Luchsinger, Daniel

LUCHSINGER, ATKINSON

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Plym. CC (email)
Date: 3/19/2005 at 11:52:22

Daniel Luchsinger

Daniel Luchsinger, one of Plymouth county's substantial pioneer farmers and the proprietor of an excellent farm in Hancock township, is a native son of Iowa and has lived in this state most of his life. He was born in Dubuque county on February 15, 1852, son of Casper and Margaret Luchsinger, natives of Switzerland, who were married there and who came to this country in 1844, settling in Dubuque county, this state, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of six children, Casper, Daniel, Ellen, Adam, Jacob and Margaret, the latter of whom died when she was fourteen years of age. Adam and Jacob Luchsinger, both of whom were veterans of the Civil War, also are dead. Daniel Luchsinger also had a half-brother, Fred Luchsinger, now deceased who also was a veteran of the Civil War.

Daniel Luchsinger was reard in Dubuque county and received his schooling there. As a lad he lived for two years with a family of the name of Ball and later, for two or three years, made his home with the family of Gorge LeBrune, working for him during the summers and attending school during the winters. When a young man he went to North Dakota, taking employment with O.C. Treadway, of Sioux City, who had taken a contract for supplying a great quantity of hay and cordwood for the United States army post in North Dakota, and remained thus engaged for nine months. While there he entered a pre-emption claim to a quarter of a section of land in the vicinity of Sioux Falls, but in about two months abandoned the same, having come to the conclusion that the land never would amount to anything. Mr. Luchsinger then returned to Dubuque and in 1872 was married there. The next year, in 1873, he and his wife came out to Plymouth county and settled on a homestead tract of eighty-four acres in section 6 of Perry township. While delevolping (sic) that tract and incidentally battling with grasshoppers, Mr. Luchsinger spent a portion of his time for about six years working on railroad construction work in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota, and in 1879 traded his original homestead in Perry township and took a homestead of eighty acres in section 2 of Hancock township, where he since has made his home. He has developed that tract into a fine farm, well and substantially improved, and for years has been regarded as one of the leading farmers and stockmen in that part of the county. Mr. Luchsinger has long given much attention to the raising of live stock and rents, in addition to his own place, about five hundred acres of pasture land in that locality. Mr Luchsinger is a Republican and has served his district in the capacity of supervisor of roads. He is a member of the Woodmen of the World and takes a warm interest in the affairs of that order.

In 1872 Daniel Luchsinger was united in marriage to Mary Jane Atkinson, daughter of Joseph and Jane Atkinson of Dubuque, and to this union eight children have been born, namely: Bert, who is assisting his father in the management of the home farm: Frank, who is engaged in the retail meat business at Lincoln, Nebraska: Daniel W., who is farming in Mille Lacs county, Minnesota: Clarence, who is farming in that same county: Fred, who is at home with his parents: Bertha, who married Fred Perley, of Sioux City; Phyllis, who married A. Fels, a telephone man in Nebraska, and Florence, who married C. Keck, of Dubuque. Mr. and Mrs. Luchsinger attend the Congregational church and have ever given their attention to all movements having to do with the advancement of the best interests of their home community. They have been residents of this county since pioneer days and have seen many notable changes in the way of living since those days.

BOOK SOURCE:
History of Plymouth County, Iowa
Indianapolis, Ind.: B. F. Bowen, 1917