THE WI NEWSLETTER 09/09


THE WI NEWSLETTER


Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith Issue 121- BEGINNING
OUR 11TH YEAR 		September 2009




TO YOU

submitted by: Roleta Smith Meredith (WI '59)
Roleta1@aol.com

Judy and I would like to thank each of you for all of your support through the last 10 years. Hope you continue to be a part of the newsletter and of our lives.




PLEASE FLY YOUR AMERICAN FLAG ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET!

We should always show respect to our nation on this date. It was the first time in modern times that the United States was attacked on our soil by a foreign enemy.



SEPTEMBER AND BACK TO SCHOOL

I need your help with identification of those pictured…

Here is a picture of the fifth grade at Morgan Grade School taught by Mrs. Malone. The picture was taken in the Fall of 1956. Joe Malone is the teacher's son and graduated from WI in 1952. He is one of our readers who has been a supporter of the scholarship. He came up with a scheme for a way to provide more money for the scholarship. He has promised to donate an unspecified "per head bounty" for each student in the picture who is identified by row/seat. Yes, he knows each name as his mother wrote the names on the back of the picture. (Every one you recognize counts, even the two left out due to size limitations) So put on your thinking cap and help us out here....The Scholarship needs the money. So write your identification of the student and send it to: Roleta1@aol.com. I would love for each child to be named so the scholarship will benefit.





EDITOR’S NOTE:
Let’s start a Sports section. I have tried this (along with the help of Bill Meredith) many times. I know you people are watching sports on TV or there wouldn’t be so many of them on the box! So why not talk here about the team, the coach, that stupid play, the favorite player, etc. Tell us why you watch sports. Did you participate in sports when young? Let’s talk. Bill has agreed to monitor this section…So write to him at billmere@aol.com or you can write to me as I know him really well and can send your letter to him…write me at Roleta1@aol.com.

Here is a starter: Thanks Bill

submitted by: Bill Meredith (Monongah '57)
billmere@aol.com

As a huge sports fan I'm bored. Nothing to watch on TV. Nothing much to read about in the newspapers.

I think they used to call this time of the year "The Dog Days Of Summer". As I recall that referred to, at least in my mind, the hot, humid days of August when summer was winding down and the start of school was a few weeks away. I felt this mostly during grade school. We were kind of tired of summer, but not enough to want to return to school. During high school, August meant getting in shape for football. Practice started August 15. During college days, I didn't have time to get bored, what with working, dating and trying to save enough money to make it through another year of school. Prior to free agency and the first player's strike, I really enjoyed baseball this time of year, but the players switching teams and the outrageous salaries soured me on the game, so I don't pay much attention to it now.

They say what goes around comes around. Well, I've come full circle and the dog days are back. They actually start right after March Madness ends in the Spring. This year, I got a brief respite, when the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. That was short lived, as they were eliminated in the first round.

Then, today I read something that gave me hope. The Mountaineers start fall practice next Saturday. Hallelujah !!! Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I will have four weeks of good reading in the W.Va. papers as the writers discuss how wonderful Jarrett Brown will perform as Pat White's replacement, how Noel Devine could win the Heisman Trophy, how Wes Lyons will finally catch some passes and how Bill Stewart was the right man for the job.

September 5 starts the season. I'm hoping for a 13-0 record and a national championship, but I'll settle for 10, 11 or 12 wins and enjoy the season. Anything less and I'll wonder what might have been if only they hadn't done this or that or any number of other things. At least there's always the Steelers. Maybe another Super Bowl win. And let's not forget, later, I'll get to enjoy Bob Huggins and his "can't miss" roundballers. Will this be the year we win it all. I can't wait to see.

(Then, it will be Spring of 2010 and my reaction will probably be:) WOW !! What a season! Wasn't it wonderful. But, oh no, here it comes again, the dog days of March, April, etc., etc. Maybe I'll watch the WNBA or MLS Soccer. Oh please, have I become that desperate? What's the name of that new pro football league? Maybe A-Rod isn't being paid too much and didn't really take steroids.

Wait. I've got it !! "Where's that new driver? Roleta, call and get us a tee time. If I'm going to suffer through these "Dog Days" anyhow, I might as well really suffer." FORE !!!!



AL CASTELLANA

EDITOR’S NOTE: I often put in the newsletter notices of upcoming events. And I did advertise the evening planned to honor Al Castellana. I live in Florida (and many of our readers live outside WV) and seldom get to attend any of these interesting events that take place in Clarksburg. So I am always curious of the outcome of the event that I have mentioned in the newsletter. Sometimes people reply and tell us about attending the event. Everyone enjoys hearing about them. I encourage you to write and share the outcome of such events with us.

John Cooper (WI 1951) Mysto99@aol.com did attend this event along with over 100 others to honor Coach Castellana. Thanks John for sharing the evening with us.

He writes:
I first saw the announcement for the evening honoring Coach Castellana in the August WI newsletter, then later the ad and article was in the local newspaper.

The salute to Al Castellana on Saturday night 8-8-09 at Knights of Columbus in Clarksburg was a big success. I was there. The place was packed! I am not sure but had to be over 100. The place was full.

I have known Al since we were young guys in high school. He went to St. Mary's High School and played football with a long time boyhood friend and neighbor of mine Vince Costa, who passed away 2 years ago. I went to WI and played for Clay B. Hite, along with Bob Harrison who sat at our table for the event. Bob got up and had a few good things to say about Al. His words of praise for Al were indeed well said. A couple others got up including a player from Leager High School, McDowell Country where Al had coached him.

One of the hilarious high lights was Al describing his early days of coaching teams in rural West Virginia. He told about when the games ended up in a brawl and never really got finished.

My ego was driving me nuts at the very last so I had to get up and tell how Al would come up to my house with the three Lowther Brothers (WI) from Glen Elk #2 who I ran around with in high school. We played football on the lot in back of my house at Country Club-Spring Hill, I was a country boy when I went to WI--now that area is a sprawling suburb of Clarksburg. Al would be kind of rough when we played ball. I asked John Lowther why Al always played so rough. John told me, "Al takes football seriously and is going to be a football coach." (John, a graduate of WI--passed away last year.) I reminded Al that he made it and did quite good at it..!

Al's records of coaching not only football but other sports were noted, with photos, etc, on display to prove it. It indeed was a great night for Al , and all who attended a salute to a great Clarksburg- Harrison County-West Virginia Sports Icon..! You should have been there...!!



AMAZING GRACE

MY FAVORITE HYMN SUNG IN ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES

Watch this, it is beautiful. I don’t know if I have shared this in the newsletter before but I have it in my favorite places and visit it often. I have received this many times so I just wanted to make sure all of you have the opportunity to see this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc



WEST VIRGINIA WINTER WONDERLAND



Many ladies are busy making quilt squares that they send to Sue Selby Moats who will then put them together to make a beautiful quilt . These ladies do such a good job every year and we all appreciate them taking the time and using their talents to become a part of this project. Sue then does all the quilting and will make a quilt that is covered with squares of snowflakes.

Above is a sample of the material that will be used as the major part of the 2010 WIN Scholarship Quilt. This is a money making project for the scholarship. All proceeds go directly to the WIN Scholarship account.

The tickets are now on sale. The tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00, etc. You can make your check out to: Roleta Meredith/WIN Scholarship and tell me you want tickets for the quilt drawing. We will then make sure you get your tickets.

Mail to: Roleta Meredith
C/O Meredith Brothers, Inc
3025 Switzer Ave
Columbus, Ohio

This month I received letters and Birthday cards which included money for the WIN Scholarship from the following:

Lucy Hornor Thanks for the belated birthday card and wishes.

Leslie McKenley Wallace (WI 1960) Thanks for helping a student with college costs.

Penny Christie Johnson (WI 1960) Thanks for the generous gift and your continued support of the Scholarship.

Dick Fitch Thanks for your continued support for the scholarship.

David Grimes Thanks for thinking of the scholarship.

Tony Bellotte (WI 1956) Thanks for the birthday wishes to me which included money for the scholarship.

Judy Aspy Payne (WI 1959) Thank you for your very generous gift.

WI NEWSLETTER CD'S

Thanks to these people who purchased CD's and contributed to the WIN Scholarship.

Linda Blankenship Stevenson (WI 58)
Ray Allen (WI '59) Ray puchased 2 CD's. One for himself and one for his sister.
Steve White (WI '66)
Babe Bisping Cashman (WI '56)

NOTE FROM JUDY: Babe's purchase is the one that put me at $1000 contributed to the Scholarship. Now I need to start on my 2nd $1000. We started selling the CD's after our 2004 45th reunion so it only took 5 yrs to reach the 1st $1000. I hope it doesn't take that long to reach $2000.



SNOWFLAKE BLOCKS FOR THE RAFFLE QUILT

submitted by: Kitty Sager (wife of Don Sager WI '56)
forwvu@sc.rr.com



My six blocks to be used in the quilt.

