Harper Leslie Gontz (1885 - 1962)

Born 24 Oct 1885 in Scotland, Greene Twp, Franklin Co, PA, USA

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 29 Dec 1962 at age 77 in Franklin Farms, Guilford Twp, Franklin Co, PA, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Trevor Gontz [send private message]

Biography

Name: Harper Leslie Gontz. Given Name: Harper Leslie. Surname: Gontz. Note: A World War I draft card for Harper shows his middle name as Lester. A Given name was found in addition to a first name in the NAME tag.

Harper is listed as retired stone mason (per his son Delbert H. Gontz) on his death certificate.^[1]

Born 24 OCT 1885. Scotland, PA ^[2]

Residence Scotland, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[3] Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. BET 27 APR 1910 AND 28 APR 1910. ^[4] Note: #N13. SEPT 1918. Scotland, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[5] 27 APR 1942. Scotland, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[6]

Occupation: Stone Mason. Scotland, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[3] Agency: Letterkenny Ordnance Depot. Chambersburg, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[6] 27 APR 1942. Note: #N17. Stone Mason. BET 27 APR 1910 AND 28 APR 1910. Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[4] Note: #N13. Laborer, Steam Railroad. 08 JAN 1920. Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[7] Note: #N14. Railroader. Agency: CVRR (Cumberland Valley Railroad). SEPT 1918. Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[5] Police Officer. 1907 Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[8]

Buried ^[9] Cemetery: Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Chambersburg, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Notes

Note N13 Census Location: Shippensburg Borough, West Ward Harper and Grace rented a house at the time the census was taken. CHAN 20 DEC 2010. Time: 07:37:00.

Note N14 Location: District 2

CHAN 17 DEC 2010. Time: 14:12:05.

Note N17 Harper was a mason and his WWII Draft Registration Card lists his employer as Letterkenny Ordnance Depot. The construction of Letterkenny Ordnance Depot (now known as Letterkenny Army Depot) began in December of 1941 and continued for years. So it is likely that Harper did masonry work during the construction of the depot.

The excerpt below regarding the history of Letterkenny Army Depot is from http:/www.letterkenny.army.mil.

The full article can be found at http:/www.letterkenny.army.milhistory.html.

A HISTORY OF LETTERKENNY ARMY DEPOT

In 1941, The War Department laid plans for 12 large new ordnance depots to control the oncoming deluge of war materiel. Sites were carefully chosen, with Letterkenny considered due to its proximity. It was a safe, yet convenient distance from theeastern seaboard and Washington, D.C. with land well suited for ammunition storage. It had good rail facilities, nearby power and water, and another great resource-its people, who historically had shown great courage and perseverance.

Public outcry ensued as prime agricultural land would be lost and 1,000 residents would be displaced if the land were acquired for a depot. Formal objections abated quickly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and people began to support the WWII effort. On December 18, 1941, The Secretary of War, Henry L. Stinson issued the directive to acquire 21,000 acres at Letterkenny for an Ordnance Depot. Letterkenny’s mission would be to reduce the surplus of forthcoming war materiel and to store and ship ammunition, trucks, parts and other supplies. Locals at first, referred to Letterkenny Ordnance Depot as “the dump”.

Construction began immediately with 798 underground igloos, 12 above-ground magazines and 17 warehouses. In 1956, an additional 104 igloos were constructed bringing today’s total to 902. At the beginning, a large number of buildings were remodeled farmhouses, barns and chicken houses. The first shipment of ammunition arrived by train on September 23, 1942, three weeks ahead of schedule. More than three million tons of supplies were moved during the war years. As men were called to service, staffing problems became acute. The depot drained the countryside of manpower needed for agriculture. Women, Commandos, Minute Men, even Italian prisoners of war filled the jobs. Regular employees worked 7 days a week and blitzes were common.With ingenuity and devotion, Letterkennians completed seemingly impossible tasks to keep ordnance materiel flowing constantly to 70 theaters of war. Letterkenny was one of the largest depots of its kind and was called the Springboard of Invasionin 1944. CHAN 20 DEC 2010. Time: 08:31:16.

Name: Harper Leslie Gontz. Given Name: Harper Leslie. Surname: Gontz. Note: A World War I draft card for Harper shows his middle name as Lester. A Given name was found in addition to a first name in the NAME tag.

Born 24 OCT 1885. Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[6]

Residence Scotland, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[3] Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. BET 27 APR 1910 AND 28 APR 1910. ^[4] Note: #N13. SEPT 1918. Scotland, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[5] 27 APR 1942. Scotland, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[6]

Occupation: Stone Mason. Scotland, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[3] Agency: Letterkenny Ordnance Depot. Chambersburg, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[6] 27 APR 1942. Note: #N17. Stone Mason. BET 27 APR 1910 AND 28 APR 1910. Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[4] Note: #N13. Laborer, Steam Railroad. 08 JAN 1920. Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[7] Note: #N14. Railroader. Agency: CVRR (Cumberland Valley Railroad). SEPT 1918. Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[5] Police Officer. 1907 Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[8]

Buried ^[9] Cemetery: Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Chambersburg, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Notes

Note N13 Census Location: Shippensburg Borough, West Ward Harper and Grace rented a house at the time the census was taken. CHAN 20 DEC 2010. Time: 07:37:00.

