David Christner's wives

David Christner, born 1781, of Jenner Twp, has been shown with a son Jesse, born about 1818, and an unknown son, born about 1806, who was married to a woman named Susanna. This is not correct – Susanna was David Christner’s 2nd wife, after Elizabeth Mishler.

Susanna “Crisner” is enumerated in the 1850 census in Conemaugh Twp, Somerset Co, age 44. living with George “Deets”. Both are listed as mulatto, as are Susanna’s children, Samuel 18, Susanna 14, George 10 and Lavenia 4. In 1860 Jenner Twp, Susan “Crisner” is living with the same four children, as well as Elizabeth age 29, and her two children Joseph “McKelvia” and Franklin Risher. All are again listed as mulatto. However, in all later census, all these people are listed as white.

In the 1850 census, also in Conemaugh Twp, David Christner, age 60, is living with the family of his son Jesse.

However, the 1840 census shows David Christner as a white male 50-60, with a free black woman 24-36, and three black children, which exactly matches Susanna and her children Elizabeth, Samuel & Susanna. In 1830 David “Crisner” has a white woman 40-50, a boy and 3 girls, who are Elizabeth Mishler and son Jesse, as well as three daughters. The 1820 census for David “Christian” has 1 son and 2 daughters.

Therefor, Jesse is David Christner’s only son, and Susanna was David’s 2nd wife.

The only black families living in Jenner or Conemaugh Twp from 1820 to 1860 are those of Samuel Steel and Samuel Dietz, both of Jenner Twp. In 1850, Susanna was no longer living with David Christner and was instead living with George Dietz, who had no wife or children in either the 1840 or 1850 census. I strongly believe, but only on this circumstantial evidence, that Susanna was a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Dietz, and was a sister of Samuel Jr and George Dietz, among possible others.