Finished book on Verona Civil War vets in December
“They really deserve to be remembered.”
Those are the parting words of Verona veteran and historian Ed Faber, who passed away in January at the age of 90, but not before finishing a short book on the area’s Civil War veterans.
The war ended 150 years ago, but its memory lives on, particularly in the southern states where most of the fighting – and dying – occurred. It touched the lives of Americans in every corner of the divided country, including Verona, which sent more than 100 men and boys to fight.
In his book, Faber writes that he was “amazed” at the number of Civil War volunteers from Verona, noting that during his research, he discovered that 10 Verona men who were related through a variety of marriages all signed up.
Among them, William Thornton was the first to enlist, on April 8, 1861, when he was only 16 years old. His father, John, joined him five months later in Co H 8th Regt. Neither survived the war. Phillip Sharer also died during the war. Warren White, a bugler with the 2nd Cav., was wounded and received a disability discharge. He is buried in the Verona Cemetery.
“Many of the names in this document represent a unique and interesting untold story,” Faber wrote. “The War of the Rebellion was especially devastating to both sides of the conflict, but I cannot help but wonder how many other communities did as much as Verona did. We should be grateful.”
History buff
Ed’s son, John Faber, said his father was always interested in history, and once he retired, was able to devote more time and energy to various projects, starting with his family genealogy.
“One thing with dad, when he got something, he didn’t just do it part-way, he would dig into it very deeply,” he said.
When the family traveled out east to visit relatives, they visited some Civil War battlefields, which really got Ed hooked, sparking a 20-year project to catalogue Verona’s Civil War veterans..
“What started as a little hobby turned into an immense project,” John Faber said. “He was in the service in World War II, so the service has always been near and dear to his heart.”
In the days before the Internet, John Faber said his father would travel to libraries, doing research and taking lots of hand-written notes.
“He was a library buff; very big on checking out books,” he said. “He was very neat and tidy, with everything well-organized into Manila folders and three-ring binders.”
When historical research become more prevalent online, John Faber said his father took to the new technology with ease.
“Dad adapted to that very well,” he said. “He had no reservations about hop-ping on a computer and doing research and using that to put things like (the book) together. He had the time, he loved the research, and he also had a real good knack for putting it to words. He truly did it because it was something he enjoyed doing, and if somebody else benefited, that was a bonus. “He wasn’t in it for accolades – this was a labor of love.”
SCOTT DE LARUELLE - Unified Newspaper Group
Verona Press - May 21, 2015
