Ralph S. Witten
BEVERLY - Ralph Steven Witten Sr., 89, of Beverly died Feb. 14, 2003.
He was born Feb. 2, 1914, at Sardis, Ohio, Monroe County to Fred and Maude (Tuel) Witten. He was the middle child in their family of nine. He graduated from Sardis High School in 1933 and was a member of the basketball team, playing as guard. After graduation, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, then served in the U.S. Army as anti-craft weapons grunner in central Europe during World War II. He received four medals and two bronze stars. On Dec. 14, 1942, he married Frances Bradfield, also of Monroe County.
He was the patriarch of Witten Farm's Market, Inc., Lowell. His farming career spaned more than 60 years. He combined two business of growing vegetable crops for roadside markets and until 1981, milked a herd of dairy cows. They bought their first farm, the old Stewart Farm on the Ohio River, near Fly, Ohio, in 1946, where his talent was nurtured on 150 acres of sandy land. He sold his first crops door to door in surrounding towns with his young family carrying the produce as he gave the customer their change. In 1958, Mr. Witten, his wife and their seven children purchased the Corner Farm in Washington County along the Muskingum River near Beverly, Ohio, which became Witten Farm's Market, Inc. He never complained of long days of hard work. For more than 50 years, he rose at 4:30 a.m. to milk cows, which he milked again in the evening. Just after dawn in the summer, he opened the roadside market and closed with the last customer often after sunset. His love of farming continued through his 89 years. His family's greatest challenge was locating him on the various farms he owned and rented in Washington County. Often he was found doing his favorite job, working on the tractor 10 miles from home.
He always included his family in his farming business. As patriarch, he assigned everyone chores and saw that they were completed. He kept a watchful eye, with comments on his children's work and later on his granchildren's. Mr. and Mrs. Witten taught their children to work hard and always be honest. He was a Christian, attended Witten Chapel for many years and wanted his children in church. He felt that a man was as good as his word. Ralph has gone on to Heaven to be with his wife Frances as she has been patiently waiting for him. He will be deeply missed by his family.
He is survived by five daughters, Carol Witten of Richmond, Calif., Barbara Schaad and her husband Roger of Beverly, Sue Whitaker and her husband Rick of Zanesville, Polly Ann Campbell and her husband Larry of Lowell and Debbie Witten and her husband Marty Dematteis of Niles, Ohio; two sons, Jerry Witten and his wife Bonnie of Lowell and Ralph Witten Jr. of Lowell; seven grandsons; three granddaughters; two great-grandsons; three great-granddaughters; one sister, Ruth Witten of Sardis, Ohio; one brother, Bill Witten of Newport, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 59 years, Frances; two sisters, Mabel Adams and Margaret Hubbard; and four brothers, John, Joe, Elmer and Theodore Witten.
Services will be held 1 p.m. Monday at McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home, Marietta , Pastor Zack Waite and the Rev. Jerry Huntsman officiating. Burial will be in East Lawn Memorial Park with military rights. Friends may call 1-3 and 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
BEVERLY - Ralph Steven Witten Sr., 89, of Beverly died Feb. 14, 2003.
He was born Feb. 2, 1914, at Sardis, Ohio, Monroe County to Fred and Maude (Tuel) Witten. He was the middle child in their family of nine. He graduated from Sardis High School in 1933 and was a member of the basketball team, playing as guard. After graduation, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, then served in the U.S. Army as anti-craft weapons grunner in central Europe during World War II. He received four medals and two bronze stars. On Dec. 14, 1942, he married Frances Bradfield, also of Monroe County.
