Emmett Felton Bredenberg

Emmett Felton Bredenberg, 89, a resident of Erie most of his life, died on Wednesday morning February 4, 2009 at the Hamot Medical Center following a brief illness. He was born in Malone, N.Y. on April 6, 1919 a son of the late Alfred Bredenberg, Jr. and Cora Felton Bredenberg.

He was raised in Erie and was a 1936 graduate of Academy High School and a 1940 graduate of Penn State University participating on the cross country team. He was an avid Penn State fan and enjoyed traveling. Emmett had been an electrical engineer in Transportation Systems at the Erie GE Building 42 and had the distinction of being G.E.'s longest worldwide continuous employee. He retired in 1999 after over 59 years with the company and then worked 3 additional years in consulting.

Some of the more memorable projects that he worked on while with the GE were that he was the chief engineer for the New York City subway system, designed the controls for the first monorail at Disney World in Orlando, was chief engineer for GE for the Glen Canyon Dam project in Page, Ariz., and also had worked on other major GE jobs in Brazil, Sweden, and Japan. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church where he taught the JOY Adult Bible Sunday School class. Emmett was a Sunday School teacher for more than 60 years and also taught a Bible class at the GE for over 50 years. He had written and published two books, Highlights of Bible Truth in 2001 and Blessed By God's Truth in 2003.

Emmett was an army veteran of WW II having served in the Central European theater and participating in the Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes, and the Remagin Bridge battle over the Rhine River.

Survivors include two daughters, Carole Huether and her husband Jeffrey of Geneva, N.Y. and Joan Staab and her husband Craig of Meadville, Pa.; a daughter in law, Linda Leonhart Perry of Chapel Hill, N.C.; a special friend, Louise Engesser Anderson of Millcreek; six grandchildren, Michael Bredenberg and his wife Lesa of Raleigh, N.C., Scott Bredenberg and his wife Cindy of Pittsboro, N.C., Mark Huether and his wife Dana of Cornelius, N.C., Brian Staab and his wife Jenna of Meadville, Pa, Becky Huether Hilimire and her husband Justin of North Bangor, N.Y., and Doug Staab of Meadville; three great grandchildren, Kayla and Colton Bredenberg, Peyton Hilimire; two brothers, Paul Bredenberg and his wife Gladys of Raleigh, N.C. and Dr. William Bredenberg of Lewiston, Maine; a brother in law, Laddie Brosta of Elk Grove Village, Ill.; several nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Jeanette Swift Bredenberg on December 17, 2002; a son, Kenneth Bredenberg on April 17, 1975; a sister, Ruth Brosta in 1992.

Friends may call at the Russell C. Schmidt & Son Funeral Home, 5000 Wattsburg Road, corner of East Gore Rd. and Pine Ave, Friday 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. and are invited to services there on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. officiated by Rev. James Eaton, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Laurel Hill Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 3952 Pine Ave., Erie, 16504.

Send a Sympathy Note

Click here to print this page

© DiBello Design - Erie Internet