My Genealogy Hound

LEOPOLD KIEFER, tobacconist; was born in Baden, Germany, Oct. 29, 1841; ten years later he with his parents came to America, locating in Philadelphia, where they remained but one year; in 1842, they came to Piqua, where they have since chiefly resided; the mother died in 1876; Leopold is one of thirteen children, of whom Charles has for many years been engaged as steward on a vessel from Hong Kong, China, to San Francisco, Cal.; his home for many years was in Australia; in the late rebellion, Leopold and three brothers entered service, in which two were killed; one in the battle of Chickamauga; one in the battle of Lexington, Ky., and one crippled for life; Leopold being the only surviving one uninjured; he served a period of three years, during which he endured many hardships; soon after his return to Piqua, he went to Vicksburg, where he opened out a grocery; this was conducted with fair success for three years, when the flames consumed it and all was laid in ashes; he was obliged to engage in other business, and soon was employed in rafting logs from the Mississippi Swamp, down the Mississippi River to New Orleans; after being thus employed a short time, he retired from its duties and took up his abode in Cincinnati, Ohio; in the winter of 1869-70, he returned to Piqua, and opened his present business; he has since been favorably known by city consumers and the patronage of surrounding village retailers. Upon Oct. 25, 1877, his nuptials were celebrated with Emma Schmidlapp, who was born in Piqua Nov. 17, 1851, and is a daughter of J. A. and Sophia Schmidlapp; they were among the early settlers of Piqua.