Andrew G. Bentz - found a new wife

The year 1903 was a year full to tragedy. However, Andrew was able to find a silver lining the next year. In 1904, he married Alice Poole who grew up in New Jersey before moving to Nebraska with her first husband (Lewis Freiday), he passed away in 1897.

By 1910, they were living in a house that Alice own free and clear in the Ashland Village, Saunders County, Nebraska on Day Street. In the 1900 Census, Alice was making a living by renting out rooms in her house. Was that something Andrew and Alice continued doing once they were married?  By this time, his son, Allen, was the only one still living in the Ashland, Nebraska area, farming on his own farm. It could be that Allen inherited the family farm or bought it.  The rest of Andrew's children had moved to various parts of the country. 

The passing of Andrew occurred in December 1924. 

His obituary from Newspaper.com states:

"Andrew G. Bentz, a former resident of Lincoln died at his home in Ashland, December 8. He was buried in the Ashland cemetery Friday afternoon. Mr. Bentz was born at Mt. Top, Penn., July 4, 1848 and came to Nebraska in 1882 when he settled on a farm near Ashland. He leaves besides his wife, two sisters, a brother, five sons and two daughters. The children are: Joseph Bentz, Olds, Alberta, Can.; Dr. George H. Bentz, Fairfield, New.; Dr. P.J. Bentz, Lincoln; James O. Bentz, Chico, Cal.; Allan Bentz, Ashland; Eliza Hollingsworth, Sand Point, Idaho, and Gertrude Cooper, Atwood, Kas."

Alice lived another 4 years.

A brief story will be told for each of Andrew and Catherine's children in future blog posts.

Andrew George (A.G.) Bentz

1910 Census - Nebraska

1920 Census - Nebraska

Obituary - 1924

Ashland Nebraska Cemetery

Marriage of Andrew George (AG) Bentz and Catherine Hershey

 The 1869 Marriage

The only reference I have indicating their marriage at this time is on the 1900 Nebraska Census.  This census has a column that asks the number of years married.  It shows 32 years. So 1900-32=1868.

This equates to information on the Familysearch.org website showing 11 Feb 1868 in Rosville, York County, Pennsylvania.  But it does not state where this information came from.

Searching through the newspaper articles on Newspaper.com for 1868 was not successful with either the Bentz or Hershey name.

More research needs to be done with Church records and any other types of records that may provide "proof" of this event.

The 1870 Census could not be located yet.

The 1880 Census, dated 4 June at Warrington, York, PA (page 8)

The household on the 1880 Census looked like this: 

A G (33) is listed as head of household and a farmer, wife is Catherine (30), a housekeeper. Does not list any marriage information.

A.G. is Andrew George

Children listed: (all born in PA)

Joseph 11 - attended school

George 10 – attended school

Peter 9 - attended school

James 6 – attended school

Allen 5

Carrie 4

Eliza 2

Gertie 9 months

Next door living was Frederick Bentz (28), wife Laura (27) with a 4-month-old child, George.  He was a Farmer (could be Andrew’s cousins)

Page 7 shows a Lewis (38) and Hetty (46) Bentz (could be Andrew’s cousins)

Page 5 shows a Joseph (69) and Nancy (68) Bentz with son W. H. (40), wife Sallie (31), child 3 living with them (not sure which line this is)

Page 4 shows Daniel (41) and Nancy (41) Bentz (this could be Andrew’s brother).

Warrington is in York County, about 6 ½ miles from Dillsburg in Pennsylvania.

Researching the locations and putting together a map would be interesting to see where everyone was living.  Also information on the school during that time frame. What kind of farming did Andrew do?

This post started with their marriage in 1869 and went through 1880. Not a lot of information about their life. Certainly more research needs to be done in order for a more detailed life story. I have already written about the 1885 and 1900 Census and Catherine's death in 1903.  My next couple of posts will be about Andrew's life after his wife's passing up to his death in 1924.

Andrew (AG) and Catherine Bentz and Children

1880 Census in Pennsylvania

Bentz Family - 1885 - the move from Penn to Nebraska

 Our family names consist of BENTZ, HALL, HOLLINGSWORTH, HERSHEY for the Pennsylvania and Nebraska area.

As I am researching the family, it's interesting to see how they all move around together.  That's on my "to do list" to document the movement.  It's a slow process but fun!

Today I am highlighting the Andrew and Catherine Bentz family. They are my Great Great Grandparents on my mother's side.

Both Andrew and Catherine were born in Pennsylvania, then some time between 1880 and 1885, they moved to Saunders County in Nebraska in the Clear Creek Prescient.  Clear Creek is located close to Ashland Nebraska.

Map showing the distance of 1,135 miles from PA to NB

Wonder how they traveled? This time period is the transition between covered wagons, trains and automobiles. Research needs to be done for the timeline of each to figure out the option that most makes sense for this family to travel that distance.

My ultimate goal is to find the parents of both Andrew and Catherine. Records were not kept the farther in time you go like they are today. 

