William Andrew Rankin (1858-1938)
William Andrew Rankin, described as a comfortably situated farmer and a reliable citizen, was a son of John and Nancy Huston (Bryson) Rankin, born 11 February 1858 in the Rankin homestead, Rankin Airshaft Rd, North Union Twp (Uniontown) PA, where he grew up, farmed and lived until 1908 when he moved his family to a new house built on Pittsburgh Rd, just north of the Uniontown city limits on the farm of the late John Smilie Craig.
He was educated in the common schools and served several years on the North Union township school board. ‘W.A.’ was a democrat in politics, and served as assessor of North Union township.
October 2, 1884, he was married to Mary Elizabeth, daughter of William and Emily (Crossland) Craig at the William Craig home, Pittsburgh Road. Until he moved to town he was a member of the Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church, after which he was a member and elder of the Second Presbyterian Church in Uniontown.
For a quarter century he was a clerk for A. C. Fouch. The Fouch enterprise sold farming equipment and transitioned from a livery stable and horse & buggy supplies (stable tools, horse halters & blankets, buggy wheels) store to the horseless carriage (Kelly Springfield tires, batteries & headlights) auto supply store.
The Rankins had three children, Harry, Maude, and Ralph, all who grew to adulthood and were productive and enterprising individuals.
William Andrew “W. A.” Rankin died 15 June 1938 at his home. His funeral was at the Second Presbyterian Church, Uniontown, Pennsylvania on 17 June with the burial in the Sylvan Heights Cemetery, North Union Township, less than two miles from where he was born.
Father: John Rankin
Mother: Nancy Huston Bryson
Spouse: Mary Elizabeth Craig
Brother: James F. Rankin
Sister: Nancy Huston Rankin
Sibling: Unnamed Rankin
Son: Harry Russell Rankin
Daughter: Maude Odessa Rankin
Son: Ralph Leslie Rankin
