Frank could remember the "depth and circumference of every well dug, the size and capacity of every furnace installed, the horsepower and capability of every pump, and what's more, could probably tell you exactly who ordered it on what date and how long the installation took down to the final minute."

According to the article, Frank was a victim of otoscerlosis, an heredity disease that affects the ability to hear. He first recognized it as a mechanical engineering student at Penn Slate, when he couldn't always understand his professors and didn't seem to get directions right. Frank remarked, "I thought I must be just plain dumb, but eventually I realized I simply couldn't hear well."

He eventually graduated with a "most satisfactory average."

Frank was the son of the late Charles A. and Dora B. Edson and was born in Benton in 1898. His father was deaf, his brother Robert had greatly reduced hearing capacity and he has two deaf nieces, but back in his college days he had no way of knowing he was suffering from a hereditary disease. By 1930 he was totally deaf but overcame the problem by becoming adept at lip-reading. Frank never considered himself handicapped nor did he expect or want sympathy. He once tried a hearing aid but said the noise and confusion were too distracting and he "just wasn't patient enough" to stick with it.

During his first year at Penn State, he had the job of ringing bells to designate the end of each class and in return was allotted two small rooms, study and bedroom, rent free. Between his sophomore and junior years, he was offered a job on the Pennsylvania Railroad, as fireman on a locomotive that hauled coal from Pottsville to Philadelphia, returning with perishables. The train took from 10 to 16 hours going down, counting the loading and unloading of the coal, and eight hours back. The fireman was expected to work straight through, and had to make special application to the railroad in advance in order to get eight hours off. Frank saved every bit of the wages he earned that summer and with it earned enough to pay for his final two years of college. He claimed he learned a lot he might never have known by working with the engineers--how to operate a locomotive, what some of the special problems were and even how to clew tobacco!

Frank built his own home freezer using a marine plywood frame to withstand moisture, and insulated it with buckwheat hulls. It ran off a 1/4 horsepower electric motor, and in those days he claimed his total operating cost was $1.25 for six months. He later built the same type of freezer for Dayne and Ruth Kline at their farm below town.

In 1971, after Frank's first wife Ruth, whom he married in 1922, died, he married a widow and longtime friend of the family, Grace Hartman. He ended up with four step-children: Jerrie Appleman, Dayne, Buddy and Tom Hartman. Together he and Grace had 16 grandchildren and 10 grandchildren. Frank's son James ran the business with grandsons Frank and Phillip for many years until Phillip pursued a career with electricity rather than plumbing. The plumbing business closed under the name C. A. Edson and Sons, after operating in a Main Street location since 1890.