Willie was the second son and fourth child born to George Ferber and Elizabeth Roesch. Born in Hampton Township, north of Pittsburgh, and baptised at St. Paul's Church in McCandless Township. He died suddenly of diphtheria in Shaler Township at the first farm owned by his parents on 18 February 1890 and was buried in the graveyard of the Etna Congregational Church. His remains were moved with his sister and parents from that cemetery to Greenwood in 1945. Albert Ferber, Willie's brother, was the caretaker of Greenwood and made quite an effort to move his family and those of his wife from the Etna Cemetery.
An interesting sideline is the story of Willie making a wagon for his brother, Albert. We have a photo of Albert in a little wagon, pulled by a goat. Another photo has Albert and his sister Florence in the same wagon. The family tale was always that Willie had made the wagon for Albert. This story was repeated over and over. But the photo is in front of the farmhouse on Dorseyville Road in O'Hara Township, while Albert was very young. This farm was purchased after the Shaler Township farm was sold. If Willie died at the first farm, the wagon had to have been made before Albert could ever have used it, perhaps before he was even born (It does not look new!). So the wagon never was made for him by Willie.
A lesson learned, that family stories are wonderful, but they are often inventions of the imagination, created by chance. They should not be taken literally before the family facts are checked and re-checked.
An interesting sideline is the story of Willie making a wagon for his brother, Albert. We have a photo of Albert in a little wagon, pulled by a goat. Another photo has Albert and his sister Florence in the same wagon. The family tale was always that Willie had made the wagon for Albert. This story was repeated over and over. But the photo is in front of the farmhouse on Dorseyville Road in O'Hara Township, while Albert was very young. This farm was purchased after the Shaler Township farm was sold. If Willie died at the first farm, the wagon had to have been made before Albert could ever have used it, perhaps before he was even born (It does not look new!). So the wagon never was made for him by Willie.
A lesson learned, that family stories are wonderful, but they are often inventions of the imagination, created by chance. They should not be taken literally before the family facts are checked and re-checked.
Willie was the second son and fourth child born to George Ferber and Elizabeth Roesch. Born in Hampton Township, north of Pittsburgh, and baptised at St. Paul's Church in McCandless Township. He died suddenly of diphtheria in Shaler Township at the first farm owned by his parents on 18 February 1890 and was buried in the graveyard of the Etna Congregational Church. His remains were moved with his sister and parents from that cemetery to Greenwood in 1945. Albert Ferber, Willie's brother, was the caretaker of Greenwood and made quite an effort to move his family and those of his wife from the Etna Cemetery.
An interesting sideline is the story of Willie making a wagon for his brother, Albert. We have a photo of Albert in a little wagon, pulled by a goat. Another photo has Albert and his sister Florence in the same wagon. The family tale was always that Willie had made the wagon for Albert. This story was repeated over and over. But the photo is in front of the farmhouse on Dorseyville Road in O'Hara Township, while Albert was very young. This farm was purchased after the Shaler Township farm was sold. If Willie died at the first farm, the wagon had to have been made before Albert could ever have used it, perhaps before he was even born (It does not look new!). So the wagon never was made for him by Willie.
A lesson learned, that family stories are wonderful, but they are often inventions of the imagination, created by chance. They should not be taken literally before the family facts are checked and re-checked.
An interesting sideline is the story of Willie making a wagon for his brother, Albert. We have a photo of Albert in a little wagon, pulled by a goat. Another photo has Albert and his sister Florence in the same wagon. The family tale was always that Willie had made the wagon for Albert. This story was repeated over and over. But the photo is in front of the farmhouse on Dorseyville Road in O'Hara Township, while Albert was very young. This farm was purchased after the Shaler Township farm was sold. If Willie died at the first farm, the wagon had to have been made before Albert could ever have used it, perhaps before he was even born (It does not look new!). So the wagon never was made for him by Willie.
A lesson learned, that family stories are wonderful, but they are often inventions of the imagination, created by chance. They should not be taken literally before the family facts are checked and re-checked.
Inscription
Emma Ferber, 1886 - 1905
William Ferber, 1876 - 1890
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