BIOGRAPHY: Adam LEFFARD, Mifflin County, PA

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The Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley, Comprising 
the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, and Perry, Pennsylvania.
Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, Volume I, pages 624-625.

  ADAM LEFFARD, farmer, McVeytown, Oliver township, Mifflin county, Pa., was 
born in Porter township, Huntingdon county, Pa., August 26, 1824.  John Leffard, 
grandfather of Adam Leffard, was born in Holland, where he was reared and 
educated.  Immediately after his marriage he came to America, in 1796, and his 
first child was born in this country.  He and his wife paid their passage by 
services agreed upon to be rendered to the captain of the ship after landing.  A 
balance on this claim due to the captain he transferred to a Mr. Smith, of 
Huntingdon county, and to him they discharged the remainder of their obligation, 
after which they continued to farm for Mr. Smith for a number of years, and 
spent the remainder of their days in Porter township, where both the grandfather 
and grandmother died at the ages respectively of ninety and seventy-three years.  
Both were members of the Reformed church.  In political views Mr. Leffard was 
Democratic.  Their children are:  John; Isabella; William; Adam; Letitia; 
Joseph;  Catherine.
  John Leffard, father of Adam Leffard, was born January 6, 1796, in 
Philadelphia.  He grew up at home and received a common school education.  He 
became a farmer in Huntingdon county and died in the prime of his life, December 
30, 1831.  He married a Miss Jones, who was of Welsh ancestry, and she died, 
leaving one child, Annie.  Mr. Leffard married secondly Sarah Stitt, of Irish 
birth and parentage, who came to America in 1812.  The children of this union 
are: William; Adam; Susanna.  Mrs. Leffard survived until May, 1877, when she 
died at the age of ninety years.  Mr. And Mrs. Leffard were members of the 
Presbyterian church.
  Adam Leffard was reared on the homestead and received a district school 
education.  In his early life he was employed as a farmhand, and in 1849 he took 
the farm of Hon. John Scott, in Porter township, on shares, and cultivated it a 
number of years, and was so successful that he was able in 1857 to purchase a 
farm in Sinking Creek valley, Tyrone township, Blair county, Pa., which he 
cultivated successfully for eight years.  In 1865 he came to Mifflin county and 
bought his present place of 190 acres in Oliver township, which he has since 
occupied and improved and has brought it to a high state of excellence.
  Mr. Leffard was married January 30, 1851, to Mary Stryker, daughter of John 
and Elizabeth Stryker.  Their children are:  John; Susanna; Anna Mary; Sarah 
Elizabeth; Adam Thompson; Laura Jane; William Stitt.  Mr. Leffard and his wife 
are members of the Presbyterian church at McVeytown.