West Liberty History 1838-1938

Source: One Hundred Years of History
* Commemorating a Century of Progress in the West Liberty Community * WEST LIBERTY, IOWA
LUSE---NICHOLS

Clark I. Luse, son of Reuben Luse, was born in Knox county, Ohio, October 10th, 1836. He and his brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Nichols, came from Ohio to West Liberty, in 1853, at the time the Rock Island railroad terminated at Rock Island.

Clark lived with Mr. and Mrs. Nichols on a farm on South Prairie until his marriage to Eleanor A. Nichols in August, 1860. To this union were born five children. Two children, five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren are still living, of which one, a daughter, one grandson and two great grandchildren live in West Liberty.

After serving in the Civil War about three years, he returned to resume farming on South Prairie. In 1872 he moved to West Liberty where he and his nephew, Bently Luse, under the firm name of "Luse and Luse," engaged in the grocery business on Third street in the building now occupied by the Cline Farm Equipment Company. Here he continued business until his death in November, 1896.

---