Birthday of Susan West Leffel

Today June 3rd is the birthday of Susan West Leffel

Susan was born 208 years ago today

This morning I received a notification from FamilySearch that today was the birthday of my 2nd great-grandmother, Susan Evaline West Leffel, born June 3, 1817 in Mason, Kentucky.  She was the daughter of Michael West and Susannah McKee.  Susan married David Miller Leffel on May 3rd, 1817 in Springfield, Ohio.  They were the parents of eight (8) children.     

Over the years, I have spent a large amount of time and money trying to find out more about Susan's life.  I have traveled to both Texas and Ohio so that I could conduct research for Susan in county courts, local libraries, and state archives.   I can vividly remember sitting in the Texas State Archives when the archivist brought out a file containing a letter Susan had written in 1869.  As I carefully held and read the letter, time and space seemed to disappear.  I felt as if Susan was sitting in the archives beside me reading her letter.  

To read about Susan's life and her 1869 letter to the Governor of Texas, click here.  
To read about Susan's husband, David M Leffel, click here. 
To read about Susan's parents and siblings, click here. 

Other Family Events that occurred on this day June 3rd

1595 - Marriage: Ulrich Traub and Elisabetha Leyrer, Heiningen, Wurttemberg, Germany
1673 - Birth: Hannah Gray, Plymouth, Massachusetts 
1681 - Death: Edward Gray, Plymouth, Massachusetts
1686 - Death: Thomas Hewitt 
1704 - Death: Anna Cole, Plymouth, Massachusetts
1746 - Birth: Sarah Hawkins, Frederick, Virginia 
1773 - Birth: Lydia Coddington, Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey 
1799 - Birth: Valentine Fuhr, Wurttemberg, Germany 
1817 - Birth: Susan Evaline West, Mason, Kentucky 
1827 - Birth: Jabez Haning, Meigs, Ohio
1833 - Birth: Eliza Ann Martin, Alabama
1835 - Birth: Hannah Amanda Hatfield, Parke County, Indiana 
1849 - Birth: Margaret Elizabeth Butler 
1862 - Birth: Merton Joy Keys, Linn County, Iowa 
1885 - Death: Jesse Gresham McNeil 
1890 - Death: Mary Cock
1894 - Birth: Charles Harvey Miller, Itasca, Hill, Texas
1908 - Burial: Agnes Cinderella Buckles, Evergreen Cemetery, Champaign, Ohio 
1909 - Birth: Wilton A. Stine, San Joaquin, California 
1910 - Death: Samuel Preston Stewart 
1915 - Birth: Clifford Kernahan, Nunda, Livingston, New York 
1917 - Death: Elizabeth Sparrow
1919 - Death: William Walter Junkins, Baldwin City, Douglas, Kansas 
1922 - Birth: Wanda Maxine Rees, Garfield, Oklahoma 
1924 - Birth: Esther June Kaser, Dove Creek, Dolores, Colorado 
1933 - Burial: Andrew George Rose, Admiral Cemetery, Callahan, Texas 
1940 - Burial: Oliver Jacob Davis Kaser, Longview Memorial Park, Cowlitz, Washington 
1941 - Death: Laura Etta McAdams 
1955 - Death: Richard Wilson Boyles 
1961 - Burial: Roscoe Baldwin, Eliasville Cemetery, Young, Texas 
1965 - Death: James Adolphus Marrs, Saliad, Chaffee, Colorado 
1967 - Death: John Charles Kane, Mountain Park, Kiowa, Oklahoma 
1974 - Death: Minnie Myrtle Hatfield, Bellingham, Whatcom, Washington 
1995 - Death: John Venton Wilson, Mexican Hat, San Juan, Utah 

In Remembrance

 Remembering David Miller Leffel 
1816-1862

Memorial pavers for David Miller Leffel and his wife, Susan

October 19, 1862

David Miller Leffel, our 2nd great-grandfather, was one of forty Union sympathizing citizens of North Texas who were charged with disloyalty and treason against the Confederacy by a “Citizens Court” in Gainesville, Cooke County in October 1862 and then hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville.  David's hanging took place on Sunday, October 19, 1862 - one hundred sixty-two years ago today.  

