss to still undefeated Bridgeport stains their record. The loss was a result of a blocked extra point attempt.
The Eagles are currently ranked 11th in the AAA rankings. A win in the final game should improve their ranking, as Philip Barbour sports a 7 and 2 record. The top 16 teams in each division will be in the state playoffs, starting the first weekend in November. The Eagles seem assured of a playoff spot.
With a victory in it's final regular season game, the Robert C. Byrd Eagles made the playoffs for the third straight season. The team is ranked eighth in the AAA division, and will host the ninth ranked team from Keyser. Both teams are 9-1.
The game was played on Friday evening, November 3. Robert C. Byrd won the game by a 14-0 score, thus advancing to a next round game against the #1 ranked team from Morgantown. The game will be played on Saturday, Nov 11.
NEW E-MAIL ADDRESSES
Bud Collins (WI 55)
KEMils@aol.com
Jim Hovey (WI 62)
Jimparsons@Hotmail.com
Alberta Fragale (WI 62)
googlieyes44@aol.com
Charlie Means (WI 50)
mjcemeans@gateway.net
CHANGED E-MAIL ADDRESSES
Marolyn Tustin Jett (WI 56)
jettjd@aol.com
Bob Davis (WI 59)
RAD29063@AOL.COM
NO LONGER VALID E-MAIL ADDRESSES
Following are e-mail addresses that apparently are no longer valid. Please remember if you change your e-mail address, please notify us so we can keep our records up to date. If anyone has a valid address for any listed below, please notify me---Roleta1@aol.com
Nancy Jane Scardinia --- rjane@iolinc.net
Becky Hollandsworth Day --- uas@kuwait.net
Habie Snyder --- bsnyder@erols.com
Hank Ross --- rossh5@msn.com
Did you know that you can chat with your classmates and friends every Sunday night at 9:00 EST. on the computer---FREE? Some of you haven't been on in a while and we miss hearing from you.
For others, in order to join us, you must have AIM downloaded on your computer. Just go to www.AIM.com and follow the directions. You will have to choose a screen name. You can use your present screen name if you wish. In order to get into the chat room, you must notify me that you are indeed signed up to AIM and that you will be joining us on Sunday night at 9:00 PM. Then when you sign on to your net carrier and then AIM on Sunday night, one of the regulars will see that you have entered the AIM room and they will invite you into a chat. You can not enter the chat without a personal invitation.
By the way, if you sign on at 9:00 and there isn't anyone there, wait around about 10-15 minutes, someone usually will show up, remember clocks are set differently in each household.
Hope to see you there.
As you know in the September and October issues of the newsletter we had an old and a current picture of what we knew as the Clarksburg Public Library, currently known as the Waldomore Mansion. I was so curious about the home. I remember, when young, being told that one of the small houses in back of the library had been a kitchen and the other small houses were slave quarters. I also wondered how big an area the "Waldo plantation" covered. Since Dick Hanifan was in Clarksburg and was chatting with me on this subject, I asked if he could find out...here is his reply---Roleta
The original site was four acres. Back Street later Pike Street was the Southern boundary. The survey plat of 1900 did not show any "out buildings." Such survey's were rather accurate so more than likely the three out buildings were built after 1900 and were never slave quarters. One was a laundry building and the other two may have been servant quarters. No one knows. Two are used by the Library for storage and one is the residence of a staff member.
jkimler@ezwv.com
JOHN WILLIAM DAVIS
(1873-1955)
American lawyer and public official, born Clarksburg, WV April 13, 1873. The son of a prominent West Virginia Lawyer, he graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1892. He took his bachelor's degree in law there in 1895 and was admitted to the bar. He then established a law practice in Clarksburg. In 1899 Davis was elected to the WV House of Delegates.
Elected to Congress (1911-1915) from the 1st WV District, he resigned in 1913 on being appointed Solicitor General of the United States, a post which he occupied until 1918. At the same time he also served as counselor of the American Red Cross.
