Anthony and Mary (Miller) Leffel Family

Biographical sketch of the
Anthony and Mary (Miller) Leffel Family

Anthony Leffel, born on New Year's Day 1791, was the seventh child of John and Anna Margaretha (Abendschon) Leffel.  The Leffel family lived in Botetourt County, Virginia.  While living in Botetourt County, Anthony grew to manhood and met and married his sweetheart, Mary Polly Miller on 16 Sep 1811.  Mary was the daughter of Frederick and Mary (Peery) Miller.  
Anthony stated that he was a militia man in the War of 1812.  Four children were born to Anthony and Mary while they still lived in Botetourt County, Virginia. 
The family then moved to Springfield, Clark County, Ohio in 1818, along with Mary's parents and some of his family.  Some of Anthony's siblings had moved to Ohio several years earlier. Six more children were born to Anthony and Mary.

You can read about Anthony's many moves and land transactions in the following biographical sketch was written by Samuel S. Miller (a nephew of Mary Miller Leffel):

Anthony Leffel - "A Man of Many Moves"

Emory Pioneer Association Biographical Sketch of: 
ANTHONY LEFFEL and MARY MILLER LEFFEL
Born in the state of: Virginia, County: Botetourt, Town: near Fincastle
Came to the neighborhood of Emory Chapel in the year: about 1834
Was married in Virginia
Maiden name of his wife: Mary Miller, daughter of Frederick (b. 1760 d. 1822) and Mary Peery Miller (b. 1768 d. 1844)
Names of all children: Emeline, Rebeca, Samuel, David, Joel, Daniel, Anthony
Being a militia man in the War of 1812, he drilled the pioneers big muster at Bethel in the bottom field of the Miller farm.
Occupation: In early life probably a carpenter, later on a farmer.
Incidents of his life and character:
He was a man of many moves.   About 1816 immigrated from Va. Was prominent among the early settlers of that locality, and settled on the East fork of Donnel’s Creek and built a house which farm he sold to David Miller and moved several miles eastward. Early in the 30's the writer remembers of visiting them one Sunday PM in Winter with his father and mother, he living then in a house which is still standing on the National Pike a short distance west of the junction of New Carlisle pike. We went in a farm sled. They talked about where the National would be layed out through the orchard and close to the house. Early in the 30's he moved from that place and bought what is now the Hicks farm, becoming a near neighbor to his brother Jas. P.  Selling that, he bought a farm on Mill creek not far from present Bethany town. The writer visited them here in the 1840's. At this place his first wife died. A few years afterward he married Lydia Mayne Harris and we find them on a farm a short distance south of Ebenezer chapel, Y.S. Pike, then a mud road. One cold, stormy evening in March 1854, the writer with his father and mother stopped over night with them. Her (Lydia) daughters Fannie and Addie, then in their teens were part of the household. The roaring fire of hickory, in the capacious fire place, hearty welcome and good meals, made a pleasant memory. Selling this place in a few years and retiring from farm work, he bought property on East High St Springfield, Ohio. Selling that we find them next in the old Householder property corner of Mechanic and Main, next and last move was the place where he died west of Western School house. Afterwards his widow Aunt Lydia and daughter Addie took rooms at the residence of her son-in-law J. L. Pettigrew Yellow Springs St. Second wife Aunt Lydia died ______
Mary Peery died Nov 16th 1850 aged 61 yrs.
Date of death: Anthony Leffel died Jan 28, 1870 age 79 yrs
Place where buried: At the Bethel burying ground East branch Donnel Creek
This Sketch Written by Samuel S. Miller, Date: Oct 8th 1897

 John Peery Miller, "The Genealogy of the Descendants of Frederick and Mary Elizabeth Peery Miller" (Yellow Springs, Ohio: Antioch College, 1913), p.22 & 23 Genealogy of the Descendants of Frederick and Mary Elizabeth Peery Miller compiled by their grandson John Peery Miller, Professor of History, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio in 1913.

Anthony lost two sons during the Civil War.  Son, Joel Leffel, was serving in the Union Army and died in the Army Hospital in Louiseville, Kentucky in 1863.  Son, David Miller Leffel, who had moved his family to Texas prior to the Civil War, was hanged because of his Unionist sentiments in what is called 'The Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas in October 1862.

The photo below is of the original Leffel Homestead in Clark County, Ohio.

According to a history by Joanna Smith Miller, "While Mr. Leffel  [Anthony Leffel]  lived there the Indians had a dozen or so wigwams, built of bark, a short distance west of their cabin."   Anthony's son, Samuel, would play with the Indian children.

Birch-Bark Indian Wigwams
loc.gov

Springfield Daily Republic (Springfield, Ohio), 17 Jan. 1887

Chronicling America

According to the above newspaper article, Anthony was captain of the local militia in the 1820's.  The militia muster was held in the bottom-field on his father-in-law's farm, since there was more cleared land than other farms in the vicinity.  

Anthony Leffel died on 28 Jan 1870 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio.  Anthony and Mary are buried next to each other in the Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Clark, Ohio.  Mary's father, Frederick Miller, was the first burial in the Bethel Cemetery in 1822.

Find-A-Grave Memorial Pages

To view Anthony's Find-A-Grave Memorial Page, click here.

