BERNARD VAN LEER II
GENERATION 8.13 – THIRTEENTH CHILD OF BERHARDHUS VAN LEER
Dr. Bernard Van Leer is the youngest child of Bernardhus Van Leer that lived to maturity. He was born 9/21/1770 and died 2/9/1814. Buried at Middletown Presbyterian churchyard. Married 5/28/1795 Margaretta Grover (born 1773, died 2/11/1852). She married, second, Dr. Joseph Wilson.
This son inherited his father’s homestead.
Descendants of Dr. Bernard Van Leer–starting with Van Leer Generation 9 included in the “Vanleer Papers” at Chester County Historical Society and updated by Marjorie Winters are listed below.
9. John Franklin Van Leer. (1) Born 8/5/1795. Died 10/29/1879. Married 2/12/1818 Jane Craige (born 3/14/1795, died 5/26/1866). Their home built in 1818 at the corner of VanLeer Avenue and Bittersweet Road near Lima, PA is still inhabited, although it was considerably changed in the 1990’s after a fire. A meeting house less than 1/4 mile away on Barren Avenue was a station in the underground railroad to help runaway slaves. 5 children. Lima, PA during the 1700 and 1800s was a place heavily involved with the antislavery and locals went so far as to build free homes and lots for newly freed folk. Ref Link
10. Bernard Van Leer. (1) Born 2/28/1820. Died 11/29/1851.
10. Joseph Van Leer. (2) Born 11/14/1820. Died 1896.
10. Mary Craige Van Leer. (3)
10. Margaretta Van Leer. (4) Married a McCall.
10. John Franklin Van Leer II. (5) Born 3/24/1834. Died 5/18/1908. Married 4/17/1861 Mary Rutter Bullock, daughter of Lewis C. and Charlotte Rutter Bullock. 5 children.
11. Mary (Mame) Rutter Van Leer. (1)
11. John F. Van Leer III. (2)
11. Charles Lewis Van Leer. (3) Born 5/10/1868. Died 4/15/1938. Married 5/18/1892 Annie Irene VanRiper (born 6/12/1872 and died 7/10/1949) daughter of Harmon J. and Catharine Winyall VanRiper. 2 children.
12. Catharine Irene Van Leer. (1) Born 7/6/1894 and died 3/3/1926. Married Charles Edward Brownley (born 6/12/1893 and died 6/11/1978) son of Charles Jefferis and Emma Truby Brownley. 2 children.
13. Marjorie Ann Brownley. (1) Born 12/31/1924. Married 12/20/1943 Joseph William Winter, Jr. (born 10/25/1918). 6 children.
14. Linda Ann Winter. (1)
14. Ranell Suzanne Winter. (2) 2 children
14. William Alan Winter. (3) 1 child.
14. Victoria Allyn Winter. (4) Born 12/2/1950 and died 11/18/2005.
14. Sally Elaine Winter. (5)
14. Jeffery Stephen Winter. (6) Born 10/12/1954 and died 10/16/1954.
13. Robert Charles Brownley. (2) Born 2/28/1926. Died 4/28/2004. 1 child.
12. Charles Lewis Van Leer, Jr. (2)
11. William Lewis Charles Van Leer. (4)
11. Jane Rutter Van Leer. (5)
10. William Grover Van Leer. (6) Born 7/16/1838. Died 1/10/1910. Married Amy A. Mulllen (born 6/10/1842, died 3/6/1919.)
11. John Franklin Van Leer. (1) Born 4/18/1864. Married 7/8/1889 Lillian King (born 10/10/1873.)
12. Frank Van Leer. (1) Born 3/8/1890. Died 1/5/1932. Married 6/26/1912 Mildred Berau (born 6/22/1892.)
13. Frank Lester Van Leer, Sr. (1) Born 7/19/1914. Died 1/15/1968. Married 9/14/1935 June Ada (born 11/26/1914 and died 5/19/1987).
