THE WI NEWSLETTER 11/09


THE WI NEWSLETTER


Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith Issue 123 November 2009






WINTER WONDERLAND

The WIN quilt which is named Winter Wonderland is in progress with Sue Selby Moats piecing the quilted squares together that a few of our female readers so generously designed and sewed together. Each square will be a snowflake pattern of their particular design. The backing will be a beautiful blue and silver winter scene. It will indeed be a work of art.

The tickets for a chance to win the quilt cost $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00 and multiples of same. If you would like to help the WIN Scholarship and at the same time get a ticket for the quilt give-away that will take place on March 6, 2010 at the Clarksburg Picnic in Sarasota, Florida, just make your check out to:

Roleta Meredith c/o The WIN Scholarship

Mail to Roleta Meredith
3201 Charles MacDonald Drive
Sarasota, Fl. 34240.

Please include with the check a note saying that you want tickets….sign your name, your email address and your phone number. You need not be present to win. We will ship the quilt anyplace in the lower 48 states. And with your phone number and email address we will be able to contact you when you win. Your chances of winning this quilt are better than your chances of winning the State Lottery or Power Ball.

This is a way for you to give to the WIN Scholarship and at the same time receive tickets for a chance to win the Scholarship Quilt. So come on, let us hear from you!








HITCHHIKING
IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN
THERE HAD TO BE SOME SCARY HITCHHIKING EXPERIENCES
WON’T YOU SHARE WITH US? Roleta1@aol.com

submitted by: David Grimes (WI '53)
dgrimes@triad.rr.com

I can't resist telling folks about my hitch hiking experiences of long ago and also very recently.

Back in the 50s, I used to hitch hike quite regularly to Lake Floyd. Then, upon entering WVU, I went home, occasionally, via my thumb. One day, a guy picked me up and took me to Clarksburg. He was a nice guy who told me he lived in DC. After about a half an hour or so, he said he would like for me to come to DC to spend a weekend with him. He said he'd send me a ticket to fly. Later, I told my Dad about the offer. He spotted the guy for what he was and advised me not to take him up on the offer. I was so naive and had no earthly idea he was "gay". Needless to say, I didn't take him up on the offer.

Now, 40+ years later, I'm still hitchhiking. Our home in Aspen is right across the street from a bus stop. When heading out to ski, I go to the bus stop and, while waiting for the bus, I stick out my thumb and usually get a ride before the bus comes (I'm now 73 and you don't see many folks that age thumbing). One day a guy picked me up. He was on his cell phone and said to the person on the other end "I just picked up a gray headed guy with a beard. He doesn't look like a serial killer, but you never know". Now, I wonder if I'll still be thumbing when I'm in my 80s.


submitted by: Charles Ferrell (WI '46)
eagle1928@starpower.net

I just remembered an incident that occurred when I was a GI in the US Army Chemical Corp at Edgewood, MD in 1951. I was home on leave for a weekend because of additional passes for volunteering for extra guard duty. I had a date with a sweet young girl from on Euclid Ave who I knew from Stealey Heights Methodist Church. I parked my 1940 black Chevy coupe outside of her home when I entered. As we got ready to leave for a movie we noted that I had two flat back tires. I called my dad who also had a Chevy to bring me his spare tire and put on my spare. We went to the movie and returned. I later found out from an Ex navy friend that the prankster was a former boyfriend who I did not know. The $64 question is: who done it?


submitted by: Larry O’Grady (Bridgeport HS '55)
logrady@cfl.rr.com

The US 50 post has transformed to hitchhiking; guess I started it. But, all those years provided some pretty interesting experiences.

I Hitchhiked Rt. 50 so many times, from when I was 13 or 14 (to DC once, while in HS) till I got a car around 20, 21. weekends home from the Navy, either DC or Norfolk. Then, while at WVU, had a teaching job at Fellowsville, mentioned in the Rt. 50 article.

Great road, great people, great years, then and so many great memories.

A very unusual hitchhiking experience was once on a Saturday after I'd hitchhiked home from the Washington, DC Navy base the day before.

Going up to Morgantown from Bridgeport to see some friends from HS, I got a ride with a guy on Main St. (US 50) in Bridgeport. He said he was going to Pittsburgh...no problem...gotta go right through Morgantown.

In a couple of minutes he announced he was flying to Pittsburgh. Disgusted that I'd be 'thumbing' from a bad place, I told him to let me off at the airport entrance. "Oh no, I'll drop you off in Morgantown" was his reply. My reply to that was..."you're going to land first, right?"

Honest injun...we went to the Bridgeport airport, got in his plane and about 40 minutes after I first got in his car, we were at the Morgantown airport!! He even let me fly the plane...a little!

Yes, there were other 'interesting' experiences...but not for publication here!


submitted by: Bob Davis (WI '59)
RAD29063@aol.com

I never did hitch-hike at an early age. I do remember when a neighbor had her grandson visiting her and he wanted to walk around the hills above my home in Broad Oaks. We started walking and ended up close to Willow Beach. He said it was a long walk back and he was going to hitchhike. I let him go as I had never hitch-hiked and I walked all the way home.

Never tried hitch hiking until I joined the Navy in July, 1959. Normally, I took buses, trains or planes when I traveled. I was a Tin Can Sailor on the U.S.S. Corry, DDR-817 and spend a lot of time at sea as we had extra radar. I was stationed at the D&S piers at Norfolk, VA. I could not afford a car and wanted to go home some on weekends. I tried to come home by train, airplane or bus but transportation was expensive and would take approximately 20 hours to get to Clarksburg.

I had 2 weeks of leave and I rode the bus to Fredericksburg, VA and talked the bus driver into letting me out on the road to Winchester, VA. He let me out at 2:00 AM and I had my seabag with me. I finally made it to Clarksburg at 11:00 AM the next day. And that began my hitch-hiking experiences. I did talk my parents a few times to drive me to Grafton or even a little further to hitch-hike back to Norfolk. Some experiences are mentioned below:

I do remember coming home along with Clarence Sigley (also from Clarksburg and on the Corry) on May 27 (for my Dad’s birthday on May 28). We got to the west edge of Winchester and it was snowing—we were in our whites and freezing! The diner we normally stopped at was closed as was everything in Winchester at midnight. About 2 hours later, a car stopped and said they would take us to the WV line. They had been at the race track in Charles Town—and they had been drinking some. We decided at least it was warm so we got in. We headed west on US 50. We talked to them some and they finally said they were taking us to Clarksburg! They were a little drunk. The road was getting some snow on it and they slid the car around a few times but kept going. When we got to Grafton, they showed us a house where one of their wives parents lived. He said he had been there once but told his wife that it was too far to drive! They let us out at the corner of Monticello Ave and Main St. at 7:00 AM and they headed back to their homes. I always wondered how they explained their getting home about 11:00 AM that next morning.

I rode with a man who was a strong Christian. He told me how wrong it was to hitch-hike and bought me a piece of pie at a restaurant on the way. I listened to him but knew the only way I could get back and forth from home to Norfolk was to hitch-hike.

I was coming home to go to the 1960 Prom with Janet. I left Norflok in the morning and got stuck many times along the way. I finally got a ride with a family, but they were weird. An old man driving and his son and daughter-in-law. They stopped to eat and I did eat a sandwich. Later, they stopped to dance at a bar and the old man danced with the girl.. They stopped one more time around Romney and I got out as they stopped too often and were too weird! I had almost given up making it to the prom but I got a ride from there to Grafton and then a quick ride to Clarksubrg and I did make it and we went to the prom.

I did ride several times with Eddie Kerns (had a ‘53 Mercury) and Tom Brown and a few times with Mickey McGowan (all in the 1959 class at WI). One time we had all kinds of problems. I gave Eddie $5 for gas (left me with about 75 cents). We saw 3 more sailors with car problems on 50 just east of Grafton. We picked them up--they also were broke. We left their car along the road and then stopped at a bar for ideas as Eddie’s Mercury was almost out of gas. (I am not sure but think it got about 12 miles to a gallon). A guy in the bar seen all the sailors and came out. He gave us about $20 to buy gas if Eddie would send him a Christmas card thanking him. That was OK with us, so we left again. We filled it up and made it to the Richmond/Petersburg turnpike and ran out of gas at about 2 AM. We started pushing the Mercury and a cop came along and pulled over and raked us all over the coals—but especially Eddie as the car owner. We started hitchhiking and made it closer but then that car ran out of gas about 75 miles from Norfolk. The car owner hocked his watch at the station and we headed to the base. They were going to Portsmouth and Eddie, Tom and I had to get to the D&S Piers. We had about 45 minutes before we would be AWOL! The toll for the tunnel between Portsmouth and Norfolk was 50 cents. I had 60 cents and at every stop light and every car with a sailor, I offered to pay the tunnel toll if they would take us to the D&S Piers. We finally found a sailor, I paid the tunnel toll and we all made it and were not AWOL! That was my closet experience. Never was AWOL, Thank God!!


submitted by: Jim Nutter (WI '71)
jlnutter@hotmail.com

To attend night classes at the University of Maryland at Babenhousin, Germany, I hitchhiked if I missed the last train after class. I found a place where there were always some young women also hitchhiking. Sometimes when I told drivers where I wanted to go, they would drive off say something negative about me. But, normally within an hour someone would give me a ride. After a semester of this, I learned that the area I was hitchhiking was for picking up prostitutes. Thereafter, I never missed the last train.


submitted by: Fred Alvaro (WI '59)
Falvaro33@aol.com

Hitch-hiking (or thumbing) was used very frequently in my teenage years, being that we had no auto in our family. My longest hitch-hiking ventures were the summers I "thumbed" to Zeising where I was a member of the Zeising Babe Ruth Baseball Team; then, later on while I attended Potomac State College, in Keyser. I frequently "thumbed" home on weekends and usually did receive rides back to Keyser with classmates, who did drive, namely, Roger Lapeer, (RW). Sometimes I would wear my ROTC uniform, that would aid my getting picked up. Sad but true, in today's world, it would be most frightening to pick up a hitchhiker.




MORGAN GRADE SCHOOL GRADE 3
1946-1947

Last month Auggie Malfregeot (WI 1956) agreed to give an undisclosed amount to the WIN Scholarship for each child identified in this school picture. Several people wrote and these are the names….let’s see how many identified the classmates correctly.



1st row Billie Joe Gunn (not identified); Don Cinci; Nancy Ogren (not identified); Allen Hefner, Margaret Cooper, Clifton Whaley
2nd row Eddie Primm, Susan Heitz, August Malfregeot, Patty Westfall,
3rd row Darlene Sweeney (not identified); Billy Kerrigan (not identified), Betty Hummell; Terry Carmichael (not identified).
4th row Doug Bailey, Sue Livingston (not identified); Sy Johnson (not identified ); Ruth Reger, Eddie Simpson (not correctly identified ); Doris Cochran
5th row Nadine Shaeffer, Jimmy Duncan (not correctly identified); Sue Day; Bob Bridge; Mary Tost, Tom Collins (not correctly identified)
6th row Sonya Davis, Janet Kirkpatrick, James Harvey, Suzette VanHorn, Linda Teeter, (?), Margaret Spicer or Sandra Zickefoose (not identified); Teacher Dorothy Wright

So Auggie—10 were not identified but you owe the WIN Scholarship money for the 21 students and the teacher who were identified…Thus please send your check to cover 22 people. Make Check payable to Roleta Meredith c/o The WIN Scholarship

Mail to:
Roleta Meredith
3201 Charles MacDonald Drive
Sarasota, Florida 34240

EDITOR’S NOTE:
I hope you had fun with this. If you can think of another way to raise money for the WIN Scholarship, please let me know…..Thanks


submitted by: Joanne Westfall Simpson-Tettick (WI '52)
fragilegranny@ma.rr.com

The 1946-47 third grade picture of Morgan School's students was interesting. I think that the second row down, last student on the right looks like my cousin, Patty Westfall-Kiddy. Obviously, she is younger than I.



submitted by: Marilyn Tustin Jett (WI '56)
ma5388@embarqmail.com

After receiving the newsletter last night I preceded trying to name these third graders from many moons ago. (The guessing game even took precedence over me viewing "Dancing with the Stars")!

I had finished listing the ones I knew so went on to bed at 11:00. But was still awake at 4:00 am because I was going over other things in my mind that I had also read in the newsletter during the course of the evening. After ten years of reading the newsletter I still get excited when I receive it.

I was on the other side of the hall in Miss Mattie Israel's 3rd grade room, so there's a few I'm not sure of and some I have NO idea. I will put a question mark beside the name if I'm not 100% sure. I will pass monies on to the scholarship fund as well......

Top row from left to right:

1. ?
2. Don Cinci
3. ?
4. Allen Hefner
6. Clifton Whaley
7. Eddie Primm
8. Susan Heitz ?
9. August Malfregeot (Sonny)
10. Patti Westfall
13. Bette Hummell
14. ?
15. Doug Bailey
16. ?
17. ?
18. Ruth Reger
19. Howard Creighton (Sonny)
20. Doris Cochran
21. Nadine Schaffer
22. Eddie Christie
23. Sue Day
24. Bob Bridge
25. Mary Kay Tost
26. ?
27. Saundra Davis
28. Janet Kirkpatrick
29. Jim Harvey
30. Suzette VanHorn
31. Linda Jo Teter
32. ?



DOWNTOWN WHERE THE LIGHTS WERE BRIGHT

submitted by: Skip Bowie (WI '57)
Sbowie11140@aol.com

Yesterday when I was young, I lived "Downtown" were the lights were bright, beside a church which had a downer effect sometimes. The house we lived is now a flower garden.

Across the street is the City Fire Station beside the Osborn Manse which is now the Dominion gardens. Joe's Main Street Grocery was a block west. Milk 29 cents per gallon.

The Nursing School of St Mary's was across the Main Street from Joe's store. Harriet Murphy was the first person I met walking to Hite Field in Clarksburg. Moving from Point Unpleasant to Clarksburg, I thought I died and went to heaven.

My brothers, W. Hollaway and P. Rockwell, and I slept thru the fire at Freidlanders. Three Alarmer. I could walk thru the Hope Gas parking lot to an alley between Lee and Washington Streets to WI. During lunch time I could make it home for lunch. Just in time for All My Children, Days of Our Lives. The Guiding Light; Doctor MacDonald Carry.

