Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Vol. 3.
Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 186.

ROBERT VITUS

     For many years Robert Vitus was extensively and successfully engaged in
farming in Lane county and after a long and useful career, is now practically
retired from active labor, occupying a comfortable home in Eugene. Mr. Vitus was
born in Dunkirk, Pennsylvania, on the 19th of July, 1861, and is a son of August
and Minnie Vitus. The family moved to Caldwell county, Missouri, where the
mother died, leaving eight children, of whom he is the sixth in order of birth.
In 1874 the father took his family to Linn county, Oregon, arriving in this
state with but twenty-eight dollars, in cash. He bought a farm and lived thereon
until 1881, when with his wife and children he came to Lane county, where he
operated rented land until 1886, when he bought a farm. He was successful in its
management and at the time of his son Robert's marriage it contained six hundred
and ninety-five acres, to which were later added seven hundred and fifty-five
acres of the old Meek estate.  
 
     Robert Vitus was reared under the parental roof and secured his education
in the public schools. He assisted in the operation of the farm until his
marriage, in 1898, when he took five hundred acres of the place and engaged
extensively in raising livestock, including Poland China hogs, Cotswold sheep,
beef-cattle and  horses. Through his hard work and good management, he was more
than ordinarily successful in these lines of effort and in 1912 he quit active
farm work and moved into a fine residence which he built in Eugene, though still
maintaining general supervision over the operation of the farm, of which he yet
owns three hundred and twenty-seven acres, twenty-seven of which are in orchard.
He made many substantial improvements on the place, which is numbered among the
best farms of the county.

     In 1898 Mr. Vitus was united in marriage to Miss Mary Kimmel, who came to
Oregon in her girlhood with a brother and a sister. To Mr. and Mrs. Vitus have
been born the following children: Robert, of Eugene, who was married to Miss
Alma Ferman, of Eugene, and has a son, Robert; Arthur, who is a carpenter and
lives in Sail Diego, California; Otto, who attended the University of Oregon and
is now with the Standard Oil Company in Eugene; Herbert, who is on the home
farm; Elmer, who is in high school; Mary and Eileen. Politically Mr. Vitus is a
strong republican and has rendered effective service as a member of the school
board. Though he has always been a busy man, he has never neglected his
obligations to the community and has cooperated with his fellow citizens in all
movements for the public betterment. Square in all of his dealings, kindly and
neighborly in his relations with his fellowmen, he is a man of sound judgment in
all of his affairs and is well worthy of the respect which is accorded him by
his fellow citizens.
 

     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2016 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.