According to family lore, Leanna's Sheppard ancestors were descended from the Leeds Family of Leeds, England. The Leeds were granted land on the east coast of colonial America by the English Crown. Leanna's grandfather Sheppard was in fact born in England.
Leanna's father, Harry Theodore Sheppard, was born in Va.; her mother, Emiline or Emma L., in N.J.
After the Civil War, Leanna's parents in Virginia lost all their property and decided to move to Philadelphia. They brought with them an erstwhile slave named Tom, who by then was old and barely able to sweep the floor and do odd jobs. He had begged to come with them and work for them as always. They had explained that legally they would now have to pay him and they could not, as they had lost all their resources in the war. He had pointed out that nobody would hire him and he would starve to death. They had seen the truth to that and Tom lived out his days with the Sheppards. (Years later Leanna wanted to name her one son Harry Theodore after her father. Her husband Fred favored Thomas. Because she did not want to name him after a slave, the boy was christened Harry Theodore--but called Tommy by Fred and all the rest of the family.) Leanna had one sister, Cecilia.
Leanna married Fred, the son of German immigrants, in 1899 when she was twenty, having met him when he attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.
Because Leanna had a history of TB, the couple first lived in White Lake, N.Y., in the Catskills, before moving to Milford, Penna., in the Poconos. The mountain air in both places was deemed therapeutic for her. They would always have domestic help, as Leanna's TB required her to sit and rest a lot.
Leanna and Fred had a total of five children, all of whom would have higher education.
Their good china was a service for 12 called "Maidenhair Fern" by Haviland China. Fred said it was the most extravagant purchase of his life. Of dinners, Leanna lamented, "All morning to cook it, ten minutes to eat it."
Leanna's Christian name has persisted in the family for well over a century and counting. Her daughter Marion's middle name was Leanna. Her eldest grandchild was named for her. That granddaughter Leanna in turn named one of her daughters Leanna, who named one of her daughters Anna Lea. Finally, Leanna's great great great granddaughter was named Leanna in 2011.
Leanna's father, Harry Theodore Sheppard, was born in Va.; her mother, Emiline or Emma L., in N.J.
After the Civil War, Leanna's parents in Virginia lost all their property and decided to move to Philadelphia. They brought with them an erstwhile slave named Tom, who by then was old and barely able to sweep the floor and do odd jobs. He had begged to come with them and work for them as always. They had explained that legally they would now have to pay him and they could not, as they had lost all their resources in the war. He had pointed out that nobody would hire him and he would starve to death. They had seen the truth to that and Tom lived out his days with the Sheppards. (Years later Leanna wanted to name her one son Harry Theodore after her father. Her husband Fred favored Thomas. Because she did not want to name him after a slave, the boy was christened Harry Theodore--but called Tommy by Fred and all the rest of the family.) Leanna had one sister, Cecilia.
Leanna married Fred, the son of German immigrants, in 1899 when she was twenty, having met him when he attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.
Because Leanna had a history of TB, the couple first lived in White Lake, N.Y., in the Catskills, before moving to Milford, Penna., in the Poconos. The mountain air in both places was deemed therapeutic for her. They would always have domestic help, as Leanna's TB required her to sit and rest a lot.
Leanna and Fred had a total of five children, all of whom would have higher education.
Their good china was a service for 12 called "Maidenhair Fern" by Haviland China. Fred said it was the most extravagant purchase of his life. Of dinners, Leanna lamented, "All morning to cook it, ten minutes to eat it."
Leanna's Christian name has persisted in the family for well over a century and counting. Her daughter Marion's middle name was Leanna. Her eldest grandchild was named for her. That granddaughter Leanna in turn named one of her daughters Leanna, who named one of her daughters Anna Lea. Finally, Leanna's great great great granddaughter was named Leanna in 2011.
According to family lore, Leanna's Sheppard ancestors were descended from the Leeds Family of Leeds, England. The Leeds were granted land on the east coast of colonial America by the English Crown. Leanna's grandfather Sheppard was in fact born in England.
Leanna's father, Harry Theodore Sheppard, was born in Va.; her mother, Emiline or Emma L., in N.J.
After the Civil War, Leanna's parents in Virginia lost all their property and decided to move to Philadelphia. They brought with them an erstwhile slave named Tom, who by then was old and barely able to sweep the floor and do odd jobs. He had begged to come with them and work for them as always. They had explained that legally they would now have to pay him and they could not, as they had lost all their resources in the war. He had pointed out that nobody would hire him and he would starve to death. They had seen the truth to that and Tom lived out his days with the Sheppards. (Years later Leanna wanted to name her one son Harry Theodore after her father. Her husband Fred favored Thomas. Because she did not want to name him after a slave, the boy was christened Harry Theodore--but called Tommy by Fred and all the rest of the family.) Leanna had one sister, Cecilia.
Leanna married Fred, the son of German immigrants, in 1899 when she was twenty, having met him when he attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.
Because Leanna had a history of TB, the couple first lived in White Lake, N.Y., in the Catskills, before moving to Milford, Penna., in the Poconos. The mountain air in both places was deemed therapeutic for her. They would always have domestic help, as Leanna's TB required her to sit and rest a lot.
Leanna and Fred had a total of five children, all of whom would have higher education.
Their good china was a service for 12 called "Maidenhair Fern" by Haviland China. Fred said it was the most extravagant purchase of his life. Of dinners, Leanna lamented, "All morning to cook it, ten minutes to eat it."
Leanna's Christian name has persisted in the family for well over a century and counting. Her daughter Marion's middle name was Leanna. Her eldest grandchild was named for her. That granddaughter Leanna in turn named one of her daughters Leanna, who named one of her daughters Anna Lea. Finally, Leanna's great great great granddaughter was named Leanna in 2011.
Leanna's father, Harry Theodore Sheppard, was born in Va.; her mother, Emiline or Emma L., in N.J.
After the Civil War, Leanna's parents in Virginia lost all their property and decided to move to Philadelphia. They brought with them an erstwhile slave named Tom, who by then was old and barely able to sweep the floor and do odd jobs. He had begged to come with them and work for them as always. They had explained that legally they would now have to pay him and they could not, as they had lost all their resources in the war. He had pointed out that nobody would hire him and he would starve to death. They had seen the truth to that and Tom lived out his days with the Sheppards. (Years later Leanna wanted to name her one son Harry Theodore after her father. Her husband Fred favored Thomas. Because she did not want to name him after a slave, the boy was christened Harry Theodore--but called Tommy by Fred and all the rest of the family.) Leanna had one sister, Cecilia.
Leanna married Fred, the son of German immigrants, in 1899 when she was twenty, having met him when he attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.
Because Leanna had a history of TB, the couple first lived in White Lake, N.Y., in the Catskills, before moving to Milford, Penna., in the Poconos. The mountain air in both places was deemed therapeutic for her. They would always have domestic help, as Leanna's TB required her to sit and rest a lot.
Leanna and Fred had a total of five children, all of whom would have higher education.
Their good china was a service for 12 called "Maidenhair Fern" by Haviland China. Fred said it was the most extravagant purchase of his life. Of dinners, Leanna lamented, "All morning to cook it, ten minutes to eat it."
Leanna's Christian name has persisted in the family for well over a century and counting. Her daughter Marion's middle name was Leanna. Her eldest grandchild was named for her. That granddaughter Leanna in turn named one of her daughters Leanna, who named one of her daughters Anna Lea. Finally, Leanna's great great great granddaughter was named Leanna in 2011.
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