Kitty Sager




NEW NEWSLETTER READERS

Jim Ayers (WI '67) jayers@citynet.net
Frank Taylor (RW '55) taylor.frank52@yahoo.com
Karen Queen Carvelli (WI '59) JKCarvelli@aol.com
Carolyn Hornor Wilson (would have been WI '60) chw10@verizon.net
Ruthann Castellana (WI '88)
 ruthann.castellana@gmail.com

CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESS

Jim King (WI '73) jking@lifequest-services.com
Anne Ryan White (WI '65) Anne.White@workflowone.com
Marjorie Murphy Kovach (WI '65) marjorielkovach@gmail.com
Diana Calverley Haskell (WI '60) haskelldiana@verizon.net
Roberta Brassine Larson (ND '57)
 bertspals@nc.rr.com
Guy Wright (WI '50) and
Elizabeth Bramham Wright (WI '52)		 guylibbyw@yahoo.com
Gary Robey (WI '57) robey.g@gmail.com
Philip Wygal (WI '60) pwygal@frontiernet.net



SEPTEMBER SONGS

submitted by: Steve Goff (WI '72)
sgoff53@hotmail.com

Sorry I missed the August issue of the newsletter, but my internet provider, Suddenlink, suddenly went out and was MIA for six days. Here at Lake Floyd we get what they call "rural" service, which seems to mean "let's wait until more people out there have the same problem, then we'll fix it"; not a good way to do business.

At the time I was also preparing for my three comedy shows in Morgantown, so I had to scramble my schedule and the August edition of "tunes" had to be abandoned. This will be a combo edition, featuring "oldies" from both August and September.

I want to thank all of the WI alum who showed up for the comedy shows and helped make them a great success. In attendance were Hilltoppers from the '40's; '50's; '60's and '70's. From the stage, each night was kind of liking looking into a living WI yearbook. We all had great fun and I will be doing more comedy in the Clarksburg area soon.

Bring on the music!! These songs were all number one in either August or September of years gone by.

Since September was the first full month where we all headed back to school, let's recall those days with "School Days", by Chuck Berry. This got up to #3 in April of 1957. Here is a great live version (with lyrics) from 1969. "Ring, ring goes the bell..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYTl-0Nx4Pk

1949..."Some Enchanted Evening"....Perry Como. I must say when I began this very fun music project for everyone's favorite alumni newsletter, I knew who Perry Como was; had been to his hometown (Cannonsburg, PA); and I remembered watching his TV show in the late 50's from my childhood ("letters...we get letters"); but I had no idea he had so many #1 records. This at least the fourth time he has been included in "tunes" piece. Well, here's one more by "Mr. C." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pqRl2GH_uc

1952..."Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart"....Vera Lynn. During WWII this British vocalist was known as "The Forces Sweetheart". In 1940 she had her own BBC radio program and sang songs as requested by British troops. As the war progressed she serenaded and entertained many American and Allied solider. In July of 1952, Lynn's "Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart" became the first record by a British performer to top the charts in the United States, doing so for nine weeks, including the entire month of August. I found no video of her performing the song, but here is the tune by itself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVTUBR9SlmI

1955..."Rock Around the Clock"...Bill Haley & His Comets. One of the original calling cards of this new fangled music called rock and roll, Haley's recording became an anthem for rebellious Fifties youth and is widely considered to be the song that, more than any other, brought rock and roll into mainstream culture in the United States and around the world. I always waited for that "crazy" guitar break and in this live clip you get a good feel for the energy these guys brought to the table. Go cat go! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-T8OBCPLp4&feature=related

1958..."Volare"... Domenico Modugno. This could be a tribute to Clarksburg's Italian Heritage Festival. This comes from the Ed Sullivan show!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4IjJav7xbg

1961... "Michael (Row the Boat Ashore)"...The Highwaymen. This song was an African-American spiritual dating from the Civil War ear. The early '60's was a banner period for folk music and many "folk songs" ended up in the top 40. Few did as well as this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsl-XiWMnuc&feature=related

1964..."House of the Rising Sun"...The Animals. Here is yet another folk song, this time coming from the Blues, and sung by one of the groups of the British Invasion. In wide screen format, no less! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C86oH5RwyJg

1967..."Ode to Billy Joe"...Bobbie Gentry. Still a wonderfully, mysterious song that gets under my skin and into rotation on my inner I-pod and then stays with for me days at a time. This comes from the Smother's Brothers program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc

1970..."War"...Edwin Starr. One of the most under rated and over looked artists in the Motown stable of stars, Edwin Starr delivers one of the great anti-war songs of all time. Check out that funky baritone sax poking in and out of this tune to punctuate the proceedings. Live version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv5BYEOQYLo

1973..."Let's Get It On"...Marvin Gaye. What a talent this guy was! This song is about...well...you'll figure it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=BKPoHgKcqag&feature=related

1976..."Play That Funky Music"...Wild Cherry. The band's name "Wild Cherry" was taken from a box of cough drops and the band, formed in Steubenville, OH., played the Ohio Valley region, the West Virginia panhandle, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I saw them a number of times in Morgantown when I was at WVU. I loved to dance, was good at it, and this became a bit of an anthem for me when I would throw down. This white boy could DANCE. Just ask around, they'll tell ya. Live from "The Midnight Special" TV show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qnoh3h6JD8

1978..."Bad Girls"...Donna Summer. This was intended for the August edition, and with the soul groove I've got going, let's include it here. Ah...beep, beep... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ_KbwEVBjU

1984..."What's Love Got to Do With It"...Tina Turner. This song finally elevated Tina Turner's career to a level it had deserved for year. Better late than never. Live from 1985. Great sound, turn it up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GSKdC05hpA&feature=related



submitted by: Bill Adler WI ’54 almost (moved to Arizona in 1953)
wjadler@cox.net

NUMBER PLEASE©

When I picked up the phone a voice on the other end said, “Operator, Number Please.”

1-8-6-0 I replied. I was 10 years old, calling my dad’s store on his highly prized private line. Our home number was 3-3-7-6-M. The initial following the number meant we had a party line. We shared 3-3-7-6 with an unknown number of unknown people.

It was the 1940s. This was state of the art communications, according to AT&T, then the only telephone company in the country. If I picked up the phone and heard other people talking, it was one of those unknown people sharing 3-3-7-6. I had to wait my turn.

Ma Bell offered a phone in any color you wanted, as long as it was black. I thought we were privileged because we also had a black extension phone upstairs.

About once a month, mother would call her sisters in Pittsburgh and would warn her four sons to be quiet while she used the phone. The long distance connection was not always good, and her boys making a ruckus in the background only added to the problem.

We knew the routine well. Mother would sit at the small telephone desk, located in the downstairs entryway, set her three minute egg timer next to the phone, pick up the receiver and after hearing “Operator, Number Please” she would reply, “Long distance please.” There would be a pause, while the local operator connected mom to the long distance operator. After being greeted with, “Long Distance, Number Please,” she responded, “Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, HAzelwood 5-2-7-7-1.” In the big cities they not only had five numbers instead of four, but a fancy name in front of them.

As soon as one of her sisters answered, mother turned over the three minute egg timer and began to talk. Before the last grain of sand fell into the bottom of the timer, mother, often in mid sentence, said “good by.” and hung up…and for good reason. If she had gone over three minutes by just a second it would cost her an extra 50¢. A long distance call to Pittsburgh cost 50¢ a minute, and that’s in 1940 dollars!

In 1948 much of that changed. I was in the seventh grade when we had an assembly at Central Junior High. Our guest speaker was Ann Scott from Ma Bell. I was impressed, Ann Scott, who couldn’t have been over 20, was the older sister of one of our Terra Cotta Alley gang, Carol Scott. Ann explained that over the next few months the phone company would be installing dial telephones and illustrated how to use the new phone. There would no longer be that friendly voice saying, “Operator, Number Please” and more private lines would be available.

Like in Pittsburgh, Ann explained, we would have five rather than four numbers and no trailing letter but, unlike Pittsburgh, we didn’t have any fancy name in front of those numbers. Oh yes, mother would have to keep using her egg timer when she called her sisters. Long distance calls continued to cost 50¢ a minute. With no competition, that didn’t change for years.


Mother and her four noise makers in our back yard on Philippi Street – 1945 Left to Right: Gary, Bob on mother’s lap and Joel, and me, leaning over, behind mother.



1959 WI GRADUATE TO BE INDUCTED INTO WEST VIRGINIA
ALL BLACK SCHOOLS SPORTS AND ACADEMIC HALL OF FAME


1959 WI Graduate, Elaine Hilson Blue of Huntington, will be inducted into the West Virginia All Black Schools Sports and Academic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Charleston Marriott Hotel.

She was born and raised in Clarksburg, and received her bachelor’s degree from Marshall University in Huntington. She formerly attended Kelly Miller High School, but graduated from Washington Irving High School. She has written and published five books of poetry and is a playwright, actress and artist.

Excerpts from an article in the Huntington Herald Dispatch.



JIMMY’S BARBER SHOP

submitted by: Tony Belotte (WI '57)
ABELLOTTE@aol.com

Anthony Bellotte here from the flatlands of Severn, Maryland. I am familiar with Jimmies Barber shop in Glen Elk as it was right behind my house at the end of the Bridge on Fourth Street. His daughter was Linda Oliverio and she lives about 20 miles from me here in Maryland. Jimmy was up visiting her and she invited my wife Jody and I over for dinner. Jimmy and I talked about the good ole days and had a great time. He passed away about two years ago I think. Great fellow to the end and always dressed and groomed neat as a pin. I am enclosing a picture of my wife Jody and me. I have passed the 70 mark and am considering retiring again, in a month or so. Take care and if you have any other question please do not hesitate to call.




PRAYER REQUEST

Please pray for Tom Blizzard (WI 1960) HwySparky@aol.com who has advanced lung disease and currently a small aortic aneurysm that is being monitored closely. Tom is facing his illness with a good outlook, but when I ask him if he would like me to ask you for your prayers he agreed. Please pray for better health for Tom, for his life and for his comfort.

CONTINUED PRAYERS

Bobby Secret is continuing to enjoy better health. His tumor had not grown, basically stayed the same. The left side plural infusion is nearly gone. Blood work was pretty good Please continue to keep him in your prayers. Bobby doesn’t have to return to the Dr. for a month.

