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Gordon Bittnor HINCKLEY's Ancestry
BITNER Family

Created 3 April 2010

Breneman Barr BITTNER/BITNER
and 1st
Mary Esther BENEDICT
and 2nd
Maren Martina Pedersen HALSETH
and 3rd
-Sarah Ann OSGUTHORPE-

Breneman was born 15 December 1837 in Washington Borough, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and married first 10 December 1864 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, Mary Esther BENEDICT the daughter of Joshua Northrop BENEDICT and Fedelia MOSES. She was born 23 August 1846 in Canaan, Litchfield, Connecticut and died 20 September 1867 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

He married second 10 April 1866 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, Maren Martina Pedersen HALSETH, the daughter of Peder Ericksen HALSETH and Marthe Kathrine JOHNSON. She was born 19 August 1847 in Christiania, Oslo, Norway and died 7 June 1912 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

He married third 4 January 1869 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, Sarah Ann OSGUTHORPE the daughter of John OSGUTHORPE and Lydia ROPER. She was born 23 May 1857 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England and died 2 March 1930 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Breneman died 12 April 1909 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

From: sylviaclegg@msn.com
Subject: Abraham Bitner (Sr.) & Breneman Bitner
Date: 23 Nov 2003 20:27:37 -0700

Message Board Post:
I stumbled across this while reviewing my wife's genealogy this evening. My name is Duane Bitner, Abraham is also my ancestor. My line of the family has an interesting history, do any of you know it?

After his first wife died, Abraham (Sr.) married Ann(a) Barr, who had also been married previously. They had a son, Breneman Barr, and two daughters, Martha and another who died very young.

They soon moved from Lancaster County to Quincy, Illinois for reasons we aren't aware of (please fill in any information in this story that you may know). However, Abraham was in failing health, our record states that he & his family returned to PA near Philadelphia, & that he died soon afterwards.

Ann(a) joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints soon thereafter and slowly traveled west with her children from her first & second marriages. Our only information about Abraham's children from his first marriage is that they "stayed in the East."

Breneman drove a team of oxen from Iowa to Utah at 11 years of age without mishap, stating later in life that "the Lord is ever mindful of the widow and the fatherless."

After settling in Utah, Breneman married 3 times and fathered a very large family. One of his sons was my grandfather, Milton Bitner. I believe he was named after Ann(a)'s son from her first marriage, A. Milton Musser, another family from the Lancaster area.

It is of interest to note that one of Breneman's daughters, Ada, married a bit later in life and gave birth in 1910 to Gordon Bitner Hinckley, who became president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1995, the same church Breneman's mother joined in the 1840s as a twice-widowed single mother. He continues in this role today, leading this church with a membership of more than 12 million individuals worldwide at the age of 93. I hope you have had the opportunity to see some of his television interviews over recent years, perhaps during the 2002 Winter Olympics or with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes in 1998.

That was more than I intended to write, but I do feel some pride in our family and Pres. Hinckley. We hold a Breneman Barr Bitner family reunion in Utah every summer, and I'm sure we'd love to have a visit from relatives or have the opportunity to attend any family reunions held in Pennsylvania someday.

P.S. -- I posted this under Sylvia, but if anyone has a moment to drop me a line, my email address is duane.bitner@byu.edu
Thanks -- Duane

Pioneer Immigrants to Utah Territory 

Name:           Anna Barr Bitner Starr
Gender:         female
Birth Date:     04 Dec 1803
Birth Place:    Barr Twsp, Lancaster, PA
Parent1:        Christian Barr 
Parent2:        Susanna Breneman 
Spouse:         Samuel Musser;  Abraham Birner
Marriage Date:  27 Jan 1824;    12 May 1835
Marriage Place: Harrisburg, Dohn, PA (see over)
Departure Date: 1849
Travel Company: Son: Breneman Barr Bitner (11);
                Dau: *Family Tradirion says they came in the Ezra T. Benson Co., but actually Anna, son. Breneman
                     and dau. traveled w/ Jared Starr her 3rd husband.
Party:          Jared Starr
Trail:          Mormon trail to SL
Arrival Date:   -- Oct 1849
Arrival Place:  Great Salt Lake Valley
Religion:       LDS
Place Settled:  Salt Lake City, UT (1849-1855);
                Big Cottonwood (1855
Death Date:     20 May 1893
Death Place:    Salt Lake City. UT
Sources:        Benjamin F. Tibbey:
                Biography of Breneman Barr Bimer (undated) Copy in my possession
Comments:       was converted in PA, widowed, and moved to Nauvoo she moved around
                for 2 yrs. and left for Utah in 1849.
Sub Name:       Fayone B. Willes 
Sub Date:       25 Sep 1991

