Notes:

2008 Birthday wishes in Gazette (age 90)

Niagara Gazette - 5/24/2008
Gerald Witmer Hewitt, Sr., of Niagara Falls, died Friday, May 23, 2008 in Mount St. Mary’s Hospital. He was 90. He was born with twin brother, Harold Cleghorn Hewitt on February 5, 1918 in Springville, NY, to the late Alan and Lena (Laur) Hewitt. Raised and worked with his father and five brothers on their dairy farm on Upper Mountain Road, Lewiston. The Hewitt farm supplied large quantities of milk daily to residents of the area. There were 40 Holsteins and milking was a seven day a week two times a day job. In addition the farm raised corn, oats and alfalfa to feed the cattle. The Hewitt boys worked hard and played hard all year round. They had softball, basketball and hockey teams and school work too! Gerald graduated from Niagara Falls High School in 1935. In 1941, he started work at the Union Carbide National Plant in Niagara Falls and retired in 1981 with 40 years service. As a sportsman, he enjoyed golf and bowling for over 60 years. He was Hyde Park Golf Club Champion in 1951 and City Golf Champ in 1952. He was inducted into the Niagara Falls Men’s Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 1995, with a lifetime average of 190 and many championship trophies added to his collection. “Jerry will be missed by his golf and card playing friends.” He is survived by a son, Gerald W. (Karen) Hewitt, Jr. of San Jose, CA; a daughter, Sandra (late Ronald) Granieri of Niagara Falls; three brothers, Alfred L. (Lola) Hewitt of Niagara Falls, Richard A. (Jocelyn) Hewitt of Lawrence, KS, Kenneth C. (Ruth) Hewitt of Tacoma, WA; five grandchildren, Melanie (John T.)Loss of Grand Island, Ronald J. (Jennifer) Granieri of Lansdowne, PA, Rebecca (Robert) Stone of Sylvania, OH, Rachel (Guy) Hunt of Rochester, Alicia L. Hewitt of San Jose, CA; eight great grandsons; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, Rose M. Hewitt January 11, 1991; a granddaughter, Maria Carmela Granieri; and two brothers, twin, Harold and oldest brother, Donald (late Betty) Hewitt. Friends may call Tuesday after 11 AM in the LANE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 8622 Buffalo Avenue, where funeral services will be held at 1 PM. Interment will be in Acacia Park Cemetery, Pendleton, NY.

Gerald married KELLY, Betty Jane on 12 Jul 1940 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY, and was divorced on 15 Jun 1946 in Lockport, Niagara County, NY. Betty (daughter of KELLY, Earl and COONEY, Evelyn) was born on 23 Apr 1924 in Austin, Potter County, PA; died on 23 Sep 2020 in Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Niagara Gazette - 5/11/1940

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Kelly, of
Twenty-fifth street, announce the
engagement of their daughter, Betty
Jane, to Mr. Gerald Hewitt, son
of Mr. And Mrs. Allan Hewitt, of
Mountain road, Lewiston.

ALSO

Niagara Gazette - 7/27/1940

A wedding, beautiful in its simplicity,
took place July 12 at 3
o'clock at the Church of Christ Disciples,
when Miss Betty Jane Kelly,
daughter of Mr. - and Mrs. Earl
Kelly, of Twenty-fifth street, became
the bride of Mr. Gerald Hewitt,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Allan Hewitt,
of Lewlston. The Rev. William
F. Saye officiated.
The bride was lovely in her gown
of white taffeta, made with a floorlength
skirt and fitted bodice and
short puffed sleeves with a becoming
neck line. Her finger tip veil of
double illusion fell from a crown
of orange blossoms. She carried a
bridal bouquet of white rose buds
and baby's breath. Her only Jewelry
was a gold cross, a gift of the
bridegroom.
Miss Olga Garcia, the bride's only
attendant, was lovely in her gown
of'pink moire with blue net. She
wore a tiara of blue flowers with
blue net falling to her shoulders.
She carried a bouquet of pink rosebuds
and forget-me-nots.
The groom was attended by his
brother. Mr. Donald R.-Hewitt, of
Lewlston.
The mother of the bride wore a
street length dress of blue and
white crepe with white accessories.
The mother of the bridegroom wore
a street length dress of green and
white crepe with white accessories,
both wearing corsages of rose buds.
After the ceremony, a reception
was held at the bride's home for
the immediate families. The buffet
table was centered with a wedding
cake topped with a miniature bride
and groom.
After the reception, Mr. and Mrs.
Hewitt left on a motor trip through
New York and Pennsylvania, the
bride traveling in a blue and white
redlngote dress with white accessories.
After their trip, they will
reside at the bride's home until
their new home in Mountain road
is completed.
Pre-nuptials for the bride included
a variety shower by Mrs. Fred
Hoover and a variety shower by
the groom's mother, Mrs. Allan
Hewitt.

