A HUGE “thank you” goes out to my friend and frequent “Duquesne Hunky” contributor Lou Andriko! After posting my request for scanned copies of photos of “our Duquesne” that you might have in your possession, Lou came through immediately! THANK YOU LOU and keep them coming.
Lou sent an adorable photo that was taken on the steps of St. Joseph that celebrates the First Holy Communion of 88 children in 1959. (I was blown away with the fact that there were 88 communicants! Kinda reminded me of one of those mass weddings of Rev. Moon!)
Just recently, Lou’s wife Sue found time to scan some old photos. This photo was taken on Mother’s Day, May 10, 1959. I immediately recognized Lou in the first row – 3rd from the left – #79.
I have included the photos for you to check out. The 2nd photo has numbers assigned to each of the sweet faces of youth! If you recognize yourself or any of your childhood friends, please post a comment and let us know. The kids in this picture should be approximately in their early 60’s today (groan.) I also enlarged each side of the group so that you might be able to better identify them.
Lou writes……………..
Oh, by the way and for your information, by the time I ‘graduated’ from St. Joes, the exterior fire escape had been removed, the interior front and rear stairwells were enclosed and brought up to current fire code and the third floor auditorium was abandoned. I seem to recall our eighth grade history class using it ‘on the sly’ to watch a civil war documentary. The windows up there still had those heavy old blackout roll down shades. By then the convent had been razed and the combined new school, convent and cafeteria building was built along Norman St; the classroom windows had venetian blinds that kept the sun out but didn’t keep much light out… Sad to say, that building has been abandoned for many years. It has even been taken off the market, at first being offered as a nursing home or senior center…. Tempus Fugit. Once St Joe closes, (That is coming soon), my parish church will probably end up like Holy Trinity….
The Duquesne Hunky 
Bob Pawlowski #61 and my wife Paula Harbacho #37. I also recognize Joe Kapalo #50 and Tresea Fetsko #30.
Paula and I are snowbirds, having a condo here in Naples, Fl for the winter months and have a cottage on the 4th lake of Six Lakes, Mi for the summer months.
Last night, I was thinking of some of my old friend’s from St. Joe’s…Louie Andreko, Louie Weber, Freddie Airhart, Teddy Schorr, Frank Napoli….just to name a few of many and wondered what happened to everyone over all these years?
Freddy and I served a lot of masses together and had our fair share of run-ins with Father Bernarding, a couple right there on the altar while serving mass….
Good to find this site and hope that everyone is in good health!
Hello, Bob. Glad to have another classmate check in. Would have responded sooner but have only been to the site infrequently as ‘glorious webmaster’ isn’t been posting as often as in earlier years. Would be nice if the “where are you now’ post was lit up again, no? Stay well, be happy.
Hi Louis,
I’ve thought about you and all of our classmates over the years wondering about all of you. Especially since a restaurant opened a couple of years ago near my son’s home in Fenton, Mi named Andriko’s ! Hope all is well with you and your family!
Well, Bob, coincidence or conspiracy, I dunno? My wife was on an ancestry kick a while back, never came up with any kith or kin in that area; I just did a quick google and found a place called ANDIAMO’s, which is kinda funny, as that’s Italian for ‘here we go.’ And no, before you ask, Andriko is Hungarian, not Italian. Fenton is about a 7 hr drive from here, so maybe some other time. In any case, great to hear from you, too.
My Dad owned Butler Brothers Drug Store. Recently my daughter asked me for a picture of the store. We looked high and low but don’t have a picture. If anyone has one please send it to me at butlerdc@bellsouth .com. Yes it would be an old photo since I am now 69.
