Lawrence N. Alsip Sr

Lawrence Nathan Alsip Sr., age 84 of 209 Winding Oak Dr. Hagerstown passed away on Thursday May 7, 2009 in the Washington County Hospital. He had been a nursing care resident at Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village in Boonsboro since July 2008.
He had lived in State Line, formerly called Middleburg, Md. from 1952-2002.

Born September 14, 1924 at Pondsville, Md. near Smithsburg, he was the son of the late Joseph Ragan Alsip and the late Nora Emily (Bidle) Alsip Shingleton.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ida Bernice (Mowen) Alsip on January 8, 1991. They had been married 50 years.

He was a member of the Grace United Church Of Christ in Greencastle. Mr. Alsip was a lifetime member of the State Line, Pa. Ruritan Club, member of the Middleburg/Mason-Dixon Line Historical Society, Morris Frock American Legion Post #42 in Hagerstown and a life member of the Maugansville Fire Co.

His earliest job as a youth was delivering groceries on bicycle for the former Harry S. Myers Grocery and Meat Market. In 1940, at age 15, he worked as a messenger for the Postal Telegraph in Hagerstown. He had worked at Statton Furniture Co. as a furniture finisher, Western Maryland Railroad, Pangborn Co. and Fairchild Aircraft as a riveter.

He served in the U.S. Navy from April 1944 to April 1946 aboard the USS Vega in the South Pacific obtaining the rank of Personnel Yeoman Third Class. After his Navy discharge, he attended Hagerstown Barber School graduating on April 17, 1951.

In October 1952 he opened a barber shop in the front room of his State Line home. During the day he worked at Fairchild and barbered in the evenings and on Saturdays. After being laid off from Fairchild in 1958, he expanded his hours to barber full time for the next 48 years until retiring in November 2000.

Surviving family are one daughter, Susan M. Alsip-Lawson and her husband Duane S. Lawson of Hagerstown, one son, Lawrence (Jimmy) N. Alsip Jr. and his wife Sylvia J. (Ocker) Alsip of Maugansville, Md., one grandson, Lawrence (Chip) N. Alsip III and his wife J. Nicole (Miller) Alsip of Hagerstown, two great-grandchildren, Sophia Celeste Alsip and Liam Thomas Alsip, both of Hagerstown and a numerous nieces and nephews.

He was the last sibling of his family. He was preceded in death by 3 brothers Joseph D. Alsip, John E. Alsip, Silas R. Alsip and 3 sisters N. Louise Tracy, Florence J. Dick Sprankle and Ruth E. South.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday May 13 at 10:30 A.M. from the Grace United Church Of Christ 128 E. Baltimore St. Greencastle with Rev. James Hughes officiating. Interment will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown at the convenience of the family. The family will receive friends from 7 - 9 P.M. on Tuesday May 12 at the Harold M. Zimmerman And Son Funeral Home 45 S. Carlisle St. Greencastle, Pa. The family requests the omission of flowers with memorial contributions to be made in his memory to the Organ Fund of Grace United Church Of Christ 128 E. Baltimore St. Greencastle, Pa. 17225. Online condolences may be given at www.zimmermanfh.com.