BIO:  JOHN E. BENTZ, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
   
  Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson
  OCRed by Judy Banja

  Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
  _____________________________________________________________

  >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,
  Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 636-638
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  NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios:
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/zeamer/


    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
    
    CUMBERLAND COUNTY.  637
    
  county, who died when our subject was sixteen years old. The father
  re-married, 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 1865, 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, re-siding 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
    
    638  CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
    
  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, for 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.