Also, continue to pray for Roy Fledman.



submitted by: Leslie Moran Bond (WI/Liberty '79)
LMOORE761@aol.com

I really enjoyed the linked story about WV (namely, Clarksburg) and pepperoni rolls, I was born and raised in Clarksburg and only moved away in 2004 when I remarried and took a new job in PA.

One of my fondest memories of pepperoni rolls come from grade school, when one of my best friends was Barbara Jo DeFazio, a relative of the Tomaro bakery owners. She also lived right behind the bakery. I was a "bus kid" from Davisson Run, while Barbara Jo walked to Towers from Glen Elk. Sometimes I'd be invited to walk home with her for lunch, where her mom would serve fresh-out-of-the-oven pepperoni rolls from the bakery, which she then stuffed with cheese and Italian style peppers before baking them in the oven. I would (and still do) salivate just thinking about them!

Later in life, I lived in North View, just a few blocks from D'Annunzios. The aroma of Italian bread drifted into our home every Sunday morning, and my dad would drive over from Bridgeport to pick up hot pepperoni rolls and bring them to my house where we'd have them for breakfast and get caught up with each other. I lost dad a few years ago and truly cherish those one-on-one times we had on Sunday mornings.

More recently, my husband and I hosted a regional meeting of the West Penn Miata Club. 133 little two seater roadsters traveled from 22 states and Canada to our new hometown of Uniontown to experience driving the twisty mountain roads of the eastern WV panhandle and the Laurel Highlands. As part of the road cruises, we packed snack bags which included the miniature pepperoni rolls that I drove to Clarksburg to pick up at Tomaro's. By the end of the trip, participants were handing us $20 dollar bills and asking us to PLEASE get them some of "those great little sausage rolls" to send to them! We did -- and also told them that Tomaro's will ship.

A handful of grocery stores just over the WV/PA border have tried to emulate the pepperoni roll, but fail sorrowfully, as they stuff SLICED pepperoni into SOFT, MUSHY BREAD. Ick. Everyone knows it should be stick pepperoni in crusty Italian bread!

As always, there's no place like home.



CLASS OF 1959 REUNION MEMORIES SHARED

submitted by: Jane Stout Galvan (WI '59)
jognjsg@cox.net

Ed and I want to thank all of the 50th reunion committee members who did such an excellent job putting on two days of a fabulous party. We had such a great time. I enjoyed so much, seeing so many friends and sharing remembrances. One thing for sure, none of us have forgotten how to dance.

The reunion was a great way to start our vacation. We went from W. Va. to D.C. then up to the Northeast for 3 more weeks of visiting family and friends. It was so green and beautiful. I had not seen so much green in many years. CA. is quite brown this time of year.

I have very wonderful memories of the fun I had at out 50th.



submitted by: Bob and Carolyn White Rector (WI '59)
rector_carolyn@yahoo.com

Roleta and Judy:
Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the pictures from the reunion. They were wonderful and just reminded us of what a great group of friends we have. We grew up in a serendipity world that will never be again.

God bless our children and grandchildren.



submitted by: Connie Bailey Casto (WI '59)
castoc@earthlink.net

A big Thank you to all the members of our class who worked soooo hard to put together a fabulous reunion. It was so well done from the name tags, to the chamber of commerce bags and info, the programs, the food planning, the beautiful decorations, the memorial service, the music, and on and on. Sharyn was a great organizer and I know it can be a thankless job. You are a great group of friends and I thank you very, very much.



CLASS OF 1958 51ST REUNION

submitted by: Mike and Gloria Caruso Shaffer (WI '58)
mshaffer@ma.rr.com

The Washington Irving High School class of 1958 held its 51st reunion on August 14 and 15 at the Clarksburg Country Club.

A cocktail party get together took place around the pool at the Clarksburg Country Club on August 14. On Saturday morning a golf outing consisting of 3 foursomes was arranged by Bill Van Voorhis. A buffet dinner and dance with A. J. Warne as DJ was held at the Clarksburg Country Club on August 15.



Pictured, first row, from left to right: Jean Martin Allen, Cynthia Molle Oates, Tom Lee, Harriett Danley VanVoorhis, Mike Shaffer, Gloria Caruso Shaffer, Mary Jo Reger Hitt, Becky Highland Haun, Jo Etta Cunningham Clovis, Betty Latstetter Burke.

Second row: Frances Powers Whitehair, Carol VanHorn Dean, Jane Heaberlin Rakestraw, Martha Lou Morrison LaLance, Pat Shaw Bennett, Dotty Taggart Rutan, Carolyn Moore Hess, Phyllis McCard Brown, Phyllis Steele, Sandra Wamsley Bennett, Rita Oliver Barrett.

Third row: Marion Ribas Cottrell, Mary E. Harbert Nophsker, Brenda Harrison Coleman, Penny Boyles, Emma Lou Singleton Murphy, Diane Cottrill Brown, Bev Morris Hissong, Ida Steffich Yanero, Jean Werner Davis, Kay Lawson Adair, Linda Moore Pritchard, Cheryl Garten Romano, Penny Fish Woverton, Linda Blankenship Stevenson.

Fourth row: Joe Marra, Bob Turner, Richard Ellis, Phil Elbon, Randy Pritchard, David Hamstead, Sonny Donaldson.

Fifth row: Bob Bartos, Allen Alvarez, Dana Miller, Terry Shore, KB Kyle, Jr., Bill Van Voorhis, Hugh (Bucky) Wolfe, Jim Selario, Jean Vickers Kennedy, Ted Waroblak.

To see more pictures of the reunion, click on the link below or copy & paste in your browser:

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/ey6sZ3Yz



THREE FRIENDS

submitted by: Fred Alvaro (WI '59)
FAlvaro33@aol.com



Fred Alvaro WI 1959, Jay Sharp WI 1959 and Jim Alvaro WI 1956





REMEMBERING

submitted by: Elizabeth Teter Akin (WI '56)
libakin@aol.com

First, thank both of you for keeping the newsletter going for all these years. I am afraid I haven't contributed much in recent years, but intend to change that. In going through photos taken by my uncle, Harry Lang, I have found several that might be of interest. We will start with two.

First is a photo of a group of unidentified boys and girls taken in May of 1956. The boys are in suits and bowties, the girls in party dresses. I am guessing it was some sort of performance or competition. In addition to this group picture, I have four 8"x10"s, each of a different couple from this group. I am thinking if anyone recognizes themselves, someone might like copies of these photos and I would be happy to provide them.



The second is a composite of photos taken in conjunction with the building of the Clarksburg expressway. I am thinking the bridge may be the one Victory grads talk about connecting Adamston and Northview, but am not sure. I thought it might be of interest.



In looking through these photos, I am made aware that Clarksburg began tearing itself down a long time ago.

Again, thanks for all you do.



JOE MALONE AND FRIENDS VISIT

submitted by: Joe Malone (WI '52)
jmalone@sbcglobal.net



Above is a picture taken Friday, July 31st. Herb Cottrill visited from Charlottesville, VA with his granddaughter, Ashton Miller. Dave Hawkins hosted us for lunch at the Bridgeport Country Club.

L-R are:
Bob Harrison - Herb Cottrill - Ashton Miller - Dave Hawkins - "Sugar" Vincent - Sal Vestpoint –Joe Malone---all WI graduates of 1952 except Ashton.



WI CLASS OF 1960
50TH CLASS REUNION

To all classmates, it is official. Mark your calendars.

After two meetings a very nice group of alumni have set the date and place for our 50th Reunion.

It has been set for August 27 & 28, 2010 and will be held at Village Square. We chose this date so that we can attend the Annual Clarksburg Picnic which is scheduled for Saturday, August 28, 2010. It is a fun time to get to visit with area alum and there are even some alumni that come back to Clarksburg just to attend the picnic.

We will be having another meeting in September to work on menu, budget, etc. and will get that information to you as soon as possible.

Planning is the easy phase, but finding everyone is the hard part. We need any 1960 classmates to contact me with your correct email and mailing addresses. Write me, Pam Wolfe Brown at pameez@aol.com.

To all other readers of the Newsletter, if you know of a 1960 alum that is not a reader, please pass on this information or send me their information.

Looking forward to hearing from all of you. Please help us have a successful reunion.



YOU ARE REQUESTED TO PARTICIPATE
ONE HIT WONDERS
GOOD MUSIC MEMORIES

submitted by: John Teter (WI '61)
jateter@aol.com

I was watching television last weekend and saw a commercial/program where BOWSER from Sha Na Na was on selling some “OLDIES-but-GOODIES” CD’s and as part of the “deal”, if you paid by credit card you also received a free CD with some songs from “ONE-HIT-WONDERS” and I thought it would be interesting to see how many songs and singers your readers could come up with. My brother actually had a CD of some “one-hit-wonders” and while the songs that we were hearing were very familiar it was interesting that he and I could not name very many of the artists singing the songs.

Here are some to get you started:

Song Artist
Book of Love        The Monotones
Earth Angel The Penguins

Each month we will add your suggestions to the list and I will then send the list to the newsletter. So put on your thinking caps and write to me at jateter@aol.com. The cut off date for you to write to me must be the 22nd of each month as I need to get this to Roleta before the 24th. Thanks.


FOUR GIRLS

submitted by: Fred Alvaro (WI '59)
FAlvaro33@aol.com


The picture on the left was taken around 1954 while in Central Jr HS. The picture on the right was taken in 2009 at the Class of 1959 50th reunion



NEIGHBORHOODS

EDITOR’S NOTE:
The neighborhoods we are saluting and showing our respect for in the October newsletter are: PARK PLAZA, and POINT COMFORT.

