Katherine Weiss, born in March 1898, was the daughter of German immigrants, Christian J. "Christ" and Catherina/Katherine (Winkler) Weiss, who immigrated in 1879 and 1881, respectively.

At the time of the 1900 Federal Census, they were residents of Brownsville Avenue, Pittsburgh, and Mr. Weiss worked as a laborer in a blacksmith shop. Christian's birthdate is stated as March 1858, and his wife's as November 1860. The children were Bertha (b Dec 1879), Emma (b Apr 1883), Alma (b Nov 1890), Linna (b Nov 1893), Paul (b Apr 1895), Cattie (This would be Katherine, b Mar 1898), and Flora (b Dec 1999).

In 1910, Katherine's siblings, still at home, were Alma, Lena, Paul, Flora and Walter A.(b Sept 12, 1904).

Student nurses must not have been required to live at the nurses' home during the first year of training. Katherine Weiss is an example of a first year student who lived at home with her family in 1920, and then graduated in 1922. Her name is spelled "Catherine" in that census, and she was in nurses' training at a hospital. She was still living on Brownsville Avenue with her parents, as well as siblings, Lena, Flora and Walter.

Christian J. Weiss died in 1939, and his widow and their daughter, Lena, were living together in 1940. Mrs. Weiss died in 1942. They are buried at Birmingham Cemetery in Pittsburgh. Paul died in 1938, Lena in July 1983.

Katherine Weiss married Lewis A. Sharrer, the son of Henry G. and Margaret. Katherine is named on Lewis' Registration Card for WWII. They were residents of Eben Street, Pittsburgh, and Lewis worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Station, Allegheny County. He was described as age 46 (born July 16, 1895), 5 feet 6 inches tall, and 205 pounds.

Katherine died on July 19, 1968, and Lewis died on August 26, 1984. They are buried at Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh.

A member of the Sharrer family donated various photos and artifacts to the Heinz History Center. Lewis is misspelled as "Louis" in the description of the collection: "The Louis and Katherine Sharrer Papers and Photographs consist of academic and religious certificates, as well as nursing school examination forms and photographs. Louis Sharrer was affiliated with the Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Garfield, Pa., and materials relating to Katherine Weiss Sharrer revolve around her time in nursing school and include Pittsburgh nursing certification examinations from 1922."