Index to Bittner and Petenbrink family genealogy material
Allen Lester Korns of Southampton Township Somerset County PA, the son of John Wilson Korns and his wife Mary (Geiger) Korns, married Gladys Edna Bittner, the daughter of Calvin Wesley Bittner and his wife Ida Ada (Petenbrink) Bittner. Here are some items of interest regarding the Bittner and Petenbrink families.
Calvin Bittner was born April 28, 1880 in Jones Mills and died July 16, 1964. His wife Ida Ada (Petenbrink) Bittner was born December 3, 1884 and died Jan. 13, 1977. Calvin and Ida were married Dec. 23, 1903. Calvin Bittner and his wife Ida Ada (Petenbrink) Bittner are buried at St. John's United Methodist Church at White Oak, Larimer Township, Somerset Co. PA. Click here for a photo of their tombstone.
The obituary of Calvin W. Bittner reads as follows:
"Calvin Wesley Bittner, 84, Meyersdale RD 4, died Thursday, July 16 at home. He was born April 28, 1880 in Jones Mills, son of Joseph and Druzilla (Beal) Bittner.
He is survived by his wife, Ada Petenbrink Bittner; three daughters: Mrs. Allen Korns of Hyndman RD, Mrs. Robert Hittie of New Freedom and Mrs. John Sass Jr. of Salix; two sons, Ramon Clinto (sic) Bittner of Meyersdale RD 4 and Wilbert Bittner at home; a sister, Miss Edna Bittner of Meyersdale RD 4; 22 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.
Funeral service was held Sunday at Temple EUB Church, White Oak, the Rev. Earl Meyers officiating. Interment in church cemetery. in charge of Konhaus Funeral Home."
The names of the children of Calvin and Ida are:
Gladys Edna Bittner, born May 9, 1904
Ina Gertrude born March 8, 1906
Stanley Wilbert Bittner, born March 29, 1911, never married
Calvin Wesley, Jr. died at birth March 3, 1918
Raymond Clinton Bittner, known as "Clinton", b. March 3, 1920, died Jan. 8, 1996, who married Alberta Rosella Conner, daughter of George Lester Conner and Anna Rosella Lowery
Mildred Janette or Jenette Bittner, born July 13, 1927, married John Sass, Jr.
Calvin's parents were Joseph 'Josiah Joe' Bittner and Drucilla (Beal) Bittner. Ida Ada's parents were Peter Frederick Petenbrink and his wife Flora (Kennel) Petenbrink. Flora's parents were Andrew Kennel and Lydia Boyer. According to the book "Pastors and People of Somerset Classis", Lydia Boyer was the daughter of Jonathan and Susan Boyer, was born March 21, 1833 at Kennels Mills PA, died March 15, 1921, was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church and later supported the Gladden's Run Church, and married Frederick Hasselroth in 1862 and had a large family with him. (Flora Kennel was born out of wedlock.) Peter Petenbrink's parents were Christian Petenbrink and Anna Keilman/Coleman. Christian's father was Peter Peppenbrink.
Calvin Bittner worked one winter in the clay mines. During World War II, he hauled coal to Meyersdale (to the railroad) with his team of horses. Their home burned on December 19, 1943. For a number of years he bought cattle hogs and sheep and sold the meat on a Saturday route. He also owned a Huber tractor engine with a thresher, corn husker, and silo filler and a a sawmill and did custom work with them.
Page 8 of Roger and Mona Huffman's 2007 book "A Look At Southampton Township Pennsylvania", Volume II indicates that Calvin and Ada Petenbrink, from near White Oaks, raised a new barn on June 20, 1926. The information was credited to clippings collected by Charles Burkett and Stella (Emerick) Shroyer.
In 1993 Calvin & Ida Ada's daughter Mildred wrote the following to me:
"Thank you so much for the copy of the article from the Laurel Messenger on Reichards/White Oak Church. That is the church where my mother had her membership until she died. My dad was a member of St. John's Evangelical Church which became the United Methodist Church.
.....
My home burned December 19, 1943. Two years before, Clinton's home burned. (Dec. 17, 1941). His home had been made into two apartments and the people on the other side had an overheated flue. Dad's home, near Deal, burnt on a Sunday. They discovered it after we came back from church, around noon, and they carried the stoves out without gloves on their hands. It started in the attic some how but they never found out what started it. There was no electric in the house.
The Bible records of Owen Beal was really a classic article. My father talked of his uncle Andy Beal.
My parents, my uncles and aunts on my father's side, and my baby brother are all buried in the cemetery out behind the St. John United Methodist Church (known as the temple) at White Oak. Also grandparents are buried there on my dad's side."
I accompanied my grandmother Gladys (Bittner) Korns on several occasions when she went to visit her mother and father. Her father Calvin was known as "Pop" and her mother Ina was known as "Mom". Calvin and Ina were still living in the small cottage on their family farm at the time of my visits, although they were quite elderly. This home was nor far from the White Oak Churches in Somerset County, Pa. Calvin and Ina evidently had some of the pioneer philosophy to the tune of "make do or do without" because I remember that one of the cabinets in their home had wooden thread spools substituting for drawer pulls.