Landmarks... Arcade, Robinson Grand, Moores Opera House and Ritz Theaters. Stonewall Jackson, Library, Stonewall Billiards. Attending dances at the Waldo Hotel, Hagan’s Ice Cream Parlor and Blands. Cannot remember the joint beside the restaurant. Stonewall Pool Room, Strand, and many shoe repair stops. The Working Mans Store, Tony Diamond Shoe and betting parlor, Sanitary Hotdog, Manhattan Restaurant, Melets etc. The OPO-One Pocket Only Men's Store, Western Auto

Saturday morning was always a hoot sitting on the wall at the Court House and watching the girls go by. I was not astute enough to make a deal swapping knives.

The Parsons Hotel according to "Bongo" Bailey had the best salads and pepper sandwiches. THE BAKERY Tomaro ala New York Times is still "there" During the time spent downtown I never road a bus to school. All I needed was "there".

Thank goodness my attention span is shrinking and memory is dotted with blanks.



NEW READERS

Bob Gainer (WI '62) bgainer@hughes.net
Cathy (Kay) Strogen (WI '65) MCSTROGEN@aol.com
Susie Mc Donald Howell (WI '66) kennyhowell@netzero.net
Sheila Castellana Jenkins (WI '75) sheiljenk57@yahoo.com
Mary M. Hood (WI '42) MARKEYBELL@wmconnect.com
Janet Deffet Pernell Hall Doty (VHS '60) Jrdoty1225@aol.com
Melissa Haught Stanley (WI '74) mstanley58@nc.rr.com
Brad Wamsley (WI '78) Brad_Wamsley@harte-hanks.com
Will Johnston TomcatSix@aol.com
Doug Wamsley (WI '70) dwamsley@charter.net
Ruth Harpold Israel (WI '42) toddy@aol.com
John Mark Freeman (WI '75) markf@jtmartinfire.com

CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESS

Don (WI '64) and Nancy Harvey (WI '67) dnharvey@verizon.net
Skip and Sharon Dillmore Smith (WI '58) shanangels@verizon.net
Carol Criss Annie (WI '66) was: caca102148@aol.com
is now: carol.annie@suddenlink.net




POINT COMFORT

submitted by: Claire Lou Nicewarner Conley (WI '50)
Tomconlou@aol.com

I missed getting this out to you for the Point Comfort segment of the Newsletter. I am sorry that I am late.

I have so many memories of Point Comfort, as most of my younger days were spent there on Bailey St. I went to Point Comfort School from the 2nd Grade to the 6th Grade. I had Mr. Rittenhouse and Mr. Romine as principals during my time there. I can't remember who my teachers were but I do remember that Effie Kidd, a former teacher of Point Comfort lived straight across the road from the school and I used to go to her house sometimes. I remember that Mr. Armstrong was the crossing guard as he lived next door to us. The D.M. Davis grocery store was on the corner of W.Pike St and was where I bought candy all the time. My brother and I had a paper route that took us from Davis's store all the way to the Adamston Bridge, including Coleman Ave. I was always fascinated by the large house on the corner of Pike and Coleman by Clovis's Service Station, wondering what it looked like inside. Never did know who lived there but heard later it was turned into a nursing home.

My father, Phil Nicewarner was a Sgt. With the Clarksburg Police Dept, My oldest brother is Phil (Sonny) who graduated from WI in 1948 and played football for WI and taught at Bridgeport Junior High and later became principal of Bridgeport Junior High. He passed away in 1999 from cancer. I also have a sister, Mary, that graduated from WI in 1956 and three brothers, Jimmy, Joe, and Bobby that were born in Point Comfort and graduated from Annapolis Senior High in Annapolis, Md.

I met my husband while living on Bailey St. and married him July 23rd, 1950. He lived on Hart St. in Stealey and worked at the Wilson Motor Co when they were on Pike St across from Hartland Planning Mill. Does anyone remember the old wooden swinging bridge at the foot of Hart St. that connected at the other end to River Road? When it stormed badly the water would flood and go over the top of the bridge and sometimes we would see houses, sheds, trees, etc; floating by. My husband, Tom and I moved to Annapolis, MD in 1959 and have 3 children, my oldest son, died in 2006 from renal cancer. Youngest son lives in Texas and our daughter lives in Annapolis. We have 7 grandchildren and 5 great grand children. I retired from the Board of Education in 1982 and in 2006 we moved to Sevierville, TN. to live out our Golden Years.



1974 WI CLASS REUNION

submitted by: Melissa Haught Stanley (WI '74)
mstanley58@nc.rr.com

Here is our WI class of 1974 reunion photo held October 3rd-4th. We had a great time obviously.



Here is the list of the attendees:

1st Row L-R

Margaret Martin Short, Dee Hood Parkinson, Diane Krosmico Viglianco, Melissa Haught Stanley, Kim Simpson Garcia, Mary Ann Krosmico McBee, Besty Kennedy, Cheryl Fain Mehaulic, Betsy Christie Shantz, Ramona Conrad Sheets, Jocelyn Wilson, Melanie Young Priest , Nancy Robinson Walker, Jackie Donnellon Costello, Alice Wyatt Meehan and Jim Ellifritt.

2nd Row L-R

Alex Jaffurs, Debbie Barker, Sharon Reeves Cottrill, Cathy Krosmico Barnosky, Stewart Kirby, Mark Mayer, Ted Wolfe, Jerome Slaughter, Tom Gorrell, Brad Andrews, Randy Cain, Doug Griffin, Rick D’Annunzio, Gene Eubank, Steven Losh, Karl Sauerwein.

3rd Row L-R

Bruce Stanley, Jack Parrill, Bill Smith, Ed Probst, Randy Martin, Denny Vac, Bob Sayre, Jim Marsh, George Koutsobaris, Bill Wymer, Tom Coburn, John Lopez



submitted by: Charles Ferrell (WI '46)
eagle1928@starpower.net

I just saw a History Channel production on failed medical devices which reminded me of a shoe store on Pike Street in Clarksburg in the late 1930s or early 1940s. My mother would take both me and my sister Mary Lynn there for new shoes. In the store they had a foot X-ray device that had three viewing ports where the salesman, your parent and you could view the bones in your foot inside of the new shoe. I would often use the device to wiggle my toes while my sister was being fitted. Many years later when I was in the Radiological Physics course at Vanderbilt University under the AEC Fellowship Program I found out that this was a dangerous no no. How many other WI students used this machine? Do you still have your toes?



submitted by: Janet Defect Parnell Hall Doty (VHS '60)
Jrdoty1225@aol.com

You don't know me....I have a great friend, Jennifer Cone Wells, who suggested I take a look at the newsletter, and I'm so very glad that I did! So many people that I knew! Some well, some casually and some from afar. I hope to be receiving it monthly if at all possible.

Just a bit about myself, I graduated from Victory (VHS) class of 60'...mmmm, how time flies! My name was Janet Deffet...I married a high school sweetheart, (Dean Pernell)...although we divorced a few years later; we had two great kids, Kathi and Mark. (Both RW grads). I remarried someone you may have known. He was the Hall in "Hall and Marks"...(Pediatricians.) Phil Hall was a truly wonderful man and to this day I miss him terribly. We have a beautiful son, Daniel. (Phil incidentally was a WI Grad.)

But like the saying goes..."When God shuts one door, He usually opens another" and I am remarried to a great guy. His name is Richard Doty and he hails from the great state of Wisconsin. We reside in Orlando, Florida.

I see you live in Sarasota! We're almost neighbors!

I loved the newsletter and hope that I can be put on the mailing list.



submitted by: Cathy Strogen
MCSTROGEN@aol.com

Although we live in Altoona, Pa, my husband Marty, RW class of '64, and I still have family and close friends in Clarksburg.

This past July we were visiting with Jack and Rose (Bosley) McGee, who were up from Florida for the summer and working on a camp site on the Buchanan River.

Rose asked if I received the WI Newsletter. I said no so she sent me a link to the latest edition. I must say I was so excited when I read it! Not only are the articles very interesting, but the graphics are beautiful!

Upon receiving the 2nd edition I noticed an article written by John Cooper about Coach Castellana. Well, I immediately sent John an E-Mail. You see as a young girl living on Spring Hill at the Country Club addition, John and his family lived directly across the street from us. John responded immediately and we have been "catching up" on old and new news ever since!

I have also noticed other names of classmates that I often wondered what had happened to them. I also noticed Lynn Horner's name and would like to hear from her sister Caroline. So Lynn, Please let her know I asked about her.

I was also saddened to learn about the death of a lovely lady whom I baby-sat for. R.I.P. DeeDee Sauders.



submitted by: Freddie Layman (VHS '46)
FGL46VHS@aol.com

Once again it was a very nice news letter. I was saddened about the death of "Deedie" Souders. We had e-mailed many, many times during the past few years. In fact one time she had me to do an article on coal mines for a grand daughter. I also sent her a chunk of coal for her story.



submitted by: Brad Wamsley (WI '78)
Brad_Wamsley@harte-hanks.com

Just read your October issue about Point Comfort where you mentioned my oldest brother Gary. My folks (Willard and June Wamsley) lived in Point Comfort for several years when Gary and my sister Kaye (WI Class of '61) were young....and then the family moved to Stealey. Yes, they indeed did enjoy playing cards! My brother Doug (WI class of 72) and I (WI class of '78) were raised in Stealey.

I will forward all of them the link for your newsletter...I'm sure they’ll enjoy it. Keep up the great work on the newsletter!



submitted by: Doug Wamsley (WI '70)
dwamsley@charter.net

Hello from the pine woods of Georgia -

I'm Doug Wamsley (WI Class of 1970) & I live in Athens, GA. You wrote about my older brother & sister in your Point Comfort article. My brother is Gary, who lives in Alpharetta, GA. & my sister, Kaye, lives in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We also have a younger brother, Brad, who lives outside of Dallas, TX. Please add me to your newsletter email list & I will pass it along to all my siblings & classmates.



CLASSMATES GATHER

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

I am enclosing two pictures from one of my local WI dinners that we had last evening (October 10th), here in the Northern Virginia area. Attending were (and seated left to right in the first picture) all class of 1961:

Karen PLEASANT Booker - Woodbridge, Virginia
John Teter - Alexandria, Virginia
Sherry RUMBLE Snyder - Charlottesville, Virginia
Mary Jo PULICE Benedetto - Oakton, Virginia
Richard Malcolm - Fairmont, West Virginia

We went to JR's Stockyards Restaurant in the Tyson's Corner area of McLean/Vienna Virginia and a good time and a good dinner was had by all.








THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.



STEALEY

submitted by: Carol VanHorn Dean (WI '58)
DBLU2@aol.com

I grew up on Duncan Avenue and walking distance from Morgan School. Stealey was a safe place to live where everyone knew their neighbors. I was a year younger than my playmates, Rita Drummond, Mary Lou Vincent, Dorothy Blizzard, Sonny Talkington and a year older than Linda Johnston. Early years we played "What's your trade, lemonade," tag, post office, kick the ball and later years Ring Tennis, skating on the street and riding bicycles.

I sometimes think about walking and leaping across the cement walls in front of the houses on my way home from school. Most days, I would play marbles and win a lot because my dad would bring me home steelies from the Union National Carbon where he worked. They were heavy and powerful.

Three of my neighbors would pay me ten cents to pick them a bouquet of white or blue violets, (I knew where to find the white ones at the edge of the hollow) sometimes I'd buy them candy bars or cigarettes. (Once Mrs. Swabb gave me a small Uncle Remus figurine.) I still have it. Sometimes it could be amusing. I would go to the store to buy a certain neighbor a certain brand of cigarettes and the clerk would ask me who I was buying them for. The clerk would say "Mrs. __ doesn't smoke that brand and send me out with the wrong brand. That would really make my neighbor mad.

The Stealey playground was three blocks away. Saturday was craft day. Occasionally, a movie was shown that evening. Mother would take Nancy and me with our blanket or lawn chairs. The movies were well attended and a good family outing.

Winter snow times were a highlight for me growing up. Stealey has a lot of wonderful hills to sled ride down. Bigger boys would have a fire burning on Duncan Avenue for us to warm up by and a fire at the end of Hall St. Some boys built a snow jump on Collins Ave., packed down the snow to make it slicker. We'd sled ride down Collins Ave, over the snow jump, and started dragging our feet when we got to Duncan Ave to avoid sliding into the hollow. Boys would be there to watch the traffic for us. My sister, Nancy and I would sometimes sled ride down Hart St, I on her back and she would scream to me to keep my head up, then I'd drag my feet when she told me to keep from sliding into the West Fork river. What excitement!

The deep snow in 1950, Phyllis Tutwiler and I would pretend we were on the desert pleading for "water, water." funny. After a fun time in the snow, we would go home for a good cup of hot cocoa and maybe some popcorn.

Also, in those days, we made a lot of peanut butter fudge. Rita Drummond was my next door neighbor. Rita knew a different way to make toast. She put butter on her bread, and then put it in the toaster. It tastes different that way and I like it, but my parents wouldn't let me do it that way in our toaster. They said it would ruin the toaster.

My teen age years were spent baby sitting, playing cards with Susan Milstead, Cliff Whaley and Bill Milstead. Often times I was giving hair cuts, perms, etc. to earn my spending money.

Younger years I was active in the Duff St EUB church and sat beside my grandmother during the church service, teenage years I sang in the church choir. Those were memorable days. Stealey was my world growing up. I felt safe and protected.


DUFF ST EUB CHURCH NOW DUFF ST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH




submitted by: Nancy VanHorn Stunger (WI '54)
Nas336@charter.net

I have lived in S.C. about 45 years. Married Claude Moore (Victory) in 1957, we had 3 sons and 1 daughter. I divorced after 24years. In 1984 I married Ed Stunger, who passed Jan. 2008 after a lengthy illness.

I grew up living at 305 Duncan Ave. along with my parents and sister Carol who graduated in 1958. My fondest memories involve the snow and sled riding. I can still hear the crunch, crunch of the snow under my feet and see the crystals sparkling like diamonds as we plodded back up Hart St after gliding to the bottom and hopefully making the curve or we would be in the West Fork River under the swinging bridge We built bonfires and encircling them were Mary K. (Petie) Tutwiler, Jim Connely, Bob Twigg, Shirley Savage, Bucky Tustin and Bill Milstead.

