Friday, November 6, 2020

1904 Rocky Ford Crossing Sunday School in Color

There is an earlier 2008 post on clmroots about the 1904 Rocky Ford Crossing Sunday School photo.  Click here to view the original black and white version of the photo along with details about who is in the photo.  In this post, I want to share the colorized version of the Rock Ford Crossing Sunday School photo. Rock Ford Crossing was in Grady County, Oklahoma.

Rocky Ford Crossing Sunday School 1904 (colorized)

Charles Leffel (our ancestor) is the 2nd on the far right side and his wife, Caldona, is next to him (2nd from the right).  Grandma Baldwin (Mabel Leffel) is the cute little girl in the 2 row back, right in the middle, and just behind all the boys sitting in the front row.  Mabel is standing to the left of the girl in the white dress.  She has a cute pouty face, pigtails with bows, and a dress made of the same material as her mother, Caldona.

Grandma Baldwin would have only been four years old when this photo was taken.  So it is the earliest photo we have of Mabel Leffel Baldwin.  Below is a close up of Mabel from the above photo.  Isn't she cute😊


Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Old Man Taylor and the Bobcat

Recently while sorting through old photos, I ran across some very interesting snapshots that brought back some long forgotten memories.  One of the photos was labeled, “Old Man Taylor and bobcat." I vaguely remember his story.  Taylor lived in a shack along the banks of the Colorado River outside of Yuma, Arizona in the early 1950s.  Grandpa Elmer Martin, who spent a lot of time fishing along the river, got to know Taylor and would visit him every time he went down to the river.  More than likely they shared a drink or two from the bottle Elmer always carried with him.  LeRoy also knew Taylor, because family legend has it that LeRoy helped him tame his pet bobcat. Bobcat probably had a name but I have no clue what it was, so I think we should come up with a good name😼

Old Man Taylor, Cathy, Bobcat; LeRoy in right photo


LeRoy and Bobcat, Bobcat posing for camera

Elmer must have been the person taking the photos because there is a shadow of a photographer in the bottom right corners.  The photographer appears to be wearing a hat and Elmer always wore a fedora hat.

I have no idea who “Old Man Taylor” was??  Without a first name it is hard to find him in records. Since he was homeless and apparently somewhat transient, Taylor did not show up in records such as city directories or voting records. Also, found nothing promising after going through online Arizona Death Records and Yuma newspapers.  Taylor appears to be in his late 60s or 70s.

I also remember others living down along the river. In the hot summer months they would take the cool mud from along the banks of the river, make a plaster for their heads, and then wrap a cloth on top of the mud plaster.  It would keep them cool.

Bobcat (colorized)

Bobcat looks like he is smiling for the camera
 (cropped and colorized)

***UPDATE***
The Rest of the Story can be found in a 1954 Yuma newspaper:



Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Balzar and Sybilla Leffel

 Balzar and Sybilla Leffel are Grandma Mabel Leffel Baldwin's 4th great-grandparents.  We descend through their son, John Leffel.  Line of descent: Balzar and Sybilla > John Leffel > Anthony Leffel > David Miller Leffel > Charles Edgar Leffel > Mabel Leffel.

Balzar Leffel was our first immigrant ancestor in the Leffel family.  Balzar Leffel, the son of Johann Philipp Loeffel and Anna Rosina, was born 3 Jan 1721 and baptized on 6 Jan 1721 in the Oggersheim Reformed Church in Ludwigshafen, Bayern, Germany. His name is recorded as Balthasar Loeffel on his baptismal record.

Baptism Record for Balthasar Loffel
6 Jan 1721
Reformed Church of Oggersheim, Ludwigshafen, Bayern, Germany

In 1750, Balzar immigrated to America.  Balzar arrived in America on a ship called "Two Brothers" and took an oath of allegiance on August 28, 1750 in Philadelphia.  Below is a print showing a view of Philadelphia as it may have looked in the 1700s.

Library of Congress print

Balzar was married to Sybilla, (maiden name unknown), who was born 1 Mar 1728.  Their marriage date and place is unknown. They most likely married in 1750, either in Germany before immigrating or in Pennsylvania once they arrived.  Their children were all born in Pennsylvania: Mary, John, Eve, Catherine, Jacob, Susannah, Phillip, and Sybilla.  
Balzar and Sybilla first lived in Exeter Township, Berks County.  Later in 1775, Balzar purchased three tracts of land in Amity Township on "Kings highway between Philadelphia and Reading Town".  He lived in Amity until his death on 11 Jul 1796.

