THE WI NEWSLETTER 01/11

THE WI NEWSLETTER

Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith

Issue 137

January 2011

THE NEW YEAR

The New Year lies before you,
Like a spotless tract of snow.
Be careful how you tread on it,
For every mark will show.

Author unknown

CARMICHAEL AUDITORIUM
submitted by: Pete Dakan (Bridgeport '60)
dakans@comcast.net
Well, for me the greatest Carmichael Auditorium memory is the circus, especially, The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus in the late 40's and early 50's. This was always magic event that provided many fantasies in my formative years. There were elephants and tigers, trapeze artists, a woman actually standing on the back of a horse, clowns and popcorn. What a thrill for a 7 or 8 year-old from Bridgeport, West Virginia.

We usually came as a neighborhood to the big city and what a treat it was. I especially remember the clowns who seemed at that time in my life to be so free-wheeling and independent. And how exotic were those people on the high wires? I couldn't even imagine the lives they must lead. I remember being huddled on the bleachers watching what seemed to be a huge extravaganza and getting to eat popcorn from a bag!! I can still picture the scene in my mind and feel the thrill of just being there with my neighborhood friends. After the circus we got to walk down the block the meet our ride in front of the Post Office. Perhaps because it was such a singular event in a small and protected environment it stands out as one of the most memorable events of growing up in Bridgeport.

submitted by: John Teter (WI '60)
jateter@aol.com
I remember attending (probably) all of the WI basketball games held at Carmichael Auditorium, as my brother played basketball. I also remember playing some JV games at Carmichael and my senior year, the Hi-Y club played the JV team at Carmichael. I also remember seeing the Harlem Globetrotters play at the Carmichael.

It seems that there were other events held at the auditorium, but these are the only ones that I actually remember. Maybe; election polls were held there?!?!?!?

submitted by: Bob Davis (WI '59)
RAD29063@aol.com
I remember going there to see the Shrine Circus a few times—the kids got in cheaper and all the seats were full. This was our first time seeing all the animals and performers. I I also went there to watch wrestling. Our Boy Scout leader (Mr. Teter) was a fireman and we got excellent seats, got to sit on the stage. We also were introduced to the wrestlers. I remember Don Eagle and we all rooted for him and of course, he won. We rooted hard against his foe—I did remember his name for about 50 years, but gone now. But the next time we went for wrestling, the one we had yelled at so hard, was now the hero!

I could be wrong, but it seems that the School Boy Patrol got in the Circus for free if we had our uniform--light blue shirt, yellow tie and badge (and probably the thing we pinned our badge on-- but forget what it was called).

I remember going to see a basketball game at the auditorium. I had a hard time finding the “Souvenir Program” which cost 25 cents! The game was in 1952. The team was “LEONE’S WEST VIRGINIA ALL STARS” with a picture of “All-American Mark Workman” on the cover. The “All Stars” each had a page in the program starting with Mark Workman (got autograph), Jay Handlan (got autograph), Harry Moore, Clyde Green, Jack Shockey (got autograph), Willie “Suit Case” Smith from WV State College at Institute (got autograph), and Eddie Sterling (got autograph). I also remember listening to the games on the radio—mostly on Saturday night. I especially rooted for Mark Workman, Jack Shockey and Eddie Sterling. My parents would go down to the Randolphs (Billy Randolph parents) to play canasta . I sat on the floor in the living room and listened to the games, by myself. The Randolph’s moved and Bill did not graduate with our class.

I later (in the 70’s) went to the Clarksburg branch of Salem College which was located in the Carmichael Auditorium building. I started attending classes in 1974 used the GI bill. It was convenient as there was a parking lot and also because it was just across the street from my job —the Clarksburg Post Office where I was the supervisor on tour one—midnight. I graduated in 1978 and got a different look at the auditorium.

submitted by: Jim Alvaro (WI '56)
JAlvaro@aol.com
My most exciting memory of the Carmichael Auditorium was being able to play basketball there. Ok, you readers who know me know I didn't play for the WI varsity team. I played one game. I played for the Hi Y when we played against the Jr Varsity, or maybe it was the freshman team, just before one of the varsity games. It was pretty neat playing on the same floor that the varsity played on.

Other memories I can recall was watching Bevo Francis play basketball in the auditorium. Bevo scored over 100 pts in several games that year. He was one of the highest scorers, or even the highest scorer at that time. Also, I saw Primo Canera wrestle there. Primo Canera was not only a wrestler but also a famous boxer. I believe he was World Champ in boxing.

The most fun I had was when the circus came to The Carmichael. It seemed so big at that time. I remember the elephants walking up the ramp to the circus floor. I went to most of circuses and every time I went home with a chameleon. I fed that little thing hoping it would someday become an alligator. It didn't last too long but I knew I had another chance to get another one next year when the circus came to town. I got to go into The Carmichael just before they closed it up and could not believe how small the facility was. If you remember the players were just about sitting on the out of bounds line and the fans were just a couple feet from the players. I was there cheering for the Hilltoppers every game.

I had a lot of good buddies on the basketball team.

submitted by: Roleta Smith Meredith (WI '59)
Roleta1@aol.com
Carmichael Auditorium equaled EXCITEMENT !! From the time I was very small, if we went to the Carmichael Auditorium, I enjoyed myself. When very young I think we attended the Circus there every year. I loved the circus, and still do! The performers were marvelous, from an unknown world! We went there many times to see the Harlem Globetrotters, terrific basketball players who just happened to be funny! Remember the bucket of water they threw on the audience every time? We laughed and laughed even though we knew when he dumped it that it would be cut up paper, even though it was expected, we knew the person to get the bucket poured on them would duck---and we laughed not only at the funny stunt but also at the person in the audience who ducked even though he /she was only going to get a bunch of confetti dumped in the face. One wonderful time, when I was probably 13 or 14 years of age, I was asked to be an usherette for an event featuring a very famous lady. I think mostly she was there hyping her latest book titled “It Seems To Me”. I am sitting here looking at that book which was printed from 1949 thru 1954. I have the dust cover still on the book (though it is a bit aged) and I have her autograph. Yes, I met, talked to and shook hands with Eleanor Roosevelt! A very exciting event for me as at that time, I had never met a more famous person. My father put my name in the front of the book in his beautiful scrolling hand writing and underneath my name is the shaky lines which shows that I got the book autographed by Eleanor Roosevelt. As is true with important events in ones life, I can remember some of the smaller things about that event, such as, where the stage was positioned, where the podium sat, how the chairs were set up and how I worked the middle aisle of the front section. I only regret that no one took a picture of me with Mrs. Roosevelt. How fitting that for Christmas this year, I received from Bill a book titled “Franklin and Eleanor”, I have started it and find it very well written.

As I got older, some of the best times of my life were spent at the Carmichael on Friday nights when WI was playing basketball---what fun to sit in the crowd yelling the cheers and watching our high school basketball heroes make those important points. The pep band entertained us from the stage at time outs and half time. The 4 girls who led the cheers kept us “high” with excitement. I started attending the games when I was in the 7th grade and continued until I was 16 and got a job and started working on Friday evenings to earn money instead of attending the basketball games. I remember the favorite cheer of “2Bits, 4 Bits, etc” they don’t have cheers now days where the crowd joins in as much as we did! And when we played Victory---the rafters literally shook as WI and Victory took their turns with that cheer to see who could yell the loudest! I kept saying to Bill that I was there once to witness WI score 100 points and the Carmichael went crazy. But it seems that my memory is better than the actual fact as I guess WI never scored 100 points in a basketball game when I was there! Can anyone prove me right or wrong?