14. Frank Lester Van Leer, Jr. (1) Married 4/25/1965 Dona Judy.
15. Frank Lester Van Leer III. (1) Married Luann Mary.
16. Frank Preston Van Leer. (1)
16. Nicklaus Arden Van Leer. (2)
15. Llona June Van Leer. (2)
14. William Thurland Van Leer. (2)
12. James E. Van Leer. (2) Born 12/1891. Died 1/21/1931. Married 10/25/1916 Evelyn Pitt (born 4/23/1897.)
13. James E. Van Leer. (1) Born 2/16/1917. Died 3/28/1999. Married 3/25/1944 Marie Barclay Johnson (born 2/14/1917.)
14. James & Marie’s son David M. Van Leer went on to achieve a prominent career in academia. He was a professor at University of California at Davis until his retirement; thereafter continued his great love of the theater and arts from his residence in New York City. David was born December 26, 1949 in Rockville Centre, NY. He was graduated from Cornell University, and subsequently granted his PhD. He was also a LGBT cultural studies researcher and passed in April 3rd 2013. His spouse Robert Miles Parker was noted in his obituary.
14. James E. Van Leer, Jr. Born 7/4/1945. Married 11/3/1989 Sherrie Lynn Bowen (born 4/9/1952).
15. Jennifer Lynn Bowen. Sherrie Lynn Bowen’s daughter by an earlier marriage. Born 4/15/1976. Married 8/11/2000 Ramon Acevedo (born 1/21/1976).
16. Ramon L. Acevedo. Born 9/23/1998.
14. David M. Van Leer. Born 12/26/1949.
13. William C. Van Leer. (2) Born 9/14/1918.
12. William K. Van Leer. (3) Born 9/19/1897. Married 4/24/1916 Grace E. Smith (born 3/26/1899.) No children.
12. Earle M. Van Leer. (4) Born 7/15/1911.
11. Philip M. Van Leer. (2) Born 7/28/1867. Unmarried. Had the lineage lambskin in 1937.
11. William Grover Van Leer. (3) Born 1/28/1869. Lived in Delaware County, Pennsylvania in 1937.
11. Clarence Harvey Van Leer. (4) Born 3/12/1876. Married Cecelia Griffith. 9 children. Names unknown.
11. Albert Craig Van Leer. (5) Born 6/16/1879. Died 1/11/1882.
11. Alberta Van Leer. (6) Born 4/16/1888. Married John Engle Halsey. Lived in Washington, D. C. No children.
9. Maria Van Leer. (2) Born 12/4/1799. Married 3/19/1820 John Lawrence.
10. Hannah Lawrence. (1) Married a Sparks.
10. Elizabeth Lawrence. (2) Married a Billingham.
10. Ellen Lawrence. (3) Married John Pancoast.
11. Samuel Pancoast. (1) Married a Levice.
11. Elizabeth Pancoast. (2) Married a Levice.
9. Elizabeth Grover Van Leer. (3) Born 1803. Died 1888. Married 1883 William Levice Lewis. They lived in Media.
10. Edward Lewis. (1) Born 1834.
10. William Lewis. (2) Born 1835. Married Sarah Harvey.
11. Philena Marshall Lewis. (1) Married 6/1892 Roger Fronfield.
11. Dora Lewis. (2)
10. Esther Jane Lewis. (3) Born 1837. Married Dr. Trimble.
10. Margaretta Lewis. (4) Born 1839. Married Charles Sprogell.
11. Ida Sprogell. (1)
11. Elizabeth Sprogell. (2)
11. Matilda Sprogell. (3)
11. Margaretta Sprogell. (4)
10. Hannah E. Lewis. (5) Born 3/14/1843. Married James Garrett (born 3/20/1845 in Williston.) They settled in West Philadelphia and moved to Lansdowne, Pa. in 1886. He was a contractor and builder of slate and metal roofs.
11. Helen E. Garrett. (1) Born 7/18/1882, Philadelphia.
11. Anna Garrett. (2) Born 11/11/1884, Philadlephia.
11. Esther L. Garrett. (3) Born Lansdown, Pa. 3/16/1888. Died 3/28/1888.
9. William Grover Van Leer. (4) Born 12/8/1806. Died 4/10/1848. Married Ruth Ann Fawkes.
10. Mary Fawkes Van Leer. (1) Born 1835. Married 1/22/1857 Charles B. Lee.
11. William Fawkes Lee. (1) Born 1858. Died 1880.
11. Richard Lloyd Lee. (2) Born 11/1859.
11. Laura Lee. (3) Born 6/1862. Married 6/19/1889 Dr. Spencer Trotter.
12. Spencer Lee Trotter. (1) Born 8/1890
9. Eleanor Van Leer. (5) Born 8/10/1811. Died 10/31/1843. Married John Cornog, President of the Waynesburg Railroad. No children.