David Rittenhouse
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David Shuman Rittenhouse (1892 - 1976)

David Shuman Rittenhouse
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United Statesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 17 Nov 1919 in Washington, DCmap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 83 in Buffalo, New York, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 11 Mar 2018
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Contents

Biography

David Rittenhouse served for the United States of America in World War I
Service started:
Unit(s):
Service ended:
Born in Philadelphia

David Shuman Rittenhouse was born December 19th 1892 in Philadelphia. He was the son of Charles Josiah Rittenhouse and Lillian Frances (Shuman) Rittenhouse. His father was a salesman of grocery products, including (at various times) tea and peanut butter. David was the second child, and oldest son. His parents had six children in all, but the twins died young, leaving four who grew to adulthood.

As children, David and his sister Catherine loved travelling from their home in the city to Mainville, Pennsylvania, where their mother's family lived, and spending holidays there with them on the family farm. Both wrote reminiscences of this in later life.

David had to drop out of school before he would have liked to, in order to earn money to help support his family. He resented the fact that while he was not able to pursue an education, the family paid for his sister's piano lessons and sent her to a conservatory.

David served in the First World War. Soon after returning from France once the war had ended, he met and fell in love with Cora Crews, and they were married on November 17th 1919. He had been disturbed by his experiences overseas, perhaps particularly by the loose sexual mores in the army, because his happiness at being involved with a nice Christian girl was stressed when the story of their romance was told. They first met at Sunday School. Cora's parents were somewhat concerned about the whirlwind nature of their romance; but the marriage lasted.

David was a bookkeeper for a wallpaper store or company in Washington. Although his education had been limited, he was good with figures and could add up a column of numbers in his head by keeping a running total, writing down the total at the end, instead than needing to add first the ones column then the tens and so on.

David and Cora had three children born in Washington D.C. then around 1929, they moved to Buffalo, New York. For most of his adult life, David was the manager of a branch of a paint and wallpaper store (a branch of Universal Wallpaper & Paint) in Buffalo. They were members of University Christian Church. Cora played the piano, and David had a good singing voice, and family evenings often featured singing around the piano with family and friends.

David was also involved in a Christian Mission in the city, and sometimes took his youngest daughter Ruth along with him to it to play violin solos. He smoked a pipe, and loved listening to records and tapes, and making his own tapes. Unlike his wife, he was not a teetotaller. He loved poetry as well as music, and exchanged letters with a number of hymn-writers and poets. David and Cora had a favourite tree they used to drive over to see every fall as it changed colour.

David and Cora's marriage was loving, but not without its stormy patches. A family story relates that when Cora moved the family to their final home at 55 Commonwealth Avenue (later named Parkhurst Boulevard), David was not keen on the move, and she wasn't sure whether he would join them there that evening after work or not. But he did.

In old age, David had a condition the family knew as Parkinson's disease, which made his hands shake and his writing (which had been beautiful) quavery. But it didn't affect him beyond this or progress noticeably.

David died November 25th 1976 in Buffalo. He had been hospitalized with liver cancer, but mercifully died from a blood clot before suffering too badly from the cancer. Cora outlived him.

Research Notes

Census

1900: Precinct 1 Camden city Ward 11, Camden, New Jersey, United States
  Charles Rittenhouse H M 32 b. May 1868 Pennsylvania tea salesman married 11 yrs
  Lillian wife 29 b. June 1870 Pennsylvania married 11 yrs 5 children 3 living
  Florance daur 9 b. Nov 1890 Pennsylvania at school
  David son 7 b. Dec 1892 Pennsylvania
  Carrie daur 1 month b. Apr 1900 New Jersey
  Rush Shuman brother-in-law 20 b. Oct 1879 Pennsylvania tea salesman
  Ray Shuman brother-in-law 20 b. Oct 1879 Pennsylvania stenographer
1905: 1037 Cooper St, Camden New Jersey
  Chas J Rittenhouse married 37 b. May 1868 Pennsylvania salesman rented house
  Lillian F married 34 b. June 1871 Pennsylvania
  Florence M 14 b. Nov 1891 Pennsylvania at school
  David S 12 b. Dec 1893 Pennsylvania at school
  Carrie C 5 b. Apr 1900 New Jersey
  Roy L Shuman 25 b. Oct 1880 b. Pennsylvania stenographer
1920: 1414 Kearney N E, Washington DC
  David Rittenhouse head (renting part of house) 27 b. Delaware, parents b. Va, Penna, bookkeeper wallpaper
  Cora wife 23 b. Texas, parents b. Georgia & Missouri, telephone oper, treasury
1930: 206 Lovering Avenue, Buffalo, New York
  David Rittenhouse 37 b. Pennsylvania, parents b. same, renting house $50, married at 27, manager wallpaper store, salary $9791, veteran WW
  Cora wife 33 b. Texas, parents b. Georgia & Missouri, married at 23
  Marie daur 9 b. District of Columbia
  Robert son 8 b. District of Columbia
  David son 1 year 3 months b. District of Columbia
1940: 55 Commonwealth Ave, Buffalo, New York
  David S Rittenhouse H M 47 b. Penna living in Cheektowaga in 1935, manager wallpaper wholesale salary $3000
  Cora wife 43 b. Texas living in Cheektowaga in 1935
  Marie E daur 19 b. Washington DC living in Cheektowaga in 1935
  Robert C son 18 b. Washington DC living in Cheektowaga in 1935
  David C son 11 b. Washington DC living in Cheektowaga in 1935
  Ruth R daur 6 b. New York living in Cheektowaga in 1935

Sources

  • "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XL4W-LYN : 10 March 2018), David S Rittenhouse and Cora H Crews, 17 Nov 1919; citing p. 151, Records Office, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,129,771
  • "District of Columbia Marriages, 1830-1921," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F71B-3WT : 10 March 2018), David S. Rittenhouse and Cora H. Crews, 17 Nov 1919; citing Washington, District Of Columbia, reference 94651; FHL microfilm 2,129,771.
  • "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QK9B-53YW : 11 March 2018), David S Rittenhouse and Cora H Crews, 17 Nov 1919; citing p. 94651, Records Office, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,051,925.
  • "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSFD-K23 : 20 May 2014), David Rittenhouse, Nov 1976; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
  • "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WQF9-SHW2 : 26 October 2019), David Shuman Rittenhouse, 3 Jul 1919; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.
  • "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9N5-7S9 : accessed 11 March 2018), David S Rittenhouse in household of Charles Rittenhouse, Precinct 1 Camden city Ward 11, Camden, New Jersey, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 83, sheet 7B, family 224, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,959.
  • "New Jersey State Census, 1905," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KMWW-FGW : 3 April 2016), David S Rittenhouse in household of Chas J Rittenhouse, , Camden, New Jersey, United States; citing p. 29, line 85, Department of State, Trenton; FHL microfilm 1,688,591.
  • "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNGS-NQG : accessed 11 March 2018), David S Rittenhouse, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, United States; citing ED 342, sheet 14A, line 23, family 225, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 213; FHL microfilm 1,820,213.
  • "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7CY-4GR : accessed 11 March 2018), David Rittenhouse, Buffalo (Districts 1-250), Erie, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 231, sheet 1B, line 81, family 20, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1431; FHL microfilm 2,341,166.
  • "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQ1Z-PVH : accessed 11 March 2018), David S Rittenhouse, Tonawanda Town, Erie, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 15-171A, sheet 9A, line 39, family 199, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2531.




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