To view Mary's Find-A-Grave Memorial Page, click here.

Additional posts about Anthony Leffel:

Anthony Leffel's Will

Anthony Leffel Will #2
Anthony Leffel Will #3
Mentioned in Clark County History  

Anthony and Mary Miller Leffel Family Info:
Anthony Leffel , son of John Leffel and Anna Margaretha Abendschon, was born on 1 Jan 1791 in Botetourt, Virginia. He died on 28 Jan 1870 at the age of 79 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. He was buried in Bethel Cemetery, Clark, Ohio.
Anthony Leffel and (1) Mary Miller were married on 16 Sep 1811 in Botetourt, Virginia. Mary Miller, daughter of Frederick Miller and Mary Elizabeth Peery, was born on 10 Oct 1789 in Botetourt, Virginia. She died on 16 Nov 1850 at the age of 61 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. She was buried on 16 Nov 1850 in Bethel Cemetery, Bethel Twp, Clark, Ohio.  Anthony and Mary had 10 children and 48 grandchildren.
After Mary died, Anthony Leffel married (2) Lydia Ann Mayne, a widow, on 10 Jun 1851 in Clark, Ohio. Lydia Ann Mayne was born on 12 May 1807 in Frederick, Maryland. She died on 19 Aug 1879 at the age of 72 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio.

Anthony Leffel and Mary Miller children:

1. Rebecca Leffel was born on 5 Nov 1812 in Botetourt, Virginia, United States. She died on 14 Jan 1851 at the age of 38 in Clark, Ohio, United States. She was buried in Bethel Cemetary, Clark, Ohio. Rebecca Leffel and John Roller were married on 26 Jan 1837 in Clark County, Ohio. John Roller was born on 10 Dec 1815 in Virginia, United States. He died on 19 Nov 1868 at the age of 52 in Clark, Ohio. He was buried in Bethel Cemetery, Clark, Ohio. They had three children.

2. Samuel Leffel was born on 11 Aug 1814 in Botetourt, Virginia, United States. He died on 11 Mar 1889 at the age of 74 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. He was buried in Enon Cemetary, Clark, Ohio. Samuel Leffel and Elizabeth Baker were married on 13 Jun 1844 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. Elizabeth Baker was born about 1819 in Clark, Ohio . She died in Sep 1892 at the age of 73 in Clark, Ohio, United States. She was buried in Enon Cemetery, Clark, Ohio. They had seven children.

3. David Miller Leffel was born on 20 Jan 1816 in Botetourt, Virginia, United States. In 1850 he was a Carpenter in Jackson, Champaign, Ohio. David died on 19 Oct 1862 as a victim of the Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas 1862. David Miller Leffel and Susan Evaline West were married on 3 May 1837 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. Susan Evaline West, daughter of Michael West and Susannah McKee, was born on 3 Jun 1817 in Mason, Kentucky. She died after 1869 in Texas. David and Susan had eight children.

4. Evaline Leffel was born on 15 Dec 1817 in Botetourt, Virginia. She was buried in Emery Chapel Cemetery, Clark, Ohio. Evaline Leffel and Robert Jones were married on 11 Sep 1836 in Clark, Ohio. Robert Jones was born in 1810 in Culpeper, Virginia. He was buried in Noblesville, Clark, Ohio. They had three children.

5. Harrison Leffel was born on 15 Sep 1819 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. He died on 13 Dec 1893 at the age of 74 in Miami, Ohio. He was buried at Raper Chapel, Miami, Ohio. Harrison Leffel and Ann Martin were married on 20 Apr 1843 in Clark, Ohio. Ann Martin was born on 11 Dec 1817 in Hagerstown, Washington, Maryland. She died in 1872 at the age of 55 in Miami, Ohio. She was buried at Raper Chapel, Miami, Ohio. They had seven children.

6. Frederick Leffel was born on 28 Feb 1821 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. He died on 8 Aug 1830 at the age of 9 in Clark, Ohio.

7. Joel Leffel was born on 7 Nov 1822 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. He died during the Civil War on 22 Feb 1863 at the age of 40 in Army Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky. He was buried in National Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky. Joel Leffel and Elizabeth Sparrow were married on 17 Jun 1845 in Clark, Ohio. Elizabeth Sparrow was born on 8 Feb 1828 in Clark, Ohio. They had six children: Lewis, Joseph, 

Alcesta, Anthony, Emma, Eva.

8. Delila Leffel was born on 6 Aug 1824 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. She died on 30 Aug 1830 at the age of 6 in Clark County, Ohio.

9. Daniel Leffel was born on 28 Jul 1828 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. He died on 6 Sep 1889 at the age of 61. He was buried in Casstown, Miami, Ohio. Daniel Leffel and Elizabeth Jolly were married on 2 Sep 1852 in Clark, Ohio. Elizabeth Jolly was born on 25 Jan 1827 in Virginia. She died on 22 Jan 1890 at the age of 62. They had six children.

10. Anthony Leffel was born on 7 Oct 1830 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. He died in Clark, Ohio. He was buried in Emory Chapel Cemetery, Clark, Ohio. Anthony Leffel and Margaret Catharine Collison were married on 31 Jul 1855 in Clark, Ohio. Margaret Catharine Collison was born about 1837 in Clark, Ohio. They had eight children.

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