Dick always said, "Dravosburg is a very special place."   Dick was our dear friend and the founder of the Dravosburg Community Archives.

Richard E. "Dick" Backus, 73, of Monongahela, died Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016, at home surrounded by his family, after surviving pancreatic cancer for more than 2 1/2 years. Raised in Dravosburg, a son of William H. "Bill" and Elizabeth "Lib" (McKelvey) Backus, Dick attended Third Street School, graduated from McKeesport High School in 1961, and then attended Pitt University. He enlisted in the Army and was stationed at HQ Field Command, Defense Atomic Support Agency, in Albuquerque, N.M., as a military policeman. Upon returning home, he established a career in the retail industry and spent many years in Greenbelt, Md., where he raised his family. He retired and returned to Monongahela in 1991. Dick loved his hometown of Dravosburg, and was a founding member of the Dravosburg Centennial Committee. After many successful events honoring Dravosburg's 100th birthday, the committee evolved into the Dravosburg Community Archives in 2015. Dick served as a chairman of the Archives and was a major contributor to the book "All About the Burg" and the vision behind the movie "Silent Tales." He was a lifetime member of Dravosburg Fire Station No. 1, member of American Legion Post 380, the Mifflin Township Historical Society, the McKeesport Area Heritage Center and the Heinlein Society. He attended First Presbyterian Church in Monongahela. Preceding him in death, in addition to his parents, were two brothers, Bob McKelvey and Jim and his wife, Betty McKelvey; and a sister and brother-in-law, Betty "Sis" and Chuck Derr. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Dolores "Dee" McKelvey; a brother and sister-in-law, William "Bill" and Jean Backus; and longtime companion, Judy O'Meara. Dick is also survived by his two daughters and sons-in-law, Betsy and Mark Curry, of Monongahela, and Holly and Ron Flaherty, of Blue Bell; their mother, Elizabeth "Beth" (Hayden) Backus, of Monongahela; and grandchildren, Jordan and Hunter Curry and Morgan and Madison Flaherty.

Friends were received from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, at MARSHALL MARRA FUNERAL HOME, 216 Chess St., Monongahela, 724-258-6767. Pastor Ken Barner from Crossroads Ministries in Finleyville offered prayer at 7 p.m.
Longtime best friend, Doug Baxter, lead the funeral services at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Amity Presbyterian Church, 400 Euclid Ave., Dravosburg, PA 15034. Interment immediately followed in Richland Cemetery, Dravosburg, with military honors conducted by the Veterans Honor Guard.

Rev. Mounts was a dear friend and an active member of the Dravosburg Community Archives.
In 2003, Rev. Mounts extended an invitation to utilize the second floor of the Amity Presbyterian Church for the storage and the display of The Dravosburg Community Archives holdings.

Reverend Bruce Mounts, age 73 of Sparta, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA., passed away Wednesday, October 5, 2016 at the Life Care Center of Sparta. He was born December 1, 1942 in Pennsylvania to the late Melvin and Roberta Durig Mounts.

He was a Presbyterian Minister for 47 years in the Pittsburgh, PA area. He served Amity Presbyterian Church in Dravosburg for 44 years and retired in June 2016.

Reverend Mounts was active in the community, especially devoted to McKeesport Meals on Wheels, The Intersection, The Center for Victims, and the Archives Group of Dravosburg.

He was survived by his wife: Margaret Carter Mounts at the time of his passing

Brothers: Dr. James Durig of South Carolina, Melvin Mounts of Arizona, and Earl Mounts of Pittsburgh, PA

along with the Mary England Family of Sparta, TN and a host of Nieces and Nephews.

Memorial Service was held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 8, 2016 in the Chapel of HUNTER FUNERAL HOME. Bro. Jonathan Angel officiated the service. The family received friends from 12 Noon until service time on Saturday.

