Abraham WITWER

                   NAME:
    Dr. Levi Sowers WITWER
Witwer genealogy of America by Ananais Clime Witwer and Rev. Geo. Witwer  1909 So. Bend Indiana
Dr. Levi Sowers Witwer worked at home on the farm until he was 18 yrs. old,when a team ran away with him breaking his  right shoulder, and he was put under the care of the practical and noted Dr. Hoffman, of Philadelphia,Pa., and here, while under treatment by this noted doctor,Levi took the notion to become a
dr. himself and started to learn the profession and received his diploma in 1839.  Then he migrated to Stark Co. Ohio where he hung out his shingle and started his practice, and soon acquired the reputation of being a good  Dr. and had quite a large practice,and was being called from far and near.   miss Elizabeth Stambach caught his eye and  with her parents consent they were soon married. at Harrisburgh,Stark Co., Ohio. They live there until the spring of 1854,when they moved to East Liberty, Summit co., Ohio where he hung out his shingle again.  he did not seem to prosper so they moved to Marshall Co., Ind., where he bought 40 acres of land at wnat is now Twin Lakes, Ind.,where he hung out his shingle again and soon  acquired a good practice, and as his children were now grown they did the farming and clearing of the ground,  The Dr. prospered and took great pleasure in raising fruit trees.
                  

                      Witwer Genealogy of America,compiled by Rev.George Witwer of S.Gend,Ind. and Ananias  Clime Witwer,gerealogist , Mishawaka,Ind. copyrighted A.D. 1909
WITWER FAMILY OF AMERICA.pg. 74
Amos Reiter, was a farmer,neat  the s.e. corner of Summit Co. Ohio,  He also had a cider press and made cider for a good many seasons. He was a jovial and pleasant man, a delightful neighbor and a devout and earnest member of the Church of the Brethren,although he was not one of the kind to make a long face and now and then draw a long breath.  He was pleasant and cheerful and  and acted as though he enjoyed life.
I remember well his telling me one time that he could not swallow the idea that to make a long face had anything to do with Christianity.  He said that to him it was a pretty good sign of hypocracy, and he did not believe in trying to make others believe that he was good.  But to do good was in his estimation the true Christianity and he made it a rule not to trust the man that coes to church on Sunday  wears a long face.. For the rest of the week if you have any dealings with him, you want to watch out for you are apt to get bit.  I will have to tell a joke on Uncle Amoz.  Which will not hurt him or anyone else.  One time when we went to the lake fishing, which we used to do quite frequently, with a boat on the lake, and at noon we would land and go to take care of the horses, take lunch and then go back again.  Uncle Amos got through first, and he said, "Toot Toot Hurrah for Louisville" and jumped into the boat, which skid out from under him and he went into the water.  That afternoon he was running around out in the fields to dry his clothes and to keep warm, and I will never forget the expression made by him in Pennsylvania Dutch, thus: 'Ess, is kshpossich was en aisel doot ep air longa ora hut odder net." to those who do not understand this I will translate it.  It means: "It is funny what a mule will do, whether he has long ears or not." and I have often thought of that saying that it possessed more truth than poetry and was quite trite and to the point.  At one time he sold his farm and went looking around Ind. Mich. Ill. and Mo.  but he could not suit himself and he came back and bought the same farm again.   He never said what he lost through the operation, only that if you want to dance you will have to make calculations to pay the fiddler
                  

                      Jonathon Witwer,born in Lancaster Co., Pa., worked on his father's farm until 1843,when he reached his majority.  He in company with his friend and comrade,Daniel wolf,startid on foot for the west across the Alleghany mountains,and ere long they landed in 'Stark Co. Ohio.,where they hired out to farmers.  Here Jonathan got acquainted with the lovely Miss Christena Hennich, and they were married.  Together they lived in Stark,Portage and Summit counties,until the year 1861,when they moved to Indiana and located near N.Liberty  in St.Joseph Co.,Ind.,where they bought a farm of 80 acres of good farm land.  and they prospered and were cheerful and happy.  Gut as they were getting old,after many years of hard labor on the farm,they wished to retire and they sold their farm in 900,and they gought a house and lot in River Park,where they moved then to spend the evening of their lives.and they seemed as happy as two kittens in a chip basker.  But the mother of the large and respected family,soon after was called to rest from the cares of this world.  She died in 1902 and this broke up the home and the father, Jonathan,visited around with friends and relatives;  made a trip to the east to see the friends and relations and friends; gut he soon tired of this and returned to spend his remaining days among his children, and he made his home with one of his daughters,Mrs.Richard Roderick,in River Park,where he passed the evening of his well spent life, and he was relieved from the cares of this troublesome universe on June 14 1905,aged 83 yrs.4 mos. and 4 days. They were very worthy and respected members of the Christian church, and they are buried in the Mishawaka cemetery. Witwer Genealogy of America by Rev. George Witwer and Ananias Clime Witwer.trees.
                  

                   Samuel is twin of Elizabeth.  He resided with his parents and worked on the farm,near New Holland,Pa., until 1844 when he removed to the S.D. corner of Summit Co. Ohio,with his parents and brothers and sisters, where his father bought 160 acres of land and he was farming here until 1845 when he  united in marriage with Mary Mishler,of Potrage Co. Ohio.  They resided at Ravanna Ohio, for some little while and in the spring of 1846 he enlisted and went to the Mexican war, where he attained the rank of second Liert. when the Mexican war was ;over,in 1847,he moved to Stephenson Co. Ill. where he was farming for about four years, or about the spring of 1852.  He removed to Canton,Stark co. Ohio,just to the s. edge of the city, where he was farming until the Civil war broke out and as soon as the first gun was fired he was ready and enlisted into Co. G. 45th regulars O.V.I.,and as he had arr. the rank of second Lieut. in the  Mex. War, he thus started out in the same rank in the 45th, and he remained in the army until the colse of the war.  He was mustered out as Cap. of co. A. 162nd Ohio Regulars.  He was in many battles and in the march with Sherman to the sea.  After the war, in 1865,in the fall, he moved to clark Co. Ill. where he was farming until the spring of 1880, when he removed to Montgomery Co. Kansan, where he followed farming as he was farming when the country was at ease, but when the country was in need of men to fight its battles he was ever on hand.    He was over six feet tall, muscular,but not fleshy, he was straight and stately, a stalwart soldier. Jonathon Witwer,born in Lancaster Co., Pa., worked on his father's farm until 1843,when he reached his majority.  He in company with his friend and comrade,Daniel wolf,startid on foot for the west across the Alleghany mountains,and ere long they landed in 'Stark Co. Ohio.,where they hired out to farmers.  Here Jonathan got acquainted with the lovely Miss Christena Hennich, and they were married.  Together they lived in Stark,Portage and Summit counties,until the year 1861,when they moved to Indiana and located near N.Liberty  in St.Joseph Co.,Ind.,where they bought a farm of 80 acres of good farm land.  and they prospered and were cheerful and happy.  Gut as they were getting old,after many years of hard labor on the farm,they wished to retire and they sold their farm in 900,and they gought a house and lot in River Park,where they moved then to spend the evening of their lives.and they seemed as happy as two kittens in a chip basker.  But the mother of the large and respected family,soon after was called to rest from the cares of this world.  She died in 1902 and this broke up the home and the father, Jonathan,visited around with friends and relatives;  made a trip to the east to see the friends and relations and friends; gut he soon tired of this and returned to spend his remaining days among his children, and he made his home with one of his daughters,Mrs.Richard Roderick,in River Park,where he passed the evening of his well spent life, and he was relieved from the cares of this troublesome universe on June 14 1905,aged 83 yrs.4 mos. and 4 days. They were very worthy and respected members of the Christian church, and they are buried in the Mishawaka cemetery. Witwer Genealogy of America by Rev. George Witwer and Ananias Clime Witwer
                  

