USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. II > Part 21
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Mr. Bittner married Eliza, daughter of Nathan Bachman, born July 14, 1838, and died March 22, 1878. They had six children: Moses, mar-
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
ried Martha Dengler ; Alice ( Mrs. Henry Haus- man) ; Amanda, and three died young.
In 1881, Mr. Bittner married his second wife, Hattie, daughter of Henry Schaadt, who died in 1871, aged 46 years. He was a descendant of Johannes Schaadt (emigrated from Hanau, Prus- sia, in 1751, and in 1754 took up 185 acres of land in North Whitehall township along the Cop- lay creek. By his second wife he had three chil- dren : Jacob W., a Lutheran clergyman at Lititz, Pa., Mabel (Mrs. Harry Spangler ), and How- ard.
Amandes Bittner was born Sept. 27, 1835. He was married to Miss Sallie Long, and died at Slatington.
Phaon Bittner was born in Lowhill town- ship, Dec. 12, 1837. He attended the common schools and farmed until 1868, when he and Daniel Muse built the Pennsylvania Hotel at Walnutport, which they conducted until 1880. He then purchased Mr. Muse's interest and alone conducted the business until about 1894, his son Erwin succeeding him. He also for less than two years kept hotel in Providence, Scran- ton, Pa. He died at Walnutport, April 20, 1905, and was buried in the Union cemetery at Slating- ton, Pa. He was married to Lucy, daughter of Solomon Zimmerman. Issue: Erwin H. and Albert F.
Erwin H. Bittner, son of Phaon, was born in Providence, Scranton, Pa., Nov. 22, 1870. He attended the common schools and was his father's assistant until 1894, when he became his succes- sor. He is a Democrat and a member of the bor- ough council. He holds membership in the Ma- sonic Fraternity ; Slatington Lodge, No. 440, F. and A. M .; Catasauqua Chapter; Bloomsburg Consistory 32° Rajah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Reading, Pa., and Order of Red Men. He married Aug. 29, 1893, Cora M., daughter of Thomas and Hattie (Link) App. Mr. and Mrs. Bittner are the parents of an only son, Wil- bur R., who was born Nov. 19, 1894, and died July 2, 1899.
Henry Bittner, the fifth son of Henry, was born in Lowhill township, Lehigh county, Dec. 2, 1844. He attended the public schools and as- sisted his father upon the farm until he became of age. He located at Slatington in 1868, and became proprietor of the Railroad House, con- ducting it until 1888, when he erected upon its site the Bittner House, the principal hostelry in the town, one of the most modern in the county, being fiev stories high and containing sixty-two rooms.
Henry Bittner is a Democrat. He has been a councilman, although the town is Republican four to one. He is a member of the Vigilant Fire
Company, and is treasurer since its organization. He is a member of the Knights of Malta; the P. O. S. of A .; and the Knights of the Golden Eagles. The family are members of St. John's Lutheran congregation. He was a member of the committee that rebuilt the church. He is one of the most liberal supporters of the congregation and has served it as deacon and elder. He also conducts the leading livery stable in Slatington and lives in his own fine and commodious home.
Mr. Bittner in 1867 married Ellen, daughter of Philip and Matilda (Krause) Benninger. Is- sue : Lillie M., born Sept. 17, 1871, and Annie, who died April 2, 1899. The latter was married to John M. Balliett and had two children : Henry and Irene, who died.
Jonas Bittner was lost. He was last seen on the Blue mountain on Aug. 20, 1878.
Peter Bittner was born Sept. 22, 1829, died in Allentown four weeks after having moved to the city on March 24, 1908, and is buried at the Weisenberg church, where he was a very active member, and served as deacon, elder and trustee. He was first a farmer but later was associated with his brother Elias for ten years in the mer- cantile business at Pleasant Corner. Afterwards John H. Hollenbach was his partner or ten years more in the store and hotel business. At the same time he carried on the lumber busi- ness. He was a Democrat. Mr. Bittner was married, first, to Lydia DeLong, with whom he had two sons, Cyprian, now living in Albu- querque, N. M., and David, who was for a num- ber of years his father's successor in the mercan- tile business at Pleasant Corner, but later, owing to failing health, moved to Albuquerque, N. M. His second wife, Maria, was a daughter of Jo- seph and Catharine ( Bittner ) Werley. She now lives with her brother-in-law, Elias Bittner, Their children were: Oscar and Katie are de- ceased : and Ida, married to Benjamin Newhard.
