Notes:
[Information per Denise Lehr]
George Widder m.. Catherine Tome in the records of the Brickerville Lutheran Church on Nov. 11, 1832. But there are no children's baptism records there that I could find. This name...Tome, also Thome. Since the "t" and "d" are about the same sounding in the local vernacular, I'm not surprised that it sounded like "Dommy." Also, in Warwick township, Tome/Dome/Dommy eventually became Demmy.
1850 Census, PA, Lancaster Co., Ephrata, p. 163
George Withers, 35, farmer, b: PA
Lydia " , 37, b: PA
Maria " , 16, b: PA <= Lydia Mumma's illegitimate dau, Maria Royer
Jacob " , 14, b: PA <= Son of George & Catherine Tome
John " , 10, b: PA <= Son of George & Catherine Tome
Susannah " , 9, b: PA <= Dau of George & Catherine Tome
Samuel " , 7, b: PA <= Son of George & Catherine Tome
Jeremiah " , 5, b: PA <= Son of George & Lydia Mumma
Catharine " , 1, b: PA <= Son of George & Lydia Mumma
1860 Census, PA, Lancaster Co., Elizabeth twp., Brumbach P.O., p. 387, dwelling 164
George Witter, 45, farmer, $12,000 real estate, $1000 personal, b: PA
Lydia " , 48, b: PA
Eliza " , 22, b: PA
Samuel " , 19, b: PA
John " , 21, b: PA
Jeremiah " , 15, b: PA
Catharine " , 11, b: PA
Samuel Breitgam, 6, b: PA
[Note: Samuel Breitgam is Lydia's nephew, the son of her sister, Fanny. Samuel's father died in 1860.]
1880: Penn, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
George Witters, head, 66
Katy Witters, wife, 57
Malinda Frey, dau (step-dau), 27
[Lititz Record - Friday, Januiary 10, 1890]
OBITUARY
George Witters Dead
George Witters, a resident of penn township, near Halfville, died on Sunday morning of apoplexy, with which he became afflicted a few days previously. Jacob D. Witters of this place, and John D. Witters of Manheim bouough, were two of his sons. He was married three times, the last wife surviving him. His age was 75 years, 3 months and 17 days. The funeral and interment took place on Wednesday at Graybill's meeting house near Pennsville.
George Witter's Will [Lancaster county book I, vol 2, page 140] was written 23 July 1883 and filed on 16 January 1890. He was reather upset with his son, George Witter, Jr. who had moved to Jeffersonville, Lamard twp., Wayne County, IL An excerpt from his Will is as follows:
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And one equal eighth part thereof I give and bequeath to the children of the first wife of my son, George, in equal shares and to their heirs and assigns forever, if however anyone dies single and without leaving legal issue surviving them, the share of the one so dying shall be divided equally to and among those of them then living and if they should all die without legal issue surviving , then the whole share coming to them shall revert and fall back to and among my children in equal shares, my son George, not included.
The following news article was discovered which helps identify why he was upset with his son, George, who apparently abandoned his family, changed his name to John Miller and ran off with a young neighbor woman..
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Too Much Married.
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It appears that one John D. Miller, who figures in our list of Cupid's August Capers, published elsewhere has been cutting some capers not authorized by the statutes of this state. He came over here from Jeffersonville, Illinois, and married a woman, and departed on the next train for unknown parts. In a few davs thereafter came a postal card to Sheriff Chambers, making inquiry about Miller, whose Illinois name seems to have been George M. Witters. Besides having another name the postal card went on to state that Miller had another wife and three children, living in Jeffersonville. By the time the sheriff got the card, the man and his new wife had departed and gone beyond his jurisdiction. The Jeffersonville post master came over yesterday with the papers and documents to secure the bigamist, and he will probably yet succeed in gathering him in.
[Published in the Princeton Courier-Journal., Prinston, Indana, 1 September 1881, Thursday, Page 1]
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