Family History

This account of the Luther Family history was written by Roger Luther  in 2008. 

Robert McElroy Luther was born in Waterford, PA (Westmoreland County) B: 2-12-1872   He married Ellen Weaver on Christmas Day, 1892.  They lived on the Luther/Weaver farm located along Luther Road and what is now Bob Street in Richland Twp.   R.M. Luther was a farmer, businessman, coal mine operator, and a man of many talents.  He served on the Richland Cemetery Association Board for many years.  The Luther farm went from the entrance of the Richland Cemetery off of Luther Road up to the top of Luther Road, and back toward, and included parts of the current Richland Cemetery.  Part of the farm was also along the left side of Luther Road going toward Elton Rd.  R.M Luther also taught normal school a few years and did work for the Berwind White Coal Co. as a land manager.   The Luther’s were Mennonites and attended the Weaver Mennonite Church along Scalp Ave., near the Richland Cemetery entrance.   At one time there were 6 Luther families living on Luther Road.  They had 10 children who lived to adulthood.  8 boys and 2 girls. They also had two other children who died in infancy, aged 8 mos. and 1-1/2 years, (a boy and a girl ) Carl and Mary.

In their later years, Robert and  “Ella” sold off lots from their farm along Luther Rd, Cherry Lane, Bob Street, and Caldwell Street.  They had a winter cottage in the Sarasota, Florida area and went there for winters during their later years after retirement.  (in the 1940’s & early 50’s) Robert died on 2/2/54, living 82 years. Robert and Ella were married 62 years.

Ella was born on 2/2/1872 and died on 1/1/1964 living 92 years, both are buried in the Richland Cemetery just south of the circle with the flag, as many of their children are, on part of the land that was originally part of the Luther farm. 

They and their children lived long lives, averaging nearly 90 years for the ten of them.   Seven lived longer than 90 years, with the oldest, Uncle Sam,  living 95 years, 10 months.   The youngest to die was Bill, and age 71.  Their children:

Robert Bruce Luther   

Born 2/13/1896,  Died 8/2/1979,  Age 83

1st wife  Hazel Miltonberger   

2nd wife  Sara Jane Stapleton

Bruce was a business man, salesman, & owned a golf course and a stable. He lived most of his adult life in the Mechanicsburg, PA area, then retiring to Florida. He had three children with Hazel: Robert, Mercedes, & Benjamin.

Newt Luther  

Born 1/23/1898,  Died 1/29/1992, Age 94   

His wife,  Alma Lehman

Newt worked as a mechanic for Hoffman Implement Store, which was located along Scalp Ave. about where the Somerset Trust Co. is located now.  He was a jack of all trades fellow, and did welding, soldering, etc.  Very inventive.  He retired and bought a farm near New Paris, PA before moving to APRC. (Arbutus Park Retirement Community) They had had 5 children. Lois, David, Doris, Joyce and Terry.   Newt lived just off Scalp Ave. on Frances Street, behind the SMS furniture barn.  Initially he lived on Luther Road, when first married on the corner of Luther Road and Cherry Lane.

John Daniel Luther  "Dan"

Born 2/12/1901,   Died  10/25/1984,   age 83

His wife,  Nellie Mader 

Dan moved to the Three Rivers, MI area and lived most of his life there and worked as a salesman.   They had 3 children.  Mary Belle, Oscar Dean, and Martha Ellen.

Algie TED Luther,  

Born 8/27/1902,   Died  10/17/1994,   Age 92

His wife, Violet Smith

Ted worked for the Berwind White Co. for 40 years.   Ted served on the Richland School Board for 18 years and served on the Richland Cemetery Board for over 40 years.  He lived on Luther Road in a house built on a lot he obtained from his fathers farm.  He moved to APRC in 1978 and spent the last 15 years of his life there, living his entire life near Luther Road

They had 3 children: Jay, Shirley and Roger. Ted & Violet also had twin boys, who died during their first day.

Edna Elizabeth Luther Kniss   

Born 6/23/1904,   Died 3/25/1998,   Age 93   

Husband,  Lloyd A. Kniss

Elizabeth stayed with the Mennonite tradition, and married a minister who eventually became a Bishop in the Mennonite Church.  They spent many years (25+) in India as missionaries.  They had 4 children.  All, either became preachers, married preachers, or became missionaries, one a physician. They retired in the Baltimore area.  Their children were Paul, Mark, Esther, and David.

Lydia Belle Luther Caldwell

Born 2/17/1906   Died 2/3/1999  Age 93

Her husband, Charles Caldwell 

She  worked in the Richland Twp. School District for many years.  They lived near the farmstead on what is now Caldwell Street, just off Luther Road. Their home at first was the “summer kitchen” for the farmhouse.  Their 7 children were Lucille, Robert, Diane, Barbara, James, Karen, and Brian.

