WWII vet adds Mason Jubilee pin to list of accolades
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
William “Ed” Handshue jokingly calls his daughter, Carol Brandyberry, right, “Boss.” Brandyberry said she and her father enjoy breakfast regularly at the Blue Flame in Jefferson Hills which, they agree, serves the best crispy bacon in the world.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Ed Handshue is a lifelong sketch artist. Along with sketches, he for years carved Old World Santa Clauses that he both sold and auctioned for Little Lake Theatre.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
When the weather is nice, Ed Handshue can be found outside. But in cooler months, he still enjoys sketching.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Ed Handshue still gets a chuckle when he looks at this sketch of a flying pig. The lifelong sketch artist also enjoyed carving Civil War soldiers and Old World Santas.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Ed Handshue has visited California, deep sea dived in Mexico, and ridden in a stunt plane like this one in the Outer Banks. The Mason Diamond Jubilee recipient and WWII veteran purchased this model plane after taking an acrobatic flight in OBX decades ago.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
A Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Mason Jubilee award recipient, Ed Handshue joked that his greatest achievement was celebrating his 98th birthday last July. Handshue has four children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Ed Handshue wears his signature grin on a recent weekday in his apartment at Residence of Bethel Park. His daughter, Carol Brandyberry, said her father is a wonderful man who has lived a life devoted to God, country and family.
He’ll tell you the key to a long life is avoiding negative people, but spend a few minutes with William “Ed” Handshue and you’ll suspect the secret to longevity is a sense of humor.
“Somebody said it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile,” said Handshue, lounging in the rocking chair in his apartment at The Residence of Bethel Park. “So I’m lazy. I don’t want to be doing extra muscle work.”
Handshue has spent 98 years laughing, living, loving – and accumulating accolades.
Recently, he was presented the Diamond Jubilee award by District Deputy Grand Master Bob Slater Jr. for his 75 years of service to the Masons.
“It was heartwarming,” said Carol Brandyberry, Handshue’s oldest daughter, who he jokingly calls Boss. “Some of the servers came, and some of the residents came. My sister drove down from Johnstown. It was just really nice. When you’re 98, any accolade is important.”
The recognition is well-deserved: not only has Handshue spent 75 years with the Masons Pleasant Hills Guthrie Lodge 509, volunteering his time to meetings and charity events, but he also worked his way up to the 32nd degree (there are 33 degrees in the Masons).
“This guy has 75 years of Masonic experience. That’s hard to come by,” said Slater Jr., noting this is only the second Jubilee award he has presented since taking his position in 2019. “It’s a labor of love. That shows the dedication that this man had for our fraternity, and that’s important, I think, to devote 75 years. To be an active Mason, you have to go to meetings. The more you put into Freemasonry, the more you get out of it.”
Slater said he enjoyed talking with Handshue, who characteristically teased him for a greying beard, and celebrating the award with the Bethel Park Freemason’s family and friends.
“It was a really nice presentation,” said Slater.
Handshue waves off the recognition — “For the last few years, I haven’t been as active and all because of my physical condition” – but he was touched to be awarded the diamond-decorated pin.
“He got emotional,” Brandyberry said. “But he told me no, it was allergies.”
It’s that sort of off-the-cuff remark that has, in part, kept Handshue sharp for nearly 10 decades. Brandyberry sums up her father’s legacy as a life of devotion to God, country and family.
Born July 10, 1923, Handshue grew up in Pleasant Hills, where he resided until moving to Bethel Park two years ago. He developed a lifelong passion for sketching in the eighth grade, when he attended Saturday morning art classes sponsored by Carnegie Tech.
In 1943, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served in the 8th division, 13th infantry. With his division he was sent to Germany and battled alongside fellow Allies at Hurtgen Forest, the longest battle fought on German soil – and one of the costliest.
America alone suffered 33,000 casualties at Hurtgen Forest. While Handshue survived, he didn’t escape unscathed.
“He saved a man’s life,” Brandyberry said.
During the battle, Handshue was struck in the leg. He crawled into a shell hole, where he planned to bandage his wound.
“I heard somebody outside. ‘Call the medic!’ Well, I looked out and saw his head, blood all over. He said he could hardly see, but I called him in. I was able to stop the bleeding,” recalled Handshue. “We weren’t talking. We were praying. When we were able to get out of there, (field medics) took him immediately. I never saw the man again … until 47 years later.”
Nearly 50 years after Hurtgen Forest, during which time Handshue married, had four children and retired from his fuel engineering position with U.S. Steel, Handshue and his best friend Clyde attended an Army reunion fat the Pittsburgh Hilton.
They were greeted by two gentlemen who asked what company Handshue had served with.
“I said ‘D company.’ They said, ‘B company’ and introduced him,” said Handshue. “He said, ‘I’ve been looking for a guy that saved my life from D company.’ Clyde’s wonderful. He said, ‘Eddie, he’s talking about you.’ Because Clyde’s the only one I ever told. And that’s how we met, 47 years later.”
Turns out Handshue and the man whose life he saved, Fred Scherer, had lived within a stone’s throw of one another for ages.
“One had lived in Pleasant Hills and the other one in Upper Saint Clair all those years,” Brandyberry said.
The two remained friends until Scherer’s death. For his act of bravery at Hurtgen Forest, Handshue was awarded the Bronze Star, which arrived in the mail several years ago, and a Purple Heart.
While a big part of it, Handshue’s life is more than service to the Masons and the military. He was a devoted husband to his wife of 65 years. Handshue met Joan before being drafted into the Army. When he returned home, they married, and spent decades browsing flea markets, attending Renaissance Festivals, watching movies and creating a life together.
Though he worked shifts at U.S. Steel, days off were spent with his four kids: Brandyberry, of McMurray; Beth Thomas, a decorated equestrian; Dan Handshue, of Lopez Island; and Kurt Handshue, a riverboat captain.
“The days off, we always did things. Play in the yard. Get ice cream,” Brandyberry said. “And we always used to go for drives.”
He was a founding member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Pleasant Hills, where he served as sexton – “It’s the janitor,” Handshue quipped – until a handful of years ago.
“Not only did he work as the sexton … he was always the greeter. Not only did he hand (parishioners) their bulletin for Sunday, but you got a hug,” said Pastor Allyn Itterly. “He’s totally a people person. We always call him the ambassador of the town. He used to walk from his house to the church, which was several blocks. He knew everybody who walked. He knew everybody’s dogs.”
Itterly said the church misses Handshue’s hugs. While he’s no longer a daily presence at Prince of Peace, and though his days of playing golf, baseball and bowling are long behind him, Handshue is still an avid walker.
“He loves being outside,” said Brandyberry. “There’s a big, long patio. And he’s out there all the time. He walks every day.”
The nonagenarian sketches often, too, especially during the cold winter months. His carvings – beautiful, Old World Santa Clauses – were for years auctioned off as part of Little Lake Theatre’s annual fundraiser (Brandyberry served on the fundraising committee).
Brandyberry said it is an honor to have Handshue for her father.
“He really is just a very, very good guy,” she said.
Choosing a greatest moment from a 98-year-long life is difficult, because life has been good to the WWII veteran and Freemason, but his recent award must count among the highlights.
“I can’t complain at all,” Handshue said. “I had everything good.”