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Hilty, Amos (1874-1975)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1969 Mar 28 p. 11
Birth date: 1874 Mar 1 Bluffton, OH Death date: 1975 Jun 30 Riley, Putnam Co., OH
text of obituary:
Ohio Grandfather Oldest Descendant of Pioneer Swiss Family
Pandora, Ohio. — On Sunday, March 2, Amos Hilty celebrated his 95th birthday. A family dinner was held at noon at the home of a grandson, Charles Krohn, and in the afternoon there was open house at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Lillian Krohn.
Mr. Hilty received greetings from President Nixon and Ohio Governor Rhodes.
Born March 1, 1874 on a farm to miles southwest of Bluffton, he was one of nine children born to Ben and Elizabeth (Schumacher) Hilty.
He is one of the 163 descendants of the Christian and Barbara Elizabeth (Luginbuhl) Schumacher family. These pioneers came to Wayne County from Switzerland in 1835 and located on what is known as the Old Schumacher Homestead in 1826. Of these descendants he is the oldest living.
After his school years, he drove a team for the Schumacher Stone Quarry in Bluffton, which supplied limestone for sidewalks, curbing and wallstone for basements. Also as a young man he hauled derrick lumber for local oil wells.
After his marriage on Dec. 11, 1898 to Helen [sic Helena] Geiger, he operated a dray in Bluffton. He also worked for two years at the new Bluffton Milling Company. In 1905 he moved his family to a farm near Pandora, where he was engaged in farming. In the fall of 1935 they moved into Pandora, and his son Herbert farmed the farm. He then worked at the Pandora Schumacher Stone Quarry.
In 1948, he and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. After her death in 1953, he kept his own home until he returned to the farm with Herbert and his wife in 1960.
This pleasant nonagenarian enjoys good health and is alert to present-day happenings. He listens to the news broadcasts on television and radio and has several favorite programs. The Bible is his favorite book for reading, he said.
He is the oldest member of the St. John's Mennonite Church in Pandora, where he also served as a superintendent and was a church deacon for over 10 years.
In addition to his son Herbert and daughter, Lillian, his children include: Sidney of Findlay and Myron of Bellingham, Wash. He also has 11 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.
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