WI CLASS OF 1959 NEWSLETTER
Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith Issue 7 March 2000

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY
IRISH BLESSING

May the roads rise to meet you,
May the winds be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.




FROM A CLASSMATE
submitted by: JOY GREGORIE STALNAKER
hcpd@access.mountain.net

I get warm fuzzies when I read our newsletter --- although I shed a few tears too. The thrills of traveling, the joys of grandparenthood, the anticipation of retirement. . . the pain of our classmates when they lose a child or a spouse or a parent. . . and the delight in finding another classmate.

I'm still working hard to locate Loretta Mayer. Over Christmas I came across a letter she wrote to me in 1957 from her grandfather Joseph Rossman's home in Plainfield, NJ. I have that address. I have also learned that her mother, Beatrice Mayer, died in November 1993, perhaps in Plainfield. I sure would like to find one of our New Jersey classmates who would be willing to go to the public library in Plainfield and spend an afternoon going through the obituaries in the November 1993 Plainfield newspapers to see what they might find. An obituary would give us Loretta's married name.

I wonder how many remember Fred Wyant, the WVU quarterback who led the Mountaineers to a victory over Penn State after several years off being beaten by them. He went on to play for the Redskins and then was an NFL referee for many years. Fred now lives in Morgantown. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak this past weekend at a Lions Club conference. And this time, he had on a Penn State sweatshirt!!!!!!!!!! :)
Fred was from Weston.



DETECTIVES
submitted by: Roleta Smith Meredith
ROLETA1@aol.com

At the beginning of February I started a group of detectives from our 1959 Class. Those detectives are Phil Gloss, Phyllis Fittro Brown, Sharyn Cottrill McGahan and Charlie Burkhammer. All 4 have contributed information on classmates. We are narrowing the field of missing classmates. Hopefully we will have found everyone soon. Do we have any volunteers to join our DETECTIVES? We found 3 classmates and published their addresses in the February newsletter and another 4 for the March newsletter. READ ON:

CLASSMATE INFORMATION:

Dear Roleta

I have ANOTHER CLASSMATE ! The phone book is such a great tool. Looked up "Moran" in Clarksburg and the first one to answer was a winner. Don Moran is Sandy Moran's brother and he lives in Clarksburg. Sandy comes home every Christmas Eve and several times during the year to visit her Mother who lives at Country Club Road in Clarksburg and goes by the last name of "Morano".

Here's Sandy's address:

Sandy Moran Ferguson
Spouse is Russell
191 Plantation Road
Pliny, WV 25158

Pliny is a small town near Charleston, WV. Sandy does not work.
I will have the address for Vivian Gillespie, Judy Grant, and maybe information about Eugene Davis in a few days.
I've always said it's hard to totally disappear.
Enjoy the newsletter very much. Thanks, Phyllis Fittro Brown

Roleta
A few more phone calls (thank you AT&T) and we have another classmate: Vivian Gillespie has been found! I first had to call my son Chad, in Parkersburg. Chad had played football at Glenville State College with the nephew of Vivian. I could only remember him as "Bubba". Chad then told me his real name is Brian Hill, which led me to his mother-Mrs. Hill. Do you know how many Hills there are in Clarksburg? This being the mountain state and all.... Anyway I located Louise Hill, the sister of Vivian, and we now have the address as :

Vivian Gillespie
720 Lenox Avenue
Asplanade Garden Apt. 11-H
New York, NY 10039
(212) 690-2932

Vivian left Clarksburg shortly after graduation with other family members and found jobs in the big city where she has lived for years. She works as the night admissions clerk in a nearby hospital. It's been years since Vivian has been home to Clarksburg. I had a very enjoyable phone visit with Vivian's sister, Louise.

I'll make a few phone calls about Bernard later. Busy, busy today.
Phyllis (Sherlock) Fittro Brown

THIRD ONE FOUND THIS MONTH

Thanks to the www.Hilltoppers Bulletin Board (where I posted a notice) to those who answered my query, and to Phil Gloss for research. All this work and we found another classmate:

Bernard J. Snyder
2402 Barracks Road, Apt. 4
Charlottesville, VA 22901-2204.
804 293-9392.