The first time I have them located in Nebraska is in the 1885 Census. Another area to research is the newspaper where an article may show up to pin point the timeframe even better. 

1885 Census – dated 3 June (pg-7) – Clear Creek, Saunders, Nebraska, USA

Andrew (37) is listed as head of household and a farmer, wife is Catherine (35), a housekeeper.

 Children listed: (all born in PA)

Joseph 15 - attended school

George 14 – attended school

Peter 13 - attended school

James 11 – attended school

Allen 10 – attended school

Carrie 8 – attended school

Eliza 6 – attended school (my Great Grandmother)

Gertie 5 – attended school

On page 8, I found Oscar Hall. Did the Hall family and the Bentz family know each other in Pennsylvania?

1890 Census – Most of the census' for this year burned. 

Further research needs to be done

1900 Census – dated 4 June (pg-3) – Clear Creek, Saunders, Nebraska, USA

Head of household is Andrew (53) with wife Catherine (49). Farmer as his occupation, owning his land free and clear.  His birth date is July 1847 and hers is June 1850. By this time, all the Children have left home except James.

Their son, James O. (25) is living with them, along with his wife, Anna (24) and two children (Hazel, 2, Dolly, 3 months). James is listed as a student.

On one side of them is living William (23) and Eliza (22) Hollingsworth with two children. Eliza is Andrew and Catherine’s daughter. William is a Farmer, owning his land (mortgage)

On the other side of them is living Thomas (23) and Carrie (23) Colbert. Carrie is Andrew and Catherine’s daughter. Thomas is a Farmer, owning his land free and clear.

On the next page of the census (page 4) shows Joseph (30) and Mary (28) Bentz. Allen Bentz (Joseph’s brother) is living with them. Joseph is a Farmer and the son of Andrew and Catherine Bentz.

Next door to Joseph is Clem and Gertie Cooper. Gertie is Andrew and Catherine’s daughter.

The HALL Family is Eliza’s in-laws.

Page 6 shows Oscar Hall (23) and wife Harriett.

Page 1 shows Patrick and Cecelia Hall.

Research the land. Maybe Andrew sold part of his land to his daughters, Eliza, and Carrie? And James will own the land where Andrew is currently living?

Where did the rest of the children move to?

As you can see, there is much more that needs to be research in order to fully tell their story.

Daughter's suicide following her mother's suicide - 1903

 Carrie Bentz, the daughter of AG Bentz and Catherine Hershey Bentz, was born in Pennsylvania, March 10, 1877. She had 8 siblings.

She married Thomas Colbert on January 30, 1895, having four children who all survived their mother.

In January 1903, Carrie become quite violently insane and it took the care of her husband and father to control her. It was thought to come from her worrying over her mother's misfortune in being sent to the Lincoln Asylum not long ago. Several days later she was taken to the asylum as she took the form of self destruction, which required constant watching on the part of relations and friends. The board physician thinks she will shortly recover per the newspaper article.

Sometime in April of 1903, Carrie made another attempt to commit suicide by hanging herself in the barn within a few days following her mother's attempted suicide. Her husband was able to cut her down before she died. Again she was taken to the asylum and has been there with her mother.

Both were released to go home. By April 20th, Catherine, her mother, had died a horrible death by setting herself on fire. By the 23rd, Carrie was so distraught, she made another suicide attempt by buying some concentrated lye and mixing it with water to drink. The pain was so great however, that she did not drink enough to prove fatal.  Her father took her to Lincoln to the hospital, getting back in time for the funeral of his wife.

May 14, 1903, at the age of 26, Carrie passed away while at the insane hospital as a result of drinking concentrated lye while at her home three weeks ago. The body was sent to Memphis for interment.

Carrie is buried at the Ashland Cemetery in Ashland, Saunders County, Nebraska.

My Great Great Grandmother - Catherine Hershey Bentz - Suicide by Burning

 Mrs. A. G. Bentz (Catherine Hershey Bentz), wife of a prominent farmer living outside of Memphis Nebraska (Saunders County), committed suicide in April of 1903.

Catherine had been confined in the insane asylum at Lincoln, Nebraska but was discharged sometime in January 1903. While it was hoped that she was cured, a very close watch was kept over her by the family. 

But finally her opportunity came, she slipped into the cob house where the kerosene can stood, poured oil all over her clothes and over a quilt which she wrapped around her and set them on fire. As the flames flared up, she ran out screaming around the house. A son-in-law seized her and tore off the burning clothes. Medical aid was obtained and everything done to save her life, but she died in a few hours. 

Funeral services took place at the U.B. Church, near Memphis, Wednesday afternoon. Interment in Ashland (Saunders Country, Nebraska) cemetery. Catherine was 52 years old.

This story was not passed down so the only details I know at this time are from the newspaper articles I found in several different newspapers. 

Many questions that may never be answered surrounding her mental illness since this event happened almost 120 years ago.  It will be interesting to do some research to see what the medical industry says about mental illness during the early 1900s and how the insane asylum hospitals were used compared to current day use.