Emanuel B Lebo

LEBO

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/14/2010 at 21:51:46

Emanuel B Lebo is a retired farmer of Boone county, owning 80 acres of land on section 14 Des Moines township, from which he derives a substantial annual income. He was born December 14, 1845, on the old Bitterman farm in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. He is paternal grandfather, Peter Lebo, was born in France and the name was originally spelled Lebeau. On coming to the United States he settled in Pennsylvania. For his first wife he wedded Miss Shive. They afterward secured a legal separation, and he married again in Montour county, Pennsylvania, where his last days were spent. Throughout the entire period of his residence in Pennsylvania he followed the occupation of farming. The grandmother of Emanuel B Lebo was married a second time, becoming the wife of John Turner, who was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. She died in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, at the home of her son, John Washington, the father of Emanuel B Lebo, who was the only child by her first marriage.
John W Lebo, was born in Midland township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. When he was three years of age his father married again, and he was reared by Daniel Bitterman, an uncle. He acquired a good education and taught the first free school in Miflin township, giving instruction in both English and German. He was also an expert mathematician. He married Miss Barbara Bodiger, a native of Upper Paxton township, Dauphin county, and a daughter of John Bodiger. Following their marriage they established a permanent home in Miflin township. Mr Lebo became a well to do farmer and died upon the old homestead, at the age of seventy-five years, while his wife passed away when seventy-seven years of age. They were Lutherans in religious faith, and Mr Lebo was a democrat in his political views. He held several minor offices. In their family were seven children: Mary deceased, Sarah Jane, who became the wife of Ellis W Ford of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Daniel M who was married twice and lived and died at Pot Royal, Pennsylvania, Jeremiah who wedded Emma Bressler and died in Elizabethville, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, Emanuel B, Cornelius, who is married and makes his home in Dauphin county, and Jonathan who died upon the home farm.
Emanuel B Lebo lived upo various farmsin Dauphin county and worked through the summer months as a farm hand, while in the winter months he attended school. He started to earn his living when but eight years of age and was paid only five cents per day. Later his wages were advanced to eight cents and eventually to twenty cents, and he cradled grain for fifty cents a day. In 1863 he began learning the trade of a carriage painter in Berrysburg, Dauphin county, being then about seventeen or eighteen years of age. He served a three years’ apprenticeship, after which he worked as a journeyman in Dauphin, Snyder, Perry, Juaniata and Northumberland counties of Pennsylvania. In 1884 he came to the west, settling in Boone, where he worked at his trade as a contractor for six years. He then purchased a farm, which he cultivated for twenty yes, after which he removed to his present home in Boone and retired. He is now enjoying the fruits of his former toil and his rest has been truly earned and is richly deserved.
Mr Lebo was married in Augustaville, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, November 16, 1871, to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Martz, who was born in Stone Valley, Northumberland county, a daughter of Isaac and Mary (Emerick) Martz. The father was a farmer by occupation and at different ties filled local offices. He lost his right arm in the Civil war through the shot of a sharpshooter, at which tie he was on his way for water for sick comrades. He was an ardent Lutheran and a very earnest and enthusiastic worker in the church. Selling his farming Pennsylvania, he removed to Edmunds county, South Dakota, but did not remain long and came thence to Boone, where his remaining days were passed. He died at the age of seventy years and his wife also reached the age of three score years and ten. In their family were four children: Lucy who became the wife of Samuel Zimmerman and died in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Mrs Lebo, Frank, residing in Los Angeles, California, and Maggie the wife of S Zimmerman of Boone.
Mr and Mrs Lebo became the parents of the following children: Alberta May who became the wife of J Anderson and is now deceased, Anna L the wife of Andrew Anderson, John E who married Maud Reese ad is an engineer on the Northwestern, Gordon Ellis of Boone, who married Kate Shicker, Elizabeth a photographer of Boone, William Martz, who is living on the home farm and who married Fay Cutter, and Edwin C and Everett B twins the former of whom is now deceased. The latter married Tillie Dyer and they reside in Boone For thirty years Emanuel B Lebo has made his home in this county, where he has a wide acquaintance. He has been identified with both industrial and agricultural pursuits, and while he is now living retired is still the owner of a good farm, and whatever success he has achieved in life is attributable entirely to his own efforts.

1914 Boone County History Book