Note N14 Location: District 2

CHAN 17 DEC 2010. Time: 14:12:05.

Note N17 Harper was a mason and his WWII Draft Registration Card lists his employer as Letterkenny Ordnance Depot. The construction of Letterkenny Ordnance Depot (now known as Letterkenny Army Depot) began in December of 1941 and continued for years. So it is likely that Harper did masonry work during the construction of the depot.

The excerpt below regarding the history of Letterkenny Army Depot is from http:/www.letterkenny.army.mil.

The full article can be found at http:/www.letterkenny.army.milhistory.html.

A HISTORY OF LETTERKENNY ARMY DEPOT

In 1941, The War Department laid plans for 12 large new ordnance depots to control the oncoming deluge of war materiel. Sites were carefully chosen, with Letterkenny considered due to its proximity. It was a safe, yet convenient distance from theeastern seaboard and Washington, D.C. with land well suited for ammunition storage. It had good rail facilities, nearby power and water, and another great resource-its people, who historically had shown great courage and perseverance.

Public outcry ensued as prime agricultural land would be lost and 1,000 residents would be displaced if the land were acquired for a depot. Formal objections abated quickly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and people began to support the WWII effort. On December 18, 1941, The Secretary of War, Henry L. Stinson issued the directive to acquire 21,000 acres at Letterkenny for an Ordnance Depot. Letterkenny’s mission would be to reduce the surplus of forthcoming war materiel and to store and ship ammunition, trucks, parts and other supplies. Locals at first, referred to Letterkenny Ordnance Depot as “the dump”.

Construction began immediately with 798 underground igloos, 12 above-ground magazines and 17 warehouses. In 1956, an additional 104 igloos were constructed bringing today’s total to 902. At the beginning, a large number of buildings were remodeled farmhouses, barns and chicken houses. The first shipment of ammunition arrived by train on September 23, 1942, three weeks ahead of schedule. More than three million tons of supplies were moved during the war years. As men were called to service, staffing problems became acute. The depot drained the countryside of manpower needed for agriculture. Women, Commandos, Minute Men, even Italian prisoners of war filled the jobs. Regular employees worked 7 days a week and blitzes were common.With ingenuity and devotion, Letterkennians completed seemingly impossible tasks to keep ordnance materiel flowing constantly to 70 theaters of war. Letterkenny was one of the largest depots of its kind and was called the Springboard of Invasionin 1944. CHAN 20 DEC 2010. Time: 08:31:16.

Sources

1. ↑ Source: Certificate of Death for Harper L. Gontz. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Statistics. Local Reg. No. 517 Primary Dist. No. 28908-269. 115718-62
2. ↑ Source: Marriage License for Nasby C. Cline and Jane v. Gontz. Franklin County, PA. No. 422
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Source: #S33
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Source: #S41
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Source: #S43
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} Source: #S37
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Source: #S42
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Source: #S45 08 JAN 2011
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Source: #S8 Cemetery vistation by Trevor Gontz

• Source: S33 Interview with Goldie (Gontz) MacIntire, Edna (Gontz) Kieffer, and Helen (Starliper) Gontz 08 JUL 2010 Time: 22:06:11

• Source: S37 World War II Draft Registration Card 17 DEC 2010 Time: 14:19:44

• Source: S38 U.S. Social Security Death Index 17 DEC 2010 Time: 08:28:13

• Source: S41 1910 United States Federal Census 17 DEC 2010 Time: 14:06:28

• Source: S42 1920 United States Federal Census 17 DEC 2010 Time: 14:08:51

• Source: S43 WWI Draft Card Registration 17 DEC 2010 Time: 14:17:20

• Source: S45 Interview with Cardinal Gontz 19 JAN 2011 Time: 09:56:47

• Source: S8 Trevor and Judy Gontz - Cemetery Visitation 08 JUL 2009 Time: 12:24:27 This source means that Judy and Trevor Gontz physically visited the cemetery and transcribed the information from the deceased's grave stone.
• Source: S33 Interview with Goldie (Gontz) MacIntire, Edna (Gontz) Kieffer, and Helen (Starliper) Gontz 08 JUL 2010 Time: 22:06:11

• Source: S37 World War II Draft Registration Card 17 DEC 2010 Time: 14:19:44

• Source: S38 U.S. Social Security Death Index 17 DEC 2010 Time: 08:28:13

• Source: S41 1910 United States Federal Census 17 DEC 2010 Time: 14:06:28

• Source: S42 1920 United States Federal Census 17 DEC 2010 Time: 14:08:51

• Source: S43 WWI Draft Card Registration 17 DEC 2010 Time: 14:17:20

• Source: S45 Interview with Cardinal Gontz 19 JAN 2011 Time: 09:56:47

• Source: S8 Trevor and Judy Gontz - Cemetery Visitation 08 JUL 2009 Time: 12:24:27 This source means that Judy and Trevor Gontz physically visited the cemetery and transcribed the information from the deceased's grave stone.