Family/Spouse: HERSHEY, Christian. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: WITMER, John. John (son of WITMER, Johannes Christian and SCHALLENBURGER, Maria) was born in 1760 in Lancaster County, PA; died on 26 Mar 1842 in Town of Niagara, Niagara County, NY; was buried in WItmer Memorial Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buffalo NY Morning Express - 5/16/1881

Benjamin Witmer, one of the first settlers In
Western New-York, died at his residence, four
miles northeast of Niagara Falls, on Tuesday, the
10th inst., aged 86 years, and was buried on Thursday,
the 12th, in the family burying-ground on the
old homestead, where he had resided since 1842.
The Rev. John Strickler, of Clarence, assisted by
the Rev. Mr. Leonard, of La Salle, and the Rev.
Mr. Snyder, a neighbor, conducted the funeral
services, which were attended by a very large concourse
of his relatives and acquaintances, among
whom were many who had known him over half a
century.
Mr. Witmer's ancestors were of those Christians
who are known as Mennonites, from Simon Menno,
a Reformer, cotemporary with Luther, who in the
Netherlands renounced the Roman Catholic Church,
in which he was a friar, and became a leader
among the Ana Baptists, a considerable portion of
whom assumed his name to designate their peculiar
sect. Religious persecution by the Romanists
drove these Mennonite ancestors from their native
countries in Europe, and thousands of their devoted
compeers, in the early part of the sixteenth century,
settled in Lancaster County, Pa., then called the
"Garden of America," where they soon became a
numerous, prosperous, and a happy people, mind-
ing their own business and letting other people do
the same, which sometimes is styled selfishness. In
course of time the more enterprising, among whom
were some styled " Tories " because they would not
fight against King George in the War of
the Revolution, sought homes in Western New-
York and the neighboring province of Up-
per Canada. In August, 1810, John Wit
mer, the father of the deceased, sold out his
home in Pennsylvania, six miles west of Lancaster
City, and with a four-horse team brought
his family via Harrisburgh, past the mouth of
Lycoming Creek, over Williams's road via Block
House and Blossburg, down the Tioga Valley to
Painted Post, thence to Dansville, N. Y.. Batavia,
Black Rock, and down Niagara River to Devil's
Hole, from which Mr. Isaac Swain had cut a road
through the woods to his farm on lots 30 and 34.
which the father purchased of Mr. Swain, and
made it his future home. But war's end again
drove these inoffensive people from their wilderness
homes, and in 1813 John Witmer, the father, and
his brother Abraham Witmer, who had settled on
the adjoining farm, took their helpless families to a
safe reheat in the interior, John going to Dansville,
N. Y., and Abraham returning to Lancaster County.
Benjamin, however, being a lad 17 years old (he
was born in Lancaster County, Pa., March 21.
1795). was employed voluntarily as an artificer in
building the fortifications at Fort Niagara, the
religious tenets of the Mennonites forbidding their
taking up arms, the Government, on the other
hand never requiring them to violate their conscientious
scruples. One day as he was coming
from the fort, up the river to the top of the mountain
at Lewiston, he, with his two companions,
were espied by the men at the battery across the
river on Queenston Heights, and were fired upon,
the cannon ball, a six pounder, burying itself in
the ground near by. The ball was afterwards dug
up by Mr. Witmer and has ever since been kept as
a kind of heir-loom in the family, the children
often amusing themselves by rolling it over
the chamber floor to produce artificial thunder.
After the war was over both families returned and
made permanent homes at the places first purchased.
In 1817 Benjamin built a saw-mill for his father, at
the homestead, on Gill-creek crossing of the military
road. This mill was instrumental in preparing
most of the lumber used for building in that vicinity
for many years, and is still used during the wet
season. He next went to Erie County and built a
saw-mill for Christian Long, one mile north of
Williamsville. He also built another for Joseph
Getz, on Ellicott's creek, and another for Christian
Frick at Skinnersville, now Wolf's.
Here he made the acquaintance of Miss Anna
Maria Heil, daughter of John HeiI, whom he married
in 1835, and settled on his farm, where now
the Lutheran church stands at Eggertsville. Here
five of his children--John in 1835, Mary in 1836,
Sabina in 1838. Barbara in 1830, and Benjamin in
1831-were born. In 1831 he sold out and moved
to the farm next west adjoining the old homestead,
which is now occupied by his son Elder Martin
Witmer, where he lived until the death of the old
grandfather John Witmer, in 1843, when he took
possession of the homestead. His family was increased
by the births of Martin in 1833. Henry in
1835, Elisabeth in 1836, Leonard in 1838, Anna in
1839, Esther in 1841, Simon in 1843, and Elias in
1844. These all survive him except Barbara, who
died in 1864. His wife died in 1871, and is remembered
as one of the most exemplary women.
Mr. Witmer, although of a very unassuming character,
was an active, industrious, frugal and ex
emplary man-a kind though commanding father,
stamping a virtuous and determined character upon
his large family, the good influence of which has
reached out far beyond his own family. He was
respected by all who knew him, and he retained the
vigor of a strong mind to the last day, dying at
peace with all men, and, as the writer is assured
from an Interview had on Saturday before his death,
he died in the full assurunce of the Christian's hope
of eternal lite.
All his children except Leonard, Elias and Esther,
who are living in the far West, were present at the
funeral, and the tears of affection were soothed by
the smiles of Heaven, shed down in ihe blossoms of
promise of the lovely May day, and the kind greet-
Ings of a sympathizing crowd of spectators.
T. W.