Please write your memories of your neighborhood and send it to Roleta1@aol.com. Thanks.

For September we are saluting the following:

NIXON PLAZA

submitted by: Patty Terrill Stealey (WI '59)
pstealey@frontiernet.net

My family moved to West Virginia in 1952. My father got a job with Pittsburgh Plate Glass and chose a neighborhood closer to Stonewood where he would be working. We lived on Mandan Road in Nixon Plaza. All of the streets were named for Indian tribes (Osage, Seneca, etc). Many of the houses were brick ranch style homes that were built by the same contractor. There were two contractors.

Lustron homes which I later learned were made of a different type building material. The unique thing was that children who lived in the area went to different schools-Alta Vista being where I went to 6th grade, others went to catholic school or to Nutter Fort grade school. The streets were paved providing a place to ride bikes. Once we finished grade school we had to take the City Lines Bus to Central Junior and then to Washington Irving. It was a nice quiet area as I recall. People sat outside in the evening since it was before air conditioning. Everyone on the block knew each other. You quickly learned who would buy all the stuff the kids had to sell to raise money for school. The major grocery store near this section of town was a Thorofare across Route 20.

When I visited the area this year, it was surprising how small everything looked. In the 50’s each family had one car that would sit on the driveway or street. Now there were cars lining both sides of the street making it seem crowded. I visited two of the neighbors who still reside there. They filled me in on what happened to some of the residents. It was a great place to grow up.



GROWING UP IN NUTTER FORT, WEST VIRGINIA

submitted by: Lyle Corder (RW '57)
WVLYLE@aol.com

If you were born in the United States of America, you already hit the lottery. If you were raised in West Virginia, you were about as close to heaven as you could get here on earth. But, then, if you are one of the very lucky few who grew up in the town of Nutter Fort, in the 1940s and 50s, you were truly blessed (Take that, you guys from Broad Oaks).

My brother Lynn, RW 54, and our family moved to Nutter Fort when I was in the first grade. Our dad, Coplin Corder, was a shop teacher at Central Junior High School. I know that a lot of you remember him and some of the guys still have things they made while in his shop class. And, yes, he was just as tough on us as he was on you.

Having read all the previous stories about growing up in the Clarksburg area, I realize that our childhood wasn’t much different than what others experienced, WITH ONE BIG EXCEPTION, we had Norwood Park. Almost every day in the summer was spent in the park. Just think..…we had hundreds of acres at our disposal and the only limitation was our imagination.

We played every kind of ball known to kids at the time. Often we would ride our bikes (if we had one) to the park and we didn’t have to be home until 5:00 for dinner. We didn’t need adults to supervise our games; that was taken care of by the older boys. And, yes, even a few girls played too. Everybody was poor, but, we always seemed to find a ball somewhere. I remember playing football with a can tied inside of a sock.

Football was played just about everywhere, even in the streets. Basketball was played anywhere you could put a board and rim on a tree or a utility pole. The park had several places to play baseball and softball.

When I was older, I remember when they built the fancy basketball court in the park. It had a hard surface and lines painted on it. Wow, that was something. I remember being there the day it was opened for use. Actually, we had been playing on it for weeks but they didn’t know it.

Did you know that the park had a duck-pin bowling alley in the 1950s? It did. And, there was a large hill in the park that we climbed for hours and hours. There was an oil derrick there, too. Some of the braver boys climbed it to the top. Elk Creek passes near the hill. I don’t remember swimming in the creek; you can probably guess why.

The park also had a one-half mile race track which had earlier been used for horse racing. I didn’t see any of that, but, they still had stables and horses when I was a young boy. We did get to see stock car racing every Sunday for a number of years. And, several carnivals came to town. Many of us worked for some of the vendors and earned a little cash. Thomas Joyland Show was always there on the Fourth of July, with their big fireworks display.

Do you remember the midget race car track that was in the park? It was located behind the horse barns. People would bring their small cars and race them around the track. You could hear the cars racing for hours at a time.

We played lots of “marbles”, particularly “pee-wee” with the holes in the ground. When the weather wasn’t good, we also played board games like Monopoly on porches and under trees. And, I don’t want to forget that the official Soap Box Derby was held every year on Pennsylvania Avenue. It really drew a big crowd to ole Nutter Fort.

Did you ever trade comics with your friends? We did. We would take a box full of comics and go door to door until we had a box full of ones we hadn’t read.

In the winter, when we had snow, Ohio or Indiana Avenues were blocked off so we could ride our sleds down the hill. A large fire was built at the top of the hill and sometimes there was one at the bottom. Boy, did we have fun.

We had lots of “hang-outs” around town. Some were Bennet’s Snack Bar, Gin’s Pick-Up and Smitty’s Restaurant. In the summer we played “kick-the-can” in front of Smitty’s. I remember that Gin Stewart use to let us run a tab with her. One time I owed her $1.50 and wondered how I was ever going to come up with that kind of money.

I don’t want to forget Mill’s Hill which was across the main highway in Nutter Fort. What great times we had exploring there. We swung on grapevines, built forts; you name it, we did it. Sometimes we even hiked from Mill’s Hill all the way to Lowndes’ Hill and came out above Washington Irving High School. I suspect that some of us were only about ten or eleven years old when we did this. Can you imagine doing that today?

Almost forgot, we had a skating rink too. I sure remember lots of pretty girls came from all over Harrison County. OK, a few guys came, too. Back then, the buses ran every twenty minutes in Nutter Fort, so travel was not a problem.

In the summer, going to the movies in Clarksburg was the big thing. We worked mowing yards for 75cents an hour, saved our money and made the big trip to town. We usually went to at least two movie houses on one trip, sometimes three. After four or more cowboy movies and a few serial movies it was back on the bus for home. Do you remember how bright the sky was after about four hours in the dark? Life was good.

Even bigger, was going to drive-in movies. Kenny Fleming’s parents use to take some of us to the movies with them. I can still smell the odor from the concession stands. Burl and Thelma Fleming were special and were like parents to so many boys. Their home was always open to the boys of Nutter Fort.

The playground in Norwood Park was special too. Once a week they would show a movie outdoors. That was before television came along.

Some of the boys of Nutter Fort during this time were: Ken Fleming, Dick Sprout, Ron Jarvis, Jerry Posey, Gene Losh, Fred and Jim Layton, Gino Colombo, Larry Davis, Bill and Tom Betler, Don Wolfe, Vince Leasburg, Frank and Mike Criss, Donnie White, Larry McCoy, Don Monroe, Jack Borror, Bill Ford, Gene Kieffer, Ron Highland, Spencer Cottrill, Chuck and Bill Benicosa, David Kishbaugh, “Spects” Upton, Paul Watson, Eddy Brasseur, Dick Duncan, Terry Paugh and of course Lynn and Lyle Corder.

NUTTER FORT VINCENT MEMORIAL METHODIST CHURCH SOFTBALL TEAM.


Back row, left to right: Coach Broomhall, Cottrill, Wolfe, Ford, Watson, Moore

Front row, left to right: Allen, Lyle Corder, Betler, Lynn Corder, Monroe, Mills.



NORTH VIEW

submitted by: Norm Julian (VHS '57)
nsjulian@msn.com

There was only one rich family that I knew of, Judy Rice. Her dad was one of the owners of the Rolland and she moved away early in grade school.

There were NO doctors, lawyers (that I knew of) or Indian Chiefs.

Italian kids had a helluva time competing in the job market. Absolutely none were employed at Hope Gas or the phone company when I was growing up.

I know the first North View guy to get on at the phone company - Jim Oliverio. That was in the 1960s!

There were NO public officials of Italian descent in Harrison County until the 1960s.

Most of the Italian kids hailed from North View and Glen Elk.

I know by personal experience that some parents would not let their daughters date Italian boys.

I was told that up into the 1940s, Italian students were not allowed to go up the front steps of WI High School but had to use other entrances.

So far as I know, until the mid-1950s, there were no Italian teachers at any of the high schools. Tony Folio broke the barrier by coaching basketball at WI and Vic Bonfili basketball and football at R-W.

You ought to read Russell Marano's books sometimes to understand how it was. He lived it.



submitted by: Dede King (WI '94)
KING4189@aol.com

I did not live in North View, but do remember very clearly the nights of Jerry West Basketball which were held at North View Elementary. Such a refreshing memory thinking back; the crowds of people, cheerleaders with their pom-poms (I was one for years) and competitive young basketball players...even the little bake sale set up to buy from on the way out the door after a winning game. What a great childhood memory that I keep very close to my heart :)



submitted by: Buzz Floyd (VHS ’56)
Floyds4@Cox.net

My first thought of “Norfew” is corny as hell.

North View cradled me in its warmth like a purring mamma cat.

North View believed “It takes a village to raise a child” long before whatsername. If I smoked corn silk, or went strip mine skinny dippin’, Carl and Frena Floyd received a North View-a-gram. But usually somebody had your back, except the landlady, who watched the Barkers’ dogs bite me when I was five or six, and did nothing to help. She said it was my fault for antagonizing them - Well sure, but...I still have the teeth marks.

Cats serenaded at 2:00am; North View had cows, goats, even donkeys. Having older sisters, I feared large animals: Wear white and goats chase you; red and cows chase you; everybody knew that.

When I was about five, I’d tag along with Frankie Angiulli to the pasture on Cherry Knob (Pride Ave between 15th & 16th). We’d stop on top of the hill and watch Lassie the collie, go open the gate, get Bossie the cow, and lead her back to us. In the backyard barn, Frankie let me watch the milking as cats, on hind legs, caught squirts of milk with their mouths.