"Bringing in Union Men"
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper 1864

"Hanging of Union Men"

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper 1864

Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago a memorial monument for the men who died in the hangings was placed in Gainesville, Texas at the Georgia Davis Bass Memorial Park .  The Dedication of the Great Hanging Monuments took place on October 18, 2014, one hundred fifty-two (152) years after the Hangings.  

Great Hanging Monument

In the close-up view of the monument with the names of the men who were hanged, you will find David's name in the bottom group that were hanged on Sunday, October 19, 1862.  While we still do not know exactly where David was buried after he was hanged, there is now a memorial with his name on it.

To read about David Miller Leffel click here.

To read about the Great Hanging memorial click here.

To read about the Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas 1862 click here.

To read about David's wife, Susan Leffel click here.  

Love Stories

 Our Family Love Stories
💕💕💕💕💕💕

When I think of family love stories, the first ancestral couple that comes to mind are my maternal grandparents, Jess and Mabel Baldwin.  But, as I have researched my family lines, I feel that most of my direct line grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. had marriages based on love and friendship.

Jess Baldwin and Mabel Leffel

Jesse Baldwin and Mabel Leffel were married on Christmas Day 1917 in Mountain Park, Oklahoma. They stayed married until Jess passed away in 1972 - almost 55 years.  Grandpa Jess said it was love at first sight on his part.  He first saw grandma standing next to a field with her cousin Della.  The sun was shining on her hair and he thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  

Jess and Mabel loved each other and loved their family.  They were the parents of fourteen (14) children and grandparents of 46 (50 including step-grandchildren) and great-grandparents of about 89. 

Jess, Mabel, and children 1967
50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Montrose, Colorado

Charles Wilson and Pearl Hatfield

Charles B. Wilson and Pearl Hatfield met at dance in Estell, Oklahoma in 1902.  Pearl was sixteen years old and Charles B. was twenty-six years old - ten years older.  On December 4, 1902, the local newspaper (Renfrew's Record of Alva, Oklahoma) reported that their marriage license had been issued.  They married on Dec 14th, 1902 at the home of Pearl's parents, Martin and Nancy Hatfield.

Marriage License Issued

Wedding Day 
B & Pearl sitting in buggy

Charles B. and Pearl Wilson were married for 49 years, until B's death on December 16, 1951.  They were the parents of eight children, six living to adulthood while the two youngest children died young.  During the first ten years of their married life, the Wilsons traveled in a covered wagon around Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico.  In 1915, they finally settled down near the Utah/Colorado border; first near Monticello, Utah, then near Dove Creek, Colorado.  Eventually they moved to Cortez, Colorado the last few years of Charles' life.

In 1936, Pearl traveled from Colorado to her sister's home in Wyoming to visit her mother who was gravely ill.  After Pearl had been gone from home for a several weeks, daughter Maymie who lived near her father Charles, wrote the following in a letter to her sister in Oklahoma.  

1936 Maymie's Letter Excerpt
 "Dad's Lonesome for Mother"

"Mother is still in Wyoming.  Guess she will stay another week.  Grandma is still awful bad.  Mother will come back on the train or bus. 

Dad sure gets lonesome for Mother.  We can't hardly keep him here.  Dad sold his old jersey cow and I & him made out an order for Mother a new dress, hose, slippers, purse, gloves, and hat - it is all Navy Blue but the shoes... 

My we sure miss mother.  But look for her next week."  

I was touched that Great-grandpa Charles loved and missed his wife so much that he sold his jersey cow in order to buy her a gift.  With the help of his daughter Maymie, Charles ordered a gift of new clothes so that Pearl's homecoming would be special.  Kind of reminds me of the story by O. Henry -- The Gift of the Magi.

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

More love stories from the family will be added in the future.

Baldwin Posts:

Mabel & Jess Baldwin Family

Baldwin Family Christmas

Married On Christmas Day 

Mable and Jesse Baldwin 

Wilson Posts:  

Cupid's Court 

Wilson Bible Record
Buggy Ride
Wilson's Grocery
Wilson Family Photos

Palindromes

 Palindromes

According to Wikipedia, a palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or sequence of symbols that read the same backwards and forwards.  Some examples of word palindromes are madam, civic, racecar, radar, dad, kayak, noon, rotator, etc.  In Junior High school, I remember an English teacher giving us a timed test to see how many palindromes we could come up within the time limit.