Duff St. E.U.B. church was a big part of my life, and where I accepted Christ during a revival led by Denver Miles and Melvin George in 1946. I remember David Allan and Wilma Jo Hence Williams, Lonnie Bennett, Patty Robinette Bob Twig and J.B. Lawman.



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

I spent quite a lot of time in the Stealey area during my WI days, as my best friend (Bill Post) and I used to go over to the Stealey playground on a regular basis to play basketball. We also went over to Stealey to another one of our friend’s house (Dave Corbett). I can remember a couple of years ago when Bob Swats and I were in C-burg for one of our reunion committee meetings and he and I were touring the town and we (BOB) actually found Dave’s house. All of “us guys” would go over to Dave’s house as he had a pool table and we would all just kind of hang out at his house playing pool. Jim McIntyre lived just inside the Stealey area on the first street across the bridge (“maybe Park Boulevard), and we spent some time at Jim’s house during our WI days.

On the other side of my WI life, were the numerous “ladies” that I dated that lived in Stealey; such as Barbara (Lainie) Zabeau, Vicki Booth, Barbara Wilmoth, and probably others that I do not remember the names of.

I do not know if Veterans Park is considered “Stealey” but I spent a lot of time at Veteran’s park going on picnics with my family and playing baseball. The ball park “used to be” in the area where the WI picnic was in August and in the area where the new Amphitheater is now located. When I was in for the WI picnic in August, the venue for the Amphitheater for that night was:
Garth Brooks and Elvis Presley – IMPERSONATORS.

I also have a few memories of walking from my parents’ house on Broaddus Avenue to Bill’s house out on Davisson Run, and now when I drive that route, I wonder how we ever walked that far and it would be interesting to know how long it had to have taken us.



submitted by: Jane Ross (WI '53)
meezer83@msn.com

While I lived in Stealey for only one year before we moved to Magnolia Avenue in Hartland, I played on the Stealey playground for the six years I attended Morgan Grade School. I think our house was the third or fourth house up Stealey Avenue, right across the street from Dr. Carder's residence. There were a lot of kids in the neighborhood so there was always something going on at the playground, especially in the summertime. It was a great place, and easily accessible by public transportation (since no one could run their cars, if they had one, and since gas was rationed). If we went anywhere it was either walk or ride the bus. Summer was the time for pick up softball and baseball games, and often there were crafts overseen by an older teen, sponsored by the city. After we moved to Hartland there was a big open area (3 vacant lots) on the corner of Hartland and Verdun which we kids kept clear of weeds so we could play ball there. That area also had a lot of kids (mostly boys), so there was plenty going on there as well. That's when I stopped going to Stealey as much. It was a great time to be a kid. We didn't have the electronic toys, but we had something better - each other's company and in order to play, we had to figure out how to get along. Robert Fugue had it right - "Everything I needed to learn I learned in Kindergarten".


STEALEY PLAYGROUND




submitted by: Bob Bridge (WI '56)
BridgePSU@aol.com

While attending Central Junior High and WI, I most often rode the city bus from Stealey to the nearest stop to the school. I remember we paid in tokens about 7 cents a ride.

Many of us "students" caught the bus at Ridenour's Grocery. For me it was a walk of about 100 feet on level ground. I lived on Euclid Avenue within sight of the bus stop and Ridenour's. Mr. Ridenour lived almost across the street from our house in a much finer home. It was on the corner across a side street from his store.

Often we would go into the store to await our bus, particularly in the winter months. Sometimes one or more of the waiting students would buy something; but mostly we were focused on keeping warm. The great sport was to stand on the furnace grate near the front of the store and watch the heat melt the snow and slush from our boots. If you stood on the grate too long a distinct smell of burning rubber would permeate the store. This was not to Mr. Ridenour's liking and he did not hesitate to tell us so. He was a good man, but probably influenced by the fact that all of our parents were his customers.

Looking back, I think it was a dream way to travel to and from school especially having recently seen what my wife, Jackie (Lumberport HS 1959), had to endure: a mile long walk on a dirt road from her grandparents' farm to the school bus stop. Some of my fellow travelers: Sonny Malfregeot, Alan Hefner, Sharon Greitzner, and Barbara Allen.



submitted by: Jim Ashley (WI '62)
jashley4@cox.net

Just some vignettes that pop into my mind from time to time:

Sled riding down McDowell Street and using the wooden doors of the row of garages on the far side of the street to stop us once we rocketed across Duncan Avenue (we always had lookouts at the bottom of the hill to warn us of traffic on Duncan, but still not sure how we all survived).

The swinging bridge on lower Hart Street which my mother firmly placed off limits for me (and which, of course, was a huge attraction once she did). The high school girls always seemed to be on the bridge pretending to be scared by the high school boys rocking the bridge from side to side (whenever I was on the bridge and someone did that, I wasn't pretending to be scared and possibly even had the random thought that my mother was right about not going there).

We would play baseball on the small section of flat ground on Duncan between Hart and West Streets. The little kids were always posted behind the batter to keep the ball form rolling down Duncan in the direction of McDowell and someone else had the job of preventing the disaster that took place whenever the ball went down the hill towards Bond Street and never stopped until in went under the barricade at the end of the street, down through the trees, and into the river. In the days of taped up bats and one ball for the neighborhood, this was a truly depressing event.

And finally, the adventure of going to the Stealey playground for both the swings and slides and the summer evening cartoon shows.



submitted by: Ruth Ann Martin Hill (WI '59)
ruthann275@bellsouth.net

I actually lived in Stealey at a very young age and then moved back in the 6th grade. My parents had been living in several Pennsylvania towns due to my dad’s work, and then ended up in Clarksburg in the early 40’s when I was around 2 years old. My mom’s family was from Philippi and mom had worked at Hazel Atlas prior to meeting and marrying my father. Work brought my dad to the Clarksburg area where my parents rented a place on Park Blvd. for a few months, and then they rented a house on Hall Street. When the war was over, the couple moved back to their house and we moved to another one on Stealey Avenue.

At about 4 years of age my parents purchased a house on Northcott Street which runs between Mulberry Ave. and Locust Ave. We lived there and I had many great memories and friends in the neighborhood until the summer after 5th grade at Pierpont School. That particular summer I spent traveling with my grandparents and two aunts from Illinois. My parents, in the meantime, purchased a house at 215 Fairview Avenue in Stealey so upon my arrival home at summer’s end I was welcomed to the house that became home for me until graduating from college in 1963.

I have many memories in that house and neighborhood. I loved the brick street and the circle at the end of the street. It was a quiet, friendly street and my best friend on the street was Nadine Schaffer who lived across from me. There was a vacant lot beside her house where we gathered to play ball. Beth Ann Robinson lived on the circle. Both she and Nadine were 3-5 years older than me; however, I still enjoyed their friendship. Mrs. McCall lived directly across the street and I spent many days sitting in her huge white wicker swing with overstuffed soft cushions that hung from springs on her front porch just talking to her. In fact, that swing with the springs is such a comforting memory that I had Bruce put springs on our porch swing. Of course, ours is not oversized and white wicker, but the springs still give me the same little bounce as I swing.

My house was next to an alley leading to Park Boulevard and it would get so dusty during the hot summers that the county trucks would come by and put a layer of oil on it to control the dust. Never could figure which was the worse –dust flying or tracking oil in the house.

My first day of 6th grade was very unsettling to say the least. Ms. Whalen, the principal of Pierpont Elementary, had been calling my mom throughout the summer saying she had cleared it with the county office that since I was fairly close to both Morgan and Pierpont that I could choose which to attend. The excitement of a new school and the reassurance and comfort of my former school had me all confused. My mother was walking me to school on that first day going up Milford St. past Kelley’s store on Duff and then turning around to go the other direction toward the Stealey Bridge and Pierpont. Not sure how many times we reversed our direction, but it was enough to try Mom’s patience and we ended up at Morgan. Certainly never regretted the decision of that morning, but I did miss my former neighborhood friends and classmates. Reuniting with them at Central was a good thing.

Fortunately, I was not the only new girl at Morgan in Ms. Pierpoint’s class. There was a girl from Adamston who had just moved to Hall Street. We became good friends very quickly. Her name is Sharon Orme Wilfong. I had many other girl friends from Stealey as the days unfolded that year. Linda Johnston, Sharon Burner, and Bobbie Snider are three that come to mind during those first few weeks of school. I remember Sharon Orme and I spent a lot of time visiting back and forth between our houses and we would either walk the other halfway home or if we were on bikes we would do the same—halfway then say goodbye. On dark nights I think once we parted to go our separate ways we usually ran the rest of the way to our respective homes.


RUTH ANN, SHARON BURNER, BOBBIE IN BACK. SHARON ORME IN FRONT.

There were two family run grocery stores on Milford down our way. Curry’s and Almond Brothers. Mom would send me to the store to pick up meat or some other items to carry home. Situated between those stores was a small, very small bakery shop. Do not remember the name of that family, but I do remember their maple icing on their donuts and long rolls. Can’t tell you how many times I would have loved to have just one more taste of whatever that icing was. Then there was McFarlin’s Pharmacy and the well liked pharmacist, George Samaris (not sure anymore of how to spell his last name.) If I remember correctly there were a couple of bars on that same little area on Milford St.

The guys from Park Blvd. and Grove Ave. used to all gather and we played chase, kick the can, and I’m sure other type of games in the entire Park Blvd. area. The boys used to play ball on the bank across from the drug store behind the two billboards. One night a trucker with a load of water melons parked up there, I guess to sleep for the night. The guys raided his truck but he awakened and they really had to scramble. I remember the next morning finding a melon in the shrubs by our front porch.

Stealey playground was a great gathering place even as we grew older and were in high school.

I remember we could ride the city bus to W.I. I probably walked as often if not more than I rode the bus, particularly after school. I seldom remember riding home on the bus.

If I were to name one thing that was most beneficial to me and others who grew up in Clarksburg attending Central Junior High and W.I. it would be the Bailey Home on Milford Street. We had very few places to hang out in town and Mr. and Mrs. Bailey provided us with food and drinks (I can still see their stocked refrigerator in the basement), recreation, and a safe place to be with our friends. Not just once in a while, but most any week-end there was at least one or more groups. From Beverly and Doug’s friends to Gary and Connie’s and we had separate rooms. If I recall, being younger in 7th and 8th grade, we didn’t go in and mix with the high school group.

Sub Deb and Lambda initiations were also held in that basement. How did we ever get by with junior high and high school sororities? Oh the memories!! Thank you Baileys, for all those fun years and unselfishly sharing of your parents and your home.


A SLUMBER PARTY AT MY HOUSE. IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE WE STARTED 8TH GRADE.
PICTURED BACK ROW: SALLY HOLDEN, BOBBIE JOHNSTON, JANE STOUT, SANDRA DRUMMOND, SHARON BURNER,
FRONT ROW: CONNIE BAILEY, LINDA JOHNSTON, JUDY DAUGHERTY.



submitted by: Markey Adams Hood (WI '42)
MARKEYBELL@wmconnect.com

The last newsletter stated Stealey would be in this month's issue. I was born on Stealey Ave. (lower) and lived in Stealey most of my life. When my parents built our home on Hart St., just below Duncan Ave, the street was not paved. The back of our home was on McDowell St. and it too was not paved. When they did pave both streets we played tennis on McDowell. The lower end of McDowell just off Duncan Ave. was level. That was our tennis court. Also many of our evenings in the summer we met our friends at Selby's Drug Store on Milford St. When we got a little boisterous "Doc" Selby would tell us to "settle down or we would have to leave".

Across the street on the corner of Park Blvd.and Milford St. was an ice cream parlor that was shaped and painted like an ice cream cone.

Miss Lucy Thomas was my 1st grade teacher at Morgan School also my son Dave Hood and my daughter Liz Hood was in her class.

The Stealey Pool was a glorious place to spend the summer days.

My sister Annabelle Adams White (Pete) graduated from WI in 1938, my sister Mabel Adams Hawkins (James) graduated from WI in 1940 and I graduated from WI in 1942. My son David (Dave) Hood graduated in 1966 and my daughter Liz in 1976. Both children were born in Stealey and loved it there as much as I did.

We had the play ground on Milford St. and it is still there. Also, two wonderful grocery stores, Allman Bros. on Milford St where you had to put your order in early for your Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys. Waggoner Bros was on Euclid Ave where you meat was cut or ground as you ordered it. No pre packaged food. It was great. Producers Dairy delivered milk, butter and eggs to your doorstep. Doc Powell (Dentist) lived in Hartland had a Boxer dog that would accompany the milkman on his route. I could go on forever but I know your space is limited. So Hi to all WI fellow classmates and so long for now....


STEALEY POOL



submitted by: Frances (Tate) Barrett
flmom1cat4@roadrunner.com

Stealey was my home for many years. First at 133 Euclid Ave. and then at 108 Waverly Way. On Euclid Ave we lived across the street from Ridenour’s store. Their residence was the big brick house on the corner across from the store. The first job I had was delivering fliers for that store at something like 5 for a penny. Really was a lot of money in those days for a little kid.

We lived next door to the Coffandafers. He was a school superintendent for Harrison County and one of his daughters was a teacher. Our house was one of two on the street that had a garage under the front porch. Just drive in and you were in the basement. The thing I loved about that house was the huge front porch that you could have a view in both directions of most of Euclid Ave.

The Stealey playground was at the end of the Euclid Ave on Milford Ave. and that is where I spent my time after I got my chores done. When I was allowed I would run all the way out Euclid Ave to the playground. We had a teacher that came twice a week and we did crafts and such. That teacher was Ms. Mattie V. Israel.

I had measles and chicken pox while we lived there and I remember the Health Dept. coming to the house and putting up huge orange/red quarantine signs on the front of the house. My father was the only one that was allowed out of the house to go to work at the Hazel Atlas Glass Plant.

After we moved to Waverly Way I found I had a wonderful place to roller skate down the hill. There was one bad place in the side walk and we all learned to jump that piece. I went to church many times with skinned knees. We had to wear dresses to church in those days.

I also had a quicker way to the playground. Out the back door, down the alley and I was there. When I attended Central I rode the city bus to school, which picked us up at the corner of Euclid and Milford Sts.