Last time I saw the Angiulli house, that old barn was still standing. Also still there were grape vines brought from Italy in the early 1900’s by the Angiulli parents. North View in a nutshell. We lived at 1704 Pride Avenue between Woody and Mable Williams on the NW corner, and Mr. & Mrs. O. A. Greathouse, our landlords. Three or four generations of the Greathouse family, including the family of Dotty, VHS ’54, and Ancel, VHS ’55, surrounded us. Don’t bother to look for the commemorative plaque on our house because it isn’t there - the house that is. When Mom died, the remaining Floyds scattered. Afterwards, Woody Williams next door, and PJ Reymond, Ancel Greathouse’s brother-in-law who had purchased Ancel’s family home, bought the property, demolished the house, and split the land. I wonder if they found any of the treasures I had hidden?

Also on that block, SW corner, the Goldsmiths, best neighbors I’ve ever had. Still miss the Pulice family from across the street; a few houses down, the Barkers, pretty Becky Van Scoy, VHS ’57, the Moores, and Stewarts.

With its gray asbestos siding and big front porch, the little house that sat back from the road stirs fond memories. Observing now from the comfort of a much nicer home, I still yearn for the old days.

“Good” old days? Not on your life!

But our little house was warm and cozy, full of love and security, and delicious cooking smells; she was so neat and clean you could eat off my mother’s floors. I wasn’t proud of that house but I miss it. Why?

I’d help at home sometimes when I wasn’t too busy with important boy stuff: Boy Scout Meetings at EUB Church, Troop 12; selling School Boy Patrol tags for the annual DC trip; sneaking cigs behind the gas station on Williams Avenue; begging hot Dr. Peppers, Grapettes, and Sun Crest orange from North View’s “pop” plant; enjoying fresh pepperoni rolls from Health Bread Company’s brick oven; hot dogs from the Chestnut; pinball at Barrett’s.

North View homes had basement cellars for furnace coal, or cellar houses the moms kept canned stuff from the garden. Everyone had Victory Gardens, even in the front yard.

I ran barefooted in the yard every summer; got stung 7,643 times by Mr. Greathouse’s bees; hives ten feet from our side door. He gave us honey though…and fresh lettuce from his garden. When his son, Jake, came in the spring to plow his garden with a team of horses, he would plow ours too. When Jake eventually got a tractor it was disappointing.

People with space still farmed a little right in town. Frequently we would hear, and smell, the horse drawn sledge that a black man named Miner Harris used as he made his rounds picking up slop for his hogs. Mr. Harris always wore a long coat winter and summer.

A lot of people had chickens, including Mr. Greathouse, and near holidays a turkey or two could be seen strutting around the garden. I watched with much curiosity, and a little disgust, when it came time to whack a pullet for Sunday dinner. Everyone is familiar with the phrase, “Like a chicken with its head cut off.” Before offing a hen, he would tie their feet to the clothes line with a long string so they flopped in a circle around the line, and not all over the yard. Not a pretty picture.

Two peach trees grew in our front yard. I spent many hours in the top like Snoopy’s mountain lion routine. Other neighbors had apples, pears, plums, cherries, grapes. Everyone shared. Fresh fruit and veggies in summer; home canned in winter. We picked rhubarb, greens, strawberries, tomatoes and corn; pulled carrots, radishes, potatoes, onions, right out of the ground, wiped them on our pants and ate them, dirt and all. Today I use a natural veggie wash from Whole Foods Market because I don’t have one of those thingies they use on CSI to check for germs.

We kids knew everybody; knew every alley and shortcut; knew who didn’t mind your cutting through their yards, and whose dog would bite. Rode bikes; did belly whoppers on sleds down Pride Avenue, or 17th Street, or Pearlman Avenue - with enough of a start you could slide from Cherry Knob, turn down 17th, and go all the way to Golf Avenue. After the BIG SNOW of 1950, Mike Angiulli managed to get his pickup out of the garage and attached a railroad tie to the bumper to drag a sled run down the middle of 17th for us kids.

For fun, we foot skied in snow holding onto cars; built ice dams in ditches, got wet… frostbite. On our bikes we grabbed busses and hoped they didn’t stop before we let go; took the swinging bridge between North View and Adamston; hoped it wouldn’t fall again; played cowboys on the desert-like strip mine, and hiked up Pinnickinnick Hill to build camp fires for heating canned soup; got lost in the woods near Glen Falls once. Became so dry we drank water from a cow trough. Mom made me take a laxative to flush out the cow germs.

We played basketball on the muddy court in the Moore family’s garden; played wood tag, curb tag, hide and go seek, kick the can; played football and “first base and back” in the cinders of Gould Avenue - still have cinders under the skin to prove it; played softball at North View Playground, and Clearlite Field between the railroad tracks and the river; watched the big guys play there too; teams from all over. The city held movies in the park, and St. James Catholic Church held movies in the recreation hall.

Hillbilly musicians put on shows in the NVJHS auditorium. Entertainers like Cherokee Sue and Little John, Buddy Starcher, and Red Sovine, picked and sang, and sold their life stories printed in glossy booklets, complete with 8 by10 photos, as well as their favorite recipes. They’d bring people up on stage to play musical chairs with a prize for the winner.

North View residents lamented the death of the streetcar, and the advent of the City Lines bus, and protested the rate increase from seven cents a ride to ten.

Collected newspapers for the war effort and beat on pans when it ended.

North View had many, small, family run, grocery stores - like every other block. We had a hardware store, two general merchandise stores, a drugstore that didn’t sell prescription drugs. We had a bakery, and at least four bars. School boys couldn’t drink, but we could hang out and play pinball, shuffleboard, shoot pool, and maybe score a half pint of hard cider. Girls wouldn’t be caught dead in a pool room. One of our most leading citizens, a wonderful family man whose daughter was the sweetest girl in school, ran the numbers racket for the city. We had a glass factory, and the wealthy owners lived among the regular folks; the daughter arrived at school each day in a chauffeur driven Cadillac that we never failed to stop and admire. We had small restaurants where the most popular item, of course, was the hot dog. We had an Ice Cream Cone, which was not only the name of the business, and the product they sold, it was the shape of the building - an inverted ice cream cone. There was a fire station, a Post Office, and several barber shops, as well as a shoe repair, and two gas stations complete with mechanics. We even had a dentist, and at least one bootlegger.

Most kids went to North View JHS from 1st through 9th grades, then to Victory for High School. There was Hartman Grade School and St. James Catholic School.

Parts of North View are called names like Barnes Addition, Riverside, Arlington. I was probably acquainted with at least 75% of the residents from school, paper routes, church, weekend job at Thrift Way, or just hanging around. I had several close friends, but the three closest have passed. We four lived within sight of each other from about 1940 through 1955: Ancel Greathouse, Vito Contento, Jimmy Este, and me. I hope we ride imaginary horses and shoot imaginary bad guys again someday...but not soon.

I heard we lost Donald Fretwell; a good friend whose mom fed me my first turkey dinner. Ron Wamsley, Dale Knight, and Mike Gulas left us too. The late Hooker Roberti and Punky Garrett were our best athletes. John Peters gave me my start in television; taught me the business. I miss him too. Many friends are gone, but many still remain and we stay in touch.

Coy Bell, Kenneth Shinn, Dusty and Rusty Isner, Sammy Iaquinta, Norman Julian, Mary Beth Riddle, David Goldsmith are just a few of the old gang that email me, as well as several others. Unfortunately life has separated many of us, but they…you… are still my friends.

As I grew older, North View seemed less nurturing. Did it change, or did I? By then I had friends and interests all over town.

Then there was the murder. A young man from Richards Avenue killed a little girl from Williams Avenue. North View was no longer innocent, it had a dark side.

After Mom died I lived in other parts of town. I recognized that North View was similar to all of Clarksburg…but there’s a difference I can’t explain.

The things that tie me to it I’ll never forget: Mother and father; Three sisters; Good friends; Fun things; Interesting things; Beautiful things; Ugly things; Exciting things; Tasty things! North View!

North View used to be a separate town with its own government. Read more about it from Olga’s Writings. I’ve learned a lot from reading her memories. She deserves an award for this link:
http://www.olgaswritings.com/index.html



submitted by: Pat Elder (ND '57)
St1pat@aol.com

Having read so many "biographies" of most of ya'all over the past few years, I am convinced that my family must have moved more than most during my growing up. We started in So. Charleston till I was 4, & then when Dad went to WW2, we moved to the old Boy Scout cabin on the West Fork river below the street car tracks at Country Club Addn--Dolan Stop. When Dad came home when I was 7, we moved to Pearlman Ave., Barnes Addn., in Northview. We would stay there till I was 13 & then move to Broad Oaks. Each place was a huge improvement.

Dad was a bookkeeper with 2 yrs. at WVA Business College in Clarksburg. Like most families, it was not a high paying job. We had a great time growing up, even though there were sacrifices. Northview was the building foundation of my character and resolve that I would carry with me the rest of my life. First, Dad and I had to get to know each other all over again. While he was gone Mom probably spoiled me a little. I soon got to see the army belt with the steel tip on the end and we came to an understanding real quick that if I did not do what I was told, that I would be reacquainted with the belt till I did. I was pretty stubborn and got to know that belt pretty well.

Norman Julian lived next door. He had a terrific family. We were the youngest kids around. Norman knew his way around the neighborhood a lot better than I did. Right away, I started getting into fights that I couldn't handle. Bobby Barnes, who was 5 years older than me and Donny Heffner, 3 years older than me ganged up on me and taught me a lesson. Then they got me again. Cliff Jones was 4 years older than me when he saw what was happening he told those guys that if either of them did that again, that they would answer to him. No one fooled around with Cliff, he was tough. He later became an all-state football player at Victory HS in about 1953.