Oh, isn’t it sad that kids now days don’t have a place like the Carmichael? After the game friends always gathered at a local spot for a coke or fries and some juke box music as we sat in our rendition at a place sort of like “Arnold’s” in “Happy Days” . Yes, those were the days. Innocent, decent and sooooo much fun!

Memories, aren’t they wonderful?

submitted by: Bryan McIntyre (WI '65)
bfmcintyre@att.net
I will combine a couple of suggested memory topics: Carmichael Auditorium and Hite Field. First, my best memory of Carmichael Auditorium was when my Cub Scout Pack from Adamston Methodist Church was chosen to pop out of a midget car during the Ringling Brothers circus. About 20 of us hid under some kind of platform and then crawled up through a hole in the floor of the tiny car and then out through the door when told to do so by a clown. I also remember going to see the Harlem Globetrotters there and then my first ever attempt at roller skating when our WI Class of 65 rented it out. As far as Hite Field goes, my first year at WI was my sophomore year. For the football games that year several guys from my neighborhood including Mike Rector '64 wore felt top hats that we soaked in water and stretched into "mountaineer" peaked hats. We didn't sit down on the bleachers; we just walked around and occasionally watched the games through the chain link fence in the end zones. I remember talking through the fence with Ann Reeves, a cheerleader for Morgantown University High who had gone to Adamston Jr High with me and her comment that how I had been such a nice guy before but now must have gotten in with the "wrong crowd" at WI. Must have been the hat!

SUBJECTS TO DISCUSS NEXT MONTH
Other than school, in what activity did you participate when young? Write to Roleta1@aol.com.

Do you have a picture of yourself or someone in your family that was taken with a famous person? Please send us the picture, tell us who the person pictured is, who the famous person is, where and when the picture was taken if possible…., what is the event, etc. Tell us anything and everything about the picture…. Send to Roleta1@aol.com.

At what age did you have your first car accident? Where did the accident take place? How did it happen? Was anyone hurt? Write to Roleta1@aol.com.

We talk so much about sports and how they went to practice after school, but there were more people who didn’t play sports than those who did play. What did you do after school? Let’s narrow it down to after school your junior and senior year? Where did you go? Write to Roleta1@aol.com.

So Mr. Cubbon was the principal at WI. If you went to WI and had a different principal, tell us about him. If you didn’t attend WI, what was the name of your high school principal and describe him to us. Write Roleta1@aol.com.

SIGN all letters with your name, school and year of graduation. I may know of you very well but I still don’t trust my memory when it comes to numbers….I can’t even remember my own age….

MARCH 5, 2011

SAVE THE DATE

CLARKSBURG PICNIC TO BE HELD IN SARASOTA, FLORIDA

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS—Roleta1@aol.com
It is time to make your plans for Saturday, March 5, 2011. The annual Clarksburg Picnic will again be held this year at Twin Lakes Park on Clark Road (Exit 205 off I-75 the park is on Clark Road about a mile west of I-75). The routine is the same, we will meet around 11:00 am and visit for an hour and get set up, then we will eat around noon. Group pictures will then be taken. After the pictures are taken we will draw the winning ticket for the awarding of the WIN Scholarship Quilt. This will be followed by something new this year----each person attending will be given a door prize ticket when they register so there will be drawings made for several nice door prizes. This will be followed by a big surprise for everyone! Please plan to stay and see the surprise! I have planned this one since July.

If you are going to attend, please email me how many I can expect in your group. Last year I made up only about 14 pounds of meat into hot dog sauce and we ran out, so please let me know so I can make up plenty.

All you need to do is:
1. Tell me how many to expect in your group
2. Bring a dish of food to share
3. Bring your own drinks.

Many people come from out of town and stay in the same motel on Friday and Saturday nights. This way they can visit together on Friday night. Then after the picnic many gather in the breakfast room at the motel and retell those good old stories that we love to hear each and every year. And we laugh and have a great time.

Fred Alvaro spoke to the manager at Country Inn and Suites (also at Exit 205 but on the East side of I-75 and only about 1-1/2 mile from the site of the picnic). If you wish to stay there just tell them you will be attending the Clarksburg Picnic and you will get a special rate.

She has 17 standard rooms she can let go for $99. 13 are two queen and 7 are 1 king. They can upgrade to larger king for $109 and to a King Suite for $119. Call this number as soon as you can to reserve. 941-925-0631. Be sure to say you are with the Clarksburg, WV Group.

MOUNTAIN TOP PEACE
I find my peace in the mountains,
Not on the sandy shore.
The vast open space of the prairie
Is nothing, to me, but a bore.

But the mountains ... the hills and the valleys
All lifted to God's open sky,
Bring peace beyond all comprehension,
Those mountains .••my mountain, so high.

I was born on a lofty hillside.
I played in a leafy glen.
I was taught just how I should do things,
Then I took my place among men.

I fit in more than I wanted,
Some actions were hard to defend.
I listened too well, and learned very little.
Now I needed my mountains, to mend.

So, it's back to those hilltops I'm heading,
It's tiring, but I know the way.
I am happier, freer, more peaceful,
Every time I look up to pray.

My mountain is calling me upward.
Mom's cabin's still there 'side the creek.
I'll settle in there for a time, Lord,
'Til I find the peace that I seek.

The gold of the autumn brings comfort,
The white of the winter, peace,
Bright colors of springtime, love,
The green of summer, release.

Ducks on the pond at the dawning,
A hawk flying high at noon,
Doves settlin' down in the evening,
An' the wings of an owl 'cross the moon.

My peace is on top of that mountain,
Where I can walk with my God.
Through the creeks and the brooks,
0' er the glens and the meadows we'll trod.

By: David Bates (WI 1951)

REMEMBERING CARLISLE GRADE SCHOOL

submitted by: Patty Gyorda (WI '57)
pattygyorda@yahoo.com
Remembering our teachers -1st grade -Mrs Ashcraft, 2nd grade -Miss Jefferson, 3rd grade -Miss Hughes, 4th grade- Miss Bright, 5th grade-Miss Nance, 6th grade-Mrs. Reed.

Traveling writing teacher-Miss Shackleford, Tap dance teacher-Louie Buttefoco (wrong Spelling).

Remembering our classmates-girls Jean Billingsley,Judy Dennison, Marcia Frum, Nancy Foracker, Sheryl Langlet, Sandy Lough, Charlotte McGlumphy, myself, Patty Morelan, Barbara Pickens, Jane Rose and Betty Randolph. The boys-Tommy Allen, Billy Allman, Martin Elliot, Billy Keyser, Arthur Mitchie, Frank Sancherz and David Spelsburg.

I think our principal was Mr. Harrison.

Please help anybody for those I have missed.

Remembering upper classmen (4th and 5th)-took turns playing the marching band tunes on the Victrola at recess as the students marched around the round hall---that was big. Also 4th and 5th grades put on an operetta each year.

Our schools were what everyone today wants for a price.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
ABOUT THE WI NEWSLETTER QUILT AND SCHOLARSHIP

The WI Newsletter Quilt is one of the main financial supports of the quilt. During this time of year if you send your financial gift to the WIN Scholarship, you will receive tickets for the drawing of the quilt. The tickets can be made out to anyone you designate…you, your spouse, other family member, friend…just let me know. When you send your ticket order to me, just make sure you tell me whose name is to be on the tickets. Please include your name, school and yr. of graduation-- The tickets cost 1 for $1.00, 6 for $5.00, 12 for $10.00----24 for $20.00, etc…

Just make your check out to:
Roleta Meredith c/o WI Scholarship

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

Those who gave this month are:

Bill Bryan (RW 1957) thanks for your continuing support to the newsletter and the scholarship

Barbara Palmer (WI 1957) I appreciate your continuing support.

Bud Collins (WI 1955) Another regular supporter of the scholarship.

Susie (WI 1972) and Roger Lehosit (ND 1971) Thanks for the support

Luanne Furbee (WI 1955) another regular supporter

Bob Teter (WI 1960) Thanks for the continuing support to the scholarship and the newsletter

John Teter (WI 1961) Thanks for the continuing support to the scholarship and the newsletter.

Mere Gurson Schwartz (WI 1957) Thanks for your support of the scholarship.

This is a great time to give to the scholarship as you also receive tickets for the drawing for the WIN Quilt.

I hope to hear from you.

WI—STEALEY-- WW II HISTORY
submitted by: Charles Ferrell (WI '46)
During WW II, I was still at WI. Several of our neighbors were in the Army Air Force. Jack Loudermilk, our next door neighbor, was a navigator on a B-17. His plane was shot down over Norway after throwing out all heavy items including machine guns. He was interned for several months. Behind us lived John Sole who flew a P-51 Mustang over Europe. On his last mission during a low level flight, his plane ran out of gas and he bailed out, but it was too low.

We had other Stealey WI personnel who were in the air force but I forget their names. One ended up in a German concentration camp that was not a good place to be.

My friend John Jones, (Class of 1946) from Euclid Ave had an older brother, David, who was in the army in Europe. On patrol his jeep met up with a German Tiger tank that fired at the jeep and injured David in the leg. Later he became a lawyer in Clarksburg.

When I was in junior high school some of our wood working shop members built scale model identification US and foreign airplanes for the US Navy. I was not one of the chose few. A good friend of mine who was in the project brought me the plans for the Model P-40 airplane. I had a woodworking shop in our basement at home. I built a copy that I still have and took it to our teacher, Mr. Fowler. He then included me in the group. I built a number of the planes that were painted a dull black. I later got a letter from the US Navy thanking me for my work; Bill Selkert from WI was also in this class.

I received a draft notice that was later canceled because the war with Japan had ended. The use of the two atomic bombs on Japanese cities caused them to quickly surrender. On December 4, 1950, I was drafted into the US Army for the Korean Conflict.

I came from a long line of ancestors who fought for our freedom and independence. My Irish ancestor, Capt Robert Ferrell and his son James fought Indians during the Revolutionary War and the British in the War of 1812. Another ancestor fought for the Union during the Civil War. My dad was in WWI in the US Army AEF in France.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Can you remember WWII? Do you have a memory you can share with the readers? Maybe you served in the service of your country, we would like to hear about that. Perhaps you worked stateside in the war effort, tell us. Did you have a relative or neighbor who fought in WWII? Write to Roleta1@aol.com.

WALKING TO SCHOOL
submitted by: Pete Dakan (Bridgeport '60)
dakans@comcast.net
The distance I walked to school was a little less than a mile but it is not the distance I remember as well as the many "landmarks" along to way. The route included the main street of Bridgeport, Route 50, from Center Street to the Civic Center where I turned up the Orchard Street Hill to the High School. Along the way was Alkire's Variety Store where I bought so many Topps Baseball cards only to give them to the neighbor kids when I grew up and went to college. Also there was the hardware store where I bought my first BB gun. Jenny's Restaurant and City Grill where we all hung out and smoked cigarettes, the service station beside Jenny's where we got cigarettes from a machine for 25 cents (with a few pennies in the cellophane of the pack for change), and Furbee's Drug store where we sometimes ate lunch - a grilled cheese, sliced dill pickles and potato chips for 50 cents or so. Hot dogs at Jenny's were 10 cents and hamburgers were a quarter. Other times lunch was in a house converted to a lunch room where for 10 cents we got our choice of a pepperoni roll or a pizza roll.

The hill up to the high school where the hand brake cables on my English bike both broke coming down one day resulting in some pretty good skinned elbows and knees. Chugging up the same hill in the later years in my Model A Ford wondering if I was going to make it. Once when passing a parking meter that my buddy and I hit with a large rock only to be later hauled in to the police station. We were cleared when my buddy's dad put a nickel in it and it still worked. I remember The Tastee Freeze, later a Dairy Queen, Orr's Newsstand with a great candy counter, Henderson's Grocery Store always good to a coke and candy bar. I always wondered what went on in Smitty's Pool Hall as I walked by there, when I got old enough to go in I wasn't surprised.

I don't ever remember wearing boots but in the 6 years I traveled that route I stored up a lot of good memories.

submitted by: Barbara Paugh Patton (WI '61)
BAP5555@aol.com
I was talking with friends from RW and we were laughing at the weight problem in WV. We Broad Oaks kid's walked from Harrison St or Haymond Hwy all the way to WI. 5 days a week to school. Then Fridays we walked in the evening to the games and then back home.

After we had eaten supper we walked to Hite's Field and then after the game we would walk back home. Good exercise. Today they called off school because all the school buses could not run. I remember only a couple of times in my 12 years when school was canceled. My dad gave me bus money to ride the city lines to Pike St when the temperature was -2 degrees. Still walking up the hill was cold. Remember girls we could not where any slacks or jeans in school.

I really did not know that some RW, Victory, and Notre Dame students had to walk to school. Now I know. This spring, we are going to try and walk the old path one more time.

Tell us about your walking route to WI, RW, Victory, Notre Dame, or Bridgeport. Would you try walking that Route again?

SURVEY

WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
FLORIDA

Martha Jeffries Rice (WI 1955) South Fort Myers, FL (near Sanibel)
Janet Cottrill Kownacke (WI 1964) Hallandale Beach, FL

WASHINGTON

Pete Dakans (Bridgeport 1960) Auburn, Washington

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
submitted by: John Teter (WI '61)
jateter@aol.com
I do not remember anything specific about what I did over the Christmas break, other than spending time with family, friends and loved ones (whichever “honey” I was with at any particular time). My family would spend time at different houses of other family members, and other family members would be at our house. I particularly remember my Aunt Kathryn Teter/Lang, Harry Lang, and my Aunt Lelia Lang; my grandmother Robinson. I think that most Christmas time spent with my dad’s parents were spent in Bridgeport, as my grandmother was confined to a bed that had been set up in the living room of their house.

submitted by: Sargent McQuillan (WI '57)
sargent827@sbcglobal.net
I was lucky. I had a job delivering mail. I would go around the Route 1 1/2 times each day, one day the front 1/2 and the next day the second 1/2.