In September 1918 he was one of the United States delegates at a conference in Berne, Switzerland, with the Germans on the treatment and exchange of prisoners. Davis served as ambassador to Great Britain from 1918 to 1922 and in 1922 was elected president of the American Bar Association. He practiced law in New York City from 1921-1924.
In 1924 he won the Democratic nomination for the presidency, but was defeated in the election by Calvin Coolidge. In 1954 Davis successfully defended the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer against charges that he was a security risk. He is the author of "Party Government In The United States". He died in Charleston, SC March 24, 1955.
kmyer@harborside.com
Ever since the invitation went out to us to contribute something to the newsletter, I've been wondering what I might share. I can't imagine anyone being interested in my life since it seems so ordinary from the inside.
So I thought I'd share some of my favorite books. I've always loved to read, and needing a certain minimum of solitude, reading answers that need along with others. It's comforting to have some of my favorite people--writers, and many of them no longer with us--always available, and never complaining or noticing my shortcomings. Don't forget, if your local library doesn't have what you want, have them order it through inter-library loan.
I'll begin with the book that has given me most pleasure in recent years--"PrairyErth" by William Least Heat Moon (William Trogdon.) I took about 6 months to read it, a chapter or so most mornings to start the day. The construction reminds me so much of a patchwork quilt. There are 12 major sections corresponding to sections of a grid marked out on the reasonably square map of Chase County, Kansas (according to the author's calculations, the center of our country); each section contains 6 chapters. The first is a collection of readings from a sentence to a paragraph long. Others deal with local history, local flora and fauna, the town of that section and some of the people who live there. And there is a simple map of each section--I love maps!
The author spent time there, traipsing all over the land, visiting in people's homes, doing research in the local library. (You may remember his liking for this kind of life from his earlier book "Blue Highways".) Investigating the nest (lodge) of a wood rat (pack rat, trade rat) he finds "..along with a few small rocks and cow chips, are two pull tabs, a piece of beer bottle, half a tire-mashed chrome ballpoint pen, a plastic lens cap, and a spent bright yellow shotgun cartridge. A lodge built in the open woods or in a tree is typically a dome- shaped structure remarkably efficient in shedding rain and keeping out predators, an abode cozy enough to attract mice, shrews, lizards, toads, turtles, cottontails--all of which a wood rat will tolerate even though it will not share quarters with its own kind. Adult pack rats regard solitary life highly enough that they exchange scarred faces and torn ears for the pleasures of hermitry. Among their ways of fighting, incidentally, is a kind of sparring in which they stand and pummel each other like tiny pugilists, and tiring, rest their paws on the other's shoulders."
He finds his subjects fascinating and communicates his fondness for this unique part of the planet to us, connecting it all up with the whole of life--our brief individual ones and the life of planet earth.
Enjoy,
Karen Moffett Lattin
RKHanifan@aol.com
Rainelle, West Virginia was once a rip roaring company town from the early 1900s through the 1950s and home to what grew to be the world's largest hardwood lumber mill. After 1960 Rainelle, like many West Virginia towns, experienced an economic decline and the Meadow River Lumber Company was shut down December 28, 1970, and soon thereafter the land was sold to the CSX Rail Road.
My mother grew up in Rainelle and both Mom and Dad graduated from Rainelle High School. My grandfather was pastor of the Rainelle United Methodist Church 1929-1933. It was there that my mother and father first met. They were married in 1939 after both graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College and dad from the Medical College of Virginia.
There is not much left in Rainelle these days but for one major landmark of historical significance; the Rainelle United Methodist Church (RUMC). Back about 1912 The Meadow River Lumber Company promised the community it would build one church but the employees of the Company had to choose the denomination. The church was built in 1914 and after a lot of politicking they chose to be Methodist.
From the outside the church looks to be your typical white, wooden, small town church but the inside is a golden treasure. The building is about ninety-eight percent wormy chestnut. It is billed as the world's largest free standing all wood wormy chestnut structure. Words can't begin to describe the rich warm glow radiated by the wormy chestnut in the interior of the building. Equally mind boggling are the 30 inch wide single piece chestnut boards found in some of the interior doors. Can you imagine a tree in West Virginia big enough to yield a 30 inch wide board?
