THE LUSCH FAMILY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY
Contributed by
Anthony
R. Kaney
April 2002
Franz Xaver Lusch (b 1802 Greffern) left the village of Greffern in
Baden for America in 1836. With him were his wife, Maria Magdalena (Schuh)
(b 1810 Schwarzach), and their daughter Christina (b 1834 Greffern), along
with three children from his earlier marriage to Viktoria Sprauer (1802-1832
Greffern) in Greffern; Franz Xaver (Francis) (b 1826 Greffern)., Thekla (b
1828 Greffern) and Johann Georg (b March 2, 1831 in Greffern, Baden). Note that, after arriving in
America, the family settled first in Philadelphia. There in 1837 a daughter,
Maria Louisa, was born.
In 1839, the family moved to Sullivan county where they
settled on a farm in Cherry township near Dushore. There, they had four more
children: Johann Georg (George), born 1840 *, Helena, born 1843, Anton, born
1845 and Rufina, born 1849.
* This son is to be distinguished from the son from his first marriage of the same name. The former or older Johan Georg remained in Philadelphia after the family came to America and was employed as a carpenter from 1836 forward. He married Maria Rentschler in 1850 and fathered 9 children, with many living descendants in Philadelphia and surroundings. Sadly, he drowned on November 30, 1878 in the Schuykill River while on a family outing in 1878. .
Thekla Lusch married George Ambs of Bradford county, PA in 1849. In
1852, Francis married Maria Magdalena Kauffman of Cherry township. In 1855,
Christina married Anton Kahni of Forks township, and Maria Louisa married
Francis Touschner of Cherry township in 1858.
In November of 1864 after farming 25 years in Sullivan county, Franz
Xaver, his wife and children George, Helena, Anton and Rufina, along with
Christina, her husband Anton Kahni and two sons Joseph (b 1856) and John (b
1858) disposed of their property and began a westward trek which would take
them to Dubois county, Indiana. Christina and Anton Kahni and children, and
George Lusch, settled in Celestine while the rest of the family settled in
Jasper.
The three children who remained behind in Pennsylvania raised their
families in Sullivan county. Francis and Maria Magdalena Kauffman had 10
children: Francis (b 1853), Mary (b 1855), Emilia (b 1857), Victoria (b
1859), George (b 1861), Helena (b 1863), Anastasia (b 1865), John (b 1867),
Jules (b 1870) and Agnes (b 1874). Thekla and George Ambs were the parents
of Francis (b 1850), Anna (b 1852), Joseph (b 1858) and August (b 1864).
The children of Maria Louisa and Francis Touschner were Mary (b 1859),
Louisa (b 1861) and Francis (b 1864).
Maria Louisa Lusch Touschner died 1874, Francis Lusch died 21 Mar 1900,
and Thekla Lusch Ambs died 1 Oct 1910. All three are buried in the
cemetery at St. Basilıs church in Dushore along with their spouses.
In Indiana, Franz Xaver, apparently exhausted from his long trip,
succumbed 19 Nov 1865. He is buried at St. Josephıs cemetery in Jasper, IN.
His wife, Maria Magdalena subsequently lived with various of her children in
Indiana and Illinois until her death on 31 Mar 1889 in Sandoval, IL. She is
buried in Elmwood cemetery, Centralia, IL.
Meanwhile, Helena Lusch married Christian Schrecker of Jasper in 1865.
They both contracted erysipelas and died within a few weeks of each other,
in 1880, without having children. They are buried at St. Joseph cemetery in
Jasper.
Christina Lusch Kahni bore a daughter Mary Magdalene in Celestine, but
died a few days later, 16 Oct 1869, from complications. She is buried at St.
Peterıs cemetery there.
John "George" Lusch married Maria Kunigunda Wunder of Jasper in 1866, and they
had ten children: John (b 1868), George (b 1870), Anthony (b 1873), Mary (b
1876), Juliana (b 1879), Joseph (b 1881), Francis (b 1883), Michael (b
1885), Anna (b 1890) and Edward (b 1892). In 1868, George and Maria moved
their family first to Washington, IN, and finally to Odin, IL, where George
died 24 Aug 1897. He is buried in Elmwood cemetery, Centralia, IL.
John ("Johan") George Lusch and
Mary ("Maria") Cunigunda (Wunder) Lusch
Husband and Wife
Wedding Photos 1866
Photo Contributed by Tony Kaney
Source: Kristin Murphy, granddaughter of Vincent LuschAnton Lusch married Anna Maria Klueh of Ferdinand, IN, in 1870. They
settled in Huntingburg, IN, where they had the following children: Anton (b
1872), Francesca (b 1873), Margaretha (b 1874), John Francis (b 1875),
Barbara Rose (b 1878), Henry Edward (b 1880), Francesca Margaretha (b
1883) and Filomena Maria (b 1885). Anton subsequently married Cecelia
Schneider Hollander in 1888, and she bore Leo Rudolf (b 1888) and Albert
Alfred (b 1893). Anton died 27 Nov 1906 in Huntingburg, IN where he is
buried at St. Mary cemetery.
Rufina Lusch married George Geil of Owensboro, KY in 1870 in Jasper.
They had the following children: Joseph Thomas (b 1873), George Christian
(b 1875), Adam Sebastian (b 1878) Mary Magdalene (b 1880, Rose Barbara (b
1885), Anna Maria (b 1886), Katharine (b 1888), and Viola (b 1893). In
1886, Rufina and George moved with their family to Sandoval, IL. where
Rufina died 13 Mar 1893. She is buried in Elmwood cemetery in Centralia IL.
There are many descendants of these families living today in Pennsylvania,
Indiana, Illinois and several other states.
Copyright İ 2003 Robert E. Sweeney and individual Contributors. All Rights Reserved. Prior written permission is required from Robert E. Sweeney and individual Contributors before this material can be printed or otherwise copied, displayed or distributed in any form. This is a FREE genealogy site sponsored through PAGenWeb and can be reached directly at ~Sullivan County Genealogy Project (http://www.rootsweb.com/~pasulliv)