We also spent evening’s sled riding on Big Wilson hill. If you were good you could go all the way to the bottom of Third Street hill going past Roy Bever’s house and Becky Beebe’s house. Wore out a lot of toes (Breaks) turning the corners. Long walk back but you would see others trying to go farther than you. Had a big oil drum that was fired up to keep us warm, and we also wrapped potatoes in aluminum foil for eating later. We played Basketball at a couple of local Churches when we could get in.

I remember going to the Prom at Carmichael Auditorium. Don't know who my date was, but I did win a piece of Samsonite Luggage which weighed a ton.

submitted by: Roleta Smith Meredith (WI '59)
Roleta1@aol.com
Ahhhhh, Christmas, my favorite day of the year. Memories now shared are from my youth… when I lived with my parents…. For months, my mother prepared for Christmas, you would have thought she was expecting the first battalion to come to our house for the holiday. She made candy that was out of this world. I have never tasted candy like my mother could make. She made divinity---who makes divinity now days? She made chocolate candy---with black walnuts that she and daddy had gathered in the fall, they had cracked them open using a hammer and picked out the nut meat and stored it in Mason jars for the big event and she used them in her specialties. She made chocolate candy without nuts…(I don’t like nuts in my chocolate!). She cut open a date and stuffed a half of an English walnut in side…We all worked on cracking the walnuts and trying not to break the walnut----yummmmmm! Oh and the peanut butter candy, Out of this world! She made hardtack candy using those flavors that came in small vial style bottles. She made something that she twisted together to make a two color candy yet it wasn’t taffy…..She had metal boxes in which she saved her candy---again layer upon layer divided by sheets of wax paper. The house smelled so good. She did this every year and still taught school 5 days a week, and put hot meals on the table each day, did the laundry and cleaned the house (when I was too young to be much help). And the feast that was prepared on Christmas Day was beyond description. I don’t think that Mrs. Clause did a better job for Christmas than my mother. We didn’t get a lot of presents. Maybe one or two and the stocking always had an orange in the toe (I think to take up a lot of room) and lots of nuts in the shell and maybe one little toy. I remember when in grade school that Santa came to school and would hand out that little colorful box that one could carry by its string handle and which was filled with probably the cheapest candy on earth but it was special wasn’t it? It was “store bought” style candy that was only available at Christmas time. All of this seems to be about food, but I think over the years I have shared a lot of my memories of Christmas.

I hold most fondly the candle light service at Stealey Methodist Church where we could enter and take communion on Christmas Eve….perhaps it was served at mid-night or maybe it was 9:00 pm? I remember doing this as long as I lived in Clarksburg. This did make one understand why we celebrate Christmas.

REMEMBERING HITE FIELD

submitted by: John Teter (WI '61)
jateter@aol.com
I can remember football games at Hite Field, the most memorable of which was a game played in 1959; in the rain; in the HEAVY RAIN; and I can still remember seeing my mother and some of the other football moms working the concession stand. OH, I forgot to mention one thing – in the COLD heavy rain. If memory serves me correct, it was one of the WI/Victory games and the stands were packed; except during half-time and it seemed like everyone in the stands was trying to get under the covering surrounding the concession stand and get some hot chocolate and/or hot dogs and/or anything hot, hot, hot! I do not remember anything about who won the game; I just remember the rain. In modern times and in this area (Northern Virginia) schools do not play if it is raining TOO HARD!

I am not sure who determines the definition of “too hard”, but that was never a consideration for whether games were played back in the good old days. I was at the game as my brother was on that infamous football team of WI’s, along with Bob Secret, Gene Donaldson, John McFarland and John Media (to name a few that I remember).

submitted by: Jim Alvaro (WI '56)
JAlvaro@aol.com
I don't have any memories of Hite Field outside of playing there. I still remember how excited I got on game night. One reason, I hated practices and game night was a day of no practices. Also, we got to drink water on game night. I think the Clarksburg Water Board cut off our water during practices because we never had water while on the practice field. It seems like the games were easier than those darn practices. Though the outcomes of the games were sometimes not too happy, I still enjoyed playing. I loved it when leaving the dressing room and running out onto the field while the band would play, "WI WILL SHINE TONIGHT, WI WILL SHINE". We had a great band. We were probably one of the best dressed football teams in the state, which made me feel very proud also. I remember we were probably one of a few teams, and I didn't know of any other, that had heavy parkas to wear while we were on the sidelines during cold weather. WI probably had better equipment and was better dressed than some of the colleges back then. I know we had a combination of uniform colors we could use. We had all gold, all blue, and could mix those colors. I think we had white jerseys with blue numbers. Anyway, we could come out with just about anything with Old Gold and Blue. I loved playing at Hite Field. I heard they may do away with it if Notre Dame HS doesn't come up with a plan to keep it. It is a little sad, I went to Alta Vista, Central Jr High, WI High, and they are no longer in existence. If they eliminate Hite Field, all I have are the memories of the 12 education years spent in Clarksburg. Great memories though.

submitted by: Roleta Smith Meredith (WI '59)
Roleta1@aol.com
Many of you may remember my brother, Roy Smith (WI 1955) (who is well and doing fine when I spoke to him earlier this week). Roy moved from Bristol High School to WI during his sophomore year (I think) and started playing football for W his junior year. He was probably the smallest guy ever to play there. I think he may have been about 5 foot 5 inches tall at the time and weighed about 132 pounds. He wore number 11. His position was called running back then but I think it is changed now. He was small but he was strong, fast and man could he run! Those big guys couldn’t get him penned down.

My daddy was such a sports nut (sort of like Bill in that way). My daddy played football at Burnsville High School. I don’t think he played at Glenville College. Anyway, my brother and daddy used to go over the plays that Tony Folio developed. They didn’t just go over them, they learned them together in our living room. The coffee table was moved out of the way and it was their time! They set up the play and discussed it, etc. I guess today it is called Male Bonding????

On Friday evenings my mother, daddy and I would go to dinner either at Minard’s or Ruth’s Corner and then we headed to Hite Field to watch my brother play football. (The team members often ate together). One particular game, somehow Roy got the ball and I think he ran the entire length of the field for a touchdown. My dad sat in the end zone on bleachers (those located in the opposite end of where the band sat), with apparently a bunch of other fathers. I don’t remember if the mothers sat together, sat with their kids or what, but that one particular evening, as my brother crossed the goal line, my father screamed so hard and threw his new dress hat in the air…..How exciting!

Even though WI didn’t win all the time, we thought they were the best team ever. Our band under the direction of Mr. Henry Mayer was the most spectacular band in any high school. With the drum major in her white slack outfit with the top hat and the tall plume, her assistants, the pretty band sponsors in their lovely costumes and furry hats who marched in front of the band and danced their precise routine to “WI Will Shine Tonight”…and the other peppy songs all made for a festive Friday night!

