Lawrence Burns Dinsmore

Lawrence Burns Dinsmore died at Keystone Villa in Blandon, PA March 3, 2014, where he had been living for the past 11 months. He was a long time resident of Richhill Township and East Finley Township and for many years a rural mail carrier from the West Finley Post Office. Mr. Dinsmore was born December 16, 1915 in Waynesburg, a son of John Mordecai and Goldie Burns Dinsmore. He attended elementary school in Richhill Township and graduated in 1933 from Trinity High School in Washington, PA. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the United States Merchant Marines, 1937-1945, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific theaters of the war. At the end of the war, he returned to his grandfather's farm in Richhill Township. First he raised registered Angus beef cattle, later he operated the first Christmas tree farm in Greene County. In 1951 Mr. Dinsmore was appointed Rural Carrier in the U.S. Postal Service serving West Finley Route #2 for 27 years. He served on the Richhill Township Planning Commission and the Richhill Township Watershed Board. He was a member of Harvey's Grange, the Graysville Knights of Pythias, the Fort Jackson Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, the American Legion Post 0945, and the Superstition Mountain Historical Society of Apache Junction, Arizona. In 1935 he married Eldora Barnhart, who is deceased. In 1945 he married Neysa Elwell, deceased. In 1977 he married Betty Cox Barnhart who died in 2002. Surviving are his children, Anita Griesenauer of Safford, AZ; Norma (Rich) McClelland of Washington, PA; Patricia (Bill) Colvin of Dover, DE; Doug (Sarah Seidensticker) Dinsmore of Hamburg, PA; Betty (Denny) Morrow of Youngwood, PA; and Ronald (Deanna) Barnhart of Medina, OH; 18 grandchildren; 24 great- grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren. Preceding Mr. Dinsmore in death were a daughter, Betty Jean McFall; son Donald (Johnny) Barnhart, his brother Donald T. Dinsmore; and two grandsons, Randy McFall and Tristan Griesenauer. The decedent requested no viewing, and a graveside service. The family requests that in lieu of flowers you send a donation in Lawrence's name to the Enon Baptist Church in C/O of Mary Kiger, 333 Enon Church Road, West Finley, PA 15377 or Harvey's Grange in C/O of Martha Dinsmore, 474 W. Roy Furman Hwy, Wind Ridge, PA 15380. Graveside services and burial will be at the Braddock Cemetery on Friday, March 7 at 11:00 AM. The Burkey & Driscoll Funeral Home, Hamburg is in charge of local arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.burkeydriscoll.com