If you are in the southern part of the state visiting Babcock State Park just west of Rainelle or Greenbrier State Forest just east of Rainelle getting your VIPP* card stamped, stop in Rainelle and visit this unique structure. If you would like a cyberspace visit go to www.inetone.net/rainelumc and be sure to click on the history button for a tour of some more pictures along with a brief history narrative.
The Chestnut tree about covered the East coast before the 1900s. The wood was stronger than oak, had a beautiful straight grain and lasted forever so was used for about everything. In the 1920s a blight hit and killed all the chestnut trees. Lumber companies still cut the timber until it was all gone. What was a beautiful wood was more so after the blight because of the dark worm holes throughout the wood. It was the worms that killed all the chestnut trees. Even today one cannot grow chestnut trees in North America. Once one sees the wood you'll fall in love with it. I never met anyone that likes wood that didn't like "wormy" chestnut.
Since God isn't making anymore wormy chestnut, people are buying old buildings and tearing them down just to get the chestnut lumber. An old building that looks like you couldn't give it away may sell for several thousand dollars if it has chestnut in it.
The death of the chestnut tree is about like Dutch Elm Disease and the Gypsy Moth.
*See the story about the VIPP program in the October 2000 issue of the newsletter.
Enjoy - Richard K. Hanifan
Bumpes@aol.com
Lillie Bauer
1925 yearbook picture...............................1959 yearbook picture
From: Warren Whaley
WKWhaley@cs.com
My 1st grade teacher, Miss Thomas. She could remember every student that she ever taught.
My 3rd grade teacher, Miss Wright. She took an interest in me. She would give me tickets and make arrangements for me to attend different cultural events. I knew then that she was very nice and kind.
Miss Bailey was an excellent teacher. She said, "You can always find a word to more accurately describe what you want to say." She was a real professional.
Mr. Gudekunst was my math teacher for 3 years. He was great. When he would see that I had finished all the questions on the test, he would give me a smirk and would write another bunch of questions on the board. Then he turn around suddenly and give me another smirk. He was filled with enthusiasm and energy.
Mr Duckworth, my physics teacher, was a truly fine gentleman. Jim White and I would get into trouble with the school administration, but he would step in and bail us out.
Mr. Moore, my coach, was the kind of man that deserved my respect. He was a quiet man, but you just knew he was really tough. I watched him as a middle-aged man demonstrate how to do a downfield block and it was executed perfectly. But the thing I liked most about him was that he was a very nice man.
From: Bob Teter
bteter@netzero.net
I just know there are tons of stories about Mr. Gudekunst out there. He taught math to some of us and I will try to relate one of my favorite memories.
We always were into stuff to test him in the algebra class. I remember one of our number, who will go nameless, coming to class after eating raw garlic and did all he could to get in Mr.G's face. I don't think Mr. G ever caught on to what was the deal, but he sure stepped abruptly away from the perpetrator.
Aside - They would put teachers today away for a long time for some of the antics Mr. G used to encourage learning in his classes, like throwing erasers at those trying to catch a few Z's.
Time is short as I must get to some homework!
Thanks for the great job with the newsletter!
FROM: Bill Fowler
billf@ngn.com
My favorite teacher was Lillie Mae Bauer in senior speech. I also liked Mrs Bailey in senior english.
A favorite place to go on dates was the "passion pit" at the Ellis-Drive In Theater. Also the Sunset, the Skyline, Snyder's Drive In, which later became the Park Drive In. And of course, the Ritz and Robinson Grand. And never, Moore's Opera House or the Orpheum.