Jacob Bittner, son of Jacob, was a miller by trade, succeeding his father in the business at Pleasant Corner in Heidelberg. He conducted "Bittner's Mill" for about twenty years and the hotel at the same place for a like period of time. He married Lucy Seibert and they had the fol- lowing children: Messina, married Alfred Dief- fenderfer; Tilghman J .; Sallie, married John Semmel; Katie, married Francis Bittner; Wil- son; Tevilla, married Frank Brobst ; Silas; Cal- vin; Lizzie, married Victor Werley; Cora; Charles.
ELIAS BITTNER, youngest son of Jacob and Sarah Bittner, worked on the paternal farm until fifteen years of age, when his father hired him to a New Jersey farmer as a helper, but princi- pally to learn the English language, which in his
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
own locality was not even spoken in schools. From the age of sixteen to twenty he clerked in the store of Owen Hunsicker to Newside. For the five years following he was associated as part- ner with Owen Hunsicker, at Pleasant Corner, in the hotel and general store business. After the death of Owen Hunsicker, the business was con- tinued by Mr. Bittner and his brother, Peter Bittner, for ten more years, and at the expira- tion of this time Elias Bittner sold out his inter- est to John H. Hollenbach. He then engaged in the retail dry goods and grocery business with the sons of his former partner, Owen Hunsicker, at No. 813 Hamilton street, Allentown, under the firm name of Bittner & Hunsicker Bros. Later they removed to No. 805 Hamilton street, where they discontinued the grocery business ; and in 1880 they removed to No. 729 Hamilton street, and in 1888 they began an exclusive whole- sale dry goods business. Henry Hunsicker then retired, and Frank D. Bittner was admitted to the firm. From there they moved to Nos. 16 and 18 North Seventh street, and still later to Nos. 23 and 25 North Seventh street, where they are now located, having grown to be one of the largest wholesale dry goods concerns in the state outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
For three years Elias Bittner was a director of the Allentown National Bank; and from 1895 to 1902 he was Director of the Poor of Lehigh county, having been twice elected and once ap- pointed by the court to fill an unexpired term. For the past eleven years he has been president of the Home Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He is not actively identified with business of late years but looks after his real estate exclusively. Through good and poor times his faith in Allentown real estate never wavered, as his constant building operations and purchasing of additional properties have proven. Among his many properties in Allentown are some very valu- able properties.
Elias Bittner was married Sept. 1I, 1857, to Mary Ann Miller, a daughter of George and Mary (Ettinger) Miller, who died on Jan. 18, 1904. Three sons blessed their union, as fol- lows: Frank D., George E., and Dr. Albert J.
FRANK D. BITTNER, of the firm of Bittner, Hunsicker & Co., Allentown, was born in Lynn township. His boyhood days were spent at Pleasant Corner, and at the age of fifteen he came to Allentown. He attended the district school at Pleasant Corner ; the Wyoming Semin- ary, at Kingston, Pennsylvania; the Keystone State Normal School, at Kutztown; Muhlenberg College, Allentown; and Eastman Business Col- lege, at Poughkeepsie, New York. He then re- turned to Allentown, and for ten years was em-
ployed as bookkeeper with the firm of Bittner & Hunsicker Bros. Subsequenty he became a mem- ber of the firm, as stated above, taking charge of the finances and also purchasing the dry goods. He is an intelligent and very successful man of affairs and one of the conservative citizens of Al- lentown. He was one of the organizers of the Mer- chants National Bank, which he also serves as a director ever since. He has been actively identified with St. Michael's Lutheran church from its or- ganization and represented it at their meetings at the synod many times, and served as superin- tendent of the Sunday school connected there- with for a number of years. But later he became one of the organizers of Christ's Evangelical Lu- theran church at Thirteenth and Hamilton streets, Allentown, which he is serving in various capaci- ties. He is a director of the Lutheran Theologi- cal Seminary at Mount Airy, Pennsylvania. Po- litically he is a Democrat.
