Century Club Member
Mrs. Chauncey (Pauline) Lehr
On April 1, 2002 Bob Kehr, Jim Leedy, Joyce Lloyd and Mel Miller presented Pauline Lehr with certificates from Congressman Todd Platts and The York County Commissioners honoring her on the occasion of her 100th birthday.
Barry Arnold photographed the event.
Pauline was born November 15, 1901 on the family farm at Sprenkle’s (Bear’s) Mill on what is now Trinity Road just south of the creek at Graybill’s. The house, along with the mill, was on the right side of the road (going south) and the barn was on the left side of the road. None of these buildings exist today but the ground bank still remains, which led up to the 2nd level of the barn.
Her parents were Adam W. and Sarah Jane (Kerr) Kerchner. They were the tenant farmers for the owner, Howard Bear.
During the 28 years that Pauline lived on the farm, Coal oil lamps were used since there was no electricity and the only heat source for the large farmhouse was from the kitchen wood stove. Her parents, in addition to not having a car, had no mechanized farm machinery but used mules. All this was typical for the time!
Pauline started school at Hokes in 1907 about the same time that the York/Hanover Trolley Line was built. She still treasures a small pipe that one of the track workers made for her. She walked to school along the banks of the new trolley tracks. When the weather was bad, her father took her to school on one of the horses and by sleigh in the winter.After completing first and second grades at Hoke’s School in West Manchester Township, Pauline then went to Pleasant Grove School in York New Salem. The school no longer exists but was located just north of her church, St. Jacob’s Union Church. Both of these schools were almost three miles, round trip, from her home. Her education was finished after completion of the eighth grade, which was typical for the time.
Pauline remembers riding to York on the trolley and conducting the family business at the Western National Bank on the corner of Newberry and Market Streets. The banker was Howard Bear who owned the land that her father tenant-farmed. Since there always was an overabundance of pigeons around the barn, she took the squabs to York, to sell, at the same time.
Pauline’s only sister, I. Josephine (Grim) Kerchner was born October 27, 1909.
When Pauline went to school, one of her classmates was Chauncey Lehr. They were married on June 20, 1920 in the St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church Parsonage at Spring Grove.
Their only child, Charlotte, was born February 14, 1923. Charlotte married Norman Robert Fetrow and they had Pauline’s only grandson, Alan, who lives with Pauline today.
In 1929 Adam and Sarah Jane gave up farming and moved, not far away, to Graybill’s Station.
At the same time, Chauncey, Pauline and Charlotte took their 1927 Model "T" Ford and moved to 1626 West Philadelphia Street, Chauncey started a 40-year career at The York Wallpaper Company. They moved to 758 West Market Street in 1954 and to their present home in 1959.
Pauline’s mother died in 1963 at the age of 91 years.
Pauline’s sister, Josephine (Grim) Kerchner died in 1982.
Chauncey was born July 30, 1902 and died April 2, 1979. The Three Mile Island accident happened when he was in the hospital and Pauline remembers that the authorities thought Chauncey would have to be evacuated to The Hanover Hospital. This, however, did not come to happen.
Today Pauline enjoys relatively good health except for failing eyesight. When asked the familiar question, "To what do you contribute your long life to?" she simply answers, "I don’t know."
James A. Decker
U. S. Representative Todd Platts, State Sen. Mike Waugh, James Decker, Mrs. Mary Decker, West Manchester Township Supervisor Steve Chronister and York County Commissioner Shirley Glass
On September 4, 2001, awards were presented to Township resident James Decker whose one hundredth birthday was celebrated on August 16, 2001.
John Markish, representing the Society, introduced the guests who presented the awards to Mr. Decker.
During the 102nd year of his life Mr. Decker died on January 4, 2004. Mr. and Mrs. Decker celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary on September 5, 2003.
He was the son of James Milton and Katherine (Eber) Decker.
He retired from S. Morgan Smith Company, later Allis-Chalmers, later Voith Hydro, as the night superintendent after nearly 50 years of service with the company. He was a 1919 graduate of York High School.
Mr. Decker is buried in Freysville Zion Evangelical Cemetery.