I go to downtown Clarksburg today and it is very sad. The town is dead and gone. Some names from my past as I move down Main Street are: Beneficial Finance, Western Union, Anderson's Restaurant, Creighton Music, Roger's Drug Store with Rufas and Peanut Butter Flops, J. C. Penney's, the Arcade with Drexal's, Hagen's, Kyle and Company, Rex Heck, Home Industry, The Sport Shop, The Goff Bldg, Aaron's Shoes, The Union Bank, The Prunty Bldg., OJ Morrison's, James and Law, and on the other side, Watts Sartor Lear, Parsons Souders, Lowdnes Bank, Merchants Bank, Nuzbaum's, GC Murphys, McCroys, WT Grant, FW Woolworth, The Empire Bank and RB Roach Insurance.
Remember also Hammett and Harper, The Coffee Mill, Bland's and the Gore Hotel. Also, Melet's and Maunz, and Manny Maunz, and Loar and White and Broida's. Remember Candyland and the Chicago Dairy and the West Penn. The New York Hat Cleaners, and the Strand and Recreation and the Manhattan Restaurant and the Workingman's Store. And Jerry's Auto and Sanitary Hot Dog.
The Stonewall Jackson Hotel with "magic doors", and the Waldo, and the Evans and the Parsons Hotel. Wilbur Marr Jewelry, and the beloved Stonewall Billard's with Al and Ray. And, the Carmichael Auditorium for basketball. And so very much more. I could go on.
The only business left in that list is Bland's and that, barely. Not because the people left Clarksburg, but because Clarksburg left the people and did not, if you remember let urban renewal go on in the early 60's. They wanted to build a covered mall on Main Street and let new business come in. But the city fathers in all their "wisdom" voted that down and the "boom" went to Bridgeport Hill.
It is very sad to watch your home town deteriorate and "go away"
Anybody else have memories of anything I have forgotten?
EDITOR'S NOTE TO YOU: Did the above articles cause a light to come on in your head? Do you remember these places? Do you remember a favorite teacher or story from school? Won't you share it with us? Everyone is interested in 'THE GOOD OLD DAYS".
jkimler@ezwv.com
bbeall9346@aol.com
Pictured above are some of the Harrison County Representatives who are at Jackson's Mill this week receiving citizenship training at the annual 1957 Boys State Camp which will conclude Sunday.
First row, left to right: Thomas Reasinger from Notre Dame High School; Richard Van Scoy, Victory; Patrick Carney, Notre Dame; Ronald Jarvis, David Jett and James Highland, all of Roosevelt-Wilson.
Second row: Gino R. Colombo and Gary Bailey, both of Washington Irving; Michael Handley, Notre Dame; and Neil Bennett, Victory.
Third row: Dale Hathaway and Don Carmichael, both of Bridgeport; Michael Waroblak, W.I.; Paul Criss, Notre Dame; and Ronald Mancuso, Victory.
Fourth row: Richard Rockenstein, James Marple and Paul Rector all of W. I.; Kenley Menendez, Thomas Cottrill and James Fittro, all of Victory.
Fifth row: Francis Beall, Notre Dame, and John Funk, W. I.
Would you like to see a picture of those from the WI Class of 1958 who attended the 1958 Class reunion? Check out the main menu of the Kimler website. http://kimler.8m.com.There Judy has put a notice about how to view the various class reunion pictures
Thanks to Judy for all of her great work.
In the Morgan tap dance picture featured in the October issue of your newsletter---
Rex Zickefoose and his sister agree and sent the name of another one they recognized in the picture: Karen Combs is the farthest to the right kneeling.
Karen is that you? Let us know.
In the December newsletter I would like to print from each of you a letter on the subject of Christmas. I want you to go back in time to when you were a child. I am hoping you will send me a memory of your most memorable Christmas as a child. Or write to me about your biggest Christmas surprise. Thank you in advance for your contributions. I look forward to hearing from all readers. Please help me! roleta1@aol.com
roleta1@aol.com
Judy and I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving. Here is one of my favorite choruses from church. It really came to mind when thinking about the November issue of the newsletter.
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy One,
give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ his son.
And now let the weak say "I am strong";
let the poor say "I am rich"
because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks
