THE WI NEWSLETTER 02/12



THE WI NEWSLETTER


Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith Issue 150 February 2012






YOUR LAST CHANCE

It’s February already. This is the last month that you will have a chance to support the Washington Irving Newsletter (WIN) Scholarship and receive tickets for the drawing to find the winner of the 2012 WIN Scholarship Quilt. The drawing of the lucky ticket will take place on March 10, 2012 at the annual Clarksburg Reunion Picnic held in Sarasota, Florida.

This year the quilt has been named “Visions of West Virginia”. This quilt has drawn an estimated value of over $2,000.00.

You must act quickly to be part of this annual fund raiser. The tickets are 6 for $5.00, 12 for $10.00, 18 for $15.00 or 24 for $20.00-- etc....Of course, as in the past, no check is too large or too small. The more you buy, the greater your chance to win.

Make your check payable to:
Roleta Meredith c/o WIN Scholarship

And Mail to:
Roleta Meredith
3201 Charles MacDonald Dr.
Sarasota, Florida 34240

2012 WIN SCHOLARSHIP QUILT

VISIONS OF WEST VIRGINIA



The WIN quilters have created another wonderful quilt for the scholarship fund. Special scenes of WV created by Tina J. Richmond for the 2010 Mountain Quilt Quest were used as the center of each block in the quilt. Mary Ann Hite Williams donated the Visions fabric for the quilt.

Since WV played such a prominent role in the Civil War which started 150 years ago (1861), the fabrics used in the quilt are Civil War reproduction fabrics. Each WIN quilter was sent a packet with a WV scene and some of the CW fabrics donated by Liz Carder.

The blocks were returned to Liz Carder in CO. Sue Moats visited Liz in August and they created the quilt top. Sue then took it home to quilt. Below are listed the names of each scene and the name of the block maker.

Row 1: Herns Mill Covered Bridge-Liz Carder;   WV State Capital Charleston-Liz Carder;   Rustic Log Cabin-Kitty Sager

Row 2: WV Coal Miner-Joan Merrill;   Rhododendron-Gig Meredith

Row 3: New River Gorge Bridge, Fayetteville-Barb Charles;   WV Star-Liz Carder & Sue Moats;   Glade Creek Grist Mill, Babcock State Park, Fayette County-Nancy Jackson

Row 4: Old Country Church, Fayette County-Mary Hulick;   Cass Scenic Railroad, Pocahontas County-Pam Wolfe Brown

Row 5: WV Whitetail Deer-Mary Virginia Duncan-Wilke;   Blennerhassett Mansion Parkersburg-Elaine Nortemann;   WV Black Bear-Lin Stricker

Row 6: Pricketts Fort Fairmont-Mary Sue Spahr;   Mail Pouch Barn-Mary Nophsker

TWO BLOCKS THAT ARE IN THE QUILT




THOSE WHO PURCHASED TICKETS THIS MONTH ARE:

Glenn Cowgill (WI 1959)
Elizabeth Latstetter Burke (WI 1958)
Sandy Zickefoose Lindke (WI 1956)
Edie May (WI 1964)
Barbara Falkenstine (no school or year given?? Please let me know)
Bob Griffith (WI 1954)
Fran Tate Barrett (WI 1950)
Barbara Palmer (??? Info needed)
Lynn Keith (??? Info needed)
Marcia Young Fletcher (WI 1964)




THE CLARKSBURG REUNION PICNIC
MARCH 10, 2012
SARASOTA, FLORIDA

If you have been considering a trip to Sarasota and joining us at the Clarksburg Reunion Picnic on March 10, 2012, I now have motel information for you. By the way, you best call and get your reservations now as they are filling up quickly. This is a terrific deal and Fred Alvaro (falvaro33@aol.com) searched for the best deal available in the Sarasota area.

When you call the motel to make your reservations, make sure you tell them that you are part of the Clarksburg Reunion Group. Any questions you are welcome to email Fred but to make your reservations, you must call the motel:



From: Tom Yorke

Asst. GM/Director of Sales
Country Inn & Suites – Bradenton
5610 Manor Hill Lane (I-75 @ SR 70)
Bradenton, FL 34203
Phone: 941-363-4000 | Cell: 941-726-6303 | Fax: 941-363-4006
Thomas.Yorke@CountryInnFL.com


Your reunion participants will love the Country Inn & Suites – Bradenton, currently the #1 ranked Bradenton hotel on Trip Advisor.

Country Inn & Suites – Bradenton located at I-75 at exit 217 (State Road 70) just 12 minutes north of the former Country Inn & Suites Sarasota. This location, within walking distance to many restaurants in two plazas is convenient to all of Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Country Inn & Suites is a new hotel (opened in 2009) that offers everything guests are looking for and more:

· Exceptional guestrooms and suites with 2 queen size beds, King bedrooms, Studio kings and one bedroom suites with Serta elite pillow top mattresses, down pillows and comforters, flat screen TVs, refrigerators, microwaves..
· Free hot breakfast buffet
· Free internet (wired and wireless)
· Free business center
· Free state-of-the art fitness center
· Free local and toll free calls…
· Guest laundry
· Free coffee, tea and hot chocolate in lobby 24/7
· Free fresh baked cookies
· Heated outdoor swimming pool
· State of the art fitness center on site
· Complimentary access to Lifestyle Family Fitness Center (exceptional fully equipped health club) across the street

The special group rates we are offering you for March 9 & 10, 2012 are:
· Guestroom Queen Queen $119
· Guestroom King $119
· Studio King $129
· 1 bedroom suite $139

The rates are subject to 11.5% tax and include hot breakfast buffet.

Below you will see the list of 17 restaurants within walking distance of this hotel.

Restaurants within walking distance of Country Inn & Suites Bradenton
In our 12 oaks plaza
1. Gecko's Grill
2. China Village
3. PepperMill Eatery
4. Gio Fabulous Pizza and Bar

Across the street (State Road 70) in Creekwood Plaza
1. Bogey's Sports Pub
2. Chic-a filet
3. Arby's
4. Bob Evans
5. Bankok Tokyo
6. Subway
7. Rice Bowl Asia House
8. Dawson's Café and Family Restaurant
9. McDonalds
10. Applebee's Neighborhood Grill
11. DQ Grill & Chill
12. Starbucks
13. Peach's Creekwood



INFORMATION FOR CAMPERS ATTENDING THE PICNIC

There are 2 places close to the site of the picnic for camping. Myakka State Park on SR 72 (same road where the picnic is held at Exit 205 off of I-75) 941-361-6511 is one place to contact. The other is Sun N Fun RV Resort on Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 941-371-2505 or 941-371-6023 (Fruitville road is at Exit 210 off of I-75)



MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS FOR THE PICNIC NOW
WRITE TO ROLETA1@AOL.COM

The picnic is scheduled for Saturday, March 10, 2012. We start at about 11:00 and if can help me with the set up and covering the tables, come around 10:00.

All you need to bring is a covered dish. If you are staying at the motel, you can go to Publix and pick up something to bring and share. Bring your own drink and money to put in the hat (when passed) to help cover the picnic expenses.

We usually have an average of 125 people attend. Come visit with old friends and make new ones. You might run into a friend you haven’t seen in years, a relative, a former boss or classmate. This picnic is for anyone who ever lived in or near Clarksburg (or wish they had)!

We will also have the drawing of the lucky ticket for the winner of the 2012 WIN Scholarship quilt. If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet you may purchase them at the picnic.

Make your reservations by emailing me Roleta@aol.com. I always like to know how many guests to expect.



YOU LIKE BLUEGRASS MUSIC?

This is a very good site:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT431rjI_os&feature=related

starring: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - "Girl From West Virginia"




OR MAYBE YOU LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC?

sent by: ron_ogren@verizon.net

Here is a site where you can listen to some country music from the 50’s

http://woodchucky.com/TimeMachine/1950/index.html

Or you can click on the link below and listen to some popular music from 1950---the selections are listed on the bottom of the Juke Box.

1950 JuKeBoX



DEAR WEST VIRGINIA
A GREAT SITE TO VISIT

GUEST BLOGGER: JASON HEADLEY

This is a letter to West Virginia from a man who left there physically but like most of us, most of his heart remains there.

http://therevivalist.info/dear-west-virginia/



NEW EMAIL ADDRESS

Bruce Layfield (WI '72) jslayfield@yahoo.com


EMAIL ADDRESS CHANGES

Markey Adams Hood (WI '42)
new email address		 mary.hood@frontier.com
Tracie Mayes Wood (WI '83) traciewv@mchsi.com
Jim Combs (WI '66) wellingtonjc@comcast.net




A STATEWIDE HOMECOMING

Did you know that hundreds and maybe thousands of people are planning to visit West Virginia the week of June 20, 2013 for the state’s 150th Birthday? This is to be a State Wide Homecoming, people will return to their hometowns. This is a heads up so plan ahead. There are hopes that some of the towns will have WELCOME HOME CELEBRATIONS!

If you are on Facebook, become a friend of: WST VIRGINIA NATIVES COME HOME TO CLEBRATE And keep in touch.

Here is the link to the group….. http://www.facebook.com/groups/329716620392831/

It is called West Virginia Natives come home to celebrate.



MYSTERY PICTURE


EDITOR’S NOTE: This first letter tells a lot about the Carnation Milk Plant….I think you will enjoy all the memories shared in this newsletter.

submitted by: Marcia Young Fletcher (WI '64)

Oh my goodness! The mystery photo in the January newsletter is the Carnation Milk Company plant on Route 50 west of Clarksburg.

After my father graduated from Penn State in 1941 with a degree in Dairy Husbandry, he was hired by the Carnation Company in Pennsylvania, was transferred to Cameron, WV, and was transferred again in April 1946 to Clarksburg. He worked there for 29 years until the plant closed in May 1975.

The Clarksburg facility had both a can factory and a condensery. Milk collected in large milk containers at farms was transported to the plant by contract haulers. At the plant the milk was tested for certain characteristics before being combined in large vats, condensed, and then dispensed into cans (from the can factory). The cans were then labeled with the characteristic red and white label with the red carnation and boxed for shipment.

The farmers were paid based not only on the quantity of milk provided but also the quality, including butterfat content. As "area fieldman" my father was responsible for inspecting the farms for cleanliness and other standards. At the height of production he and the fieldmen he supervised inspected up to 3300 farms in four states - West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. (Maybe they had to make sure the cows were "contented" as the Carnation logo proclaimed.)

The Carnation Company had a college scholarship program for the children of employees nationwide. I was a scholarship recipient in 1964, renewed each of my 4 years at WVU. Dad was so proud.

Because of that plant's location, my three siblings and I grew up in Clarksburg. We all attended Morgan School in Stealey, Central Junior High School, and WI. Wendell graduated in '63, Roger in '72, and Melanie in '74. My brothers and I each worked one or more summers at the plant during our school years. I loyally buy Carnation products to this day.



submitted by: Elaine Griffith Westfall (VHS '71)

I think the picture is of the Carnation Milk Plant which was between Liberty Addition and Wilsonburg. I toured the plant one summer when I was a volunteer in the first year of Project Head Start.

I enjoy visiting your site.

Thanks.



submitted by: Chuck Wilson (WI '67)

The mystery picture is of the Carnation Milk Plant, located on Rt 50 W, Wilsonburg. My late Uncle Robert Wilkinson worked there till it closed.



submitted by: Irv Miller (WI '61)

The picture is of the Carnation Milk Plant. The thing I remember most was my Dad taking me to a restaurant where coming from Clarksburg you crossed the rr tracks next to the Carnation Plant and took a right, as I remember it. The restaurant had the best Boston Cream pie. We would go and get a whole pie to take home. I think that restaurant moved to Nutter Fort under the roller skating ring. Now that is if my memory isn't confused.



submitted by: Chris Hill (WI '60)

The mystery photo in the January newsletter is, I believe, the Carnation Dairy factory on old Route 50 west of Liberty Addition.



submitted by: Wayne White (WI '60)

This is the Carnation milk plant---It was located off Rt 50 West of Clarksburg--After its closing there was a cannery there for a while---A tire supply company was the next business there...When it was in the milk business it was a main stay in this area.



submitted by: LaDonna Emrick (RW '56)

I think the mystery picture is the old Carnation plant west of Clarksburg.



submitted by: Steve Bias (WI '60)

I think the mystery picture is the Carnation Milk (can?) factory on W. Hwy 50 on the way to Salem.

I am so saddened by the passing of Sue Smith (Moore). Sue was a good friend who lived one block up 2nd St. (Lowdnes Hill).

I had t/t Sue a few years ago by phone. She remembered that I had sent her a letter the year I moved to Florida (1957). I did not know her address so I just sent it to "Sue Smith, student. Washington Irving High School. Clarksburg, W.Va". I didn't know if they would deliver it to her so I wrote also in big letters, underlined: IMPORTANT MAIL - RUSH - RUSH !!!!

Sue said that she was in class one day and the letter was delivered to her in class by none other than Mr. Cubbon !!! He told Sue that he rushed the letter to her because he thought it was an emergency. Sue said she was mortified, but laughed later on. RIP Sue.

PS: to Jim Alvaro. Thanks for giving me the name of the Stonewall Billiards. I bet "Frank the butcher never cut YOUR hair !



submitted by: John Palagino (ND '74)

This appears to be the Carnation Milk plant that was close to Wilsonburg just beyond the Town House West Motel. Growing up in the North View section of Clarksburg, I attended St James Grade School. In 1968 when the 8th grade class went to Notre Dame High School to take the entrance exam, some of our parents put together a field trip for the 7th graders. As you may or may not know, we had 2 grades in one room which put 7th and 8th together with one teacher, which, at the time, was the Sisters of St Joseph. One of our places to tour was indeed the Carnation Milk Plant. This was a very amazing tour as they took us through mostly the entire plant and showed us the production line of how the milk was canned. The one thing that was so interesting was how they put the milk in and sealed it. Back then we all thought everything was magic. Well to my surprise, it was very interesting to see that the can had a small hole in the bottom center which the milk was injected into then sealed with a drop of solder. I went on to graduate from Notre Dame High School with the class of 1974 and every opportunity I had, would tell everyone about this process.



submitted by: Don Marple (WI '53)

That's the Carnation Milk plant on Route 50 West outside of town. I worked there a couple of summers in the 1950s, as a laborer and as a clean-up man on the night shift because I was so scrawny. I was about 5"10" and did not weigh 120 pounds.

As I recall, I was paid the princely sum of ninety-five cents an hour, good money for a high school kid in those days.

Thanks for sharing this. I always read and enjoy your newsletter.



submitted by: Randall L. Martin

Carnation Plant off Rt 50 West of Adamston. I use to play baseball there with the White Construction minor league baseball team coached by Dave Corsini around 1965, 66, 67.



submitted by: John Harrison (WI '56)

The photo might possibly be the Carnation Milk Company factory near Wolf Summit where I worked one summer as a "can stacker", loading empty milk cans into train box cars.

The only thing I remember about the job was that the cans came streaming out of the factory on a metal type of enclosed track, hit a splitter at the box car door and sent the cans equally to each of two men working with a large fork to lift the cans out of the track and place them in the ends of the train cars. You had to keep up or you looked like Lucy at the chocolate factory. It was fun to see who would fall behind first. I worked with a boy from West Milford who had the most beautiful 1937 black Packard I ever saw.



submitted by: J Jerry Hustead (WI '63)

The mystery photo is the Carnation Milk plant located between old and new Route 50 in Wilsonburg. My grandfather had a farm in Sardis with milk cows. He, like most farmers, would sell their milk to Carnation. I remember helping haul the milk cans to the 'hard road' at the foot of the hill. The cans were sat on the side of Sardis road where they were picked up during the day by a Carnation milk bulk truck and hauled to the plant for processing. Think what would happen to those cans today if you would leave them sitting along the road.



submitted by: Ron Harvey (WI '55)

I well remember the plant sitting off to the right as you went from Adamston toward Parkersburg on Route 50. My father was a minister and we would go by there when we visited some of the church attendees. As I recall, it was a noisy place and I can remember seeing the small milk cans clanging along through paces before being filled with milk. The plant set in the field pretty much by itself just below the B & O train tracks that went West. Now as far as the milk in the cans, I think my parents used “PET”.



submitted by: Catherine Custer Burke (WI '52)

Trucks delivered milk every day to the Carnation from dairy farms all over this part of the state. A railroad siding was behind the plant.

Around 1960 I worked at the Hope Gas warehouse next door.



submitted by: Mary Sue Spahr (WI '56)

I toured the facility with a group when I was in high school and I remember absolutely nothing about the experience except that I was there with a group. I guess evaporated milk is the last thing on a teen aged girl's mind.



Those who also named it correctly:

Bob Williams (WI '45)
Rick(y) Willson (WI '61) (Jeanne Wilson's (WI '58) and Tiffy's (WI '60) little brother)
Lawrence Kinney (WI '51)
Terry Snider Fazio (WI '67)
LaDonna Emrick (RW '56)
Brooke Beall (ND '58)



MYSTERY PHOTO FOR FEBRUARY


picture submitted by: Sherry E. Hutchison Keith (WI '64)

Can you identify this? Remember, I only put correct guesses in the newsletter. So put your thinking caps on and send your guesses to Roleta1@aol.com.




MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC

submitted by: M. Frances Barrett (WI ’50)

I was wondering how many of you took music lessons as a child and still continue to play that instrument or any musical instrument? My story is this: I took piano lessons from Mrs. Matheny who lived on the corner of Magnolia Ave and Verdun St. in Hartland. I walked to her house once a week from Waverly Way for my lesson. She was an excellent teacher, I realize now, but at the time I thought she was terribly strict.

In her younger days she had been a concert pianist. She always sat beside her students with a ruler in her hand and if you didn’t play like you were dancing on your fingertips, whack went the ruler.

In the meantime, we were members of the Barnes Memorial Baptist Church in Northview and eventually they bought a double manual organ with bass pedals and I was privileged to be able to take lessons on this organ for free.

After I was married and my husband was discharged from the Air Force we moved to Erie, PA. We started to attend a church here and they needed someone who could play both the organ and piano. So then I had to learn a triple manual with full bass pedals. Later on I started playing at a different church because they needed a musician. Besides my son-in-law was the pastor. How could I say no. I have been playing the organ/piano there for the last eight years. If you figure it up, I have been doing this for about 64 years. I plan to continue as long as the Lord will allow.



AN INTERESTING LETTER

Dear Friends:
I am still on the path of Architecture and I really like the classes. I received letters from both the Dean of Science and Technology and Fairmont State University congratulating me on making the Dean's list with a 3.75. I also checked my account online and the WIN Scholarship has been credited to my student account, which I am very grateful for. Thank you so much for this award it has been a blessing and allowed me to stay on campus my freshman year. Please feel free to email anytime with questions or just to inquire.

Thank You

Emma Dumire (recipient of the 2011 WIN Scholarship)
emmaruth16@aol.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: The $3,000.00 WI Newsletter (WIN) scholarship given each year is posted to the recipient’s financial aid fund in two parts. The first installment of $1,500.00 is posted in August and the second half of $1,500.00 is given in January. Thus the students have the money to put toward their college tuition or educational expenses..

No money is given directly to the student. I personally write a check to the college and send to the Financial Aid office twice a year. You can also read a letter in this issue from the other recipient Brad Ledsome and from the advisor George Yanchak from the Fianancial Aid Office.

If you wish to give money to the WIN Scholarship, please write a check to
Roleta Meredith/WIN Scholarship

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

If you send the check this month, we will make out tickets in your name for the quilt drawing to take place on March 10, 2012 at the Clarksburg Reunion Picnic in Sarasota.



WORKING AT PARSON SOUDERS

submitted by: Sherry Hutchison Keith (WI '64)
and Judy Turbyville Riggs (RW '62)


Working at Parson Souders Department Store in the mid 1960's was fun! My friend Judy Turbyville Riggs and I worked there together. She worked in Women's Sportswear and I in the Cosmetic Department. My lines were Elizabeth Arden (fragrance) and Revlon (a large line full of everything). Our Department Head, Eloise Strother worked Estee Lauder and the lady who had been there for years and years.. Lena Fox worked many other line then Thelma (Dodd?), from Shinnston worked part time. I spent a lot of time in the stock room checking in the shipments and bringing stock up to the floor... we had beautiful glass cases for stock and displays with satin, lace and flowers.

Accessories were a big item in those days and the scarves and gloves and handkerchiefs were always interestingly displayed and fun to look at. The silk scarves were very expensive even then. We all wore scarves on our heads in windy or cold weather, thus saving our hair do's! We wore scarves with sweaters pinned casually at the shoulder with a pretty pin or just tied then long in front of a blouse or dress. Different times for sure.

All ages of people worked there, Ruth Douglas, Ruth McCall, Rosalyn Lutz were three mainstays of the place. However lots of young people worked there too. One girl in advertising, Cecil we called her, also did window trimming. She took me to her grandmothers out in Mount Clare to have her pierce my ears. Wow, she used a cork and an embroidery needle...Ouch... she put thread through with the needle which stayed in until they healed ...and I could put earrings in my ears.

Our cash registers were modern for their day but were big things and everyone had their own drawer to count out when they came on the floor to work and when you left at the end of the day. I wore fake eyelashes and waterproof eyeliner and I wore a high up do hair sprayed stiff, I had fake fingernails, just glued on in those days and they would often fly across the aisles when hitting the cash register keys. It was a little embarrassing.

One time we had a Chantilly Perfume special going on and the Houbigant Perfume Company sent a pink lace and organdy mini dress for it. I was the youngest in the department so I got to wear it and pass out samples at the door. I was standing very still at one point and when I moved a little boy cried and cried he had thought I was a mannequin!

Holidays were happy and many friends worked there for Christmas gift- wrapping or part time in various departments as Melinda Mazza Sutter did! Judy reminds me that one Saint Patrick's Day, I colored my hair green for the occasion and we proceeded to go down Main Street for lunch and people were falling over looking at my hair! I can remember Judy and I coming out the side door, through the Men's Department, at closing time into very cold windy city streets! Although it was very dark we would be talking and laughing I remember it well.

It was a great job, I never dreaded going in to work! This was the day when customers were served with a smile. I remember when plastic wrapped items came out that hung on Pegboard, it was called 'Blister Packing". Now everything is done that way and it can be hard finding assistance as a customer.

Some of us met our future spouses as a result of working there. But those stories we will save.

Everyone who worked there was very nice, as I recall and the customers were too. It is great fun to remember those times and those folks are still there in memories of the times.

Last but not least, of course the favorite place in the whole town to eat lunch was the basement at Parson's The Submarine Lunch Counter. They made their own home made rolls daily and the food was really good. The place was always packed. Judy and I agree we both can still remember the delightful steamy aroma of hot food coming up to meet you as you descended the narrow stairs to the Submarine!



Sherry Hutchison Keith at Seneca Rocks




submitted by: Elaine Griffith Westfall (VHS '71)

Victory did have senior steps. They were the steps at the main entrance of the school.

Did you know that some girls, members of the Y-Teens, at Victory and WI tried to get a powder-puff football game set up in the 1970s? We got the idea from the Bluefield YTeens who had an annual game as a fundraiser. We'd even started practicing. Then the two principals shut it down. Each had told the organizers that if it was O.K. with the other, it was O.K. with him.



submitted by: Lynne F. Schatz (fka Marcia Lynne Fox (WI ’63)

David McMunn’s letter about Alex Osborn brought back so many, many memories, and it was a complete delight to hear about Alex’s bequests – completely as one would have expected. A good man’s name should live on!

Reb and Alex Osborn became our neighbors in 1956 (I think) and changed my life. Reb was short for Rebel – she told me that she’d been somewhat rebellious in her youth; her given name was Elizabeth, though many people didn’t know that. She was a fabulous cook (an early-adopter of Julia Child), brilliant decorator (simple and elegant), charming, witty, warm and a wonderful friend. When she lent me her copy of Moll Flanders, she cautioned, “if your mother finds this, you didn’t get it from me!” She introduced me to the works of Anthony Trollope. For all I joke about my love for Victorian Brit Lit, it’s something we shared. Reb and Alex could not have been better matched; they adored each other and were partners in all. Theirs was the model marriage I hoped to emulate. Alex would sometimes bring wild berries home at lunch (the road projects were mostly in rural areas); that evening, some delicious dessert (pie, cobbler, etc.) would be served. Alex played chess with me while we listened to their LPs (Joan Sutherland!) and did his best to engage me in discussions about local history (he was very young when his slightly older brother was killed in Harrison County’s first fatal auto accident) and the wider world. He’d seen a lot in WWII, and he and Reb traveled a good bit. Being treated as an adult (or nearly so) was a privilege they conferred on me, very much with a sense of concomitant responsibility. Well, sometimes Alex suggested that I might not need to spend quite so much time on homework… He was every bit as much my friend as Reb.

When I graduated from WIHS, they took me and the young man I was dating at the time out for dinner, a very proper but thoroughly grown-up evening that marked a definite crossing into adult life. As magical as the evening was, there was an awareness of bigger decisions to be made and potentially more serious consequences to be weighed. Magical but a little scary.

My mother died a few months after Reb. Alex was mostly living at their summer home as the Buckhannon Ave home was too much a reminder of what he’d lost. When we sold my family home and emptied it for the new owners, my husband, 7-month-old son and I stayed at Reb and Alex’s home down the street, on Buckhannon Ave. After completing our work, as we drove back to Chicago, it began to rain … and rain… That was the start of the Clarksburg flood of 1985.

There are not words sufficient to express what Reb and Alex meant to me. Thank goodness, my husband met them and got to know them on our trips to Clarksburg, trips that ceased when the house was sold. Alex saw my son as an infant and baby; despite his concerns about my (then) late-in-life motherhood, he seemed pleased when I wrote about our happy crazy busy lives. He always said he’d visit but didn’t. He alluded to increasingly serious health issues. I never got back to Clarksburg and didn’t learn of his death until more than a year later – phone just rang, my infrequent letters went unanswered, none of my few remaining Clarksburg contacts knew him, and perhaps I didn’t really want to know that he was gone. I received a very gracious letter from Alex’s attorney (David McMunn? Don’t recall the name) who had taken the trouble to respond to a holiday letter and explain what had happened.

Ralph and I always begin our Thanksgiving dinner with a toast to the memory of Reb and Alex, without whom the meal would not have been possible. As an aside, I’ve often wondered if any of the Cather children (believe that their mother was Alex’s niece, and they and their parents often came to Reb and Alex’s for Thanksgiving – or was it Christmas? – dinner) are still in the Clarksburg area – never really met them and don’t remember their given names..



submitted by: Tim and Judy Holden Cork (WI '62)

Happy New Year to you and Bill. May God's blessings be with you throughout all the coming years.

Judy and I just want to say how much we enjoy and appreciate the hard work that goes into the WI Newsletter. You all do a wonderful job of keeping the memories of Clarksburg and our friends alive. I know it takes input from the readers to make it possible and this year I want to be more than just a reader. Over the years, I have collected hundreds of pictures and articles on Clarksburg history and I would like to start sharing some of them with our readers.

Let me first begin with my guess on the January mystery photo.
The picture is the Carnation Milk Company that was located just off U.S. Route 50, west of Clarksburg, near Wilsonburg. The plant closed its doors permanently in the 1960's.

Also in the January newsletter, there was a picture of the fire that destroyed the Traders Hotel. This was truly a tragic moment in Clarksburg's history. So many Clarksburg landmarks have been destroyed either by fire or just torn down over the years. (Robinson Grand and Ritz movie theaters, Waldo Hotel, the Davis Home, the old Methodist Church and many, many others) Time moves on and much will be forgotten unless we share our memories of a time when.

Pictures are one way to keep memories alive and this is why I started a blog on Clarksburg several years ago. It not only brings back memories to the older generations, but the pictures allow the younger generation to see Clarksburg as it was in the past.

Please advise the readers that they can view hundreds of Clarksburg pictures by clicking on this link:
http://clarksburg-myhometown.blogspot.com/



submitted by: Anna Pears Jones (WI '58)

I was intrigued by the article sent by Frances Barrett about her ancestors from Braxton Co. serving in the Civil War. Their last name was Dobbins/Dobins. I lived in Braxton Co. for about 6 years of my childhood and attended the Dobins school which was located half-way between Tague and Rosedale. It was a one room school for all 8 grades. My mother taught there for two of those years. There were Dobins families in the area but I do not remember the fathers' names, only some of the children and one mother named Maude. Two of the boys were Paul and Alvie.

The school building was still there in the early 1990's, being used to store hay. If Frances is interested, I have pictures of the school and the students taken about 1948.



submitted by: Bruce Layfield (WI '72)

I am a graduate of W-I class of '72. I was wondering if you know if there is to be a reunion for my class sometime this year? I live in South Carolina and do not get info from Clarksburg, since my parents live down here too. If you could please email me and let me know, I would greatly appreciate it. Please email me at: jsl1128@comporium.net.



CORRECTION

In the January issue of the WI Newsletter, I listed the people who had recently sent checks to the WIN Scholarship. From the WI class of 1966 a donation was made by Vada Hickman who I listed incorrectly. Thank you Vada ….sorry about the error.



WIN SCHOLARSHIP RECEIPIENT

submitted by: Bradley Ledsome (RCByrd HS 2011)

I started out as a pre-med major with chemistry and communications as my minor and then went to undecided. I am almost sure I am going to health administration and still doing my pre-med prerequisites so i can choose whether or not to go on with a master program or a doctoral program. I want to be a doctor so bad, but I do not want to deal with a lot of the growing issues. I am on the conservative side of life and also want to be able to enjoy my life while I am here on this great Earth. I think I want to be in administration at the hospital. That comes from an influence on business and medicine. I figured this puts a mix on both of these fields. I am still shooting for the stars and trying to do something great with my life like everyone has always told me I can. I will never settle for anything less than a great education!

I did well in my first semester; however, I always wish I could do better. I got all A's and B's, and that comes with a hard fought semester with 2 sciences and math plus a couple more. It all equaled out to 17 semester hours. I felt I did better than some do for their first semester and felt grateful to know I had my head screwed in tight enough to focus and study hard, whereas, some would be at every party that the "college maniacs" were hosting.

It was great to hear from you and would love for the rest of the WI newsletter folks to know I did well and still know that they are one reason I am able to pursue the education I desire.



A LETTER FROM THE FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT AT FAIRMONT STATE

George.Yanchak@fairmontstate.edu
To: roleta1@aol.com
Sent: 1/19/2012 8:18:11 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Ms. Meredith,
I wanted to take the time to thank you again for your generous support of two of our Fairmont State students. We have applied the WIN scholarships to both Bradley Ledsome’s and Emma Ruth Dumire’s accounts.

We appreciate your caring and contributions to their education.

Should you need anything, please let me know.

George Yanchak
Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships
1201 Locust Ave.
Fairmont, WV 26554
304-367-4202 vm

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you wish to give to the WIN Scholarship and receive tickets for the quilt drawing, just send me a note along with your check.

Make the check out to Roleta Meredith c/o WIN Scholarship

Mail it to:

Roleta Meredith
3201 Charles MacDonald Dr.
Sarasota, FL 34240

This is the last month to buy your tickets.



WHAT WAS THAT POOL ROOM, ETC?

This is a little conversation between Jim Alvaro and Steve Bias (after the January WI newsletter issue was published)

Steve Bias had asked the name of a pool hall: Jim Alvaro wrote to Steve: thus it begins…they included me (Roleta1@aol.com) I found it full of interesting memories and asked if I could publish it this month…

I asked permission:

To Jim and Steve: Okay you guys, great memories are being shared here---many things being said here have been experienced by half the boys who ever attended WI and I would love to use this for the newsletter......but since it is sort of a private chat and you have never indicated that it can be public, I wouldn't use it unless you both agree....Let me know if I can ?????? Both gave permission!

AND SO IT BEGINS:

bronsonbiasgroup@aol.com writes:

To: Jim Alvaro.
Thanks for giving me the name of the Stonewall Billiards. I bet "Frank the butcher never cut YOUR hair!
The Garten fellow, was he Drema's brother?
Drema was on my paper route, very cute!

Steve

Repy:To Steve:

Stonewall Billiards. At lunch several Drs. would play each other. Doc Mills, Doc Rose, and non Dr. Mr Cyrus Garten held his own with the Docs.

Signed: Jim

Back at Jim:

From: Steve writes:

To: Jim Alvaro.

Thanks for giving me the name of the Stonewall Billiards. I bet "Frank the butcher never cut YOUR hair!

The Garten fellow, was he Drema's brother?

Drema was on my paper route, very cute!

Signed Steve

Reply to Steve from Jim:

Steve

I delivered ice all over Clarksburg. Before I had my drivers license I was a helper on the truck. I would carry ice up the steps of the houses, walk through the houses, empty the ice box in the kitchen, I would empty the drip pan, place the block of ice in the ice box. But when I got my driver’s license, I loaded the truck with 27 300# blocks of ice and drove to Grafton Railroad Ice House and loaded the ice house with the 27 blocks of ice. I drove back to Clarksburg and loaded the truck and made another delivery to Grafton. They used the ice for refrigeration on the railroad cars. The cards you mentioned were the cards that were placed in a window to show how much ice was to be delivered at that house. I had one of those cards placed on a nice piece of wood and hung in my office and no one knew what it was. They thought it was a dart board. I enjoyed working at the North Pole Ice Co. It sure kept me in shape for football. If I remember, Red Grange, the football great, worked at an ice company to keep in shape. Delivering milk and papers are entirely different stories.

Jim

To Jim In a message dated 1/5/2012 7:52:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, bronsonbiasgroup@aol.comm writes:

(RE: Clarksburg, W.Va. old days)

I went to the barber shop in or next to the SJ hotel. Got my first "flattop" there.

Did you deliver ice to homes on Water Street? I remember seeing the square sign at some homes with the poundage numbers on the edges.

I didn't know that the pinball machines were house gambling. One day I hit the correct holes on one of them. The bartender came over to me and handed me a few dollars that I had won (unknowingly). He said "kid, I shouldn't have to pay off to you, you are underage. No more pinball for you." Of course I was confused, as I thought gambling was illegal - I was only 15.

I gave up the paper route up after I had to deliver on the morning in February, 1957 when I delivered them when it was 15 below.

We moved to south Florida that summer. In July my Dad had me selling watermelons out of his truck on SR 441 in Hollywood - it was over 90 degrees every day!

I guess I couldn't win...........................

Steve


MS. ISRAEL

submitted by: Ruth Harpold Israel (WI '42)
ToddyI25@aol.com

Just read the newsletter and thought you might be able to relay this message to Jim Callis…he mentioned that his favorite teacher was Sarah Margaret Israel who is going to celebrate her 99th birthday on January 6, 2012.

Her address is:
S.M. ISRAEL
MAPLEWOOD
1000 MAPLEWOOD DR.
BRIDGEPORT, WV 26301

EDITOR’S NOTE: I think Ms. Israel would love to hear from any former pupil, even if her birthday has passed. And yes, Ruth, I forwarded your letter on to Jim Callis upon arrival here.



THE GATHERING

WI CLASSES OF 1963, 1964, 1965, AND 1966,

REUNION..........."THE GATHERING"........................
WEBSITE............... THE-GATHERING-2012.com

OK Gang, here is the official beginning of the information trail! Details (such as where to send your money) will be posted as they become available. We will be concentrating on the classes of 63, 64, 65, and 66. We are extending an open invitation to the classes of 62 and 67 since they both have reunions scheduled around the same time frame. The cost will be $50 per person and will include both nights.

FRIDAY AUGUST 24th...6 pm to ?? at Maple Lake. We will have a meet and greet Social. Pizza, set ups and music will be provided. BYOB if desired. Who knows where we will go from there later?

SATURDAY AUGUST 25th...5 pm to 12+ at Bridgeport Country Club. Happy hour (cash bar is available throughout the evening) and hors d'oeuvres, followed by pictures, dinner, entertainment and music for dancing will be provided for a fun filled evening.

Different activities for Saturday afternoon are being worked. Tours of WI and RCBHS will be available if anyone wants to do this. Golfing could probably be worked out if some of you golfers want to take that on.

The annual WI picnic is also that Saturday as is the Pasta Cook Off for the Italian Heritage Festival so there will be plenty to do for those interested. So come on out and meet old friends for good times.

For updated information and contact information please visit our website THE-GATHERING-2012.com

If you don't have access to the website, you can email Dave Hood at dlhii48@hotmail.com

..........................................SEE YOU THERE........................................................




NOTRE DAME IRISH LEGENDS GALA DATE SET

Please save the date for the 2012 Irish Legends Gala. The event will be held on Saturday, April 28 at Via Veneto. The honorees will be announced soon.



NOTRE DAME WEB SITE

http://ndhsclassof1958.weebly.com//

This site was created and is maintained by: Brooke Beall (NDHD 1958) bbeall@bitbroadband.comm




A MEMORY OF AN EXPERIENCE IN THE 1950’S

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS?

submitted by: Jim Hovey (WI 62)

We (my two brother’s and I) grew up in Chestnut Hills. In the summers we spent a lot of time at the park on Roosevelt Road – now occupied by the Water Board. If I recall, at least every Thursday and sometimes more than once a week, an older lady would escort anywhere from a dozen to twenty kids from the Orphans Home on Horner Avenue to the park. They would walk what had to be over a mile each way. The kids would play for two or so hours then walk back to the building on Horner Avenue. I don’t know if the older lady was a nun (she never wore a habit) or a former nun or just someone trying to help. But as I grow older faster, I remember some of the unique experiences of living in Clarksburg in the fifties. I never knew this lady’s name. Her patience with these children was amazing. Does anyone remember her name? I don’t remember any of those kids going to WI. What happen to them? It strikes me now that if any person today did what this lady did then, they would be on Sixty Minutes or some other news program as some kind of saint. But in Clarksburg, it was just another part of our daily life. God bless her.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have any memories of this lady walking the kids to the park? Can you add anything to the story, who were the kids, where did they end up, who was the lady?