ALSO

Niagara Gazette - 6/15/1946

Betty Jane Hewitt Niagara Falls,
was granted an Interlocutory decree
of divorce from Gerald Winter Hewitt
Niagara Falls, by Referee Horton
on the grounds of infidelity.
They were married July 1, 1840.

1. HEWITT, Sandra Joyce

Gerald married RAMARGE, Rosa Marie on 28 Jun 1947 in Bradford, PA. Rosa (daughter of RAMARGE, M C) was born on 14 May 1919 in Emporium, Cameron County, PA; died on 11 Jan 1991 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; was buried in Acacia Park Cemetery, Town of Tonawanda, Erie County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Niagara Gazette - 7/5/1947

Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Ramargt. Emporium,
Pa., announce the marriage
of their daughter, Mrs. Rosa Marie
Spencer, and Mr. Gerald Hewitt,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Hewitt,
Upper Mountain road. The marriage
took place June 28 at Bradford. Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. Francis A. King,
this city, were the attendants

1. HEWITT, Gerald Witmer Jr

Alan married LAUR, Lena Viola on 16 Mar 1915 in Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY. Lena (daughter of LAUR, Andrew Russ and WITMER, Esther Nancy) was born on 27 Feb 1893 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; died on 1 Apr 1975 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY - Left Center. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James married CLEGHORN, Ida about 1873. Ida was born in 1849 in New York; died in 1945; was buried in Riverdale Cemetery, Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY - Section 1. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Town of Niagara Supervisor, Election Commissioner. Lived and farmed Joseph Witmer's homestead.
Baptism indicates he was born in 1867

ALSO

Niagara Gazette - 1/15/1943

IN MEMORIAM
A Tribute to the Late Andrew Laur
By EDWARD T. WILLIAMS
Niagara Historian

