The Luecke Family History

Luecke

Written by Eric Luecke Designed and edited by Jenna Luecke

For my grandmother, Shirley Luecke

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Table of Contents The Tree The Story The Years Appendix

Luecke u or Lรถcke [loo-key] means gap, space, void, cavity, opening, hole or vacancy in German.... (a little family secret) This book intends to fill in the gaps.

[Had 14 children]

2 Franz Phillip Luecke (6.18.1839 - 11.17.1921) Theresa (Uellentrup) Luecke (5.1851 - 10.1900)

Maria Gertrude (1870 - ?)

Bernard (1878 - ?)

Maria Theresa (1881 - ?)

Antonia “Tonie” (1881 - ?)

Anthony “Anton” (1884 - ?)

Francis Xavier (00.28.1887 - 06.22.1954) Maria Elizabeth “Lizzie” (1891 - ?)

Bernard Theodore (1889 - ?)

Theodore Joseph Radmacher (09.1847 - 02.1918) Anna Catherine Margaret (Bolton) Radmacher (11.15.1850 - 11.07.1937)

Peter Wilhelm (1890 - 1900)

Eugene “Gene” Henry Theodore Leo (2.22.1925 - 9.16.1980) Virginia Catherine (2.28.1917 - 10.3.1998) Clarence Joseph (1.19.1919 - 5.02.1997) Marie Josephine (10.08.1920 - 3.02 or 05. 2002) Virgil “Virg/VB” Bernard (8.17.1922 - 10.25.1995) Leander “Lee” Anton (3.10.1927 - 3.14.1999) Norbert “Norb” Peter (3.12.1929) Francis “Frank” Joseph (11.17.1930 - 10.12.1982) Leroy William (10.24.1933 - 3.11.1995)

Margaret Sophia (7.11.1891 - 8.24.1982) Maria Josephine (1896 - 1988) Elmer Friedrich Huch (11.23.1903 - 12.12.1986 ) Frieda Marie Rehg (3.17.1904 - 5.9.1982 )

Shirley Huch (10.5.1929) Gene E Huch (1932 - ?)

Ronald “Ron” Oliver Huch (12.26.1934)

Jan Marie (4.04.1954)

Kurt Gerard (10.09.1955)

Ryan Patrick Clark (12.19.79) David Clark

Austin Clark (8.27.85) Fawn Ochsenschlager

Carol Lea Hodge (8.19.1965)

Karl “Boomer” Joseph (12.10.1959) Lisa Juliette Foley (6.6.1958) Mary Elizabeth (11.24.1961)

Teresa “T” Ann (10.23.1963)

Carolyn Jean (2.21.1968)

Christopher “Chris” Ahren (6.24.82) Matthew “Matt” Brent (10.24.83)

Joan “Joanie” Frances (1.14.1957) Carl Boyer (3.2.1959) Eric John (6.26.1958)

Bradley “Brad” David Clark (10.5.81)

Kyle Gerard (7.20.86) Ashton Gabriel (6.17.87)

Katelyn Ann (3.17.89)

Krista Kay (6.29.88) Arielle Shea (8.17.89)

Jenna Catherine (5.21.91) John Karl (4.26.95)

Sasha Brinn (10.6.86)

James Clayton (9.18.99)

Tygue Joseph (8.25.88) Noah Earle (5.6.93) Kaiah Mae (4.8.95) William “Will” Forrest (1.28.99)

Tommy Armes

Alexandra Kay (8.21.88) Taylor Elizabeth (7.14.92)

Tom Smith

Caroline Quinn (8.23.99) Ian Jud (11.9.04)

Kelly Lackey

Kathyrn Sophia (3.12.06)

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Franz Phillip & Theresa FRANZ PHILLIP LUECKE Born June 18, 1839 in Keitlinghausen, Oelde, Westfalen, (Germany). His parents were Heinrich and Gertrud (Dueppmann) Luecke. Philipp was reported to have been a guard for Kaiser Wilhelm, the King of Prussia who was the first Kaiser (emperor) of United Germany. Died on Nov. 17, 1921 at 82 years old.

THERESA (UELLENTRUP) LUECKE Born in May 1851 in Paderborn, Westfalen (Germany).

Died October 1900.