                   Resided on a farm in Lancaster Co. Pa. with husband until 1848,when they moved to Stark Co. Ohio,and they bought a farm at Zion Church,1/2 mile S. of the S.E. corner of Summit Co. in Stark Co. Ohio.  Here they lived and prospered.  In 1871 they bought the old Store property adjoining their farm on the S. where they moved to and rented the farm to their son-in-law, Samuel Shaffer, and lived a kind of retired life,although Mr. Good farmed his little farm, and in 1877died. Elizabeth is now living with her children and is at the time of this compiling (June 1909),living with her son, Samuel at New Berlin,Ohio.  She is quite hearty,  and in her 86th yr. and has furnished considerable history and data of this work as her mind is very bright and she has given us some very interesting info. as she was born and raised in Earl twsp, Lancaster Pa. until she was 24 yrs old.Samuel is twin of Elizabeth.  He wesided with his parents and worked on the farm,near New Holland,Pa., until 1844 when he removed to the S.D. corner of Summit Co. Ohio,with his parents and brothers and sisters, where his father bought 160 acres of land and he was farming here until 1845 when he  united in marriage with Mary Mishler,of Potrage Co. Ohio.  They resided at Ravanna Ohio, for some little while and in the spring of 1846 he enlisted and went to the Mexican war, where he attained the rank of second Liert. when the Mexican war was ;over,in 1847,he moved to Stephenson Co. Ill. where he was farming for about four years, or about the spring of 1852.  He removed to Canton,Stark co. Ohio,just to the s. edge of the city, where he was farming until the Civil war broke out and as soon as the first gun was fired he was ready and enlisted into Co. G. 45th regulars O.V.I.,and as he had arr. the rank of second Lieut. in the  Mex. War, he thus started out in the same rank in the 45th, and he remained in the army until the colse of the war.  He was mustered out as Cap. of co. A. 162nd Ohio Regulars.  He was in many battles and in the march with Sherman to the sea.  After the war, in 1865,in the fall, he moved to clark Co. Ill. where he was farming until the spring of 1880, when he removed to Montgomery Co. Kansan, where he followed farming as he was farming when the country was at ease, but when the country was in need of men to fight its battles he was ever on hand.    He was over six feet tall, muscular,but not fleshy, he was straight and stately, a stalwart soldier. Jonathon Witwer,born in Lancaster Co., Pa., worked on his father's farm until 1843,when he reached his majority.  He in company with his friend and comrade,Daniel wolf,startid on foot for the west across the Alleghany mountains,and ere long they landed in 'Stark Co. Ohio.,where they hired out to farmers.  Here Jonathan got acquainted with the lovely Miss Christena Hennich, and they were married.  Together they lived in Stark,Portage and Summit counties,until the year 1861,when they moved to Indiana and located near N.Liberty  in St.Joseph Co.,Ind.,where they bought a farm of 80 acres of good farm land.  and they prospered and were cheerful and happy.  Gut as they were getting old,after many years of hard labor on the farm,they wished to retire and they sold their farm in 900,and they gought a house and lot in River Park,where they moved then to spend the evening of their lives.and they seemed as happy as two kittens in a chip basker.  But the mother of the large and respected family,soon after was called to rest from the cares of this world.  She died in 1902 and this broke up the home and the father, Jonathan,visited around with friends and relatives;  made a trip to the east to see the friends and relations and friends; gut he soon tired of this and returned to spend his remaining days among his children, and he made his home with one of his daughters,Mrs.Richard Roderick,in River Park,where he passed the evening of his well spent life, and he was relieved from the cares of this troublesome universe on June 14 1905,aged 83 yrs.4 mos. and 4 days. They were very worthy and respected members of the Chris
tian church, and they are buried in the Mishawaka cemetery. Witwer Genealogy of America by Rev. George Witwer and Ananias Clime s.
                  

                   Cyrus Witwer, born in Lancaster county, PA., March 18, 1826, worked on his father's farm in Pennsylvania until the year 1844. But, in the winter of 1843 and 1844, he was then 18 years of age, he went sleigh riding and as he had quite a spirited young team, they ran away with him and broke his right leg just above the knee, and as he was not quite grown yet it caused his right leg to be one and a half inches shorter than his left, thus anyone well acquainted with him could tell that it was him by the walk, at any distance that a person is possible of being recognized. When his brother Phares came home from the army, one. July 2, 1865, as he came to the house he saw Cyrus coming one-half mile from the house and he said right away that it was his brother Cyrus, and that he could tell him among a thousand men and a mile away by his walk, and he had not seen him for three years. As the family moved from Pennsylvania to Stark county, Ohio, in 1844, overland, Cyrus not being able to walk very much on his leg yet, he rode the lead horse of the four horse team they had hitched to the big "Conestoga wagon," as they called it, all the way from Lancaster across the Allegheny mountains to Stark county, Ohio. Here his father Abraham Witwer, "who had gone ahead of the procession in a top carriage with the mother and a few of the smaller children," had bought a 160 acre farm in the southeast corner of Summit county, Ohio, and they took possession of the farm as soon as the wagons reached there, about five days later.
Cyrus Witwer was a great singer and whistler, while on the saw mill you could hear him singing or whistling day or night, ever cheerful and apparently happy; always seemed to be light hearted, working away with an air of being satisfied with the world as he found it. I heard him tell many times that life was what you made it, why complain about things; take them as they come; try with a cheerful heart to avoid those things we do not like, pass them by; sing a nice song of Savior, who has done so much for me and you and the world will be better for it. He was a great admirer of hunting and fishing; those were his choice for recreation, and he spent many days going fishing, and when the water was low at the saw mill, many times he would get his gun and go to the woods, through the summer season.
Cyrus Witwer was a very devoted christian, a member of the Baptist Brethren. He being such a great friend of good singing, he always lead in the singing at church. Many of the younger members of the church said many times that to sing with him was such a delight because he did sing so nice and clear and so loud that you could always tell his voice clear and distinct above the other, and in that wat they could keep time with him in such unison that all felt it to be so grand in all being able to keep in such harmony.
On the last evening of his life he took the youngest daughters on his lap and they helped him to sing while he played on the melodian, and contrary to his general custom, that evening he was up until after 10 o'clock. The next morning at 5 o'clock he drew a long, hard breath, which awoke mother and she shook him, but of no avail; it was all over; he had a stroke of appoplexy. That was on monday morning, May 16, 1871. He was buried at Mt. Zion church yard. He left his widow with seven children, well provided for, but the blow was hard to them and many very ardent friends. For a long time after his death, at church when they would start to sing, they would burst into tears because they missed their leader so much in their singing. He was 45 years and 2 months old, and just when he was fixed so that he could have enjoyed life. He was contemplating a trip to California on that coming fall.
                  

