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If you have any questions or comments about the information on this site, please Ten Most Wanted
Every family has its own elusive relatives, be they in-laws or outlaws, and mine is no exception. So here’s a list of my Ten Most Wanted pieces of family history. If YOU can provide any insight, there just might be a reward in it for you!
#1. & 2. Charles and Lydia Leonard Shafer… of Delaware and Marion Counties, Ohio, then Cherokee and Chautauqua Counties in Kansas. They met and married in Delaware County in 1856, migrated to Cherokee County in 1870 or so, and were last seen in Chautauqua County in 1885. No apparent record of them dying there. So where ARE they? See Lydia’s History.
#3. Dr. Shafer… of unknown wherabouts. Alleged to be one of Lydia’s sons. An elusive “Dr. Shafer” paid a timely visit to Leonard family historian Jennie Leonard Hutchinson in the early 1930s. Timely because he had come to see the orginal two-story log cabin that housed four generations of Leonards in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The cabin burned in 1996, but he probably took pictures that may STILL exist today! Jenny never gave his first name, but said he was one of Lydia’s sons.
#4. “Indian Joe” Leonard… of Caddo County, Oklahoma. Actually, “Indian Joe” is just my own private pet name for Joseph Leonard (1837-1925), by far the most colorful Leonard I’ve run across to date. He married an Indian maiden, claimed to know the Two Bills (Buffalo and Wild) and General George Armstrong Custer. Got into LOTS of trouble with the US gov’t. We have one picture so far, but must be others of him somewhere?
#5. Isaac Leonard… of Washington County, Pennsylvania. One of only two siblings who stayed behind when the rest of the family “Went West” in 1855. Isaac seemed to have trouble remembering his birthday and by the time he died in 1914, claimed it was exactly the same as brother Daniel’s! And yet, there’s no mention of TWINS in all the Leonard documentation. Now we have a picture, but it doesn’t slkove the mystery. And yes, I know what his tombstone says. Anybody have any other documention?
#6. Mary Jane Leonard Strine… of Marion County, Ohio. Mary Jane met and married John Strine and had the good sense (taking the conservative view) to stay in one county for the rest of her life. You would think one of her descendants would have pictures, wouldn’t you? C’mon Marion County cousins, step up to the plate!
#7. Thomas L. Leonard… of Loraine County, Ohio (near Cleveland). Same deal. Thomas and wife Mollie (Mattie) Thornburg raised a whole passel of kids (at least eight) in their many decades on the shores of Lake Erie… grandson Walberg Brown was a famous musician/conductor. Sure wish I could find a descendant who might have pictures of Thomas & Mollie.
#8. William Henry Leonard… of Cherokee County, Kansas. I actually know quite a lot about ol’ William… except what he looks like. We now have a picture, but always looking for more.
#9. William and Mary Van Ort Leonard… Yeah, this one’s a complete long shot, given that William and Mary were never very wealthy and portraits and/or photos were fairly expensive even at the time of their deaths… but I sure would like to know what they looked like.
#10. You… That’s right, you are at the top of my most wanted list (despite being listed last). What good would a family history be if you had no one to share it with? And I assume you must be a relative of some kind or you wouldn’t have shown up here. So contact me so we can stay in touch!
May 14th, 2007 at 10:31 am
It’s pretty cool to see your great great great grandfather’s name on a “Ten Most Wanted” list! I have already “collected” my reward. Being able to find out more about our wonderful LEONARD family is reward enough for me…
May 14th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Pretty sweet, eh? And thanks for giving the blog a test run! Now, if we can just figure out exactly when ol’ Isaac was born,
May 18th, 2007 at 5:57 am
Fantastic site! The photos are pure gold. Our branch descends from Samuel Leonard [1781-1871] who refuses to be attached to ANY Leonard family in Greene/Washington Cos., PA. Yet he DOES belong. Frustrating. He was one of the many family/friends who migrated to OH @ 1805. His wife is Phebe Logan. I have a pic of his granddaughter, Phebe Leonard Engle. Want to see?
May 18th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Jeanie… I’m not familiar with your Samuel (no surprise), but I’m guessing he wants to claim the “Iron Leonards” as his family? Unfortunately, there’s not much I can do with a photo of someone I don’t have documented.
March 11th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Grandfather, one of 11 children, Irvin Feilding Leonard, Sr. born Roaring Branch, PA, died Zephyrhills, Fla 1973 at 79. Married Nettie Thomas of Falstaff, PA. I went to a family reunion once near Canton PA in a picnic pavillion. We stayed with a Joe Leonard, a chicken farmer near there but that’s not Indian Joe.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am
needing help: Leonard Family in Jackson, Jennings, Scott and Clark County, Indiana /Cincinnati Ohio. I am looking from any information on a George Leonard b. abt 1815 in ohio married to a Mary A.(Maiden name unknown) b. 1825 VA. They had children, George Leonard b. 1840 OH, Edward Leonard b.1854 OH, Mary E. Leonard b.1855 (married a Woodruff) OH, John Leonard b.1852 OH, Alfred F Leonard b.1842 OH. The family migrated from Ohio to Vernon, Indiana and Seymour then into Austin, Indiana and family into Clark County, Indiana. If any of you Leonard’s know this family or have information, Please share… Thank you very much and Rick thaks for having this site… Tracy Leonard tracyleonardpi@insightbb.com
July 18th, 2008 at 9:51 am
My grandmother Della Ann (Campbell)Leonard born Sept 26, 1910 in Albany, KY, fathers name William “Willie” James Leonard. I remember my great grandmother Leonard but cant recall her name, I have a call into my dad, we just called her Granny Leonard. She had very dark hair and I have a picture of her, very pretty! Thats all I know right now and will try to gather more info and feel free to reply with any info you may have.
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:11 am
Hi Della…
I must say, I haven’t run across any of my family in Kentucky, but I do know there are a lot of Leonards there. My instinct tells me you’re probably descended from the Iron Leonards of Taunton, Massachsetts. I haven’t done a lot of research on that line, but much has been written on the descendants of James Leonard, who founded the Taunton Iron Works in the early 1600s. You might try Brad Leonard’s genealogy page as a start.
Good luck!
Rick