Write to Roleta1@aol.com.



TRICKS YOU PLAYED ON YOUR SIBLING

submitted by: Jim Alvaro (WI '56)
Larry’s older brother

When my brother Larry was about 4 years old he needed a haircut. Not that it was his first haircut but it was time for him to have another one. Doc Stalnaker had a barber shop next to the Haymond Hwy bridge, just down the street from where we lived in Lower Broad Oaks. Back then you had to get permission from a parent if you wanted a Mohican haircut. Well, I got a little piece of paper and wrote on it, "Please give my son an Indian haircut." Signed, Mary Alvaro. Well, Doc sat Larry in the barber's chair and whacked away. As each hair fell, I kept wondering if he was ever going to stop. I would hate to think what my mother would do to me if I took Larry home bald. I know dad, he would have thought it was cute. But not mom. Well when I got home, my mother wanted to know what happened. I just said "Doc Stalnaker gave Larry a haircut." Well my mother was going to call him but remembered we had a 4 party line and she didn't want the other 3 parties to hear her cuss out Doc. She walked across the bridge. After Doc showed her the note she Ran back across the bridge. I think I was crying when she came through the front door. It could not have been any worse it he had scalped Larry. We still have the picture of him with the Mohican. I don't think Larry ever forgave me for that.

Another time we were visiting my grandparents in Hepzibah. My uncle Frank lived with my grandma and grandpa Conch. All my uncles on my mother's side were coal miners and all chewed Mail Pouch tobacco. There were "pokes" of Mail Pouch around the house and in the shanty. I happened to find one in the shanty while we were playing outside. I can't remember if my brother Fred was with me at the time but I had taken a little pinch out of the "poke" and gave it to Larry and told him to put it in his cheek and chew it. It didn't take him long to turn green and run to my mother. After I told her what I had done, because Larry was unable to talk, the beating I got from the Mohican haircut was nothing like I got trying to poison my little brother. Just to make it official Larry, if I didn't tell you that I was sorry, then I am sorry now.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Did you play any tricks on your sibling? Or did your sibling play any tricks on you? Tell us about them….write to Roleta1@aol.com




ORANGE BOWL POEM

submitted by: Roger Taylor (Elkins HS '77)
He granted me permission to print this poem.

T'was the night of the Orange Bowl and throughout the nation
We were the underdogs on every TV and Radio Station
ESPN said we couldn't win, Clemson would destroy us in the end
Said our guys weren't so great, but one didn't know West Virginia was a state

The fans were nestled all snug in the stands
Clapping along with the Mountaineer band
And ma in her jammies and I in my WVU cap
Settled in for the game, a bowl of chips in my lap

When out on the field there arose such a clatter
I turned up the sound to see what was the matter
Touchdown after Touchdown after Touchdown they scored
10 in all for a 70 score

The QB in charge was so lively and quick
I knew in a moment it was Geno Smith
More rapid than eagles his passes they came,
Then he pointed and scrambled and call them by name

Now Austin! Now Bailey! Now Buie and Alston!
On Cook! On Brown! On Milhouse and Irvin!
Tightrope the side lines and reach for that score,
We make history tonight, no ones done it before!

The coach praised his players, the fans stayed for hours,
Dana still wet from his Gatorade shower.
He turned with a jerk, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, as he strode out of sight,
"The couches are burning in Mo-town tonight!"




Sports section is by: Bill Meredith contact him at billmere@aol.com

A GREAT MONTH TO BE A MOUNTAINEER

70--33, a score that will be remembered as long as there is a football team at West Virginia University. Most of us were surprised, not that we won the game, but by the fact that we finally saw what a Dana Holgerson offense really looked like. He told us all year that this was a work in progress and we wanted to believe him, but had our doubts. Now, we and most of the nation believe. Not only do we believe, but we are anxious to see it blossom next year into the team we have all been waiting to see. Will this be the coach that finally leads WVU to a national championship? We don't know. But, one thing is clear. If our teams of the future play anywhere nearly as good as the one in this year's Orange Bowl, we've got a real shot to see history made in Morgantown.

Most of the letters this month were about the BCS Bowl victory. Some were solicited and some were not, but all are enjoyable reading and give us a cross section of the true feelings of Mountaineer fans.

Not only did WVU get a huge win, but a West Virginia native won his third national championship, when Nick Saban and Alabama beat LSU in the BCS title game. As I mentioned last month, that makes 15 titles for W.Va. born coaches. We can all be proud that once again, our home state produced another championship.



To Bill:

I am well aware that you all thought I was crazy last summer when I thought WVU would be in the top 5 in USA. I didn't take into account how young they were then, not in years, but in a new coach that didn't know he was going to be the coach for 2011, a new system that the players had to come to understand, and a new "TEMPO", that was the real sleeper. Did you all see Houston in their Bowl and Oklahoma State? That was what I had in mind back in the summer. What a nice New Year present the Orange Bowl was! I kept thinking of my deceased father and of his pride in WVU and how I would have loved to watch that game with him. So, what is my New Years Resolution? It is to see WVU carry out my prediction to be in the top 5 in 2012. I may root for some other teams sometimes, but WVU is in my DNA, just as I know it is in all of yours too. What a proud moment!

Pat Elder, ND 1957

Reply To Pat:

I didn't think you were crazy when you made your earlier prediction. I hoped for the same thing. It just took a lot longer than we thought for the team to buy into and perfect the offense. Perfection comes only with repetition and it took all season to get enough of those. As for next year, I'll need to see who will be coaching the defense and which conference we'll be representing before making any predictions. For now, I'm just enjoying the Orange Bowl win. I'm sure it makes the winter more tolerable for those in the snow country. It's a good time to be a Mountaineer.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)



To Bill:

I have had two "displeasures" and one "pleasure" in watching college bowl games over the past few days. I normally do not watch college football.

My two displeasures: UGA/Michigan State and VT/Michigan. PLUS, I really do not like the way that colleges "play overtime" games. My thinking is that most college football players are at least dreaming about the professional levels of football, or just plain thinking about the professional levels of football. SO, why do they do this "alternating possession" logic, instead of the way professional levels of football handle overtime games. Granted, there would be no guarantee that either one of my "displeasure" games would have ended up differently, but since UGA won the toss in that game, they could have scored first and the game would have been over.

The "pleasure" game was (obviously) the West Virginia game last night, and that was just PLAIN AWESOME, from the start (evidently as I did not see much of the first quarter), but from the way the announcers were talking from the point that I did start watching the game, until the end, it was just PLAIN AWESOME! And, it is a game that will not soon be forgotten, as there must have been at least 6 records broken with the combinations that were two vast for me to remember (especially at 11:00 p.m. on a "work night"). The stealing of the football and subsequent touchdown was a sight to behold, and I think that it just took Clemson completely out of their game.

The only other thing that would have been nice regarding the W.VA. game was that I got to see one of my neighbors (who went to RW) AT THE GAME and/or YOU and Roleta!

John Teter, WI 1961

Reply To John:

Thanks for your comments. I don't think the overtime set-up for college football is perfect, but it is better than the ties of yesteryear. You are correct in saying that many players are just playing college ball to get ready for the pros, but I doubt if the rule will be changed to reflect the NFL any time soon.

The WVU win was indeed awesome and definitely unexpected. No doubt that the fumble return turned the game around. We all know that young men (and women) are very emotional. That play seemed to break the sprit of many Clemson players. As we used to say, "That's too bad, but not TOO bad.

I'm sorry now that we didn't go to the game. I was offered tickets, but turned them down, because I was so disappointed in the way the team played all season. I've seen them win some bowl games, but I've also seen them lose a few. Looking back, I enjoyed watching this one on TV, because of the pleasure I felt listening to some of the announcers (particularly pre-game) make fools of themselves.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)



To Bill:

Leonard and I, along with our daughter and family, were at the Orange Bowl. It was truly "A great day to be a Mountaineer"! Clemson fans were the nicest that we've seen at any of the bowl games and both teams were good examples of the way college athletics should be. Go Mountaineers!!!

Lyla Cosner Howell, Monongah HS, 1958

Reply To Lyla:

It's nice to hear from someone who was actually at the game. I'm glad to hear that the fans acted decent. I hope it wouldn't have changed had Clemson scored 70 points.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)



Below is a link to The Miami Herald, which was sent to me by an old high school friend. It contains several excellent articles on the Mountaineers win in the Orange Bowl.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/04/2574362/a-homecoming-to-remember-forwest. html#storylink=cpy

billmere@aol.com



To Bill:

I wonder if any of the sports announcers had to take geography with all their brilliant education. If not, could you forward our newsletter to a selected few who do not know about West Virginia's loyalty to the Union.

I have not heard a lot said about the winners of three (3) B C S bowl games. West Virginia is one of the three and if I were a 'Sports Announcer', and had stuck my foot in my mouth about how bad W V was going to be defeated by Clemson ~ I think I would be 'digging' for anything positive to say about 'THIS MOUNTAIN STATE UNIVERSITY' or looking for a map to see how I could bypass this state to stay away from those 'muskets'.

