My grandfather Howard D. Witt (1929 – 2001) in his Air Force service dress uniform around 1950. This may be the photo taken at the conclusion of his basic military training.
Wordless Wednesday – Aim High!
Witt
Census Sunday – 1940 Census of Francis and Helen Witt
It’s hard not to think of our grandparents how we most often saw them – as grown adults, perhaps even elderly. I think of my great grandfather as a man in his 90’s, sitting in a chair in his house on Osborn Avenue and waving his cane at me. Documents such as census records make it easier to imagine them in a different time in their lives. In 1940, the Witt family lived at 24 Osborn Avenue, just north of Mahoning Avenue. When a census enumerator visited the house, my great grandfather Francis was 41 years old, and my grandfather Howard just a boy of 11.
Relationship to me:
Francis John Witt (1899 – 1992)
father of:
Howard David Witt (1929 – 2001)
father of:
Rebecca Ann Witt
mother of:
Joseph Patrick Lowry
State: Ohio
County: Mahoning
City: Youngstown
Ward: 4
Block: 506
Sheet: 12A
Enumeration District: 96-76
Enumerated by: Anne S Williams, Enumerator
Address: 24 N Osborn Ave (map)
Enumeration District: 96-76
Enumerated by: Anne S Williams, Enumerator
Address: 24 N Osborn Ave (map)
Francis Witt, head, male, white, 41 years old, married, has not attended school since March 1, 1939, attended school through 8th grade, born in Ohio, on April 1, 1935 lived in same place, was at work for pay the week of March 24-30, 1940. Works 40 hours a week as a business agent in a repair shop, worked 26 weeks in 1939. Earned $800 wages in 1939, with no wages from another source.
Helen ” , wife, female, white, age 41, married, has not attended school since March 1, 1939, attended school through 8th grade, born in Ohio, on April 1, 1935 lived in same place (not a farm), did not work or seek work.
M. Governor ” , son, male, white, age 20, single, born in Ohio, on April 1, 1935 lived in same place, has attended school since March 1, 1939, attended school through C-2 (College, 2 years), in school for 52 weeks; wages of $450. No job listed.
Francis ” , son, male, white, age 19, single, has not attended school since March 1, 1939, attended school through 12th grade, born in Ohio, on April 1, 1935 lived in same place, was seeking work. Duration of unemployment up to March 30, 1940—in weeks: 20 weeks. Otherwise works as an order clerk at a steel mill. In 1939, worked 12 for $300 in wages.
William ” , son, male, white, age 17, single, has attended school since March 1, 1939, attended school through 11th grade, born in Ohio, on April 1, 1935 lived in same place, did not work or seek work.
Fred ” , son, male, white, age 15, single, has attended school since March 1, 1939, attended school through 8th grade, born in Ohio, on April 1, 1935 lived in same place, did not work or seek work.
Howard ” , son, male, white, age 11, single, has attended school since March 1, 1939, attended school through 4th grade, born in Ohio, on April 1, 1935 lived in same place, did not work or seek work.
Helen K. ” , daughter, female, white, age 6, single, has not attended school since March 1, 1939, born in Ohio, on April 1, 1935 lived in same place, did not work or seek work.
Sources:
1940 U.S. Federal Census, Mahoning County, Youngstown, population schedule, Enumeration District 96-76, Sheet 12A, Dwelling 229,. Francis Witt; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 July 2013), citing National Archives microfilm publication Roll T627_3270.
Petro, Diane. (Spring 2012). Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? The 1940 Census: Employment and Income. Prologue Magazine. Volume 44 (Issue 1). Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2012/spring/1940.html. Accessed 28 July 2013.
Wordless Wednesday – Happy Anniversary
My beautiful parents, married 35 years ago this week…
Memorial Day 2013 – A Visit to Calvary Cemetery
I took some time out this Memorial Day to visit Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown, Ohio. Calvary is the ‘home’ cemetery, and countless relatives are buried there. My Lowry great grandparents and grandparents’ graves are just inside the gate in Section 55, so they were first stop. Last year or so, my aunts planted several Hosta plants, which have grown nicely around the grave.
My aunt Chris and I were just talking yesterday that there was no flag on my grandfather’s grave, and I confirmed that today. A quick visit to the cemetery office, which was open on Memorial Day to handle the crowds, rectified that situation. Chuck served in D Company, 28th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division during World War II, and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in the Battle for Brest, France. He took home part of a German grenade in his leg as a souvenir. You can read more about his military service on my other blog, The Wartime Letters of Private Charles Lowry, U.S. Army.