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They were married on Feb. 17, 1868 in Oestinghausen, Westfalen. He was 28 and she was 16. They must have immigrated to the U.S. shortly thereafter because their first child, Catharine Gertrude, was born in Washington township (Osage County) MO on Oct. 9, 1868. Phillip and Theresa had 14 children. At least 4 of their children didn’t live past 1 year old. Believe it or not, they had three daughters named Maria: Maria Gertrude, Maria Theresa, and Maria Elizabeth “Lizzie”, two sons named Bernard: Bernard and Bernard Theodore, and a daughter and son named Antonia “Tonie” and Anthony “Anton”. Maria T. and Antonia were twins (Maria T. died at 7 months). And just in case you didn’t think they had enough Maria’s, they also had a child named Angela Maria Scholastica.

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Francis Xavier & Margaret FRANCIS XAVIER LUECKE Born February 28, 1887 in Westphalia, MO. His dad was 47 and his mom was 35.

Francis X was the 7th of 8 sons, 11th of 14 children of Phillip and Theresa Luecke.

Francis X was known as “Frank” to friends and family, and his kids called him “Pop”. He worked at the Hyde Park Brewery as a utility man until his leg was amputated. Francis X lost his left leg due to diabetes around 1950. He enjoyed watching men’s wrestling on TV, but would also tune into specials with women wrestling and midget wrestling.

According to Bonnie (his granddaughter), Grandpa was somewhat of a hugger. Died June 22, 1954 at 67 years old.

MARGARET SOPHIA RADMACHER Born July 11, 1891 in Washington township, MO. Margaret was the daughter of Theodore and Anna Catherine Radmacher (means wheel maker in German) 1 . Margaret’s mother was 40 years old when she was born and 46 when her sister was born in 1896. Margaret had an older brother (Peter Wilhelm) who died at 10 years old in 1900 and a younger sister (Maria Josephine) who died in 1988 at 92 years old. She grew up in Rich Fountain where she was known as “ Maggie”. Margaret had her first communion on June 19, 1901 at St. George Church in Linn, MO. Margarettea Sophia Mary Radmacher is the name recorded on a document validating her first communion.

Besides spending time with her family, Grandma Luecke loved to sew and quilt with the ladies at St. Agatha. She also looked forward to working in the kitchen during their annual picnic. She enjoyed watching The Lawrence Welk Show on Saturday nights.

Died August 24, 1982 at 91 years old at St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City from complications of a stroke.

Francis X and Margaret were married between February 28 and July 11, 1913 in Missouri. He was 26, and she was 21. They met at a picnic in either Rich Fountain or Westphalia.

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Francis X and Margaret had 8 boys and 2 girls: [1] EUGENE “GENE” HENRY THEODORE LEO LUECKE - Born Feb. 22, 1915 [2] VIRGINIA CATHERINE LUECKE - Born Feb. 28, 1917 [3] CLARENCE JOSEPH LUECKE - Born Jan. 19, 1919 [4] MARIE JOSEPHINE LUECKE - Born Oct. 8, 1920 [5] VIRGIL “VIRG/VB” BERNARD LUECKE - Born Aug. 17, 1922 [6] FERDINAND “FRED” ANTON LUECKE - Born Mar. 31, 1925 [7] LEANDER “LEE” ANTON LUECKE - Born Mar. 10, 1927 [8] NORBERT “NORB” PETER LUECKE - Born Mar. 12, 1929 [9] FRANCIS “FRANK” JOSEPH LUECKE - Born Nov. 17, 1930 [10] LEROY WILLIAM LUECKE - Born Tues. Oct. 24, 1933 4

They originally lived in St. Louis, but when prohibition was enacted and the breweries shut down, they decided to leave the city. Francis X was sold a “bill of goods”, ie., a “farm” in Rich Fountain. The soil consisted mostly of rocks.

Francis X’s brother Theodore (“Teddo”) was his neighbor.

Clarence remembered traveling to the farm in a horsedrawn wagon. The kids walked to Winkelman School, not far from the farm. Norb called their house on the farm the “rock house”. After they lost the farm, they moved into the “tin house” where they lived until they moved back to St. Louis. Francis X moved back to St. Louis to get a job (at A-B), prior to moving his family back. Frank’s family moved back to St. Louis around 1934. They rented a house on the southeast corner of Texas and Lynch before buying the house on Lemp Ave. They attended St. Agatha Catholic Church. Francis X and Margaret purchased 3117 Lemp Ave 6 on December 11, 1937 from the Simon and Louisa Wolf estate. The purchase price was around $4300. The Lemp Ave. home was purchased in large part with a $4000 inheritance Margaret had received from her father. The house came with a black dog named Corky who became the family pet for several years before they had to put him down. According to Norb, his dad had his eye on the Lemp Ave. house even before he moved the family to Rich Fountain.

