author
Ezra Grumbine
1845–1923
A Pennsylvania doctor who also became a lively voice of local history and dialect writing, he brought everyday Pennsylvania German speech into print with humor and affection. His work preserves a rich slice of regional culture that might otherwise have faded away.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, Ezra Light Grumbine (1845–1923) was an American physician, local historian, columnist, and poet. Alongside his medical work, he became known for writing in the Pennsylvania German language, helping document the speech and customs of his community.
He wrote under the dialect pen name Wendell Kitzmiller and contributed weekly columns to the Lebanon News beginning in 1900. His writing mixed humor, observation, and a strong sense of place, making him an important figure in the literary record of Pennsylvania German life.
Grumbine’s appeal today comes from that blend of scholarship and warmth: he was not only recording a language, but also preserving the voices, habits, and character of a particular American region. For readers interested in dialect literature, folklore, or local history, his work offers a vivid connection to the world he knew.