Balzar's will was dated 25 Apr 1796 [Berks County, PA Will Book B, pp 444-445] and probated on 6 Sep 1796.

Abstract of Will for Balzar Leffel:

Transcription of above Abstract of Balzar Leffel Will:

BALZAR LEFFEL of Amity in his will dated 25 April 1796 and probated 6 August 1796. Left to his wife (not named) all real estate during life. Which at her death to be sold and divided into 7 equal shares as follows: To son John, to children of son Jacob deceased, to children of Mary, wife of John SCHRADER, to dau. Eve wife of Benjamin BOONE, to dau. Elisabeth wife of Philip MARQUERT, to dau. Sevella wife of John POTT, and to children of dau. Susanna wife of Henry REMLY. A special bequest to granddau. Susanna, dau. of Jacob deceased, £10. Exrs: Friends Nicholas JONES and John POTT (son-in-law). Witnesses: Jacob RHOADS and Jacob HERNER. 1796: Will Proved: 06 Aug 1796, Berks Co., PA

The following article about Balzar Leffel was published in volume 21 of "The American Genealogist" in April 1945.

Balthasar Leffel was born 2 February 1721, doubtless in the Palatinate, died 11 July 1796 in Amity township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and was buried two days later. He arrived on the ship "Two Brothers," Thomas Arnot master, from Rotterdam and last from Cowes, and took the usual oaths at the courthouse in Philadelphia, Tuesday, 28 August 1750, in the presence of Thomas Lawrence, Esq., mayor. His name is written by someone other than himself, appears on the list of the male passengers of that vessel; sixteen years of age and older, as Balsazar (O) Loffler.  Since the dominant form of his surname is Leffel, used by himself and his wife in their wills, and by his sons and their descendants, that will be used exclusively in what follows. As his given name was usually recorded as Balzar, that form will be used hereafter. [One English-speaking tax assessor, however, on one occasion, confusing the German “B” with the English “P” actually entered his name as Paul!]

Balzar Leffel was taxed amount varying from nine pence to nine shillings in Exeter township, Berks County, from 1759 through 1770. By an indenture dated 13 November 1770 and recorded 3 December 1770, Benjamin and Samuel Boone conveyed to Balzar Leffel for a consideration of 10 shillings one messuage, one barn, two orchards, 100 acres of arable land, 26 acres of meadow land, and 37 ½ acres of woodland. Sometime between 1770 and 1775 Balzar Leffel removed to Amity township, Berks County, where he lived until his death. In 1775 John Sands, Jr., and Hannah (nee Trump) his wife, “of Amity” conveyed to “Balzar Leffel, of the same place, yeoman.” for £660 Pennsylvania money, title to three tracts. From 1775 to 1791 he was taxed in Amity on 109 acres; in 1794 on 136 acres, assessed at 58 shillings per acre, and on two cows, assessed at £3 each, the tax being 12 s. 1 d.; and in 1795 he was taxed 11s. 1d. On 128 acres and two cows.

On 28 May 1778 Balzar Leffel took the oath of allegiance in Berks County, in accordance with the Act of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania of 13 June 1777.  The family name of his wife Sybilla is not known, nor has the date of their marriage been ascertained. She was born 1 March 1728, died 20 July 1804, and was buried the following day, her funeral services being conducted by Rev. William Boos, pastor of the Reformed Church of Schwartwald. In 1784 she was a communicant member of the Amityville Lutheran Church of which Rev. Mr. Streit was pastor.

In addition to being godparents to certain of their grandchildren, as will be mentioned later, Balzar and Sybilla Leffel were sponsors at the baptism 25 April 1784 of Samuel Hoch, born 2 November 1783, son of Samuel and Magdalena Hoch; and of David Schrack [Schraich] 9 May 1784, born 1 March 1784, son of Elizabeth Schrack [Schraich].

Herndon, John Goodwin, PH. D., "Balzar Leffel (1721-1796)", THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST, Demorest, GA: Volume 21, Number 4, April 1945.

Balzar Leffel is listed in the DAR Patriot Index, The National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Centennial ED,  Washington: 1990, page 1775. Lists Balzar Leffel born 2-2-1721 GR death7-11-1796 PA married Sybilla ---PS PA DAR Supplemental application #614206; Patriot Service: "Swore oath of fidelity" in Pennsylvania, Amity twp.; Berks County Oaths of Allegiance, Book D, Volume 1, pg 222.