Series VII: David M. Leff papers

The Leff brothers -- Ben, Jacob, and Sol -- were born in 1894, 1896 and 1900, respectively. The family immigrated from Austria to the United States in the early 1900s and settled in Texas. The three set up a corporation in 1921 and began a whole sale dry goods operation at 521 Preston Avenue in Houston. Sol was the salesman for South Texas, Jacob was office manager and sales, and Ben was buyer of all merchandise. After flooding twice the brothers moved the operation in 1937 to 1711 Preston. As the years passed the brothers' children began working in the family business, including Jacob's son David.

Jacob Leff married Annie Geller (daughter of Rabbi Jacob and Sara Geller) in 1917. The couple had three children, including David M. Leff, born in Houston on August 24, 1924. David graduated from high school early and enrolled at Texas A&M University. David left college after three years, when World War II began, to join the Army where he served at military intelligence schools in France and England during the war. After the war, he returned to Texas A& M and graduated with a degree in business and accounting before joining his father and uncles at Leff Bros. Dry Goods. David met Evelyn Zimmerman on a blind date and the two married in 1947. They had three children: Stanley, Sharan, and Tina. Evelyn died in 1993 and David died in 2017 at the age of 93.

Excerpted from: http://jhvonline.com/david-mendel-leff-p23495-124.htm