I got the Barnes Addn paper route then and it seemed like a couple more fights every day along the route. I had 150 customers with a lot of backtracking. Finally, Mom told Dad to take me out in the backyard and teach me to fight!! He taught me how to box. Most guys did not understand boxing so these lessons solved all my problems. My character started to build, it improved through the years with school. School and sports helped me immensely when I went into business later in life. Construction is a rough game and I have seen a number of contractors go out of business because they were not tough enough. North View helped me be tough. We played a lot of sports in Northview, mostly on sandlots.

The fact that most guys were older helped me learn to compete. A lot of the streets were unpaved & covered with cinders & were very steep. We raced sleds, bikes, go-carts etc. & all of us carry cinders in our knees & elbows to this very day as Northview souvenirs. We had a great CYO basketball team at St. James school. Joe DeLuca was one of the best players I knew. I understand Adolph Rupp, the Basketball coach at perennial power U. of Kentucky Wildcats sat in Joe's living room with Joe & his mom on 3 different trips after Joe graduated H.S. & begged him to come to U.K.!! Joe simply did not want to go to college, so he went to the Air Force & played basketball the whole time for the AF Team. Kenny Insani was on our team & we won most of our games. Criner, Lopez & Palleta among others & Happy Kopp, our coach. I knew we would win the league in the 8th grade. We moved to Broad Oaks just before that though, & I went then to St. Marys & lost to St. James by a very close score. I was right, St James won the league. I tried in vain to recruit Kenny Insani to come over to Notre Dame, but he was set on Victory HS. Bless his soul, Kenny just passed away this year. If he would have come along with DeLuca (Joe has since passed away also) & after we had just gotten Dinaldo & Jack Bennett, we would have won the state Catholic Tourney as seniors. The champ, Huntington St. Joe beat us in a close game in the semi's. Then they blew Parkersburg out, a very good team.

Someone coined the phrase "It takes a village...". The adults in Northview gave everything they had to us kids in Northview. The mothers made pizza & had spaghetti dinner fund raisers to monetarily support us. The fathers gave their time to coach, counsel & cheer. We really got great support. But, let me tell you that Norman Julian's parents made the best food & the best wine in the world. Norman's mother just passed away at 100 yrs.old. She was born in Germany & the father, Rocco, was born in Italy. They were really great neighbors. He had a grape arbor not second to any winery, & had probably 10 to 12 barrels in his basement of the best wine around. Norman & I sampled it many a hot July afternoon in that cool basement.

The diversity of our neighborhood set the stage for me to think diversely later in my business career & understand all different races & nationalities. I have to mention Connie Diaz. She was a few years older than us & she threw a lot of our dances in 5th, 6th & 7th grades & she taught all of us how to dance. I lost touch with her, but she has a dear place in my heart to this day. Northview was a wonderful foundation at the right time in my life & I will always be grateful & I usually go visit when I get home to Clarksburg. Thanks to all in Northview that kick started me. It got me going!!!!!



submitted by: Jackie Hays Lafferty (VHS '54)
Grannieof15@aol.com

(This early history of North View was written by Paul E. Maxwell and generously given to my family by him.  He is now deceased and I am taking the liberty of sharing Mr. Maxwell's history because I know he would want it shared.  Mr. Maxwell's work is not dated but we believe it was written sometime during the 1920's.-OSH)

EARLY NORTH VIEW
by
Paul E. Maxwell

The section of Clarksburg known as North View derives its name from a sub-division created by the Pine Grove Development Company near the turn of the century.

When our family moved there in early March, 1903, North View was encompassed by the Glen Falls Road, now 19th street, beginning at the point where it leaves the West Fork River bluff extending north to what is now Gould Avenue, westward on Gould to the river, thence south and eastward along the river to the starting point.

The area between the railroad and the river was a mixture of level and hilly, open field and woodland approximately one quarter mile wide at its central part and tapering to nothing at each end.  At the widest point adjacent the railroad was the Lafayette Window Glass Plant and below it along the river edge, an abandoned brick yard.

All the land north and east of the railroad was laid off in some thirty-six city blocks as they are today.   At the highest point of the area, between Goff and Pride Avenues and bisected by 22nd Street was approximately one and one- half city blocks fenced off for a public park.   It had been planted with small maple trees and a wind mill stood in the center pumping water to irrigate them.

Clarksburg's city limits at that time ended at the railroad near the Hazel-Atlas Glass Plant.  Between there and North View was a widely scattered settlement known as Reynolds Addition.  Dirt roads in summer and mud roads in winter through this community was our only access to Clarksburg and the outside world.

To the north was a large expanse of level land know as Riverside which gradually ascended into a large hill.   Then, as it still does, a road leading to Glen Falls passed through the low gap in the hill. Behind the hill to the left of the road and extending to the river was the farm of Otis Stout. Later it was subdivided and is now called Arlington.  To the right of the road likewise extending to the river was the Charles Green farm.  And on the south side of the hill facing Clarksburg was another farm, which in later years became Barnes Addition.

These farms with their orchards, chestnut groves, berry thickets, etc. and the wild land along the river formed a veritable wilderness paradise for a ten-year old.  And with my favorite playmates I fished, hunted, swam and explored it endlessly.

Things were changing rapidly.  In less than a year after our arrival the Lafayette Glass Plant expanded from a pot furnace to a continuous tank operation, tripling the number of glass workers and their families.  In 1905, the Peerless, later the Rolland Plant, was built, again doubling the glass working population, who were for the most part French or of French origin.  A coal mine was opened on the Glen Falls Road and most of its workers, many of whom were Italian, chose North View as their abode.  Scores of families were attracted from Braxton, Gilmer, and Ritchie counties to fill Clarksburg's growing demand for industrial manpower.  Around 1914, a zinc smelting plant began operation along the river at the old brick yard site and nearly all its work force were immigrants directly from Spain.  So North View very early became a cosmopolitan community and its residents today are predominately descendants of those early settlers.

In 1912, a street car line was extended through the heart of the town to the glass plants.   Board walks lined the streets in all directions making it possible for the first time to get about in wet weather without muddy shoes.  A central business district arose around the intersection of Goff Avenue and 19th Street including a post office, oddly enough called Manayka, a drug store, a motion picture theatre, several groceries, two doctors and a dentist. (The dentist was Dr. Prather and the two doctors were Dr. Pendleton and Dr. Goff.-OSH)  Other improvements in the immediate neighborhood were a modern school house and two churches.

By this time North View, including all the territory to the Clarksburg city limits had been incorporated as a municipality with its own city hall, jail, fire and police departments.  This was North View in the summer of 1917 when I left for the army during World War I, only to return as a resident for a few sporadic intervals over the next few years.  It (North View) had come a long way since 1903, but was still a far cry from the thriving, citified section of Clarksburg that it is today.

Excluding the few in Reynolds Addition and the surrounding country side, a complete list of our neighbors and their addresses at the time (1903) follows.  They total some forty three families and a population of approximately 200 living in an area of 36 blocks not including the industrial sites along the river.

Ables, Riley 2000 block Horner Avenue
Barraux, Goff Avenue/19th Street
Bunnell, Nate Goff Avenue/23rd Street
Carmilla, 2300 block Hamill Avenue
Caussain (Caussin), Julien Hamill Avenue/22nd Street
Corbin, Charles 2200 block Goff Avenue
Coulson, John Williams Avenue/24th Street
Cunningham, Newton I. Horner Avenue/23rd Street
Duffy, Jackson 1900 block Pride Avenue
Girard, Alfred Goff Avenue/23rd Street
Greaver, William 2200 block   ?  Avenue
Haught, P. A. 2200 block Goff Avenue
Howard, John H. Hamill Avenue/21st Street
Kidd, C. H. Goff Avenue/23rd Street
Kidd, Jas. A. Pride Avenue/20th Street
Kopp, Eugene Goff Avenue/24th Street
Leuliette, Hyppolyte 2300 (2200?) block Hamill Avenue
LaChappelle, Hamill Avenue/22nd Street 
Lee, 2100 block Pride Avenue
Long, David Horner Avenue/20th Street 
Malfregeot, Jules 2300 block Goff Avenue
Maxwell, W. A. Pride Avenue/22nd Street
Moats, Schuyler ?   Avenue/24th Street
Moine, Lucy Hamill Avenue/23rd Street
Moine, 2200 block Hamill Avenue
Moine, Hamill Avenue/22nd Street
Nichols, Frank 2300 block Goff Avenue
O'Donnell, John 2000 block Horner Avenue
Parrish, Floyd 2300 block Horner Avenue
Reager, Charles ? Avenue/23rd Street
Ritter, S. C. Pride Avenue/22nd Street
Rolland, Charles Hamill Avenue/24th Street
Ross, Charles 1900 block Pride Avenue
Scory, Valentine Pride Avenue/21st Street
Slaughter, Jake 2000 block Horner Avenue
Swisher, Dan Williams Avenue/21st Street
Trunick, Ben Williams Avenue/22nd Street
Trunick, Ed 2300 block Hamill Avenue
Trunick, Henry 2300 block Hamill Avenue
Trunick, John Williams Avenue/22nd Street
Winters, Nancy 2300 block   ? Avenue
Wolfe, Jake on river below Lafayette Plant
Yeager, Charles 2300 block Rail Road Avenue


