The Republican., 1937-08-12

Rebecca; Susan m. Thomas Browning;
Huldah m. D. Maulin.
Children of William Dewitt and
Sarah Dewitt; Baltus, b. 1858, m.
Ella (D daughter of Jonathan Spind-
ler. He was educated at Frostburg
Normal; became a jeweler at Terra
Alta and later added a photographer
establishment. His second wife was
Lille Barnes. He died in 1900; Alice
m. Henry, son of Jonathan Spindler.
Baltus had two children by his
first wife-Lula Ethel m. Darius Earl
Metheney. Their son is William Blake
Metheney, of Philadelphia; Herbert
m. Winona Eichelberger, who resides
at Morgantown, W. Va.
Thomas Dewitt, son of Joseph and
Elizabeth, and his wife Nancy Dewitt,
religiously inclined, good natured and
generous to a fault, and something of
a philosopher. This couple had eight
children: George m. Mary Jane San
ders; Louise m. Casteel; Sophronia m.
Lowdermilk; Rufus m. (D Margaret
Sanders; (2) Betty Welch. He was the
father of seven children. Lafayette m.
Thresa Savage. They had seven chill
dren. Matthew m. Fanny Ferguson.
They had nine children. William Del
phia m. Ina McCroby. They had fam
lily of ten children. Susan m. Harris
Dewitt.
George Dewitt and Mary Jane San
ders were married December %, 1874,
on the old Sanders farm, a government
land grant of 800 acres. She was the
daughter of John F. Sanders, born at
Orna-Bruck, Germany, 1925, who came
to this country with his parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Herman Sanders, in 1889, and
who settled in Garrett county, which at
that time had very few families. John
F. Sanders m. Elizabeth Baker, Nor
gantown, W. Va.
Fifty years ago George and Mary
lived at Sang Run, which was then al
most a dense woods. Afraid to leave
their house at night, they used to call
the dogs close to frighten away the
bears and rattlesnakes.
Not all the pioneers lived in the days
of '49. A few years later they moved
about five miles from Oakland to the
Underwood community. With help he
hewed immense trees to build a new
house and barn for his family. Being in
ill-health he was little able to stand
such work long. In this house of their
own making was born their youngest
child William in family of eight. De-
Witt was a God-fearing man, giving to
his neighbors rather than taking from
them. Hard work resulted in a run
down condition. He contracted typhoid
fever and died at the age of AZ, leav-
ing his wife to carry on. Determined
to keep her family together, with cour-
age and fortitude she set to work with
a will. She had willed to do too much. A
frail body soon broke under the heavy
burden. There was no lovelier spinner
or weaver in all of Garrett
county than Mary Jane Dewitt. Old
Peter Gortner would have no one else
to spin for him. The wheel she used is
in the possession of the Breuningers of
Sunnyside.
Mary Jane Dewitt died in 1895, bur-
led at the side of her husband within
eleven months after his death, leaving
seven children, one baby having died
aged two years.
Archibald Casteel Dewitt and Han
ma Ellen had seven children. The SIXTH
Ed. Finley, was president of the reun-
ion several years ago.
John Dewitt and wife Harriet Col
her, had six children. Alexander being
the eldest, was a noted teacher and
professor.
Charles Dewitt m. Emma Boyer
One of their daughters m. Charles
Spoerlein. They reside at Gortner.