Dec 1 2000 12:00AM By Judy Hruska: New Castle News Auto biography: Winter family can trace its roots to early carmakers, the Studebakers Dec 1 2000 12:00AM By Judy Hruska: New Castle News Sherri Fix Winter of Neshannock Township can trace her family's roots back to the Studebaker family who manufactured automobiles at the turn of the 20th century. John, Clement, Henry and Peter Studebaker organized the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Co. to build Conestoga wagons in 1868. They began to experiment with automobiles in 1897. Three of those brothers were named after their forefathers, three German Studebaker brothers who came to the United States in 1736. Sherri shares these ancestors. The family story in America began when Heinrich, Peter and Clement Studebaker came from Germany on the English ship, Harle. The automakers are descendants of Peter, while Sherri's branch of the family tree extends from Heinrich. Heinrich, Sherri's fifth-generation great-grandfather, married a woman whose last name was Kellough. No record of her first name has been found. They traveled west into the frontier of Pennsylvania. Heinrich built a log cabin in what is now Montgomery Township in the county west of Gettysburg. Family legend has it that on March 3, 1756, as Heinrich and his oldest son, Joseph, were clearing their land, the Delaware and Shawnee Indians attacked and killed Heinrich. Storming into the family's cabin, they took his wife and children captive. The other children included Philip, Elizabeth and possibly more. The oldest daughter, Susannah, was visiting relatives at the time. After this incident, they continued to raise her to adulthood. As the mother lagged behind, she was killed. The children were adopted by Indian families and held for nine years. Elizabeth eventually returned to live with the Indians, while Philip and Joseph lived with relatives in Franklin County. Joseph married Mollie Teeter in 1771 and settled in Westmoreland County near Greensburg. During the Revolutionary War, Joseph served in the Westmoreland County Militia, Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Continental Line . He was sent by the government to clear the Moravian Indians from Worth Township, near the Portersville/Plain Grove area. A memorial was later built in Joseph's memory in Moravia. He and Mollie had five children: David, Susannah, Elizabeth, Catherine and Joseph Jr. David settled in the area which was to become the city of Butler. The rest of his family followed in 1793. Elizabeth (1781-1865) married George Meals (circa 1779-1857) and they had seven children: Lydia, Samuel, Mollie, Joseph, Margaret, Susannah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth married Jacob Pisor Jr. and they had 10 children: Daniel Oliver, Henderson, Hamilton, Jacob, Wallace, Emma, Etta, Elizabeth, Angeline and John. Daniel Oliver Pisor was born in Butler County in 1851. In 1901, he moved to New Castle, where he was employed as a tinner. At the time of his death, he was living on Martin Street. After Daniel Oliver's death on Feb. 10, 1918, his obituary stated that "he became known to a large circle of friends who admired and respected him." Daniel was married three times. First to the former Margaret Campbell. After she died in 1878, he married her sister, Adda. After Adda's death in 1893, he married Mary Catherine Baker. Daniel fathered 10 children, five of whom were born to Adda. They were: Gertrude, Angeline, Alta, Edward and Margaret. Gertrude, born Jan. 26, 1892, married Percy J. Rowland in 1908. They were Sherri's grandparents. "I don't remember my grandfather much because he died when I was very young," the 61-year-old Sherri said. "But I remember my grandmother well." Percy was 50 when he died in 1942 following a stroke. Gertrude lived until 1983, dying at the age of 91. The couple were lovingly called Rolsey and Daddy Rolsey by all, Sherri said. They had five children: Mary, Olive, Gladys, Maxine and Gertrude, who was Sherri's mother. "My grandmother made the most wonderful bread and rolls for dinner every day," Sherri remembered. "She stayed with us for a whole year. She was always there." Sherri explained that after her birth, her mother was pronounced dead, but turned out to be in a deep coma as a result of a type of blood poisoning. At first, Sherri was raised by her grandmother. Later, Rolsey moved in next door to continue to help her daughter. Gertrude had married John Fix in 1938. John, now 84, lives with Sherri and her husband, Lee. Gertrude died on July 8, 1999. The Fixes had three more children after Sherri. They are Susan Griffith, John Fix and Denise Royer. While growing up, Sherri said, she was very close to her father. "He convinced me I could do anything I wanted to do. He taught me to run machines and drive a fork lift. I learned to drive on a stick-shift tractor." She also helped her father build a log cabin for the family across Mercer Road from the current Christmas House. "While we were building it, we lived in a one-room 18-by-18 house - my dad, my mom, myself and my sister. While we were living there, my mother had my brother. After we moved into the log cabin, she had my other sister." John bought his daughter two horses and a pony. One of the horses was the vehicle through which she met her husband, Lee Winter. Sherri explained she was visiting a new-found girlfriend to go horseback riding. Little did she know the friend had an older brother. "He was on the tractor along the road and I came riding by and he wanted to meet me, so he made the tractor backfire and scared my horse. So we met and started talking." She recalled the two went roller skating a couple of times, then Winter went into the Navy. "I graduated from New Castle High School in 1957 and then went to work for Universal Rundle," she said. "I married Lee at the end of that year." The couple's daughters were to inherit the matchmaking horse. Sherri and Lee had three children: Leesa, Eric and Abigail. Leesa is married to David Paulsen and lives in Griffin, Ga. Eric lives in Colorado Springs. Abigail, who is married to Gordon Willis, lives in Windham, Ohio. They have three children, Aubrey, Phillip, and Aleecia. (The New Castle Public Library aided in research for this article.)