TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Not only did Homer Woessner breathe and live the history of North Hills, he also rode on it.
Mr. Woessner, owner of a barber shop for more than 50 years, died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004 in the Vincentian Home in Ross. He was 86.
Well-known as the unofficial historian of West View, where he was raised, Mr. Woessner turned his home and barber shop into repositories of colorful local lore and sepia-toned photographs. In a 1955 contest, during the borough's 50th anniversary celebration, he decorated his barbershop with stuffed and mounted animals and Indian arrowheads to make it resemble a frontiersman's cabin. He won the competition, but organizers absconded with the $30,000 in prize money.
Mr. Woessner helped keep alive the story of the trolleys that once crisscrossed the region.
As the son of a Pittsburgh Railway Co. conductor, Mr. Woessner spent much of his boyhood riding the rails. During a 2001 interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he recalled ringing the bell "all the way from the Garden Theater (on East Ohio Street) to West View and back."
As a grown man, he was eager to follow in his father's footstep. When he took the road test, he picked up passengers in between trolley stops.
"He was trying to be courteous, but the inspector failed him," said his son, Kenneth Edward Woessner. "He took it so hard that he didn't retry."
In the 1960s, Mr. Woessner joined the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Washington County, as a volunteer trolley operator and museum tour guide. He also used his woodworking skills to restore the windows and doors of the trolley exhibits.
"He eventually got to drive the trolley," his son said. "He realized his dreams later on in his life."
Mr. Woessner opened his first barbershop in the 1930s in Avalon and later moved his business to Perry Highway in West View. He had a nickname for all of his long-time customers. His business suffered during the 1970s, when long hair was all the rage. But he persevered, supplementing his income by rising at 5 a.m. to drive school buses.
"He was a hard worker," said Donna Lee Woessner, his daughter-in-law. "He worked hard and played hard."
Born March 26, 1918 in the North Side, Mr. Woessner was a member of North Hills Lodge 715 and the Etna Elks.
Mr. Woessner is survived by his son, Kenneth Edward Woessner, of Bridgeville; daughters, Kay E. Yetter, of West View, and Virginia Madden, of Ross; brothers, William C. Woessner, of Franklin Park, and Thomas Daniel Woessner, of Denver; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth Maciborski Woessner.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Orion C. Pinkerton Home Inc., 1014 California Ave., Avalon, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Not only did Homer Woessner breathe and live the history of North Hills, he also rode on it.
Mr. Woessner, owner of a barber shop for more than 50 years, died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004 in the Vincentian Home in Ross. He was 86.
Well-known as the unofficial historian of West View, where he was raised, Mr. Woessner turned his home and barber shop into repositories of colorful local lore and sepia-toned photographs. In a 1955 contest, during the borough's 50th anniversary celebration, he decorated his barbershop with stuffed and mounted animals and Indian arrowheads to make it resemble a frontiersman's cabin. He won the competition, but organizers absconded with the $30,000 in prize money.
Mr. Woessner helped keep alive the story of the trolleys that once crisscrossed the region.
As the son of a Pittsburgh Railway Co. conductor, Mr. Woessner spent much of his boyhood riding the rails. During a 2001 interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he recalled ringing the bell "all the way from the Garden Theater (on East Ohio Street) to West View and back."
As a grown man, he was eager to follow in his father's footstep. When he took the road test, he picked up passengers in between trolley stops.
"He was trying to be courteous, but the inspector failed him," said his son, Kenneth Edward Woessner. "He took it so hard that he didn't retry."
In the 1960s, Mr. Woessner joined the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Washington County, as a volunteer trolley operator and museum tour guide. He also used his woodworking skills to restore the windows and doors of the trolley exhibits.
"He eventually got to drive the trolley," his son said. "He realized his dreams later on in his life."
Mr. Woessner opened his first barbershop in the 1930s in Avalon and later moved his business to Perry Highway in West View. He had a nickname for all of his long-time customers. His business suffered during the 1970s, when long hair was all the rage. But he persevered, supplementing his income by rising at 5 a.m. to drive school buses.
"He was a hard worker," said Donna Lee Woessner, his daughter-in-law. "He worked hard and played hard."
Born March 26, 1918 in the North Side, Mr. Woessner was a member of North Hills Lodge 715 and the Etna Elks.
Mr. Woessner is survived by his son, Kenneth Edward Woessner, of Bridgeville; daughters, Kay E. Yetter, of West View, and Virginia Madden, of Ross; brothers, William C. Woessner, of Franklin Park, and Thomas Daniel Woessner, of Denver; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth Maciborski Woessner.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Orion C. Pinkerton Home Inc., 1014 California Ave., Avalon, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday.