Early Map of North View




Key to Map

A   Windmill 27 Nichols
1    Moats   28 Girard
2    Winters 29 Haught
3    Reager 30 Corbin
4    Bunnell 31 Rolland
5    Greaver 32 Leuliette
6    Parrish 33 Trunick, Ed
7    Cunningham 34 Trunick Henry
8    O'Donnell 35 Carmilla
9    Slaughter 36 Malfregeot
10 Ables 37 Moine, Lucy
11 Long 38 Moine
12 N. V. School 39 Caussain (Caussin)
13 Episcopal Church          40 LaChappelle
14 Transient tenants 41 Moine
15 Transient tenants 42 Howard
16 Maxwell 43 Ciccarello
17 Ritter 44 Coulson
18 Lee 45 Trunick, Ben
19 Scory 46 Trunick, John
20 Kidd, Jas. 47 Swisher
21 Ross 48 Yeager
22 Duffy 49 Wolfe
23 Colored School 50 Lafayette Glass
24 Kopp 51 Brickyard
25 Kidd, C.H. 52 Perry Mines
26 Barraux


(Although Mr. Maxwell is no longer with us, I personally would like to extend my sincere thanks for the history he has shared with us and believe there are many others who will also appreciate his generosity. - Olga S. Hardman)



NORWOOD

submitted by: Jim Pulice (WI '62)
jpulice@msn.com

In 1924, my grandfather built a grocery store with the house above it in Norwood on Cost Avenue. The house is still there. It had the first full bathroom in the neighborhood. My grandmother would let the other ladies of the neighborhood use the tub to bathe. My uncles would fight to look through the key hole in the door to the bathroom. My grandfather had a well in the backyard which he had covered with a concrete cover. It was very common in those days for children to fall into open wells and drown, He also had a horse named George. Whenever the horse saw my grandmother he would trot right over to her but when he saw my grandfather he would run off due to the fact that my grandfather had hit him with a 2 x 4 one time.



ADAMSTON

submitted by: Dede King (WI '94)
KING4189@aol.com

I grew up in Adamston, from 1981-1990. I have memories of so many great days living in that little neighborhood. One that I remember as a daily event was visiting the gas station at the end of my old road, S. 22nd St. It was one of the only gas stations that still had full service pumps. After rolling over the bell hose, I remember watching from behind the windshield glass as Nelson, the gas station attendant would walk out in his hat and bowtie and tend to my parents' car as he pumped the gas, wiped the windshield, and checked the oil once in awhile. I can still hear the jingling noise of the old cash register when I would stop by once a week for a candy bar.



REMEMBERING
EAST END

submitted by: Lucy Ropp Hornor (WI '54)
Lhornor@aol.com

I moved to Clarksburg in 1949 when I was in the eighth grade. My father had become the manager of Kyle and Co. School Supply Co. on Court Street and my mother was a substitute teacher in Harrison Co. teaching Distributive Education.

Moving here was a big jolt in my life, especially attending Central Jr. High School after having been in a traditional Gr.1-9 school in Martinsburg, WV. The school was so big and I knew no one except my neighbor on Williams Court, Barbara Sue Dodds. I remember crying myself to sleep for the first six weeks in eighth grade. I was in Miss Cannon's homeroom, and she scared me to death; not to mention that math was my all time worst subject. I won't even mention the Mental Math we did every Friday!

Sue proved to be a dear friend as well as neighbor. There were only five houses on Williams Court and I lived in the one later purchased from us by Bob and Patty Minehart. The teacher Mary Brown (Carlile) lived next door and beside her was Miss Lucy Robinson, principal of Towers. Across the street from Miss Lucy lived Barbara Sue and her family, her mother being Pat Dodds who also taught school. Across from the Brown house were Alma and Blair Holden and their four children..Sally, Linda, Judy, and Chuck. I recently saw Judy's husband's pictures on his web site which brought back so many memories of our life on the Court. I so enjoyed seeing Sally again earlier this month at her 50th reunion lunch!

I used to baby-sit for them and still remember the night that "Chuckie", age three, became seriously ill and the ambulance came and was unable to turn down the Court from Meigs Ave. Dr. Bob Marks was the young pediatrician who ran down to the Holden house and told me to wrap Chuck in a heavy blanket and he would carry him up to the ambulance. All turned out well, but that evening definitely left an everlasting impression on my mind.

My parents moved to Ft. Pierce, FL the summer after I graduated from WI in 1954. I often returned from college at WVU to stay with the Dodds family during holidays, weekends and vacations. Memories of the Big Snow in 1950, walking to Central, walking home for lunch, and then returning to school, trick or treating fun in the fall, Sue teaching me to smoke in a back booth at Dent's Drug Store, and getting hot dogs for 10 cents at Mutts Place ......all remind me of my days on Williams Court in the East End. (By the way, I quit smoking many years ago!)

After living in Texas and Morgantown, my husband Paul and I returned to Clarksburg in 1963 where he joined his father's engineering firm. We lived at the end of Temple Terrace in Stealey for 28 years and raised our four children ( Trey, John, Will, and Rebecca) there. All attended Morgan School and graduated from WI. We moved to Brushy Fork Rd. in 1993 and love our home in the county, but we still have a Clarksburg phone no. even though our address is Bridgeport. Can't do anything about that !

As Bob Hope always reminded us....THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES...and thanks to all who have shared theirs in the Newsletter. It's been a wonderful trip back to another era to hear about each one.



MICHAEL ANTHONY MAZZIE

Michael Anthony Mazzie, age 46, (Liberty 1981) passed away July 25, 2009. He was the son of the late Russell J. Mazzie Sr. and Mary L. Roveto Mazzie. Surviving are his wife, Brenda Darlene (Freeze) Criss Mazzie, two sons, Ian Michael Criss and Chance Deacon Criss, four brothers and sisters-in-law, John F. and Brenda J. Mazzie, James (Jimmy) J. and Annie E. Mazzie, Frank G. and Virginia J. Mazzie and Paul T. Mazzie and Tonya Drummond, a sister and brother-in-law, Rita L and Danny E. Knight Sr., and a sister-in-law, Karolann Mazzie. Mr. Mazzie was also preceded in death by a brother, Russell J. “Rusty” Mazzie Jr..



LESLIE KYLE SMITH PINDER

Leslie Kyle Smith Pinder (WI 1977) died at the Plano Medical Center, Plano, Texas, July 25, 2009.

She was the daughter of Donna Kyle Smith of Clarksburg, WV and the late Harold E. Smith. In addition to her mother, she is also survived by a brother, Mark Alan Smith, and many extended members of the family.



SAM CHRISTOPHER BENINCOSA

Mr. Sam Christopher Benincosa, age 87, (RW 1940) passed away on July 30, 2009. He was the son of the late Anthony Benincosa and Rose Oliverio Benincosa. His wife Dona Louise Kuhn Benincosa preceded him in death. Surviving are a daughter, Priscila Bumgardner, and one brother, Frank Benincosa, and five grandchildren.



CENTRAL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Edwin J. Lowther, a long-time area educator, will be honored at a memorial service on Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. in the Seventh Day Baptist Church, Salem. He was born January 11, 1902 and died July 29, 2009 at the age of 107. He graduated in 1920 from the Salem Academy and from Salem College in 1924. Mr. Lowther received a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1926 where he taught in the Pennsylvania School System and returned to Salem College as a member of their teaching staff. He also served as the Head of the History Department.

Mr. Lowther served two terms as mayor of the City of Salem, 1931-1933. In 1933, his friend, Senator Jennings Randolph, served as best man when Edwin married Mary Ann Sheets of Lost Creek on September 12, 1933. His wife Mary Ann served as principal at the West Virginia Industrial School in Salem, she preceded him in death on October 24, 1992.

Mr. Lowther was a resident of West Main Street in Salem for many years. He served as Principal of Central Junior High School in Clarksburg from 1935 until his retirement in 1970. Over 10,000 Harrison County children graduated from that school during his tenure.

He served as chairman of the Harrison County Infantile Paralysis Association for 17 years and received national recognition for his work with polio during the epidemic in 1952, 1953 and 1954.

He was a lifelong member of Salem Seventh Day Baptist Church and was Chairman of the Board for Randolph Terrace Apartments for several years.

Mr. Lowther was the last surviving member of his immediate family. Several great nieces and nephews survive, including Dr. Paul Davis who served as his physician. Onalee Carson who resided in the Lowther home during her years at Salem College has been a loyal and faithful friend. Anna Mae Counts Dutton provided care and companionship for many years to the Lowthers.



AARON GUY GILLESPIE

Mr. Aaron Guy Gillespie, age 87, (Victory 1943), passed away July 30, 2009. He was the son of the late Ola H. Gillespie and Ruie Smith Gillespie.

Surviving are his wife of sixty-four years, Ruby J. Gain Gillespie, two sons and a daughter-in-law, Wayne and Sylvia Gillespie, and Thomas Gillespie; four brothers and spouses, Lloyd and Emogene Gillespie, Homer and Nancy Gillespie, Bill Gillespie, and Bob Gillespie and Maxine and more extended family members.

He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U. S. Army in the 1st and 9th Armies, the 120th Infantry, 30th “Old Hickory” Division in the European Theatre. In February 1945, he was one of the soldiers in the “Lost Battalion,” a five-day stance in France surrounded by German soldiers. He was also in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Presidential Unit Citation and a diploma and medal from the French government for liberating France.



RICHARD GERRARD

Richard Gerrard, (Victory) 78 passed away, August 2, 2009 . He was the son of the late Owen Jackson and Hattie Leota Duvall Gerrard. He is survived by his wife, Betty Gerrard.

