Elmer Barthel, 83, of North Hills, formerly of Monongahela, died Monday.

He was born Feb. 6, 1924, in Ross Township.

After graduation from Perry High School, he took a defense training course at Carnegie Institute of Technology, which resulted in employment in its electrical engineering lab. This led to him becoming an electrical engineer nine years later when he graduated from Carnegie Tech and became a professional electrical engineer.

During World War II, he worked at the American Bridge Co. wiring Naval LSTs.

After graduation from CIT, he worked for General Electric's Service Engineering Group and worked on the installation of a hot strip mill for the Pittsburgh Steel Co. This project resulted in a job offer; and he worked for Pittsburgh Steel for the next 25 years, moving to Monongahela and then to West Alexander, where he was involved in plant engineering, maintenance and long-range planning. During this time, he visited most steel plants in Germany and Japan.

In 1982, he took early retirement, and he and his wife Laverne moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, to help build a steel plant for Kaiser Engineering International. This led to many adventures including a trip around the world.

After retiring again, the couple moved to Deer Lake, outside of Uniontown, and in 1992 they moved to St. Barnabas Retirement Village in Gibsonia.

Mr. Barthel was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown, Rotary International, A.I.S.E., F&AM Henry M. Phillips Lodge and Syria Temple.

His wife, Laverne Nuskern Barthel, whom he married June 30, 1945, died in 2001.

Surviving are a daughter, Jill Ellen (Bennis); three grandchildren; Sean (Melissa), Todd (Natalie) and Brooke; a brother, Roy (Martha); a sister, Jane; a great-granddaughter, Briana, and many nieces and nephews and wonderful cousins.

<B>BARTHEL</B> — Friends of Elmer Barthel, who died Monday, April 16, 2007, will be received from 2 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 10 to noon Saturday at the <B>Schellhaas Funeral Home</B>, 5864 Heckert Road, Bakerstown. Services will follow at noon Saturday at the funeral home with the Rev. Mark Dalbey and Rev. Ted Martin, co-officiating. Burial will follow at Ridgelawn Cemetery, Mt. Troy.Please send condolences to www.schellhaasfh.com.