LOANNA HOY LEFFLER

The earthly pilgrimage allotted by Providence to the

subject of this memoir extended over a period of

86 years and 21 days - a long life fraught

with many of the struggles and hardships

common to those settling in this community

prior to the year 1870.
 

Loanna Hoy was one of the youngest of the children

in the large family of Henry Hoy living in

Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

 Here she was born April 12, 1848.

Her mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Dubs.

In early youth death claimed both parents and it was this

circumstance which placed her in the care of an older brother

 named Reuben. On April 1, 1868, she, and several married sisters with their families, under the leadership of brother Reuben, emigrated to Naperville.

It may be said that this family movement from Orwigsburg to Naperville was the last of its kind to take place.

As early as 1847 and again in 1854 other sisters and their families had settled in this vicinity.
 

On March 11, 1869 Loanna Hoy was united in

holy wedlock with Jeremiah Leffler, a carpenter by trade,

 and belonging to one of the old Evangelical church families.

As a veteran of the late Civil War he had served, with honor,

in the ranks of General Sherman's army in his major campaign,

the march through Georgia. For a brief time the newly married

couple resided on a farm west of Naperville but in the spring

 of 1870 they moved into Naperville where they became

permanent residents with the exception of the year

1881 spent in Kensington, now a part of Chicago.

Seven children were born of this marriage,

 two dying in early childhood, the others growing to maturity.

Four of those all married now remain to

 mourn the departure of a beloved mother.

They are Burton R. of Cleveland, Ohio;

 Ralph R. of Edison Park, Chicago;

Earl E. of Naperville,

and Ada Beatrice, wife of Elmer D. Graper,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

On this significant memorial occasion all children

were present to show their filial love and devotion

to their departed mother.

The four living grandchildren are Jane Leffler,

John Leffler, Marion and Nancy Graper.
Grandma Leffler, as she was familiarly known

to many of her old friends and neighbors always manifested

 a great interest in the affairs of her home.

Although for many years a great sufferer under affliction

 she endeavored to retain a vigorous hold upon life

as she thought it necessary to accomplish

her trust as a mother and housekeeper.

The habits formed under early discipline clung to her,

in a very large measure, to the close of her life.

She had been reared in the midst of one of the early

Evangelical church communities of Pennsylvania

and at the time of her passing, May 3, 1934,

she was a charter member of the

Grace Evangelical church of Naperville.
Funeral services were held on Saturday afternoon,

 May 5th at the O. J. Beidelman chapel in charge

of Rev. G. D. Nielsen and Prof. P. E. Keen.

Music for the occasion was provided by

Mrs. Ethel Morris Unger, soloist,

accompanied by Mrs. Grace Fredenhagen.
Interment was in the Naperville cemetery

The Naperville Clarion
May 9, 1934

Obituary Courtesy of Tim Ory 
 

Jeremiah c. Leffler

JEREMIAH C. LEFFLER aged 69 years,

died suddenly at his home Monday morning.

Mr. Leffler was in good health up to the time of his death

and has been active in his business as contractor and builder.
Funeral services will be held at Grace church on

 Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock.

Members of the Grand Army will conduct

the services at the cemetery.

The Naperville Clarion
February 11, 1914
 

MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO JEREMIAH LEFFLER
The earthly career allotted by Providence to our friend,

 comrade and brother, Jeremiah Leffler,

is measured by 68 years, 3 months and 28 days.

The limiting dates of this life period were the day of his birth,

October 10, 1845, at Myerstown, Pa.,

and the day of his death, February  9, 1914,

at Naperville, Illinois.

 The lineage of the deceased was not only honorable but distinguished.

His great-grandfather, graduate of the

University of Giessen

 and a linguist of exceptional attainment,

standing shoulder to shoulder with our

forefathers in their struggle

 for independence, became a major general

in the Continental Army

 and yielded his life as a martyr to the cause of liberty.

The grand father, a resident of eastern Pennsylvania,

was one of the early disciples of the founder

of the Evangelical Church,

in the faith of which he lived and died.

The father of our departed friend,

whom many of us remember

as a fellow townsman, removed his family

from their eastern home to

 Naperville in 1854, when Jeremiah, the oldest of his sons,

 was but 9 years old. Arriving at the threshold of manhood,

our friend heard a call which summoned into

purpose and action all the accumulated

resources of his youthful spirit.
 

It was the call of his country to come to her defense

 in the hour of her peril. He responded to that call.

 He enlisted in the 105th Regiment.

Illinois Volunteer Infantry,

 under Daniel Dustin as colonel of the regiment.

 The regiment was assigned to the

1st Brigade, 3rd Division of the 20th Corps

of the Army of the Cumberland, and

participated in engagements at Resaca,

Cassville, Dallas, Kenesaw, Marietta,

 Peach Tree, Atlanta,

Savanna, Lantonville, Averyboro and Bentonville.

Through all that is implied in the mention

of these land marks of the terrible contest

during the tragic years of the early sixties,

 our soldier friend proved true to the impulse

 of a noble patriotism.

Clothed in his country's blue and bearing upon

his youthful shoulders the weapons of her defense,

 he faithfully and bravely undertook, with his comrades,

the weary march, endured the hardships of the camp,

and shrank not from the terrors of Resaca and Kenesaw,

and was permitted to share with his surviving comrades

the enviable glory of an honorable discharge,

under the flag of his redeemed country.
 

After the war, returning to his Naperville home,

he took up the vocation of contractor and builder,

 and as such, by his mechanical skill and by the strict

 integrity of his business dealings,

he soon won the confidence and patronage of the people.

Quite a number of the most stately structures of our city,

to which, as citizens, we point with pride,

are the products of his intelligent direction and skillful handiwork.

On March 11, 1869, the now deceased husband,

was married to Loanna Hoy, who now survives him.

The beneficent influence and care of this

 parental pair in the rearing of their children

 is reflected in the unusual attainment,

 for useful life service, reached by the sons and daughters

who now mourn the loss of a devoted father.

Of these, Burton R., a former student of the

University of Illinois, is now Engineer of the Bridges

on the Lake Shore & Mich. So. Railway;

Claude V. has been in the service of the C. B.& Q.

in our city; Ralph R., a graduate of the

University of Michigan, is now Designing Engineer

of the Illinois Central R. R.,

Earl E., formerly Assistant Cashier of the

First National Bank of our city,

is now a student in the University of California

and Ada B. a graduate of North-Western College,

 is now the wife of E. D. Graper of the

Bradley Polytechnic Institute

at Peoria. Two brothers and one sister - Charles W.

of our city, Paul W. of LaGrange and

Mrs. Susanna Gushard of Waterloo, Iowa,

survive their departed brother.
 

As a husband and father, as a neighbor and citizen,

in every relation of life which he filled,

in every path of duty which he trod, his life

was circumspect. Quiet of disposition and unobtrusive

 in word and deed, he impressed his fellowmen

with the touch of a spirit controlled by the faith

and motives of a Christian life.

 As such, we mourn his departure.

 As such, we revere his memory.
H. H. R.
 

The Naperville Clarion
February 18, 1914

Obituary Courtesy of Tim Ory