William Arthur Brobst

1931 - 1963

• Born	25 Nov 1931
  Gender	Male
  Died	5 Sep 1963	Burlington, Mineral Co., West Virginia
  Buried	St Peter's Lutheran Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania
  Person ID	I8734	Johnson Hindin Tree
  Last Modified	8 Jun 2013

  
  

  Father	Harry A Brobst, Jr.,   b. 19 Jul 1905, Maryland ,   d. 27 Mar 1969, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania
  Mother	Luella ZUSE,   b. 6 Aug 1907, Pennsylvania ,   d. Nov 1981, Pennsylvania
  Married	beg 1931
  Family ID	F3429	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Margaret Jane Dixon,   b. 17 Apr 1933,   d. 5 Sep 1963, Burlington, Mineral Co., West Virginia
  Children	1. Gwynne Ellen Brobst   2. Jody Arthur Brobst,   b. 20 Sep 1959, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 5 Sep 1963, Burlington, Mineral Co., West Virginia   3. Kimberly Anne Brobst,   b. 9 Dec 1961, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 5 Sep 1963, Burlington, Mineral Co., West Virginia
  Family ID	F3430	Group Sheet

  
  

• Notes

  William and his family was killed in a plane crash September 5. 1963. The following was transcribed on rootsweb.com in the database entitled "Brobst Family Historical Registry" at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=brobst&surname=Zuse%2C+Luella+C%2E" The Pittsburgh Press, Friday, September 6, 1963 Four Plane Deaths in W. VA. Probed Wilkins Twp. Family Killed in Rainstorm Tri-State Service Keyser, W. VA., Sept 6 Investigators today tried to piece together an explanation for a light plane crash that killed a surburban Pittsburgh engineer, his wife, and two of their three children. A driving rainstorm was believed responsible for the flying tragedy near here in a heavily wooded section of eastern West Virginia. The victims were William Brobst, 31, of 129 Gilmore Dr. in the Eastmont area of Wilkins Twp.; his wife, Margaret, 30; Jody Arthur, 3, and Kimberly Anne, 2. A third child, Gwynne Ellen, 3 months, had stayed behind with her paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Brobst, of 2218 LaCrosse St., Swissvale. The family was en route to Florida on a combination business and pleasure trip. Mr. Brobst, a pilot for about five years, was an electrical engineer for Siltronics, Inc. The family took off from Monroeville Airport about 9 a.m. yesterday in a single engine Cessna owned by the WTAE Flying Club. The plane crashed in a heavy rain and fog about noon but the wreckage was not spotted until almost five hours later by D. F. Baker, operator of a private airport at Burlington, W. VA. It took still another hour for rescue crews to reach the crash scene about 30 miles south of Cumberlan MD., and still more time to establish identification of the four victims in the demolished aircraft. Mr. Baker theorized that the plane had dived straight to the earth. A team of investigators from the Martinsburg office of the Federal Aviation Agency was sent to the scene to determine what caused the accident. The search for the Brobst's plane was begun by West Virginia State Police and private state pilots after the residents of Burlington reported hearing the crash. About 75 persons joined in the air and ground hunt for the craft. Although the Cessna was equipped with a radio there was no record that Mr. Brobst signaled he was in difficulty. Mr. Baker said it was possible that the pilot tried to pull up quickly in the face of a hillside, that the plane then stalled and plunged to the ground. The family's destination had been Melbourne, Fla. Before leaving Pittsburgh the victims visited Mrs. Brobst parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Dixon, of 726 Penny Dr., Penn Hills. "We didn't want them to go...we just didn't want them to go" Mrs. Dixon said after hearing of the crash. Mr. Brobst was described as a "wonderful pilot" by David Dixon, his brother-in-law. He often took his family on flying jaunts. He and his family moved into their home in Wilkins Twp. a year ago when they returned to the area from New Jersey, where Mr. Brobst was previously employed. Jody Arthur's fourth birthday would have been Sept. 20. Mr. Brobst was a graduate of Swissvale High School and Carnegie Institute of Technology and his wife was graduated from Westinghouse High School and Shadyside Hospital School of Nursing. In addition to his parents, he is survived by two brothers, Lawrence David of Canonsburg, and Roger Allen at home. His wife is also survived by a sister Mrs. Pauline Cunningham of Hartford, Conn. Friends will be received tomorrow from noon to 10 p.m. at the Jack C. Beahm Funeral Home, 7211 Thomas Blvd, Point Breeze.Services and burial on Sunday will be private. West Virginia Division of Culture and History Name: William Arthur Brobst Sex: Male Death Date: 5 Sep 1963 Death Place: Burlington, Mineral, West Virginia Age at Death: 31y Birth Date: 25 Nov 1931 Marital Status: M Occupation: Electical Eng. impact of plane crash