Francis X and Margaret were married about 41 years. They are buried in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Westphalia, MO. 5

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Francis“Frank”Joseph Born November 17, 1930 in Rich Fountain, MO at home on the farm. His Dad was 43 and his Mom was 39. Frank was the 7th of 8 sons of Francis X who was the 7th of 8 sons of Franz Phillipp. Frank was baptized on Nov. 18, 1930 at Sacred Heart Church in Rich Fountain; his godparents were Joseph and Teresa Luecke. It is unusual that he would’ve been baptized the day after he was born unless he was not expected to live. It might be that the parish priest came to visit and baptized him on the spot.

Frank told a story of his dad sending him down to the tavern to fetch a bucket of beer. After sampling the brew on the way home, he would whip up a good head of suds with his finger to cover his tracks before delivering the goods.

He was confirmed on October 19, 1939 at St. Francis de Sales Church in St. Louis, MO. Frank and a friend once hitchhiked down to Poplar Bluff as young boys, and were eventually picked up by the local authorities who called his home in St. Louis to inform his parents of their whereabouts. One of his brothers then drove down to pick him up. After this experience, Clarence recalled Frank saying that he was going to live in Poplar Bluff some day.

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Frank graduated from St. Francis de Sales Elementary School on June 11, 1944.

June 1944 - Frank, Norb Weber (Frank’s best friend since 1st grade) and Fred Hess set off for St. Libory, IL on bicycles because Norb (who had relatives in the area) heard that the local tavern (Chicken’s Restaurant) would serve minors if they seemed like decent kids. Feeling pretty confident in their decency, they hit the open road without telling a soul. Norb estimated the distance to be about 50 miles. After they arrived and were rewarded with a cold beer, they quickly realized that it was getting late and they had better high tail it back home. According to Norb they arrived home around 10 pm to parents who weren’t nearly as excited about their adventure as they were. Fortunately, their trip probably occurred around the summer solstice ( June 21st), the longest day of the year. Norb said that the paper in St. Libory printed a little article about the boys’ adventure shortly thereafter 8 . Chicken’s Restaurant is still in business.

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Frank joined the Sea Scouts around 1945 and rode a train to Alton Lake on the Mississippi River where he learned to sail at the Sea Scout base.

May 30, 1948 - Frank graduates from St. Francis de Sales High School

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12 July 1948 - Frank got hired on at Anheuser-Busch; he worked at the brewery until Mar. 1952. Frank earned $60/ week as a Production Planner at A-B. 1949 - Frank bought a 1940 Ford convertible (green with a white top) Frank christened his first sailboat Bye Now; he often took friends sailing at Alton Lake on the Mississippi River.

Frank’s best friend, Norb Weber, recalled a night when Frank had the bright idea of driving up to the river and “borrowing” a sailboat from the Sea Scout base. Apparently they did make it out on the river late that night, but nearly got ran over by a barge after the wind had died. Jane said, “it was a just a miracle we lived to tell that story”.

Frank attended St. Louis University from Sept. 1950 to Feb. 1952 11

Frank entered the U.S. Navy on March 10, 1952.

After boot camp in Great Lakes, IL he went to Bainbridge, MD to attend Quartermaster School (5.26.52 to 9.12.52).

He graduated with the rating of QMQ3.

Frank served his tour of duty on the USS Cascade (AD16) based out of Newport, RI during the Korean war Francis J. was always known as Frank, and at some point he officially changed his name. His interests were sailing, big band music, reading and smoking cigars.

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Shirley Mae Edna Huch Shirley Mae Edna was born on Saturday October 5, 1929 at St. Louis Maternity Hospital at 4:05am. Her parents were Elmer and Frieda Huch 14 . She had two younger brothers, Gene Huch born in 1932, and Ronald “Ron” Oliver Huch born in 1934. Shirley and her brothers attended Garfield Elementary School 15 . Shirley was confirmed around 12 years old at St. Matthews Evangelical Church in St. Louis. Shirley learned how to drive in her dad’s 1937 Ford. According to Gene, Shirley’s two best friends were Jeannette Bange and Alvina Taylor. Shirley graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1948. After H.S. she went to work for Brown Shoe Co. as a filing clerk. Shirley’s Aunt Eva who worked at A-B helped her get a job there.

When asked, “Did your sister date anyone other than Frank?”, Gene responded...

“For quite awhile she was going out with a guy named Lou Vergono who was an Italian from The Hill. Seemed like a pretty likable guy. His parents must have been pretty well off. I recall Shirley telling us that for his high school graduation his parents offered him a new car or a new accordian. He chose the accordian. He must have been pretty much into the accordian. ”

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Frank met Shirley at while they were both working at Anheuser-Busch. They started dating around Easter 1949.

