Peter Bittenbender was the son of Christopher Bittenbender according to a family notebook.  The censuses all say he was born in Pennsylvania, and all agree that he was born in 1793, sometime between August 15th and September 28th.  The 1850 census for Columbia Co., Pennsylvania shows Peter(57, Farmer), Margaret (54), Samuel(16, laborer), Sarah(13), and James(12).  It states that Peter's Value of Real Estate was 2500, that Margaret was over 20 and could not read and write, and that Samuel, Sarah, and James attended school during the year.  The 1860 census shows them still living in Columbia, Pennsylvania.  Peter(66, Farmer), Margaret(63), Peter(42?, Carpenter), James(20, Farm Laborer), Jacob(35, Farm Laborer), Mary C.(29), WB(8, male), Sarah E.(7), Emma J. (4), and Jacob Latchaw (16, Farm Laborer).  I know that Peter, James and Jacob are Peter and Margaret's sons, I can only assume that Mary is one of their wives and the 3 children are their children.  Jacob appears to be a worker for Peter, but may be a relative in-law.  One of Peter and Margaret's daughters, Hannah, marries as Latchaw.  The 1860 census also has the following information:  Peter's Value of Real Estate is 2000, and Value of Personal Estate is 1400;  everbody listed was born in Pennsylvania; and WB, Sarah, and Jacob all attended school that year.  Sometime between 1860 and 1870 Peter moved his family to Michigan.  The 1870 census for St. Joseph Co., Michigan lists Peter(76, Farmer), Jacob(46, Farmer), Mary E.(37, keeping house), William B(18, at home), Sarah E.(17, at home), Emma J.(15, at home), Aurthur W.(1), and Peter(45, Farmer).  Sometime between 1860 and 1870 Margaret dies.  I was told she died in Wayland, Mi, but she may have passed before they left Pennsylvania, or on the trip, I have no documentation saying where.  The 1870 census also states that Peter's Value of Real Estate is 13000 and Value of Personal Estate is 1400, everyone but Arthur(born in Mi) was born in Penn., that Peter, Jacob, and Peter(jr) are all 21 yrs old and are US citizens, and that William and Emma attended school that year.

Margaret Myers

Birth:  abt 1796
Place:  Pennsylvania
Death:  between 1860-1870
Place:  Allegan Co., Wayland, Michigan
Burial:  probally Allegan County, Michigan
Husband:  Peter Bittenbender
Number of Children:  12 known
Occupation:  house wife

I have no idea who Margaret's parents are, all I know is that she was born in Pennsylvania, according to the censuses.

Children of Peter and Margaret Bittenbender:

• Dollie (Clouse)
• Joe
• Peter
• John
• Maria (Faust)
• Hannah (Latchaw)
• Jake                                                     D: 06/03/1906
• Philip
• Conrad
• Henry David  B: 07/29/1829  P: Penn.  D: 03/23/1903  P: Wayland, Mi
• Samual          B: abt 1834      P: Penn.
• Sally (Poe)    B: abt 1837      P: Penn.     **I believe this is Sarah listed in the censuses**
• James            B: abt 1838      P: Penn.

Documents I have on this family:

• Pages from a family notebook
• 1850 census
• 1860 census
• 1870 census

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