A Memorial service was also held in Dravosburg, Pennsylvania on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 11:00 am at the Amity Presbyterian Church with the family receiving friends from 10:00am until Service time. 

Ron was a dear friend, a charter member and the resident photographer of the Dravosburg  Community Archives.
   
Ronald Frank Urbansky, 83, of Pittsburgh, PA., formerly of Dravosburg, PA., passed away on January 21, 2025. Born on December 6, 1941, the day before Pearl Harbor, to the late Frank and Marie Urbansky.

Ron dedicated 37 years of his life to serving his community as a respected postmaster, a position appointed to him by Congress. His commitment to service was evident through his 4 years in the army, a time he always reflected on with honor.

Ron's favorite place was at his cabin at Tionesta, PA, where he had the pleasure of living for 5 cherished years. He cherished times hunting with his sons, grandson, nephew, other family members and friends. He loved working on cars, from minor repairs to replacing entire engines.

A history enthusiast, Ron was a patriot in every sense, living a life guided by the enduring principles of God, country, and family. Above all, Ron's happiest days were spent with his beloved family. He leaves behind a legacy of love, loyalty, and the importance of roots, creating a heritage that will be treasured by all who knew him.

Ronald is survived by his loving wife of almost 60 years on May 1st, Lana Jean Urbansky; children Ronald J. Urbansky and Kimberly Andrachick Dillon of Bentleyville, PA and David M. (Robin) Urbansky of Greenville, PA; grandchild Dawson Michael of Pittsburgh, PA; siblings Connie (Jim) Luketic of Glassport, PA., Debbie (George) Graban of Bradenton, FL., and niece Heather of San Antonio, TX.

Preceded in death by parents Frank and Marie Urbansky, brother James Urbansky, and nephew Gregory Graban.

Friends and family were received from 2-4pm and 6-8pm on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., 301 Curry Hollow Road, Pleasant Hills, PA, 15236.

A Funeral Service was held in the funeral home chapel at 10am on Friday, January 31, 2025.

Interment at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies was at 2 PM on Friday, 25-April-2025..

Jim was a dear friend and charter member of the Dravosburg Community Archives.

James E. "Jim" Linn, Sr., 86, of Dravosburg passed away Thursday, March 27, 2025. He was born at home in Mifflin Township, now West Mifflin, on August 26, 1938 to the late Paul Linn, Sr., and the late Dorothy (Beam) Linn. Jim was the owner of ESSO Service Station in Dravosburg before working for Lampl Construction with Teamsters Local #373 as a truck driver. Eventually, Jim joined the Laborers Union #1058 as a laborer, paving roads for various highway projects. He worked as a laborer for the union until his retirement in May 1997. He was very proud to be a life member of Dravosburg Fire Dept. #1, as well as a member on the Richland Cemetery Board, and part of the Dravosburg Archives. He took very good care of his beloved 1931 Model A Ford, and was always working with his hands. Alongside his dad, Paul, his Uncle Don Beam, and his father-in-law, Red, they built a cabin in Indian Head, PA, which continues to be used as a family cabin for his boys, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. After retirement, his garage became a gathering place - "the shed" as he called it would hold court. Friends, family and neighbors were often caught bringing furniture and good conversation to the shed while refurbishing anything brought his way. Furniture- mainly park benches, was his specialty. Regardless of what he was doing, the door was always open if the red light was on. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Arleen (Marshall) Linn; his sons, John (Kathy) Linn of Dravosburg, Jake (Tracee) Linn of Fallowfield Township, and Jeremy "Bud" (Brandy) Linn of Springfield, OH; his 11 grandchildren, J.D Linn, Jessica (Richard) Wurmb, Rebecca Linn (Tyler Kucsmas), Jacob James Linn, Emilee (Tym) Burkholder, Abby Joy (Jesse) Held, Colton Linn (Gabby Duche), Lauren (Derek) Zinkhon, Riley Linn (Grace Mcgonagle), Natalie James Linn (Drew Vest), and Caleb Linn (Sammie Oder); 3 great-grandchildren, Emory James Wurmb, Averee James Burkholder, and Lainey Grace Wurmb; his brother, Paul A. (Judy) Linn, Jr.; his brother & sister-in-law, Don (Trisha) Marshall; nieces & nephews, Dale, Dawn, Tracie, Heather, and Andy; and his best buddy, his dog, Willow. In addition to his parents, Jim is preceded in death by his oldest son, Rev. James E. Linn Jr., who passed away in 2013; as well as his sister, Carole Jean Moon. The family would like to extend much appreciation and thanks to the Nurses and staff at Jefferson Hospital on floor 3 East & 3 West for the wonderful care given to Jim during his last stay. Friends were welcomed Sunday, March 30, 2025 from 12-8pm at the Gilbert Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 1638 Lincoln Way, White Oak, PA 15131. (412) 672-6322 Troy J. Gilbert, director. A Memorial Service was held Monday, March 31, 2025 at 10:00am in the funeral home chapel. Inurnment followed at Richland Cemetery. 

