Marjorie Jean "Midge" Dittbrenner

Marjorie Jean “Midge” Dittbrenner, born November 11, 1930, was the daughter of George and Florence Holland. At the age of 95, she passed away peacefully on April 25, 2026, leaving a legacy of love, kindness, and quiet strength that shaped her family for generations.

She was the beloved wife of the late Earl J. Dittbrenner, with whom she shared more than 71 years of unwavering devotion in marriage — a love story for the ages that began in their teens.

Midge spent her early childhood in Upper Lehigh, where she lived until age ten and attended a one‑room schoolhouse for grades one through five. Those early years fostered her resilience, curiosity, and independence — qualities that endured throughout her life.

From the age of seven, Midge loved the water. She remembered going to the beach and swimming in the ocean and swam everywhere she could — the ocean, the Little Lehigh River, Weatherly’s artificial lake, and the Mount Laurel pool. By high school, she was already a gifted swimmer. At Hazleton High School, where she graduated in 1948, swimming wasn’t just a requirement — it was where she shined. Inspired by the era of Esther Williams and guided by her instructor, Ms. Feely, Midge performed in the school’s Water Follies during her sophomore, junior, and senior years, becoming the star of the show in her senior year. Midge continued to swim well into her eighties.

After high school, Midge pursued Home Economics at Cedar Crest College — a field that in the 1950s was far more pioneering than its name suggests. Home economists were innovators, applying scientific research to domestic life, advancing consumer education, improving public health, and expanding professional opportunities for women. Midge was part of a generation of women who quietly reshaped American life. After graduating from Cedar Crest College in 1952, she worked for Philadelphia Electric, where she demonstrated household appliances and helped families understand new technologies that were becoming part of everyday life.

Midge and Earl were married in 1954 and moved to State College, Pennsylvania. Midge worked in the Penn State University test kitchen, evaluating food for quality and cost‑effectiveness to help determine what would be served to students. During the 1954–1955 academic year, this work was part of the newly renamed Department of Dairy Science and the College of Home Economics — a hub of food research and innovation.

After she and Earl began their family, Midge devoted herself fully to her home and community. For many years, she opened her heart and home through the Fresh Air Fund, welcoming children for summers filled with safety, joy, and unconditional care. Her generosity was never loud — it was steady, natural, and deeply felt.

Midge was very involved in her church and held her faith in God close to her heart. Midge also volunteered at many of the schools her children attended assisting primarily in the library. She always wanted things to be grammatically correct and was not afraid to suggest the proper way to speak or word things. It would be remiss not to share that Midge was also famously the queen of coupons — diligently clipping and saving. She liked to say that all the money she saved through coupons enabled the family to take a vacation every year.

Midge and Earl cherished their vacation time over the decades in Ocean City, Maryland where they walked the beach together every day, hand in hand, as if the world paused just for them. The ocean was their sanctuary — a place where their love felt as endless as the horizon.

Midge is survived by her children: Jeff (Kate), Greg (Carolyn), and Suzy (Russ); and by her beloved 12 grandchildren- Kristina, Kimberly, David, Lindsay, Jillian, Kody, Nicole, Emily, Kory, Pearce, Megan, and Madalynne; as well as ten great‑grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She is finally reunited with many of her dearest friends and family, including her sister, Ruth, son, Scott (Arlene), and with Earl, the love of her life, whose hand she now holds once again.

Midge will be remembered for her warmth, her grace, and her steadfast devotion to the people she loved. Her legacy is one of love lived fully and given freely. She adored the following saying and asked that it be shared here:

Life is short, 
And we do not have much time 
to gladden the hearts of those 
who make the journey with us. 
So… be swift to love 
and make haste to be kind.

A private burial for Midge and Earl will be held later at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Pennsylvania. A joint memorial service will also be planned to honor them together — just as they lived, just as they loved.