Mr. Bittner married Emma R. Person, June 29, 1879, and their children are: M. Cena, born Nov. 12, 1881, now the wife of Louis R. Al- bright and mother of one child; Dorothy Louise, born March 7, 1904; Florence R., born June 30, 1882; Warren E., born January 26, 1885; Alma M., born May 21, 1893 ; and Paul F., born May 9, 1896.
George E. Bittner, the second son of Elias, was born Oct. 13, 1862. He is connected with the firm of Bittner, Hunsicker & Company; is married to Katie E. Croll and their children are: Mary, born in 1887, and died in 1903; Alfred, born in 1888, died in 1891 ; Edna, born in 1893, died in 1896; and Helen C., born in 1899.
Albert J. Bittner, M.D., was born June 14, 1869. He attended the public schools, was grad- uated from Muhlenberg College in 1890, and from the Boston University of Medicine in 1893. He then began the practice of medicine in Allen- town, where he resides at No. 1029 Hamilton street. He was the physician at the county alms- house for seven years and has membership in a number of medical societies.
Dr. Bittner was married in 1898 to Martha M. Runyon, of Bloomsburg, Pa. They have three children, namely: Mark M .; Margaret E., and Robert E.
Tilghman J. Bittner, son of Jacob, was born in Lowhill township, Nov. 4, 1849. He attended the public schools and assisted his father, in whose grist mill he became master of the trade. He was a Democrat and a member of the Weisen- berg Lutheran congregation. He died an acci- dental death in 1878, aged 29 years. He was married to Elmira, daughter of John and Cath- arine (DeLong) Croll. Their children were: Payson C., Elsie K., and Tilghman J.
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Elsie K. Bittner was born at Bittner's Cor- ner, Dec. 7, 1875. She attended the public schools of Schnecksville, the Keystone State Nor- mal School, and the Schnecksville Summer Nor- mal School. She began teaching in 1892, in North Whitehall township, and has been teach- ing at Schnecksville eleven years. She is a mem- ber of the Lutheran congregation at Schnecks- ville, and an active member of the Sunday school.
PHILIP BITZER.
Philip Bitzer, a native of Lauffen, near Heilbroun, in Wurtemberg, emigrated to the United States in 1853. He had first located in Trenton, New Jersey, but afterward went to Allentown, Pa., where he married Justina Shein- er. They had two children: Laura (wife of Robert F. Siegfried, a business man of Allen- town), and Annie.
BLANK FAMILY.
The pioneer of this early settled Pennsylvania family was Adam Blank. He came to Salisbury township, Northampton (now Lehigh) county, at an early period. There he owned a large farm and at his death left a large estate which was divided between his widow Margaret for whom he made ample provision in the will, and the following children: John George; George Adam; Christopher; John; Anna Margaret ; Catharine; and Anna Elizabeth. The will was made Aug. 19, 1765, and was probated on Oct. I, of the same year. It is of record at Easton, in Will Book I, page I. He died between these two dates. The executors of the will were George Blank and Peter Boger.
John George Blank, apparently the oldest son of the pioneer, Adam, was born in 1729, and died in Upper Saucon township in 1799. He was married to Elizabeth, a daughter of Valen- tine Steimetz, and after the death of his father- in-law succeeded to and settled upon his estate. He died in April, 1799. The will refers to him as a yeoman considerably advanced in years. Items of the will follow: "My son George shall have my farm in Upper Saucon, containing 366 acres. My daughters Barbara, Magdalena and Elizabeth each shall have eight hundred pounds of lawful money. The sum of eight hundred pounds shall be equally divided between Eliza- beth and Catharine Gerhardt, my granddaugh- ters. The will was made Oct. 20, 1798, and was probated at Easton in Will Book III, page 167, on May 14, 1799.