Bob Dennison, WI 1957

Reply To Bob:

Let's face it, West Virginia is not very well known to those not living in an area bordering our state. Also, if Geography is still being taught in our schools, you couldn't prove it by listening to our young people talk about their country or the rest of the world.

As for the announcers getting it (the winner) wrong again, I'll never forget Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson making their predictions before the WVU/Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game a few years back. As I recall, neither gave WVU any chance to win. I loved it when they "ate crow" at halftime and after the game. As I've said so many times, we (our state and our athletic teams) get absolutely no respect from the national press. We must earn every bit of recognition we get. Perhaps that makes it all a little bit sweeter when we win.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)



To Bill:

Orange Bowl.. A real turnaround. All the " doubting Thomases" that were present before the game have gone by the boards. Luck did us all a favor when he hired Holgorsen. WV is on it's way and the future looks bright. This win should boost recruiting and lock in those that have announced. I believe the biggest surprise in the bowl game was the blocking of the offensive line. What a great improvement. From the last game of the regular season to the Orange Bowl, it was day and night...Now if the defense can improve and Casteel can decide what he wants to do, then the future is OK. " Richie Rod" want's the defensive coach and his 3-5-3 and my own thought is, " Hello Sunshine, Goodbye Rain ". Let's get back to a four man front, extinguish the 3 and sign Dana to a ten year contract.

Buck Tustin, W I 1955

Reply To Buck:

I agree that it was a turnaround. We finally put together a complete game. The "O" line did well and should be better next year. Of course, since you sent your comments to me, Jeff Casteel has left to be with Rich Rod at Arizona. I have thought all year that there was probably some dissension in the ranks of the coaches. However, give them credit, if there was, they kept it quiet. I'm sure you'll get your wish as the Mountaineers line up in a four man front next year. I can't wait for the season to start. Thanks for the letter.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)



To Bill (via Roleta):

Here is a brief story about growing up in Clarksburg.

We lived in Northview until I was about ten. In the summer I played softball on a town playground league. I usually played right field, where I could do the least damage to my team's changes of winning the game. That was fine with me; I enjoyed playing.

My father, who had played baseball as a boy, came to a game to watch me play. In that game, I misjudged or dropped everything that came my way. I did not know how to track and catch a fly ball. Dad came home from work the next day carrying a new softball and bat.

He said, "Come on, son," and we walked to Roland Field, just down the street from our home on 19th. There, my father, in a white shirt, tie and straw-colored Fedora, hit fly balls to me till suppertime.

He didn't coach me much -- just one fly after another until it was time to go.

Day after day -- fly balls till supper. It was Dad's way. If you wanted to do something, work on it till you got good. Few words, a lot of practice.

I played softball for many years after that -- in the same town league when we moved to the West End, in college, on softball teams at companies where I worked and on vacation.

I never had much of a throwing arm and I couldn't run very fast, but I could always catch fly balls hit my way, thanks to my Dad.

Thank you for prompting me to recall and tell this story.

Cheers,

Don Marple, W I 1953

Reply To Don:

I was very touched by this story. It means a lot to me, since my father died when I was 6 years old. One of my nephews emailed me yesterday to tell me that it had been exactly 30 years since his Dad passed away. He mentioned that he didn't seem to appreciate him until he was gone. In some cases, he is right. We all have memories similar to this one that Don sent to us. In the 40's and 50's, I think families were closer, less TV, no video games and fewer distractions. Many say that we are not as great of a nation as we once were because the family unit has almost disappeared. I guess we should all thank the Lord each and every day that we grew up in a time and in a state where our families meant so much. Don's father cared. I hope that all of us have raised our children to feel the same way toward their children. You may not think that this is a sports story, but it is. Sports are games and there is no bigger game than the game of life.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)



To Bill:

Are you curious how the Big East is 7--7 in BCS games and the ACC is 2--15? How about WVU being 3-- 0, having more wins than the entire ACC. And they say that the Big East is not deserving of a BCS bid. It is just evil and downright disgraceful that the total effort of the presidents, coaches and especially the media are using their powers to destroy a legitimate conference. The Big East suffered through three defections (two major markets) and it is still competitive in major college football.

Bob Secret, W I 1960

Reply To Bob:

First, I was pretty amazed when those figures came out. I knew the ACC had been sorry, but not that sorry. Even before Va. Tech, Miami and BC left the Big East for the ACC, the media was claiming that the Big East was the "weak sister" in the BCS, when in reality it was the ACC. Why do you think they raided the Big East? It was because they knew that they were going to be left out of the mix if they didn't improve, even though the media didn't tell you that. Even with the three new teams, they haven't improved much. BC has not been a factor, Miami finally got caught cheating (for 11 years !!) and has not been good and Va. Tech has been the only strong program in the conference, but can't win the "big one". The media has always viewed the Big East as a basketball conference. The basketball schools rule the roost. That's one of the reasons Syracuse, Pitt and WVU are leaving (note that all three are public universities). The proposed eastern conference that I mentioned last month, which Joe Paterno tried to organize, would have worked. The Big East Football Conference never had a chance.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)



To Bill:

Here we go in basketball. The rankings came out today and I see that #20, Florida (12--4 record) is soooo much better than unranked WVU (12--4). A closer look shows that Florida's losses are to #1 Syracuse, #2 Ohio State, Rutgers and unranked Tennessee. WVU losses are to #4 Baylor in OT, #14 Mississippi State, #24 Seton Hall and Kent State. Florida's wins are over Yale, UAB, Miss. Valley St., Wright St., Stetson, Jacksonville---need I go on? WVU wins are over Villanova, Mo. State, #9 Georgetown, #18 Kansas St. and Rutgers by 20 at Rutgers. We had #4 Baylor beat, but missed the front end of two one and ones in regulation, when we were up by 3. It's almost like we are still Virginia instead of West Virginia to most coaches and media around the country.

Another point that I'd like to mention is that this fall, WVU will be ranked in the top 10 in the football polls, just like Boise St. and TCU have been for the last five years. The difference is that WVU will play six or seven teams that can beat them. Boise St. and TCU play maybe two. If the pollsters would wake up and put the Boise States around #15 and let them try to earn their way into the top 5 by actually beating someone, it would make the BCS much easier to match-up.

WVU was #23 when they beat South Florida this year (A tough win, as USF fumbled on their way to winning the game), but still ended up at #23 after the win. That's pathetic!! What's not pathetic is 70--33. Try taking those records away and giving them to Virginia.

Bob Secret, W I 1960

And, a follow-up:

Isn't it awful that the top 25 usually has 6 or 7 Big East teams, but there are only 4 this week. #26 is WVU (15--5), followed closely by #28 Cincinnati (15--5). That's a real laugher. They snuck Harvard in there to keep us out. Our freshmen can beat Harvard.

You know what else I don't understand? In football, we beat #15 Clemson, who beat Va. Tech twice. Tech was a top ten team most of the year. We end up at #17, when I feel we should have gone from #23 to no worse than #11 or #12. That's our punishment for burning all of those couches, I guess.

Reply To Bob:

We need to remember that the rankings are determined by a vote of coaches and the media. Very few of them see over half of the teams, either in person or on TV, so it is one big guessing game. The "big boys" will always get the benefit of the doubt----Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Georgetown, etc. The good thing about basketball is that the polls mean very little. The RPI has some clout, but the real cream comes to the top in the tournament. If a team is "on the bubble" at the end of the year, it probably can't win the NCAA championship, anyhow.

Football teams, on the other hand, depend on their poll ranking to get a shot at a big payday in a BCS Bowl or the national championship. Guessing is not good enough. The only solution is to have a playoff. It may happen in our lifetime, but only if ESPN demands it. Remember, money runs the show.

Bill (billmere@aol.com)



Several people sent me the following article. It is well written and contains a lot of good information about the Mountaineers. I've got a couple of books on WVU football and basketball written by the author.

WVU in Select Company

By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com

So, West Virginia has won three different BCS bowl games in the last six years - with three different coaches no less. What to make of this?

Well, first of all, it puts the Mountaineers in a pretty select group of college football programs that have won three or more of these since the system was created in 1998 – eight programs to be exact. There’s Ohio State, USC, Florida, LSU, Texas, Miami and Oklahoma that have won at least three BCS bowl games in the last 14 years. And now, um, catch your breath here, West Virginia.

That’s right, good old West Virginia, tucked up in the mountains between Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia - in case there are any well-paid college football announcers or ESPN promo writers out there still confused about where the school is located - a program that’s been around for 119 years and just seems to keep winning football games without a whole lot of chest thumping.

There are only 14 programs that have more than 700 victories in the entire history of major college football, and did you realize that West Virginia is one of them?

Folks, these are the biggest of the big - schools such as Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Alabama, Penn State, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC, Georgia, LSU and Auburn. We hear about them all the time – the schools every college football fan wants their program to be like.

And guess what, right there with them is West Virginia.

In fact, the next school to reach 700 victories - either Syracuse, Georgia Tech or possibly Virginia Tech - is still going to need about four more years to get there if they don’t average 10 wins per season over the next three.

Most impressive, perhaps, is not West Virginia’s recent run over the last seven years, averaging 10 wins per season and finishing in the national rankings in six out of those seven years; the school’s BCS bowl wins or all those New Year’s Day bowl appearances. No, what is truly amazing is how successful this program has been throughout its history.