The dictionaries define a pioneer
as "one who goes before, as into the
wilderness, preparing a way for
others to follow," and that descrip-
tion exactly portrays Niagara
county's earliest settlers. Except
John Stedman and his brothers, at
Schlosser in 1760 there were few
residents of Niagara county, other
then the Red Man, before 1800.
Stedman left for Canada in 1796
after the evacuation of Fort Nia-
gara, and early settlers began to
arrive. The primary pioneer settlers
of Niagara county have been defined
as those who settled here or were
born here previous to the War of
1812. By the same token the secondary
pioneers were those who
wre residents previous to 1940. The
latter date is over 100 years in the
past. the Niagara County Pioneers
Association was organized 57 years
ago next September, and the title
of pioneer has in that time been
extended to embrace not only the
first few settlers but the subsequent
many.
Into this latter class falls Andrew
R. Laur. native and resident for
j more than three-quarters of a ceni
tury. With the rapid increase In
population there are not a large
number of persons in the class of
Mr. Laur, native and resident for
more than three-quarters of a cen-
tury. We are speaking in the sense
of time rather than regarding
character and attainments, but An-
drew R. Laur was an unusual person
in both respects. Vitus Laur, his
father, whose memory old residents
respect was born 100 years ago and
settled in the town of Niagara in
1866. Mrs. Laur, who recently pre-
deceased Mr. Laur was a descend-
ant of a primary pioneer family of
Niagara county. The Wltmer and
Young families. Mrs. Laur was a
Wltmer. were among the earliest
settlers of the Niagara Frontier, in
the locality where their descendants
have ever since lived. Both
the Witmer and Young families
came by wagon and horses from
Lancaster. Pa., In 1810. and were
credited with being the earliest permanent settlers in the town of
Niagara remote from the river. Both
families removed to Livingston
county at the time of the devasta
tion of the Niagara Frontier in
1813. and remained there until after
the ending of the War of 1913,
men coming back during the sum-
mer months to attend to their
farming interests, and going away
again after the harvest.
About the first employment that
Andrew R. Laur had was as a bell
hop in the Monteagle Hotel, the
picturesque hostelry that was con-
temporary with the John A. Roeb-
ling suspension bridge.
One of the enterprises of the
Bellevue Land Company, which was
organized in 1845 by Col. John Fisk,
a prominent railroad man of Roch-
ester; General Charles B. Stuary,
a prominent civil engineer of
Schenectady; J. V. Vedder of
Geneva, and Roswell G. Benedict,
of Saratoga, which bought most of
the land that was the site of the
village of Bellevue was the
construction of the Monteagle Hotel
which WAS first in charge of General
Stuart, who secured the capital to
build ft. Of course, it was some
time afterwards that.Andrew R
Laur, in the 70's, was employed At
the hotel as a bell hop.
Previous to the establishment of
the Niagara Reservation In 1885,
when Prospect Park along the American rapids was lined with various
buildings housing manufacturing
and business enterprises Mr. Laur
was employed in one of these mills
He has related to the writer
boyhood experiences of the real vil-
lage of 60 and more years ago. He
has witnessed a great transforma-
tlon in the Industrial Niagara Falls
of today.
The details of his long and in-
terestlng life have been related.
Some incidents could be emphased.
Only recently one of these was
called by the sale of the car
which he had owned .for years in
which President McKinley rode on his
visit to Niagara Falls Just prior
to his assassination at the Pan-Am-
erican Exposition in Buffalo in
September. 1901. The coach in
which President McKinley rode,
which was recently sold by
Laur to Sanford Morden, Jr,|
engaged in the transportation t
ness, was one of those owned by
the Miller & Brundage Coach Co-
pany. Frank H. Zeiger, for many
years connected with the
Brundage Coach Company and
successor, the Niagara
Company, headed by John C. I
says that this coach was one of
about a dozen purchased by the
former company of a manufactur-
ing company In Connecticut, the
coaches were very substantial
character and cost about $1300
apiece. They were used exclusively
for weddings, funerals and for spe-
cial occasions like the visit of
President McKinley.
On the occasion of the
entertainment of Mr. and Mrs.
of Philadelphia, the winners
of the Niagara honey mooner's
test, conducted by the Niagara Falls
Chamber of Commerce, they were
driven around the Niagara Reserva-
tion and to the center of the
Rainbow Bridge by Mr. Laur and
photographed. Later Mr. and Mrs.
Laur, Mr. and Mrs. C. F.
Reichert, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Ford, and Mr. and Mrs. Michael
McGray, 50 year Niagara Falls
honeymooners, with Mr. and Mrs.
David Edwards, longest married of
all of the party, attended the re-
ception to Mr. and Mrs. Fraul
the Hotel Niagara. Now both Mr.
and Mrs. Fraul and Mr. and Mrs.
Laur have crossed the river.
Andrew R. Laur took a deep in-
terest in the history of the ??
Niagara county of which he and his
family were worth citizens and
was president of the Niagara County
Pioneers Association in 1938, he
an active interest in the organization
for years before and has been
actively as a member of the execu-
tive committee since.

