Leon Alerton Sayer, Jr. was born in Warwick, North Dakota in 1919 and is the oldest son of L. A. and Catherine Sayer. He attended grade schools in Warwick, McHenry and Cooperstown and graduated from Cooperstown High School in 1938. After attending Jamestown College for two years he entered the service in 1941 and was honorably discharged from the Airborne Infantry in 1945. He married Helen Hornig of Los Angeles, California, returned to North Dakota where both graduated from University of North Dakota in the summer of '47. Before returning to Cooperstown in 1954 they made their home in Finley, North Dakota and Santa Maria, California.
Leon was elected mayor of Cooperstown in 1972 and had served on the City Council eight years prior to that time. He is the Griggs County Director of the Garrison Conservancy District since its inception in 1955 and has been active in Scouting, Hospital Board, American Legion and the Presbyterian Church. His wife Helen teaches piano and organ and is active in P. E. O. , North Dakota M. T. A. and the Cooperstown Presbyterian Church. Their children are:
1. David Leon, born in Fargo, North Dakota 1948, graduated from Cooperstown High School, Oregon State University and presently studying at the University of Tòbingen, West Germany
2. Nicolette, now Mrs. Ryan Larson of Minneapolis, Minnesota, born in Glendale, California in 1951, graduated from Cooperstown High School and University of North Dakota
3. Walter Scott of Cooperstown, born in Santa Maria, California in 1954 and graduated from Cooperstown High School and presently attending University of North Dakota
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 79