Family/Spouse: HEIL, Anna Maria. Anna was born on 26 Oct 1803 in PA; died on 26 Mar 1871 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; was buried in WItmer Memorial Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Samuel married CROUT, Mary on 4 Oct 1832 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY. Mary was born on 15 Jun 1801; died on 17 Oct 1867 in Fairfax, IA; was buried in Fairfax, IA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: WISSLER, Jacob. Jacob was born about 1803 in PA; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: CROUT, Jacob. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: AXTELL, Lavina P. Lavina was born in 1833 in New York; died on 26 Apr 1914. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: WAGNER, Jacob. Jacob was born about 1827 in PA; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: BINKLEY, Elias. Elias (son of BINKLEY, Christian Herr and STIKLY, Katharine) was born on 29 Dec 1824 in PA; died on 11 Nov 1862. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Martin married KING, Elizabeth I about 1860. Elizabeth was born in Feb 1840 in New York; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: BINKLEY, Elizabeth. Elizabeth (daughter of BINKLEY, Christian Herr and STIKLY, Katharine) was born on 31 Aug 1831 in New York; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married OSTRANDER, John W in 1865. John (son of OSTRANDER, Thomas and WASSON, Phebee) was born in 1827 in Boston, Erie County, NY; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: ENSMINGER, Anna. Anna was born in Sep 1841 in New York; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Anna married LEHMAN, John B about 1866. John was born on 19 Aug 1840 in PA; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: KLINE, Samuel. Samuel was born in Osborn, OH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: LEHMAN, Henry. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Niagara Gazette - 10/10/1933

WITMER-At the o l d homestead. 1024,
Grove avenue. Simon, beloved husband
of the late Mary Barbara Witmer, at
1:20 a . m , Oct. 10th, 1933. He is survived
bv six children: Simon C . Chicago.
Ill., Artemas S., Baltimore. Md., Malc
h am T., Orlando B., Theresa M. I Mrs.
Murdo Morrison, and Serena T., all of
t h i s city; six grandchtdren also survive:
Mrs. Charles H. Noe and Fred C. Witmer.
Chicago, til., Robert C. and Ruth
E. Witmer, Wm. Angus and Mary Isabelle
Morrison, all of this city. Funeral
service will be In charge of Rev. J. I.
McCullough, Fredonla, N. Y.. on Friday
at the home at 2 p. m. Burial will be
In Rlverdale cemetery.

Simon married SCHNEIDER, Mary Barbara on 23 Dec 1869 in Niagara County, NY. Mary (daughter of SCHNEIDER, Rev Theobald and GRAUER, Anna Katharina) was born on 28 May 1847 in Ontario, Canada; died on 1 Apr 1927 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY; was buried in Riverdale Cemetery, Town of Lewiston, Niagara County, NY - Section 5. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: CANNON, Mary M. Mary was born about 1855 in New York; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Emanuel married PHILIPS, Elizabeth on 9 Aug 1865 in Cedar Rapids, Linn County, IA. Elizabeth (daughter of PHILIPS, David and Mary) was born on 18 Feb 1837 in OH; died in 1918; was buried in Berlin, Ottawa County, MI. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Maria married NEUBAUER, Philipp about 1855. Philipp was born in Oct 1829 in Germany; died between 1900 and 1910. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: KROUT, John. John was born about 1841 in New York; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: ROSE, Frank. Frank was born about 1839 in OH; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

1880 Census in Missouri

Family/Spouse: CHASE, Moses. Moses was born about 1824 in NH; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Sarah married MAURER, Benedict about 1860 in Sanborn, Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County, NY. Benedict was born about 1827 in Bern, Switzerland; died about 1889. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Mary. Mary was born about 1829 in PA; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]