Andrew married WITMER, Esther Nancy on 1 May 1890 in Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY. Esther (daughter of WITMER, Joseph and KAUFFMAN, Catharine) was born on 5 Mar 1863 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; died on 5 Sep 1942 in Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY; was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY - Left Center. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Lived all her life on father's homestead which was on Lockport Road, Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY

Niagara Gazette

Notes:

Niagara Gazette - 5/2/1940

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew H. Laur, descendants
ol pioneer residents of
Niagara county, yesterday observed
their fiftieth wedding anniversary
at their home in the Lockport
road, four miles east of this city.
Few persons are better known
throughout Niagara county than
Mr. Laur, A farmer since he--was
14 years old, he has served the
town of Niagara and the county in
several official capacities. He has
been a justice of the peace and an
assessor in the town .of Niagara.
For 10 years be was a member .of
the Board of Supervisors. Since
January l he has been a member of
the two-man bi-partisan Board of
Elections. •
Mrs. Laur is a daughter of one of
Niagara county's first settlers. Fifty
years ago today she married Mr.
Laur in the old Witmer homestead,
where she was bom and where she
has always resided. As Esther Witmer
and later as Mrs. Laur, she
has never resided in any- other
home.
'Andy" Laur is widely known for
his ready wit, his ability to relate
a humorous story and his knack
with-wood-turning tools. He has
made and presented to several city
and —county officials the gavels
which have rapped for order in
many a town, city and county
meeting.
To Mr, and Mrs. Laur were bom
four daughters, Mrs. August Schul
and Mrs. Alan Hewitt, of Niagara
Falls, Mrs. Ralph Kenneda, of the
Upper Mountain road, town of
Cambria, and Mrs. Russell Depew,
of tbe Slayton Settlement road,
town of Lockport, all of whom are
living, There are 19 grandchildren
and four great grandchildren.
A reception was held yesterday
afternoon end evening at the home
of Mr. and Mrs, Laur for friends
and relatives.

Niagara Gazette - 4/30/1935

Supervisor and Mrs. Andrew R.
Laur, of the Town of Niagara, will
quietly observe their forty-fifth wedding
anniversary tomorrow on their
farm, where they were married and
have since lived.
No special celebration Is planned
but during the day friends will stop
in and offer congratulations. Mr.
Laur expects to put in his usual 14
hours, which he says is the average
working day of a farmer.
Mrs. Laur. formerly Miss Esther
Witmer. was born on the farm where
she new lives and Mr. Laur was born
in the town nearby. Both are members
of the Church of Christ, this city.
Supervisor Laur is completing his
third term on the Board of Supervsors.
Before that he was justice
of the peace and assessor In the
town.
There are four daughters. 19 grandchildren
and one great grandchild.
The daughters are Mrs. August Schul
of this city: Mrs. Alan Hewitt, of
Lewiston; Mrs. Russell S. Depew. of
the Town of Lockport, and Mrs.
Ralph Kennedy (sic), of Orangeport

Notes:

Lived in US 56 years - in Clarksville which was between Suspension
Bridge and Niagara Falls

Vitus married RUSS, Catharina on 1 Jan 1866 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY. Catharina (daughter of RUSS, Christian and SCHMID, Anna Maria) was born on 27 Feb 1845 in Feldstetten, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; died on 12 Oct 1925 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Niagara Gazette - 10/12/1925

Mrs Catherine Russ Laur, one of
the best known residents of tho narth
end of the city, widow of Vitus Laur
and mother of Andrew, John Sr., Mrs.
Catherine Shafer, Grace Laur and Mrs.
Annie Mess, died early today at the
age of 80 years. Funeral from No.
1807 Ontario avenue at two o'clock
Wednesday afternoon and following
services In Zion Lutheran church, burial
will be in Oakwood. Mrs. Laur was
born In Wurtemburg Germany Feb.
27, 1845. and came to the U. S. in
1886. For 30 years Mrs. Laur was secretary
of the Ladies Aid of Zion
church. She was noted for her delightful
characteristics both in her
home and away from it.

Notes:

Living in Niagara, NY at the time of his brother Tobias's death in 1897

Joseph married KAUFFMAN, Catharine on 24 Sep 1846 in Lockport, Niagara County, NY. Catharine (daughter of KAUFFMAN, Michael and NEWCOMMER, Elizabeth) was born on 2 Aug 1825 in Lancaster County, PA; died on 23 Jul 1907 in Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY; was buried in WItmer Memorial Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]