John was a dear friend, a charter member and the treasurer of the Dravosburg Community Archives.

John Raymond Palcsey, age 73, of Dravosburg, PA, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 6, 2025 after a brief but courageous battle with metastatic cancer. He was born on September 22, 1951 in McKeesport and lived his entire life in the community that he loved, Dravosburg. He graduated from Serra Catholic High School in 1969, and while he was there, joined the Third Order of Saint Francis. Following in his father’s steps, John joined Dravosburg Volunteer Fire Department Number One in 1967 and continued decades of service as a firefighter, lieutenant, captain, director, and financial secretary. He was a member of the Dravosburg Archives Committee and helped to organize the book All About “The Burg” documenting the history of Dravosburg released in 2003. He served as the borough emergency management coordinator for many years and later served for 12 years on borough council. He was also proud to have served as the president of the Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Association. His servant’s heart was passed onto his children and has inspired countless people to serve their community. While he had many jobs ranging from a safety inspector/firefighter at the Bettis Plant and a flower deliveryman for Grayson’s, he was most notably known as the Dravosburg Postmaster, a position he held proudly for 26 years. His postal career lasted nearly 50 years. John was also an active member of Mary, Mother of God Parish in McKeesport and served on pastoral council for a number of years as well. He loved eating chicken wings, drinking Rolling Rock, listening to country music, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers, and going hunting with David and Michael.

He married Dolores “Jean” Jackson on October 6, 1972 and they had two children, James and Michael. His family was his priority in life, and he worked tirelessly to provide for them. His inspiring witness and incredible dedication was powerfully palpable. He will be missed dearly by his family, friends, colleagues, firefighters, and countless others whose lives he touched. The greatest gift he gave to all of us was his evident passion for other people rooted in his deep faith in Jesus Christ. John was preceded in death by his parents, John and Marjorie (Anater) Palcsey and his son, James John Palcsey. He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Jean, his son, Michael (Stacy) and his beloved grandchildren, John Patrick, Joseph, and Nicholas, all of Dravosburg. He is also survived by his brothers David (Celeste) Palcsey of McKeesport, Mark (Melanie) Palcsey of Coraopolis, sisters Madonna (Stephen) Ferris of Denton, Texas, Maura (Michael) Sudik and Marita (James) Tambasco of Youngsville, North Carolina and a number of nieces and nephews.

Family and friends gathered to honor John's memory on Monday, June 9, 2025 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Strifflers of White Oak Cremation and Mortuary Services, Inc., 1100 Lincoln Way, White Oak, PA 15131 (Sue Striffler Galaski, supervisor, 412-678-6177). A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 10:00 at Mary, Mother of God Parish, Corpus Christi Church, 2515 Versailles Avenue, McKeesport, PA 15132. An entombment followed at New Saint Joseph Cemetery in North Versailles, PA.