Ezra Grumbine

Born in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, in 1845, Ezra Light Grumbine trained as a physician at the University of Pennsylvania and later served as postmaster at Mt. Zion. Alongside his medical work, he developed a lasting interest in local history and the traditions of Lebanon County.

He is especially remembered for writing in the Pennsylvania German language, often under the dialect pen name "Wendell Kitzmiller." Beginning in 1900, he wrote weekly columns for the Lebanon News, and he also published poems, dramatic pieces, and historical sketches that drew on the speech and customs of the community around him.

Grumbine's work ranges from folklore and regional history to verse and humor. Titles such as Der Prahl-hans and his historical papers on Fredericksburg and nearby churches show the mix that made him distinctive: part storyteller, part preservationist, and part literary advocate for a language and culture he clearly loved.