And don’t forget the snack stand manned by the football mothers with those delicious hot dogs that were even better when the cold damp wind blew up off the West Fork River to put a foggy haze in the air and a chill to the bone.

This was Hite Field as I remember it! How do you remember it? It is gone now, all we have are our memories. Don’t you have a memory of attending something at Hite Field? I know WI had a track team but did people go watch the tack team? Did the football team practice on the field? How about the band? They must have practiced there or where else did they learn their routines? Some of the other schools in Clarksburg used Hite Field, did they also practice there? Did their band practice there? I know football players had to walk after school to Hite Field to practice, how did the members of the teams from other schools get to Hite Field or did they practice elsewhere?

How did the players get their practice uniforms to the field? Did you carry them? Did you carry your books to the practice field also so that you could do your home work that evening? Then after practice, how did you get home? Did you carry your pads, shoes, uniform, and books with you? How far did you walk? WOW times really were tough…and as our kids like to tease us, “Yeah, yeah, I know you walked to and from school and up hill both ways.”…Well, we did. And we carried all of our stuff! But I just thought, about all that I carried, now add the band instrument or the football cleats, helmet, pads, uniform…is that correct? Help me out here, please. Write Roleta1@aol.com.

To Bill:

I was looking at one of the newsletters and saw Jesse Rodriguez mentioned. He was my punting coach for 4 years at WI. I worked with him everyday during football season. He was so mechanically sound and such a perfectionist that you took what he showed you and you strived for a compliment. Jess was a great punter. My father told me stories about Jesse, who played for the Buffalo Bisons professional football team. He would sometimes put on punting exhibitions at halftime of ball games. He would lay newspapers with numbers at different distances and someone would call out one of the locations and he would land the ball right on it. He did this over and over. He must have been one of the all time greatest punters. He may have even been better than Horace Gilliam who played with Otto Graham on the Cleveland Browns around that same time. I continued to punt and play for 4 years of college football and Jesse Rodriguez's techniques were always with me. I also was able to pass on his teachings while coaching high school and college football. He always continued to make me better.

Also, I might mention that for all the years I played, Bob Teter- WI-'60 was the best long snapper I ever had. He could even put the laces at 2 o'clock from 15 yards perfectly in my hands just above my waist every time, with lots of velocity. With his snap and Jesse's teachings I had a lot of help.

John McFarlin - WI -1960

Reply To John:

It sounds like Jesse Rodriquez was quite a teacher. I don't remember the Buffalo Bisons, since they existed in the 1920's, but remember well the early days of the Cleveland Browns. I don't think punting has advanced as fast as most other skills in football. There have been great punters for as long as I can remember. It definitely requires a special technique to do it well. I don't like the rugby style punters of today as much as the standard style kickers. They sometimes get a better roll, but there is nothing prettier than a long, booming spiral off the foot of a magician. Thanks for giving us a close-up view of an excellent coach.

Incidentally, I'm sure Bob Teter appreciates the compliment.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)

Nice sports section, Bill. On Coach Stew: I do not know who would even want to follow a coach asked to resign with a 70% winning record....( 28-11 ). Watching Geno Smith last year in a couple of games, I said he would break all records in passing. He sure will now with this new offensive coordinator. If they had him this year, they would easily be undefeated. It appears that Athletic Director Oliver Luck is a no-nonsense type of guy. They say that actions speak louder than words. I just never thought that Stewart ever got the respect as a coach the way he did as a personality. He got no credit for the #2 defense in country, but he got all the blame for his offense fumbling away three games. Oh well. By the way, Bill, when you print this in the January newsletter, it was not Parkersburg we had 30-0. I wish it had been, but it was #1 Morgantown, who came into Hite Field with Cammie Lewis, son of WVU head coach, " Pappy" Lewis, at quarterback, and we whipped up on them pretty good. Also, I was quoted as saying my dear friend, Gene Donaldson was the greatest that played at Hite Field. He was the toughest. It would be unfair to all the other greats that played there. However, I would put his strength and speed up against any other big man that wore a uniform on that field. Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season to you both. Thanks again for your newsletter.

Bob Secret, W I 1960

Reply To Bob:

I have a couple of thoughts on Bill Stewart. I continue to think that the team would have been much better, had they used the big backs to create a running game. Divine just was not himself after the injury at LSU. I don't know how Mullen felt, but I think Stew was determined to use his "superstar". Also, I know that money talks, but I can't feel Stewart will be comfortable with Holgorsen looking over his shoulder next year.

Geno Smith is still a first year QB. If Holgorsen is as good as advertised, Smith could be great, if he doesn't miss the spring practice due to surgery.

As always, thanks for the comments. At least we have something to look forward to next year. This year was pretty much a washout.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)

GET THE BLANKETS--I'M STILL IN SHOCK
This has definitely not been a good week for Mountaineer fans. First, the football team self destructs in their bowl game. Then Huggins BB team gets run off their home court by an average St Johns team. Hopefully, the WVU women will uphold our honor, at least until they face a seemingly unbeatable U Conn team.

Much has been written about the meltdown in Orlando and the distractions caused by the coaching change, etc. Let's just say that I saw little or no improvement in the offense as the season progressed. In fact, it probably got worse. Let's face it, this team really never played a "great" game. Maybe we expected too much. Either that, or they were under coached. Oliver Luck thought the latter and did something about it.

As for the basketball team, these guys don't have a leader or a true go-to guy. Let's hope that Huggins has some special recruits heading our way for next year, because without Casey Mitchell scoring 25-30 points per game, we are in a world of hurt this season.

As you can see, there is a lot to write about. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Mountaineers, local high school teams from both now and back when you played or watched, hockey, the NFL or just about anything else you want to discuss. By the way, I got a new book for Christmas. It is "Roll Out The Carpet", a history of WVU basketball by John Antonik. It is well worth the price, particularly if you are a Mountaineer sports nut like I am.

Thanks for the two letters this month. Send your comments to me at billmere@aol.com.

submitted by: Toni Sprouse Erchak (VHS '57)
toni@erchak.com

Thanks, Roleta. It is enough that you have to spend all this time editing the newsletter, then you get the added burden of worrying if everybody is able to receive it. Sorry about that, but it's what you get for being talented, tenacious and thoughtful.

When I submitted the article about Summit Park grade school, you asked Freddie for more info and he really is a walking encyclopedia and a super nice person. I forgot that I already had detailed information on Summit Park school. My sister (Sharon Sprouse Bramhall-VHS 60), and my mother, (Mary Virginia Davis Sprouse-VHS 35) published a comprehensive history of Summit Park. When my sister read what I had written, she reminded me of the following in her book:

FYI:
Here's some more tidbits from the Summit Park history book: An 1883 map reveals there were two schools in what is now the community of Summit Park, located at either end of the community, north & south of the railroad tracks near Tunnel No. One. The community was called Columbia then. One was near the intersection of Route 50 and Simpson Street - and the other near Jack Run & Simpson. The latter, north of the railroad tracks, was called "COLUMBIA SCHOOL", situated on what became the Lucente Store lot. Kids were still attending this school as late as 1928.