· The Penna. Archives record that Adam, John, John George, and Peter Blank served in the Revolutionary War from Northampton county;
also that Christopher Blank on June 8, 1758, owned a pack horse in Whitehall township, and that he paid a tax of sixteen pounds in 1762.
The following two items are taken from the Blue Church Marriage Records:
"Johann Blank on 4 May, 1758, and .Eva Elisabeth Beil, Balthasar Beil's daughter, from Upper Saucon."
"Widower Adam Blank and Anna Margretha Weiland, Adam Schäfer's widow, were married Nov. 30, 1758."
John George Blank, Jr., lived and died in Saucon township. He reared a family of nine children, viz: George, John, Jacob, Abraham, Charles, David, Mary, Lydia and Sarah. Of these, George and David died unmarried ; John's history follows. Jacob's history follows: Abra- ham married Mary Bahl and they had Jacob, John G., and Abraham Blank who lived in Upper Saucon; Mrs. John Laubach, of Saucon ; and Mrs. John Metzger, of Allentown. Charles married Priscilla Fry and died at Bethlehem ; Lydia married Nathan Eberhart, and died with- out issue; and Sarah married David Schneider, and resided at Emaus. John Blank, the second son of John George, Jr., married Esther Clem- mer and had six children, viz: Edwin H., Charles H., George, Benjamin F., Eliza, and Elemina.
Edwin H. Blank taught school, was engaged in buying and selling carriages and wagons, con- ducted a stationery store, was a Lutheran, an Odd Fellow and a Democrat. He died at Al- lentown, where he had lived for many years, on June 20, 1902. He was married to Eliza George who died July 4, 1892. They had two children, Dr. Gilmore G., a prominent citizen and veteri- narian of Allentown, and Jennie E., wife of Harry B. Schall, of Allentown.
Charles H. Blank was married to Sarah Egner and lived at Coopersburg. They had two chil- dren, viz: Eliza, and Franklin.
George Blank, the third son of John, was married to Martha Stahr, and they had nine children : William, Preston, James, Cyrus, John, George, Sylvia, Jane, and Lillie.
Benjamin F. Blank married Emma R. Stahr, and they had five children: Oscar, Eugene, Ray- mond, Annie, who became the wife of F. T. L. Keiter, Esq., and they have one daughter Magde- line, and Emma, wife of Dr. E. H. Heimbach.
Eliza Blank married W. P. Weidner, and has one son, the Rev. Revere Weidner, a minister of the Lutheran church in Chicago, president of a Lutheran seminary in that city, and an author.
Elemina married Simon Troxell.
Jacob Blank, the third son of John George, Jr.,
.
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
had a 240 acre farm in Saucon township and owned and operated a grist-mill. He was a Lu- theran member of the Blue Church of which he and family were members of the Lutheran con- gregation. He married a Miss Hilderbevtel, who died aged 85 years. Both she and her hus- band are buried at the Blue Church. Their chil- dren were: David, who died at Hazleton, Pa., in 1910; Solomon, and Jacob.
Solomon Blank, son of Jacob, was born in 1838 in Saucon township. He died during the Civil War on St. Helena Island, N. C., after he had served in the One Hundred and Twenty- sixth Regiment for eighteen months. Before the war he was a cabinet-maker at Allentown, where he had owned the property on the south side of Hamilton street from Eighth to Helfrich and Bohners furniture store. He was a Lu- theran and is buried in Allentown. His wife Susanna Stein died Oct. 19, 1898, aged 76 years. They had eight children as follows: 1. William, died at Sunbury, Pa., about 1902. He was a corporal during the Civil War and was confined in Andersonville Prison for six months. 2. Allen T. was wounded in the Battle of Antietam and is married to Ellen McHose. 3. Mary C. married A. P. Zellner. 4. George J. 5. Daniel N. 6. Harry A. 7. John S., merchant at 159 Hamilton street. 8. Ellen O., married to Wil-' liams A. Lee. All these children except David, who is deceased, reside at Allentown.