Page:           000337
Name:           Breneman Barr Bitner 
Gender:         male
Birth Date:     15 Dec 1837
Birth Place:    Washington, Lancaster, PA
Parent1:        Abraham 
Parent2:        Anna Barr 
Spouse:         Mary Esther Benedict  Marrina Marjorie Halseth
Marriage Date:  10 Dec 1864           10 Apr 1866
Marriage Place: Endowment House, SLC. UT;Salt Lake City, UT (see over)
Departure Date: 1849
Travel Company: Mother: Anna Barr Musser Bitner Starr;
                Sis. Marth Ann Bitner;
                Step. father; Jared Starr;
                Step Sister: Mary Burdick Starr (17)
Party:          Jared Starr
Trail:          Mormon trail to SL
Arrival Date:   Oct 1849
Arrival Place:  Great Salt Lake Valley
Religion:       LDS
Place Settled:  SLC (1849);
                Cottonwood (1855)
Occupation:     farmer, raising sheep & horse;Deputy Assessor of SL County
Death Date:     10 Apr 1909
Death Place:    Salt Lake City, UT
Sources:        Benjamin F. Tibby;
                Biography of Breneman Barr Bitner (undated) copy in my possession
Sub Name:       Fayone B. Willes 
Sub Date:       25 Sep 1991

Page:           000338
Name:           Martha Ann Bitner 
Gender:         female
Birth Date:     13 Nov 1840
Birth Place:    near Quincy, Adams, Illinois
Parent1:        Abraham Bitnes 
Parent2:        Anna Barr Masses 
Spouse:         Benjamin Barr Neff
Travel Company: Mother: Anna Barr Musser Bitner Starr;
                Step-famer: Jared Star;
                Bro: Breneman Barr Bitner;
                Step. siter: Mary Burdice Start(17)
Death Date:     1858
Census Records 
1850 Census Greater Salt Lake City, Utah
                                          R Estate Where
Name              Age Sex Race Occupation Value    Born
Jared       STARR  60  M  ---- Shoemaker  $  0,300 Connecticut
Anna               47  F  ---- ---------- -------- Pennsylvania 
Brannaman B        14  M  ---- ---------- -------- Illinois
Martha             10  F  ---- ---------- -------- Illinois
Anna                1  F  ---- ---------- -------- Indian Territory

1880 Census Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah
                                       Mar               |   Place of Birth   |
Name                Race Sex Age Relat Sta Occupation    |Self   Father Mother|
B. B.        BITNER  W    M   42 Self   M  Farmer         Penn.  Penn. Penn.
Sarah A.     BITNER  W    F   33 Wife   M  Keeping House  Eng.   Eng.  Eng.
B. B. H.     BITNER  W    M   12 Son    S  At Home        Utah   Penn. Penn.
Annie        BITNER  W    F   11 Dau    S  At Home        Utah   Penn. Penn.
Mary E.      BITNER  W    F   10 Dau    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Elizabeth M. BITNER  W    F    9 Dau    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Milton O.    BITNER  W    M    8 Son    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Luella       BITNER  W    F    7 Dau    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Alice        BITNER  W    F    5 Dau    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Sarah L.     BITNER  W    F    4 Dau    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Susanah      BITNER  W    F    2 Son    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Hoffman H.   BITNER  W    M    2 Dau    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Nettie       BITNER  W    F   8M Dau    S  -------------  Utah   Penn. Penn.
Martina M.   BITNER  W    F   32 Wife   M  Keeping House  Penn.  ------ ------

1900 Cenaua Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah, ED 56 Sheet 9A Line 18

Name            Relat Race Sex Born Born Age Sta Mar |Self   Father Mother| Occupation
BITNER B B      Head   W    M   Dec 1837  62  M  ---  Penn.  Penn.  Penn.   Farmer
  "    M M      Wife   W    F   Aug 1847  52  M  ---  Norway Norway Norway  ----------
  "    Susie    Dau    W    F   Jun 1877  22  S  ---  Utah   Penn.  Norway  ----------
  "    Della    Dau    W    F   Oct 1881  18  S  ---  Utah   Penn.  Norway  At School
  "    Florence Dau    W    F   Mar 1883  16  S  ---  Utah   Penn.  Norway  At School
  "    Roy      Son    W    M   Sep 1886  13  S  ---  Utah   Penn.  Norway  At School
  "    Erma     Dau    W    F   Sep 1888  11  S  ---  Utah   Penn.  Norway  At School
  "    Madeline Dau    W    F   Apr 1892   7  S  ---  Utah   Penn.  Norway  ----------
M M Mother of 6 Children 6 Living
Utah Death Index, 1905-1951