The last time I visited the home of my Great-Grandparents I met their son Wilbur, who I believe lived his entire life with Calvin and Ida. My mother Estalene told me that Wilbur had fallen as a child when running across corn stubble, and the resulting injury destroyed his ability to speak. He was mute when I met him. He was at least 50 or 60 years old when I met him, and it was impossible to understand his attempts at communication. It turned out that he wanted to show me his rabbits, which he kept in hutches in the barn. He was very proud of them, and I had an interesting time getting to see them all.
According to Pattysue Murphy, "Wilbert had his own way of speaking...Grandma Bittner was the best at understanding him. I could catch some of what he said. When he was in the nursing home they found that he had the ability to speak normally, but wouldn't from years of speaking "his" way. Maybe the accident cause it in the beginning, but he kept it up. Maybe his way didn't hurt his throat. I was told it was a golden rod stem...stories!".
Wilbert is also buried at St. John's United Methodist Church at White Oak, Larimer Township, Somerset Co. PA and his tombstone reads "S. Wilbert Bittner 1911-1994".
I was also to the farm of Calvin and Ida's son Clinton Bittner as a child, and Clinton visited our house once in Mercer County. Clinton's farm was not far from that of his parents, but it was even closer to the farm of my Grandfather Irvin H. Dietle.
L. Dietle
2007
Bittner Genealogy Materials
Wedding photo of Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Bittner
Inside Calvin Bittner's house
Calvin Bittner's 1899-1900 Wittenburg school card
Photo of Mrs. Calvin Bittner in old age
Photo of Calvin Bittner in old age
Calvin Bittner family portrait
Cream pitcher of Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Bittner
Photo of the young Calvin Bittner
Mrs. Calvin Bittner, with mother, daughter, and grandson
1925 Photo of Gladys Bittner & others
1925 Photo of Pop Bittner, Gladys Bittner & others
Gladys (Bittner) Korns' baby chair
Post card of Gladys and Ina Bittner, daughters of Calvin Bittner
Joseph Bittner obituary, May 21, 1936
Gladys Bittner, daughter of Calvin Bittner, 1924 photo
1923 photo of Leta Brown, Gladys Bittner and Minerva Mazer
1924 photo of Gladys Bittner at the Philson School
Gladys Bittner with her Korns School class of 1923-24
Photo of Calvin Bittner's children, their spouses
Photo of Alverda and Gladys Bittner as children
Photo of Nannie and Edna Bittner
Mower, Gladys Bittner in center of group, Ethel Beal seated
Josiah Joe Bittner, posing with family members
Calvin Bittner with Logson''s, Shroyer's (97KB)
Charley Bittner at Samson's rock (241KB)
Ida Ada "Mom" Bittner with cake (37KB)
Calvin and Ida (Petenbrink) Bittner 60th anniversary (1055KB)
Gladys Bittner holding Verna Mankamyer
Gladys Bittner, Leta, Lucille, Ina, Minerva
Hilda Bittner, from Gladys Korns album
Ina and Clinton Bittner, from Gladys Korns album
Lucille Mazer, Paulene Mankameyer, from Gladys Korns album
Photo of Calvin and Ida Ada (Petenbrink) Bittner
Gladys and Alverta Bittner as children (63KB)
Marriage certificate of Calvin and Ida (Petenbrink) Bittner
Franklin Bittner in the 1870 census of Somerset County
Franklin Bittner in 1880 census records, Greenville Township
Locating the circa 1876 residence of Franklin F. Bittner
George Klingaman, Sr will, Page 1 and 2 (226 KB PDF)
George Klingaman, Jr. estate document, Page 1 and 2 (334 KB PDF)
Gladys Edna (Bittner) Korns genealogy notebook (The notebook covers a great many Southern Somerset County PA families, including (but not limited to) Bittner, Petenbrink, Kennel, Hosselrode, Korns, Geiger, Mazer, Sass and Boyer.)
