Category: Hunsberger

• Born: June 12, 1876
• Died: January 19, 1953
• Buried: Palm Schwenkfelder Church, Palm PA
• Parents: Josiah & Sarah (Krauss) Hunsberger
• Spouse: Agnes Susanna Schultz
  • Born: March 26, 1875
  • Died: September 25, 1945
  • Parents: William and Susanna Schultz (maiden name also Schultz)
• Married: October 21, 1899 in East Greenville, PA
• Children: Mabel Susan*, Edna May, Daisy May, Maurice Schultz, Minnie Louisa, Daniel William

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Henry Sylvanus was born on June 12, 1876 and spent nearly his whole life in East Greenville, PA.  Henry’s WWI draft card describes him as being tall with a medium build, brown eyes and black hair. Fortunately for him, Henry was not called to serve in the war. 

The 1880 census lists his occupation as laborer, and the 1900 census lists teamster. 

Henry married Agnes Susanna Schultz on October 21, 1899. Agnes was born on March 26, 1875. She was a Schwenkfelder, daughter of William Schultz and Susanna Schultz (both her married and maiden name).

At the time of the 1910 census, the family lived at 231 Jefferson Street in East Greenville, and Henry was a ribbon weaver in a silk mill.  By 1920, the family lived on a farm on Bally Road, where Henry was a dairy farmer and employed John Gauger. His life as a self-employed dairy farmer must not have been long, as the family was living at 438 Jefferson Street by 1930, and Henry had returned to work as a weaver in the silk mill.

Sometime after Agnes’s death on September 25, 1945, Henry remarried Jennie S Kriebel. Henry died on January 19, 1953 in Hatfield and is buried at Palm Schwenkfelder Church in Palm, PA.

Children of Henry and Agnes:

Mabel Susan is discussed here.

Edna May was born on November 14, 1902. She married Adolph E Kockler (1893-1967) in 1925. Their children were Carl, Lucille, and Mae. She died on September 19, 1979 and is buried at Palm Schwenkfelder Church in Palm, PA.

Daisy May, twin of Edna May, lived only four days. She died on November 18, 1902 and is buried at Palm Schwenkfelder Church in Palm, PA.

Maurice Schultz was born on June 1, 1907 and married Dorothy Lillian Faust (1917-2008). Their son was Larry Maurice (1936-2013).  Maurice was an air brake mechanic at the Mack manufacturing company. He died on May 30, 1977 and  is buried at Palm Schwenkfelder Church in Palm, PA.

Minnie Louisa was born on March 13, 1913 and married Isaiah Hoffman Bittenbender (1910-1985) in 1931. Their children were Carl Henry, Roy Wayne, and Emil Ray, and Dale Owen. She died on June 16, 2007 and is buried at Palm Schwenkfelder Church in Palm, PA.

Daniel William was born on November 20, 1915 and married Ruth Mohr (1923-2010) on April 7, 1942. Their son was Paul. Daniel worked as a weaver in the Bally Ribbon Mill. He died on January 15, 1996 and is buried at Palm Schwenkfelder Church in Palm, PA.

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• Born: September 2, 1847
• Died: February 8, 1917
• Buried: Bethesda Cemetery, Upper Hanover, PA
• Parents: Jesse & Barbara (Greiss) Hunsberger
• Spouse: Sarah S Krauss
  • Born: November 27, 1846
  • Died: November 16, 1935
  • Parents: Jonathan & Magdalena (Schultz) Krauss
• Married: November 23, 1872
• Children: Hannah, Susanna, Henry Sylvanus*, Mary Anna, Oswin, Sallie, Jessie, Lizzie, Horace

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Josiah was born on September 2, 1847 in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County. He appears to have lived a simple life as a farmer around the border of Montgomery & Bucks Counties. He also seems to have been an active member of Tabor Methodist Church, where he was elected a trustee in 1901.  

Josiah married Sarah Krauss on November 23, 1872. Sarah was a direct descendant of the Schwenkfelder immigrants to the area.

In a “Farmer’s Directory of Lehigh County,” an entry for Josiah reads as follows:

Hunsberger, Josiah (Sarah) 5ch farmer T 115a 3h lc B tel R2 Zionsville L Mil 41

Perhaps this can be interpreted to read in part that the couple had 5 children at the time, that Josiah was a farmer with 115 acres and 3 horses in Zionsville. 

Josiah died on February 8, 1917, and Sarah on November 16, 1935. They are buried in the Bethesda Methodist Cemetery in Upper Hanover. 

Children of Josiah and Sara

Hannah was born on July 2, 1873 and married Henry William Stahl (1870-1944) in 1896. Their children were Russell, Titus, Susie, Horace, Calvin, Ruth, Carrie, Daniel, Jesse, and Naomi. She died on August 5, 1953 and is buried at the Zion’s Church of the Evangelical Association Cemetery in New Berlinville.

Susanna was born on February 22, 1875 in Kraussdale, Bucks County, and married Charles Rothenberger (1873-1943) in 1895. Their children were Esther, Sylvanus, Russell, Helen, Charles, Stuart, Daniel, Estella, Lester, Jesse, Marion, and Florence. She died on May 20, 1950 and is buried at the Zion’s Church of the Evangelical Association Cemetery in New Berlinville.

Henry Sylvanus is discussed here. 

Mary Anna was born on October 1, 1877 and died on January 7, 1904. She is buried at the Bethesda Methodist Cemetery in Upper Hanover. 

Oswin was born on May 28, 1881 and died on May 7, 1893. He is buried at the Bethesda Methodist Cemetery in Upper Hanover. 

Jesse was born in East Greenville on February 21, 1883, and died on March 19, 1883. 