Soon after we moved to Davison Run Road and I rode the school bus to Washington Irving High School.



submitted by: Elaine Zabeau Norteman (ND '62)
enorteman@roadrunner.com

I have waited so long for our neighborhood to come into its own. Ha!

Here it goes:
Growing up in Stealey was just THE BEST! I lived on Stealey Avenue and remember many times sled riding down the hill. Wow! I don't think I could do it today. We had a great bunch...Jim and Elizabeth Sims, Jim and David Harvey, Ann and Ronnie Kemper, Habie and Mike Snyder, Sharon Conwell, Jim and Bob White, Ricky Spann, Bob Engle, both Dave Rowes, Pamela Hall, Betty Schlicker, Carol Whaley, the LeJeune brothers, just to name a few. I am attaching a picture I found of Jim Harvey's birthday party featuring a few of the neighbors. There were some I couldn't recall. I think I'm having a Senior Moment. Maybe someone will help me out?

We would play kick the can by the moonlight, play hide and seek, and spend many hours with the Harvey boys playing Monopoly on the front porch or with the Sims playing cards. It was a close neighborhood when I look back. It seemed everyone knew everyone. My sister Judy and I would take our dolls and go up the hill and play house in the woods all day. We'd pick berries and bring them home. Sometimes we would be gone for hours. Now the Stealey pool sits up on that property. It was an adventuresome time growing up in Stealey. It was a trusting time.

Our Father was a glasscutter when we were little. When he came home he would bring these big rubberbands that came off the pile of glass. Of course having gone thru the depression, nothing was thrown away but made useful. His hobby was carpentry. So being the kind man that he was, he made wooden guns and used the rubber bands as bullets. These were toy guns. The boys would come to the door and ask "Do you have any rubber bands?" It was a very different time. I still have one of those rubber guns but I don't think that would go over in today's times.

Walking to Morgan was nothing to us. We came home for lunch and walked back to school all in one hour’s time. The big snow was really something in the 50s. We couldn't go to school because it was just too deep. Everything on Stealey was halted....even sledding. I don't think I ever remember a snow deeper than that one.

As we grew older I remember going to the Stealey Playground in the summer for camp where we made crafty things. Later in life we would go to the Stealey Playground to see the boys playing basketball. We just casually happened to be there. Ha! Oh how fun these memories.

After Morgan School I transferred to Notre Dame and met more kids but not from Stealey. I always remained friends with my Stealey friends as best I could. There is something to be said about growing up as a youngster....you do keep those friends. They're special. Those were the formative years growing up. We mowed our own grass and dumped the clippings in the alley out back. In the fall my Dad would take all the tree trimmings in that alley and we would have a bonfire, roasting potatoes in the hot coals. Kids came from all over the neighborhood for that.

I remember Campbell's store at the bottom of the hill, there was another grocery store at the bus stop, and Kelleys at the end of Duff St. Busses ran every 20 minutes so it wasn't a problem getting around back then. You could ride the Norwood Stealey Bus clear to Norwood and back on one ticket, no questions asked.

My Uncle lived in Hartland on Hartland Avenue. We would visit him and he was so much fun, He loved children. He would walk Judy and me across the railroad trestle that was featured a few months back. We were so afraid. When you looked down it was scary. I think we thought we might fall thru. I'm not sure what he was trying to teach us. It was fun maybe because it was scary. We also used to take a ride on the river in his motor boat. A small boat but it was an adventure rowing thru the little outlets and back. My Dad made a pontoon boat and we christened it on that river.

Of course as we grew older there were memories of Clarksburg as a whole. The band parades, the weekend dances, CYO dances, Ellis' Drive In, The Green Parrot, Maple Lake, Lake Floyd dances and last but not least the Bridgeport Benedum Dances. They were great bringing all the High Schools together. Loved it!

I can't wait to read some other memories from other friends. I am sure it will jar the brain and a smile of gentler times will come upon my face.

Thanks, Roleta, for making all this sharing possible.

THE STEALEY GANG....JIM HARVEY'S BIRTHDAY


First Row left to right: David Martino, Kay Gum, Elaine Zabeau
Second Row left to right: ?, ?, Donnie Houghton
Third Row: ?, ?, David Harvey
Fourth Row: Jim Harvey, ?, Judy Zabeau




submitted by: Judy Zabeau Shepherd (ND '58)
JZShepherd@aol.com


When I was approximately four years old, my parents moved from Norwood to Stealey. I had a new baby sister and so we needed a bigger home and moved to 624 Stealey Ave. Mom and dad were also raising my mother’s baby sister Anne as their mother had passed away when my mother was 18 years old.

Even though I lived on a hill, we had a flat front and backyard. That backyard was terraced and at times it contained a vegetable garden, or a rose garden with a white picket fence and a grape arbor with a swing. During the days my sister Lanie and I would play with our dolls, jump rope, roller-skate, play hopscotch, mother may I, badminton, and ride bikes and at times walk with Mac the mailman delivering mail. I made leaf hats, hollyhock dolls, clover bracelets and necklaces and mud pies. When it rained we would make a dam in the street with mud and sail homemade little boats.

I could walk everywhere without fear. I walked to and from Morgan Grade School and sometimes stopped at the neighborhood store for some penny candy on my way home. Sometimes in the summer my sister and I would take our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and go up into the woods, making forts and playing until time to come home. We also walked to the Stealey playground where there were swings, slides and a merry-go-round. In the summer they had crafts and sometimes an outdoor movie. At night we would play kick the can, red light green light with the kids in the neighborhood.


Dad worked at Pittsburgh Plate Glass and would occasionally bring home cut rubbers for rubber guns that he made the kids. They would come to the door once in awhile asking for rubbers. I don’t know exactly how they knew he had a new batch. With those rubbers came instructions not to shoot anyone in the face. Two years ago at a WI summer picnic, Mike Snyder told me he got in trouble for shooting his brother in the face.

I learned to sew on Evelyn Swiger’s treadle sewing machine (mother was afraid to let us sew on her Singer.) making doll clothes with 1/8 yard of material, ribbons and lace my sister and I would purchase at the dime store. We would spend weeks during the day playing with our dolls along with Elizabeth under her back porch. When my sister Vickie was born I made a few little outfits for her. (I was then old enough to sew on that Singer. Ha!)


JUDY AND VICKIE ZABEAU

As I got older summers were spent playing board games on the Harvey’s front porch. When it was time to move from Morgan Grade School to Central Junior High and ride the bus, my parents decided to send me to St. Mary’s. Some that I can remember who lived in our neighborhood or with whom we would play were Nancy Secmond, Susan Milstead, Jim and David Harvey, Mike and Habie Snyder, Dave Rowe, Jimmy and Bill White, Sandy and Susan Conwell and Skip Bowie. I cherish all those wonderful days growing up in Clarksburg and living in Stealey.



submitted by: Victoria Zabeau Bowden (ND '73)
bahsofwv@ma.rr.com

MY, what wonderful memories I have of growing up in Stealey! Although it was only 10 years of my youth from the mid 50’s to the mid 60’s, I can remember such great details. We lived in what they refer to as “upper Stealey.” Since there were two Stealey Avenues the one on the hill was “upper” the one level and the other side of the hollow was “lower.”

I credit my family and placement in the family for so much of my wonderful memories there. My parents bought the home in the early 40’s. My Dad had reorganized much of the spaces in the home with built-in cupboards for what facilitated our family’s needs. My sisters rooms cupboards and interests, storage areas, two workshop areas in the basement, breakfast room and various other needs within. He redid the basic floor plans but kept the character for a much better flow in the home. His knack for creating the backyard was wonderful and truly an inspiration to appreciating outdoor life for me. He took an otherwise sloping backyard and terraced it into rooms to be used for specific things – gardening, crochet, dining, play (swings, sandbox, sliding) and croquet (for when the priests came to dinner), and the dart board where my sister Judy found it best “Not to beat the boyfriends.” Of course it was Mom who managed our daily lives and for everything to flow well daily and prepare her wonderful meals.

There was so much to appreciate in Stealey. The simple things like the way the sun would rise and fall and the smell of the different seasons especially in the morning walking to Morgan School. There was always something to do and adventure into in the neighborhood. The hikes in the woods and finding turtles to bring home in hopes they would stay in my Moms flower garden. The empty lots and alley were great places for building forts some of the bushes would form so that we could clear out the inside and turn them into mini caves with rocks and bricks found as our seats. My friends and I would also build campfires with the supervision of Dad and wrap potatoes in foil and cook them in the fire to bake, they were good but our teeth would be black. Also cooking hot dogs and popcorn at the fire was fun. I would pitch a tent in the backyard and then find someone who wished to give up their comfortable bed to camp out with me.

It was a good time in Stealey as the Stealey Pool was completed just before I was starting into school. The Breakfast picnics with all members in the picnic area above were nice. We would cook out bacon, eggs, etc. After a few years my friends and I could walk up the hill to the pool and we would swim all day.

There were times my dog “Blackie” would come looking for me at the pool because I was gone too long. He would do the same when I went to school and one time even walked into the front door of one of the “chicken coops” (4th grade side building) and out the back door while I was in class. If I was out of range to hear the dinner bell I was never late because Blackie would run for home and I knew that Mom had rung the bell.

All the neighbors were outstanding there. I would often visit on the swings of their front porches for brief visits. Everyone had some fruit tree or bush in their yard. There were apples, pears, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, plums, and black walnuts. No one objected to our helping ourselves during our play. There were always plenty of friends to play with and usually we had 5 or more at a time. We would spend winter sled riding from the top of the alley on Morgan St. to the bottom of the alley onto Duncan. That was quite a ride!

Stealey will always remain in my memories as the perfect place to grow up. It was also a place to exhaust your imagination at any season of the year.





submitted by: Linda Jenkins Purnell (WI '67)
lpurnell@cricpa.com

My name is Linda Jenkins Purnell and I was fortunate to grow up in Stealey. My brothers and I had the best childhood, we would start at dawn, playing softball in the street- OK, they only let the girls watch, but I loved waking up and hearing the boys in the street. In the evening it was on to hide and seek and flashlight. As we became teens hiding with the cute boy was our real goal. I remember playing badminton in the neighbor’s yard. It became an activity for the entire street. We couldn’t wait to get home and continue the game, adults as well as us kids. I think that badminton game went on for a year. All the mothers on the street became our mother. It was hard to get away with anything. We never felt the fear we instill in our children today. There was always an adult looking out for us.

Winter was still outdoor time. One year my Dad built us an actual igloo that we could crawl into. When we got so cold we couldn’t stand it we’d come in the basement, tug off all those clothes (that took about 30 minutes to put on) and Mom would have hot chocolate and chicken noodle soup waiting for us. One year my boyfriend parked his Volkswagen on the street and we couldn’t find it when he was ready to leave - it was buried under snow. I'll never forget the sled riding parties and the bon fires. It was a glorious time.

We had such great slumber parties. We played records - yes, remember records? Gene Pitney was a favorite. Had popcorn and talked about boys. Sometimes the boys crashed the parties- oh, how exciting that was! It was all so innocent. The boys never stayed. They’d hang around for a couple of hours and then leave. Once they left we giggled and talked about them.

I just remember how much fun we got from very simple things. No slumber party was complete without chips and French onion dip; unfortunately I still have that addiction today.

One incident I’ll always remember was when the policeman broke his leg. It was an accident, but I’m glad we were never found out. It was Halloween and of course I tried to tag along with my brother and the older kids, not that they wanted me to. I can’t remember exactly what the older boys were doing, probably throwing eggs, pretty tame whatever it was, and anyway we were all running through the Stealey playground. We all knew about the ankle high wading pool- too bad the cop didn’t. We ran around it, he ran in it and broke his leg. Of course we all kept on running. Not one of our proudest moments, but exciting and we didn’t mean for it to happen.

When I was a teenager the so called bad boys (I could put names here- ha) used to hang out at the corner store on Duff Street. That’s where I wanted to be. I always liked the bad boys. We were all convinced (or maybe they just had me convinced - I was very gullible) that aspirin in a coke could make you drunk, of course you had to really shake it up. For a quarter you could buy a coke and a candy bar! We also got a kick out of ordering pizzas and having them delivered to unsuspecting homes while we watched from the hilltop.

We always walked everywhere; the Dairy Queen was a favorite spot. My girlfriend and I would save some of our bus money and spend it at the Dairy Queen. We always took River Road home, sometimes it could be scary. We loved to shake the swinging bridge and scare each other. We rode the bus to school, not the school bus, the city bus. I remember I was so fascinated by one woman who had painted on eyebrows. I thought she was glamorous. All the school kids sat in the back of the bus together. Our parents didn’t drive us to the bus stop, we walked - didn’t matter how cold. We knew better than to miss the bus, because your parents weren’t driving you to school if you did. My mother had the reputation as the mother whose car slid down that steep hill beside WI and hit a telephone pole. That was the talk of the day and the last time my mother drove my brother to school early for band practice. Clarksburg did have steep hills!!!



submitted by: Judy Daugherty Kimler (WI '59)
jkimler@verizon.net

I moved to Stealey half way through the 8th grade so I didn't grow up there. However, I lived there for many years and always said I was from Stealey. It was one of the best, if not THE best, area of Clarksburg. I lived on Simpson Av and you couldn't get there without going up a really steep hill...either Coolidge St or Joseph St. Several WI kids lived in that area. Bob Bartos, Bobby and Billy Lance, Laddie Wise and his brothers and sisters, Dick Allen, Jim Byard, Louise Eschenmann, Carolyn Marple and many others lived there too.

It was a lot of fun in the winter. Trying to get either up or down those hills was a really big deal. The city put a pile of cinders at the intersection of Waverly Way and Coolidge St. The people who lived there took turns shoveling the cinders onto the road after a big snow. I remember one time Clara Jason was taking me home and she never did make the turn from Waverly Way to Coolidge. After many tries I told her to give up and I walked home. It was only one block.

I had to walk down Joseph St to catch the bus to school. One winter morning it had snowed the night before and the hill was so icy I wasn't sure I could make it. I was going to walk down the side of the street in the snow covered grass holding on to the branches of pine trees. As I was standing at the top of the hill thinking about this, Dick Allen came from the other side of the street, threw down a book, jumped on it and slid down the hill. I was dumbfounded.