Also surviving are three sons, Richard Neal Gerrard and his wife Kristina Iren, Robert Owen Gerrard and his wife Trina LaVaughn Gerrard,, and Donald Gene Myers, Jr., and his wife Regina; two daughters, Julia Kay Furbee, and Belinda Lou Nuzum and her husband Brooks Edward II, 13 grandchildren, and many others.

Richard served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War



LA VONNE MARIE SMITH

LaVonne Marie Smith, age 85, (WI 1942) of Clarksburg, WV, passed August 2, 2009. She was the daughter of the late Albert Evans Smith and Beatrice Furbee Smith.

Having never married, she is survived by a sister, Wanda Hyde, and her family



DAVID MC NEMAR

Mr. David W. McNemar, age 54, (WI 1973) passed away, August 4, 2009. He the son of the late William J. McNemar and Juanita Lee Winkler McNemar.

Surviving are; his wife, Debbie Clark McNemar, a daughter, Jessica Lea McNemar, four brothers and spouses, Terry Lee and Kelly McNemar, Michael Ray and Tallinne McNemar, James Edward McNemar, and Charles Joseph and Tammy McNemar, one sister, Linda Christine Bell and several nieces and nephews.

submitted by: Karen Cooper Phelan (WI '72)
KPhelan101@aol.com

A very dear friend and all around wonderful man passed away last week. I attended the viewing and also attended the funeral. The service at the cemetery was so very sad but also very beautiful. They released one white dove in Dave's memory -- the dove was brought around to all of us there and we were allowed to touch it and send our thoughts with it. They then released 3 more white doves to fly up to the one dove and encircle it and see it safely back home. It was truly beautiful and very moving. Dave was a great friend and classmate, a wonderful husband to his wife Debbie, and a devoted father to his daughter Jessica. I wish them peace and healing in their loss.



JOHN A. URSO

John A. John A. Urso, age 83 (St Marys 1944)passed away on August 3, 2009. He was the son of Carmen and Rose Urso. John was a veteran of World War II, serving in the United States Navy.. John was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Ruth, daughter, Lucia (Jerry) Welch; son, John (Bonnie); daughters, Rosanne Macut, Ruth Ann (Harvey) Eagleston; 12 grandchildren and 8 great-grand-children. He is also survived by his brothers, Carmen (Judy) and Alfred (Linda), sister, Margaret and many nieces and nephews.



DARREN JAY KRIVOSKY

Darren Jay Krivosky, 43, (RW) of Nutter Fort died August 4, 2009, following a long and courageous battle with an extended illness. He was the son of the late Franklyn Krivosky and his devoted mother, Betty Guice Krivosky who survives in Nutter Fort.



VIRGINIA LEE GOLA

Mrs. Virginia Lee Gola, age, 78,(VHS 1948) passed away on August 9, 2009. She was a daughter of the late Benjamin Shirl Bramer and Mary Virginia Ash Bramer. Her husband, Carl D. Gola preceded her in death October 7, 1985.

Surviving are one son, Steven D. Gola and partner, Robert Beckwith, a daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl Ann and Gary Baker, Liberty Addition,. Mrs. Gola was also preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Catherine Quirk and Rose Marie Heaton.



LOUIE FRATTO

Louie Fratto, of Erie, W.Va., (VHS 1943) passed away August 7, 2009. Louie was the son of John and Maria Rosa Fratto. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 66 years, Lois Brown Fratto.

He is also survived by one sister, Ann Gain,; sons, John Fratto and wife Marie, Louis William Fratto and wife Diane; daughters, Rosemarie Geary and husband Dick, and Edie Rosner and husband Michael and extended members of the family.



CREED COLLINS GREER, JR.

From the Panama City FL news:

Creed Collins Greer, Jr., 77, (WI 1949) died Aug. 7, 2009, at home. Creed Greer was the son of the late Dr. Creed Greer and Mrs. Jean Cork Greer. He was preceded in death by his wife Selby Sue Parsons Greer. He is survived by a daughter, Selby Sue Greer Thomas, her husband, John S. Thomas, MD; a son, Dr. Creed C Greer, III, and five grandchildren. Also surviving are his sister Jean Cork Greer (WI 1951), and brother Dr. William Wilson Greer, (WI 1953) .



SHIRLEY JUNE SWIGER

Shirley JuneStewart Swiger, 57, (Victory 1971) passed away August 17, 2009 following a brief illness. Mrs. Swiger was the daughter of the late Blair Stewart and Lorina Childers McVaney.

She is survived by her husband of 37 years, Paul Swiger. Also surviving are one daughter, Brandy Nicole Headley, and her husband Brandon, three grandchildren, one sister, Linda Coberly, and her husband Harley. She was also preceded in death by one daughter, Tammy June Swiger; and one brother, Blair Stewart “Butch” McVaney.



MILDRED MAXINE HURLEY

Mildred Maxine Hurley, 90, (Victory) died August 18, 2009. She was the daughter of the late Robert Edward Alexander and Ethel Nettie Hamrick Alexander. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Phil Farcin; a son and a daughter-in-law, Robert David and Lynda Hurley; and four grandchildren. Her husband Raymond J. Hurley preceded her in death



LILLIAN KEELYE RUDOPLH

Lillian Keeley Rudolph, age 69 (Notre Dame 1957) died Aug. 18, 2009. She was the daughter of the late John Paul Keeley, Jr. and Lillian Altmeyer Keeley. She was preceded in death by her husband Bruno “Rudy” Rudolph; a son, Robert Michael Rudolph, and a brother, Thomas A. Keeley.

Surviving are a son, John Michael Rudolph and his wife Mona. Also surviving are: three brothers, Jack Keeley and his wife, the Honorable Judge Irene Keeley, Jim Keeley and his wife Janie, and Patrick Keeley and his wife Regina, ;two sisters, Maureen Harrington, and her husband Jack, and Martha Beckler, and two grandchildren.



ROBERT MOORE

Robert “Bob” Moore, 87, (Victory 1941) passed away on August 22, 2009. He was the son son of the late Grant and Connie Simons Moore. Bob is survived by ten children, Pam (Joe) Iaquinta, Steve (Donna) Moore, Debra (Wayne) Kelley, Dean (Maria) Moore, Connie Moore (Steve Flak), Rex (Linda) Moore of Barbara (Maurice) Shelton, Noah (Pauletta) Moore, Diane (Perry) Elliott, and Richard (Tammy) Moore; nineteen grandchildren; and one brother, R.L. Moore. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, K.L. Moore.

Because Bob felt obligated to his country, he joined the U.S. Navy. He served as a navigator aboard the USS Deedee during World War II and was involved in most of the major invasions occurring in the South Pacific.



PHILLIP VAN DEVENDER


Phillip M. VanDevender, 67, (WI 1959) passed away August 15, 2009, following an extended illness. Mr. VanDevender was the son of the late Iral (Van) and Thelma VanDevender. Phillip was preceded in death by his only son, Phillip M VanDevender, Jr., and his only sister, Mary Ruth Marple.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Sharon E. VanDevender, of Ocala, FL. He is also survived by three daughters, Elizabeth Headley and husband Darrell, Beverly Foster and Deborah Wagner and husband David. His only brother, Jim VanDevender, and wife Irene, also survive. Mr VanDevender also leaves 10 grandchildren.



RICHARD LEE MURPHY

Richard Lee Murphy (Rick), 54, (RW) of Clarksburg, passed away August 20, 2009, unexpectedly. He was the son of the late Woodford and Dolores (Poling) Murphy.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Paula (Courtney) Murphy, and son Richard Lee Murphy II (Ricky),; one special grandson, Braden “Pooter”. In addition to his parents, Rick was preceded in death by two brothers, Terry and Robert Murphy.



ROBERT LEE DILLARD

Mr. Robert Lee “Bob” Dillard, age 64, (WI 1963) passed away, July 25, 2009 after a 22 year battle with Leukemia. He was the son of the late Frank E. Lewis and Sadie B. Dillard Stewart. Mr. Dillard was also preceded in death by his step-father, Arthur Stewart.

Surviving are; his wife of forty-five years, Barbara Jean Davis Dillard, a son, Kenneth Wayne; five brothers, Terry Lewis & wife, Felicia, Henry Taylor, Rod Taylor & Mark Taylor, and George Taylor, a sister & brother-in-law, Jinger & Leslie Black, four grandchildren.



WALTER JAY “SONNY” TALKINGTON, JR



Mr. Walter Jay “Sonny” Talkington, Jr., age 71, of 407 ½ Duncan Avenue, Clarksburg, WV passed away at 7:55 P. M. Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg following an extended illness. He was born in Clarksburg, WV, February 14, 1938, a son of the late Walter Jay Talkington, Sr. and Alma Vanscoy Talkington, who survives in Clarksburg, WV.

In addition to his mother, also surviving are; his wife of over thirty-three years, Judith Ann George Talkington, whom he married October 6, 1976 in Beckley, WV, one son, Michael K. Talkington & wife, Rebecca, Covington, VA, two daughters, Tiffany Fernandez & husband, Paul, Clarksburg, WV, & Trisha Boyles & husband, Bob, also of Clarksburg, a step-daughter, Gretchen Griffin & husband, John, Jane Lew, WV, two step-sons, Duane Molina & his fiancée, Beth Lamb, Lumberport, WV and Kevin Molina, Clarksburg and eleven grandchildren

Mr. Talkington was a graduate of Washington Irving High School - Class of 1957 & had attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, before joining the U. S. Navy in January of 1959, where he served his country until December of 1962, which was during the Bay of Pigs - Cuba. He was a life member of the Lewis County D. A. V. # 51.


Thanks to the Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram for allowing us to share excerpts from their obituary column.






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