BIOGRAPHY: David W. BRENDLINGER, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 442-3
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DAVID W. BRENDLINGER, one of the most prominent citizens of Morrellville, was 
born September 20, 1837, in East Wheatfield township, Indiana county, 
Pennsylvania.
     Frederick Brendlinger, grandfather of David, was a native of Burtenheim, 
Germany, whence he was brought to this country by his parents when but a child. 
The family first located at Fredericksburg, Maryland, later coming to Indiana 
county, this State. They were pioneers in the settlement, which was almost 
wholly composed of Germans. West Wheatfield was then a wilderness. Both the 
grandfather and the great-grandfather engaged in farming, clearing land in the 
virgin forests for agricultural purposes. Both died there, the latter at the age 
of eighty-eight years. Grandfather Brendlinger was born December 4, 1812, and 
died January 19, 1891. He was reared on the old homestead, and lived there until 
about forty years of age. He was an expert millwright, and worked in Cambria 
county until about 1885, when he went to Dover, Delaware. There he remained 
until his death. His remains were brought to East Wheatfield, and interred in 
the German graveyard, with the rites of the Lutheran church, of which he was a 
member. In politics he was a democrat until Lincoln's time, when he became a 
republican.
     David W. Brendlinger was married July 4, 1868, to Miss Mattie, daughter of 
Robert Mack, of Indiana county. To this marriage one child was born, Carrie L.
     Mr. Brendlinger's school advantages were few, comprising about three 
months' attendance at the public schools, and his education was secured almost 
wholly by his own efforts. He learned the trade of a millwright with his father. 
He also followed the business of a canal boatman for one year, in 1856, from 
Johnstown to Pittsburg on the Bingham line. He then took up his trade and 
followed it for about forty years; for thirty-two years never missing a month. 
He worked in Cambria, Clearfield, Westmoreland, Bedford and Indiana counties. He 
now owns a three-fourths interest in a grist mill in Blacklick, Indiana county, 
and formerly owned a large mill at New Florence, Westmoreland county. At present 
his attention is devoted wholly to his real-estate interests, which are large 
and include a peach farm in Maryland, a fruit farm in historic Worcester 
township, a three hundred acre farm in Dover, Delaware, and valuable real estate 
in this county.
     In 1862 Mr. Brendlinger entered the military service for three months as a 
member of the Fifty-fourth regiment, company H, Pennsylvania Volunteer infantry, 
and in August, 1864, re-enlisted in company H, Two Hundred and Sixth regiment, 
and served until the close of the war, receiving an honorable discharge July 2, 
1865. He is a member of Emory Fisher Post, No. 30, G.A.R., at Johnstown, and of 
the Presbyterian church.