At the corner of Simpson & Filbert, the Morris Hostelry was remodeled into the STOP EIGHT SCHOOL. The SANDS STREET SCHOOL at Filbert & Sands was sold to the Board of Education in 1911. There were two teachers and 79 students at this school in 1911. One student was our grandmother, Goldie Anderson at age 15. Her young teacher was Junius K. Musser, who taught three generations of our family.

The DESPARD COLORED GRADE SCHOOL operated as early as the 1920-30s on Simpson Street in one side of the DeVono Store building. The two-story DESPARD SCHOOL at the corner of Simpson & Factory Streets opened in 1916, with eight classrooms. In 1923, SUMMIT PARK JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL was built next to it, and "Despard School" was renamed SUMMIT PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. These schools merged a disjointed community of many subdivisions. Thereafter, the community considered themselves to be residents of Summit Park.

No one claimed the antiquated coal mine name of Despard, but, alas, to this day - the city bus and maps still say "Despard".

submitted by: Larry Floyd (WI '58)
larryflyd@aol.com

I went back and re-read your email and did follow the instruction. I was told many times during the years read the whole message. Thanks, I was able to hookup with the current newsletter. It was very good especially the comments pertaining to Morgan Grade School and Mr. Sheets. During many conversations of learning I use stories that apply to him and the fine staff of the school during those early years. Mr. Sheets had a way with words and discipline. Being one of the rowdies from out on Davisson Run, our morning arrival on the bus Mr. Sheets greeted us and started the routine to slow us down with a vigorous exercise routine. Dodge ball was one of my favorite routines. I owe much to the teachings and directions given by Mr. Sheets and staff. Those definitely were the good old days.

submitted by: Barbara Younkin Park (WI '62)
bparkbsma@aol.com

I loved the Monticello photo by Billie Kittle. I don't know why I was not in the photo...perhaps the other half of second grade was with the 3rd grade in the other room. I am not sure.

Attached are two photos of Jackson's Mill 4-H camp with all Clarksburg kids, including me in one of them. I am not sure if I sent you these before. I am the blonde in the plaid shirt with pigtails. Jim Hovey is in one and Dan Wheeler (both WI '62) are in other close-ups. Use if you want.

4-H CAMP 1954

4-H CAMP 1955

DANNY WHEELER ME AND JIM HOVEY

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

The weather is frightful and I am stuck inside. It is delightful to read about all the different subjects remembered by the Clarksburg "Groupies".

What stories can " We the Subjects" remember about our favorite pets? My brothers, Holloway and Peter, The Rock, had a couple dogs. I think both were brown. They were always glad to see us no matter what we accused of. I always felt that my Dad almost liked them more than us sometimes.

My mother had a pet broom. she said that it would always listen to her and do what it was supposed to do. Its name was Dusty.

Keep the Faith, baby and don't let the ____________get you down.

THE EMERALDS -- CIRCA 1961
submitted by: Tom Crowley (ND '61)
tfcrowley5@comcast.net

Ron and Shirley Prince - Victory 1960 - he was guitar player on far left and sang "EBB TIDE"; Drummer was Larry Schoonover (his son works at Bandland now); Keyboard was Chip Thompson - Fairmont; Sax player was Chuck Warner ( Fairmont City Council now and from Bridgeport); Sax was Jim Holbert - Fairmont - now retired Music Teacher living near Sydney, Aust. Missing was Noble Turner who came along later. All went to Fairmont State College back in the day. I do not remember the 2nd one from left - who was the singer.

TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE IS DESTROYED

It was a black day for some people in the community Wednesday as the Tree of Life Synagogue on West Pike Street was reduced to rubble.

Passersby stopped their vehicles in the middle of the street to gaze.

Pedestrians paused to watch the demolition. Several people even took bricks as mementos.

For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:

http://www.cpubco.com/articles/2010/12/24/news/01.txt

Source: The Clarksburg Telegram

THREE LITTLE LADIES

Three little ladies dressed for the winter. Can you identify them? Send your guesses to Roleta1@aol.com

JANUARY JINGLES
submitted by: Steve Goff (WI '72)
Sgoff53@hotmail.com
Here's hoping, weather wise, this January is better to all of us, than the one we experienced last year.

Here's my New Years' Resolution...oh never mind. Let's go time trippin' through the magic of music.

1948..."Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)"...The Andrew Sisters with Danny Kaye. Let's start off with a witty little ditty that was first introduced in the 1947 Broadway musical Angel In The Wings. Also known as "Bongo, Bongo, Bongo (I Don't Want to Leave the Congo)", it is sung from the perspective of a native "savage", whose village has recently been settled by a missionary and other "civilized" people who have been trying to make the tribe into a civilized place. However, the savage thinks differently, and sings about the major flaws in civilized society, ultimately deciding that he will stay put in the jungle. With Danny Kaye's involvement I was really hoping to find video of a performance, but no luck, however, I did find a nice of recording, here. This version got up to #3. Woody Herman and Louis Prima also had chart success with this tune in 1948.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCY09s-c41A&feature=related

1951..."Bad, Bad Whiskey"...Amos Milburn. Here's a cautionary tune that becomes even more ironic when you know that this boogie piano master was brought down hard by alcoholism, which derailed his career and ultimately took his life. Now that' I've bummed you out...turn this up and let this feel good music get your toes tapping. After this topped both the R&B and Jukebox charts, Milburn recorded a slew of songs which made for good drinking companions, such as "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer". A version of that song, by blues-rocker George Thorogood, became a beer buddy to me, back in the day. Personally, now as a "friend of Bill's", I'm glad those days are behind me. Very nice video of Milburn performing here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDPPvsErNQY

1954..."Stranger In Paradise"...Tony Bennett//The Four Aces. I'm a big fan of Mr. B. The video here is quite a find. It comes from a 1991 TV special and opens with an interview that focuses on Tony' paintings, and about how he has sold his work to such stars as Duke Ellington and Cary Grant. At about the 3:50 mark it cuts to him in concert performing this song and showing some of his work on canvas. He is a very good painter.

The song originated from the 1953 musical Kismet. Bennett's version reached number 2, and at the same time The Four Aces took it to #3. Here are links to both arrangements.

Tony Bennett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADySnjvCgI0&feature=related

The Four Aces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HveyC6_6fM&feature=related

1957..."The Banana Boat Song"...The Tarriers. I was aware of Harry Belafonte's version of this Jamaican folk song (He entitled it "Banana Boat (Day-O)".); but was unaware that on the charts at the same time, was this arrangement, which comes from a low-budget musical titled Calypso Heat Wave . Watch closely and you'll pick up that singing lead is future Oscar winning actor, Alan Arkin!! The Tarriers took it one notch higher on the national charts then did HB. They reached #4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il2bIT2gk10

**Bonus Clip. Here's Harry Belafonte's version as utilized in the movie Beetlejuice. The setting is at a dinner table and the clip runs for 3 1/2 minutes. It is rather normal chit chat until the always funny Katherine O'Hara remarks, "I would rather talk about..." then brace yourself, as Harry's song "possesses" the room and haunted hi-jinx ensue. The scene concludes in a manner that may make you shy away from shrimp cocktail for the rest of your life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdarzAOvLXM&feature=related

1960..."Way Down Yonder in New Orleans"...Freddie "Boom Boom" Cannon. This song was first a hit way back in 1922 for the Peerless Quartet, and Mr. Cannon got it up to #3 in January of 1960. The video comes from an "oldies" show shot in 1981. Bad fashion alert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xqKK151PlA

1963..."Telstar"...The Tornadoes. I loved this instrumental and it was a huge international hit. It was The Tornadoes, and not the Beatles, who became the first UK group to have a number one hit in the states. Here's some back story from Wikipedia:

"Telstar" is a 1962 instrumental record performed by The Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and was also a number one hit in the UK. The record was named after the AT&T communications satellite Telstar, which went into orbit in July 1962. The song was released five weeks later on 17 August 1962. It was written and produced by Joe Meek , and featured a clavioline, a keyboard instrument with a distinctive electronic sound. "Telstar" won an Ivor Novello Award and is estimated to have sold at least five million copies worldwide.