Calvin Bittner Chevrolet truck title
Calvin Bittner with his daughter-in-law Alberta Bittner Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Ida "Mom" Bittner with granddaughter Gloria and two great-grandchildren Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Bittner 60th wedding anniversary Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Tombstone of Josiah Bittner 1854-1936 Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Josiah Bittner in 1890 veterans schedule Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Tombstone of Raymond Clinton Bittner BS his wife Alberta (Conner) Bittner Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Another obituary of Josiah Bittner Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Obituary of Raymond Clinton Bittner Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
WW-I draft registration of Calvin Wesley Bittner Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
WW-II draft registration of Calvin Wesley Bittner Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Tombstone of Calvin Wesley Bittner and Ida Ada (Petenbrink) Bittner Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Josiah Bittner in 1930 census of Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Misc. Petenbrink Genealogy Materials
The ship Marianne, which brought the Petenbrinks to America
Peter and Christian Petenbrink naturalization documents
Christian Petenbrink in the 1870 census
Christian Petenbrink and his son Peter in the 1880 census
Norman Petenbrink barn construction photo 1 (208KB)
Norman Petenbrink barn construction photo 2 (50KB)
Getz Cemetery Listings (Petenbrink, Kennel, 148 KB PDF)
Petenbrink Passengers Onboard the Ship Marianne, 1842 (477 KB PDF)
Some rough notes on the Petenbrink Family (17 KB)
Ancestors of Ida Ada (Petenbrink) Bittner (104 KB PDF)
Marguerite L. Cockley's notes on the Petenbrink family
A. Petenbrink research letter to Mrs. Cockley (134 KB PDF)
Petenbrink research letter from dau. of Calvin Bittner (73 KB PDF)
Marriage Certificate of Henry and Anna Marie (Everline) Petenbrink (477 KB PDF)
Andrew Petenbrink's 2015 white paper on the Petenbrink family
Obituary of Oscar Petenbrink, son of Norman Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Vincent Petenbrink meets friends at English Harbor, Dec. 13, 1944 newspaper Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Petenbrink reunion, 1968 Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Catherine (Petenbrink) Shaffer death certificate Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Photo of Lydia Gertrude Petenbrink, born 1886 Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Vincent Petenbrink strike case, August 14, 1939 newspaper article Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Violet (Petenbrink) Mankamyer 45th wedding anniversary announcement, 1962 Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Three sons of Elmer Petenbrink in the service Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Paul Eugene Petenbrink weds in Pensecola, June 23, 1943 newspaper article Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Ray G. Petenbrink discharged, September 22, 1945 newspaper article Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Two Petenbrink boys visit home, August 3, 1942 newspaper article Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Private Edwin Petenbrink weds, July 21, 1943 newspaper notice Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Click here for a 1-6-2016 draft of Andrew Petenbrink's book "Descendants of Johannes Keilman".
Edwin F. Petenbring wounded on Leyte, June 4, 1945 newspaper article Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
An anonymous Kennel file
Another anonymous Kennel file
Kennel file from Edna B. Shepard
Kendall-related 1966 letter from Eber Cockley
1993 genealogy letter from Keith Petenbrink (1,650 KB pdf)
Peter Frederick Petenbrink Genealogy Materials
Photo of the Peter Petenbrink family
Photo of the extended Peter Petenbrink family
Photo of Christian Peepenbrink with his son Peter Petenbrink's family
The family of Peter and Flora Petenbrink
Ida Ada Petenbrink photo as a youth
Ida Ada Petenbrink Mountain School Card
Ada Petenbrink's brother and sisters
Ida Ada Petenbrink as a young woman
Peter and Flora Petenbrink bio in "Wills Creek Charge" book
Photo of Lydia (Boyer) Hasselroth, mother of Flora (Kennel) Petenbrink (689 KB PDF)
Peter & Flora Petenbrink tombstones, White Oaks, Somerset Co. PA
Death of Flora Petenbrink (174 KB PDF)
Death of Peter F. Petenbrink (314 KB PDF)
Peter Petenbrink, School Officer, Spruce Bank School, 1914-15
Peter Petenbrink farm house
Petenbrink farm photo
Andrew Kennell, father of Peter Petenbrink's wife Flora
Andrew Kennell's barn
Andrew Kennell in front of his house
Peter Petenbrink, Director, Comps School, 1913
Peter Petenbrink house
Obituary of Flora (Kennel) Petenbrink Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Obituary of Peter Petenbrink Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Peter Petenbrink family in the "Wills Creek Charge" book Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Four Petenbrink daughters marry Bittner men Contributed by Pattysue (Geary) Winters
Peter Petenbrink family in the 1910 census of Southampton Township
Christian Petenbrink Genealogy Materials
Christian Petenbrink Civil War Records from the National Archives
Photo of Christian Peepenbrink in old age
Christian Petenbrink estate documents
Record of Christian Pettenbrink's 1884 death
Anonymous profile of Christian Petenbrink
Marriage license record, Christian Petenbrink to Eliza Coleman, Jan. 7, 1846
Photo of Mrs. Christian Petenbrink
C. Shaffer document, showing Anna Keilman as wife of Christian Petenbrink (457 KB)
Christian & Annie Petenbrink tombstone, Getz Cemetery, Southampton Township
Christian Petenbrink & Misc. Korns in 1850 census, Southampton Township (209 KB PDF)
Christian Petenbrink in 1860 census, Southampton Township
The Christian Petenbrink residence is identified on the 1860 Walker map
The marriages of Christian's daughter & step-daughter to G. Shuckhart-reimbursement app (255 KB PDF)
The marriages of Christian's daughter & step-daughter to G. Shuckhart-questionnaire (172 KB PDF)
1894 estate inventory & appraisal of Christian Petenbrink
Christian's Father Peter Peppenbrink
Deed relating to the widow of Christian's father Peter Peppenbrink (570 KB PDF)
Licence, remarriage of Peter Peppenbrink, father of Christian Petenbrink
Return to the Korns family genealogy home page