One of my favorite surnames on my family tree is a palindrome: Leffel  

Not only is the Leffel surname a palindrome, it is also an uncommon surname - meaning it's easier to find when searching through records and indexes.  But it's only easier to find if spelled correctly.  I often find Leffel misspelled as Leffle or Loffel. 

Leffel is the surname for one of my four grandparents -- my maternal grandmother, Mabel Edna Leffel.  Mabel's ancestry goes back to Balzar Leffel, who immigrated to America from Germany in 1750.  Balzar Leffel's name on the Ship Passenger List (1750) was Balthasar Loeffel.  Balzar's baptismal record from Ludwigshafen, Bayern, Germany, also records his name as Balthasar Loeffel.  So it appears that the surname was spelled Loeffel in Germany prior to immigrating to America in 1750.  

The Leffel or Loeffel surname means an occupational maker or seller of spoons.  In the middle ages spoons were more commonly carved from wood.  

Once Balzar arrived in America and settled in Pennsylvania, the "o" was omitted from the Loeffel name and his name appeared as "Leffel" in most records such as census, land, and tax records.  The name on his will was Balzer Leffel.  He signed with an "X", meaning he could not read and write in English. 

Balzer Leffel signed his Will with an "X"

 All of Balzar's descendants down to the present time have used the Leffel spelling of the surname.  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 Leffel  > John Leffel > Anthony Leffel > David Miller Leffel > Charles Edgar Leffel > Mabel Leffel. 

Related Posts: 
Balzar and Sybilla Leffel  
Happy German-American Day  
Anthony and Mary Miller Leffel Family 
David Miller Leffel  

More Murders

 More Murder in the Family

A previous post dated 31 October 2017 listed murders found while researching the family tree. To read, click here.  Not only has another murder been found in the family, but we also have a murderer within the family.😵

Troy L Putnam
US Air Force Veteran

Troy LaDieu Putnam was murdered 7 June 1963, while working at a Fort Worth gas station. Putnam had been shot three times. His body was found laying in a storeroom. 

Fort Worth Star Telegram
8 June 1963

Troy Putnam, born 2 March 1916, was the son of Chelsea L Putnam and Rosa Leffel.  Troy joined the Air Force in 1941 and served in the military until about a year before he was killed in 1963.  In 1956, while stationed in Libya, his wife Abby joined him.  Troy retired from the Air Force with the rank of Master Sergeant.  To keep himself busy during his retirement, Troy purchased a service station in Fort Worth.   
We are related to Troy Putnam through his mother, Rose Leffel, who was a cousin to our Grandma Mabel Leffel Baldwin.

Houston Holt

In 1878, Houston Holt was charged with murder in two cases. First was the 1878 murder of a man by the name of Powers for a remark about his horse (Sherman Daily Register). Hous was also charged with a second murder that had occurred years earlier. This was the murder of a man named Beard who has accused Houston Holt's father of being a member of an insurrection party. He was mostly referring to the "Peace Party" or Unionist party that had so many members hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville in neighboring Cooke County.

Houston was not charged with killing Beard until after the charges of killing Powers were filed against him. He was found guilty of both murders and sentenced to life-time or a total of 104 years in prison (99 years plus 5). 

To read about his murders and his pardon from the Governor of Texas, click here.

Hous Holt, was married to Sarah Ann West, daughter of John & Barbara (Harmon) West. John West was the brother to our director ancestor, Susan Evaline West Leffel.  

Related Posts:
Murders in the Family  
Holt's Pardon   

Dove Creek, Colorado

Dove Creek was always just a place to drive through - going back and forth between Colorado and Utah.  And, as we drove through Dove Creek the speed limit needed to be strictly observed or else we  would most likely get a ticket.  And sometimes when driving through Dove Creek, we would stop to buy a bag of pinto beans.  Dove Creek is known as the Pinto Bean Capital of the World.  

