This account is primarily the work of Louis Henry Lederer, who in the strict scheme of family relationships, was a brother of my grandfather, Charles Marion Lederer. Louis and Charles were two of 7 sons and 1 daughter of Charles Gottlieb Lederer, the central figure in this work of family history. As I understand it, much of the account contained herein was made possible through the prodigious notes, diaries and other records kept by Charles. Louis did a magnificent job of sorting, organizing, and presenting the various pieces into a very readable and enjoyable document.
Even though I was 13 years old when Louis passed away, I have no recollection of ever meeting him. At that time, he made his home approximately 150 miles from our home in Nebraska, and one did not frequently make 150 mile trips in that era. (Unless you were my father, but that is another story!)
Over the years, I have read and re-read this account many times, and in 1951, as an exercise in my High School typing class, retyped the entire document, using an old black L.C. Smith typewriter. Where my parents found the original document, I have no idea, but they (as well as my brother David and I) kept carbon copies of that retyping effort. It is one of those carbon copies from which this rendition is made, with special effort being made to correct the numerous overstrikes and mis-spelled words that crept in on the old L.C. Smith.
Reading the document again, I have one major regret: My father, Archie Ray Lederer, led a reasonably long, and certainly colorful life, but there has been very little committed to paper to preserve the details. I am proceeding in the hope that, between brother Dave and I, we can reconstruct and document much of Dads' life, which in itself, should make for some fine reading. Dad was a man of the sea, as well as a farmer, blacksmith, top-notch mechanic, and most importantly, had the respect and admiration of almost everyone with whom he came in contact, and he also deserves to be remembered. He was also an adventurer. Back in the 1920s, when most folks debated long and hard about driving 100 miles, Dad traveled the western states, from Nebraska to Oregon and Washington, in a Model T Ford Coupe. When I read Louis' accounts of the accomplishments of Great-grandfather Charles Gottlieb Lederer, the thoughts of my Dad become a driving force within me, to the point where they can only be satisfied by action.
I also fervently hope that other family members will feel similar stirrings, and perhaps we can fill more of the holes between the generation of Great-grandfather Charles and the generation of today. Also of at least equal interest, are the other branches descending from Simon of 1609. Certainly, several members are, and have been in action. Notably, the current efforts of Dorothy Lederer of Nebraska, Kathy Winter of Montana, and Louis Murray Lederer of Arizona come to mind at the moment.
Godspeed
Apr 1997