Jacob Blank, son of and the father of Charles F., of Sunbury, Pa., was born in Saucon township; died at Emaus in 1864, in which borough he had been a wheelwright from his early life; and is buried in the Reformed church graveyard, at Zionsville, where he was a member. He was married to Sarah Groman from Salisbury township. She was born Sept. 22, 1826, died at an advanced age, died and was buried at Emaus. They had the following chil- dren:
Wilson died aged six years. John lives at Emaus.
Charles F. lives at Sunbury.
James was drowned, aged about seven years.
George died in 1902, at Bethlehem.
Mary A. married to James Cambourn.
Sarah married to John Reinbaugh.
Anna married to Paul Eisenhart.
Mrs. Combourn died in 1909, at Philadelphia, where they resided; and Mrs. Reinbaugh died in 1910, in Lehigh county.
Charles F. Blank, of Sunbury, Pa., is the sen- ior member of the extensive milling concern trad- ing under the firm name of Blank & Gottshall, Sunbury, Pa.
Mr. Blank was born Oct. 31, 1851, in Upper
Saucon township, this county; attended the pub- lic schools at Emaus and Allentown; worked at various avocations until the age of eighteen years, when he learned the carpenter trade at Cetronia, and followed the same as a journeyman, as well as the millwright trade which he commenced in 1875 until in 1888. He then formed a partner- ship with William B. Gottshall who was form- erly with the Wolf & Hamaker Company, at Allentown, and like himself a miller by expe- rience. Messrs Blank & Gottshall came to Sun- bury in the employ of a Chambersburg firm to remodel the historic old "Haas Mill." They soon leased this property and successfully oper- ated it until 1895, by which time they had com- pleted the large mill they since occupy. Their main building is 40 by 230 feet, with a two story addition 50 by 115 feet, with other large build- ings, including the engine house. The business interests of Blank & Gottshall are very large. Besides trading very extensively in all kinds of flour and feed, they are extensive dealers in ce- ment, plaster, and similar commodities. Their principal brands of flour are the celebrated "B & G's Best," "Flaky Loaf," and "White Cloud." They are also the manufacturers of widely used buckwheat and pan-cake flour. The daily capacity of the flour-milling equipment is as fol- lows: Two hundred barrels of wheat, seventy- five. barrels of rye; 100 barrels of buckwheat and cornmeal. Besides, they manufacture about forty tons of chop daily, the B. & G. cattle and poultry food, also the B. & G. Chick and Hen Food which has an extensive sale in Pennsylvania and throughout the middle states. Their hay shed is forty by sixty feet and the grain elevator has a capacity of 40,000 bushels. The firm has shown their enterprise in the completeness of their plant which faces the Susquehanna river and it runs parallel with the P. & R. railroad tracks. The firm also has siding connection with the Pennsylvania railroad lines. An engine with a 150 horse power supplies the motive power of this great enterprise. This industry is one sub- stantial factor in the prosperity of Sunbury, where Mr. Blank is one of the valuable, sub- stantial, intelligent, public-spirited and respected citizens. Not only is he prominent in the busi- ness life of Sunbury and of Central Pennsylvania, but in church and the social life he occupies an important place. Both Mr. and Mrs. Blank are active members of the First Reformed Church, of Sunbury, and he is a member of Maclay Lodge No. 632, F. & A. M.
Daniel (?) Blank a descendant of Christo- pher (probably a grandson), owned two farms at Levans in North Whitehall township. He
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
built the barn upon the farm now owned by Elias Henninger. He was a member of the Jordan Reformed Church and there upon the graveyard adjoining the church he is buried. His children were: John, Peter, Jonas, Mrs. Williams Schantz and Mrs. Kemmerer.
Peter Blank, above named, lived upon a 66 acre farm, in South Whitehall township, near Myersville. He built the house in 1847 and the barn in 1859 on this farm. He served various offices in the Jordan Reformed congregation. He married Hettie, a daughter of Henry Guth. Their children were:
Flora, married John Kuhns.
Sophia, married Edwin Reed. Rebecca, married John Snyder. Richard, married Louisa Steckel. Lucetta, married Joseph Hoffman.
Elizabeth, married Elias Kuhn.