In the summer I spent a lot of time at the Stealey playground. It was a great place to go and had activities all day long. Some of the activities were arts and crafts in the morning, Volleyball, ring toss, basketball, baseball and softball after lunch. I played on the volleyball, ring toss and softball teams. I was a poor athlete and never was able to do much to help the team. But, I always showed up so the team would have enough people to play. We went to other playgrounds for games and they came to ours.

Roleta and I would meet at the playground nearly every day. We often stayed until it closed. We would walk up Milford St to Waverly Way and stand there and talk before starting home. I went out Waverly Way and she went down Milford St. (Rt 19). Can you imagine today’s parents letting a young girl walk for blocks, alone at 10-11 pm on a main highway? People didn't think about all the things that could happen because nothing ever did. At least not in Clarksburg in the '50's!



submitted by: Beverly Ellis O'Grady (WI '58)
logrady@cfl.rr.com

I feel very fortunate to have grown up in Stealey. It was a really nice neighborhood and there were a lot of kids of all ages. I have returned to Stealey several times through the years and I always have a feeling of disappointment that it doesn't look like it did in the 40's and 50's. ("You can't go home again")

One thing that amazes me now is how many neighborhood markets there were then. I lived on Bond Street and there was a store on Duncan Avenue near Winding Way. It had several owners through the years - Byrds, Hubers and Radcliff’s that I remember. I used to go there for my mother if she needed something at the last minute and she would let me spend a nickel or a dime for an RC or some candy.

Campbell’s built a store next to their house on Duncan Avenue near Stealey Avenue. Picks (later Phillips) was at the end of Duncan - it was also the bus stop we used. I remember the big snow in 1950 - we pulled a sled to Picks to get groceries. When I went home late after a movie or a ballgame I had to call my dad and let him know which bus I would be on. He would walk or drive to the bus stop to meet me. I felt at the time that this wasn't necessary (I thought I was a big girl) but as I grew older I appreciated his concern that I might be walking home by myself late at night.

Across from Morgan School was Barnes store. I remember the lady (Mrs. Barnes?) was really, really big and she always kind of scared me a little. On down Duff Street was Kelley’s store.

Ridenours store on Euclid Avenue was also a bus stop. Woods store was in the dip on Joseph between Woodland and Duff. There was a store on Milford across from the Methodist Church and close to the playground and a store at the corner of Baker and Milford. (I can't remember the names)

Allman Brothers on Milford Street would deliver groceries but we seldom used that service.

These are the independent neighborhood stores in Stealey that I remember but there may have been others. I feel that these stores, taken for granted at the time, helped to make the neighborhoods of the 40's and 50's so unique.

I feel so blessed to have lived in STEALEY, in CLARKSBURG, in WEST VIRGINIA when I did. I cherish the memories I have and to think I actually ended up marrying "the boy next door". He was a real brat when he lived there!



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

I lived at 720 Milford Street from October 1951 until 1960. Those 9 years were some of the best in my life. I was 9 years old when my family moved to Clarksburg after spending about 5 years living in Wolf Summit. I lived in the third house beyond Hartland Hill (Avenue). I spent most of my time in Stealey so I guess I grew up in Hartland/Stealey.

During my years at Central and WI, in the morning, I could walk about a quarter of a block down Milford to where Magnolia Ave. met Milford, wait in front of Babbit’s little store for the bus to town, which I did when it was snowy. And I am sure many of you remember cranky Mrs. Babbit. She would not allow anyone to stand inside her store to wait for the bus. But in good weather or when I had time, I walked to Stealey playground (a little over 1 block from home) and caught the Stealey bus to town. After school I nearly always rode the Stealey bus home. We had so much fun on those bus trips to and from school.

I spent a lot of time in the summers at Stealey Playground. I played on the girls softball team, the volleyball team and the ring toss team. There was a playground league, we played at home or at other playgrounds every week all summer break.

I met some real nice kids in Stealey and became friends with so many of them. I have very fond memories of the experiences we shared.

My family attended Stealey Methodist Church where I participated in the Youth Choir, Sunday School and MYF every Sunday evening.

Stealey was a nice place to spend my youth and I have a lot of fond memories.


STEALEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH




submitted by: Joanne Johnson Morgan (WI '54)
JMorgan15@att.net

I read your account regarding Point Comfort - I know your Mom taught there. I do not have much to add - except knowing I have Johnson relatives who lived in Point Comfort for many, many years. I remember as very young children, 5 and 6 years old, our Aunt Freda Johnson Wright, had taken us across the swinging bridge (I guess it was part of the West Fork river) and go to visit Freda's Aunts Cyndonia (Donie) and Aunt Margaret (Mag) . Mary Lou and I loved going across the swinging bridge - it scared us a little but we liked doing it. I can still remember how the bridge would sway when we were on it. It had heavy rough rope that we held on to. It says the house was on a double lot facing River Road; however, some documents refer to the address as 964 Washburn St., the street up the hill behind the house. This is on W.Pike St. Directly across W.Pike St. is Koupal Towers - where the Point Comfort School used to be? I think my Dad and his siblings attended that school. I know my Dad attended Washington Irving High School. Believe the principal then was Orie McConkey This must have been in early 1920's. Our grandfather Luther Johnston #2 bought the house on Milford St. in early 1900's. Mary Lou, Tommy and I were born there - depression yrs... My Dad and brothers tore it down in 1952 - it was already very old when we were born. There were Johns (t) one’s all over that part of Clarksburg from way, way back. Mid 1800's



SUMMER VACATION

submitted by: Jeanne Taylor Teter (WI '56)
teterrd@comcast.net

What did I do this summer? Most of the time I looked after our two grandsons and their two Australian Shepherd puppies. But from August 11 to August 20, we had a grand adventure, thanks to my husband, Roger.

For a long time, he’d been wanting to take our grandsons, California natives, to West Virginia so that they could see where we grew up and meet our/their relatives. Our daughter and son-in-law, however, both of whom have full-time jobs, were less than eager to make such a trip. So, after a few years of restless hoping, Roger asked if we could take just the two boys on a foray into our home state. To my surprise, he got the green light. He was ecstatic, of course; and our grandsons, 14-year-old Nicholas and 11-year-old Christopher, looked forward to visiting the places we’d talked about.

After the four of us flew into Pittsburgh, we rented a car and drove down to West Virginia, greeted by a wondrous rainstorm. The San Francisco Bay area, where we’ve lived for 47 years, has no rain for six months of the year. In summer our hillsides are dry and brown, and thunder is almost never heard. So the lightning flashing in the distance, the low rumble of thunder, summer rain and green rolling hills confirmed to our grandsons that we were, indeed, in a new and different place.

In Clarksburg we met my sister, Chery, who’d driven up from her home in South Carolina. Early the next morning, the five of us went to Morgantown to meet with a friend of mine from college, our niece and her daughter, and all eight of us toured the WVU campus. I marveled at the buildings that have been added since Roger and I studied there. Our grandsons were more interested, though, in the bookstore, where they bought WVU shirts. We posed for pictures next to the mast from the USS West Virginia, which had been sunk at Pearl Harbor, and more snapshots followed at the Jerry West statue and in the Coliseum. Yes, the grandsons were reminded of the importance of both Pearl Harbor and Jerry West.

That evening, at Minard’s, we ran into my next-door neighbor from childhood, Kay Lawson Adair, up from Florida for her high school reunion. I hadn’t seen her in 45 years. (She wrote about that in the October newsletter.) What an unexpected joy that was! And the grandsons loved the food.

The next morning, we went to Arbutus Park to see the house where Chery and I grew up. It was barely recognizable, as it had been remodeled and the landscaping changed. Our grandsons were more interested in the cat that came strolling over. As they bent to pet her, I wondered if she had descended from one of ours.

In downtown Clarksburg, our group expanded to include yet another niece and her son, and everyone posed by Stonewall Jackson’s statue. (The grandsons were appropriately reminded of how West Virginia became a state.) We enjoyed pepperoni rolls on Third Street and took pictures at my high school, W.I. The friendly fellow living across the street was standing outside, observing our tourist-like behavior. He said that lots of folks come by to take pictures there.

Finally, we went to the cemetery to pay our respects to my mom, dad, and older sister. I don’t think my grandsons had ever been to a cemetery before. Christopher was quiet and reflective; Nicholas swatted at mosquitoes.

After saying goodbye to my relatives, we took off for Elkins, where my husband grew up. His brother and sister-in-law still live in the family home, and that’s where we stayed. They had visited with us in California three years earlier, and the six of us had had a great time seeing the sights. Now we would see the sights together once again, but this time in the Elkins area.

First came the train ride to the Upper Falls of the Cheat River, replete with beautiful scenery, good food and commentary from an elderly (older than I) tour guide. Later we laughed and clapped at a wonderful performance at the American Mountain Theatre. Of course, the grandsons were reminded that they are related to some of the performers. (And if my husband hadn’t started tracing the family tree years ago, who would have known that?)

We attended the 80th birthday party of another relative and peeled potatoes for yet another family get-together in my brother-in-law’s backyard. Thirty-three guests showed up, all “family,” we assured our grandsons. Eleven-year-old Christopher was appropriately impressed and declared afterward that the ninetyyear- old, who’d entertained everyone with his descriptions of working in a bakery, was “cool.” Meanwhile, Nicholas quietly observed the flurry about him, learned how to play “corn hole,” and enjoyed toasting marshmallows in the backyard fireplace.

We visited Snowshoe one day and rode the ski lift, from which we could see a glorious vista of more green, rolling hills. Another day we visited nephew Don’s farm, wherein the boys’ favorite experience was riding in the back of Don’s pickup truck and playing with his dogs. They got to visit, too, the nearby family “hunting camp,” a barely put together shelter with rudimentary furnishings. Christopher gamely used “the facilities,” a one-holer with no door, an experience he’ll not soon forget.

After seeing a second performance at the American Mountain Theatre, we drove back to Pittsburgh to return to California and the unyielding reality of everyday life. When his mother picked us up at the San Jose airport, Christopher startled all of us by declaring that he wanted to return to West Virginia next year. His mother just as quickly responded that never again would she allow the four of us to take off, leaving her with two houses and three dogs to look after. I guess she wants to come with us next time.

It’s nice to be missed. But, for us, the trip had been a dream comes true, a longhoped- for effort to connect today’s generation with yesterdays. Our grandkids can never know, of course, what it was like to grow up in West Virginia in the 1940s and 50s. But at least they’ve now seen the beauty of the West Virginia hills and they’ve experienced the gracious hospitality of its people. For that we are very grateful. Our summer vacation took us home, and it was indeed almost heaven.



BOBBY SECRET

submitted by: Jack A. Moore (WI '64)
Jack.A.Moore@wv.gov

I just wanted to take a few minutes to write about Bobby Secret. I had the fortune of coaching American Legion baseball with Bobby, while my sons Chris and Chad played. I was involved during the period between 1989 and 1997. While Bobby and I only teamed up for the first three (3) or four (4)years, he set the tone for a program that produced a West Virginia State Championship (1992) and the developed of several players who went on to play college baseball. To say it was a great run is an understatement.

While Bobby is a legendary athlete, his true contribution to sports is too often overshadowed by his sports’ accomplishments.

After spending many summer days and evenings with Bobby, I came to know him as a true gentleman. His love of sports translated into true compassion for people. He saw a silver lining in every cloud. Each person is unique and Bobby treats them that way. Because of this he was able to motivate every player to reach their full potential. After hearing Bobby talk to them about the little things that they could do to become better ball players, it was like a light came on in their heads; and soon every player was performing at a level far above their norm.

However, Bobby did not see winning a game as the ultimate goal; he saw each player growing into a confident and productive young man as the true measure of his teachings.

While Bobby was very entertaining as an athlete, I truly believe that his true contribution to sports is the positive impact that he has had upon the lives of so many.

Bobby,
I thank you; Chris and Chad thank you; and my family and friends truly thank you for making our lives more enjoyable and memorable.

P.S. I encourage anyone with fond memories of Bobby to share them with the readers. Write to Roleta1@aol.com



SPORTS DEPARTMENT

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

Well, we asked for it. We knew there were dozens, if not hundreds of sports nuts out there besides me. They are making themselves known. We have had a great response to our requests for emails about sports. Thanks to all of you who sent your comments and stories. I hope my boss, the newsletter editor, doesn't limit our space for this subject. All of the stories are interesting and some of them are really funny. All of them brought back fond memories of the good old days in West Virginia. After all, isn't that what this is all about? Enjoy.

Since WVU plays several games between issues of the newsletter, I'll write a brief comment on each game.

COLORADO:

Score: WVU 35---Colorado 24. The most glaring stat of the game was five WVU fumbles (4 lost). Also, we returned to very poor coverage on kickoffs. Unfortunately, we must put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the coaches. Turnovers are mostly mental errors. This team is not playing smart football. It is difficult to cover a kickoff properly if your kicker is not getting the ball past the 15 or 20 yard line. On the positive side, we won. Noel Devine had a career game (220 yards). A 3-1 record is not bad, but be careful not to make Syracuse's season by blowing the next game at the Dome. Reed Williams’ returning helped the defense. We still need a healthy Scooter Berry. There's still a lot of football to be played. If they can stop making mistakes, this can be a pretty good team.

I received the following comments from a reader about the Colorado game.

Letter to Bill Meredith:
I was kind of wondering if we were going to win. What is with those turnovers. You know my high school coach, Tony Folio, would make a player carry a football around school for a week if he fumbled on Fri evening. Everyone in the school knew who fumbled that night. Brown seems like he wants to be another Pat White. Oh whatever, we won.

Those bookies are amazing. They had the Eer's a 17 point favorite and they were 18 points up with 3 secs. to go. How do they do it??

They are not the team to watch if you have a bad heart.

Jim Alvaro-WI '56

Reply to Jim Alvaro:

While living in Columbus, Ohio in the 60's, I recall that turnovers were the one thing Woody Hayes wouldn't put up with from his Ohio State teams. They spent hours learning how to hold onto a football. I agree with you on the betting lines. Those guys are amazing. As far as having a bad heart, I may have mentioned before that one of my friends in W.Va. will not watch WVU games, because he DOES have a heart problem. Instead, he records each game. If we win, he watches it later. If we lose, he erases it. I'm getting close to doing the same thing. I know I get "into it" far too deeply. We Mountaineer fans are among the most passionate in the country.