Did you realize that with the exception of two down periods in the late 1970s, and in the late 1950s and early 1960s, West Virginia has never experienced any long bouts of losing? Just four losing seasons in the late 1970s and four losing campaigns at the end of the 50s and the start of the 60s, that’s it. Every single decade going all the way back to the 1890s has been a winning one. That's the 1890s.

That is absolutely phenomenal when you think about it.

Since 1980 when Don Nehlen took over the Mountaineer program, West Virginia has had just five losing campaigns in the last 32 years.

Why?

How can a school in a state with less than two million people that produces just one or two Division-I prospects a year (in a good year) be so successful? Well, it’s because the people here care deeply about the program. How else can you explain it? How can three different coaches – Rich Rodriguez, Bill Stewart and Dana Holgorsen – win three different BCS bowl games in a span of six years at the same place?

LSU, the only other college football program with an unblemished BCS bowl mark among schools with three or more appearances, has done it with two – Nick Saban and Les Miles. That’s LSU, surrounded by all those great football players in the powerful Southeastern Conference with all that tradition.

But how can this be at West Virginia?

Again, there is only one answer - it’s because West Virginians care.

They spend their hard-earned money to come to the games and support the team. They pack up their cars, their vans and their RVs and they travel to far-off places to cheer on their Mountaineers. They call in to radio shows and write emails whenever they feel their team has been wronged or slighted.

For West Virginians, Mountaineer football is a love affair that lasts a lifetime.

Never was that more apparent than when the team buses reached I-79’s West Virginia University exit during its return from the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl, an incomprehensible, unimaginable, unbelievable 70-33 demolition of Clemson. The records from that game are too numerous to recite, although the stories about it will be recited around here forever.

As the six charters transporting the team snaked their way toward Milan Puskar Stadium behind a police escort, motorists stopped their cars to honk their horns. Some rolled down their windows to give a thumbs-up or to applaud their performance; others shouted words of encouragement. Construction workers stopped what they were doing to acknowledge the players, one or two of them even taking off their hard hats in appreciation of a job well done.

Children in school buses pulled their windows down and stuck their heads out to get a closer look at their passing heroes. You could see sprinkled among them some blue Tavon Austin and Geno Smith jerseys. I imagine many of those kids were still a little sleepy after begging their parents to let them to stay up well past midnight to watch Rece Davis hand the Orange Bowl championship trophy over to Dana Holgorsen. Many of the local businesses already had their signs up with messages of congratulations, wisely mixing praise with commerce.

In most places when traffic is stopped it’s a nuisance. On Thursday afternoon going through Morgantown it was a cause for celebration. It was certainly a sight to behold.

This only happens in places where the people care deeply about their program – which also happens to be some of the best places in all of college football.



JOE PATERNO

If you are a college football fan, you have an opinion on the life and legacy of Joe Paterno, the legendary Penn State coach who passed away last weekend. Being an avid football fan, I have followed his entire career at PSU. I remember attending a game at old Mountaineer Field (I think it was 1955), when WVU beat a Penn State team coached by Rip Engle. I really enjoyed that win, because there were so few of them when we played Penn State. When Paterno took over in 1966, he kept the pattern going, beating WVU almost every year. I believe it was a Charleston newspaper that once had a poll to determine the person most hated by West Virginians. Paterno won it going away.

Did I really hate Joe Paterno? No, not really. I hated the way he always beat my team. Deep down, I wished we had a coach like him, who was successful and did it with class. The recent problems at Penn State, with the child abuse scandal and who said what and when they said it, has certainly tarnished Paterno's image. But, did it change my opinion of Joe? No, it only proved to me that like all of our heroes, he was only a human being. None of us are perfect and neither was Joe.

He was a great coach. He was a religious man and he was a very generous person, especially when it came to his school. He loved Penn State. In fact, he loved it too much, because he failed to put his basic moral values above that love. I want to remember him for who he was and the good that he did for his fellow man, but unfortunately, that won't be the case. What I'll remember most about him is the way he died, not from old age or lung cancer, but from a broken heart. Rest in peace JoePa.



OBITUARIES

MARY D. KULCZYCKI

Mary D. Kulczycki, age 77, of Clarksburg, WV, passed away on January 1, 2012. She was the daughter to the late John and Martha Kulczycki.

She is survived by her brother, Walter Kulczycki of Clarksburg, WV; a sister and brother-in-law, Olga Anderson and her husband, David of Clarksburg, WV and several nieces and nephews.

Ms. Kulczycki was a 1952 graduate of WI High School. Before deciding to attended college, she was employed for eight years at the Hazel-Atlas Glass Company. She then enrolled at Fairmont State College and received her BA in Education degree. Following that, she attended West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, and received a master’s degree, plus 45 hours. Because of her love of educating students, she dedicated 34 and a half years to teaching at the following schools: Wyatt, Summit Park and Nutter Fort.



DR. PAUL EDWIN GORDON

Dr. Paul Edwin Gordon, age 87, passed away at 12:20 p.m. January 3, 2012. He was the son of the late Robert Edison Gordon and Edith Katherine McClung Grodon.

Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Lillian “Lil” Harold Gordon; three sons, Robert “Bob” Gordon and wife, Cindy, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Doug Gordon, Clarksburg, WV, and David A. Gordon and wife, Jamie, of Columbia, S.C.; six grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.

Dr. Gordon was a lifetime member of the First Presbyterian . He was a graduate of Washington Irving High School — Class of 1942. He was a graduate of the College of Virginia and the West Virginia University Medical Schools. He did his internship at the Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, MD.

He was elected to membership in the Harrison County Medical Society in 1950, before serving his county as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Virginia and Germany from 1950-1952.

He came back to Clarksburg, where he had a private medical practice from 1956 until he retired in 1987. He served as Medical Director of the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department for 18 years.

He was on the Board of Directors of the Kappa Sigma Pi of Clarksburg, the Harrison County American Cancer Society and the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Lexington, KY.

He was a 32 Degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Knight Templar in York Rite and a Master Mason in Hermon Lodge 6, A.F.&A.M., Clarksburg.



LOUISE AMELIA ROBINSON

Louise departed this life in Richmond, Virginia, January 2, 2012.

She was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia.

She was a graduate of Washington Irving High School and West Virginia University. She worked for many years at the National Geographic.

Survivors include nieces and nephews in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Switzerland.



BARBARA JEAN ZIGMONT

Barbara Jean Zigmont, 79, of Clarksburg, passed away suddenly on Friday, January 6, 2012, at her residence.

She was the daughter of the late James Steven and Aranka O. Tunacik Zigmont.

She is survived by two brothers, James Zigmont, Bridgeport, and David Zigmont, Chicago, IL; and a sister, Ruth E. Martin, Fairmont; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Nancy Liberati and Louise Collier.

Barbara was a graduate of WI High School class of 1950 and retired from C&P Telephone after 42 years of service. She had attended Presbyterian Church of Our Saviour.



ALMA MILLER BENEDUM

Alma M. (Miller) Benedum, 84, passed away at 9:30 p.m. on January 6, 2012.

Although Alma suffered greatly from the effects of both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease, her smile continued to be a delight to her family and friends until the end. During her final years, she received loving and devoted care from her husband, many in-home caregivers and the wonderful staff at Crestview.

Alma was the only daughter of the late Eli F. and Zetta B. (Cogar) Miller.

She is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Homer H. Benedum, and by two sons and daughters-in- law, David H. and Patty (Fraley) Benedum of Masontown, and Eric F. and Bertha (Burnside) Benedum of Weston. She is survived by four grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, Alma was preceded in death by two half sisters, Beatrice Miller Simon and Beulah Miller Wright.

Alma was a proud graduate of Victory High School, Class of 1945.



DANA MARTIN SHORT

Dana Martin Short passed away on January 20, 2012, following an extended illness. He was 79 and was the son of the late Floyd and Mary Virginia (Nesselrote) Short.

He was preceded in death by wife, Nancy E. (Vincent) Short; two sisters, Eileen Janet George and Betty Lou Leep; and one great-grandchild, Zachery Andrew Short.

Dana and Nancy had six children, Timothy Martin Short and wife Debbie of Salem, Kimberly Lou Short of Clarksburg, with whom he resided for the last seven years, David Michael (Mickey) Short and wife Karen of Clarksburg, Vickie Ann Short of North Carolina, Jennifer Gay Keller and husband Tim of North Carolina and Richard Floyd Short (Ricky) of Clarksburg; and eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Mr. Short attended Victory High School before serving in the U.S. Army for four years. He was a truck driver by trade, working for various local companies. He retired from Broughton Dairy. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and playing cards with friends.



LEONARD RAY HYRE

Leonard Ray Hyre, "Larry," 67, died at Coastal Hospice at the Lake peacefully Wednesday evening, January 11, 2012.

Born April 15, 1944, in Fairmont, WV, he was the son of the late Leonard Lincoln Hyre and Alma Jean Watson Hyre.

Larry graduated from Washington Irving High School in Clarksburg, WV, in 1962.

He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Nancy Jean Bell Hyre; two sons, Leonard R. Hyre Jr., "Lenny," and his fiancee, Pamela Delort of Dover, DE; and Allen L. Hyre and his wife, Christina of Elkton, MD; a daughter, Launa C. Cook and her husband, Troy of Georgetown, DE; six grandchildren, Heather Hyre and her fiance, Lucas Hanson; Julie Hyre; Kirsten Cook; Leonard Hyre III, "Trey;" Damon Cook and his wife, Amber; and Sara Hyre; a brother, Gary Hyre and his wife, Donna of Clarksburg, WV; two sisters, Louana Holton and her husband, Ray of Bethlehem, GA; and Connie Currey and her husband, David of Clarksburg, WV; and several uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, and many cousins.



