Anna Margaret (Obenchain) Leffel (abt. 1760 - 1829)

Born about 10 Jan 1760 in Rockland Township, Berks, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Wife of John Leffel — married about 1775 in Botetourt Co., Virginia, American Colonies

Descendants

Died 5 Jul 1829 at about age 69 in Clark Co., Ohio, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Cathryn Hondros [send private message] and SJ Baty [send private message]

Biography

Anna Marga (Margaret) Abendschoen was born on 10 January 1760 to Reinhold and Hanna Abendschoen in Rockland Township, Berks, Pennsylvania. She was Christened on 20 April 1760 at the Metz Church.^[1]

Her husband John Leffel was a Pennsylvania patriot during the American Revolution. He is credited with paying the supply tax in 1783. ^[2]

From The Leffels of Glengary Bridge

"A grand person known for her spartan bearing. She had been widowed in 1801 by the death of her husband John, and left with 11 children to rear. Of these, Will's father Samuel was the eldest at 22. Although he left the next year, after marriage to Dorothy Peery, a neighbor girl, there were ten left to raise.

Between 1801 and 1816 eight of the children had moved to the Ohio Territory near Springfield. The two youngest boys, Thomas and James, were still home when Margaret decided to sell the farm and move along to Ohio in 1817. She was then 60 years of age but dauntless of spirit.

From The Virginia farm it would be a journey of some 600 miles by Conestoga wagon to a territory where half the residents were Indians. She, in fact, neighbored for many years thereafter with the Shawnee descendants of Chief Tecumseh.

It was remembered by his father, as Will recalled being told, that his grandmother enjoyed church services conducted in the native German tongue common amongst her neighbors. Folks around Springfield credited her with being instrumental in the starting of several churches mainly of Lutheran faith.

Will was sure of her strength when she sat him down abruptly on the wooden pews for not paying attention in church but recalled her tender care at other times."

The index of Margareta's Christening^[3] shows the following information:

Name of baptized: Ana Mareretha Abendschien

Born: (same name)

Mother: Hana Abendschien

Father: Reinhold Abendschien

Sponsor: Ana Mareretha Bechtee

Sponsor: Peter Bechtee

In the 18th century, children were often named after their God-parent, and often, God-parents (sponsors) were relatives. It is possible that Margareta's namesake is an aunt ~ a sister of her mother or father who married to Peter Bechtee. In searching for additional records for this profile, we should be alert for these names.

Death

Margaret died on 5 July 1829 in Clark County, Ohio. She was buried at Bethel Baptist Church in New Carlisle, Clark, Ohio.^[4]

Children's Marriage

The marriage of daughter Elizabeth Leffel on 15 September 1807, in Botetour County, Virginia to William Dodd can be found in the Virginia Marriage archive.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2NB-J53 : 11 February 2018 SJ Baty), Anna Marga Abendschoen, 20 Apr 1760; Christening, citing MERTZ CHURCH,ROCKLAND TWP,BERKS,PENNSYLVANIA; FHL microfilm 387,841.
2. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed November 20, 2018), "Record of John Leffel", Ancestor # A132153.
3. ↑ Christ Church on Bieber Creek or Mertz Church, Rockland Township archives: Pennsylvania, Church Records - Adams, Berks, and Lancaster Counties, 1729-1881 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Accessed 28 July 2018 SJ Baty at Ancestry church records.
4. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6020788 : accessed 27 July 2018), memorial page for Anna Margaret Obenchain Leffel (10 Jan 1766–5 Jul 1829), Find A Grave Memorial no. 6020788, citing Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, New Carlisle, Clark County, Ohio, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave (contributor 8).
5. ↑ "Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940," Database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRJL-SPK : accessed 24 June 2015), Margaret Leffel in entry for William Dodd and Elizabeth Leffel, 15 Sep 1807; citing Botetourt Co., Virginia, reference 2:3VVQVRT; FHL microfilm 30,734.

• The Leffels of Glengary Bridge by Russell D. Leffel, pp. 4-5.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Cathryn Hondros for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Cathryn and others.