Monsuit Leffler

LEFFLER, CAVEN

Posted By: Volunteer - Rhonda Rankin Rowe
Date: 2/19/2002 at 10:09:45

At his home in Harrisburg on Saturday, March 30, 1895, Monsuit Leffler Esq. In his 92nd year. The funeral was held at his late residence on Tuesday, April 2, 1895, at 10 a.m., being conducted by Rev. Coonie of the Harrisburg Baptist Church, after which his remains were laid away in the Bentonsport cemetery, attended by a large concourse of sympathizing friends and neighbors.

Mr. Leffler was born in Baden, Germany, Jan. 15, 1803, and was 92 years, 2 months and 15 days old at the time of his demise. He served as a soldier in the German army, and after the term of service had expired he came to this country, landing at New Orleans in 1833. Here his young wife whom he had brought with him from the fatherland, soon sickened and died, and was buried on the banks of the great rushing river. He now came north and stopped at Quincy, Ill., where he hired out as a farm hand. Living frugally, he saved sufficient money to enter eighty acres of land. In 1839 he came to Iowa, and pre-empted eighty acres of land in Van Buren County, some three miles north of Bonaparte, but this he soon exchanged for eighty acres, which became the nucleus around which he gathered the broad acres that constituted his late home farm. Here he built his cabin and here he brought his wife, Miss Irena Caven, whom he wedded July 3, 1839. Here his family of children were born, eleven in number, five boys and six girls, and here they grew to manhood and womanhood. From this place, the remains of his wife, who died Jan. 5, 1881, were followed to its last resting place in the Bentonsport cemetery, and from this place, fourteen years later his remains were taken to the cemetery and laid by her side. He lived on this farm nearly sixty years, almost ten years more than a half century.

His children are named as follows: John, Jacob, James, Andrew J. and George, boys, and Elizabeth, Malinda, Julia, Mary and two who died in infancy, girls. The youngest child, George, died at his brother John’s who is a practicing physician in California, in 1881, of pulmonary consumption. Eight children and 18 grandchildren remain to mourn their loss. After the death of his wife two of Mr. Leffler’s daughters kept house for him and kindly watched over and cared for him in his declining years.

Thus a pioneer of our county whose life was full of years and replete with success has passed away. He lacked but a little more than seven years of being a full century old, and was a connecting link with past that seems so long ago.

While he was growing into manhood, the great Napoleon was fulfilling his destiny in Europe. He was 13 years old when the great French soldier met his Waterloo and was a young man when he died a prisoner at St. Helena. He left a legacy the proudest monarch of earth might well envy, a life replete with honest toil and full of years-a comfortable home surrounded by broad acres teeming with cultivation, a family of sons and daughters, all honorable and respected citizens, and a name hones and true, which will always be remembered in the annals of his neighborhood.

Source; Iowa Rankin and Jenny Matheson newspaper clippings