Shirley told a story that she was in a training class at A-B with Frank before they met and when she heard his name called, she thought it sounded Chinese.

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Frank and Shirley were married on July 25, 1953 at St. Agatha Church. He was 22; she was 23.

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Reverend Clarence P. Good conducted the service. The best man was Norbert Weber and the maid of honor was Virginia Jonak. Ken Luecke was the ringbearer and Norma Rehg was the flower girl.

Ron Huch (a groomsman and Shirley’s brother) said it was a two hour Mass in Latin. Ron got his toe smashed by dropping a fork off of a forklift truck the day before the wedding and said that every time his heart beat, it felt like someone was stepping on his toe. He had to borrow a bigger pair of shoes to fit his swollen toe.

They honeymooned at the Lake of the Ozarks.

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They were married 31 years.

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Shirley lived with Grandma Luecke at 3117 Lemp Ave. while Frank was in the Navy.

January 11, 1954 - Frank was granted an honorable discharge since the U.S. was no longer at war and Shirley was soon to give birth to their first child.

Frank and Shirley lived on Lemp Ave. until they could afford to buy their 1st house.

Frank went back to work at Anheuser-Busch after his tour of duty in the US Navy.

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Jan Marie [1] was born on Apr. 4, 1954 at Deaconess Hospital. Frank’s occupation was listed as Clerk. Jan was baptized on May 2, 1954 at St. Agatha (where Frank and Shirley were married). Her godparents were Fred and Arline Luecke.

Francis X died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack 31 on the evening of Tuesday June 22, 1954, while sitting in his wheelchair next to the parson’s bench just inside the front door where he enjoyed reading the newspaper and looking out onto the street.

Francis X was buried on June 26, 1954 in St. Joseph Cemetery in Westphalia, MO. Frank and Shirley bought their 1st house, 3808 Primm St in St. Louis.

Frank resumed his studies at St. Louis University.

Kurt Gerard [2] was born on Oct. 9, 1955 at Deaconess Hospital, 18 months since Jan was born. Kurt was baptized on Oct. 23, 1955 at Immaculate Heart of Mary. His godparents were Phil and Marie DeLong.

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22 Shirley entered the Miss Budweiser beauty pageant at A-B and wins the title! She never tells her kids.

Joan “Joanie/Joni” [3] Frances was born on Jan. 14, 1957 at Deaconess Hospital, 15 months since Kurt was born. Frank was a Process Statistician at A-B. Joan was baptized at Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her godparents were Francis and Mary Beth Basler.

Frank graduated from St. Louis University in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce/Industrial Relations.

Eric John [4] was born on June 26, 1958 at Deaconess Hospital, 17 months since Joan was born. Frank was a Process Statistician at A-B. Eric was baptized at Immaculate Heart of Mary. His godparents were Clarence and Etta.

Frank and Shirley moved to 3680 Bellerive Blvd (St. Louis) in the summer of ‘58.

Attended St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church and School.

Karl “Boomer” Joseph [5] was born on Dec. 10, 1959 at Deaconess Hospital, 18 months since Eric was born. Karl was baptized at St. Stephen. His godparents were Ron and Barb Dill. Karl earned his nickname as a result of his painful habit of getting in the way of the sailboat’s boom. Frank called it out on one such occasion and it stuck like glue.

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Jan had her first communion on April 16, 1961 at St. Stephen.

Mary Elizabeth [6] was born on Nov. 24, 1961 at Deaconess Hospital, 23 months since Karl was born. Mary was baptized at St. Stephen. Her godparents were Ken and Joyce Schmidt.

Kurt had his first communion at St. Stephen in 1962.

The family car was a dark green 1959 Chevrolet Bel-Air station wagon.

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24 Dec. 1962 - Karl was hit by a car while crossing the street on his tricycle in front of the house while Kurt and Joan were supposed to be watching him. They were down the street loading up their wagon with candy and goodies at a neighbor’s house when they heard an ambulance siren and figured that they had better get back to the house asap.

The kids were told not to let Karl see himself in a mirror since his forehead was quite gouged up, so Eric promptly found a hand mirror and took it to him. Karl was not happy with what he saw. That decision did not turn out well for Eric.

Frank and Shirley moved to 1750 Carr Ave. Memphis, TN over the Christmas break of 1962.

