NEW MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Donald C. Musser, 75 passed away April 1 at Select Specialty Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio. Donald was born on May 14, 1948 in New Castle, PA, son of Glenn and Dorothy (Beight) Musser.
A 1967 graduate of Mohawk Area High School in Bessemer, Pennsylvania, Donald continued his education at Pennsylvania State University where he earned an associate’s degree in agricultural equipment sales and service in 1969. Penn State and a mutual friend helped Don to meet his future wife of 53 years, Mary Hunter at the PSU Creamery. While Don was serving in the U.S. Army, the couple married on Sept. 12, 1970.
After his service in the Army, Don found work in the agricultural mechanic field and worked at various machine shops over the years as well as driving semi-truck. In addition, he farmed throughout his life, originally on a dairy farm as a child and continued his farming journey at the age of 15 with some of his own crops using with the John Deere B tractor he received from his uncle E. Joseph Beight.
In 1979, he and Mary purchased the farm where his mother and siblings were raised in New Middletown, Ohio. There, he focused on raising crops such as wheat, oats, corn, soybeans and hay, and Suffolk sheep and feeder pigs.
The family was heavily involved in showing Suffolk sheep at multiple county fairs, Ohio State Fair, Keystone and North American International Livestock Expos, Junior National Suffolk shows in various states.
He also enjoyed exhibiting market hogs at the Lawrence County and Canfield fairs. He employed his booming voice as the emcee for the sheep shearing demonstrations at the Canfield Fair for many years and enjoyed educating the public about agriculture.
Donald was certainly passionate about all things agriculture and his family and passed on this love to his children who respectively pursued careers in agriculture education, mechanics and veterinary medicine. Additionally, he served many years as a 4-H advisor with the Mahoning County Livestock Clubs and reveled in teaching young people about livestock.
He was an avid deer hunter and greatly enjoyed many weekends hunting with friends, his brother, Herb and son, Dan. Antique tractors were also a particular passion and he enjoyed displaying his beloved Case tractors at many local tractor shows in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He especially loved driving his tractors in various local parades and enjoyed a trip to Iowa a few years ago to some national events related to antique tractors.
Don was an active member of Young Farmers organization and was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Petersburg, Ohio. He greatly enjoyed a set of friends that he often visited with at Art’s Barbershop in Bessemer and could be found telling stories there. His grandchildren were a source of great joy as well. He loved to hold babies and give tractor rides to the kids.
Donald is survived by his wife, Mary Hunter Musser, and three children: Amy (Todd) Werner, of Hedgesville, West Virginia; Dan (Filia) Musser, of New Middletown; and Andrea (David) Walton, of Cochranton, Pennsylvania. His legacy also includes 12 grandchildren: Samantha, Zane, Kelton, Declan, Gearson, Eisen, Heinz and Lachlan Werner; Maggie and Glenn Musser; and Evan and Madeline Walton. Also surviving is his brother, Herbert Musser, of New Middletown, Ohio, and a sister Sara (Galen) Kuykendall, of Lake Frederick, Virginia.
Visitation was held April 4 at Terry Cunningham Funeral Home, 203 Oak Street in Bessemer, Pennsylvania. Funeral services were held April 5 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Petersburg, Ohio. Donald was laid to rest in Petersburg Cemetery.