This novelty record was intended to evoke the dawn of the space age, complete with sound effects that were meant to sound "space-like". A popular story at the time of the record's release was that the weird distortions and background noise came from sending the signal up to the Telstar satellite and re-recording it back on Earth. It is more likely that the effects were created in Meek's recording studio, which was a small flat above a shop in Holloway Road, north London.
Here's a link to the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQdDjy1UtW4&feature=related

1966..."Flowers On The Wall"...The Statler Brothers. This popular tune was #2 on the Country charts, and on the national Pop chart it got as high as #4. It's one of those songs where every time you hear it, you find you know more of the lyrics than you thought you did; and, if like me, you turn into a bona fide bass singer when the lyrics cop to "watching Captain... KANG-ger-roo". This excellent live version comes from the 1968 televised version of the Grand Ole Opry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhoMvBIQbFg&feature=fvw

1969..."Soulful Strut"...The Young-Holt Unlimited. I'm a sucker for a good instrumental, and this soul-jazz number became a #3 smash in January of 1969. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=R4_r-x9MOYU

A little known fact is that the exact same instrumental track was first used on the Barbara Acklin song "Am I The Same Girl". It only reached #77 on the Pop chart, and #33 on the Soul chart. The producer just removed her vocal and threw it out there and...voila!...it became a much bigger hit, sans vocals. Go figure.

Here is Ms. Acklin's very nice version, with a lyric. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=n9PP2vXEIjA&feature=related

1973..."Your Mama Don't Dance"...Loggins & Messina. This takes me back to my freshman year at WVU, second semester. Funny how songs can not only help you recall broad brush memories, but also zero you in on a very specific set of space and time coordinates. This video clip comes from the VH1 program 8 Track Flash Back, hosted by David Cassidy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfRfPUsm7nk

1974..."Show and Tell"...Al Wilson. This was, by far, Mr. Wilson's biggest hit, as it stood alone at #1 nationally, for one week in January of '74. Smooth sounding soul, at its' best. Check it out, George Harrison was a big fan of this guy and you'll spot a photo of them together in this clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNgNTzEifKU&feature=related

1977..."Rubberband Man"...The Spinners. Oh man, my buddies and I used to hurt ourselves trying to do "steps" to this one. This live version comes from The Midnight Special. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR2T1fXP9NI

1980..."Crusin'"...Smokey Robinson. I'm telling you this guy could put out a record called "Smokey Sings The Phonebook", and I'd buy it. His phrasing is that good, not to mention all of the other many attributes of his voice. Is there a better song to play in the car, on a sunny day, with time on your hands? Nope. I'll leave you with this one. (And despite what the video reads, this was not a Smokey and the Miracles record. It was a solo artist release.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifhe6GQsxUo&feature=related

Happy New Year, and remember, if you ain't getting older...you're dead.

NEW READER

Cheryl Hegmann Smallsreed (WI '65)

csmallsreed@aol.com

READERS CHANGE THEIR EMAIL ADDRESSES

Diana Matheny Jones (WI '70)	di452@yahoo.com
Harry Mitchell (WI '75)	harry.j.mitchell@frontier.com
Sue Pierson (WI '65)	was: njsusieq@aol.com is now: sue.pierson65@gmail.com

OBITUARIES
BERNARD L. JENKINS (Liberty 1999)
Bernard “Tike” L. Jenkins II, 29, of Clarksburg, passed away Saturday, December 11, 2010. He was born in Clarksburg, son of Bernard “Bub” L. and wife, Chrissy J. Jenkins of Clarksburg and Michelle A. Jenkins and finance, Greg Geissler of New Martinsburg.

Paternal grandparents, Bernard Ferrell, Clarksburg and Delores Cox, Gregory’s Run; Maternal grandparents, Gerald Criner, Clarksburg and Cheryll Gill Hallock, Salem; paternal step-grandfather, John Banks, Clarksburg.

He is survived by his fiance, Jessica L. Davis, and she is the mother of his unborn child, Jacob Lee, and her two sons, Luke and Caden Davis; Tike graduated from Liberty High School, Class of 1999.

LINDA KAY REBROOK HUTSON (VHS 1964)
After a full and vibrant life, Linda Kay Rebrook Huston, of the North View community, danced through the gates of Heaven on December 10, 2010.

She was born in Clarksburg on July 27, 1946, the daughter of the late Clitus and Lorraine Talkington.

She graduated from Victory High School Class of 1964 and retired from Verizon after more than 25 years of service as a telephone operator.

ELIZABETH LIBICER VARKONDA POST (RW)
Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Libicer Varkonda Post — Beloved Mother — went to be with her Lord, December 11, 2010, at Sherry’s Country Manor, Jane Lew, WV.

She was born January 7, 1924, to the late John and Elizabeth (Kniska) Libicer in United, PA. The family moved to Clarksburg, WV, several years later. Her father passed away when she was 4 years old.

Elizabeth graduated from Roosevelt-Wilson High School.

J. EDWARD “CHAMP” MC COY III (WI 1978)
J. Edward “Champ” McCoy III, 50, died Dec. 4, 2010. He was the son of the late James Edward “Eddie” McCoy and Margaret Hanger McCoy of Clarksburg.

In addition to his mother he is survived by his devoted sister, Jay McCoy of Clarksburg, and his brother, John Winston, and nephews, Austin and Marshall Winston, of Indianapolis, IN.

Champ played football at WI. Days after his graduation, he began working for the JF Allen Co. Champ enjoyed working out at the YMCA, playing basketball, watching and attending sporting events. But most of all he enjoyed his life, his family and his friends.

GAIL SAUNDERS COGAR (RW 1963)
Gail Lee Cogar, age 65, December 5, 2010, in Springfield, OH, while on a trip to Wisconsin.

She was born in Clarksburg,the daughter of the late William Allison Saunders and Beatrice Marguerite Triplett Saunders.

Surviving are her husband of 45 years, Harold Lee Cogar.

SHARON E. BALL (RW 1962)
Sharon E. Ball, 66 years of age, of Fort Lauderdale, FL., and formerly of Nutter Fort, WV, died on Friday, December 3, 2010, at the Maplewood Senior Living Community in Bridgeport, WV.

She was born August 19, 1944, in Clarksburg, WV, the daughter of the late Guy and Beulah Ross Ball.

