This information from oral history, is given by Penny (Richner) Husler in 1998.
I have scant information on Grandfather Hittenberger but will share what I remember from what I was told by my Grandmother and Mother. I was born in 1944 and he died in 1949.

He played French Horn in the Sacramento Symphony. He was present and played when John Phillip Souza conducted the symphony in Sacramento on one of his tours. Souza was a very famous conductor & composer. Souza became famous as the conductor/composer for the Marine Corp Band that played for U.S. Presidential occasions and later toured with his own band.

Herman Hittenberger was a tinkerer and due to his occupation as an Orthopedic Technician, worked with metal and leather. He made jewelry and decorative metal boxes as gifts for family members. I used an aluminum box (4x4x12, lined in soft white leather, that he made for my mother) as a crayon box as a child. Another smaller box was made of copper & brass. In both cases the boxes were held together with narrow bands, the bands matching or contrasting were held to the boxes with rivets. The jewelry was made with metal, wood, ivory and combinations thereof. The pieces my Grandmother had, consisted of her initials on a contrasting medium. They were nicely finished.

At Christmas time he followed the tradition where the Christmas tree as well as the gifts, were brought by Santa Claus. When Nadine and Bill went to bed on Christmas Eve, Herman and Ruth would stay up all night, setting everything up for the children. My Mother (Nadine) and Grandmother (Ruth) would love to tell about how the tree was set on a revolving platform, the model train ran around it's base and how at least one year Grandpa even drilled a hole in the floor and ran copper tubing so there would be running water for the train to go over.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Obituary, clipped from an unknown newspaper glued to photo book and darkening with age:

HITTENBERGER -- In Oakland, Oct 2, 1949, Herman George Hittenberger, beloved father of Nadine Kockritz and William H. Hittenberger; loving brother of Mrs. Lena Eadon, Mrs. Emma Hennings and Mrs. Hilda Oberg of Oakland and Carl Hittenberger of San Francisco; a native of California, aged 52 years.

Private services were held Tuesday, Oct. 14. Grant D Miller Morturaries Inc, service.
--
Herman’s remains are at Chapel of the Chimes: Devotion W9-8
---------------------------------------------
Die Hüttenberger says Herman died in 1955 and is incorrect.
I have a copy of the undertaker ‘s record and death certificate that say he died in 1949.