Charles J. Dengler Jr. Diary
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The entire collection is digitized and available online.
What's in the entire collection?
The collection consists of a daily diary kept by 15 year-old Charles J. Dengler Jr. in 1932. The diary records his activities as a paperboy, hiking and biking, listening to the radio, shopping, visiting the local library, schoolwork, and games with friends.
About Charles J. Dengler Jr.
Charles Jacob Dengler Jr. was a native of Pittsburgh's Northside and grew up in what is now considered the East Allegheny and Deutschtown neighborhoods. The son of Charles J. Dengler Sr. (1886-1930), a produce laborer, and Sophia Ness Dengler (1892-1974), he was born on July 3, 1916. Charles was the oldest of six children. The death of his father in 1930 caused Charles to take on increased responsibility as the oldest son in the family, including helping at home, paying bills, and caring for his younger siblings. Dengler and his family were members of St. Peter's United Church of Christ (Evangelical and Reformed), which later became the Allegheny United Church of Christ.
As an adult, Dengler worked as a mail carrier with the Bellevue, Pa. Post Office. He married Mary Ann Ehrenfeld (1910-2002) in 1964. Dengler died in 1996 and is buried at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Reserve Township, Pa.