David Taylor ZENTMYER, Jr.

David married Leslie Carol POWER [Group Sheet]

David married Marian E. STEPHENSON [Group Sheet]

1. Christina ZENTMYER

David married Carla Susan ARGALL [Group Sheet]

1. Gregory ZENTMYER was born 18 Nov 2000.
2. Julia Mae Taylor ZENTMYER was born 17 Oct 2004.

Notes:

David possessed a series of hand-written genealogical charts relating to the descendants of Christopher Zentmeyer, copies of which were obtained by Michael Fichtel in the 1970s. David told Michael that the charts had been compiled by Robert Anderson Zentmyer, David's father, around 1904 after a lengthy letter-writing campaign to persons having the Zentmyer surname and its variants. I obtained partial copies of these from Michael in 2007, and they have proven to be accurate and informative. In 2022 I was able to obtain full copies from Vicki Zentmyer Bergstrom, David's daughter. -Ed.



"Dr. David Taylor Zentmyer, 74, of 1418 Quarry Lane, Lancaster, died Sunday, April 8, 1990, at Lancaster General Hospital following a brief illness. He was born June 1, 1915, at Tyrone, the son of Robert A. and Edna (Taylor) Zentmyer. He was married to Mary Radebach. He is survived by his wife, one daughter and one son, Mary Victoria Bergstrom, Julian, Calif., and David T. Zentmyer Jr., Middleton, Wis.; three grandchildren and one sister, Roberta Welch of Landisville. He is a 1937 graduate of Juniata College, where he received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry, and a 1947 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his masters and doctors degrees in chemistry. While at the University of Pennsylvania, he taught chemistry. He had been employed as a research chemist with Armstrong World Industries, retiring in 1980 as assistant director of research. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving during World War II. He was an instructor for the V-12 Unit at Columbia University from 1942 to 1946 and was honorably discharged from the Lancaster Navy Reserve as a commander in the 1950's. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Lancaster, where he served on the session and the board of trustees. He was a member of the Lancaster Rotary Club. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, April 10, at 2 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Lancaster, 140 E. Orange St., Lancaster, Pa. 17602. Contributions in his memory may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Lancaster." Tyrone Daily Herald, April 9, 1990


"Their ashes are actually buried in a very small memorial garden/courtyard right adjacent to the church itself. There is not a cemetery there. Our parents names each have a separate plaque on a wall leading to the garden." -David Taylor Zentmyer, Jr.

David married Mary Irene RADEBACH 08 Aug 1942, Lewistown, Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Mary (daughter of John Ellsworth RADEBACH and Orrie Ola DOTTS) was born 28 Feb 1916, Osceola Mills, Clearfield Co., Pennsylvania; died 1 Nov 1995, Julian, San Diego, California; was buried First Presbyterian Church, Lancaster, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

"Mary Radebach Zentmyer 79, formerly of Lancaster, died Nov. 1 after a long illness at the home of her daughter in Julian, Calif. She was the widow of Dr. David Taylor Zentmyer, who died Aug. 8, 1990. A teacher, she was a 1934 graduate of Osceola Mills High School and a 1938 graduate of Juniata College with a bachelor's degree in home economics and dietetics. While a senior at Juniata she was named "Queen of the May." Formerly of Lewiston and New York, N.Y., Mrs. Zentmyer lived in the Lancaster area from November 1947 to June 1992, when she moved to California.
She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, the Lancaster Country Club and the Hamilton Club. She was a past treasurer of the Women's Symphony Association of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, a past director of the Lancaster Day Nursery and a past president of the Art Class. She had been active with the Friends of the Lancaster Public Library, the Iris Club, the Investment Club and the American Association of University Women. Mrs. Zentmyer enjoyed playing bridge, reading, flower arranging and cooking. She was a competitive golfer, winning tournaments at the Lancaster Country Club. Born in Osceola Mills, she was a daughter of the late John Ellsworth Radebach and Orrie Ola Dotts Radebach. She is survived by one daughter, Victoria Zentmyer Bergstrom, Julian, Calif.; one son, David Taylor Zentmyer Jr., Madison, Wis.; three grandchildren; one sister, Gwen Radebach Rieman, North Manchester, Ind.; and one brother, John Ellsworth Radebach Jr., Osceola Mills." Sunday News (Lancaster, PA) - November 19, 1995

Notes:

Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, pages 118-119.
__________________________________________________________________