It was not until I started working on family history that I realized our family had a long history with Dove Creek.  Ancestors from both my paternal and maternal lines were early settlers in Dove Creek.

Martin and Nancy Hatfield
1916

Our first ancestors to move into the Dove Creek area were my paternal 2nd Great-Grandparents -  Martin Monroe Hatfield and his wife, Nancy.  

View from cemetery towards Hatfield's land

Martin and Nancy moved to Dove Creek from Oklahoma in 1916.  Just two years later in 1918, Martin died at his home in Dove Creek.  According to Martin's obituary, "A plot of ground was selected on his farm for a cemetery" and he became the first person buried in the new Dove Creek Cemetery.  

The plaque attached to the headstone reads:
Martin M. Hatfield
1857-1918
First Grave in Cemetery

Martin M. and Nancy Hatfield

Obituary for Martin Monroe Hatfield:
The funeral services of Martin M. Hatfield, who died suddenly at Dove Creek Friday, were held at the Dove Creek school house Tuesday afternoon and were conducted by Rev. C. L. Flanders of the Dolores Baptist church. Music was furnished by a mixed quartet composed of O. J. Shultz, wife and daughter and Mr. McConnell. A large concourse of people were present to bear testimony of the esteem in which the deceased was held. His remains were laid to rest in the new cemetery at Dove Creek.
Martin Monroe Hatfield was born in Boone County, Iowa, April 18, 1857 and died at his home in Dove Creek, Colorado, May 31, 1918, at the age of 61 years, 1 month and 13 days. In early manhood he became a Christian and united with the Baptist Church and proved himself a good true Christian man. At the time of his death, he was superintendent of the Dove Creek Sunday School.
On New Year's Day, 1879, he was married to Nancy Abbagel McNeil at Smith County, Kansas. He leaves a wife, nine children, twelve grandchildren, three brothers and a host of friends to mourn his departure.
The deceased was a member of the Farmers Union of Dove Creek, which organization took charge of the burial. He took an active interest in all the affairs of the community that were for the benefit and uplift of the same.
The day before his death, he was at the farmer's meeting at Cahone and in the morning of his death ate a hearty breakfast and went about the place doing his usual chores. About the middle of the forenoon he was stricken with neuralgia of the heart and passed away before medical aid could reach him.
He was conscious to the last and realized his time had come and he gave directions to his loved ones as to his burial and their remaining together in this new country.
A plot of ground was selected on his farm for a cemetery and he was laid to rest amid the scenes of his hearts greatest desire while in this life.
Mr. Hatfield has been three times a pioneer. His first being in Kansas, then Oklahoma, and two years ago he came to Colorado. He loved the pioneer life and it is fitting that he should become the pioneer in the new "City of the Dead" at Dove Creek.  

Descendants of Martin and Nancy Hatfield through their son Charlie Hatfield still live in the Dove Creek area.  To see a 1924 photo of the Charlie Hatfield family standing on the front porch of their Dove Creek home, click here.

Charles and Pearl Wilson
1918

According to a family record, the Wilson family lived in Dove Creek in 1918 when their son, Clayton Ervin Wilson, was born.  Their last son born 10 years later was also born in Dove Creek.  Below is a copy of the family record of births for the Wilson family written by Minnie Pearl Hatfield Wilson.  

The Wilson family lived in an area called Bug Point just outside of Dove Creek.  Below is a photo of the Wilson family taken at Bug Point about 1926.  

Charles "B" Wilson and Minnie Pearl Hatfield Family
Back row: Alma, Buck, John, Maymie
Front seated: Dad Wilson, Pat, Pearl
Picture taken at Bug Point, Utah about 1926

Elmer Martin
1920s

By 1920, my paternal grandfather Elmer Martin had settled in Dove Creek.  Elmer, an amateur photographer,  took several photos of early Dove Creek.  At that time, the Post Office seems to be the one of the few buildings in town.  The top photo is of the Dove Creek Post Office in about 1920.  The next photo titled Dove Creek Main Street, shows the Post Office as the first building on the right.  