WE ARE CLOSING THE GAP:
FOUND ANOTHER ONE:
submitted by Phil Gloss
pgloss@home.com

Louella Knight Wiseman
12507 Antean Way
Houston, Texas 77605-4023
281-469-5508

IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE READ!!!!!!

We still need help locating some classmates:. I have recently found out that many people in Clarksburg have the same ancestors or are distantly related in some way or the other. If you have any leads or any ideas on any of the following 10 missing classmates, please contact me. We would love to find everyone.

Ray Allen Peggy Tibbs Loretta Mayer
Eugene Davis Cheryl Gill Rasmussen Judy Grant Prout
Richard McIntere John Murphy Robert Neal
Peggy Robinson Michael
    


CHANGE OF E-MAIL ADDRESSES

Judy Davis Pinti
Dear Roleta: Just a note to let you know that my address is now
jpinti@altavista.com. Thanks! Judy Davis Pinti

Habie Snyder

Roleta has been sending e-mail to bsnyer thinking it was Habie Snyder---so if you have written Habie and he hasn't responded it is because I didn't have it correct. So correct your records...and drop him a note---this time he will answer. Write HABIE SNYDER at bjsnyder@erols.com. DON'T forget the J.



OBITUARIES
RUTH ANN MARTIN'S FATHER

CLARKSBURG -- Gerald C. Martin, 88, Clarksburg, died Saturday, Feb. 12, 2000, at his residence.

He was born Nov. 11, 1911, Seatonville, Ill., a son of the late Charles Thomas and Anna Kilinger Martin.

His wife, Ruth Sigley Martin, whom he married Oct. 30, 1937, survives. Also surviving are three sons, Donald Martin, Butler Pa., Randal Martin, Reynoldsville, Ohio, and James Martin, Clarksburg; one daughter, Ruth Martin Hill, Stone Mountain, Ga.; two sisters, Annabelle and Lucille Martin, both of LaSalle, Ill.; eight grandchildren and two great -grandchildren.

Mr. Martin was a 50-year member of the United Methodist Temple Church in Clarksburg. He was involved as an adult leader for several years with the Boy Scouts of America.

He had been employed for many years with the Grafton Coal and King Knob Coal companies.

DEATH OF A CLASSMATE


William C. Baber II
CLARKSBURG -- William C. Baber II, 59, of 119 Hartland Avenue, Clarksburg, died at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000 in Ruby Memorial Hospital, Morgantown.

He was born Dec. 6, 1940, in Clarksburg, a son of Dr. William C. and Madge E. Smith Baber. His mother died Sunday morning, Feb. 27, 2000 in United Hospital Center, Clarksburg.

Mr. Baber was a member of the Stealey United Methodist Church, the Harrison County Senior Citizens, the U.S. Chess Federation, a local bicycle club, AARP and Hackers Creek Pioneer Descendants. He had been instrumental in forwarding the Rails to Trails program in Central West Virginia.

Friends will be received at the Davis-Weaver Funeral Home, 329, East Main Street, Clarksburg from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday. A funeral service for Mr. Baber and his mother will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with Rev. Susan Rector conducting. Interment will be in Elk View Masonic Cemetery.



NEW MEETING PLACE
submitted by: ROLETA
ROLETA1@AOL.COM

We are going to keep meeting on AIM on Sunday nights at 9:00PM. However, we have missed a lot of you. Apparently several people either can't or won't download AIM. So in order to see if more people will join in the chats, we are meeting each Wednesday night in the month of March at 9:00 PM at the old address.....yes--Wednesday night, March 8, at 9:00 PM on www.hilltoppers.com. Hope a lot of you show up. Let's see if it works out better for more of you to meet on Wednesdays in March. This invitation is extended to all on this mailing list. Not just the Class of 1959.....Please join us for a chat....



