Leatherman (Ledermann, Ledterman, Letherman), a Mennonite family which is represented chiefly though not exclusively in the Franconia Conference (Mennonite Church) congregations, particularly of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  It has died out among the Mennonites of Germany. The progenitor of these Bucks County Leathermans was Jacob Ledterman, who came to America from Europe in 1741 (d. 1769) at the age of 32, with his wife and sons Jacob and Abraham. He settled at Deep Run in Bucks County, at which place the Mennonites built their first meetinghouse in 1746. Most of his children were born in America. Among the Leathermans who have served in the ministry of the Franconia Conference congregations were Samuel Leadrerman (1815-1904), Line Lexington, ordained preacher in 1843 and bishop in 1876; John M. Leatherman (1845-1924), Deep Run, ordained preacher in 1889; John E. Leatherman (1909- ), after 1936 a missionary in Tanganyika; Quintus Leatherman (1903- ), after 1952 a missionary in London. In 1878 the Mennonite Publishing Co., of Elkhart, IN, published a 32-page booklet for children entitled Bible Lessons, written by Daniel S. Leatherman. Many of the non-Mennonite
Leathermans of North America are descended from other immigrants than the Jacob Ledterman described above.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 303. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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