                      Jacob Witwer, born in Lancaster county, Pa., worked on his father's farm, and removed to Summit county, Ohio, in 1844 when he was 16 years of age, and was then of great help to his parents, and being naturally inclined to work in wood and followed up and became a carpenter and cabinet maker, and became a great help to his father both at farming and at wood work. He married Feb. 14, 1850, and bought a home of a small farm, near the southeast corner of Summit county, Ohio, and divided his time between farming and carpenter work. At about 1864 or 1865 he sold his little farm to his brother, Abraham, moved on the father's,  Abraham, Sr.'s, farm taking care of them as the children had now all married, but the youngest, Anna. Grandfather had retired, so Jacob farmed for him and assisted at cabinet work in the carpenter shop, in the lane on the farm, some years later, about 1878 or 1880, Jacob built himself a pleasant little house, out to the road and within a few rods of the southeast corner of Summit county, Ohio, and the same being the southwest corner of his farm in Stark county, Ohio, and were he is now residing. He and his noble wife are very highly respected, good and ardent members of the German Baptist Brethren, known more familiarly in that part of our beloved country as the Dunkard Church. They have raised a very nice and very highly respected family, which are all married, but one. They are living and enjoying a very comftorable and retired life, and Jacob, like his father, "although at a more advanced age, being now in his 82nd year," is passing his time in making some nice pieces of furniture, etc., as a momento of their ardent and respected grandfather, and as a token of his love for his good family.
                  

                      Witwer Genealogy of America,compiled by Rev.George Witwer of S.Gend,Ind. and Ananias  Clime Witwer,gerealogist , Mishawaka,Ind. copyrighted A.D. 1909
                  

                      Rachael after the death of her husband,married again to John Slusser,1870/1892.  After his death she passed her ttime among her children and friends and relatives.  She was one of God's most noble women, of such grand and lovely principles. such a good and cheerful disposition,everygody that knew her loved her.  She was ever cheerful, a good word to everybody, and never found fault with anyone and would offer excuses for the unwary to shield them in their short comings.thus proving her to be of a true Christian Nature.  She attended the Elkhart reunion on Aug. 20,1908,at Island Park,and she was enjoying herself greatly,in fact  ,was in the very height of her glory, and remarked that she was enjoying herself greatly,that she was feeling so good and hearty and she found everybody so happy and in good spirits.
Afew days after the reunion on the night of Aug. 26,1908,she fell down a long flight of Stairs.  Their were no bones broken but she was seriously hurt and bruised all over.  Eight days after the accident she seemed to be getting along in good shape, and she in company with her niece Mrs. Catherine Schrantz, went back home    and she seemed to handle the trip well but on Oct. 6,1908 she died at the residence of her devoted dau. Mahala Cassler Stoner at Aultman,Ohio.
                  

                      Witwer Genealogy of America,compiled by Rev.George Witwer of S.Gend,Ind. and Ananias  Clime Witwer,gerealogist , Mishawaka,Ind. copyrighted A.D. 1909
                  

                   Abraham Wiwer Jr., was born in Lancaster county Pa., and came with his parents overland across the Alleghany mountains to Summit county Ohio, where he resided and worked for his parents until about of age, when he learned the miller's trade and followed his trade for some years after marriage. Then he bought a small farm about half a mile or so east of the old homestead, and is still residing there. He has always been of a very quiet nature. He is a very good neighbor, somewhat slow in taste, not given much to making improvements, but seems to be satisfied with the world as it is, and is not finding any fault with it, and seems to enjoy life. He is in fairly comftorable circumstances and seems to be enjoying good health.
                  

