Henry Reuther

HENRY REUTHER and Elizabeth Witzgall(witzcal)

Henry and Elizabeth Reuther came from a big farm (Ritterguth) which was owned by a man, Pfanstiel, of Guttenberg, who had thirteen such farms. Henry Reuther worked for this man and Elizabeth Witzgall Reuther did very fine serving for the rich guests. This farm was called "Farm Humendorf" and is located in the county (Greis) OBERFRANKEN, not far from Kulmbach near Bamberg, Niirnberg and FUrth. Born at Humendorf between Untersteinach and Stadtstein-ich, Koenigreich Bayern, and Keiserrich Deutschland.

The family consisted of 12, father Henry, mother Elizabeth, and grandmother. Henry earned 32 "pfenich" a day. During the week they ate watersoup and potatoes. On Sundays they ate potatoes "kloes" and a half of pound of pork for all fifteen (15).

When they went to school, they got up at 5:30. School hours were from 7:OOA.M. to 11:00 A.M. and from 12:00 noon to 4:00 P.M. They walked three miles to the school; got a piece of black bread which waSI.to -last thera until they got home at 5:00 P.M.

In Nov. 27, 1885 Henry Reuther and children, Peter John (Lackawwnna, N.Y.) Anne, Caroline, Rose, Kuni Witzgall (cousin), and a few friends came to America and landed in Hoboken, N.J. The day after their arrival they came to Scranton, Pa. Henry Reuther got work at the blast furnace and Peter John at the old mill yard. They saved money in order that the rest of the family mif. come over in the following Spring. In May, 1886, ElizabethReuther (Witzgall) Katy, Mary, Mame Josephine, Christ, George, and John came over. The first eighteen months they rented a home on Maple Street Scranton, Pa. near the D & H R. R. After that they bought a home at 1014 Stafford Ave , Scranton Penna. At that time the home consisted of three rooms. So their storeman, Mr. Rosar, gox a carpenter who added another room.

In 1891 a second story was added and a well dug. For at that time there was no city water line on the hill. Peter John was the first one to go around and get signatures from all the people. They wefce then given to the councilmai who in turn gave to the water co. In 1893 the city water was lined in the vicinity.