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Not only did Homer Woessner breathe and live the history of North Hills, he also rode on it.
Mr. Woessner, owner of a barber shop for more than 50 years, died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004 in the Vincentian Home in Ross. He was 86.
Well-known as the unofficial historian of West View, where he was raised, Mr. Woessner turned his home and barber shop into repositories of colorful local lore and sepia-toned photographs. In a 1955 contest, during the borough's 50th anniversary celebration, he decorated his barbershop with stuffed and mounted animals and Indian arrowheads to make it resemble a frontiersman's cabin. He won the competition, but organizers absconded with the $30,000 in prize money.
Mr. Woessner helped keep alive the story of the trolleys that once crisscrossed the region.
As the son of a Pittsburgh Railway Co. conductor, Mr. Woessner spent much of his boyhood riding the rails. During a 2001 interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he recalled ringing the bell "all the way from the Garden Theater (on East Ohio Street) to West View and back."
As a grown man, he was eager to follow in his father's footstep. When he took the road test, he picked up passengers in between trolley stops.
"He was trying to be courteous, but the inspector failed him," said his son, Kenneth Edward Woessner. "He took it so hard that he didn't retry."
In the 1960s, Mr. Woessner joined the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Washington County, as a volunteer trolley operator and museum tour guide. He also used his woodworking skills to restore the windows and doors of the trolley exhibits.
"He eventually got to drive the trolley," his son said. "He realized his dreams later on in his life."
Mr. Woessner opened his first barbershop in the 1930s in Avalon and later moved his business to Perry Highway in West View. He had a nickname for all of his long-time customers. His business suffered during the 1970s, when long hair was all the rage. But he persevered, supplementing his income by rising at 5 a.m. to drive school buses.
"He was a hard worker," said Donna Lee Woessner, his daughter-in-law. "He worked hard and played hard."
Born March 26, 1918 in the North Side, Mr. Woessner was a member of North Hills Lodge 715 and the Etna Elks.
Mr. Woessner is survived by his son, Kenneth Edward Woessner, of Bridgeville; daughters, Kay E. Yetter, of West View, and Virginia Madden, of Ross; brothers, William C. Woessner, of Franklin Park, and Thomas Daniel Woessner, of Denver; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth Maciborski Woessner.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Orion C. Pinkerton Home Inc., 1014 California Ave., Avalon, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Not only did Homer Woessner breathe and live the history of North Hills, he also rode on it.
Mr. Woessner, owner of a barber shop for more than 50 years, died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004 in the Vincentian Home in Ross. He was 86.
Well-known as the unofficial historian of West View, where he was raised, Mr. Woessner turned his home and barber shop into repositories of colorful local lore and sepia-toned photographs. In a 1955 contest, during the borough's 50th anniversary celebration, he decorated his barbershop with stuffed and mounted animals and Indian arrowheads to make it resemble a frontiersman's cabin. He won the competition, but organizers absconded with the $30,000 in prize money.
Mr. Woessner helped keep alive the story of the trolleys that once crisscrossed the region.
As the son of a Pittsburgh Railway Co. conductor, Mr. Woessner spent much of his boyhood riding the rails. During a 2001 interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he recalled ringing the bell "all the way from the Garden Theater (on East Ohio Street) to West View and back."
As a grown man, he was eager to follow in his father's footstep. When he took the road test, he picked up passengers in between trolley stops.
"He was trying to be courteous, but the inspector failed him," said his son, Kenneth Edward Woessner. "He took it so hard that he didn't retry."
In the 1960s, Mr. Woessner joined the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Washington County, as a volunteer trolley operator and museum tour guide. He also used his woodworking skills to restore the windows and doors of the trolley exhibits.
"He eventually got to drive the trolley," his son said. "He realized his dreams later on in his life."
Mr. Woessner opened his first barbershop in the 1930s in Avalon and later moved his business to Perry Highway in West View. He had a nickname for all of his long-time customers. His business suffered during the 1970s, when long hair was all the rage. But he persevered, supplementing his income by rising at 5 a.m. to drive school buses.
"He was a hard worker," said Donna Lee Woessner, his daughter-in-law. "He worked hard and played hard."
Born March 26, 1918 in the North Side, Mr. Woessner was a member of North Hills Lodge 715 and the Etna Elks.
Mr. Woessner is survived by his son, Kenneth Edward Woessner, of Bridgeville; daughters, Kay E. Yetter, of West View, and Virginia Madden, of Ross; brothers, William C. Woessner, of Franklin Park, and Thomas Daniel Woessner, of Denver; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth Maciborski Woessner.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Orion C. Pinkerton Home Inc., 1014 California Ave., Avalon, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday.
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