Ellen (Whitenberg) Abbott is the daughter of Peter Leonard Whitenberg and Martha M. (Jones) Whitenberg, and she is the granddaughter of Jacob "Jake" Whitenburg (Aug 1820 Bledsoe Co., TN - Bef. 1900) and Katherine (Lewis) Whitenburg (5 Jan 1834 TN - 1914 Coryell Co., TX). On the headstone of Katherine (Lewis) Whitenburg, this family's surname is spelled as Whitenburg.

On the original census of 1860; Alabama; Marshall County; Tract 7 Range 3, Jacob "Jake" Whitenburg and Katherine (Lewis) Whitenburg's family's surname was spelled as Whitenberg. Through out the continuing years of census records and other records for this family, the family's surname was mispelled and also after a while, intentionally spelled in many other various ways, as Whittenberg, Whittenburg, Whitenburg and Whitenberg and eventually some of the children changed the spelling of their surnames to one or even more of the listed spelling variations of their surname going by Whitenburg of Whitenberg for a while and then adding an extra "t" making it either Whittenburg or Whittenberg and after several more years changing the spelling back to Whitenburg or Whitenberg.

Peter Leonard Whitenberg married first to Mira C. Mitchell on 13 May 1872 in Lincoln County, Tennessee.
Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950: GS Film Number: 002138625; Digital Folder Number: 004538971; Image Number: 01150:
Name: Peter L. Whittenberg Or Whitenberg
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 13 May 1872
Event Place: Lincoln, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Spouse's Name: Mira C Mitchell
Spouse's Titles and Terms: Miss
Spouse's Gender: Female
Citing this record
"Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK41-XFSB : 26 September 2017), Peter L Whittenberg Or Whitenberg and Mira C Mitchell, 13 May 1872; siting Lincoln, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p., Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfile 2, 138, 625.

They had two children:
(1) Mary E. Whitenberg (1874 AL - ?)

(2) Emma Catherine Whitenberg ( 22 Apr 1876 AL - 01 Oct 1902 TX), she married William Wesley Dereck "Bud" Fletcher. [Note: Some have pages from their daughter's , Clara Mae (Fletcher) Gilbreath's, Family Bible. From Family Bible Marriages and Births, Coryell County, Texas: She has her Mother, Emma Catherine Whitenberg listed as Emma Catherine Whitenburg, and Emma's parents listed as Peter Leonard Whitenburg and Myra (Mitchell) Whitenburg (born Alabama and died in Alabama).

Mira C. Whitenberg passed away about 1876 in Alabama, possibly during childbirth.

Peter Leonard Whitenberg married second to Martha M. Jones, on June 17, 1879 in Madison County, Alabama, the person writing their information onto their marriage record wrote Whitenberg as Whittenburg in the standard blank areas of the document, but not on the L. S. (Locus sigilli) line, which is the place of the seal that binds the agreement, the surname was spelled Whitenberg there. This seal with P L Whitenberg signature was to seal the agreement of the marriage bond and to obtain a marriage license.

Their first census was the 1880 Census; Alabama, Madison County, Beat 16. Please refer to the original copy of the census to see that their surname is spelled as Whitenberg. The transcribed version does not show the original spelling on this census, you will need to look at the original Census.

Martha M. (Jones) Whitenberg died March 25, 1891 and is buried in Davidson Cemetery, Gatesville, Coryell Co., TX (her memorial number is # 36407662) and on the face of her headstone it reads: MARTHA M. WHITENBERG WIFE OF P. L. WHITENBERG FEB 14, 1855 - MARCH 25, 1891. Peter Leonard Whitenberg was alive and did not die until 1933. While other census takers spelled Whitenberg as Whittenburg or Whittenberg on other census of theirs, the spelling Whitenberg continued to still be recorded in their records throughout their lifetimes.