Sallie, Jesse’s twin, died on September 11, 1906 of Bright’s Disease at the age of 23. She worked as a tobacco stripper.  She is buried at the Bethesda Methodist Cemetery in Upper Hanover. 

Lizzie was born on August 26, 1887 and married Oswin Pflieger (1878-1968). Their children were Milton, Jesse, Foster, Arthur, Ralph, and an unnamed infant. She died on June 21, 1961 and is buried at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Red Hill. 

Horace was born on March 15, 1889 and married Hannah Snyder (1892-1936). At the time of his death, he was a loom foreman / machinist at a tape manufacturer and lived at 215 Seminary Street in Pennsburg. He died on April 5, 1955 and is buried at the Pennsburg United Church of Christ Cemetery.

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• Born: Aug 10, 1818
• Died: May 1, 1877
• Buried: United Church of Christ, Pennsburg
• Parents: Abraham & Margaretha (Richart) Hunsberger
• Spouse: Barbara Greiss
  • Born: August 1, 1820
  • Died: December 20, 1877
  • Parents: 
• Married: 
• Children: Henry, Rebecca, Josiah*, William, Louisa, Matilda, Mary Ann, Emalinda, and Sarah.

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Jesse was born on August 10, 1818 and was a blacksmith by trade. A tax record from 1866 suggests he may have at least dabbled in selling cigars as well. He married Barbara Greiss, who was born on August 1, 1820. They lived in Lehigh County for much if not all their lives.

Jesse was drafted to the Union Army in the Civil War. He was a Private in the 51st Regiment of the Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K.

Jesse died on May 1, 1877, and Barbara died on December 20, 1877. They are buried at the United Church of Christ, Pennsburg.

Children of Jesse & Barbara

Henry was born in April 1843. Like his father, he was drafted to the Union Army in the Civil War. He was a Private in the 51st Regiment of the Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I.  He was also a blacksmith by trade, and lived in Lehigh County. In 1866, Henry married Caroline Hagenbuch (1844-1918). Their children were Ellen and Mary. Henry’s death date and location of burial are unknown.

Rebecca was born around 1845. No other information is available.

Josiah is discussed here.

William was born on December 16, 1849. He married Mary / Maria Fox (1846-1931), daughter of Israel & Catarina Fox, and sister of John Fox. William died September 15, 1920.

Louisa was born on December 16, 1852. She married William Eschbach (1853-1939), and they had a son, Francis. Louisa died on April 8, 1912 in Chester County.

Matilda was born around 1855.  No other information is available.

Mary Ann was born on August 1, 1858. She married Jonathan Smith, and their children were Nora and Eva. She died on February 21, 1926 and is buried at Christ Union Cemetery in Niantic. 

Emalinda was born on April 15, 1861. She married Irwin Brey (1853-1939) in 1878. Their children were Maggie, Charles, Claude, John, Hattie, Allen, and Robert. She died on February 16, 1935 and is buried in Emmaus. 

Sarah was born around December, 1864.  No other information is available.

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• Born: January 25, 1793 in Virginia
• Died: April 6, 1860 in Lehigh County, PA
• Buried: Linden Street Cemetery, Allentown, PA
• Parents: 
• Spouse: Margaretha Richart
  • Born: January 17, 1787
  • Died: February 15, 1849
  • Parents: 
• Married: 
• Children: Elizabeth, Jesse*, Mary, Abraham, Matilda

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Though Husnberger does not appear to be a wildly common name in Pennsylvania in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it does seem that very many of the Hunsberger men were named Abraham.  One different Abraham Hunsberger, who lived before this one and served in the Revolutionary War, was such a talented and jovial singer that his British captors simply let him go. 

Due to the prevalence of this name, we will never know if it is truly this Abraham Hunsberger  who is listed on early census and tax records that, at the time, only listed names and no other identifying information.

Several records mention that Abraham was born in Virginia. Indeed, there are a number of Hunsbergers buried in Virginia listed on findagrave.com to back up this possibility. 

Whether he was born in Virginia or Pennsylvania on January 25, 1793, by 1797 it appears that he was in Lehigh County, PA. He was baptized at the Upper Milford Reformed Church in Zionsville (now known as Zionsville Reformed Church) on November 5, 1797. This span of time between birth and baptism does lend some credence to the possibility that the family may have been moving around quite a bit, perhaps from Virginia to Pennsylvania. 

By the 1810 census, Abraham, his parents, and a brother and sister lived in Frederick, PA.  On the same census page also appears an Isaac Hunsberger. In 1824, a tax record lists two Abraham Hunsbergers as well as a Henry Hunsberger living in Hilltown, Bucks County.  Again, all of this is only true if the records are for the correct Abraham.

Abraham was a farmer by trade.  He married Margaretha Richart, who was born in Lehigh County, PA on January 17, 1787. By the 1830 census, they were living in Lehigh County, and it appears that here the family settled. 

Margaretha died on February 15, 1849. Abraham died of dropsy on April 6, 1860, after a year of illness. His death is in the records of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Allentown (perhaps the large stone church still standing on South 8th Street).

Children of Abraham & Margaretha

Elizabeth was born on March 18, 1817 in Lehigh County. She married George Esser, and died on January 10, 1904 in Carbon County, PA.

Jesse is discussed here.

Mary was born on March 11, 1823 in Lehigh County. She married Charles Eckert, and died on March 4, 1898 in Allentown.

Abraham was born on October 27, 1826 in Allentown. At some point in his life, he moved to Ohio. He married Mary Ann Bacher (1824-1887) in 1848, and after her death remarried Susan Lambertson (1846-1915) in 1888.

Matilda was born on February 1, 1829 and died on April 2, 1838.