Joseph Pannebaker was born June 5, 1808 in Juniata County, the sixth child and youngest son of William and Elizabeth. He grew up on the family homestead in Fermanagh, Juniata County, where his father was a farmer and saw-mill owner. In 1829 Joseph married Mary Magdalene Wert, known as Polly, the daughter of J. Philip and Elizabeth Loos. Her family lived across the line in Snyder County.

William and Elizabeth planned for Joseph to inherit the family farm after they both died. From 1830 through 1850 Joseph, his wife and their children shared the house with William and Elizabeth.1 Polly had died in April 1846 and Joseph married Elizabeth Moyst. William died in October 1852, leaving the house to Elizabeth while she lived, and then to Joseph. However, Joseph died the following August, at the fairly young age of 45, leaving his second wife Elizabeth to care for his mother as well as his children.

Joseph and Polly had six or seven children, born between 1831 and 1846. He is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery in Mifflintown.2

In 1860 the younger Elizabeth, now a widow, was still living with Elizabeth, age 83, and caring for her. The older Elizabeth was shown with a large land holding, still living in the homestead in Fermanagh. Other children of Joseph lived near them in Fermanagh township: Philo, a master carpenter; Daniel, a blacksmith, with wife Mary and two children; Philip, a farmer, with wife Amanda; Daniel; Moses, a  laborer, in the family of George Hower; Mary, a domestic in the family of Henry Suloff.3] Elizabeth wrote her will in October 1863 and died the following summer.4 She gave a special legacy to her daughter-in-law Elizabeth Pannebaker, for “her kind and faithful attention to me”.5 The residue of the estate was to be divided equally among the heirs of Joseph Pannebaker: Philip, Ann Hackenbarger, Daniel, Mary Kerlin, Joseph, Rebecca Dunn, Moses and John. It is noticeable that she had other children and grandchildren living at the time, but only mentions the heirs of her son Joseph in the will. She probably felt closer to them since they had grown up in her house.

Elizabeth’s will does not mention the house and its surrounding land. She must have sold or given it away before she wrote the will. By 1870 the younger Elizabeth was living with her stepdaughter Ann Hackenberg. Still there in 1880, she probably stayed with them until her death in 1900 at the age of 93.

She was believed to be the second oldest person in the county when she died.6 She is buried at the Kauffman-Rothrock cemetery.7

Children of Joseph and Polly:

Philip, b. May 2, 1831, d. June 7, 1910, m. in 1852, Amanda Hower, dau of Jacob and Mary; she died in 1907. Philip was a farmer, lived in Fermanagh. Children: Winfield, Edwin, Mary Alice, William, Emma, Elizabeth, Morton, Gertie, Oscar, Theodore. Buried at Westminster Presbyterian.8

Ann, b. Jan 22, 1833, d. June 17, 1913, m. in Oct 1854 John G. Hackenberger. He was a stone mason. Lived in Fermanagh. Her stepmother Elizabeth lived with them in 1870 and 1880.9 Children: William, David, Christiane, Joseph, Robert. Buried at Union Cemetery, Mifflintown.10

Daniel, b. Nov 23, 1834, d. April 12, 1920, m. 1856 Mary Ann Whitmer; she died in 1918. He was a blacksmith when he enlisted in the Civil War. (Co. I, 101 Regiment) He and Mary Ann celebrated their  50^th wedding anniversary in 1906. Children: Juniata, Harry, Cloyd, Mary Ella, Elizabeth, Charles, Myrven.11 Buried at Westminster.

Mary M., b. Sept 13, 1836, m. James C. Kerlin in 1860, moved to Indiana, where he was a gardener in 1900.12 Children: William, Emma Jane, Anna Margaret, Ida, Carrie, Mertie. Mary died in 1906; he died in 1913.13

Joseph R, b. September 1838, d. June 4, 1915 in Ohio, m. 1) in 1866 Nancy L. Notestine, 2) in 1872 Polly Ann Hester, 3) in 1900, Jane Lanham. He had two children with Nancy, Netta and Frank, and a son Albert with Polly Ann. He was still living in Patterson Twp, Juniata County in 1880, but moved to Ohio by 1900 when he married Jane.

Rebecca, b. Sept 11, 1840, d. April 18, 1902, m. about 1858 Lucien Dunn. Lucien was at various times an innkeeper (1860), a laborer (1870) and a carpenter (1880). Children: Lora, Ada, Hannah, Clara, Lucien B, Benjamin, William, Samuel. Rebecca died in 1902; Lucien died in 1903; they are buried at Otterbein Cemetery, East Salem, Juniata County.14

Moses, b. Feb 7, 1842, d. Nov 6, 1921, m. 1) 1866 Martha Basom, daughter of Simon and Lydia, 2) 1912 Mary Ella Swilger. Moses fought in the Civil War, in the same regiment as his future father-in-law Simon and his older brother Daniel, returned to marry Martha, worked as a house painter. Children: Jessie, Corbett, Joseph, Van, Boyd, Clarence, Blanche, Alton, Bessie. Martha died in 1910 and he married Mary Ella Swilger, who survived him. He died in 1921 and was buried with Martha at Westminster Presbyterian Cemetery.

John M, b. April 22, 1845, d. Sept 14, 1926, m. 1866 Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Sandoe; she died in 1921.15 He was a veteran of the Civil War. He lived in Mifflin and Patterson Townships, and worked as a chairmaker (1870), brakeman for the Penna Railroad (1880), day laborer (1900), salesman in a hardware store (1910), house painter (1920). Children: George, Anthony, Anna Belle, Mary M, John, James, William, Walter, Harry, Herman, Lavinia, Rudolph.  In 1900 he reported that they had 13 children, ten living.16 Molly died in 1921; he died in 1926; they are buried at Westminster.

? Barbara, b. about 1846, shown in the 1860 census, age 14, with Elizabeth (widow of William) and Elizabeth (widow of Joseph), no further information. She is not listed with the family of Joseph in the 1850 census. She may have been a daughter of one of Joseph’s brothers, otherwise unknown.17