In a battle near Moscow, Johann Leppke was left on the battlefield for dead, but regained consciousness and observed the army had left him and others behind. They decided to join a Mennonite colony in South Russia instead of going back home to West Prussia.

Johann Leppke came to the Chortitza colony, Ukraine with no record of his previous ancestors. His wife was probably born in Holland and had migrated to West Prussia with her parents and had been forced into service by Napoleon's army as a cook for his soldiers. The residents of the Molotschna and Chortitza colonies in the Khortytsya, Zaporizhia Oblast area of Ukraine included the Plautdietsch-speaking Mennonite families of Braun, Buller, Claassen, Derksen, Dick, Driedger, Geisbrecht, Grunau, Janzen, Koehn, Koop, Kroeker, Leppke, Neufeld, Nickel, Nikkel, Reimer, Siemens, Stobbe, Warkentin, and Wiens.

Johann married Sara Pauls about 1826 and lived in the village of Nieder Chortitz. He died in early 1827 before his son Heinrich was born.

41 Heinrich Johann Leppke, b 29 Jul 1827 in Nieder Chortitz colony, Ukraine d 31 Jul 1900, bur Hillsboro, KS. He lived with his mother in poverty and had little opportunity for an education. Heinrich married Justina (Christina) Derksen, 2 Nov 1852, d 12 Feb 1908

411 Katharina (Katrina) H. b 11 Nov 1853, d 1922, m Cornelius Kikkel
412 Isaac Leppke, b 3 Jul 1855, d 1946, m Florentine Zeik 413 Justina, b 18 Aug 1855, d 1947, m Jacob Loewen
414 Johann (John) Leppke, b 13 Jan 1860, m Wilhelmine Foth
415 Abraham Leppke, b 11 Mar 1862, d 20 Oct 1938 bur Reedley CA, m Susanna P Warkentin Anna Wiens on 18 Oct 1887 in Hillsboro KS, d 23 Oct 1945 bur Reedley CA

415,1 Anna, b 25 Aug 1888, d 1981, m Henry J. Warkentine d 4 Oct 1981
415,2 Henry (Heinrich) W. Leppke, b 25 Oct 1889, d 1898, m1 Lizzie Franz, m2 Marie Duerksen
415,3 Elisabeth A W (Lizzie), b 15 Feb 1891, d 23 Sep 1973, m Abe Reimer

415,31 Lucille Reimer b c1915 m Abe Richert

415,311 Jeanne Fay Richert, b 6 Dec 1946
415,312 Patty Jo Richert, b 23 Oct 1950
415,313 Eddie Dean Richert, b 7 Jan 1952

415,4 Peter W. Leppke, b 3 Apr 1893, d Jan 1974, m Martha Rempel
415,5 Jacob W. Leppke, b 21 Mar 1897 d 1946, m Emma Schmidt d 22 Jul 1945
415,6 Justina, b 23 Sep 1899, d 29 Dec 1999, m Abe Vogt d 18 Oct 1985
415,7 Isaac Abraham Leppke, b 13 Mar 1901, d 25 Nov 1971, m Sarah Peters

415,71 Harold P. b 1929 Corn OK, d 1959, m Margie Reimer
415,72 Leroy P. b 1931, d 1999
415,73 Allen D. b c1942, m Sharon R Mercer

415,8 Ezra Leppke, b 21 Aug 1902, d 21 Sep 1993, m Selma Flaming
415,9 Selma, b 10 Jun 1904, d 22 Dec 1998 bur Reedley CA, m Nick Falk b 5 Sep 1912, d Jan 1979
415,J Rubena, b 30 Mar 1907, d 24 Sep 1984, m William K. Barkman b 25 Jan 1908, d 15 May 2000
415,K Malinda Leppke, b 16 Sep 1910, Corn OK, d 15 Jan 2008 bur Reedley, CA, m 513,2 Harvey P Stobbe d 2 Feb 2016

416 Elizabeth, b 24 Nov 1864
417 Anna H. b 24 Sep 1866, m Jacob Wiens
418 Peter Leppke, b 25 Jul 1868, m Helena Wiens
419 Helena, b Apr 1870 died age 2
41J Jacob H. Leppke, b 23 Nov 1872, m Justina Flaming

711 Daniel D. Wiens, b 1859, m Katherine Koop
712 Maria
713 Jabob W. Wiens m Anna Leppke
714 Susanna Warkentin Wiens, b 31 Mar 1868 (old calender) 12 Apr 1868, d 23 Oct 1945 bur Reedley CA, m 415 Abraham Leppke on 18 Oct 1887 in Hillsboro, KS
715 Peter W. Wiens
716 Elizabeth
717 Helena, b 1876, d 1942
718 Agnes
719 Katherine
71J John W. Wiens