M. M. Willson and Mary Emma Brown

---

---

Husband M. M. Willson ^{1 2}

---

           Born: 8 Nov 1840 - Rostraver Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 3
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1918
         Buried: 

---

         Father: James H. Willson (1794-1867) 2
         Mother: Margaret Patterson (      -      ) 3

---

       Marriage: 1869 3

---

---

Wife Mary Emma Brown ^{1 3 4}

---

           Born: 25 Sep 1845 - Fayette Co, PA 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

         Father: John Brown (1805-1872) 1 5
         Mother: Sarah H. Power (1820-Aft 1882) 1 4

---

---

Children

---

1 M Andrew Brown Willson ^{1 6}

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1882
         Buried: 

---

2 M Earl F. Willson ⁶

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

---

General Notes: Husband - M. M. Willson

---

He was born on his father's farm in Rostraver township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, at a point about three miles from North Belle Vernon, on the Smithton road. There he spent his childhood and there grew up to manhood. His early education was received at the local public school.
He inherited the greater portion of the paternal property, though one hundred acres were given to his brother Alexander. The latter, however, enlisted in the Union army, and saw service in the Civil War, and later his death occurred in the year 1872 from the effects of the hardships and exposures experienced at that time, so that the remainder of the property returned to M. M. Willson.
In the year 1892 Mr. Willson removed to North Belle Vernon and there took up his permanent abode, and from that time did a great deal to develop and build up the town. He was interested in real estate development there and invested largely in local properties. He was also identified with a number of projects which resulted in greatly extending the limits of the town. He also engaged in many other activities at North Belle Vernon besides that of dealing in and improving real estate, and one of his greatest successes was the organization of the Willson Coal Company for the purpose of mining the deposits of this mineral underlying the old Spears farm, which was purchased by Mr. Willson. While thus engaged in removing the coal from under the earth, he also laid out and developed the surface into residence properties. He added in all, four such tracts to the residence district of North Belle Vernon and erected several desirable houses. His residence was a large and handsome double house, the other half of which was occupied by his son. The property upon which this house stood was located in the center of the choicest residential part of this delightful region. He has held a large number of sales at which he has disposed of many choice lots to people of the surrounding district, who appreciated the unusual advantages of North Belle Vernon for home purposes. Mr. Willson also established a successful hardware business in the region, which after his death his son continued to operate. He was at one time a director in the Valley Deposit and Trust Company, and was affiliated with a number of other important industrial and mercantile interests there.
In addition to his business activities, Mr. Willson was also prominent in the public affairs of the community and served in the Common Council of North Belle Vernon, this community having been organized as a borough about 1870. In spite of this fact, however, it was nearly twenty years later that it became a community of any importance, and when it did its growth was largely due to the public-spirited efforts of Mr. Willson. He came to be looked upon almost in the light of the town's parent.

1 Franklin Ellis, History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 827.

2 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 490.

3 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 491.

4 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1912), Pg 817.

5 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1912), Pg 816.

6 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 492.