Larkspur historical Society
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Lorenzo Leppert

In the 1880 census, Lorenzo is boarding with Jacob Geiger, a Spring Valley pioneer, working as a farm hand. Earlier, Mr. Leppert was a stage coach driver coming into Spring Valley and met Jacob during his layovers. In 1884, he and James Baker, another Spring Valley resident, farmed together and “were looking for wives during their bachelorhood.” During that time Lorenzo also had a “peddling wagon” to sell Jacob’s goods from the Grange Store, which he managed. While working at the store, Lorenzo contacted smallpox and later died January 27, 1885. The Spring Valley Grange Store mysteriously burned down on April 13, 1885 and never re-opened. At the time he became ill, Lorenzo was engaged to Jany Richey, who eventually caught the disease herself and died on February 26, 1885, before they could be married.

125 years later at the Spring Valley Cemetery Tour (2010, June 19) the Reverend Atkinson married the couple in a mock ceremony.