Dove Creek Post Office 
Early 1920's

Dove Creek Main Street

Some years later in the late 1920s a new Post Office was built.  This next photo shows the Post Office sharing a building with the General Store.  Elmer was part owner in the General Store.  Below that photo is another photograph of Main Street Dove Creek in the late 1920s.  The Post Office/General store building can be seen in the far distant center just left of the larger log building.

New Dove Creek Post Office

Dove Creek Main Street

Elmer had a large farm just north of Dove Creek and farmed potatoes.  Below is a photo of Elmer's potato cellar and trucks loaded with bags of potatoes from his farm.  Next is a photo of Elmer's Case tractor, said to be one of the first tractors in Dove Creek area.  Elmer and his Case tractor were featured in the "Case Eagle" magazine.  To read, click here.   Elmer and his family moved into Cortez, Colorado in the 1930s, so that their sons could go to school in Cortez.  

Elmer Martin Winner of Dolores County Fair

Elmer's Potato cellar and trucks loaded with bags of potatoes
One mile north of Dove Creek

First Tractor in Dove Creek

Layne Leffel
1930s

Layne Leffel is my maternal granduncle - my grandmother Mabel Baldwin's brother.  Layne homesteaded land in East Summit Point in the early 1930s.  Below is Leffel's 1939 land certificate from the General Land Office.  It was Layne Leffel that encouraged my grandparents, Jess and Mable Baldwin to move into the area.  

According to the news clipping below, the Layne Leffel family would move during the winter months so that their children could attend school.  A 1939 news item, stated that the Leffel family spent the winter months in Montrose so that their son could go to school.  Layne's sister Mabel Baldwin and family were living in Montrose in the late 1930s.  Both families can be found in the 1940 census records for Montrose.

San Juan Record

02 Nov 1939

The Layne Leffel family remained in the Dove Creek area.  Below is a newspaper clipping of the Layne Leffel Family Reunion in Dove Creek and a photo of the family in 1934.  Descendants of the Leffel family still live in the Dove Creek area.

 

Related Posts: 
Martin and Nancy Hatfield Family 
Pioneer in the new "City of the Dead" at Dove Creek

Charlie Hatfield Family
Elmer Martin's Prize Winning Potatoes

Elmer Martin's Photo Gallery

Leffel Family

German-American Day

Happy German-American Day!

In the United States, National German-American Day is observed annually on October 6th.  It celebrates German-American heritage and commemorates the founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1683.  Last year, the following proclamation was given by the White House:

A Proclamation on German-American Day, 2021

 Since the first Germans arrived on American soil in the 17th century in search of religious freedom and opportunity, German-Americans have played an essential role in the foundation and growth of our country.  Today, German-Americans make up one of the largest ancestry groups in our country, with more than 43 million Americans of German heritage living in the United States.  Their influence has been felt in each successive generation, and their contributions to the United States have been innumerable.  On German-American Day, we celebrate the German-Americans who continue to enhance our Nation with their talents, skills, knowledge, and rich cultural heritage. 

The contributions of German-Americans are woven into the fabric of America, touching our lives every day.  From the Brooklyn Bridge to airplanes, jeans to pianos, the food we eat to the beer we drink — German-Americans have invented, built, and influenced some of the most iconic American products and institutions.  Generations of German-Americans have served our Nation as first responders, public servants, scientists, entrepreneurs, farmers and ranchers, authors, and athletes among many other occupations. 

The strong ties between the people of America and Germany that have arisen since the end of World War II reflect the common bonds our countries enjoy.  We remain committed to the shared democratic values and institutions that have shaped our nations and our economies.  Earlier this year, the United States and Germany signed the Washington Declaration, reaffirming the democratic principles that underpin our steadfast commitment to bilateral cooperation in promoting peace, security, and prosperity around the world.  The United States and Germany are inseparable allies.

On German-American Day, we celebrate our Nation’s German-American heritage and recognize the contributions both past and present of German-Americans across our country. 

Now, therefore, I, Joseph R Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 6, 2021, as German-American Day.  I urge all Americans to celebrate the rich and varied history of German-Americans and remember the many contributions they have made to our Nation.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth.

