William F. "Bill" Gerber, 79, of Volant, Springfield Township, Lawrence County, died at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at his home.

Born June 12, 1930, in Wilmington Township, Lawrence County, he was the son of the late Elton Jacob Gerber and Margaret Brown Gerber Black.

He married the former Betty Hancock on Sept. 27, 1950.

He started at Sankey Feed Mill in Plain Grove and then was a concrete mixer driver for 60 years at the Campbell Co. of New Wilmington and at Cooper Brothers Concrete of Slippery Rock and retiring from Sidley Inc. He was a lifelong farmer.

He attended the Plain Grove School and was a township supervisor for Springfield Township from 1986 to 1989.

He attended the First United Brethren Church of New Castle and was a former trustee at the Leesburg Presbyterian Church.

Surviving are his wife, Betty; two daughters, Pam Brice and her husband, Tom, of New Castle, and Patty Dowiak and her husband, Joe, of Burgettstown, Washington County; two sons, David Gerber and his wife, Sandi, of Mercer, and Jack Gerber and his wife, Cheryl, of New Wilmington; a brother, Dean Gerber and his wife, Patty, of Volant; two sisters, Evelyn Smith of Volant and Karen Finnegan of New Philadelphia, Schuylkill County; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, John and Harry Gerber.

<B>GERBER</B> — Visitation for William F. "Bill" Gerber, who died Saturday, May 29, 2010, will be held from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the <B>Smith Funeral Home</B>, 1778 Perry Highway, Leesburg. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with the Rev. David Bell of First United Brethren Church and Alan DeChristoforo, assistant pastor of the church, officiating. Interment will be in the Leesburg Cemetery.Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Brethren Church, 1900 Eastbrook Road, New Castle, PA 16101; or to the donor's favorite charity.