Lena married HEWITT, Alan on 16 Mar 1915 in Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY. Alan (son of HEWITT, James P and CLEGHORN, Ida) was born on 12 Dec 1890 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; died on 5 Jan 1979 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY - Left Center. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. HEWITT, Donald Roy was born on 5 Dec 1915 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; died on 21 May 1992 in Lockport, Niagara County, NY; was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY - Left Center.
2. HEWITT, Gerald Witmer was born on 5 Feb 1918 in Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY; died on 23 May 2008 in Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY.
3. HEWITT, Harold Cleghorn was born on 5 Feb 1918 in Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY; died in 1931 in Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY; was buried in Riverdale Cemetery, Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY - Section 1.
4. HEWITT, Richard Alan was born on 15 Dec 1920 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; died on 20 Jul 2014 in Lawrence, Cloud County, KS.
5. HEWITT, Alfred Laur was born on 20 Dec 1922 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; died on 31 Jan 2019 in Niagara Community Church, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY.
6. HEWITT, Kennith Clark was born on 28 Apr 1929 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; died on 30 Jun 2014 in University Place, Pierce County, WA.

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]

Vitus married KAST, Magdalena on 8 May 1832 in Laichingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Magdalena (daughter of KAST, Andreas and SCHWENKBECK, Ursula) was born on 9 Sep 1811 in Laichingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; died on 3 Nov 1880 in Laichingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Christian married SCHMID, Anna Maria on 12 May 1835 in Feldstetten, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Anna (daughter of SCHMID, Conrad and STÄHLE, Ursula) was born on 18 Apr 1810 in Feldstetten, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; died on 10 Mar 1881 in Feldstetten, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Abraham Witmer was a pioneer settler from Lancaster County, PA, who settled on a farm of several hundred acres about one mile northeasterly from the old suspension bridge in the town of Niagara., NY


Tonawanda News - 7/18/1970

By WILLARD DITTM AR
President
Historical Society
of the Tonawandas
Witmer Road, connecting
Niagara Falls Boulevard
and River Road in North
Tonawanda, was named for
a family of early frontier
settlers.
In 1810, John Witmer and
his family, consisting of his
wife and eight children, left
Lancaster, Pa., and settled
on a 100-acre farm on
Military Road, which he had
purchased from one Isaac
Swain. At that time there
was only one other clearing
on Military Road.
Abram Witmer, a brother
of John, came to the Niagara
Frontier in 1811 from the
same place in Pennsylvania
with his wife and four children.
They settled on a tract
of land purchased from the
Holland Land Co. on
Saunders Settlement Road.
When the War of 1812 broke
out, Abram took his family,
which had grown larger,
back to Pennsylvania. The
Witmer brothers were
Mennonites and had
religious scruples against
war.
Tobias Witmer, one of
Abram's seven sons, was
born in 1816 at Bellevue
(Suspension Bridge) and
became one of the first
surveyors of the region. He
made several maps of early
Tonawanda which are still
the main reliance for lot
lines and street boundaries.
On an 1852 map of Niagara
County there are shown
nine families of Witmers
living at different points in
the Town of Niagara. The
two first Witmers. John and
Abram. reared 17 children,
most of whom survived and
married.

Abraham married HABECKER, Barbara on 8 Oct 1804 in Columbia, Lancaster County, PA. Barbara (daughter of HABECKER, Christian and HERR, Esther) was born on 23 Oct 1782 in Manor Township, Lancaster County, PA; died on 6 Jul 1859 in Witmer Homestead, Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY; was buried in WItmer Memorial Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Michael married NEWCOMMER, Elizabeth on 14 Sep 1816. Elizabeth was born on 4 Dec 1795; died on 27 Oct 1838 in Hempfield, Lancaster County, PA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]