Robert H. Lewis was born in 1835 in New York State, the son of the elusive Olmstead Lewis and his wife (name unknown). He was a violin maker, and in the 1860s in PA became acquainted with Ole Bull, the noted Norwegian violinist.

In 1875, Robert moved to Wexford County, settling on a farm in the Hollister neighborhood. According to a Grand Rapids, Michigan, newspaper article, "Here [he] raised a family and made many violins, taking his design more from the da Salo instrument than from others."

Around 1864 he married Mary Jane Smith, originally from Naples, Ontario County, New York. The couple had four children.  Details as follows:

• Cary Oscearo Lewis (1865-aft.1930) m. (1) Grace Huffman, m. (2) Elva Mudget.  One daughter from first marriage died young.  No other descendants.
• Albert Lafayette Lewis (1868-1945) - My great-grandfather.  See this page for more details.
• Robert A. Lewis (1870-1881) - died of diphtheria.
• Emily Isola Lewis (1874-1949) - known as Ola.  Married Anthony Hoseit of Canada; seven or eight children.

Robert Lewis died in 1895 or 1896 (date on tombstone), and is buried in the Sherman Twp Cemetery, Osceola County, Michigan.