Our Musser Cousins, Part 2

As described in part one in this series, our Hagenbuch family is more than just Andreas (b. 1715), Henry (b. 1737), Michael (b. 1746), and our other male ancestors. There are just as many female relatives on our family tree, who have mothered numerous cousins with a variety of different surnames.

Last month, I heard from Stephanie (Dinges) Bender. She traces her Hagenbuch ancestry from one of these female lines. This is as follows: Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715) > Michael Hagenbuch (b. 1746) > Margaretha (Hagenbuch) Mosser (b. 1779) > Michael Mosser/Musser (b. 1803) > Absolom Musser (b. 1833) > Robert Duncan Musser (b. 1854) > Orpha Irene (Musser) Dinges (b. 1887) > Robert Harry Dinges (b. 1922) > Stephanie (Dinges) Bender.

Stephanie’s branch on our family tree begins with Margaretha Hagenbuch (b. 1779). Margaretha was the granddaughter of Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715) through his son, Michael (b. 1746). Margaretha married Jacob Mosser (b. 1775) around 1800 and the couple had nine children. This family group was discussed extensively in part one.

The eldest child of Margaretha (Hagenbuch) Mosser and Jacob Mosser was Michael. Michael was born on August 8, 1803 in Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. He spent his youth on the family farm there. In 1825 he married Elisabeth Homan, who was the daughter of Peter Homan. Elisabeth was born on August 17, 1807. The couple settled down, and Michael worked as a farmer. At some point, he changed the spelling of their family name from Mosser to Musser.

Michael Musser, c. 1860

Together, Michael and Elisabeth had five children: John H. (b. 1827, d. 1895, m. Evaline Kline), Harriet (b. 1828, d. 1893, m. Jonas Condo), Absolom (b. 1833, d. 1909, m. Rebecca Emerick), Andrew (b. 1838, d. 1863), and Susanna “Susan” (b. 1842, d. 1891, m. Adam Bower). Sadly, Elisabeth died on February 20, 1888 and is buried in Saint Johns Union Cemetery in Farmers Mills, Centre County, PA. After this Michael married Mary Homan who was born on April 1, 1824. She was the daughter of Jacob Homan and likely a cousin of Michael’s first wife, Elisabeth.

Michael and Mary had four children: Jacob (b. 1848, d. 1923, m. Mary Jane Homan), David Mitchel (b. 1853, d. 1914, m. Amanda Catherine Stover), William Franklin (b. 1856, d. 1912, m. Ida Williamson), and Emma (b. 1862, d. 1938, m. Charles J. Stover). Mary died on September 24, 1864 and is buried at Stover Cemetery, Centre County, PA. Michael outlived both of his wives and by 1880 had retired from farming. He was cared for by his youngest daughter, Emma. He died on February 20, 1888 and is buried in Stover Cemetery near other family members.

Each child of Michael Musser has a unique story. For example, William Franklin Musser (b. 1856) lost his arm in a gun accident at the age of five years old. Unable to effectively run a farm, he attended Gettysburg College and eventually moved to Salina, Kansas in 1885. In 1889, he became a law partner at Z. C. Millikin and became a probate judge in 1894. He married Ida Williamson in 1895, although the couple divorced a few years later without having any children.

Captain Andrew Musser, 1862

Another of Michael’s children, Andrew Musser (b. 1838), enlisted in the Union Army on August 15, 1862 with the rank of captain. He had been a student at the Gettysburg Theological Seminary (the same one that would later overlook the Gettysburg battlefield) and was authorized by Governor Curtin to raise Company D for the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry regiment. After recruiting enough able-bodied men, the company was sent to Harrisburg, PA where they received uniforms and guns. Here they were placed under the command of Colonel James A. Beaver (b. 1837), who would one day become governor of Pennsylvania.