William Calvin Luther, "Bill"  

Born 6/19/1907,   Died 12/14/1978,  Age 71

1st wife:  Evelyn Rhodes 2nd wife:  Mildred Schrock  (Aunt Millie)

Bill lived on Luther Road most of his life, and worked as a salesman for Grennen Bakery, and then for Quaker Sales Co, of  Johnstown.  He was very active in the Richland Twp. Area. They had two children,  Barbara and Sandra.

Martin Luther 

Born 1/28/1909, Died  1/17/1999,   Age 91

1st wife:  Isabelle Foster   

2nd wife:  Fran Whitmer

Martin moved to the Dayton, OH area and worked all his life in the die-casting field, eventually owning his own company. He worked as a driving instructor in Florida for Uncle Sam in retirement.  They had 5 children: Fred, Betty, Vera, Richard, and Gene.

Harold Samuel Luther  (Uncle Sam)  

Born 3/29/1911,  Died 1/25/2007,  Age 95 years 10 months. (lived the longest)   

His Wife,  Rebecca Weneck  

Sam was a PA State Trooper who served in the Greensburg Barracks (PA). Sam was involved in solving several high profile crimes.  The PA turnpike bandit, the Karen Mauk murder case in Johnstown, among others.   Sam retired to Florida, then ran a Driver Training business for a number of years.  He and his wife then moved to APRC in Johnstown in 1996.   He had two children, Thomas and Cheryl

George E. Luther   

Born 5/3/1913,  Died 3/6/2008, Age almost 95 years

Wife:  Elizabeth Helt

George was an early “male nurse” before that term was very common, and then he was a pharmaceutical salesman for many years in the Washington DC area, before retiring to Florida.  He and Aunt “Buzy” moved to APRC in Johnstown for his last 12 years. He had two children. George Jr. & Donald

Luther Road was a farm lane, which connected Rt. 56  (Scalp Ave.) to the Luther Farm.   Later on, the road was extended to what is now the Elton Road.   Robert M. Luther also owned two small coal mines along the road that goes from Snakey Hollow (end of Walters Ave.)  to the Solomon Run Homes.  The mines were operated by only 1 or 2 men each, and a mule to bring out the coal.  Coal was sold at the mine by the bushel basket, or ton if someone had a wagon or truck.  They were closed down in the 1950’s.

My father told me of many stories about going into Johnstown early on Saturday mornings to sell their farm produce along Market Street.  They would hook up a team and a wagon and drive into Johnstown, sell until they ran out of produce, then drive the wagon back to Richland & Luther Road.

My father told me a neat story about buying a cow from a farmer over in Waterford, PA.  They planned a picnic at the top of Laurel Mountain, which is now  Route 271.  On the appointed day, the people from Waterford tied the cow to a wagon and they drove their team & wagon up the mountain with the cow walking behind.  Meanwhile, my dad, grandpa and others drove their wagon and team of horses from Luther Road up thru Westmont, and up to the top of the mountain.  They planned to meet there about noon, and have a picnic.  After the picnic, they tied the cow to my dad’s wagon and drove home with the cow therefore walking the whole way from Waterford, to Luther Road, about 24 miles.  It took all day!

Another interesting story involves a number of the Luther kids, their Dad (my grandfather) and the Church Grove School.  This was a school for many years extending from the late 1800’s up until the 1980’s or so.  All of the R.M Luther children, plus many of the 1st cousins, (myself included) attended this school   The Richland Twp. Fire Hall is now built where that school was located between the Weaver Mennonite Church and what is now Rt. 219. In the early 1900’s there were several knotholes in some of the boards on the floor of the then one room  school.   Over the years, many a student crumpled up a piece of paper and tossed it down one of those holes.  Well, one day, one of the boy’s  (we never knew who) lit a match and tossed it down, and of course the match ignited the paper and smoke started coming out many a knot hole around the room!   Everyone helped to douse the flames with water to much excitement. Of course school was let out early that day.   There was some minor damage done to floor boards and to a couple of the support joists under the floor.   Lucky it was a Friday, and on Saturday, my Dad, (Ted)  my grandfather (R.M Luther), plus other’s came over to repair the school rooms floor.  Someone got the neat idea to hang a cowbell under the area of the teacher’s desk and then they ran a number of strings to various seats in the classroom and tied a small knot at the end of the string so it wouldn’t go down the small crack or hole.  Over the next few months, off and on, the cowbell would ring and frustrate the teacher!

Time went by, and the teacher eventually found the last string!   When the building was torn down many years later, they found that bell, still hanging under the teacher’s desk area!