Peter L. Hagenbuch Family of Easton, PA
A note to readers: Newer research has led to several revisions to this article. Peter L. Hagenbuch (b. 1858) is now known to be in the line of Henry (b. 1737). Joseph (b. 1795)...
This Week's Article From the Beech Grove
Making Sauerkraut: A Pennsylvania Deitsch Tradition
It was hardly a surprise when, this past summer, my parents told me that they were going to start making their own sauerkraut. My family does, after all, have a reputation for tackling some...
Family Icons
The word icon is defined as “a thing that is revered.” In past articles many pieces of family history have been written about and described that fit this definition. Photos, books, documents, certificates, and...
John Hagenbuch: Runaway Apprentice Becomes Prosperous Farmer
John Hagenbuch was the youngest child of Andreas and Maria Margaretha Hagenbuch. He was born on October 4, 1763 and baptized on the 16th at New Bethel Church in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania....
Stories My Father Told Me
As stated in previous articles, family history is more than names and dates. Most interesting can be the family stories that have been passed on from one generation to another. Oral traditions are often...
“Wahres Christentum”: Andreas Hagenbuch’s Gift to His Son
Andreas Hagenbuch died in 1785. Previous articles have examined his last will and testament, as well as the inventory of his estate. See the full text of Andreas Hagenbuch’s will Read an analysis of...
The Christmas Putz
Several days ago, my wife Linda and I attended a special showing of nativities at a church near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Over 500 nativity scenes or creches were displayed. Many were traditional and made of...
Bacon Stone of Albany Township, Berks County
Andreas Hagenbuch and his family arrived in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1738. Here, they established a homestead along with a new life in the American colonies. Albany Township is situated within the...
Eli Thornton Hagenbuch Family
The heyday of adding new families to the Hagenbuch genealogical records was from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, when I was in contact with Hagenbuch families across the country and when The Beech Grove...
Pennsylvania Deitsch Recipe: White Peppernuts
The first few generations of the Hagenbuch family in America spoke a German dialect. This is evident from their wills which were written in Sütterlin – a form of German cursive script. German appears...
