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Robert and Ella lived on a farm of approximately 100 acres in Richland Township, a few miles from Johnstown, PA. The lane to this farm became known as “Luther Road” and connects what is now Scalp Ave. with the Elton Road. Robert Luther was a farmer, and a local businessman of many talents. He even taught school for a few years. They had 10 children who grew into adulthood, and two infants who died as children.
Robert farmed and raised his family there on Luther Road until he passed away in 1954. Ella lived another 10 years and died in 1964. Some of his children were given lots, and built their first homes along Luther Road. These included Newt, Ted, Bill, and Liddy Belle Caldwell. During the 1930’s to 1950’s there were lots of Luther’s and Caldwell grandkids along Luther Road.
Robert M. Luther was instrumental in forming the Richland Cemetery Association and served on its board for many years. His son Ted Luther, served for over 40 years as secretary of the association. Part of the family farm was deeded to the cemetery, and quite a number of his children and grand-children are, or will be, buried on that part of the cemetery which was once a part of the family farm.
In their later years, during the 1930’s and 1940’s Robert and Ella traveled to Sarasota, Florida where they had a small winter home. On many occasions their grandsons drove them down or back.
This picture is one of the few that shows the farmhouse (on right) with the garage (center) and the Caldwell home on the left. The Caldwell home used to be the “summer kitchen” in the old days. The picture was taken from son Ted Luther’s home, with Luther Road in the foreground in 1947. Today, there are numerous homes along both sides of Luther Road where the field was. To the right was the “orchard” which had many pear trees, which the grandkids loved to climb, and eat!
The ten Luther children lived very long lives, averaging about 90 years as a family. Bill passed away in his 70’s but 8 of them lived beyond 90, with Sam and George living to age 95! Six of them, or their spouses, spent their later years at the Arbutus Park Retirement Community where a number of the “first cousin’s” now reside.
The R.M. Luther family held annual “Luther” Reunions” for many years at the Holsinger Farm, or Gram-muzzy’s, and later they were held at the family farm, and still later at Uncle Newt’s farm in New Paris, PA, For the past 30 years or so they have been held near New Florence, PA. In the picture to the left below, taken in 1967 at the community center in New Paris, all the R.M. Luther children and their spouses were present.
The picture to the right below was taken at the Luther Reunion in 1951. Grandpa and Grandma Luther were surrounded by 15 of their 35 grandkids. These included: Jay, Sandra, Doris, Jim, Shirley, Donald, Brian, Terry, Roger, Mercedes, George, Richard, Gene, Tom, and Cherie. The picture was taken at Holsinger’s Orchard.
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