FINALLY A NEW ADDRESS AND PHONE
submitted by: Jean and Jim Hornor
JYH2125@aol.com

Well, we have been in our home for over 2 weeks. Needless to say the email has piled up because of the inadequacy of uswest the only phone company and consequently a monopoly in Colorado. Anyway we had our order in on dec 7 for a hook up on Jan 31. They came Feb 7 and decided they didn't have the right stuff to hook us up. The fiber optics have been in at the ranch for over a year with each house having capabilities of 6 lines but supposedly it was something at the main office. They told us it would be April 15th before we had phone service. well, like everything else in life you have to be persistent. We called every day and pulled any string we could find. Today as I was out making a cell phone call on a high hill I saw a US West truck and when I got to the house he had pulled into our drive way. I couldn't believe it. Anyway I had lots of messages on AOL - thanks for all the updates. I would have answered but had no way. We are ready for company all boxes are unpacked except for the stuff in the store room that will be picked up by family by this summer hopefully. Sorry for the form letter but I promise to keep up now that I'm on line. Oh yes the house is beautiful. I think it turned out great. Love J&J
Our address is
4643 STARFFIRE CIRCLE
Castle Rock, Colorado 80104
NEW PHONE # 303 -663-9311



MILITARY
submitted by: ROLETA
ROLETA1@aol.com

I am compiling a record of WI classmates who served in the military. Please help me. If you know of anyone who served in the military, will you please send me their name and branch of service? For those of you who have submitted, thanks. It would be nice to have a brief history of your military service. So if you could please send me a paragraph relating to this I will then have it with the records. When this is finished, I will publish it in the newsletter.



SOME NAMES AND PLACES TO JOG YOUR MEMORY
submitted by: Brooke Beall
bbeall9346@aol.com

EDITOR'S NOTE: Following is the kind of letter that jogs the memory and we all welcome that type of exercise don't we? By the way, I have never met Brooke, he wrote to me and asked me to add him to the WI e-mail list. He graduated from N.D. I enjoy hearing from him....he certainly has a good memory and knew a lot of people. I hope others will follow his lead and start submitting the same type of article......We certainly enjoy hearing about the old times and the current ones. Let's face it, we just like to be in touch....Thanks Brooke, we look forward to hearing from you again soon....

Roleta,

Instead of just complete ramblings, I have tried to put some order to the note that I sent you sometime ago. Some of the folks that I mentioned were as follows: These folks were a couple of years older than I, maybe graduated in '55 or '56. Dave Bell lived just down the street from me on Wilson Street. Mike Trecost lived across the street from Dave. He has a younger brother Tom. Bob McGee was another guy from up on the "hill". Sue Hartsock also was in that age group, along with Jane Byrnside. Some of the folks that were younger than me on the hill were: Jeanie Long, Nancy VanGilst, Jeannie Wells (younger sister Kitty), Kitty Hess, Bonnie lived on 5th Street. There were a lot of kids on the hill in those days, just can't remember them all.

Thanks for sending me Barry Mazza's email address. Barry and I knew each other in High School, but were roommates for a semester at Potomac State. As you know Barry has a younger sister, Belinda. I think she lives in CA now. Barry and I had a 20 min. "IM" earlier this afternoon. Some of the other WI grads that I met at Pot State were Gary Carpenter, Dean Henry, Bill Zoniser (sp), Glen Morrison, Larry Layman, just to mention a few. There were a bunch more that came to Pot State as freshmen when I was a sophomore. Fred Alvaro, Anthony Julian. I think at one time we had about 30 people from Harrison County at Pot State. By the way, if anyone out there knows the whereabouts of Dean Henry, let Barry and I know. Dean lived across the street from WI, I heard that he got kidded a lot about being late for school.

Of course there were the guys from Stealy that I met, some during high school, some at WV Boy's State. Dick Hanifan, Ralph (Buck) Selby, Buck Hornor (Jim's brother),Glen Morrison, and Bob Turner lived in Stealy also.

The rest of the WI guys that I know came through my spending way too much time at the "Stonewall Billards", or Benedum Civic Center (Friday nites). Like most kids at the time, I also spent a lot of time with my head under the hood of a car. That made for even more connections. That's how I met guys like Pooter Clovis, Nick Alvaro, and many more.

