Richard Druckenbrod
Richard Druckenbrod (May 29, 1929 — October 27, 2003) was a 20th century Pennsylvania German language teacher, historian, pastor, and writer. Formative years and family 
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania in the United States on May 29, 1929, Druckenbrod was a son of Harry E. Druckenbrod and Kathryn (Reisch) Druckenbrod. A graduate of Denver High School in Denver, Pennsylvania in 1947, he subsequently graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1951, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for study at the University of Graz in Austria. Returning from Austria, he studied at Lancaster Theological Seminary and was ordained by the United Church of Christ in 1954. His wife, Norma Jane, preceded him in death in 1991. They were the parents of one son. Career 
Druckenbrod served as president of the Pennsylvania German Society from 1980 to 1992 and authored the column, "Es Deitsch Schtick," in The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania from February 13, 1978 to July 29, 1985. A frequent preacher at church services in the Pennsylvania German dialect and a speaker at Fersommling gatherings, Druckenbrod's dialect pseudonym was Pit Schweffelbrenner. His final major appointment as pastor was at St. John's United Church of Christ in Howertown, where he served until 1980. He continued his ministry through subsequent appointments as an interim and supply pastor for nearly two additional decades, ultimately retiring in 1998. He also worked as a professor of theology at Cedar Crest College in Allentown and as a professor in the Chemistry Department at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Awards and other honors
In 1991, Druckenbrod was recognized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for his efforts to revitalize Pennsylvania German history. Death
Druckenbrod died at the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center in Allentown on October 27, 2003. He was seventy-four years old. Bibliography
Mir Schwetz Deitsch: A Guide for Learning the Skills of Reading, Writing and Speaking Pennsylvania German (1977)
Mir Lanne Deitsch: A Guide for Learning the Skills of Reading, Writing and Speaking Pennsylvania German (1981, 1997)
Earl C. Haag, A Pennsylvania German Anthology (1988)

References

External links
Grave at Fairview Cemetery in Allentown, Pennsylvania

1929 births
2003 deaths
Poets from Pennsylvania
German-American history
Pennsylvania Dutch people
People from Reading, Pennsylvania
Educators from Allentown, Pennsylvania
Writers from Allentown, Pennsylvania
United Church of Christ ministers
United Church of Christ in Pennsylvania
Franklin & Marshall College alumni
University of Graz alumni
American writers in Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch culture
German language in the United States
Journalists from Pennsylvania
Linguists from the United States