Not sure i am responding to St. Joe’s Angels” correctly–I am the worst at social networking! Lou Weber, Lou Andriko, Sharon Hasiba, and Jan McWilliams—great to see your names again. I came across this site looking for old photos of St. Joes’ original building. Never expected to see our Holy Communion photo appear with an attempt to label each of us. I think I remember we had 72 kids in first and second grade before splitting into 2 classes. I am probably the least in-touch person from our class, (I went to the Bishop’s Latin School in East Liberty for High School), but I seem to remember a lot of names not yet identified. I dont want to mis-label anyone, and I apologize for spelling, but here goes a group I think were in our grade(correct me if I am wrong): Frank Napoli, Joe Pollack, Jack Bowers, Wayne Labans, David Fontanese, Don Pierce, Connie Guadanola, Marlene Vasko, Marietta Frankovich, Brenda Zepp, Patti Manns, Anne Wagner, Rita Ann Sinclair, Carolyn Schuchert, Judy Szinai, Anita Bellback, Rosemary Uhme, Mary Beth Kelly, MaryAnn Momich. Have fun trying to match up names and faces. I hope you are all well. All nine Booker kids went through St. Joes, and we are all nostalgic for that experience. I have so many fond memories of Duquesne, West Mifflin, Polish Hill, St. Joes, and Kennywood. I thoroughly enjoyed this blog.
Welcome aboard, Bill! Great to hear from you. Looking at the photos agaim, a few more names have come to mind – Eddie Fagan, Howie Schweitzer, Arnie Gavron, Jerry Bost, Albert Miller, Fred Airhart, Bobbie Pawlowski, Teddy Schorr….JoMarie Manns, Marietta Frankovich, Peggy Oeler, (whose daughter now attends our parish here in Elkins, WV!)…
To Jim Volk: maybe another revisit to “Where are they now?”
i beenlooking for robert vislay for a while now so i can find his sister jerry hope he reads theis frances saunders
Hi: Sharon Hasiba Stamper #43. Thanks I enjoyed seeing the picture. My cousin Bonnie Bowmaster Haver sent me the picture. What great memories. Life does go so fast.
1959 was the year my wife and I were married in St. Josephs church with P.J. Bernarding officiating.
My wife was not catholic so we went to classes prior to the ceremony . P.J. almost made her cry a couple of time with his anti protestant rants. He was not effective as an ambassador for our religion, to keep it as nice as I can.
I did notice in the pictures attached that the bricks were so clean and then remembered that this was the year the bricks were sandblasted. The church was really changed after the years of soot and dirt.
I loved this church but harken back to the days of Frs. Ferhenbach and Wiseman. What a difference one pastor can make.
Jack, Do you know what Larry Curran and I have in common????PJ smacked both of us!!!!
I am #6. Others that I remember in no particular order: 28 Marianne Faust, 14 Debbie Mauk, 39 Beatrice Bonacci, 24 Linda Ruhe, 41 Donna Hauser, 94 Kathy Prosky, 33 Rosie Bach, 10 Margaret Jacko, 7 Janet Boyer, 5 Jo Marie Manns. I may not remember correct spelling so sorry if I incorrectly spelled something. That is something that my elementary education didn’t provide. I have been a lifelong bad speller. Anyway, I have the same group picture at 8th grade graduation which I believe
you had published from someone previously. Hope everyone is well–the years just fly by, dont they!
Jan McWilliams
Boys Communion picture: 34 – Wayne Richards 48-Louis Weber 52-Ted Schorr 53-Ed Rosenbusch 54-Daniel Maddigan 55-Robert Vislay 57-Fred Airhart 58-Jim Wojcek 61-Bob Pawlowski 63-Louis Mazza 64-Randy Harris 67-Gene Stenger 71-Albert Miller 77-Ed Fagan 78-Bill Booker 79-Louis Andrejko 80-Howard Schweitzer 82-Arnold Gavron 84-Jack Ruhl 85-Walter Mehn 86-Drew Schaming 87-Gerald Bost 88-Bennett Smith
I’m sure that as I continue to look at this picture I will recognize more and I know A lot of the girls in the picture but I’ve run out of tijme right now.
Lou, you have a better memory than I do.
I can add two of the girls, 26-Peggy Oler, 33-Rose Bach.
Bob Vislay..Where the hell are you???
Ted Schorr is my uncle we call him Bud. My Dad is his youngest brother Jerry Schorr. They both live in White Oak now.
Ok I think I misspoke If that was 1959 then that isn’t uncle Bud. Actually I think he is my cousin possible one of my Uncle Walt’s.