                      Witwer Genealogy of America,compiled by Rev.George Witwer of S.Gend,Ind. and Ananias  Clime Witwer,gerealogist , Mishawaka,Ind. copyrighted A.D. 1909
                  

                   Phares Witwer, born in Lancaster county, Pa., Feb. 16, 1839, was removed with his parents across the Allegheny mountains to Summit county, Ohio, in 1844, where he was raised and worked for his father until 1860, when he made a trip throught the west, and in Kosciusko county, Ind., he got acquainted with Sarah Rose. He boarded with Mr. Rose and family in Warsaw, while he worked at the carpenter trade. Mr. Rose and family moved to Iowa, and Phares followed, to Jasper county, Iowa, where they were married, December 23, 1860, and they moved to Ohio in 1861. They resided near the southeast corner of Summit county, Ohio, and on the 11th day of Aug. 1862, Phares enlisted at Massillon, Ohio, into Company E, of the 104th O. V. I., under Captain A. J. Baney; was mustered into service on August 24, 1862, at Camp Massilon, Ohio and was sent forthwith to the front. He served in the First Brigade, Third Division of the 23rd Army Corps. He wasin a few skirmishes, before the seige at Atlanta, Georgia, but his regiment did not go with Sherman to the sea, but was sent back into the Tennessee, under General Thomas, "The Rock of Chickamauga," as his men called him. After Sherman left them, they fought a hard battle at Franklin, on November 30, 1864, but with no great results. But Gen. Hood besieged Thomas at Nashville, Tenn. Thomas was slow to strike, but when he did strike it was with sledge hammer force, that he soon knocked the opposing forces all to pieces. This attack was made Dec. 15 and 16, 1864. It lasted two days, but at the end of the second day the miserable remnant, ragged, barefoot, wet to the skin by the incessant winter rains, shivering and starving, escaped as best they could, leaving their sick and wounded to die along the roadside. This ended the war in Tennessee, and here on the second days' fight, on Dec. 16, 1864, is where Phares Witwer was wounded. While he was discharging his gun a bullet entered his right arm at the wrist and plowed along the bone and came out back of the elbow and killed the man next behind him, as he was then in the front rank of his regiment. He was then sent to the hospital at Louisville, Kentucky, where he remained until the close of the war, when he rejoined his regiment at Goldsboro, North Carolina, where the regiment received orders to return to Cleveland, Ohio, to be mustered out, and Phare Witwer with the remaining veterans of their regiment received their honorable discharge, in the latter part of the month of June, 1865. Phares arrived home on July 2 and on July 4 I helped him, "I was a boy of 12 years old," to make his hand after the reaper  in the harvest field binding wheat, on my father's  and his brother's farm, in the southeast corner of Summit, county, Ohio.
I will never forget, his oldest son, and then only child, was running after him nearly all day being afraid that his papa would again go away and leave him, This was Eadon Ambrose Witwer, now of Onawa, Iowa. In the yeat 1866 he sold his little home in Summit county, Ohio, to my father, and he moved to Elkhart, Ind., where he resided and worked at the carpenter trade until 1869. In Aug. he bought a piece of land 80 acres, in Noble county, Ind., and he moved on this land, at Silver Lakes, near Wolf Lake, Ind. Here he raised until he died July 31, 1871. The doctors claiming the cause of his death to be from his bullet wound received in the army and the poison remaining in his blood.
He left the widow and five children in unavoidable circumstances, in that the home was not all paid for and that they did not realize much out of their home, was a circumstance which could not be helped. Phares Witwer was laid to rest in the cemetery just east of Wolf Lake Ind. The mother and children on Nov. 11, 1871, moved to Jasper Co., Iowa, where they resided until 1881, when they moved to Monona Co., Iowa, and have resided there ever since. This history was obtained by the assistance of the two letters, one from the only daughter, AlmedaEllen Witwer Croghan.This letter was written Dec. 16, 1886, at Missouri Valley, Iowa, and the second letter from one of the Sons, Samuel Edward Witwer, written on June 10, 1909, together with what I could remember, as I was at Uncle Phares' funeral. The history of the family will be noticed in the regular genealogical order. The mother married again to Mr. Shook. She is still living at Onawa, Iowa.
                  

                   M. 5 MAY 1857,TO SOLOMON GROSS,HAD 10 CHILDREN. .
Anna Witwer Gross moved to Illinois soon after she was married, and has lived there ever since. They were in the broom corn business quite extensively, and they prospered and are quite well to do. They are highly respected and good neighbors, and they brought up quite a large family of highly respected and well educated children-school teachers and lawyers.