My German Roots

I grew up with an American born German grandfather, Elmer Martin, on my paternal side.  His father, John Stephen Martin, was born in Rothenbach, Oberfranken, Bayern, Germany on November 28, 1847.  He immigrated a year later in 1848 with his mother, Katherine Castner.  John's father, Mathias Martin, had come a year earlier in 1847. Elmer's mother, Elizabeth Weiss, was born in Illinois of German immigrant parents, Johann Michael Weiss and Anna Maria Heim, who came in 1848.  Both sets of great-grandparents were  hardworking, industrious, successful farmers in Rock Island, Illinois. 

Grandpa Elmer liked to cook and was actually a good cook.  Some of his German heritage shows up in what he liked to cook.  As a child, I can remember him making his own sauerkraut in big crocks that sat out by the garage in back of the house. Eating his sauerkraut was mandatory when visiting his home for dinner, but since I liked sauerkraut I really did not mind.  My grandparents had a large screened in back-porch where in his later years, Elmer would sit to drink his beer🍺, and eat Limburger cheese, Liverwurst, and sardines.  All of which, never became a favorite with me😉

My maternal Grandmother’s maiden name was Leffel.  Her 4th great-grandparents Balzar and Sybilla Leffel immigrated to America from Oggersheim, Ludwigshafen, Bayern, Germany in 1750.  When they first arrived in America, the Leffel family first lived in Pennsylvania.  By the 1820's, many of the Leffel family had settled in Springfield, Ohio, where some such as James Leffel, left his mark as a prominent inventor and industrialist.  My Leffel line eventually moved into Texas and Oklahoma. 

In AncestryDNA's last ethnicity estimate from June 2022, my German ethnicity shows up at 24%.  Prior to that AncestryDNA showed NO German ethnicity (see post).  So now I'm really happy 😊😊my German Heritage shows up in my DNA as well as in family stories, traditions, and records.

German Ethnicity 2022

Posts about my German roots:

German Immigrant Ancestors 

German Naming Patterns 

Thierstein Evangelical Lutheran Parish Records 

Arzberg Evangelical Lutheran Parish Records  

Mathias Martin and Kate Castner 

John and Elizabeth Weiss Martin 

My Weiss Immigrant Family 

Balzar and Sybilla Leffel 

Elmer Martin 

My German Family Tree 

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😊

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.

Early Clark County, Ohio History by Joanna Smith Miller

1887 Newspaper Article 
Early Clark County, Ohio 

by Joanna Smith Miller

Joanna Smith Miller (1806-1891), the daughter of Samuel Smith and Elizabeth McCleave, was married to John Miller.  John Miller was the brother of Mary Miller Leffel, our 3rd great-grandmother, and son of Frederick Miller, our 4th great-grandfather.  When Joanna was 80 years old, her son Samuel Smith Miller interviewed her for a newspaper article, which was published in the Springfield Daily Republic on 17 January 1887.  The article was titled "Clark County's Infancy," with a subtitle: "An Intensely Interesting Chapter of Early History - The Ways of Our Forefathers Charmingly Described."

In order to enlarge the newspaper article to a size big enough to be easily read, please go to Chronicling America.  The above newspaper article can be found on the Library of Congress website, Chronicling America.
 Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]), 17 Jan. 1887. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87076917/1887-01-17/ed-1/seq-2

Joanna's history includes information about the Smith, Miller, and Leffel families, as well as many others.  At the bottom of the second column is an excerpt about Joanna's father-in-law, Frederick Miller, and brother-in-law, Anthony Leffel.

I love the part about the Indians living in their wigwams near Anthony Leffel's cabin -- 

"While Mr. Leffel lived there the Indians had a dozen or so of wigwams, built of bark, a short distance west of their cabin, and Samuel, Mr. Leffel’s son, who is yet living and not very old, used to play with the Indian children.  When a tall, good looking [Anthony] Leffel of eighteen years would go to see the Indians, a comely young squaw always came out and sat on a log as if to court the young man into an attachment."

Birch-Bark Indian Wigwams
loc.gov

Related Posts:
Frederick Miller
Anthony Leffel
Springfield, Ohio