Tracking Mira's Children: Leib

This is the third in a series tracking the children of Mira Halperin Lefand Marienhoff.You can see everything in this series to this point here.

Leib Lefand was born in Nezhin, Russian Empire (now Nezhin, Ukraine) on April 10, 1882, to Mira Halperin Lefand.  His father Yehoshua Zev Lefand had died nearly 9 months earlier.

Leib Lefand birth record, Nezhin, Russian Empire, 1882

Leib had at least 4 older siblings.  His mother soon remarried, and by 1888, Leib was living with his siblings, step-siblings, and two new half-siblings.

Marienhoff/Lefand family, 1888 Poll Tax Census, Nezhin; Leib is the 7-year-old

Then documentation-wise, things are quiet until 1903.  Leib supposedly came to the US that year, although I haven't yet found his boat record (bonus points if you can find it!).  But by December 1903, he was living in Buffalo, NY going by Louis Lyffand, and he declared his intention to become a US citizen.

Louis Lyffand Declaration of Intention, December 1903

Within a few years, Leib (now Louis) had moved to Pittsburgh.  When his mother Mira came to the United States in July 1906, they stated that they were going to Pittsburgh to join Louis; when Louis later filled out his Petition for Naturalization, he stated that he had been in Pennsylvania since May 1904.

By 1910, Louis was married to Rose Rosenfeld, living with their infant son Josiah (also called Joseph).  Here, Louis said he came to the US in 1907, which is obviously incorrect given his 1903 Declaration of Intention.  He was a "commercial traveler" specializing in clothing.  He was able to read and write.

Louis, Rose & Josiah Lyffand, 1910 US Census, Pittsburgh, PA, lines 71-73

In November, 1914, Louis petitioned to become a United States citizen.  By this point, daughter Dorothy had been born as well.  Louis stated that he had been born in "Nezin, Russia" and was a salesman.

Louis Lyffand Petition for Naturalization, Pittsburgh, PA, 1914

Louis and Rose had a stillborn baby girl in 1914.  Their son Norton was born in 1915, and daughter Miriam (named after Louis' mother Mira) was born in 1917.  Around this time the family also began spelling the family name "Leiffand."

Louis died in 1917, less than 2 months after Miriam's birth, of "general septicemia caused by boil on elbow."

According to his tombstone in Pittsburgh's Shaare Zedeck Cemetery, his Hebrew name was actually Yehudah Leib.

Louis Leiffand grave, Shaare Zedeck Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA

Louis Leiffand was 35 years old.