(Editors note: The following article on Merry Burgess Hanning, the 2012 Grand Honoree of the Oak Hill High/Collins High Reunion, is reprinted with permission from The Log, the reunions official publication.)

Merry Burgess Hanning, Collins High Class of 1972, is a wife, mother, grandmother, gardener, professional woman, actress, singer, political activist and lifelong Red Devil. She is a member and past president of the Oak Hill High/Collins High School Alumni Association and has been selected as the 2012 Grand Honoree.

She grew up singing at the Jones Avenue First Church of God, and gospel is still at the heart of her music. She has performed in several productions at Historic Fayette Theater, including all three of the Smoke on the Mountain shows. In 2000, the cast of Smoke was invited to perform the show in Wales as part of a cultural exchange.

Gene Worthington cast Merry in the starring role in the 2002 production of Always, Patsy Cline. Cline is one of her all-time favorite singers, which made it even more special.

She is a member of Karen Vuranchs In Cahoots murder mystery troupe, which performs shows at several West Virginia state parks as well as Tamarack and Fayette Theater.

Several times each year, she will provide musical entertainment for local civic and business groups, as well as a Church and Gospel Music in the Coal Camps program for Coal Heritage Trail tours. Merry feels fortunate to be a part of Jon Kempers 4th of July Extravaganza as a member of Jons Aint Dead Yet Band, which includes the Blister Sisters trio.

She is former vocalist for the New River Jazz Band and has performed blues and jazz (her second favorite musical genre) with Welsh jazz pianist Jen Wilson.

Velma Foster, a dear friend and founding member of the Alumni Association, has mentored Merry throughout her life. She taught her about leadership (hint its delegate, delegate, delegate) and dedication to those worthwhile activities in life, first at church and later with the Alumni Association. Following in Velmas footprints, Merry has tried to make a difference.

During the past years, she has served as assistant treasurer to Velma Foster, treasurer and president of the organization. She encouraged by-law changes to keep the Association current and to allow it to continue to be viable when school consolidation occurs.

In 2007, she took football statistics which had been maintained by Avis Partain, John Duda and Tom Mason and, with the help of Sherry Keffer, published the Red Devil Football History, the proceeds of which went to fund several scholarships.

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Merry Hanning honored as group’s 2012 Grand Honoree