U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880
Name: Peter Whitenburg
Enumeration Date: 11 Jun 1880
Place: District 217, Madison, Alabama, USA
Schedule Type: Agriculture
OS Page: 8
Line Number: 3

After the death of his second wife, Peter Leonard Whitenberg married Abt. 1908 to his third wife, Annie Watters (29 Oct 1862 - 13 Nov 1947). This was her first marriage.

1910 Waco, Texas, City Direcory
Name: Peter L Whitenberg
Residence Year: 1910
Residence Place: Waco, Texas, USA
Occupation: Wagon And Wood Yd
Publication Title: Waco, Texas, City Directory, 1910
Note: They also were renting furnished rooms
Whitenberg Annie (Mrs. P. L.), furnished rooms, 329 N. 4th. Ind. ph. 1368
Whitenberg Peter L., wagon and wood yd, 318 Taylor. E. Waco, Ind. ph. 1372, r. 329 N. 4th. Ind. ph. 1368

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: Peter L. Whitenberg
Gender: male
Residence Year: 1919
Street address: 300 Taylor E Waco (note: this is his business address)
Residence Place: Waco, Texas, USA
Occupation: Wagon Yd
Spouse: Annie Whitenberg
Publication Title: Waco, Texas, City Directory, 1919

1920 Census; Texas, McLennan County, Waco ward 1; (ED-108); (Sheet: 6A)
Household Members: Note: Surname is spelled Whitenberg
P. L. Whitenberg - head-Occupation: Keeper of Rooming House
Annie Whitenberg-wife
Others listed are those renting rooms

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: Peter L Whitenberg
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1923
Street Address: 300 Taylor (Note: this is his work address)
Residence Place: Waco, Texas, USA
Occupation: Wagon Yd
Spouse: Annie Whitenberg
Publication Title: Waco, Texas, City Directory, 1923

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: Peter L Whitenberg
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1926
Street address: 300 Taylor av (Note: this is his business address)
Residence Place: Waco, Texas, USA
Occupation: Wagon Yd
Spouse: Annie Whitenberg
Publication Title: Waco, Texas, City Directory, 1926

U.S. City Directories, 1822 - 1995
Name: Peter L Whitenberg
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1928
Street address: 517 Turner Y
Residence Place: Waco, Texas, USA
Occupation: Wagon yd
Spouse: Annie Whitenberg
Publication Title: Waco, Texas, City Directory, 1928

Peter Leonard Whitenberg died July 01, 1933. His death certificate has his full name as Peter Leonard Whitenberg; spouse: Annie Whitenberg; Father: Jacob Whitenberg; Mother: Kattie Louis (should be Lewis); Informant: Mrs. P. L. Whitenberg, Waco Texas. (Note: See copy of his death certificate in the photo section).

1940 Census; San Antonio, Bexar, Texas; 319 Roseborough Street; (Sheet: 61B): Annie (Watters) Whitenberg is living with her step-daughter, Ellen (Whitenberg) Abbett (should be Abbott) and Ellen's husband, Carl Abbett (should be Abbott). He has given Annie's surname to the census taker as Whittenberg instead of Whitenberg.
Name: Annie Whittenberg (should be Whitenberg)
Age: 78
Estimated Birth Year: 1862
Gender: Female
Race: White
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Step Mother-in-law
Home in 1940: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas
Street: Roseborough
House Number: 319
inferred Residence in 1935: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas
Residence in 1935: Same House
Household Members:
Carl Abbett - 58
Ellen Abbett - 58
Roy McDonald - 27
Clarie Martha McDonald - 23
Annie Whittenberg - 78

Annie (Watters) Whitenberg died November 13, 1947 in Coryell County, Texas.

Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000
Name: Annie Whitenberg
Death Date: 13 Nov 1947
Death County: Coryell
Certificate: 45414

Texas Department of Health-Bureau of Vital Statistics-Standard Certificate of Death
Death Certificate Number: 45414
Name: MRS ANNIE WHITENBERG
Place of Death: Coryell County, Texas
Gender: Female
Race: White
Marital Status: Widowed
Date of Birth: 29 Oct 1862
Place of Birth: Arkansas
Date of Death: 13 Nov 1947
Place of Death: Coryell County, Texas, USA
Residence of the Deceased: Leon Junction, Coryell County, Texas, UsA
Father's Name: Watters
Mothers Name: Unknown
Informant: J. W. Whitenberg, of Leon Junction, Texas

Annie (Watters) Whitenberg is buried at Davidson Cemetery, Gatesville, Coryell Co., TX. Her memorial number is ( # 52033135). On the face of her headstone it reads:
ANNIE WHITENBURG (1862-1947). Whitenburg is the same spelling of the family surname that is on the headstone of Katherine (Lewis) Whitenburg, mother of Peter Leonard Whitenberg. The death certificate for Mrs. Annie Whitenberg has the surname spelled as Whitenberg.

Ellen (Whitenberg) Abbott was the wife of William Carlton "Carl" Abbott. They were married on November 22, 1903 in McLennan, Texas. Ellen gave her maiden name spelled as Whitenberg on their marriage liscense. (Note: See close up view of the spelling of her name on their marriage license in the photo section). Wit is followed by the letter "E" not "T" in Whitenberg. I have seen "E" written this way in many court documents, marriage records, death certificates and other official records and although it appears as a capital "E", it is an "e", and can not be confused with the letters "a" and "o" or "s" or "t".

Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965:
Name: Carl Abbott
Titles and Terms: Mr
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 22 Nov 1903
Event Place: McLennan, Texas, United States
Gender: Male
Spouse's Name: Ellen Whitenberg
Spous's Titles and Terms: Miss
Spouse's Gender: Female
Page: 83
Citing this Record
"Texas, County Marrige Records,, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-FGR7 : accessed 13 December 2018), Carl Abbott and Ellen Whitenberg, 22 Nov 1903, Marriage; citing McLennan, Texas, United States, various county clerk offices, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Texas Dept. of State Health Services and Golightly-Payne-Coon Co.; FHL microfilm 987,561.

GS Film Number: 000987561
Digital Folder Number: 004820326
Image Number: 00095

Ellen (Whitenberg) Abbott died at the San Antonio Community Hospital in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas and according to her death certificate, she is buried in this cemetery.

Ellen (Whitenberg) Abbott may/or may not have a grave marker. Either the person writing down the information on Ellen's death certificate misspelled Whitenberg as Whittenberg, or the informant, her daughter, Mrs. Ellouis Abbott Woodfin, gave the name that way.

Ellen (Whitenberg) Abbott's parents, Peter Leonard Whitenberg and Martha M. (Jones) Whitenberg had three other children in addition to Ellen Whitenberg, they were: two infant sons and an infant not named as a son or daughter. The two infant sons were John D. Whitenberg (14 Jun 1882 Madison Co., AL - 31 Oct 1882 Madison Co, AL) and Infant son Whitenberg (10 Mar 1887 - 15 July 1887), whose headstone inscription reads: INFANT SON OF P. L. & M. M. WHITENBERG (10 MARCH 1887 - 15 JULY 1887). The other infant was not named as a son or daughter, this infant was born November 1, 1884 Texas, USA and died July 15, 1887 Texas, USA) and on the face of this Infants headstone it reads: IN MEMORY OF The Infan OF P. L. and M. M. Whitenburg Was Born November 1, 1884 Died December 16, 1884.

Peter Leonard Whitenberg: Whitenberg is on his death certificate.
2nd wife, Martha M. (Jones) Whitenberg: Whitenberg is on her headstone.
Infant son Whitenberg: Whitenberg is on this Infant son's headstone.
John D. Whitenberg: Infant son
Infant Whitenburg: Infant Whitenburg is on this infant's headstone.
3rd wife, Annie (Watters) Whitenberg: shown as Whitenberg on her death certificate and she has Whitenburg on her headstone.

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