Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:14:43 -0400 From: Spencer Thomas Subject: History of Sents Family To: History of Sents Family Information from Aunt Sister Mary (my Grandfather Sents’s sister) Harleen Sentz Vickers My great-great-great Grandfather- Jacob Sents (Zentz), born 1801 in Alsacce Lorraine, France. This area was part of Germany and part of France depending on the year. He served in the French Army. He came to the United States in 1838 (age 37) bringing his wife and six children. The 7th child, Caroline, was born during the voyage. The childrens’ names were: CONRAD, BETTY, MARY, CASPER, FRANK, ADAM, and CAROLINE. During the voyage, they got lost at sea during a storm and the Captain lost his direction. They were 72 days at sea. Food and water gave out; they gave themselves up for lost. They docked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Caroline was born during the voyage and lived to be nearly 100 years old. They settled in Pottsville, PA. and bought 1,000 acres of land (he paid 2 cents an acre) in Lycoming County, which afterwards became known as Zentz Gap. A few years later he lost 400 acres (someone else had bought the land 51 years before). The Zentz name (which in German was so hard to pronounce) was changed to SENTS. He began as a farmer, but was a miner by trade and knew nothing about farming; he lost much of his land. The name still remains “ZENTZ GAP”. He died at the age of 78 years. Nothing is know about his wife except she died at the age of 76 years. My great-great grandfather. Adam [should be Casper] Zentz born 1824 in Alscace Lorraine, France 14 years old when arrived in U.S. Married in Pottsville, Pennsylvania to Mary Blaus (or Blosse) who had come to the United States at age 22 with a family from Germany. She was a Governess to their children. She was from a place in Germany called Grun... (not sure) She died when she was 58 years old. They had nine boys - ADAM, CHARLES, JACOB, PETER, CASPER, HENRY, JOSEPH, GEORGE, JOHN They settled at Nippy Nose Valley, near Zentz Gap in Williamsport, PA., the County Seat. on 200 acres of land belonging to his father. The land was very mountainous. He worked in the mines at or near Pottsville, Pennsylvania. My great-grandfather. George Washington Sentz - APRIL 3, 1864 — MAY 29, 1957 age 93 born in Williamsport, PA. His mother died when he was 9 [should be 19] years old. Married at age 16 in 1880 to JENNY MARGARET CALPHUR (OR COWFER) Buried at Hurst Cemetery, Middlesboro, KY They had 7 children - Robert Redding Sentz 9/9/1882 6/16/1968 William Casper Sentz 8/16/1885 2/10/1946 Orlando Charles Sents 2/16/1887 4/17/1891 age 4 John Thomas Sents 11/23/1888 8/4/1955 Harless Adam Sents 9/15/1890 1/31/1891 age 4 months Mary Margaret Sents 8/1/1894 Georgia Ruth Sents 5/22/1898 12/3/1976 In 1890 he sold his home, left everything, and moved to the Tennessee/Kentucky coal mine area - near Middlesboro, KY. My great-grandmother. Jennie (Genevieve) Margaret Calphur (Cowfer) 4/20/1862 -- 4/24/1908 age 46 Her parents were born in U.S. Her mother’s maiden name was Bennett (Scotch/Irish descent) Her father was of English descent (original name may have been Cocaran) Born in Sandy Ridge, PA She was not a Catholic at the time of her marriage to George, but she converted later. After Jennie died in 1908, George disposed of the household things and paid all he owed the company; he left work in the coal mines forever. The two older boys, Robert (my grandfather) and William were married. John was not married but could take care of himself. George sent his two young daughters, Mary, not quite 14, and Ruth, 10 years old, to a Catholic orphanage in Huntington, West Virginia. on 8/1/1908. Mary became a nun (she is the source of most of this information). Georgia Ruth (she went by Ruth) married Leslie Beach and settled in Middlesboro My grandfather. Robert Redding Sentz 9/9/1882 - 6/16/1968 age 85 Born in Pa. married Mary Ida Shultz she was born in Claiborne Co. TE. 1890 - 1961 age 71 They had 4 sons and 1 daughter. Clyde Sentz Clifford Sentz Harless Randolph Sentz 1912- my father Robert Redding Sentz Jr. Gladys Sentz ------------------------------------------------