In early September, the unit went by rail to Cockeysville, Maryland to train with the Union Army. From here, they went to Virginia for additional training and guard duty until the spring of 1863. In late April of that year, the Union and Confederate armies went on the move and prepared to meet in battle. Fighting at Chancellorsville, VA broke out on May 1st. However, as his unit readied for attack, Captain Andrew Musser fell sick with a fever and was sent to Potomac Creek Hospital. There he died on May 14, 1863. In the book, The Story of our Regiment: A History of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Captain Musser was remembered as “an earnest, conscientious, Christian man, and faithful as an officer in the performance of his duty.”

Absolom Musser, c. 1890

Stephanie’s family lined is traced not through Andrew, but from his older brother Absolom Musser. Absolom was born on May 6, 1833 in Gregg Township, Centre County, PA. As a boy, he helped on the family farm and attended school. In 1853, he married Rebecca Emerick (b. 1831), and the couple moved to a farm in neighboring Haines Township. They had five children: Robert Duncan (b. 1854, d. 1935, m. Adaline “Ada” Runkle), Edwin Howard (b. 1856, d. 1945, m. Annie Caroline Hosterman), Andrew Mitchell (b. 1859, d. 1935, m. Catherine “Kate” Graden), Mary Elizabeth (b. 1861, d. 1913, m. George Nevin Erhard), and Clarence Edward (b. 1869, d. 1958, m. Hannah Hackenberg). By 1900, Absolom was working as a day laborer, and later in 1902 he became the Postmaster of the post office in Aaronsburg, PA. Rebecca died on October 3, 1931 and is buried in Aaronsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Centre County, PA. Absolom died on March 28, 1909 and is buried there with her.

The next of our Musser cousins in Stephanie’s line is Absolom’s son, Robert Duncan. Robert Duncan Musser was born on April 13, 1854 in Farmers Mills, Centre County, PA. The 1870 census shows that he worked on his parents’ farm and had attended school. In 1876, he married Adaline “Ada” Jane Runkle.

Robert Duncan Musser, c. 1925

The couple had ten children: Anna Fiata (b. 1877, d. 1912, m. Oliver Forest Funk), Clarence Wesley (b. 1878, d. 1946, m. Bessie May Louder), Wilford Leroy (b. 1881, d. 1959, m. Pearle Alana Weaver), Burchard “Burt” Runkle (b. 1882, d. 1944, m. Margaret L. Robison), Alson Streeter (b. 1884, d. 1886), Orpha Irene (b. 1887, d. 1961, m. Ralph Edward Dinges), Robert Carmen (b. 1889, d. 1978, m.1. Mable Margaret Long, m.2. Clara May Yearick), Gertrude R. (b. 1891, d. 1960, m. John Clark Rabold), Ellen Ruth (b. 1893, d. 1938, m. Paul Anthony Noll), Wiley Christie (b. 1897, d. 1966, Ruth Ellen Stover). Ada died on June 2, 1927 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Centre County, PA. Robert died eight years later on May 14, 1935 and is buried beside her.

Stephanie’s Musser line ends with her grandmother, Orpha Irene, who was born to Robert and Ada (Runkle) Musser on January 22, 1887. Her grandmother went by her middle name, Irene, and she married Ralph Edward Dinges (b. 1894) around 1912. Irene died on March 3, 1961 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Centre County, PA. Irene and Ralph are the parents of Stephanie’s late father, Robert Harry Dinges (b. 1922). Robert served honorably in World War II as a B-24 bomber tailgunner and participated in 52 missions with the 454th Bombardment Group. He died in 2000.

Irene (Musser) Dinges with her husband Ralph E. Dinges, c. 1955

Getting to know Stephanie and her Hagenbuch/Musser ancestors reminds me of how important it is to explore all of our family lines—not just those that have the last name Hagenbuch, Hagenbaugh, or Hagenbuck. Our Hagenbuch family is, quite literally, represented by a tree. To ignore the numerous descendants of our grandmothers, mothers, and daughters leaves noticeable holes in the crown of that tree. This is simply unacceptable, and we will continue to tell the stories of our many cousins whether they go by Musser, Hagenbuch, or some other surname!

Special thanks to Stephanie (Dinges) Bender for providing information and photographs for this article!