My Genealogy Hound

LEVI P. FENSTERMACHER is now retired and makes his home in the city of Allentown. He is a native of this county, having been born within its limits March 22, 1833. His father, Elias Fenstermacher, was also born here, and departed this life in 1875, at the age of sixty-eight years. The first representative of this family in the United States came from Germany in 1755 and located in Lehigh County, where the succeeding generations have since made their home. Elias Fenstermacber was married to Miss Esther Kuntz, whose birth also occurred in this section.

Levi, of this sketch, spent his boyhood days in attendance at the common schools of Allentown, and for one winter was a student in the academy at Lexington. When a lad of sixteen years he moved into the city, where his father was engaged as a grain merchant, and aided him in whatever way he could. Soon thereafter they added a stock of general merchandise, of which our subject assumed full control in 1870. He dealt very extensively in produce and fruits, and during the Franco-German War shipped grain in large quantities to New York City, from which port it was sent to the Old World.

In 1857 Levi Fenstermacher was married to Miss Fianah Metzger, a native of this county, and the daughter of Jacob Metzger, who was a hotel-keeper in Lehighton. Our subject and his wife have a family of three daughters and two sons, named respectively William Jacob, Edward, Laura, Hattie and Ella. The parents are devoted members of St. John’s Reformed Church. In politics Mr. Fenstermacber is a Democrat, and, being a law-abiding citizen, possessed of good social qualities and excellent character, he is held in good repute by his neighbors and friends.