Henry Liefer was my great grandfather and the father of my grandfather Theodore Liefer. Henry was a born in America in Campbell Hill Illinois from parents that immigrated to the United States from a region just outside of Bremen Germany. Henry married Mary Hammermiester in 1917 and soon they gave birth to my grandfather Theodore Liefer. My grandfather also had two brothers Paul and William. Henry worked in the local coal mine just outside of Willisville Illinois.

Mary Liefer (Hammermiester) was the mother of my grandfather. She was well as her husband was born in Campbell Hill and her parents came from Germany as well as my great grandfathers parents. Her and my great grandfather were aquainted with each other because their parents both belonged to the same church.

Randall was the father of my grandmother Bernadine Liefer (Gerlach). Not much is known about Randall expect that he owned his own farm was known in the town of Willisville for his love of horses.

Carla Gerlach was born just outside of Willisville Illinois to parents who immigrated to the United States from Germany during the late 1800s. Upon marrying Randall Gerlach they moved onto her family's farm where they continued to work on the farm as thier occupation.

Theodore was the first child of my great grandparents Henry and Mary Liefer. He was born in 1917 in Campbell Hill Illinois. As a youth he worked with his father in the coal mines outside near by Willisville Illinois until he joined the United States Army. Theodore served in World War II and served under the famous Gerneral George Patton. Theodore took part in D Day plus one and also took part in the Battle of the Bulge. Upon returning to America Theodore married Bernadine Liefer and had three daughters with her Vala, Gale, and Lonna (my mother).

Bernadine was the only child of Randall and Carla Gerlach. Bernadine was born in 1916 just outside of Willisville Illinois. Before being married to Theodore Liefer, Bernadine worked on the family farm, upon being married she became a stay at home mother.

Lonna Hyde (Liefer) was the third of three daughters between Theodore and Bernadine Liefer. She was born in 1955 in Percy Illinois where she still resides today. Lonna married Loyde Hyde and had two childen with him, Larae Hyde (Wagoner) and myself Lance Hyde.

The Hyde side of the family for my is a complicated issue. In 1991 my mother Lonna and her husband, my father Loyde Hyde were divorced. From that time on I have been pretty much estranged from the Hyde side of my family. What is known however is this; what was originally thought was that my father's side of the family was from England, but in fact they were originally from The Neatherlands. The immigrated to the United States durin the mid 1800s and lived in and travelled through much of southern states living in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama at different times. An interesting part of my fathers side of the family though is that my great grandmother was a half Cherokee Native American from Tennessee. My father never actually knew his father making it very difficult to find infomation about him or the Hyde's.