Bill Meredith

WVU-SYRACUSE:

This game looked like most of the NFL preseason games. WVU seemed to play just hard enough to win. Syracuse made enough mistakes to prevent the game from being close. A good thing was being able to play some back-ups, particularly Geno Smith at quarterback. He may be needed before the season is over. Marshall is next. For some reason, I don't have a good feeling about this game. The Herd will come to play, so WVU better not take them lightly.

MARSHALL:

This game started out with all of the markings of an upset. Jarrett Brown, the WVU quarterback went down with a concussion on the first series and did not return. Marshall scored first and led at halftime. But, back-up QB Geno Smith got to use all of the playbook in the second half and The Herd made numerous mistakes. The WVU defense played outstanding. The results, a 24-7 Mountaineer win. Back to the Big East next week against a Connecticut team that must overcome the death of one of it's stars over the weekend. This begins the most difficult part of the schedule.

WVU-U CONN:

What can I say about a game that had every reason to be one to remember? A Connecticut team that had lost one of its stars to a senseless murder came to Morgantown and played their hearts out for their fallen teammate. They came up short, on a day that made the entire nation and especially we West Virginians proud of the way our students and fans reacted to the tragedy, by welcoming the grieving players and coaches with open arms. Jarrett Brown was back, but not as sharp as usual. The U Conn defense gave us fits in the first half, but wasn't it great to see the offense adjust after halftime? (Remember the 2007 Pitt game?) Finally, thank goodness for Noel Devine. I only hope he stays for his senior season. Next game---USF, a team loaded with talent that always plays WVU tough.



LETTERS TO THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT:

Letter to Bill Meredith:

You will have to excuse the bad typing & spelling, but that is not even what I do poorly or even worse. I have experienced 22 years of refereeing in three sports, 14 years of football, 16 years of basketball & 22 years of baseball & softball. When you wrote about the "lemons in the headgear", we, also, put small river rocks in our mouths to get moisture. I still, to this day, practice some of these procedures if I am going to be outside for a long while and don't want to go back inside for a drink. I remember drinking from the "hose" or "from the "bucket out of a dipper". I was told that I should have had every disease known to man, but, somehow, I lived on. However, that is not what I started to drop you a note about. When I went into U S Naval School of Flight, I had the honor of playing under the watchful eyes of Bob "Shorty" Moss, who I think was one of the best tailbacks that ever played at WVU. If anyone thinks that "two-a-days" were miserable, they needed to go thru "Military Football" in Florida. It was normal to drop 15 to 20 pounds a day & refill back the water every night. We kept our bodies totally cleaned out of any impurities. When I first started, I wondered why anyone would do this to themselves. Later I knew, that with this type of training, I would stand next to these people anywhere & anytime. There are a lot of people who wonder WHY anyone would go thru this kind of abuse. I found out and I am glad that I was able to experience it early in my life. It prepared me for what life is really like & who to trust walking beside me.

Bob Dennison, WI '57

Reply to Bob Dennison:

Don't ever worry about bad typing or spelling when writing to me. I'm certainly not going to worry about that. I'm just happy to receive your comments. I didn't realize you wore the "inverted prison shirts" for so many years. I've heard some of your stories about the Feltz brothers and look forward to receiving more of those type emails in the future. Everyone has a story to tell about the lack of water during football practices in the 40's, 50's & 60's, but your Florida experience must have been a killer. I cannot even imagine how the high school teams here in the Sunshine State can stand the heat. It was hot in West Virginia in August, but nothing compared to Florida. Maybe that helps explain why this state produces so many great athletes. I second your assessment of who you would want "covering your back". It is that way in life. People who suffer together to overcome adversity become lifelong friends. Those of us who "had it rough" early-on, learned to really appreciate what we have earned through hard work. Thanks for an interesting story. I hope this one is the first of many.

Bill Meredith


Letter to Bill Meredith:

I was not fortunate enough to play high school sports other than Junior Varsity basketball and Hi- Y basketball my senior year. I spent some time in the hospital with kidney problems at a time when I could have played football and/or Varsity basketball. But, I still went to many games. My brother (Bob) played football and basketball and he played with some good players, like Bob Secret, Johnny McFarlen, Jimmy Coffindaffer, Bob Swiger, Tom Kearns and many more from the classes of 1960 and 1961. I can remember going to Carmichael Auditorium and seeing Bobby Hart play and going to West Virginia University to see the likes of Jerry West and Fred “Hot Rod” Hundley. THOSE were good players in both basketball and football, who played the games for the love of the sport, not the love of MONEY! Of course, all of these guys would probably not turn down any of the money that is “handed out” these days. I used to be a Washington Redskin football fan, UNTIL the Redskins hired Deion Sanders and I started seeing DOLLAR BILLS running up and down the field instead of a person in the form of Deion! I have since taken my sports watching to NASCAR.

I did manage to play a lot of baseball during the summer months. I played for Knights of Columbus and it seems like we played at Norwood Park, Veterans Park, Stonewood and a lot of other fields in the Clarksburg area. I do not remember all of the names. I remember playing in baseball games that were “out in the country” where the fences were creeks.

I also remember going to a lot of games out at Willow Beach with my parents and making a day of it. I thought the Alvaro brothers were really “fast ball” pitchers, that Paul Popovich was a GREAT baseball player and Anthony Julian was just MADE FOR BEING A CATCHER. I remember the day my brother (Bob, WI 1960) pitched a no-hitter. I think that my nephew still has the baseball that was signed by the rest of the team the day he pitched the no-hitter.

I recall the first home run that I “should have had”, being taken away from me by Patrick Kelly (or maybe it was Bill Spears).The game was played at Veteran’s Park. The center fielder (Patrick or Bill) was playing in the deepest part of center field and reached over the fence with his eyes closed, catching the ball and robbing me of my home run. Fortunately, it would be followed by many more home runs over the course of several years. In one game, that was played up a country road in what I thought was a “cow pasture”, our team lost the game with me stranded on third base. One of our weaker hitters struck out to end the game. I remember saying to the coach after the game, ‘Why didn't you let me steal home?" His answer was, “Because you looked TOO TIRED”. I had to agree with him. Someone came up to me after that game and said “Nice game”. My answer (with my Dad beside me) was “YEH!” MY DAD CHEWED ME OUT, stating that I should have said “THANK YOU”!

John Teter (WI 1961)

Reply to John Teter:

It is amazing how many excellent athletes played in our area during the 50's and 60's. The names keep coming. If there were as many sports teams then as there are now, many of them would have played professionally and made some of the money Deion made. It's funny that we always remember "the one that got away", (referring to your home run), but forget other things as we get older. (Hot Rod's name was Fred? I missed that.) Speaking of cow pastures, that is what I thought of some of the famous golf courses in Scotland. I think I'm spoiled by the fine courses here in the U.S.

Bill Meredith



Letter to Bill Meredith:

I can remember getting interested in sports when I was about 8 years old growing up on East Pike Street, four houses up from the Immaculate Conception Church. My early memories are of the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 50's, the WVU basketball team when Mark Workman was an All American and the 1954 Mountaineer football team playing Georgia Tech in Sugar Bowl. (They lost 41-19, I believe).

Other memories I have are when the WVU freshman team played the West Virginia Wesleyan freshmen basketball team at the Carmichael Auditorium in 1956 or 1957. I was in Central Jr. High at the time and there are only three players' names that I can remember. Wesleyan had two players that I remember. One was Don West and a really tall center, named Ken Remley, who was about 6'10". On the WVU team was a guy named Jerry West, whom, I was told, graduated from East Bank High School in 1956. I can remember that Jerry West was outstanding in that game but I also remember that the really tall guy from Wesleyan scored a lot of points in the paint.

In June or July 1960 my dad took me to the old Mountaineer Field House to see the 1960 USA Olympic Team play an exhibition game there. This was between my sophomore and junior year at WI. This team had many great players who went on to the NBA to make a major impact for their teams. Although I will send you a list of the roster of that 1960 Olympic Basketball team I would like for our viewers to name the players on the roster and possibly find out their record in that 1960 Olympic season. Of course, back then, no professional basketball players were allowed on the Olympic teams, as they are now.

One more item to share and that when I was a freshman at Fairmont State, I played against the WVU freshman basketball team in Fairmont. Their center, Perry Polonski was 6'9'', while their forwards were both 6'6". Their guards were at least my height, 6'2". Our tallest guy was 6'3" but I played center, so I got to jump ball with their 6'9" center. To this day, I don't know how I out jumped him, but I did, both times. It was a game of David and Goliath and, yes, we were David. We lost to them by the score of 105-65. How I was able to rebound and score 10 points against those monsters is a mystery to me!

My sophomore year, I had a severe ligament tear in my left ankle and I gave up the sport to focus on my grades. That was the year Joe Retton, a legend, started his career as FSU basketball coach.

Bill Spears (WI 1962)

Reply To Bill Spears:

I remember the Sugar Bowl game well. I think Fred Wyant, Sam Huff and Bruce Bosley all played on that team. Bobby Dodd coached Ga. Tech. Of course, we still love Jerry West. I understand they are naming a steak house at the Greenbrier Resort after him. I got to know Jerry Lucas, who was also on the 1960 Olympic Team pretty well while in Columbus, OH. He is a brilliant man. Look up his web site at www.doctormemory.com when you have time. And finally, Joe Retton is a hero in Marion County. (Ronnie Retton, Mary Lou Retton--same clan) I look forward to the day when Fairmont State will return to their former glory in both basketball and football.

Bill Meredith



Letter to Bill Meredith:

Regarding your question of whether Bill Stewart should have been hired as our WVU football coach, I am giving my 2 cents worth. When I first learned that "Roots", Rich was leaving for Michigan I was totally disappointed that he left along with many on his staff including the trainer. To this day I think he is still a slime ball, not so much for his leaving, but his deception that he presented to us in West Virginia. Anyway, when Bill Stewart was named as the interim coach for our Bowl game against Oklahoma, I was skeptical about his ability to ignite the game.

As history shows, he did that, and shortly thereafter he was named the head coach. What impressed me then and still does, is that he was hired at a salary of about $800,000.00 a year based upon a handshake, at that time, versus $4 million for Rich Rod. He continues to impress me with his humble attitude and for being a common sense guy. He is a no nonsense guy and he has shown that during his tenure as the football coach. Being a military guy, he sets the boundaries for the players and if they step across the line, they pay the penalty. I admire him for that, but he also is a compassionate and caring coach. I believe he has the total respect of his players and his staff.

Being a native West Virginian, he has paid his dues and his heart is not about the money as much as it is with making our state proud, and expecting the most out of his young players, which should make them proud to be a Mountaineer.

Kudos to Bill Stewart who is a graduate of my Alma Mater, Fairmont State University.

Bill Spears (WI 1962)

Reply to Bill Spears:

You are the only one to write about the question I asked in last month's newsletter. I think most people would agree with everything you said, because it is fact. (Except I think $4 million is a little high for Rich Rod's salary). Bill Stewart is the kind of person I would want to coach my son or daughter. Unfortunately, major college football is not about being a nice guy. Right or wrong, it is only about one thing, winning. A coach who goes 9-3 every year would be welcome to stay at many schools, but not at most "big time" programs and not at WVU. We've had a large taste of being at the top and we like it. Good is not enough. Ask John Cooper, the ex-Ohio St. coach. He won more games than any other Big Ten coach during his tenure, but he didn't play for a national championship or beat Michigan regularly, so he was fired. We can only hope that just this once, a nice guy will finish first. Our state needs it and so does college football.

Bill Meredith



Letter to Bill Meredith

"Spaghetti & Meatballs"
(A disorderly & ragtag collection of some of the sports stories that I encountered at NDHS from 1953-1957)

I grew up in my early teens working on my Grandfather, Patrick Dolan's Farm from dark till dark! This made me pretty strong & I stayed in pretty good shape. Some of these stories could only happen in W.Va. during this time in history.

In the beginning, I remember playing football against Belington H.S. They were all farm boys and only practiced once a week, because they lived full-time, working "dark till dark". They got loose on Friday nights to play football games. Belington had the Robinson brothers, both of whom were well over 300 lbs. each and one would carry the ball with the other doing the blocking. Then, they would alternate. They also had another back that was a great talent, both running the ball and receiving. I remember that we proved that he was well over 25 years old, but who counts in Belington? We were a small school, so most of us played both ways. I was the offensive center and linebacker, We played the single-wing, so I actually centered the ball with my head down and through my legs on every play and then carried out my blocking assignments. And on defense, I loved playing linebacker! Many of you remember the legendary Sheriff Tiano who refereed all over the state. Well, on the first running play of the game it was customary to call timeout and ask the offensive center to come out of the huddle to see the referee. Sheriff called this big ole' boy out to ask him how he liked the ball to be placed after each play, i.e., with the seams down, on the side or straight up. This was his first game at center and he was scared to death, like he had done something wrong and was going to be punished. Sheriff asked him, as was customary, "how do you like the ball.". The center looked bewildered, but answered, "Geez, Ref, that really is a dandy" ( I cleaned that up) Well, Sheriff came out of that laughing his head off and headed right to my linebacker position to tell me what happened, since he knew I played center, too. Our tackle, Anthony Minard, overheard it and the two of us were laughing out loud. Coach yelled "Time Out!!!!!!", and sent Chinky and I both to the end of the bench. "You guys don't want to play football, you just want to clown around". After a while, our assistant coach came over to us and asked why we weren't serious about winning. When he heard our story, he told Coach and they both laughed and put us back in the game. I condensed this story and cleaned it up, but it is still my favorite. Spaghetti and Meatballs !!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: After fifty-some years of embellishment, all of the "spaghetti & meatballs" have been over seasoned with fiction & humor, smothered in parmesan, overdone with red pepper, loaded with garlic and all done in good fun, utilizing a lousy memory. Of course, all the names are fictitious!

Pat Elder (ND 1957)

Reply to Pat Elder:

You have hit the jackpot with this story. As they say, fact is stranger than fiction. Things like this really do happen in sports. I never played at Belington, but I did play against Clay- Battelle HS, which played their home games in Brave, PA. The field was severely sloped. Whoever won the coin toss always chose to play "downhill" rather than to receive the kickoff. Does anyone else have a funny story to share about sport? . We would love to hear from you.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: We will have another "Spaghetti and Meatballs" story next month.)