Catharine, married Dr. Schiff, of Philadelphia.
Lucetta and Catharine are now deceased. .
Richard Blank, son of Peter, occupies his father's homestead in South Whitehall. He was born in 1843, and at a suitable age commenced farming on the farm he has since occupied. He is a member of the Jordan Reformed Church. He married, in 1867, Louisa, a daughter of Solomon Steckel, and they have the following children: Margaret, Hattie, Annie, Flora, Edwin, John, . and Peter.
Abraham Blank, son of George and Maria (Mohr) Blank, married Mary Ann Bahl. He was born in Saucon township, where he died, and was a farmer and sawyer. Their children were: Matilda, m. Mr. Hunsicker, John Metz- ger, and Samuel Diehl; Jacob, who died in Upper Saucon ; Sarah Ann, deceased, m. John H. Laubach; John; George; and Abraham, of Allentown.
JOHN GEORGE BLANK was born May 28, 1840, in Upper Saucon township, Lehigh county, and died at Mountainville, August, 1907. He was reared on the farm and worked in his father's saw-mill; was educated in the public school and in the Allentown Seminary. On Sept. 5, 1840, he was married to Emma Louisa Maria Kem- merer, daughter of John and Elouisa ( Harlach- er) Kemmerer. He then moved to Warren coun- ty, Ohio, and later returned to the old home- stead, where he had a farm and saw-mill, includ- ing large tracts of wood land. He remained till 1900, then moved to Mountainville. He was a member of Friedensville Lutheran church, which he served as treasurer, elder and deacon. In poli- tics he was a Republican. They had three chil- dren: Mary, m. Calvin E. Davidson, a public school teacher, who has one child, John George; Amnel George ; and John Ephraim.
John Kemmerer, father of Mrs. Blank, was born in Salisbury township, Jan. 30, 1800, and died Feb. 10, 1871. He married Elouisa Hor- lacher, born March 15, 1803, died April 6, 1891, daughter of John Horlacher and Lizzie Schaeffer. He was a farmer in Salisbury township all his life. They had the following children: Aman- dus, died aged 6; Reuben, died aged 70, in Salis- bury; Ephraim; Francis, Theophilus; Daniel ; and Emma Louisa Maria.
BLEILER FAMILY.
The Bleiler family had settled in Milford township as early as 1732, where in that year a child of John Bleiler was baptized. John Bleiler died in February, 1759, and his will was proven March 6, 1759. He was buried at Great Swamp Reformed church, of which he was a member. His wife, Anna Maria, is also buried there, and has a tombstone upon which only her name is in- scribed. They had five children: Henry, Peter, Michael, Catharine, and Elizabeth. Henry Bleiler lived in Milford township, where he owned 194 acres of land, and had a son, Henry. Catharine Bleiler married Michael Eberhard. Elizabeth Bleiler married Philip Fackenthal. B. F. Facken- thal, Jr., of Riegelsville, is a descendant.
John Bleiler, of this family, was born June 4, 1775, and died May 8, 1823. He married Gertrude, daughter of Gottfried Diefenderfer, born 1757, died 1831. They had no children. John Bleiler mentions in his will a brother Mi- chael, and a sister, Magdalena, as well as a de- ceased brother, Henry, and a nephew, Peter. Henry Bleiler was born May 8, 1753, and died June 10, 1807.
Jacob Bleiler lived on a 100-acre farm in Mil- ford township in 1779. He was a native of Switzerland, and married Elizabeth Enghauser. Their son, Michael Bleiler, was born April 29, 1755. He served in the Revolution and after the war settled in Weisenberg township, where he owned 150 acres. He died March 29, 1818, aged 62 years, II months, and is buried at Ziegel church.
Michael Bleiler married three times: first, Feb. 22, 1780, Elizabeth Neidig, who died April 28, 1790, leaving five sons and one daughter ; second, Nov. 2, 1790, Anna Maria Lauri, who died Sept. 2, 1806, leaving one son and three daughters; third, Elizabeth, widow of Lorentz Schollenberger. She was born Feb. 25, 1761, and died Oct. 4, 1848.
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