Mankamyer ~ Bittner Families

Janelle's mother, Jane Alice Taylor, was born to Paul Daniel Hines, and Irene Belle Mankamyer.

Irene was born to Josiah Christian Mankamyer, and Ida Belle Bittner. Irene was about six years old in 1898 when her mother, Ida, died from Typhoid Pneumonia and Fever, while living on a small farm in Meyersdale, Sumerset County, Pennsylvania.

Then in 1902 Irene went to live with her mother's Aunt, Alice Lepley-Blume, and her husband William Blume. Alice was the sister of Ida's mother, Lydia Lepley-Bittner.

-- Ida Belle Bittner was born to Nathanial Bittner, and Lydia Lepley

-- Lydia and Alice were born to the Lepley Family

-- The Mankamyer ~ Bittner photos is a nice collection, and the families research papers, and the Mankamyer family directory, and Bittner family directory are worth visitng.


The relationship between the Mankamyer, Bittner, and Blume families are intertwined with the Lepley families.

Ludwig Menkamyer Family

-- Janelle's maternal 3rd great grandparents were Ludwig and Hanna Menkamyer (Mankamyer).


Ludwig Menkamyer (Mankamyer) was born November 25th 1809 in the region of Hanover, Lower Saxony County, (Niedersachsen), Germany. He was a farmer when he married Hannah, who was born in 1807 in Hanover, Lower Saxony County. He and his family immigrated to Philadelphia, and was naturalized in 1857.

-- An obituary record for Rev. Christian Mankamyer indicated that he immigrated to America when he was 19 years old. Given his birth date of 1833, he would have arrived in America in 1852. He married when he was 21 years old; 1854.

-- Here's the research paper on Ludwig Mankamyer (1809-1870)


Ludwig and Hanna Mankamyer children were born in Hanover, Lower Saxony County, Germany, and immigrated to Colonial Pennsylvania with their parents. br>

i. Christian S. Mankamyer was born September 15th 1833. Christian married Mary Smearmond in 1854 while living in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Mary's family immigrated to America when she was 12 years old, 1849.

ii. Carolina Fredricka Mankamyer was born March 26th 1839.

iii. Adolph Mankamyer was born 1852. Ludwig would have been 42 years old, and Hanna 45 years old when Adolph was born.


In 1860 Ludwig is 50 years old, a farmer, and Hanna is 53 years old, and Adolph Mankamyer is 8 years old. The family is living in the Post Office area of Berlin, Summit Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

Adolph is still living with Ludwig and Hanna in 1870 in Southampton Mills, Larimer Township Somerset County. We believe that Adolph is the 1st son of Christian and Mary, who live down the road in 1860 Berlin post office area, and in 1870 Southampton Mills, Larimer Township.

Ludwig died September 18th 1870 while living in Larimer Township, Southampton Mills, Somerset County. Lewis was laid to rest in the White Oak Cemetery, Larimer Township.

Hanna died March 15th 1877 Larimer Township, and was laid to rest next to Lewis in the White Oak Cemetery/

Christian S. Mankamyer Family

-- Janelle's maternal 2nd great grandparents were Christian S. Mankamyer and Mary Smearmount.


Christian S. Mankamyer was born September 15th 1833 in Hanover, Lower Saxony County, Germany. Christian was known as Reverend Christian S. Mankamyer. He immigrated to America in 1852, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1857.

-- There was also an indentured servant, Arminta Harr, who was indentured to Christian and Mary Mankamyer, and made the trip from Germany with them.Arminta's father was named George Harr. It is believed that the Mankamyer and Hare family emigrated from Germany together.


Christian was a cabinet maker, farmer, and minister at the White Oak Evangelical Church,in Meyersdale Somerset County Pennsylvania. He married Mary Smearmount about 1854 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Mary was born January 31st 1837 to Henry and Catherine Smearmount in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany. Mary was 12 years old when the family immigrated in 1849.

According to the 1880 census Mary's older brother, John Smearmond, was living with the family in Larimer Township, Somerset County Pennsylvania. Christian and Mary Mankamyer had six sons and 4 daughters.

All of the children were born in the Sand Patch area of Larimer Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Two died before 1924.

i. Richard Mankamyer was born June 22nd 1855, near Garrett, Somerset County Pennsylvania. He married Ida Belle Witt who was born April 5th 1859. Richard died February 29th 1941.

ii. Henrietta Mankamyer was born in 1857. She married John E. Fair, who died prior to 1939. Together they had seven children, and in 1939, one son and one daughter had died.

iii. Laura Belle Mankamyer was born January 1st 1858 in Summit Township Somerset County. She married Albert Wilson Bittner on November 7th 1886. Albert was born 1860 to Jacob S. Bittner and Laura Kreger in Centerville, Somerset County, and they had two sons.

iv. Sarah (Sallie) Mankamyer was born in 1862. She lived with the family in 1880, but by 1900 she was not with the family. She died sometime after 1914 when her father died, and before 1924 when her mother died.

v. Lewis M. Mankamyer was born in 1863. He 1st married Sarah Frances who was born in 1867, and died 1889 while living in Larimer Township, Somerset County Pennsylvania. Sarah was laid to rest in the White Oak Evangelical Cemetery, in Larimer Township, Somerset County Pennsylvania. Lewis then married Nora who was born in 1873, and died in 1931 in Larimer Township, Somerset County Pennsylvania. Lewis would die in 1938.

vi. Josiah Christian Mankamyer was born August 6th 1865. He 1st married Ida Bell Bittner, and 2nd to Margaret Grooms-McQuain. Joseph died in April 16th 1957.

vii. John Thomas Mankamyer was born 1March 6th 1867. John lived in Meyersdale Somerset County when he died at age 85 on June 18th 1951.

viii. Henry Mankamyer was born in 1871. He married Viola who was born about 1876. Henry died May 15th 1930.

ix. Christian S. Mankamyer was born May 7th 1873. Christian married Martha Murray on January 20th 1896. He died March 7th 1950 in Somerset County Pennsylvania.

x. Anna Mankamyer was born December 28th 1875, and died December 1st 1878, at 2 years, 11 months and 3 days. She was laid to rest in the White Oak Evangelical Church cemetery.