After leaving my grandparents, I wandered over to my grandpa Howard Witt’s grave. It was harder to find than I remembered, so I made a second visit to the cemetery office. He’s buried in Section 47, Lot 552, Grave 2, directly behind my aunt Renee Witt and her dad, John Santorilla. I was probably about 10 feet away the first time I went, but found it immediately after I stopped by the office. Howard’ grave also lacked a flag. Another trip to the cemetery office, a chat with the clerk about coming back to Youngstown, and back to the grave I went. At all the graves, I spent a few minutes of cleaning grass clippings, wandering around to read the other names before it was off to find my great grandpa and grandma Witt in Section 45.
My great grandparents Francis and Helen Witt are buried together with their daughter, my great aunt Helen Witt. I was fortunate to know two of my great grandparents, and Francis was one of them. He was always sitting in his recliner in his house on Osborne Ave when we walked in, would point his cane at me and say, ‘Hey, I know you!”. I’m sure he did, but with probably 40 great grandkids by the time he died, he just wasn’t quite sure of my name! When his daughter, my great aunt Helen, passed away in 2009, she was cremated and her remains are buried above her moms. She has a flower vase in her memory.
Next time I go, I’ll have to better prepare. Some basic gardening tools would have helped clear the grave markers a little better. There were a few older graves to the left of my Witt great grandparents that are almost completely lost to Mother Nature. A quick sprucing would save them from disappearing under the grass. I’ll add this to the list of things to do when I’m home this summer.
Military Monday – The Escape and Evasion Report of Francis Witt
On March 4, 1944, my great uncle Francis Witt, Jr. was a pilot with the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 384th Bombardment Group. He flew 10 successful combat missions before his luck ran out. He was forced to bail out of his B-17 over France after dropping bombs on Berlin.
Thanks to the efforts of a group of historians to collect and archive information related to the 384th Bombardment Group, Francis Witt’s evasion and escape report is available for anyone willing to undertake a quick Google search. This report was written by Francis after being ‘recovered’ in May 1944. It’s an incredible 30+ page narrative with supporting documents that he wrote showing that although he crashed only 25 miles from the English Channel in NE France, he took a 1,500 mile journey to Gibraltar and then back to Bristol, England, evading capture. It details all the support he received from locals, things he carried with him and his escape route. You will see that Francis was lucky; of his 11 person crew, only three evaded capture. (And Francis only barely, as you will read). Eight more were guests of the Fuhrer in POW camps for the remainder of the war.
Using information provided in his report, I was able to map his journey. The map points A (Bruchamps, France) through J (Montauban, France) are correct, but his report doesn’t state how he traveled from Montauban to Gibraltar (point K), so I let Google Maps take care of that route for me. (map no longer available)
My uncle Tom actually transcribed this document, which makes it slightly easier to read. However, there is something to be said for reading it in Uncle Francis’s own hand. You can read the transcribed document by clicking HERE.
Sources:
Mystery Monday – Who Murdered John A. Witt? Part 2: The Autopsy Report
I previously wrote about the murder of my great grand uncle John Witt (here). In the intervening time, I made some inquiries to see if I could learn about this tragic event. A member of the Allegheny County Genealogy Facebook group informed me that the University of Pittsburgh Archives Service Center maintains the case files for the Allegheny County Coroner’s Office from 1887 through 1974. A quick reply to an email, a $12 check and two weeks of patience provided me with John’s autopsy report. I share it with you here with a warning that certain parts are graphic and include scientific descriptions of the bullet wounds, organs, and John’s physical condition. While it’s certainly sad to think that such a report is even necessary, it’s also a reminder that his murder is unsolved and forgotten by many. Hopefully, we can work to change that.
Sources:
“Autopsy of John Albert Witt,” Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coroner’s Office Records, collection AIS.1982.07, box 506, record 194211-246, University of Pittsburgh Archives Service Center, Pittsburgh.
Photo of the Day: The Witt Siblings
Among the many photos that I scanned over Christmas was this amazing shot of my grandfather Howard Witt and his siblings. Based purely on perceived age, and no doubt requiring some straightening out by my aunts and uncles, are:
(l to r, back), Francis (1920 – 2002), William (1922 – 2011), Governor (1919 – 2004)
(l to r, front) Frederick (1924 – 2009), Howard (1929 – 2001), Ruth (1926 – 1932)
The only sibling missing is Helen (1934 – 2009) who was not yet born when I estimate this photo was taken around 1930.
