LUCE, William F.

LUCE, SMITH, COOK

Posted By: Nettie Mae
Date: 1/19/2003 at 01:16:06

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

WILLIAM F. LUCE

Among the energetic and progressive business men of Clinton is numbered the gentle man whose name introduces this biography. He has been a resident of this city since March, 1865, and is to-day one of its leading contractors and builders. He claims New York as his native state, his birth having occurred in Elmira, September 8, 1847. His parents were William and Julia Ann (Smith) Luce, the former a native of Jersey City, the latter of Pennsylvania. In 1854 they came to Iowa, and first located twelve miles this side of Anamosa, but two years later took up their residence in that city, where the father worked at the wagonmaker’s trade throughout the remainder of his life. He died in March, 1875, at the age of seventy-six years, and his wife passed away in 1898, at the advanced age of ninety. They were the parents of twelve children, namely: Mary Ann, James, Stephen, Israel, Caroline, Samuel, Elizabeth, Zelda, Sarah, Azelia, William F. and Joseph A. Three of the sons were soldiers of the Civil war.

William F. Luce was principally reared and educated in this state. The first year after coming to Lyons he devoted his time to farming, but since then he has devoted his time and energies to the carpenter’s trade, and has erected many of the leading buildings of the city, both business houses and private residences, including the Shocraft, Craw, Smith and Oaks buildings. Fraternally he is a member of the Carpenters’ Union and the Mystic Workers of the World.

Mr. Luce was married in Lyons to Miss Carrie Cook, a daughter of Alexander B. Cook, of Pennsylvania, and by this union were born six children, but three died in infancy. Those living are Percy A., a woodcarver; Emma, a milliner; and Frank L., a student in the public schools.