Windsor Beacon (Windsor, Colorado), Thursday, April 30, 1942, p. 1:

"County Teas. Witwer Dies At His Ranch Home

County Treasurer Harvey E. Witwer, 70, died last Thursday, April 23, at his S. L. W. ranch home, after having been confined to his bed for three weeks. He had been in failing health the past few years.

Mr. Witwer was a picturesque character, widely known thruout Weld county and the state. Two of his outstanding characteristics were his Van Dyke beard and his habit of calling everybody "Neighbor."

Born at Hamilton, Mo., June 22, 1872, his family moved to South Bend, Ind., when he was 12 years old, following the death of his father, a minister of the Dunkard faith. There he received his public school education and college training. He was a nephew of the Studebaker Brothers, wagon and buggy makers of South Bend, and after various business ventures, he became a salesman for them, covering the states of South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado.

Landing at Greeley in March 1899, he took the management of the S.L.W. (Studebaker-Lamb-Witwer) ranch corporation. In 1914 he bought the interests of his partners in the ranch which he had developed into a well known stock ranch. It later became also one of the pioneer dude ranches of Colorado.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon in Greeley, with interment in Linn Grove cemetery."

South Bend Tribune, South Bend, Ind., Thurs., Apr. 23, 1942:

"HARVEY E. WITWER

Harvey E. Witwer, formerly of South Bend, died Wednesday night in Weld county, Colorado, following a stroke a few weeks ago. Mr. Witwer was born June 22, 1872, of Hamilton, Mo. About 1880 he came to South Bend with his parents, the late Reverend George and Mrs. Witwer. He received his early education in the public schools and later attended the South Bend Commercial college. After finishing school he represented the Studebaker Bros. Manufacturing company, now the Studebaker Corporation, in Kansas and Nebraska for several years.

On May 1, 1899, he became associated with the late J. M. Studebaker, sr., in the ranch and livestock business in Greeley, Colo., the ranch being known as the S. L. W. ranch, specializing in thoroughbred Hereford cattle, later owned and operated by Mr. Witwer and his two sons. It is the oldest pure-bred Hereford ranch in Colorado.

For a number of years he was vice-president and manager of the Ogilvie Irrigation & Land company in Greeley. He was elected as treasurer of Weld county for five consecutive terms and was just completing his 10th year. He was the first treasurer in the history of the largest county in Colorado, it being 93 miles long and 61 miles wide, to be elected more than three terms. He served the county in a very efficient manner. He was the first treasurer to invest the idle funds of the county in government bonds. The county now has about $250,000 invested in government securities. The county is on a cash basis and has no outstanding registered warrants. Even Mr. Witwer's democratic opponents admit that could have had the office as long as he wanted it because they could not defeat him.

On Sept. 13, 1900, he was married in Grand Rapids , Mich., to Bertha Stow, who survives with the following children: Stow Witwer, Harvey E. Witwer, jr., and Mary Frances Witwer, all residing on the ranch. Also surviving are two brothers, George M. Witwer, of this city, and J. Frank Witwer, of Kansas City, Mo., as well as a number of nieces and nephews, including Mrs. Alexander J. Ironside, Mrs. John I. Lippincott, and Mohler S. Witwer, of this city, and Edwin C. Witwer, of Niles, Mich."

In 1911 Harvey E. Witwer received a patent for 80 acres under the Homestead Act of 1862, by assignment of Benjamin F. Austin's heirs: William H. Austin, Belle Lee, and Helen W. Wells. Patent No. 179517 covered the NE quarter of the SW quarter of Section 14 and the NE quarter of the NE quarter of Section 15 in Township 5 North of Range 64 West of the 6th principal meridian, Colorado.