She was a 1962 graduate of Roosevelt-Wilson High School. She graduated from radiology school at Kanawha Valley Hospital in Charleston, WV. She began her career at University Hospital in Morgantown, WV then to the National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C., followed by Jackson Memorial in Miami, FL and retired from Parkway Hospital in Hollywood, FL

BARBARA LEE POLING
Brenda Lee Poling, 46, died November 12, 2010, at her residence with family by her side. She was born in Clarksburg, daughter of the late Ernest Lee and Mildred Louise Mick Bragg.

Surviving is her husband, Howard “Joe” Poling Sr.; one son, Howard Joe Poling Jr. and fiance Cassandra Bradshaw, Clarksburg; one daughter, Kelly Lee Poling at home; one sister, Elaine Louise Bragg Carson Huey and husband James E., Clarksburg; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Marianne and Daniel Wolfe, West Milford; and several nieces and nephews.

STEVEN E. ROSS (BRIDGEPORT HS 1969)
Steven E. Ross, 60, of Rush Run, Marshville, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, December 27, 2010, at his residence. He was born in Clarksburg on January 18, 1950, a son of the late Everett Ross, Jr., and Freda Leona Wyckoff Ross, who survives in Bridgeport.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife, Kimberly J. Raikes Ross, whom he married June 28, 1997.

NELSON E. MOORE (BRIDGEPORT 1949)
Nelson E. Moore, age 78, of Upper Lamberts Run Road, departed this life at his residence on December 19, 2010, surrounded by his family. Nelson was born at home in Bridgeport, W.Va., on January 22, 1932, a son of the late Cecil and Nellie Elizabeth Blackwell Moore.

Nelson is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Wilma L. Johnson Moore, whom he married on October 17, 1959.

Mr. Moore retired from Rish Equipment with 36 years of service as a parts salesman. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army proudly serving his country during the Korean Conflict.

MINDI JO WILT HOLLANDSWORTH PIERCE (BRIDGEPORT HS 1985)
Mindi Jo Wilt Hollandsworth Pierce, 43, of Blackwell Street, Bridgeport, passed away unexpectedly at her residence on Monday, December 27, 2010.

She was born September 18, 1967, in Coco Solo, Panama, C.Z., a daughter of Richard and Shirley Sirk Wilt, who survive in Bridgeport.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by her husband, Chris Pierce, whom she married on May 21, 2005.

Mindi was a 1985 graduate of Bridgeport High School and received her nursing degree from Fairmont State. She had worked at UHC for over 10 years, including for Dr. Azar, People’s Hospice and as a surgical nurse in the operating room

RON LEE FLEMING (VHS 1972)
Mr. Ronald Lee Fleming went home to be with his twin brother, Donnie, and his parents, on December 22, 2010. Ronnie graduated from Victory High School in 1972. Ronnie and Donnie Fleming, along with the Plaugher family from Salem, WV, sang gospel music at several churches in the surrounding area.

JEAN AVANELL WILSON (WI 1940)
Jean Avanell Wilson, age 90, of Buckhannon, WV, and formerly of Weston, WV, and Clarksburg, WV, died Thursday, December 23, 2010, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon.

She was born November 17, 1920, in Sutton, WV, a daughter of the late Charles Paul and Myrtle M. McCoy Wilson.

PAUL SAMUEL EMBRY (WI 1962)
Paul Samuel Embry, 66, of Shadow Hills, died January 1, 2011, at United Hospital Center, Bridgeport, following a brief illness.

He was born in Clarksburg on May 26, 1944, a son of the late Paul M. Embry and Julia Folio Embry.

His wife, Sharon Lea Richards Embry, whom he married March 8, 1980, resides in Shadow Hills.

Paul was a graduate of Washington Irving High School, Class of 1962. He then went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Marshall University in 1966.

PAUL ANTHONY ROMANO II
Paul Anthony Romano II, age 82, of Clarksburg departed this life Sunday, January 2nd, 2011 at his residence following a brief illness. He was born April 13th, 1928 in Clarksburg, a son of the late Paul Anthony Romano and Catherine Iaquinta Romano of San Giovanni, Italy. His wife, Evelyn Fox Romano, whom he married October 1st 1982, resides in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Paul was a graduate of St.Mary's High School where he was a decorated athlete. He continued his proud heritage to his alma mater by being an avid supporter of Notre Dame High School Athletics, having also been a WVIAC Referee. Paul attended Salem College for two years, having played basketball both years, and football for one year. He was the former owner of The Roaring 20's and The Press Club in Charleston; The Voyager and Pauley's Night Club in Clarksburg; and, the Dairy Queen in Nutter Fort. Paul always enjoyed a good cigar and looked forward to the yearly Romano family reunion on the Buckhannon River. He was a dedicated member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Clarksburg. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.

In addition to his wife, Paul is survived by three children, Paul Anthony (Gail) Romano Ill of Springfield, Virginia and his mother Marie Fumich. Dr. Paula (Jerry) Potter of Charleston, Dr. Robert (Amanda) Romano of Clarksburg and their mother Judy Romano. His beloved grandchildren, Audriana, Jeri, Gabrielle, and Genevieve Potter, and Amelia Romano. One sister, Argia "Jean" Romano Fetchero of Columbus, OH.

Paul was preceded in death by nine sisters, Mary Colombo, Angelina Oliverio, Lenora Colombo, Rossam Romano, Ottinia Romano, Loretta Mazzie, Edith Oliverio, Rose Angotti, and Erma Loria; and, six brothers, Russell, Gilbert, Orlando, Melvin, Cisberto, and Salvatore "Sam" Romano.

BETH ANN ROBINSON (WI 1955)
Died of a heart attack on December 10, 2010.

NO OBIT WAS MADE AVAILABLE

Ramblings about Beth Ann Robinson Carlen
My adult memory about being Beth Ann's childhood friend is when she slept over at my house in 3rd grade. We were sleeping together in the "guest room" (a treat in itself), after the lights were out, she said--"If I tell you something, do you promise not to tell anybody?" I said YES. She divulged "I have to suck my thumb to go to sleep".

After one of our WI high school reunions, I found WOW--Beth Ann is living near me. I called her and said "Did you ever suck your thumb as a child??" She said Yes. Then, I told her who I was and the story I just mentioned.

We became "summer" friends in North Carolina. She was married several times--and her last husband was her soul mate. Unfortunately, he died of Alzheimer's. And, unfortunately at that time, they lived in an elderly neighborhood--she was one of the younger women there. She never had much of an active social life after his death, but she could remember those earlier happy times with a smile. She did converse by phone and card to friends. Many of those friends were high school friends. Regrettably, I only remember maiden names, and can't get in touch with you about her death.

Beth Ann would reunite with her 1st husband when he was in North Carolina--she looked forward to his visits.

She loved cross stitching at a professional level. More recently, arthritis turned her interest to crossword puzzles and board puzzles.

She loved to cook and she would make elaborate dinners for herself, having leftovers for another day.

When she died, she was quite frail. But, was always upbeat--and you could tell she was smiling-- even on the phone.

Your friends will miss you--Sara Stephenson Laber, WI 1955

Newsletter Archive

Back to WI Index