The Wedding Announcement of Howard Witt and Barbara Wolford
“Chantilly lace and a pretty face…”
After their wedding in my grandmother’s hometown of Topeka, Kansas, my grandparents Barb and Howard Witt lived in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. Complete with a picture, the Vindicator wrote a nice story of their return.
(click to enlarge)
Source:
“Bridal Couple To Be Honored At Witt Home,” Youngstown Vindicator, Section C, Page 3. September 14, 1952, accessed January 6, 2013. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2s0_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=AFgMAAAAIBAJ&dq=wolford%20topeka&pg=744%2C3287947
Mystery Monday – Who Murdered John A. Witt?
On 29 September 1942, 78-year old shopkeeper John A. Witt woke around 6 a.m. and shortly thereafter lit the furnace in his grocery store that also served as a post office substation. It was probably a routine that played itself out hundreds of times during the 40 years he was a shopkeeper in the Brushton neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Brushton was a mostly German and Irish enclave in east-central Pittsburgh where John no doubt knew most of his customers. He may have even known his last customer.
John was born on 25 November 1863 in nearby Butler, Pennsylvania. His father Martin had emigrated from Hessen, Germany in 1832 and John grew up in a city caked in coal dust under the glow of steel mills. He married Johanna Thaner and together they had a large family of girls with son John Jr stuck in the middle.
The details are sketchy and the verdict unknown, but on that fall day in 1942, John Witt was shot and killed by an unknown assailant in his store. The motive has yet to be discovered. The cash was still in the register; the stamps still in the drawer. His daughter found him slumped against the wall, shot in the abdomen and finger. He was dead upon arrival at Pittsburgh Hospital.
My limited research on John’s death has not turned up any information on who may have committed this crime or if they were ever charged, but this is a story that I certainly hope to learn more about.
Relationship to me:
John A Witt (1863 – 1942)
son of:
Martin Witt (1830 – 1921)
father of:
Joseph F Witt (1868 – 1943)
father of:
Francis John Witt (1899 – 1992)
father of:
Howard D Witt (1929 – 2001)
father of:
Rebecca A Witt:
mother of:
Joseph P Lowry
(click to enlarge)
UPDATE 7/19/15: For more information on John Witt’s death, see my follow-up post here: https://lowrygenealogy.com/2013/03/11/mystery-monday-who-murdered-john-a-witt-part-2-the-autopsy-report/
Sources:
“Grocer’s Death Laid to Bandit.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1 October 1942. Accessed 5 November 2012. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=j7pRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D2oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5430%2C712430
“Aged Grocer Fatally Shot in Bruston.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 30 September 1942. Accessed 5 November 2012. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jrpRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D2oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4023%2C937851
Photo Friday: Around the Firehouse
I’ve been a volunteer firefighter/EMT since 2004. It was interesting to me to learn that it is a family profession. My great uncle Fred Witt was a firefighter in Skokie, Illinois. This photo, taken in 1956, shows firefighters in front of the Hamlin Avenue Station. They include (left to right) Captain Jaeger, Bobby Burke, Bernie Weber, Rich Baumhardt, Al Suckow, Russ Van, and Fred Witt. They are standing in front of a 1948 American LaFrance pumper with 1,000 GPM capacity.
This photo was taken in 1969. Fred Witt, now a lieutenant on the fire department, is kneeling in the center (white shirt) with his men at the Floral Avenue Station. This is the last shift for his crew before this firehouse closed later that day.
Relationship to Me:
Frederick E Witt (1924 – 2009)
son of:
Helen M Bixler (1898 – 1985)
mother of:
Howard D Witt (1929 – 2001)
father of:
Rebecca Ann Witt
mother of:
Joseph Patrick Lowry
Sources:
Illinois Digital Archive. “Skokie Fire Department Floral Avenue Station Photograph, 1969.” Accessed September 20, 2012. http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/skokiepo02/id/2395/rec/2
Skokie Historical Society. “Firefighters of Skokie, Illinois, 1881 – 1987.” Accessed September 20, 2012. http://www.skokiehistory.info/gallery/fdfiremenf/FireDeptFirefighters.html
lowry genealogy 