My Genealogy Hound

JOHN E. BENTZ, one of the well-known railroad men of Cumberland county and a resident of Shiremanstown, was born Oct. 14, 1828, in Warren township, York Co., Pa., son of Jacob L. Bentz.

Jacob L. Bentz was born in Lancaster county, and was a farmer all his life. When a small boy his parents moved to Warren township, York county, and there he died in 1878, aged seventy-two years. He married (first) Elizabeth Slothour, of Lancaster county, who died when our subject was sixteen years old. The father remarried, but there were no children to the second union. The children born to Jacob L. and Elizabeth Bentz were: John E., of this sketch; Susanna, deceased, Mrs. Arnold; Michael, deceased; Mary, Mrs. John Wireman, deceased; Jacob, a farmer in York county; Lewis, near Dillsburg, York county; Rebecca, Mrs. Samuel Deardorf, of Wellsville; Leah, Mrs. Rudy Sanders, of Wellsville; Adam, near Wellsville; and Fred, also settled near Wellsville.

The Bentz family is of German extraction, and was founded many years ago in America. Jacob Bentz, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Lancaster county, but died in York county. He was thrice married, and was a well known farmer in Warren township.

John E. Bentz, of this sketch, was reared on his father’s farm, and attended school two months each winter. The summers were spent in farm work, and it is still a matter of some little pride with Mr. Bentz that he was able to plow and harrow when he was but nine years old. When twenty-three years of age, he went to White Pigeon, Mich., where he was manager for two farms for William Armitage, a substantial man of that place at a later date, but for two years he remained behind in York county. After Mr. Armitage took charge of his property, Mr. Bentz returned and farmed the home farm for the two succeeding years, and during this time his wife, Miss Susan Burkheimer, of York county, died.

After the death of his wife Mr. Bentz sold out his interests in York county, and moved to Newville, Cumberland county, where he engaged in various kinds of work from 1858 to 1863, selling mules, teaming, farm work, etc., and in 1863 he assisted in the building of the Richmond furnace at Loudon.

In 1859 Mr. Bentz was married to Mary M. Grubb, born at Drytown, Cumberland county. Her father, John Grubb, was born in Lancaster county, and there married Elizabeth Ebersole. They lived for a time at Drytown, afterward moving to Newville, where Mr. Grubb worked on the Cumberland Valley R. R. until his death, residing at the time in Shiremanstown. Mr. Grubb was sixty-eight years of age, and was survived by his widow until she was seventy-five. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Grubb were: Mrs. Bentz; Daniel, of Wauseon, Ohio; Rebecca, who died single; Miss Lydia, of Shiremanstown; Lizzie, Mrs. William A. McMullen, of Wellsville, Pa.; Emma, Mrs. Lemuel Shafer, of Shiremanstown; and Sarah, Mrs. Jacob Straining, of New Kingstown, Cumberland county.

In 1866 Mr. Bentz settled in Shiremanstown, and went to work for the Cumberland Valley R. R. as a section hand. He acted as substitute foreman many times before he was made a permanent foreman in 1879, on the section between White Hill and Mechanicsburg. During this long period Mr. Bentz has seen many changes in railroad working, and the adoption of many improvements which lessen the dangers to the public, and place less responsibility on the road employes. His son, John Grubb Bentz, was for seven years agent for the Cumberland Valley R. R. at Shiremanstown, and is now its agent at Winchester, Virginia.

Mr. Bentz had one son born to his first marriage, Samuel Jacob, who is now a resident of Burbank, Ohio, and who married Susanna Nosker. The children of his second marriage were two sons, John G. and William. The former, as mentioned above, is a resident of Winchester, Va., and married to Rosanna Lambert. The latter is a resident of Shiremanstown, and married Emma Straining, now deceased.

Prior to coming to Shiremanstown, Mr. Bentz and family were connected with the Methodist Church at Newville, to which he was always a liberal contributor. They now attend the Church of God at Shiremanstown.

He has always been identified with the Republican party, and has been an active supporter of its principles, but has never sought political honors. He has made many warm personal friends, and has always worked for the advancement of education, by twenty-two years serving as school director. He is held in esteem by his employers, and fulfills to the best of his ability the demands of domestic and social life.