Doctor, doctor, gimme the news…*
Feb 14th, 2009 | By Leonard Legends & Legacies | Category: History's Mysteries, Missing Persons
Just when you think it’s hopeless, a letter turns up that not only answers the question, but opens new vistas for exploration. Take the case of “Dr. Shafer.”
Dr. Shafer's letter... mouse-over to enlarge.
Leonard historian Jennie Leonard Hutchinson described her last visit to the family’s old two-story log cabin in a letter dated 1932. In it, she mentioned that “Dr. Shaffer (sic) was overcome with emotion as he looked about. His mother, Lydia Shaffer, was my father’s sister.” (Making Lydia the sister of Edmund, Isaac, William & co.) Several of us descendants had the same thought… “I wonder if he took pictures?”
Trouble was, Jennie never mentioned “Dr. Shafer’s” first name and Lydia (Leonard) Shafer had five grown sons. To make matters worse, Lydia and her entire family disappeared from the record after spending 20+ years in Cherokee County, Kansas. I even had a Kansas researcher walk every cemetery in the area (very rural, not many cemeteries) to see if they were there.
We found not a trace of Lydia, husband Charles, or sons Franklin, William, Charles, Jesse, or John.
Fast forward three-quarters of century or so. Our good buddy Sean returned to his grandmother’s Florida home this week and dug through a few boxes. I got an email. “What was that doctor’s name again?” I told him. “I think I have a letter from him to my grandparents Eleanor (Leonard) and Lester Burke.”
Can you imagine? In a letter written in 1945, on a letterhead bearing the name “Dr. W. T. Shafer, chiropractor,” the long-lost and by then 85-year-old Dr. Shafer had surfaced at last… in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He even mentioned his visit with “Mrs. Hutchinson” in 1927. He recalled her being a librarian, but hadn’t heard from her in a long time.
Sean quickly found the good doctor and his wife, Ida, in the 1920 census (she was also a chiropractor) and I found them in a 1925 city directory. We’re still tracking down the wheres and whens of their arrival, dates of death, etc…. and hoping the rest of the family will turn up as part of the investigation. But here’s the part that intrigues me most… I found a reference to a Wm. Shafer in the records of the Oklahoma Land Rush!
Still too early to know if it’s the right guy, but wouldn’t it be cool if the Leonards once again crossed paths with some hugely significant historical event? The Land Rush happened in 1889, precisely four years after the Shafer family disappeared from the Kansas record. Kansas is obviously right next door to Oklahoma. And the reference to “Wm. Shafer” in Logan County, Oklahoma, turns up in 1890, when William would’ve been 30 years old. No idea yet whether he has descendants.
All of that comes from a couple of letters, written to and from people I never had occasion to meet, discovered by someone who, a year ago, wouldn’t have recognized the letters as significant in the least. Thanks. Again. Sean!
Isn’t family history fun?
* the title of this post comes from an old Robert Palmer song recorded in 1979, “Bad Case of Loving You.” Here’s hoping it gives you an earworm, making you as old as me. 
I have been fascinated by the names, JESSE and JUDEE, as they persist coming down from the Pilgrim William White line. As you know, this Pilgrim died in the first winter of the general sickness, and his widow remarried fairly quickly, Winslow. The Leonards/Rogers/Whites/Tisdales seem to move together from Plymouth to Marshfield and Duxbury and Taunton. Some went to Rhode Island with the Soules and some to Milton, Vermont. My great grandmother, B. 1860′s, had a sister JESSE, and my father had a double cousin, Lester Miner Eaton, Jr., B. 1933, that was called JUDEE all his life.
I’m just grateful when our ancestors use something “unique”, like Jesse or Judee, so I don’t have to figure out “which one” someone refers to in letters or documentation.
Before I put my GSMD application away again, General Number (78,763). I want to make sure I give you my Leonard Ancestor. Of the 9th generation down from Thomas Rogers, Pilgrim, I have ENOCH WHITE. b. Georgia, Vt., Feb. 12, 1830, d. after 1872. He married MARY LUCRETIA LEONARD, dau. of Benjamin & Mary (Chandler) Leonard in April, 1849. Mary Lucretia Leonard was b, in Milton, Vermont, May 11, 1832 and d. Georgia, Vt., 4/5/1906. Their son, James Elwin White, b. 9/1/1852 , is my 10th generation (from Pilgrim Thomas Rogers), ancestor. I am in the 14th generation from Pilgrim Thomas Rogers.
