The River Running
"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Rose Marie Murphy and George Willy
George Willy was the third child of Ida Bell Lego and Frederick Willy. According to the 1900 US Census, he was born in May 1898. His parents married in February 1894 in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. At the time, his father was resident in Columbia, Lancaster County, while his mother was resident in Philipsburg, Centre County. All of this makes it difficult to determine where Laura was born.
As of 1900 the family was living in Baldwin Township, 14 km south of Pittsburgh. By 1910, they'd moved to Pittsburgh, where they were living at 106 Frustum Street.
By 01 Jan 1920, George had married Rose Marie Murphy. The marriage may have taken place not long before this date, as on the 1930 US Census, Rose Marie and George said they'd been married ten years. Rose Marie was born 26 Jun 1901, probably in McKees Rocks as that's where her family was living in both 1900 and 1910. Her parents were Helen B Hufnagel and John F Murphy. Her younger sister Helen Dorothy Murphy married a man named Frederick Willy who may or may not be George's brother Frederick.
As of January 1920, George and Rose were living on Ridge Avenue in Stowe, next to McKees Rocks. George was working as a pipe fitter in a (or the?) P&LE shop. Rose's parents and siblings had also moved to Stowe, to 175 McCoy Road, a kilometre or less away from Rose and George.
Rose and George had nine children:
The 1930 US Census found George, Rose and their children at 900 Second Street in McKees Rocks. George was working as a repairman at a railroad shop. Rose's brother Victor was also living with them. He was working as a welder for a manufacturing company.
By 1940 Victor, who'd been single in 1930, was divorced and living with his widowed mother Helen in McKees Rocks. Meanwhile Rose, George and their children had moved to Crescent Township. George was working as an air brakes repairman for the railroad.
After 1940, Rose and George's children began to come of age. George Merle enlisted in the Army Air Corps in Pittsburgh on 17 Sep 1942. At some point he was posted to Italy, where he met his future wife. John F may be the John F Willy of Glenwillard (1.1 km down the road from Crescent Township) who was born in Pennsylvania in 1926 and who enlisted in the Army at Fort George G Meade, Maryland, on 06 Apr 1944. Sometime between April 1940 and January 1943, June got married. Sometime between December 1943 and November 1952, so did Celeste Kathryn.
On 01 Dec 1943 Rose was delivered of a stillborn son at the Sewickley Valley Hospital. She died the same day. Her death record says she died in Sewickley, so I would assume it was at the hospital due to birth-related complications. She's buried in the Saint Mary Cemetery in McKees Rocks. I don't know if her child was buried with her.
1944 and on
George Willy Sr died in December 1980. I found a US Railroad Retirement Pension record for a G Willy born in May 1898 who died in December 1980 and then a grave record for George Willy, 1898-1980, in the Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Alquippa, Beaver County.
Sometime between April 1940 and January 1943, June M Willy married James Garth Biggerstaff. James had been born in Allegheny County 19 Oct 1920, the son of Goldie Eberle and James Madison Biggerstaff. As of 1940 he was living with his parents in Crescent Township and working for the railroad as an electrician's apprentice. He was already married at the time he enlisted in the Army in Pittsburgh on 18 Jan 1943.
James Garth died 06 Dec 2004. June died 09 Dec 2011. She was living in South Heights at the time. She was survived by her daughter June Charmaine Biggerstaff Valentic born 1947 as well as - according to June's obituary - two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Both June and James Garth are buried in the Sylvania Hills Memorial Park in Rochester, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
George Merrell Willy was apparently stationed in Italy by the Army Air Corps, as that's where he met and married his first wife, Teresa Carfaro.
John F Willy died 01 Feb 2005 in Aliquippa, Beaver County, and was buried with his father George in the Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery. The cemetery also holds a grave for Colleen J Willy, born 13 Mar 1929, died 14 May 1988. She and John may or may not be the parents of Denise Renay Willy Kidd born 1961.
Donald William died in Crescent Township 29 Nov 1952. Like his mother, he's buried in the Saint Mary Cemetery in McKees Rocks.
Celest(e) Kathryn Willy married Arlie Paul Cooper sometime between December 1943 and November 1952, probably by 1948. Arlie was born 02 May 1917. I'm fairly sure he's the son of Dave and Polly Cooper who was living with them in Ramseytown, Yancey County, North Carolina, in 1920 and 1930. Between 1935 and 1940, Dave and Polly's son joined the Army. By 1940 he was private stationed at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York.
Arlie died 21 May 2003 in Union Mills, Rutherford County, North Carolina. He and Celest(e) may or may not be the parents of Arlie Paul Willy born 1948.
Laverne M Willy married Michael Basalyga sometime between November 1952 and October 1954. Michael was the sone of Mary E Balog and John Basalyga born 19 Sep 1921, probably in Florence, Washington County, as both his younger brother and one of his older brothers was born there. Mary Balog was born in Hungary; John Basalyga, in Poland. By 1930 the family had moved to Ambridge, Beaver County. Sometime between 1935 and 1940 they moved to Crescent Township, Allegheny County. Michael enlisted in the Army in Pittsburgh on 07 Jul 1942 and served in both WWI and Korea.
Michael died in Baden, Beaver County, on 16 Jun 1975. He's buried in the Resurrection Cemetery in Coraopolis. Buried with him are his and Laverne's son Michael A Basalyga, 02 Oct 1954 to 03 Feb 1986, and the younger Michael's wife, Sherri Toomey Basalyga, 07 Aug 1950 to 26 Mar 2016. Laverne and Michael had four other children, John, Mary, Greg and Russell.
James Edward Willy married Rose Patrizi, the daughter of Faustina Persi and Ercole Patrizi born in 1938. Rose and James have a son named Eric born in 1978. James died 21 Aug 2017. He was living Center Township at the time of his death. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Aliquippa.
Rose Willy married Lawrence J Fadool sometime before 1974. Lawrence was born in 1941. I don't know whether or not Lawrence is a member of the Fadool family that descends from Anna Ferris and Jacob Fadool, who immigrated from Syria (at that time, part of the Ottoman Empire) in 1909 and had settled with their children in Beaver County by 1920 and in Aliquippa by 1930.