In 1880 the entire family is living in Larimer, Somerset, Pennsylvania and by 1900 only their son John is living with Christian and Mary Mankamyer. By 1910 Christian and Mary are living with their son and his wife: Christian and Martha on Sand Patch Road in Larimer Township Somerset County Pennsylvania.

Christian died May 1st 1914 while living in Sand Patch, Larimer Township. He was laid to rest in the White Oak Evangelical Cemetery, Larimer Township.

-- His obituary "....came to America age 19 to Somerset County Pennsylvania; cabinet maker 10 years; married age 21, married for 59 years; member Pittsburgh Conference, pastorates listed; buried in White Oak Cemetery; 9 children remain; 1 child dead..."


Mary died September 29th 1926 in Sand Patch, Larimer Township. She was laid to rest next to her husband in the White Oak Evangelical Cemetery in the White Oak Evangelical Cemetery, Larimer Township Somerset County Pennsylvania.

-- Her obituary "...died 89 years old, 7 months and 29 days; member Temple Evangelical Church at White Oak, 50 plus years; age 12 to America in 1849 to Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where she married and had 6 sons, 4 daughters; 8 children remain; funeral in church they helped build; grandson, Rev. E. I. of Cherry Tree, PA attended..."


Henry Smearman

-- Janelle's maternal 3rd great grandparents were Henry and Catherine Smearmund.


Henry Smearmund (Smearman) was born 1802 in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. He married Catherine about 1830. Catherine was born in Hessen-Darmstadt Germany about 1810. We know the family immigrated to America in 1847 or 1849. Henry was a farmer in the Black Township of Somerset County.

-- Here's the research paper on Henry Smearman


In 1870 Henry, Catherine, and their son John lived in the post office area of Somerset, Milford Township Somerset County Pennsylvania.

We have no record on when Henry and Catherine died. We believe it was prior to 1880, and they were laid to rest in the Smearman Burying Ground.

-- There is one reference by our great grandfather, Joseph Mankamyer, where he refered to two un-inscribed graves at the Smearman Cemetery located at the site of Poister's Mill in Black Township Somerset County Pennsylvania.

-- "...Two un-inscribed graves Mr. and Mrs. Smearman; parents of Mrs. Rev. Christian Mankamyer who are buried in Temple Cemetery, Larimer Township Somerset County Pennsylvania..."

-- Also known as Smearman Burying Ground, which at one time situated on a farm, owned by Roy Snyder, and in 2011 the land is owned by Sarah Pyle. The cemetery is located Northwest of old buildings about 50 rods from an old road. There is a total of 20 graves; probably some members of the Poister family who owned the mill.

-- Old maps verify that there was a mill owned by the Poister family at the bottom of the hill, in Isler's Run. There were remnants of the mill's foundations, near the stream in 1999, when the cemetery was positively identified by Reuben Knopsnyder. The cemetery is difficult to find. It is a small country cemetery misnamed as Polysus by the WPA. The WPA records indicate 16 adults and 4 children, all with native stone markers. The stones were in rows, and remnants of a wire fence were there.


We know about two children of Henry and May Smearman.

i. John Smearmount was born November 1831 in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. In the 1900 federal censuses he indicated he immigrated to America in 1847. On July 1st 1863, John enlisted in the Civil War. He was single, age 27, and lived in Milford, Milford Township, Somerset County Pennsylvania.

-- In 1880 John Smearmund, age 48 (b.1832) was living with Christian and Mary Mankamyer. The census indicated John was a brother in-law. John was born in Hesse Germany in 1832. In 1900 John was living with Richard Mankamyer in Sand Patch, Larimer Township Somerset County Pennsylvania.

-- In 1900 John is living with his Nephew, Richard Mankamyer, and his family in Sand Patch Larimer Township Somerset County Pennsylvania. We lost track of John, and do not know anything more on his whereabouts after 1900.

-- John may have died prior to 1910, and laid to rest where many of the Mankamyer families are laid to rest; the White Oak Evangelical Church, which is also known as the Temple Cemetery. In 2013 the church is known as St. Johns United Methodist Church, which is on Temple Road, situated in Larimer Township, Somerset County Pennsylvania.

-- "...Pennsylvania, died 89 years old, 7 months and 29 days; member Temple Evangelical Church at White Oak, 50 plus years; age 12 to America in 1849 to Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where she married and had 6 sons, 4 daughters; 8 children remain; funeral in church they helped build; grandson, Rev. E. I. of Cherry Tree, PA attended..."

ii. Mary Smearmund was born January 31st 1837 in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. She was 12 years old when the family immigrated in 1849. Mary married Christian S. Mankamyer about 1853, when she was 17 years old. Together they had had six sons and 4 daughters. All of the children were born in the Sand Patch area of Larimer Township, Somerset County Pennsylvania.

-- Mary died September 29th 1926 in Sand Patch, Larimer Township. Mary was laid to rest next to her husband in the White Oak Evangelical Cemetery Larimer Township.