Census Records

 Name:              BBreneman B Bitner
 Death Date:        10 Apr 1909
 State File Number: 1909001326
 Gender:            Male
 Age:               71
 County of Death:   Salt Lake

Children of Breneman Barr BITNER and Mary Esther BENEDICT:

    0. NONE KNOWN       b:            ; , , .

Children of Breneman Barr BITNER and Maren Martina Pedersen HALSETH:

    1. BRENEMAN BARR HALSETH  b: 24 Jun 1867; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md:  7 Mar 1900; , , .
                                              Miriam Chilso BUTLER
                              d: 24 Jun 1935; , , .
    2. ANNA                   b: 20 Feb 1869; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 15 Sep 1892; , , .
                                              George Wesley DERR
                              d: 12 Dec 1936; , , .
    3. ELIZABETH MARTHA       b:  9 Nov 1870; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 10 Apr 1896; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
                                              Frederick Leaver SHEETS
                              d: 14 Jul 1939; Los Angeles, Los Angeles,
                                              California.
    4. LUELLA                 b:  7 Dec 1872; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 21 Jun 1899; , , .
                                              Nephi Young TAYLOR
                              d: 19 Jan 1963; , , .
                              b: 10 Jan 1903; , , .
    5. ALICE                  b: 11 Mar 1875; Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md:  7 Sep 1898; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
                                              Wallace Claudius CASTLETON
                              d: 22 May 1964; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
    6. SUSANNAH               b: 23 Jun 1877; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 20 Sep 1905; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
                                              Frederick Joseph MORRIS
                              d: 20 Nov 1859; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
    7. NETTIE (JANNETTE)      b:  9 Oct 1879; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 29 Jun 1898; , , .
                                              Homer SWORTWOOD
                              d:  3 Mar 1961; , , .
    8. ARDELLA                b:  4 Oct 1881; Big Cottonwood, Salt  Lake, Utah.
                             md:  7 Jun 1906; , , .
                                              Benjamin F TIBBY
                              d: 25 Mar 1967; , , .
    9. FLORENCE               b:  5 Mar 1884; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                              d:  9 Oct 1902; , , .
   10. MORONI HALSETH (ROY)   b: 28 Sep 1886; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 29 Sep 1909; , , .
                                              Irma May FELT
                              d: 17 Oct 1966; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
   11. ERMA                   b: 14 Sep 1888; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 18 Jul 1912 , , .
                                             Edwin J EVANS
                              d:  8 Apr 1970; , , .
   12. MADELINE               b: 15 Apr 1893; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 14 Sep 1916; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
                                              Joseph Leopold 	WIRTHLIN
                              d: 18 Mar 1980; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children of Breneman Barr BITNER and Sarah Ann OSGUTHORPE:

    1. MARY ESTHER            b: 21 Feb 1870; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 27 Oct 1892; Logan, Cache, Utah.
                                    Heber Spencer SHEETS
                              d: 22 Jun 1956; Boulder City, Clark, Nevada.
    2. MILTON OSGUTHORPE      b: 20 Jan 1872; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 17 Jun 1915; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
                                              Edith Augusta OLSON
                              d: 24 Jun 1959; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
    3. SARAH LYDIA            b: 31 Jul 1875; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md:  5 Dec 1900; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
                                              William Stevenson ROMNEY
                              d: 29 Feb 1952; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
    4. HENRY HOFFMAN          b: 15 Nov 1877; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md: 10 Apr 1907; , , .
                                              Elozabeth Ellen HOWARTH
                              d: 17 Jan 1953; , , .
 +  5. ADA                    b: 30 Jan 1880; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md:  4 Aug 1909; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
                                  Bryant Stringham HINCKLEY
                              d:  9 Nov 1930; Los Angeles, Los Angeles,
                                              California.
    6. CHLOE                  b: 28 Nov 1883; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                             md:  5 Dec 1906; , , .
                                              Ernest W EVANS
                              d: 19 Sep 1943; , , .
    7. ELLA                   b:  5 May 1887; Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah.
                              md: 5 Jun 1918; , , .
                                              Edward R BUNBURY
Back to Abraham BITNER/BITTNER's Family Page.
Back to Joshua Northrop BENEDICT's Family Page.
Back to Peder Ericksen HALSETH's Family Page.
Back to -John OSGUTHROPE's- Family Page.
Back to Gordon Bitner HINCKLEY's Pedigree Chart.

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