his niece , Kathryn , and her husband , Kenneth Bixler Mitman to take over and protect the family ’ s legacy .
Although he came into the business with no prior knowledge of jewelry , Kenneth was able to build Bixlers ™ into a nationallyrecognized brand . In 1965 , Bixlers ™ received a congratulatory telegram from Tiffany & Co : “ Heartiest congrats on your 180th anniversary . You are 52 years older than we are . We bow to you on your birthday .” Ten years later , Bixlers ™ received another telegram from Tiffany & Co : “ Congratulations on your anniversary today . Not only the oldest but one of the finest jewelers in America . We salute you .”
Bixlers ™ was passed on to Kathryn and Kenneth ’ s son , Philip Bixler Mitman , and his sister , Joyce Mitman Welken , in 1968 . The pair successfully ran the store until 2008 . Joyce , however , has remained an integral part of the business , and Bixlers ™ customers can still find her warmly greeting them at the Allentown store today .
Every Bixlers ™ piece continues to be handcrafted in North America . Our specialized team of jewelers , diamond setters , designers , casters , lappers , hand-engravers , and gemologists works to create jewelry that would meet Christian Bixler III ’ s approval using only responsibly sourced diamonds , gemstones , and metals . We hope Christian is looking down upon the Bixlers ™ of today with pride .
9