Bill Meredith



WI CLASS OF 1959 HAS 2 CLASSMATES HONORED

CONGRATULATIONS TO

Rex Zickefoose (WI 1959)



On September 20, 2009, Rex was named
“DODRIDGE COUNTY MAN OF THE YEAR”.


CONGRATULATIONS TO Fred Alvaro (WI 1959)

Who was named “THE VILLAGER OF THE DAY”





SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION NEXT MONTH

What was you favorite class in school, why?

What was your least favorite class in school and why?

Write to Roleta1@aol.com



HELP FOR THE FUTURE

The WIN Scholarship is awarded each May to a student (or 2 depending on the amount of money we have) who graduates from RC Byrd High School. (This is the high school where Clarksburg students now go to high school---since WI and RW were consolidated). All money sent to the WIN Scholarship is put in the WIN Scholarship MMA which earns us a little interest. No money is ever used for anything else.

Those who gave this month are:

Bill Spears (WI 1962) Sent a generous check in memory of his parents: W. Arthur Spears and Ella G. Spears. Thank you.

Marcia Fletcher (WI 1964) Sent her promised payment---which was an undisclosed amount that she would give for each name she had forgotten in Mrs. Malone’s 5th grade class at Morgan School. She didn’t identify 12 students. Thank you for the generous check.

Linda Spelsburg Wolfe (WI 1958) and Charles Richard Wolfe (WI 1956) Sent a note of Thanks to Roleta and Judy along with a check for the WIN Scholarship. Thank you both.

Sandra Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956) Sent a Birthday gift (for her birthday) to the WIN Scholarship which was for $1.00 for each year of her life. What a wonderful idea! Thank you Sandy.

Gene Davis (WI 1959) Thank you for your continued support of the WIN Scholarship.

Margaret Maiocco (WI 1965) Sent a check and note of Appreciation for the great newsletter each month which she enjoys reading. She said that for many the newsletter may be their only connection to our hometown and the effort we make to bring the newsletter to them is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

If you would like to help a young person in Clarksburg, WV with their college expenses just join us in this endeavor. Every dollar collected joins with other dollars collected and add up to a nice sum to help a student with their first year of college. It would be wonderful to collect enough each year to be able to extend the scholarship to cover 4 years and this should be possible with as many readers as we have, but that is a dream for the future.

Want to help?
Make your check out to: Roleta Meredith c/o Win Scholarship

and mail to:
Roleta Meredith
3201 Charles MacDonald Dr.
Sarasota, FL 34240

Thanks



NY TIMES ARTICLE

You may have already seen this or you may be one of the approximately 50 people who sent it to me….Thanks to each of you for thinking of the WI Newsletter and wanting to share with the readers:

NY TIMES ARTICLE - WV PEPPERONI ROLL

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/dining/30unit.html




PEPPERONI ROLLS
“GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT”

by: Julia Roberts
CHARLESTON GAZETTE

Sent by: Nancy Delaney (WI 1962)

Check it out: http://wvgazette.com/Life/200910130880



MOVIE WILL TELL STORY OF COUNTY PIONEER JESSE HUGHES

Reference for this story: Weston Democrat, October 21, 2009

submitted by: Joy Stalnaker (WI '59)

Clarksburg native and now Florida resident Edward Clevenger is producing an independent film about one of Lewis County’s famed pioneers, Jesse Hughes. “Into the Wilderness: The Jesse Hughes Story,” expected to be completed in February 2010 and previewed in film festivals around the state, should be released in Summer 2010.

The full length feature movie is being filmed entirely in West Virginia with sites in various parks simulating the western frontier of America in the last half of the 18th century. This Sunday filming will be at Coonskin Park, Charleston.

Jesse Hughes was a noted Indian fighter who crossed the Alleghenies from what is now the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia with the first recorded party of explorers and settlers to come into what is now Central West Virginia in the late 1760s. Others in the party included Jesse’s father, Thomas Hughes; his brother Elias; John Hacker who would ever after be known as Lewis County’s first white settler; and John Jackson and his sons, George and Edward. Jesse is considered a hero of the frontier, responsible for saving thousands of lives after warning of impending murder raids, bringing food to besieged forts (West’s Fort and Fort Buckhannon) and leading volunteers on rescue missions.

Jesse’s battles with the Indians, both as an individual and as a part of organized fights like the Battle of Point Pleasant, must be considered in a light of the times when they occurred. Europeans were struggling to establish a foothold on the western side of the Alleghenies, land that Native Americans considered theirs.

Jesse was married to the former Grace Tanner. They raised their large family in a cabin home that once stood between what is now I-79 and Fairview Road, the road which leads to Chesapeake Energy, the Nail Barn and the Smith development at Jane Lew.

Clevenger, a retired teacher in West Virginia and Florida schools, lived his teen-years in Ravenswood where Hughes is buried.

In a telephone interview Monday, he said, “As a boy I often walked through the cemetery as a short cut. I was fascinated with his grave marker and his life. As I had time, I would read about him.

“I have always done a lot of writing and submitted them to the Library of Congress and other places where they might be found by some researcher years from now.

“I submitted manuscripts as potential films to various places. The only person who ever responded with a personal letter was Home Box Office. My original thought was to submit this film to them and then I decided to do it myself.”

About five years ago, Clevenger began researching Hughes in earnest, both in libraries and on the internet. He has amassed a large amount of documentation about Hughes, his family and his pioneer neighbors.

“As publicity is getting out there about the film, I continue to get new information,” the writer producer said. “The biggest problem has been determining what is fact and what is fiction. “I want this to be as factual as possible.”

Most, if not all the actors in the feature-length film, are black powder re-enactors. Most have 10 to 20 years experience which, according to Clevenger, “assures the authenticity of the film’s content.”

Clevenger spends his weekdays in Florida where he is raising the children of his deceased son. He flies to West Virginia on the weekends for filming.

He, his film crew and the re-enactors will re-create Jesse’s flight from fifty Shawnee at Brushy Fork in a location at Coonskin Park, Charleston, this Sunday, Oct. 18. On Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 -25, they will be filming portions of the Battle of Point Pleasant on location at Ft. Randolph on Crooked Creek Run near Point Pleasant and on a Putnam County farm.

Reference for the following 5 or 6 paragraphs:
Joy's Journal column, Weston Democrat, October 28, 2009
Friday I heard from Edward Clevenger. He is bringing his film crew to Lewis County to film three major acts for the movie. Actually, Ed said in his e-mail to me, "I've rewritten three of the acts so that we can film them there!"

The reason for the rewrite: until I contacted him, he didn't know anyone in Lewis County who could tell him what happened and where in those early pioneer times or who might be able to connect with the owners of the larger farms in the area.

I knew a lot of what he needed to know; and, what I didn't know, I knew who could help. So. . .
Edward will be visiting in the county sometime in the next week to ten days. Filming will take place either later in November or next March.

One of the scenes that will be shot here in Lewis County is the Waggoner capture and massacre. It occurred on Jesse's Run.

In May 1792, the Shawnee Tecumseh and his braves killed Mrs. Waggoner and some of the children, captured Peter and his sisters Mary and Elizabeth and took them off to Indian Territory. Jesse Hughes was the leader of the search party who tried unsuccessfully to find them.

The children's father, John Waggoner, eventually remarried and continued to live on Jesse's Run. Many of his progeny still reside in Central West Virginia. In May 1795 Elizabeth was returned to the family. Some months later, after the Greenville Treaty, Mary was also returned.

Elizabeth eventually married John Hardman and Mary, Jacob Wolfe. Their progeny also abound in our area.

This story and others are available in a soft-bound book titled "They Started It All," which I wrote back in the 1980s. It can be purchased from the Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants located out in the historic Horner School. Their phone number is 304-269-7091. For internet purchase: www.hackerscreek.com/shop and search on the title.


Edward Clevenger, the writer, producer, director, etc., was a native of Clarksburg, moved to Ravenwood when he was ten or twelve where his dad found a job after becoming unemployed. He attended Salem and Marshall, taught at Washington Irving, etc. Later moved to Florida where he still lives. Had he stayed in Harrison County, he would have graduated from WI. I don't know what grade school he attended. He is about 62 now. Here's a picture to use with the story. This scene was heart wrenching to me. I actually cried real tears. But then, sometimes, I live in another time.

Edward Clevenger, is the man in the green cap at the far right. Actors in this scene are those portraying Thomas and Mary Baker Hughes, three of their sons, John Hacker, William Hacker and I'm not sure who else.

It was taken this weekend and is the conclusion of the first chapter of the movie: It is the burial of Jesse's brother over on Lost River before the Hughes family crossed the Alleghenies. His death at the hand of the Shawnees is the reason given in the movie for Jesse's famed hatred of the Red Man. (I don't remember if that was the real reason or not. I haven't had time to research it.)



NORMAN STEELE

submitted by: Buzzy Floyd (VHS '56)
Floyds4@Cox.net




Norman, his wife Ruth in the middle. and the lady on the end is the mayor of Bramwell

The man in these pictures is Norman Steele, VHS Class of 1952. His father, Reverend Steele of the Pilgrim Holiness Church on Williams Avenue, was my family’s minister in North View, and Norman and his brothers’ were very good friends of mine. They really looked after my father who was, as they used to say back in those days, “crippled” from slipping on ice hurrying to get to work.

Norman’s niece, Linda Steele, VHS Class of 1966, sent the pictures of Norman to me. She lives in Columbus and is retired from Sears. As the article says, Norman and his wife live in Ocala.



Marty (WI-59), our daughter Missy, and me, with my dad in Ohio in 1961




NEIGHBORHOODS
DID I MISS SOMEPLACE?

submitted by: EDITOR:
Roleta1@aol.com

Did we miss your neighborhood over the last few months when we have saluted neighborhoods of Clarksburg? Now is your opportunity to say whatever is on your mind about your neighborhood in Clarksburg…or perhaps one you liked to visit. Tell us what you remember about your neighborhood, what made it special, why you did or didn’t enjoy living there. Just write to me at Roleta1@aol.com

One wrote to tell me I had missed Spring Hill Addition of Country Club Addition…. She wrote:

SPRING HILL ADDITION
submitted by: Cathy (Kay) Strogen (WI '65)
MCSTROGEN@aol.com

There is another lesser known neighborhood at the Country Club Addition called Spring Hill Addition. Our friend John Cooper still lives there but as far as I know everyone else has moved away.

My grandparents, Arlie and Maude Kay, as well as Mr. & Mrs. Cooper were the first to establish residency on The Hill. As time passed more people built on The Hill, including the Stouts, Stevens, Rittenhouses, Sylvesters and many more.

It was a lovely area. On a warm sunny day Allen Rittenhouse and I were known to pack a picnic lunch and tramp over the hills picking wild berries and flowers. Our final destination was always a little stream where we would eat, skip rocks over the water, catch butterflies and even play with snakes, crayfish and worms. Yes, I was quite the tom boy then but what joyful memories. Today the pretty little stream is now a lake owned by the Harolds' and the hills are now housing developments.

As time went by there arose a need for a church. After many fund raisers, including a lot of covered dish dinners, enough money was raised to lay the foundation for the church. Today the Spring Hill Chapel is a lovely memorial to all the founding fathers of the area.

They were fun times, the best of times and I will never forget the years on Spring Hill Addition.





CHANGES FOR WOMEN OVER THE YEARS

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

I am sure you can think of many things that have changed in your life since you first started school. I can think of so many things….perhaps this will remind you of a few and you will write something next month that you have really noticed has changed in the life of a woman.

Changes: One major one was mentioned by other writers this month so I am not going to go into my first nomination for changes in our lives---you can read the letters below: What about this one? Hand held hair dryers….I don’t remember many of us having hair dryers, we slept with wet hair in pin curls or big brush rollers or we had those bulky hair dryers we sat under forever on a hot kitchen chair with the dryer on the kitchen table. Speaking of hair, I remember years of sleeping on those rollers that were metal with a brush inside….or of course before the brush rollers, there were pin curls made with hair pins. Hairspray? What did we do with out that?

Here are some suggestions:

Wearing stockings—what kind? What did you wear to hold them up?

Shoes---were there restrictions? What did you wear to work? To school?

Dates---where were dates then as compared to now?

Clothes/ Fashion? Did you have school clothes, at home/casual clothes, go to town clothes and church clothes?

Shopping? How has shopping changed thru your lifetime?

Entertainment? How has this changed?

Foods-recipes and preparation

Travel

Work

Pay

Housework?

Cooking

Gardening

Freedoms

Clothing---did your mother make your clothes when you were in school? Do you know what a feed sack is? Did you wear dresses made from feed sacks? We can cover this over a few months….

Okay, you get the idea---and I hope this jiggled some memories and you will share them with us….Write Roleta1@aol.com Below are letters :

submitted by: Brenda Cooper Olsen (WI '70)
Brenda2OOO@aol.com

Are you kidding? During my years of high school, slacks were verboten, never mind jeans - they were unthinkable! Even divided skirts were forbidden in some classes, depending on the teacher's level of decorum. I was in Miss Nutter's junior English class, the ultimate bastion of conservatism. One day I was called up to her desk for some reason and as I stood there while she spoke, I leaned against her desk, causing my skirt to crease. She looked at me in horror and said in a loud voice "Are you wearing a divided skirt??" I quickly replied "Oh no, Miss Nutter!" and stepped away from the desk to show her that I was indeed not wearing such an offensive garment. I felt like I had dodged a bullet! But it was the dawn of the 70's and those old attitudes were gradually beginning to crack and crumble. So much progress has been made since then, but it makes me sad to hear some of today's college student’s discount the importance of the women's movement that gave them so much of the freedom and choices they enjoy today and take for granted. That freedom was hard won. They have no idea what repression is.

submitted by: Joanne Westfall Simpson-Tetrick (WI '52)
fragilegranny@ma.rr.com

Just a quick note to say that unfortunately, I went through Morgan, Central and W.I. and never wore jeans or slacks. My daughters, Kim and Tracy enjoyed that privilege.

submitted by: Louanna Furbee (WI '55)
louanna100@yahoo.com

Ah, Roleta, dress codes fix us in the amber of time and social space! Time - well, I certainly didn't wear slacks to school ever K1-12, and given that WVU was a socially pretty conservative place (still in loco parentis at the end of the 1950s), not there either apart from Bermuda shorts during the special Spring Spree Weekend once a year, so it was really not until I returned to graduate school at the University of Chicago in 1967 that I wore slacks to school, and there we all dressed pretty much like slobs much of the time as a means of making some sort of intellectual or financial statement. But we cleaned up good when the occasion called. At WVU when a legitimate need (e.g., a phys ed class) for slacks, bloomer suits (I kid you not), or whatever was called for, we wore rain coats over them as we crossed campus.

