Leyendecker, John Zirvas, 1827-1902

John Zirvas Leyendecker emigrated to Texas from Germany with his parents and siblings aboard the ship Riga in 1845 and settled in Fredericksburg. He became a sutler and merchant in Oak Creek, Texas, near Fort Chadbourne, and later in Fredericksburg and Laredo, Texas, where his wife's family was located. He was postmaster in Laredo from 1858 to 1859. During the Civil War he was assistant quartermaster there, and he remained there permanently after the war.

From the guide to the John Zirvas Leyendecker Papers 86-3, 94-2., 1842-1979, (Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)