He was the patriarch of Witten Farm's Market, Inc., Lowell. His farming career spaned more than 60 years. He combined two business of growing vegetable crops for roadside markets and until 1981, milked a herd of dairy cows. They bought their first farm, the old Stewart Farm on the Ohio River, near Fly, Ohio, in 1946, where his talent was nurtured on 150 acres of sandy land. He sold his first crops door to door in surrounding towns with his young family carrying the produce as he gave the customer their change. In 1958, Mr. Witten, his wife and their seven children purchased the Corner Farm in Washington County along the Muskingum River near Beverly, Ohio, which became Witten Farm's Market, Inc. He never complained of long days of hard work. For more than 50 years, he rose at 4:30 a.m. to milk cows, which he milked again in the evening. Just after dawn in the summer, he opened the roadside market and closed with the last customer often after sunset. His love of farming continued through his 89 years. His family's greatest challenge was locating him on the various farms he owned and rented in Washington County. Often he was found doing his favorite job, working on the tractor 10 miles from home.
He always included his family in his farming business. As patriarch, he assigned everyone chores and saw that they were completed. He kept a watchful eye, with comments on his children's work and later on his granchildren's. Mr. and Mrs. Witten taught their children to work hard and always be honest. He was a Christian, attended Witten Chapel for many years and wanted his children in church. He felt that a man was as good as his word. Ralph has gone on to Heaven to be with his wife Frances as she has been patiently waiting for him. He will be deeply missed by his family.
He is survived by five daughters, Carol Witten of Richmond, Calif., Barbara Schaad and her husband Roger of Beverly, Sue Whitaker and her husband Rick of Zanesville, Polly Ann Campbell and her husband Larry of Lowell and Debbie Witten and her husband Marty Dematteis of Niles, Ohio; two sons, Jerry Witten and his wife Bonnie of Lowell and Ralph Witten Jr. of Lowell; seven grandsons; three granddaughters; two great-grandsons; three great-granddaughters; one sister, Ruth Witten of Sardis, Ohio; one brother, Bill Witten of Newport, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 59 years, Frances; two sisters, Mabel Adams and Margaret Hubbard; and four brothers, John, Joe, Elmer and Theodore Witten.
Services will be held 1 p.m. Monday at McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home, Marietta , Pastor Zack Waite and the Rev. Jerry Huntsman officiating. Burial will be in East Lawn Memorial Park with military rights. Friends may call 1-3 and 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Ralph S. Witten
BEVERLY - Ralph Steven Witten Sr., 89, of Beverly died Feb. 14, 2003.
He was born Feb. 2, 1914, at Sardis, Ohio, Monroe County to Fred and Maude (Tuel) Witten. He was the middle child in their family of nine. He graduated from Sardis High School in 1933 and was a member of the basketball team, playing as guard. After graduation, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, then served in the U.S. Army as anti-craft weapons grunner in central Europe during World War II. He received four medals and two bronze stars. On Dec. 14, 1942, he married Frances Bradfield, also of Monroe County.
He was the patriarch of Witten Farm's Market, Inc., Lowell. His farming career spaned more than 60 years. He combined two business of growing vegetable crops for roadside markets and until 1981, milked a herd of dairy cows. They bought their first farm, the old Stewart Farm on the Ohio River, near Fly, Ohio, in 1946, where his talent was nurtured on 150 acres of sandy land. He sold his first crops door to door in surrounding towns with his young family carrying the produce as he gave the customer their change. In 1958, Mr. Witten, his wife and their seven children purchased the Corner Farm in Washington County along the Muskingum River near Beverly, Ohio, which became Witten Farm's Market, Inc. He never complained of long days of hard work. For more than 50 years, he rose at 4:30 a.m. to milk cows, which he milked again in the evening. Just after dawn in the summer, he opened the roadside market and closed with the last customer often after sunset. His love of farming continued through his 89 years. His family's greatest challenge was locating him on the various farms he owned and rented in Washington County. Often he was found doing his favorite job, working on the tractor 10 miles from home.
He always included his family in his farming business. As patriarch, he assigned everyone chores and saw that they were completed. He kept a watchful eye, with comments on his children's work and later on his granchildren's. Mr. and Mrs. Witten taught their children to work hard and always be honest. He was a Christian, attended Witten Chapel for many years and wanted his children in church. He felt that a man was as good as his word. Ralph has gone on to Heaven to be with his wife Frances as she has been patiently waiting for him. He will be deeply missed by his family.
He is survived by five daughters, Carol Witten of Richmond, Calif., Barbara Schaad and her husband Roger of Beverly, Sue Whitaker and her husband Rick of Zanesville, Polly Ann Campbell and her husband Larry of Lowell and Debbie Witten and her husband Marty Dematteis of Niles, Ohio; two sons, Jerry Witten and his wife Bonnie of Lowell and Ralph Witten Jr. of Lowell; seven grandsons; three granddaughters; two great-grandsons; three great-granddaughters; one sister, Ruth Witten of Sardis, Ohio; one brother, Bill Witten of Newport, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 59 years, Frances; two sisters, Mabel Adams and Margaret Hubbard; and four brothers, John, Joe, Elmer and Theodore Witten.
Services will be held 1 p.m. Monday at McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home, Marietta , Pastor Zack Waite and the Rev. Jerry Huntsman officiating. Burial will be in East Lawn Memorial Park with military rights. Friends may call 1-3 and 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
BEVERLY - Ralph Steven Witten Sr., 89, of Beverly died Feb. 14, 2003.
He was born Feb. 2, 1914, at Sardis, Ohio, Monroe County to Fred and Maude (Tuel) Witten. He was the middle child in their family of nine. He graduated from Sardis High School in 1933 and was a member of the basketball team, playing as guard. After graduation, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, then served in the U.S. Army as anti-craft weapons grunner in central Europe during World War II. He received four medals and two bronze stars. On Dec. 14, 1942, he married Frances Bradfield, also of Monroe County.
He was the patriarch of Witten Farm's Market, Inc., Lowell. His farming career spaned more than 60 years. He combined two business of growing vegetable crops for roadside markets and until 1981, milked a herd of dairy cows. They bought their first farm, the old Stewart Farm on the Ohio River, near Fly, Ohio, in 1946, where his talent was nurtured on 150 acres of sandy land. He sold his first crops door to door in surrounding towns with his young family carrying the produce as he gave the customer their change. In 1958, Mr. Witten, his wife and their seven children purchased the Corner Farm in Washington County along the Muskingum River near Beverly, Ohio, which became Witten Farm's Market, Inc. He never complained of long days of hard work. For more than 50 years, he rose at 4:30 a.m. to milk cows, which he milked again in the evening. Just after dawn in the summer, he opened the roadside market and closed with the last customer often after sunset. His love of farming continued through his 89 years. His family's greatest challenge was locating him on the various farms he owned and rented in Washington County. Often he was found doing his favorite job, working on the tractor 10 miles from home.
He always included his family in his farming business. As patriarch, he assigned everyone chores and saw that they were completed. He kept a watchful eye, with comments on his children's work and later on his granchildren's. Mr. and Mrs. Witten taught their children to work hard and always be honest. He was a Christian, attended Witten Chapel for many years and wanted his children in church. He felt that a man was as good as his word. Ralph has gone on to Heaven to be with his wife Frances as she has been patiently waiting for him. He will be deeply missed by his family.
He is survived by five daughters, Carol Witten of Richmond, Calif., Barbara Schaad and her husband Roger of Beverly, Sue Whitaker and her husband Rick of Zanesville, Polly Ann Campbell and her husband Larry of Lowell and Debbie Witten and her husband Marty Dematteis of Niles, Ohio; two sons, Jerry Witten and his wife Bonnie of Lowell and Ralph Witten Jr. of Lowell; seven grandsons; three granddaughters; two great-grandsons; three great-granddaughters; one sister, Ruth Witten of Sardis, Ohio; one brother, Bill Witten of Newport, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 59 years, Frances; two sisters, Mabel Adams and Margaret Hubbard; and four brothers, John, Joe, Elmer and Theodore Witten.
Services will be held 1 p.m. Monday at McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home, Marietta , Pastor Zack Waite and the Rev. Jerry Huntsman officiating. Burial will be in East Lawn Memorial Park with military rights. Friends may call 1-3 and 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
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