BIOGRAPHY: Joseph S. 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 555-556.

  JOSEPH S. LEFFARD, Mattawana, Mifflin county, Pa., was born near Alexandria, 
Porter township, Huntingdon county, Pa., April 11, 1835.  He is a son of William 
Smith and Catharine (River) Leffard.  His paternal grandfather, John Leffard, 
was a native of Germany.  He and his wife came to America in a sailing vessel, 
landed at Philadelphia, Pa., and were hired out to pay for their passage over.  
After remaining for some time in the city of "brotherly love," Mr. Leffard 
removed to Huntingdon county, and was employed in clearing land for the Rev. 
William Smith, the founder of Huntingdon, Pa.  Some time after he rented a farm 
in Porter township, Huntingdon county, where he spent the remainder of his life.  
Mr. John Leffard, or Leffert, as he spelled the name, was an industrious and 
energetic farmer, interested in local affairs and identified with the Democratic 
party.  He and his wife were members of the German Reformed church.  Both died 
in Porter township.  Mr. Leffard had reached his ninety-seventh birthday.  Their 
children are:  John;  William S.;  Adam;  Joseph;  Letitia;  and Catherine.  All 
are dead.  Mr. Leffard's maternal grandfather, John River, a German by descent, 
served his country in the war of 1812.  He was killed in the battle of Lake 
Erie, September 10, 1813.  Mr. Leffard's father, William Smith Leffard, was a 
namesake of the Rev. Mr. William Smith, the founder of Huntingdon, Pa.  He was 
taught both German and English, and received what was then considered a good 
education.  He learned shoemaking and worked at his trade in Porter township 
until he was able to purchase a farm of 145 acres in the same township.  He 
built a comfortable house and barn, and made many other improvements in his 
property.  Mr. Leffard was a Democrat, but afterwards joined the Republican 
party.
  He was married in Porter township to Catharine, daughter of John River, who 
was a farmer of Morrisons Cove, Blair county, Pa.  Their children are:  Anna 
Mary (Mrs. James Cornelius), deceased;  Eva R. A., widow of Osborne Laird, of 
Porter township;  Joseph S.;  Anna Elizabeth (Mrs. John Laird), of Porter 
township;  Enoch I., resides at Alexandria, Pa.:  John, resides in Porter 
township, Huntingdon county;  William Smith, agent of the Philadelphia and Erie 
Railroad at Warren, Pa.;  Adam R., Huntingdon, Pa.; and Sarah C. (Mrs. Scott 
Beigle), of Tyrone, Pa.  Mr. William S. Leffard died in 1875.  His wife died at 
Spruce Creek, Huntingdon county, in 1889.  They were both members of the German 
Reformed church.
  Joseph S. Leffard worked with his father on the farm and attended the district 
schools of Porter township, during the winter term of three months, until he was 
sixteen.  For two years he was a clerk in the store of Joseph Douglas, 
McConnellstown, Huntingdon county, Pa.  After spending one year at home he 
obtained a situation with Dunn & Cunningham, general merchants, Huntingdon, Pa., 
which he held for two years, after which he spent one year in the store of Henry 
C. Walker, at Alexandria, Pa.  Mr. Leffard was ambitious and eager for 
knowledge, and with the money he had saved while he was in the store, he was 
able to attend the State Normal School at Millersville, Pa.  Until 1861, he 
spent the summer months at Millersville, and taught during the winter.  After 
three years at home he enlisted in 1864, at Huntingdon, in the First 
Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Battery D, Captain Rosney, of Philadelphia, 
Colonel Campbell, of Huntingdon, and went with his company to Harper's Ferry, 
Halltown, Berryville, Winchester and Fisher's Hill.  In the battle of Cedar 
Creek he was gunner in Battery D, and fired the shot which opened the battle, 
October 19, 1864.  He remained at Harper's Ferry until he was mustered out at 
Harrisburg, June 30, 1865.  After a short visit to his home in Porter township, 
he spent two years working in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, near Oil City, 
Venango county.  Returning to Porter township, he taught at Spruce Creek during 
the winter of 1868-69, and in May, 1869, secured the position of assistant agent 
of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Spruce Creek Station.  Eight years after, in 
1877, he was appointed agent at McVeytown, a position which he still holds, 
filling the office to the entire satisfaction of the company.  He is also agent 
for the Adams Express Company at McVeytown.  Mr. Leffard is a property owner in 
Mattawana.  He cast his first vote for James Buchanan, but has ever since voted 
the Republican ticket.  He takes an active interest in local affairs, and has 
been a school director for three years.  He is a member and officer of the Lodge 
No. 376, F. and A. M., McVeytown;  he is also a member of Chaplain Stevenson 
Post, No. 482, G. A. R., at McVeytown, Pa.  He has held various offices in the 
Post, of which he was chaplain and is past commander.  He was also a member of 
the I. O. O. F. and of the Good Templars.
  Joseph S. Leffard was married at Lewistown, Pa., in 1869, to Emma, daughter of 
Edward Beigle.  Her father was a stone mason of Spruce Creek.  Their children 
are:  Edward B., train master's clerk at Altoona, Pa.;  William, of Washington, 
D. C.;  Charles G., assistant agent at McVeytown, Pa.;  Joseph Howard, 
telegrapher;  Bertha R.;  John N., died in youth;  and Mabel A.  Mr. Leffard is 
a member of the Presbyterian church at Mattawana, and was superintendent of the 
Sunday-school, in which he was for many years a teacher.