Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.), Monday, December 27, 1954, p. 6, col. 1:
"J. Frank Witwer Dies
Pioneer Motor Car Dealer was 84 years old
Retirement in 1932 as Head of Southwest Motor Company Ended Long Career in Transportation Field.
J. Frank WItwer, a member of the Studebaker family and a pioneer motor car dealer here, died today at the Armour home, 8100 Wornall road. He was 84 years old, and had suffered from a heart ailment the last two years.

A nephew of Peter E. Studebaker and J. M. Studebaker, founders of the motor car corporation, he took his first job stacking wheel spokes in the company's wagon factory in South Bend, Ind., at the age of 12.

Retirement in 1982
His business career spanned the transportation revolution from the horse to the motor car. He retired in 1932 as president of the Southwest Motor company, Pierce-Arrow distributors at Twenty-sixth and Grand avenue, after 24 years along Kansas City's "motor car row."

He was born in Hamilton, Mo., one of twelve children of Bishop George Witwer. His mother was the former Elizabeth Studebaker, sister of the motor car firm founders. Mr. Witwer's boyhool associates included several Hamilton boys" who went on to business fame, including J. C. Penney, chain store executive; William T. Kemper, banker here, and Marcus Lowe, general counsel for the Santa Fe railroad.

In his youth he was trained in various departments of the Studebaker factory, meanwhile attending South Bend Business college. When only 18, he was assigned as assistant branch manager in Dallas, Tex., and sold to wealthy cattle families wagons and carriages of a type never before seen in the state, including Victoria phaetons, broughams and English dog carts.

In Several Ventures
in 1892, with his brother, Harvey E. Witwer, he opened the firm of Witwer Brothers in Jolliet, Ill., and sold heavy wagons to contractors on the Chicago drainage canal. After managing a hardware firm in Aurora, Ill., he returned to Studebaker in 1899, and joined the Columbus O., branch.

He married Miss Alma Loechler of Columbus in 1901, Mrs. Witwer died in 1941.

Mr. Witwer was general manager for Studebaker in Cleveland from 1903 until 1908, when he came here as vehicle manager, becoming motor car manager the next year. He built a home at 3732 Tracy avenue, the first in that area, and later lived at 3804 Harrison boulevard. In 1909, when Studebaker established its motor car branch at 1620 Grand avenue and began selling the E. M. F. cars, he purchased in The Star the first full page motor car advertisement here.

Witwer Motors in 1911.
In 1911 he handled the Garford and Marion automobiles and the Ohio electric car under the firm name of Witwer Motors at 1806 Grand, and in 1912 he formed, with W. S. Hathaway, Southwest Motor company, selling Reos, Chevrolets and Detroits.

In 1925 he became general manager here for the Flint Motor company at Eighteenth and McGee streets, later moving to twenty-sixth and Grand where he opened the Pierce-Arrow agency, his last enterprise, in 1931.

He was president of the Kansas City Motor Car Dealers association three times and a director many years. Mr. Witwer also was a member of the Kansas City club, Kansas City Athletic club, Chamber of Commerce, Meadow Lake Country club, Y. M. C. A. and the Safety Council, and a vestryman of St. Mark's Lutheran church.

A Motto for Business.
In a brief autobiography pre....."