JUDITH (JUDY) ANN HUTSON

submitted by: Robin Hutson-daughter
robin.wilson@okstate.edu


Janet wrote this note to me: Janet Welch suggested I email you regarding my mother’s recent passing so you can include in the West Virginia newsletter. I have attached the pertinent information. I can send you the picture and verbiage separately and in whatever format will suit your needs best. This was quite unexpected and her loss has saddened us greatly. She was a wonderful mother and person who will be missed by many.

JUDITH (JUDY) ANN HUTSON

Judith Ann (Judy) Hutson passed away at St. John’s Medical Center in Tulsa, OK on Friday, December 30, 2011. She was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia on September 16, 1938 to Leonard & Kate Allen. Her family moved to Oklahoma in 1953 but she remained a “mountain momma” until the end.

She was preceded in death by her parents and beloved brother, Dick Allen. She is survived by her husband, Kent Hutson and her children, Lisa Schrantz, Robin & Mark Wilson & Krystine Rousseau; Step-son Kevin Hutson and family; niece, Dindi Osterhaus and nephew, Richard Allen.

Judy graduated from Okmulgee High School in 1956. She attended OSU Tech. She was a dedicated employee of the Okmulgee Public Library for almost 30 years.

A NOTE FROM A FRIEND ABOUT JUDY:

submitted by: Janet Duncan Welch (WI 1955)
Lynn Welch (WI 1950)

On December 30, 2011, a truly special person passed away. Judy Allen Hutson was a loyal and gracious friend.

Judy left West Virginia after her freshman year (1953) at Washington Irving H.S. Her father had left to work for PPG in Okmulgee, OK, and the family followed.

About 15 years ago at one of my class reunions in Clarksburg, one of my classmates gave me a message that a Judy Hutson was looking for me. After finding out that it was Judy Allen Hutson, we did start emailing and our friendship was reestablished.

Judy and her two daughters came to visit us in Akron and it was as if we had never been apart. It was a very comfortable and wonderful visit. We had even discovered that she was my husband's second cousin.

Judy never forgot her West Virginia roots and her love for West Virginia. She even called herself "Mountain Momma." Judy Allen Hutson will be missed by so many.



LENORA GILL

Lenora L. Gill, 85, of Salem, passed away Thursday, January 12, 2012. She was the daughter of the late Dewey and Sona Maxwell Ash.

Lenora was a homemaker.

Surviving are her husband of 67 years, Paul A Gill; one daughter, Tammy K Alfred and husband Kenny, Vadis, WV; like a daughter and son, Ray and Janet Butcher, Clarksburg; one grandson, J.P. Harris; one brother, Bernard Paul Ash of Bridgeport; one sister, Bernice “Bernie” Kimball of Uniontown, Ohio.

She was also preceded in death by one brother, Donald Ash, and two sisters, Imogene Kyle and Erma Winans.

Lenora graduated from Victory High School and attended WV Business College for two years.



DONALD LEE SENDLING

Donald Lee Sendling, 81, passed away January 12, 2012.

He was the son of the late William Sendling and Hazel Hughes Sendling.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Joan H. Barry Sendling. In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son, Michael Sendling and wife Shelia of Chesapeake, VA; five daughters, Carla Sendling of Clarksburg, Donna Barnes and husband Ed of Clarksburg, Pam Wolfe and husband John of Clarksburg, Brenda McKinley and husband Bob of Quiet Dell, and Linda Seckman and husband Ron of Quiet Dell; five grandsons, Tim Barnes and wife Jennifer, John David Barnes, Brian Barnes and wife Amanda, Aaron Wolfe and wife Haleigh, Ezekiel Sendling; four granddaughters; two great-grandsons and five great-granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Linda Carol Sendling, and one brother and sister-in-law, Virgil L. Sendling and wife Eloise.

Mr. Sendling was a graduate of Victory High School. He then went on to serve in the U.S. military, where he was in the Army for four years and retired from the Navy after 17 years. After his service in the military, he was employed by Continental Can and as a sewing machine mechanic for Maidenform and as a repairman for American Vending.



JO RAE WRIGHT

Extraordinary scientist, devoted teacher and mentor, and former dean of the Duke University Graduate School and professor of cell biology, medicine and pediatrics, Jo Rae Wright passed away Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

She was 56 years old and was predeceased by her parents, Joseph Albert Wright and Joy Wilfong Wright of Clarksburg, West Virginia.

She was a 1973 graduate of Washington Irving High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from West Virginia University in 1977. She received her Ph.D. in physiology in 1981 from West Virginia University.

She then moved to San Francisco, where she completed her post-doctoral fellowship under one of the leading lung researchers in the country, Dr. John A. Clements.

She worked in the area of lung surfactants with Dr. Clements at the University of California-San Francisco for 12 years before leaving for Duke University in 1993. There, she was a professor of cell biology, medicine and pediatrics, and she became vice dean of basic sciences in the medical school in 2002. She became dean of the Graduate School in 2006.

She was the recipient of the American Physiological Society’s Walter B. Cannon Award for her lifetime achievements in her research in 2005, and in 2008 she became the president of the American Thoracic Society (ATS). She was the first president who held a Ph.D., and yet her presidency was notable for its emphasis on enhancing the Society’s resources for clinicians and scientists. She was widely published in the area of lung surfactant research and had many editorial positions for scientific journals.

However, when asked what she saw as her most important career milestone, she was quoted as saying that it was the “accomplishments of her students and fellows and helping them make their own discoveries and becoming independent thinkers.”

Duke announced last month the creation of the Jo Rae Wright Fellowship for Outstanding Women in Science, which will annually recognize one doctoral student in the biomedical sciences and one in the natural sciences whose research shows particular creativity and promise. The leaders of the American Thoracic Society have also decided to honor Jo Rae’s life and work by recognizing a highly promising scientist with an award in Jo Rae’s name.



WILLIAM “BILL” PAUL ANDERSON

William “Bill” Paul Anderson, 67, of Hinkle Lake, passed away on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, at his residence.

He was born October 28, 1944, in Bridgeport, a son of Maxine Evelyn Williams Anderson of Hinkle Lake and the late Paul Douglas Anderson.

He is survived by two daughters, Melissa Johnson of Surfside Beach, S.C., and Michele Riddell and her husband Jay of Little River, S.C.; seven grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and a sister, Patty Swiger, Wheeling.

Mr. Anderson was a graduate of Bridgeport High School, Class of 1963, and he was employed as an equipment operator for 15 years for Barbour Coal Company until his retirement.



BILL SHINN

William Richard “Bill” Shinn, 59, of Nutter Fort, WV, departed this life on Friday, January 20, 2012, at United Hospital Center due to a sudden illness.

He was born April 18, 1952, in Clarksburg, WV, a son of the late Richard A. and Margaret Lucille Jay Shinn.

Mr. Shinn is survived by one brother, Robert L. Shinn of Nutter Fort; one sister, Margaret R. Elbon Smith of Flemington; two nephews, Phillip L. Elbon and wife Barbi and Richard J. Shinn and wife Sabrina; two nieces, Tacy Lynn Seymour and Rebecca Lynn Blake and husband Scott; several great-nieces and great-nephews; and one great-great-nephew.

Bill was a graduate of Roosevelt-Wilson High School, Class of 1970, and was retired from Harrison County Board of Education as a custodian.



DR. ROBERT C. LALANCE, JR



Dr. Robert C. “Bob” LaLance, Jr, age 72, died Friday, January 6, 2012 after a long battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was a native of St. Albans, WV and the son of the late Robert Charles LaLance, Sr and Ernestine Kathryn Bartels LaLance.

He is survived by his wife, Martha Lou Morrison LaLance (WI 1958), son, Robert C. “Chuck” LaLance, III and wife Amy D., daughters, Wendy White and husband Marty, Amy Nance Walker and husband Rusty, all of Murfreesboro, brother, Dick LaLance and wife Jan of Murfreesboro, sister, Barbara Anne Kelly and husband Terry of Loudonville, NY, and several grandchildren.

Dr. LaLance was a member, ruling elder, and choir member of First Presbyterian Church. He was a graduate of St Albans High School in West Virginia, Junior State Archery Champ, Eagle Scout, received BS Degree from West Virginia University in 1962, Mountain Ranking Mens Honarary at WVU, received Masters Degree from University of Tennessee in 1963, and received Doctorate Degree from MTSU in 1974.

He had a long standing relationship with Middle Tennessee State University where he was Vice President for Student Affairs from 1975 until his retirement in 1998. He was an Instructor and Assistant Professor, Dept of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and Director of Intramural Sports 1963-1965, Resident Hall Director from 1965- 70, Dean of Men 1969-70, Dean of Students 1970-75.

Dr. LaLance was inducted into the West Virginia University Hall of Fame, Department of Physical Education in 2005. He was presented the John Jones Award for outstanding performance as a Dean by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.



CATHY J. LEE

Cathy J. Lee, 52, of Hepzibah, passed away December 31, 2011, at United Hospital Center with family by her side.

She was born in Clarksburg, May 6, 1959, daughter of Blake and Ellen Shultz Hannah of Hepzibah. Cathy graduated from Liberty High School. She was currently a store manager at Rent World for several years and prior to that at Rent-A-Center.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by three sons, Keith Wagner and fiancée Jessica Sandy, Clarksburg, Chris Hannah and fiancé Jessica Myers, and Brandon Lee of Hepzibah; one daughter, Angela Lee, Hepzibah; two grandchildren.





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