York County PA Archives Biographies.....Sentz, Benjamin S. July 16, 1866 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Rosalie Sommer sommer@suscom.net October 23, 2005, 10:25 pm

Author: Prowell History of York county, Pennsylvania Volume II Biographical 
Chicago J.H. Beers & Co. 1907  pages 554-6

     BENJAMIN S. SENTZ, a cigar and cigar box manufacturer of Felton borough, 
was born July 16, 1866, in Hopewell township, son of Henry and Elizabeth 
(Mitzel) Sentz.
     Henry Sentz, grandfather of Benjamin S., was a farmer of Hopewell 
township, where he died. He married Lydia Tyson, who died in July, 1866, and 
they had these children: Henry, father of our subject; Jacob; John; Benjamin; 
Lydia A. who married Joseph Sechrist; Catherine, who married John Schaeffer: 
Elizabeth, who married John Flinchbaugh; Miss Amanda; and Sarah who married 
William Stabley.  
	Henry Sentz, father of our subject, was born in North Hopewell, where 
he received a common school education. He followed farming all of his life and 
now resides on his farm in Windsor township. In political faith he is a 
Republican.  He is a Lutheran and has been very active in the work of the 
church. He married Elizabeth Mitzel, born what is now known as Felton in 1843, 
daughter of Daniel and Susan (Raab) Mitzel, both now deceased.  They had these 
children: Benjamin S.; Henry D., of Yoe; William F., of Windsor township; 
Jacob M., of Windsor township; John W. M., at home; James T., who lives on our 
subject's farm; and Lemuel E. at home.
     Benjamin S. Sentz attended school in the winter terms until seventeen 
years of age, and worked in the summer on his father's farm.  At the age of 
nineteen he started clerking in J. D. Hake's store, where he remained for one 
and one-half years.  At the age of twenty-one he embarked in the mercantile 
business at Cross Roads, but after two years lie removed to Felton and engaged 
in business, where C. T. Grove is now located. Here he ran a general store for 
three years, and then sold to Anderson & Grove, engaging in the manufacture of 
cigar boxes and building a factory.  He is also engaged in the cigar 
manufacturing business, which he begin on a small scale as the demand for his 
goods grew, enlarged accordingly. He has all of the latest machinery and 
improvements, putting in entire new equipment last fall, including boilers and 
engines. Mr. Sentz is certainly a self-made man.  When he embarked in the 
mercantile business he was the possessor of a horse and buggy and eighteen 
dollars in money.  He received some backing from his former employer, Mr. J. 
D. Hake, and in this way was enabled to start in business. He is now one of 
the prosperous men of Fe]ton borough.
     On Nov. 27, 1890, Mr. Sentz married Emma J. Stiles, born in 1868, at 
Adamsville, York county, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Neff) Stiles, and these 
children have been born to this union: Araminta E., Hobson Clare and Mary 
Elizabeth.  In politics Mr. Sentz is a Republican, and has served as school 
director. He was appointed a justice of peace by Governor Stone, and was again 
chosen in 1900. At the time of his first appointment Felton borough had just 
been formed, largely through the efforts of Mr. Sentz and Mr. C. T. Grove.
     Mr. Sentz has also been a delegate to the State convention. His family 
are members of the Evangelical Church, although before coming to Felton, Mr. 
Sentz was connected with the United Brethren Church.  In the Evangelical 
Church he is class leader and is very active in Sunday-school work, formerly 
having been superintendent. Fraternally Mr. Sentz is a member of Felton Lodge, 
No. 148, K. of P., in which he is past chancellor commander.  He is serving 
his second year as district deputy of the K. P., and was representative to the 
Grand Lodge, at Carbondale, in 1903.  He is a member of Cashmere Temple, 
Knights of Khorassan, Reading, Pa.; Shrewsbury Blue Lodge, No. 462, F. & A. 
M.; Katahdin Lodge, No. 560, 1. 0. 0. F.; and Red Lion Encampment, No. 210 .
On July 11, 1892, Mr. Sentz organized the Felton Cornet Band, of which for 
three years he was leader, and he had charge of the financial affairs of that 
organization. He is a very talented musicians performing ably on the trombone. 
Mr. Sentz spent one week in Chicago at the time of the World's Columbian 
Exposition, and spent some time at the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo.  As 
an active supporter of educational and religious movements he is universally 
esteemed, and can with truth be named as one of Felton borough's representative 
men.

Additional Comments:
Benjamin S. Sentz is Benjamin Sylvester Sentz.

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