Once I was teaching, I sort of unconsciously held to a rule of wearing dresses to meet a class, but I'd come to school in slacks if I didn't have a class that day. I really didn't give that up until very late in my teaching career - sometime in the 1990s. Working in Chicago in the first part of the 1960s before returning to school, I like other working women in the Loop wore just about anything I could layer on in the coldest months for commuting (fur hats and mittens, scarves, lined boots, etc.), including snuggies (I won't explain), tights, and slacks, but we wore these under our skirts, just for making the commute back and forth. Upon arrival at our jobs, we peeled off the slacks at least in the ladies room before going to our offices. I don't even want to think about the temperatures and wind chill factors we endured while waiting on those elevated or train platforms in the dark of a winter morning.



ONE HIT WONDERS

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

I am very pleased that I received songs from 6 more people since the last newsletter and it is still early in the month. I am enclosing my latest list in case you need it for your deadline, as I am not quite sure when I will be getting back into my verification process again and I would like to have my article continue with the next newsletter so that others can contribute.

COME ON READERS, put on your thinking caps, and send us some more "One Hit Wonders" for the next newsletter.

Title - Singer - Contributor

In the Year 2525 - Zager & Evans - Bud Wheelock, WI 1960
Mr. Custer - Larry Verne - Steve Goff, WI 1962
Locomotion - Little Eva - Sherry Hutchison Keith, WI 1964
Alley-Oop - The Hollywood Argyles - Judy Daugherty Kimler, WI 1959
Rockin' Robin - Bobby Day - Judy Daugherty Kimler, WI 1959
The Jerk - The Larks - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
The Boy From New York City - Ad Libs - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
The Birds and The Bees - Jewel Akens - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
You Turn Me On - Ian Whitcomb - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Keep on Dancin' - Gentrys - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - The Silkie - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Elusive Butterfly of Love - Bob Lind - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
No Matter What Shape Your Stomach Is In - T-Bones - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
The Men In My Little Girl's Life - Mike Douglas - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Cool Jerk - Capitols - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Black is Black - Los Bravos - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Psychotic Reaction - Count Five - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Winchester Cathedral - New Vaudeville Band - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Come On Down to My Boat Baby - Every Mother's Son - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Let It All Hang Out - Hombres - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Expressway to Your Heart - Soul Survivors - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Green Tambourine - Lemon Pipers - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Nobody But Me - Human Beinz - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Judy in Disguise with Glasses - John Fred and Playboy Band - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Love is Blue - Paul Mauriat - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
The Horse Cliff - Nobles and Company - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Angel of the Morning - Merilee Rush - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Classical Gas - Mason Williams - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie C. Riley - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Fire Crazy - World of Arthur Brown - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965
Girl Watcher - O'Kaysions - Bryan McIntyre, WI 1965



NOVEMBER GRATITUDE AND MEMORIES

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

November is Thanksgiving and Gratitude! That’s the theme of some of the songs I've included this month. What would we do without our friends? This month; that holiday; this newsletter...may we all gather around this cyber-table and be grateful for our shared experiences and common bond of all going to high school in the same town...yea Clarksburg!

Now turn up the tunes!

Songs of Gratitude

"Thank You for Being a Friend" Andrew Gold (#25, spring of '78) became theme song for "The Golden Girls"; could be the theme song of this newsletter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3eNjxZ8lec

"Thank You Girl" The Beatles. Flip side of "Do You Want to Know a Secret?", spring of '64.) A video tribute featuring the women who lived with Beatles and loved it. Check out "more info" for list of Beatle women featured. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndh0gr7CU-E

Johnny Appleseed song. This was suggested by my wife Beth (Allen, WI Class of '70) as I was fishing around for songs/videos evoking gratitude. Good choice...nothing like a little Disney animation to make us all nostalgic. May your higher power always shower you with an attitude of gratitude. Works for me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_IrdS-zu48

these songs were #1 in Novembers gone by...

1949..."Buttons and Bows" Dinah Shore. This bossa nova version from the '60's is a hoot. At the 1:30 marker be sure to watch for the first television sighting of the "Thigh Master"; we now know it began as a percussion instrument before Suzanne Summers gave it a squeeze. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZsA7HQXXBE

1953..."Rags to Riches" Tony Bennett. He duets here with Elton John!! Excellent version from a recent, very good TB TV special. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBata8DIqpU

1955..."Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" The Four Aces. Turn this up, the sonics are great, good stereo. Lyric under "more info" link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VY4MueAPks

1958..."It's Only Make Believe" Conway Twitty. Check out this "from the vault" classic. After a rough, sloppy start the ole Twit bird gets it going. Big finish, big finish.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3eLtHJpORc

1960..."Georgia On My Mind" Ray Charles. The Genius of Soul. A great song, by a great singer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thls_tMuFkc

1963..."I'm Leaving It Up To You" Dale & Grace. Once again the "more info" link provides background on the song and the artists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gin0cwCB0Fw

1965..."Get Off of My Cloud" The Rolling Stones. It took me years to figure out all of the lyrics to this one. As a kid, the chorus was a great, "oh...leave me alone!!" sing along; might have been that era's equivalent of "whatever", or worse. Super fine black and white video... check out Keith Richards in GLASSES!! Very cool! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss02sfQinxI

1968..."Hey Jude" The Beatles. May you always, "take a sad song and make it better". This is a classic early music video. After the Beatles quit touring, they pioneered the use of music videos to promote their songs and to satisfy their fans' passion for seeing them perform live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD3ovfZXO5Q

1972..."I Can See Clearly Now" Johnny Nash. This was number one in the US for the entire month of November 1972. This song is absolutely one of the best life affirming songs I have in permanent rotation on my inner I-pod. In the 1990's it got me through some tough times and kept a resilient fire burning within. Never under estimate the power of the popular song. (The video is from a 1973 episode of "The Midnight Special".) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkwJ-g0iJ6w

1975..."Island Girl" Elton John. Rare version with just piano and vocal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Io7E-zKeSw&feature=fvw

1978..."MacArthur Park" Donna Summer. Maybe the worst song ever...and here's the karaoke version so you can put your own stamp on it. Go ahead...leave your cake out in the rain...see if I care. (Number one for three weeks in Nov. of '78...what were we thinking?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaZim6ybvdA

1982..."Up Where We Belong" Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker. It absolutely drives me crazy when people get the dates wrong for songs. Trust me, this tune wasn't even written in the '70's.

From Wikipedia:
The single, released by Island Records in 1982[1], became a number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on November 6, 1982 and kept the position for three weeks. The song was part of the An Officer and a Gentleman Original Soundtrack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFYtpTot7hQ

1985..."Part Time Lover" Stevie Wonder. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Ll6LLGePYwM&feature=related

And finally, a last shot of GRATITUDE from the fantastic Sam & Dave live!!. I THANK YOU. Get up and dance and pass the cranberry sauce. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayr_sAAFQwI


submitted by: Bill Adler WI ’54 almost (moved to Arizona in 1953)
billsreflections@gmail.com

YOU CAN GO HOME – TO VISIT

With the holiday season approaching, many of us think about going HOME for the HOLIDAYS. Some have said, you can look back but you can’t go back!

That is certainly true if you only lived in the present. But we all have memories and we can go back…at least to visit.

I did that recently. I went HOME to visit. I returned to my roots. I came back to Clarksburg.

It wasn’t the first time I took that journey. Hopefully it won’t be the last. A person often needs to be creative to have an excuse to go HOME, particularly if HOME is nearly two thousand miles away from where you live today.

This time my excuse was to attend WI’s fifty-fifth high school class reunion, the Class of 1954’s, even though it was a high school from which I never graduated. My parents moved west in 1953, following my junior year at WI. But it was a creative excuse to go HOME and I did it.

Every time I returned HOME the journey brought back floods of memories. I always brought a camera to capture what part of the past I could. On this visit I also brought back a strong desire to document HOME.

While living in Clarksburg, my parents lived in three homes. I knew the location of the last two but locating their first home had eluded me. It was where my parents brought Little Billy after his birth in St. Mary’s Hospital.

I knew my first HOME was an apartment. I had seen eight millimeter, black and white movies, taken the day they first brought me HOME. From those movies I remembered what HOME looked like and I remembered the street name, Broadus Avenue, but little more.

Of greater concern; should I find the address, after more than 70 years, would HOME still be standing? Time has a way of destroying the past. All I needed to do is to look at HOME‘S downtown, filled with vacant lots and a few new buildings, on land where my memories once stood.

I had “Then and Now” photos of the Philippi Street home we left to move west, and my second home on Elm Street, but no pictures of my first home…other than the pictures in my mind. Anyone who knew my parents and could remember when little Billy arrived HOME was gone.

What was needed was a 1935 telephone book that contained my father’s name and home address. Who would possibly have kept phone books back that far? Perhaps to public library!

Before this trip HOME, I contacted the library and to my surprise, although they did not have old telephone books, located on the second floor of the old, stately library, they did have a large archive of old documents, photos, and data.

Most importantly there was a dedicated, on site, historian who lovingly watched over my history and the history of many who came before and after me. Although he didn’t have old telephone books, he directed me to the stacks where a series of hard bound books, called City Directories, were gathering dust. Published each year, the book listed everyone who lived in town and included what they did for a living, to whom they were married, their phone number and address.

I had discovered the mother-lode. All I needed to do was to find the directory published in 1935, the year my parents moved to town…and there it was, a ragged eared 1935 City Directory. And listed in alphabetical order was, Adler, Walter, owner Wally’s Workingman’s Store, Marion (w), work and home telephone number and, most importantly residence street address.

With one big mystery solved only one question remained. Was my first HOME still there? A freeway was now located in that neighborhood. Looking at a current map, the freeway appeared to cut horizontally across Broadus Avenue. Did my first home survive? The only way to find out was to drive down what remained of the street.

Armed with the address, 383½, I slowly began my trip, heading north on Broadus Avenue towards 383½. What I saw, as the numbers got progressively closer to my destination, was unsettling. It was a freeway entrance, the Broadus Avenue freeway entrance. It looked as though the street ended there, at the top of the hill, nearly a block short of HOME. Soon I was on top of the freeway ramp which took an abrupt turn to the left…but the street kept going, down the hill for two more blocks where its life ended, up against the freeway fence.

Half way down on the right, as I remembered, there stood 383½, and albeit changed in appearance over the 70+ years since Walter and Marion Adler were filmed bringing Little Billy home. But it was HOME none the less. My first HOME!

I had come back HOME, to my first HOME, if only for a brief moment, if only in my mind. It was the HOME where I spent my first holiday season!


Located, after years of searching, 383½ Broadus Avenue as it appears today, where in 1936, proud parents Walter and Marion Adler brought Little Billy home.

I invite you to read more

Please visit my blog at http://reflections-ofmyyouth.blogspot.com/

SCHOLARSHIP CHALLENGE

Here’s a CHALLENGE; I will contribute one dollar to the WIN Scholarship fund for each person who, between now and the end of the year, either writes a comment (good, bad or otherwise) on my blog, or emails me their thoughts at billsreflections@gmail.com




TERESA LUCENTE ROLLINS

CLARKSBURG — Teresa Lucente Rollins, 54, (Notre Dame) of Nettie, WV, passed away suddenly on Monday, October 5, 2009.

She was the daughter of Joe and Velma Lopez Lucente, who survive in Clarksburg.

In addition to her parents, she is also survived by her husband, Gary Rollins; four sisters, Jo Anne McNemar, Regina Lucente, and Maria (Tom) Bailey and Valerie (Roger) Kubancik

She was also preceded in death by her grandparents, Sam and Rose Lopez, and Frank and Daisy Lucente.



WILLIAM E MCINTYRE

William E. “Wild Billy Mac” McIntyre, 65, (RW) of Clarksburg, passed away on Monday, September 21, 2009. Mr. McIntyre was the only son of the late William “Kimmie” M. and Thelma E. Stout McIntyre.

He is survived by his daughter, Holley R. (Brian) Nutter and their children.

He was a construction superintendent by trade and leaves a legacy of buildings, including Meadowbrook Mall, Robert C. Byrd High School and Bridgeport Elementary School among his credits. He also owned Sportsman Inn in the 1970s and B&G Chatterbox in 2004, both in Clarksburg



TONY J. SPATAFORE

Mr. Tony J. Spatafore, age 84, (Victory 1943) , passed away on October 10, 2009. He was a son of the late Joseph F. Spatafore and Teresa M. Mazza Spatafore. His wife of over 63 years, Kathleen M. Beto Spatafore, preceded him in death.

Surviving are three sons and daughters-in-law, Joseph S. and Marilyn Spatafore, Tony J. Jr. and Saundra Spatafore, John E. and Michelle Spatafore, ; daughter and son-in-law, Diana M. and Bruce Hannah; a brother, John Spatafore and a sister, Sara Spatafore; a sister-in-law, Lauya Spatafore; several grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mr. Spatafore was also preceded in death by a brother, J. Edward Spatafore and a nephew, John Spatafore Jr.

He had served his country in the U.S. Army — 82nd Airborne during World War II, where he received a Purple Heart and several other medals from the countries in Europe he helped to give freedom.



GEORGE WILLIAM SCHOLL

Bill Scholl 74 (WI 1952), of Vienna, WV, passed away on September 28, 2009. He was born in Clarksburg, WV on November 4, 1934, son of George and Ethel Zinn Scholl.

He was a Navy veteran, having served during the Korean War.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia Godfrey Scholl, whom he married May 11, 1957. Also surviving are a daughter, Machell (Gary) Hague of Marietta, OH; a son, Steven (Suzi) Scholl of Vienna; and three grandchildren, Kevin (Lauren) Scholl of Chesapeake, VA, and Corrie and Casey Hague of Marietta, OH.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Jerry.

He was a member of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department for 25 years, retiring as Fire Chief in 1985. He was a charter member of the VFW Post 8127. He enjoyed spending the winter months in Florida with his friends and family. He attended Cornerstone Gospel Church





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