I would enjoy hearing from anyone related to this line.
This is so cool! Sean, it is such a wonderful blessing that your grandmother has all of these wonderful things. Once again, my sincere thanks to you for sharing and to Rick for keeping us updated with all of these fantastic new finds. I love it!!! I recently began working full-time again and sadly haven’t had the time to do any new digging on my own. Trust me, I LOVE the hunt! I hope to meet up with dear Allan sometime this spring/summer with my Dad. Polly, we need to get our Leonard branch together as well!
I hate it when “life” gets in the way of research. I’d love to figure out a way to make a living at genealogy, but I have yet to find one. And I know several “full-time” genealogists who have to admit they have second and third incomes to supplement the first.
This is fascinating! I would really like to get a Leonard-Washington County get-together off the ground this Spring/Summer. Shannon and I tried last year but things were too hectic. Let’s try again for this Summer. Polly
I’ll check with the spousal unit. We’re supposed to be free the last week of March-first week of April, but I’ll be unemployed by then, so who knows.
Several states have a Washington County, ( those that don’t probably wish they did), I live in Washington County, Rhode Island. And, I am the Washington County member of the RI Historical Cemetery Commission. Therefore, I have an opportunity to see the gravesites of 12 generations of my relatives. So, let me know.
Polly’s referring to Washington County, PA.
Thank you. And, maybe you’d be interested in visiting the Milton Borough area of Vermont. It may be Chittendon County, but you will find the original traces of the early migrations of the Leonard’s. What evidence do you have where you are and were they still indistrious or just exhausted and remained there?
Carolyn, that may be interesting to me at some point. Another branch, (two actually), came from Rhode Island. One is the Ballous (via the Braileys to the Whipples). The other being the Emerys. Some of whom still live in the area.
Leonards occupied Wa. Co., PA. for many generations and have since scattered to all points of the country. My line went to Ohio, then Iowa. I moved to the left coast i n the 70s, otherwise would’ve been fifth generation (150 years) on the family farm.
[...] you remember the story of “Dr. Shafer,” the Leonard descendant who visited the old two-story log cabin with tears in his eyes. When [...]
Any help on locating Marion Lee Leonard Eyler Akins (b. abt 1939) is aooreciated. she is mother of my husband and he never knew her. He would like to find her before she passes. Below is what we know so far.
What we know so far
And the questions that have been raised.
Robert Eugene Eyler and Marion Lee Leonard were married in 1954.
Marion was 15 and Robert was 29.
Even by 1954 standards a 14 year age gap is unusual. Did his first marriage end in divorce due to him messing around with Marion?
Robert Eugene Eyler was divorced when he married Marion.
When was he married and to whom? Are there any other children? Was that his first marriage? Did he marry before or after he joined the Navy (1942)?
Robert and Marion were divorced in 1960 in Alabama.
Why were two people with such close ties to the Maryland/VA/DC area in Alabama? Did the family move to Alabama? Did either Robert or Marion move to Alabama and then filed for divorce? Who moved to Alabama?
Robert remarried .
Robert and married just days past the 60 day time limit required in Robert/Marion’s divorce. She was pregnant when they married. Was the divorce due to Robert messing around with ? Was his first divorce due to him messing around with Marion?
Robert and Marion had 4 children (1954, 1956, 1958 and 1959)
2 of the 4 children were put up for adoption (Nov 1962) after Robert married (Jul 1960) and after their first child was born (Jan 1961).
Who had custody of the children after Robert and married? What prompted the adoption of the children? Why only 2? Why wasn’t Robert and ’s first child put up for adoption also? Was pressure put on Robert and Marion to put the children up for adoption? Was this pressure from ?
Robert and had 3 children.
The family is not intact.
Everyone we have contacted trying to find information state they do not have any contact with the family. What happened to cause a family to become so separated?
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