ROBERT A. ZENTMYER, Spruce Creek, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born at Huntingdon Furnace, April 24, 1861. He is the son of David and Susan (Kinch) Zentmyer. (David Zentmyer was killed at the Battle of Fredericksburg when Robert was 20 months old -Ed) Robert A. Zentmyer was an only child. His boyhood was spent on the farm; he attended the public school, and when he was eighteen entered Juniata College; graduating in the teacher's and business course in 1882. For five years he was principal of the public schools of Curwensville and New Washington. In 1887 he became assistant superintendent of the Britton Coal and Coke Company of Philadelphia, in West Virginia, which position he held for a year and a half. Returning to Clearfield county, he located at Madera, and for four years was employed in surveying, mining engineering, and as a coal contractor. In 1893 he went to Huntingdon Furnace, as book-keeper and assistant manager of the Huntingdon Furnace estate. This position he held for a year and then took charge of a grist mill belonging to the estate. Mr. Zentmyer's politics are Republican. For thirteen years he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and takes a prominent part in all church work.

Robert married Edna Myrtle TAYLOR 22 Apr 1903, Tyrone, Blair, Pennsylvania. Edna was born 26 Jan 1877, Tyrone, Blair, Pennsylvania; died Dec 1979, Lancaster, Lancaster, Co., Pennsylvania; was buried Grandview Cemetery, Tyrone, Blair, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

In the 1900 US Census, Edna, before she was married, listed her occupation as 'Crayon Artist.' Her granddaughter Vicki Zentmyer Bergstrom explains that this is how people were described who hand-colored black-and-white photographs.

Notes:

Loving husband to Orrie (Dotts) Radebach, and father to four children.
John began as a school teacher in Osceola Mills and throughout the years became a professor, school principal, and finally, superintendent of the Clearfield County School System.
He died on March 15, 1937 from complications of Influenza. He was preceded in death by his wife, Orrie.
John and Orrie are buried along side each other in Keagy Cemetery in Clearfield County.

John — Orrie Ola DOTTS. Orrie was born 2 May 1873, Glen Hope, Clearfield, Pennsylvania; died 2 Jan 1924, Clearfield, Pennsylvania; was buried Keagy Cemetery, Clearfield, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

"Was accidentally struck by Automobile . . ." - Death Certificate

Notes:

David Zentmyer was born at Springfield Furnace, Huntingdon county. He was the son of Major John Zentmyer and Margaret (Gates) Zentmyer. His parents moved to a farm near Spruce Creek, in Huntingdon county, where he worked with his father, who was a jobber in lumbering. In May, 1861, he enlisted in Company I, Fifth Pennsylvania Reserves. This company, known as the Scott Infantry, was one of the old militia companies, organized before the war. They were mustered into service at Harrisburg and sent to the front in July, 1861. He enlisted as orderly sergeant, became second, then first lieutenant, and on the promotion of Captain Dare to colonel of the regiment, commanded the company for some time. At the time of his death he was adjutant of the regiment, with the rank of first lieutenant. He was in active service for eighteen months and took part in many battles. He was killed in the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, and buried in the field.

According to the National Park Service, these field burials were mass graves, long trenches with hundreds of soldiers in each trench. After the war, Congress established the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, and approximately 15,000 Union soldiers we re-interred there, most anonymously. The official I spoke with could not find a record of David's re-internment, but virtually guaranteed that this is his final resting place.

David married Susanna KINCH 1860, Franklin, Huntingdon, Pennsylvana. Susanna (daughter of David KINCH and Mary Magdalena DAVIS) was born 5 Jan 1835, Neffs Mills, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania; died 5 Jul 1917, Tyrone, Blair, Pennsylvania; was buried Grandview Cemetery, Tyrone, Blair, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

1850 US Census in Franklin, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania with her parents
1860 US Census in Franklin, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania with her mother, single, 'milliner'
1870 US Census in Franklin, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania with her mother and siblings (Zntmore)
1880 US Census in Franklin, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania with son Robert, her sister Mary, and Mary's children
1900 US Census in Franklin, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania alone
1910 US Census in Tyrone, Blair, Pennsylvania with Robert's family

John married Christine E. CHRIST 1874. Christine was born 4 Oct 1855, White Haven, Luzerne, Pennsylvania; died 5 Mar 1929, Decauter, Clearfield, Pennsylvani; was buried Penfield Cemetery, Penfield, Clearfield, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]