My Genealogy Hound

DeLANCE Y. LENHART, a prominent hardware merchant at New Cumberland, Cumberland county, was born Aug. 1, 1878, in Hanover, York county, Pa., son of George H. Lenhart.

George H. Lenhart was born at Harrisburg and for many years was agent for the Adams Express Company at Middletown, Dauphin county. He removed his family at a later date to Hanover where he was agent for Chase’s nursery stock, of Philadelphia. He died in 1886, aged sixty-one years. During the Civil war he served three months as sergeant of Company K, 4th P. V. I. In politics he was a Republican, and in religious faith he was a Methodist. He married a daughter of Peter Sanders, the patentee of Sanders’ crimping machine, used in the manufacture of shoes, who was a man well known in the vicinity of Harrisburg. At the time of his death he was the oldest member of Capital City Lodge, I. O. O. F. He was a native of Lancaster county. His nephew, Hon. Dalvin Sanders, was chairman of the Lancaster county Democracy and was elected to the Legislature. He now resides at Landisville, Lancaster county. Mrs. Lenhart died at Freeland, Md., while on a visit to a daughter, Mrs. Robert F. Swartz, March 28, 1901. The children of George H. Lenhart and his wife were: George S., a newspaper man, correspondent for six of the leading New York and Philadelphia journals at Atlantic City, married (first) Helen McLaughlin and (second) Lillle Powell; Harry S., of York, city editor of the York Dispatch, married Vira Cherry, of Springfield, Ohio; Horace A., a merchant at Middletown, married Carrie Daugherty; Bessie F. is Mrs. Robert F. Swartz, of Emigsville, Pa.; Carrie S. is Mrs. George M. Mathias, of Marysville, Pa.; DeLance Y. is mentoned below; Walter H. is in the Pennsylvania Steel Works.

DeLance Y. Lenhart first attended the public schools at Hanover, but after his father’s death his mother removed to New Cumberland, where he completed his education at the age of fourteen years, or rather his youthful attendance at school ended. Dependent largely upon his own resources, he then learned the tinning and slating trade, serving three years. His active mind, however, led him into literary work, and he became a reporter for the Harrisburg News and the Commonwealth, remaining in this connection three years. He then bought the tinning business and hardware store of his brother, in 1899, in New Cumberland, and has since carried on the business.

In New Cumberland, in 1898, Mr. Lenhart married Clara W. Ross, of New Cumberland, daughter of the late George and Maria Hall (Neff) Ross. They have two children, Marian and Dorothy. In politics he is a Republican. In religious belief he is a Methodist. His fraternal connections are with the Knights of Alta and the Jr. O. U. A. M., and he is also a member of the Daughters of Liberty.