Doris and Dolores: Hagenbuch Twin Sisters

On June 12, 2026, Doris June (Hagenbuch) Pizzuto died in Forks Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. I saw her obituary a few days later and wondered how she was related. Thankfully, she was in Beechroots, though her record was lacking many key details including her birthdate.

I started researching Doris on Ancestry to learn more about her. Imagine my surprise when I saw she had two different death dates, three husbands, and conflicting burial locations. What was going on here?

Doris (Hagenbuch) Pizzuto, c. 2015

Pretty quickly, I realized what was going on: Doris had a twin sister, Dolores! When I was searching Ancestry, records for Doris and Dolores were intermingled, since they had the same birth dates and similar names. At a glance, everything appears to be for the same person. However, upon closer inspection, the truth became apparent. Returning to Beechroots, I noticed Dolores was there too. But, since Doris had no birth date entered into her record, it was not immediately clear that she had a twin.

Doris and Dolores Hagenbuch were born on August 7, 1934 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Earl F. Hagenbuch Sr. and Violet E. (Gambler) Hagenbuch. Earl worked as a cutter at a local textile factory. In 1945, their family grew to three children with the addition of Earl F. Hagenbuch Jr. Upon seeing this, I remembered that Earl had been the subject of an earlier article on this site.

Senior yearbook photos for Doris and Dolores Hagenbuch, 1952

His twin sisters graduated from Nazareth High School in 1952. According to photos of them in their senior yearbook, the sisters shared a strong resemblance and appear to have been identical twins. The yearbook described Doris as “the livelier of the twins” and Dolores as “the more quiet” of the two. Doris’ nickname was “Shortie” and Dolores’ was “Dolly.” Both sisters went on to graduate, find jobs, and marry.

Doris had two husbands. She was first married in 1961 to John P. Dal Pezzo (b. 1935). They divorced, and she next married John Pizzuto (b. 1934, d. 1986). She had three children: Suzanne J., Desiree, and Stefon J. Doris worked for Metropolitan Electric Co. and later Moravian Hall Square. She was a member of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nazareth, PA, where she was known to sing duets with her sister, Dolores. As noted earlier, she died on June 12, 2026. She is buried alongside her second husband, John, in Greenwood Cemetery in Nazareth.

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Dolores married her high school sweetheart, Richard A. Garr (b. 1932, d. 2020) on May 21, 1955. The couple had two children: Richard T. and Sandra. Dolores worked for Nazareth National Bank, Centennial Federal Savings and Loan, and the Nazareth School District in the administration office. Besides singing with her sister at St. John’s in Nazareth, she was also a member of the Concord Chamber Singers. She predeceased Doris, and died on January 14, 2017. Dolores is buried with her husband, Richard, in Greenwood Cemetery in Nazareth.

Dolores (Hagenbuch) Garr, c. 2010

Doris and Dolores have an interesting Hagenbuch family line. This is: Andreas (b. 1715) > Henry (b. 1737) > Jacob (b. 1765) > Daniel (b. 1803) > Daniel Lewis (b. 1839) > Robert Daniel (b. 1866) > Herbert Spencer (b. 1885) > Earl Franklin Sr. (b. 1906) > Doris and Dolores (b. 1934). While some of these Hagenbuchs have been researched and written about, many have not been investigated.

For example, Doris and Dolores’ grandfather, Herbert Spencer Hagenbuch (b. 1885), lived in Nazareth and worked first in a bakery and later in textile mills. Their great grandfather, Robert Daniel (b. 1866), ran a farm in Moore Township, Northampton County, PA. His father, Daniel Lewis (b. 1839), worked as a master tailor and then as a farmer in Moore Township.

Gravestone of Daniel Hagenbuch (b. 1803, d. 1876) in Salem Union Church Cemetery, Moorestown, PA. Credit: Findagrave.com/Tim Gruber

This brings us to Daniel Hagenbuch (b. 1803), who operated a sizable farm in Moore Township. He was featured in a previous article about a Bible he once owned. His father, Jacob Hagenbuch (b. 1865), was born at or near the Hagenbuch Homestead in Albany Township, Berks County, PA. He would eventually take over operation of the Cross Keys Tavern in Allentown, PA, after the death of his father Henry Hagenbuch (b. 1737) in 1805.

It’s unknown if Doris and Dolores ever knew how deep their Hagenbuch roots ran, especially in the area of Pennsylvania where they lived. Their ancestors had established themselves in Northampton and Lehigh Counties after leaving Berks County in the late 18th century. It is hoped that some of their descendants will connect with us, so they can be added to this fascinating branch on our family tree.