Growing up in Clarksburg in the 50's was a fun experience, wouldn't change a thing. The neighborhood up on the hill was a fun place. There were lots of good people there. I visited the hill several years ago with my youngest daughter, and was shocked to see what it has turned into. My mother still lives in CKB, but in Goff Plaza now, so had not been on 7th for a long time. It sure is not how I remembered it. Pretty run down now, was almost embarrassed to tell my daughter that I grew up there.

As usual, I am sure that I have given you way more information than you wanted. My wife and I have recently finished building a home at Lake Gaston, VA. I wanted to include a picture that would mean a lot to the people that read your newsletter, but it has been misplaced in the move. I'll find it and send it along to you later. It is a picture of the "Green Parrot".

looking forward to the next edition of your newsletter.

Regards,
Brooke

PS: Most of your readers know me better by my nickname.



OTHERS ON OUR LIST
submitted by: ROLETA
ROLETA1@AOL.COM

It is so nice that Clarksburg people other than we "SNOBS" from WI are enjoying and participating in making our newsletter more interesting. If you are reading this newsletter and are not on our mailing list, please contact me. Here are some e-mail addresses of some people not in our class. Maybe you recognize them and would like to get in touch..

Barry Mazza (I believe class of 57) at Mutzy007@aol.com
Jim Alvaro (known to us as Fred's big brother??) class of 56 at jalvaro@aol.com
BrookeBeall (N.D. class of 56) at bbeall9346@aol.com
Carol VanHorn Dean (Class of 58) at DBLU2@aol.com
David Rowe (class of 57) at DCR@citynet.net
MarolynTustin Jett (class of 56) jdjett@ibm.net
Judy Noe Ashland (NDclass of 58) JuJubee40@aol.com
Jean Singleton Horner (WI Class of 60) JYH2125@aol.com

I may not have some of the graduation dates correct....but am close. Please send me any corrections. If I have missed anyone, please let me know.



SOME THOUGHTS
submitted by: Roleta
Roleta1@aol.com

Remember this is OUR newsletter. Please contribute. It would be nice to get some happy thoughts or some memories of yours to publish here. A favorite dance, game, song, teacher, friends, store, hot dog place, activities, sporting event or anything of interest. Spread some memories......Let's have some fun....Or let us know what you have been doing with yourself since high school. We are all interested.




FOR SOME FUN!!!
submitted by: Carol Van Horn Dean
DBLU@aol.com

DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST !
It only takes 30 seconds...... Work this out as you read.
Make sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out !
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's GOOD.

1. First of all, pick a number (single digit)

2.Multiply this number by 2 (Just to be bold)

3. Add 5. (sounds like a good number)

4. Multiply it by 50. (being from Clarksburg---I am sure you won't need a calculator )

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1750.

If you haven't, add 1749.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born. (to remind you------it was 1940 plus or minus a year or two...I personally have lied about mine so much that I don't remember when I was born....after all I am only 39---roleta)

The first digit of this was your original number

The second two digits are your age and it shows.

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2000) IT WILL EVER WORK.




WI WINTER GET TOGETHER
submitted by: ROLETA
ROLETA1@aol.com

The first annual Winter Florida, WI get together took place February 18 and 19th in Sarasota, Florida. Friday night Bob and Carolyn White Rector hosted all at a cocktail party where plans for the weekend were discussed. On Saturday, Bill Meredith hosted the men in a golf outing at Laurel Oak Country Club in Sarasota. While the men golfed the women shopped. Saturday evening found everyone enjoying memories, pictures and later a dinner at a local restaurant. Plans are to have the second annual WI Winter Get together in Mt. Dora, Florida in January or February of 2001. Jay and Mickey Sharp volunteered to check on accommodations available in Mt. Dora. Mt. Dora is a quaint older Florida town full of antique shops, gift shops and art. Jay assures us that there are golf courses and many things to do that will interest all.



SOUND ADVICE
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present!




Erin Go Braugh

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