Notes:

Niagara Gazette - 2/23/1943

SAD event of wide interest occurred
here 25 years ago today
when Elias Witmer. Niagara county's
oldest resident, died at his
home in the Saunders Settlement
road, near Sugar street, at the astonishing
age of 101 years and
four months. More remarkable still
was the fact that he died on the
same farm where he was born and
had spent almost his entire life.
A member of a family whose
longevity has become almost a leg-
end in this area, Mr. Witmer was a
son of Abraham Witmer, who had
settled in Niagara county in 1811.
He was of Swiss ancestry. With
the exception of a few years, dur-
ing which he taught school in Buf-
falo, he operated the Saunders Set-
tlement road farm until he retired
near the century mark. Even when
he was crowding 100 he frequently
walked allk the day from his farm to
downtown Niagara Falls. Unmar-
ried, he was survived by 25 ne-
phews and nieces, including Mrs.
Daniel Schmidt, with whom he re-
sided; 166 grand-nephews and
grand-nieces and 35 great grand-
nephews and great-grand-nieces.

ALSO

Buffalo NY Morning Express - 2/23/1918

Niagara Falls, Feb. 23 - Elias Wit-
mer, who was 101 years old on October
6, 1916, died shortly before 5 o'clock
this afternoon at his home on the Sandy
Settlement road a few miles east of this
city. He had been failing all winter.
Two weeks ago he caught cold, but he
was up last Monday. Fifteen minutes
before his death he talked with Andrew
Lauer (sic), a lifelong friend and neighbor,
and showed much interest in the news
of the day.
Mr. Witmer was born in the house in
which he died, a house built in 1811 by
his father, Abraham Witmer. He was
never married, but lived in the old
house with Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Smith,
the latter the daughter of Tobias Wit-
mer, a twin brother of Elias, who died
in 1897 at Williamsville. Abraham Wit-
mer had six sons and a daughter and
Elias was the last.
Elias Witmer was well known in
Western New York. He was a great
walker and visited many places. He
never smoked, shewed or drank, not
because of religious scruples, but be-
cause he thought the habits useless and
unhealthy. He would annoy tobacco
growers in the fields by telling them
their work was a waste of time.
In religion, Mr. Witmer was a Men-
nonite and it was his last request that
Jacob Habecker of a Mennonite settle-
ment in Pennsylvania be asked to offi-
ciate at his funeral. A telegram was
sent to Mr. Habecker and the funeral
will be held next Tuesday at the home.
Burial will be in the Witmer rural
cemetery, which was founded by Abra-
ham Witmer.

ALSO

Niagara Gazette - 10/9/1911

Elias Witmer, the oldest resident of
Niagara county, yesterday quietly observed
his th birthday at the old Witmer
homestead on the Saunders' Settlement
road. Though the aged man has
lost considerable of his former vigor
he Is still active mentally and physically.
>"-".>'°
Mr. Witmer, son of the late Abraham
Witmer, a Niagara pioneer was born
near old village of Suspension Bridge,
on October 8th, 1816, and has lived in
this vicinity all his life. For the greater
part of the time he has been a farmer.
As a young man he started In business
at the-north end of the city, but
his'health failed him and he had to
seek outdoor occupation. There is no
better example in Niagara county of the
value of the outdoor life than Mr. Witmer
There was never a day up up until
within a year that he did not walk from
ten to twelve miles. There was no
more picturesque figure than his with
his fishpole over his shoulder.
Until this year Mr. Witmer never
missed a picnic of the Niagara County
Pioneer's Association. He was very
eager to attend the outing, but he was
not in the best of health at the tlme
and was persuaded to remain at home.
But he is again in first class health
and appears to be well enough to warrant
belief that he will round out the
century.

ALSO

Niagara Gazette - 10/8/1915

Elias Witmer, who will one year from
today, if living then, complete a century
of life's cycle, retains within his time-
shrunken physical frame a soul and intel-
lect which, when given' play in conversa-
tlon, quickly dissipate thoughts of per-
sonal appearance and challenge regard.
Feeble and beset much of the time with
the ills of the aged, Mr. Witmer coura-
g e o u s l y arose and dressed today, walked
about the house a bit and affably greeted
close relatives and neighbors who gather-
ed to cheer him. He resides with his niece
Mrs. Daniel Schmidt, on the Saunders
Settlement road, a few rods beyond Sugar
street.
I feel as well as I could' well expect to
all things considered." declared the near
centenarian to his interviewer yesterday
afternoon. "I believe I shall live for some
years to come, possibly to 125." he added,
and shook hands with quite a firm grip.
The quarter hour's talk that followed was
punctuated with many merry quips and
jests on the part of Mr. Witmer. Much
was confidential, the rest may here be
told.
Born in Log Cabin.
"Yes, I am ninety-nine years old come
tomorrow," he said. "I was born on October
8, 1816, in a log-cabin about five or
ten rods south of this place and I have
always lived in this neighborhood except
during the few years that I traveled
through some of the states. I was spanked
here, I was trained here. I was
schooled here and I always lived here.
The log-house in which I was born has
passed away. It was two stories on the
ground floor and had no upper floors.
"Abraham Witmer was my father and
Barbara Witmer, nee Habaker, my mother.
I had five brothers and several sisters.
They are all dead and I am living
on. I have tried in vain to discover why
I, a man of small stature and not overstrong
should have lived so long and
outlived my larger, sturdier brothers and
sisters. It is a mystery to me so do not
ask me to explain the cause of my long-
evity.
Believes In Good Cheer.
"I was raised here on a farm and as a
youth became a farmer naturally enough.
l continued a farmer until I came to
realize that I was below medium slze and
then I went and learned the tailor's trade.
That I found deleterious to my health so
I sought the farm again and the rest of
my life I got my living from Mother
Earth herself. What I was unable to do
myself I hired others to do and here I
am. Long may you wave, my dear young
sir. You see I am of good cheer. I have
always found it good to keep cheerful,
"I never married. I am what they used
to call a bachelor. Is there any other
name used now that is not so harsh as
that? No? And you say they call them
bachelor girls instead of old maids, now-
adays? Well, that it better, that's a
I much better way to express it-hum, bachelor
girls."
"Well, I grew up under paternal discipline.
After years I volunteered to be
baptized in the church. In polities I have
always been a democratic Republican. and
-put this in capital letters, if you will-I
I'm anti-Masonic. Most of our family
lived to goodly years. My father lived
over eighty years. Have I told you
enough about myself, now?''
H e r e ' s Old Age Recipe.
"What Is your recipe for living to the
age of ninety and nine years?" Mr. Witmer
was asked.
"Well, I have always confined my eating
to a plain farmer diet of wholesome.,
well-cooked food, off my own farm, the
aged.man replied. "I have never used
tobacco and of alcoholic drinks. I never
partook except very sparingly at any
time. Alcohol is injurious to success. As
a medicine, however, I favor its use."
"Are you still able to read?" asked the
reporter.
"Yes," was the reply. "I read some
with these spectacles but the types have
grown pretty dim. I have been able to
read some about the great war in Europe
and have heard some about it- I have
no words to express the horror of it.
I only pray God to favor the right, on
whichever side it may lie. May God direct
it r i g h t"
With the light of happiness over the advent
of another birthday shining from his
wrinkled face, Ellas Witmer waved his
hand in adieu as his Interviewer departed
and down the hall stairs he again piped
shrilly, "Long may you wave."