The back yard of their new house was split in two by a wooden fence. One side of the yard was brick and the other side was pea gravel in cement. There was an outbuilding in the back of the yard with sliding glass doors and a magnolia tree outside the back door of the house.

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Joanie took a header on the pea gravel side after accidentally stepping on a D battery, grinding down her face and chipping a tooth.

One of the kids (probably a boy) started a fire in a waist basket in a bedroom upstairs next to draperies. The fire was immediately doused.

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Frank was a District Manager for A-B. Attended Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and School Shirley had a maid by the name of Hattie Mae Brown.

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Teresa “T” [7] Ann was born on Oct. 23, 1963, 23 months since Mary was born. Frank dubs Teresa the “Tennessee Tornado!” Teresa was baptized at Immaculate Conception.

Her godparents were Mickey and Richard Lipford (a coworker of Frank’s at A-B). Frank and Shirley had 7 kids in 10 years and 3 months. Teresa is the 7th child of the 7th son of the 7th son.

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28 Frank bought a 1963 Buick Le Sabre station wagon (baby blue with a white top). It was considered a “6 passenger wagon”, but it held 10 if you carefully packed the littler Lueckes in the rear storage area.

Joan had her first communion at Immaculate Conception in 1964 May 1965 - Frank “inspired” Monsignor Merlin Kearney to allow Eric to graduate from the 1st grade. No kid of Frank Luecke’s was going to fail. During the previous winter, Eric’s teacher (Sr. Mary Clarence) slipped and fell on the ice as she was leading her class across the parking lot to Mass; the whole class rushed to help her up except for Eric, who stood and watched. This decision did not bode well for the rest of Eric’s 1st grade year.

Joanie rode around in a Rolls Royce and a Jaguar living the high life with her best friend Drew Piazza whose mother, Marguerite Piazza, was a famous opera singer of the day.

Frank and Shirley moved to 3952 French Ct./St. Louis in summer of 1965.

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Frank bought a 1964 2-door Pontiac Catalina hardtop (tan). This is the first time he owned a used car.

The family dogs were beagles named Cindy Lou and Suzy Q. Attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and School.

Eric had his first communion on October 28, 1965.

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Frank bought a one-of-a-kind, homemade 19’ sailboat in 1966 from an elderly couple who had built it. It was a tearful goodbye for them as we drove off with their creation. Frank duly christened the boat Prosit which means “cheers” in German.

Karl had his first communion on Oct. 30, 1967.

Frank capsized the Prosit on the Mississippi River (Alton Lake) in the middle of the barge channel just before sundown on Sunday Oct. 30, 1967. Frank, Kurt, Eric and three of Frank’s friends were on board. Kurt and Eric were rescued by a wooden Chris Craft speed boat and taken to shore. They were picked up by an older couple with a VW camper van and driven across the river to Raymond Tubbesings’ store/restaurant in Portage de Sioux, just down river from where Frank kept his boat. Frank eventually showed up after tying the boat up to the rocks on the Illinois shore. Ray graciously loaned Frank and the boys dry clothes for the drive home.

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30 Frank partnered with Don Sparks to buy a clubhouse on the Mississippi River in Elsberry, MO. Frank and the boys took several trips up the river from Portage de Souix to their clubhouse in Elsberry. Since this was a 2 day journey (about 80 miles), they would spend one night anchored between islands and sand bars along the way. Every year in late spring/early summer, Frank and the boys would go up to the clubhouse to clear away debris deposited by the Spring flood. While Frank caught up on his reading and sampling of the hometown brew, the boys terrorized the river community in their 14’ jon boat powered by a 7 1/2 hp Mercury outboard, jumping barge waves, doing donuts, exploring coves and tributaries, expanding their carbon footprint, etc.

Kurt built his first “go-kart” which was simply a red wagon with a lawn mower engine mounted above the rear wheels. If there ever was a death trap, this was it. He would take it up to the school parking lot and attempt to set a land speed record for red wagons.

Unfortunately, no picture exists of this unique contraption.

Carolyn Jean [8] was born on February 21, 1968 at Deaconess Hospital, 4 years and 4 months since Teresa was born. She was the 35th and last grandchild of Francis X and Margaret. Carolyn was baptized on March 17, 1968. Her godparents were Don and Penny Sparks. Don was a co-worker of Frank’s at A-B. Frank and Shirley moved to 725 Marcella Rd./Des Plaines, IL (Chicago) in the summer of ‘68.

Attended St. Emily Catholic Church and School down the street.

Frank traveled around Europe researching the wine business for A-B. Karl busts his head open as the boys were taking turns jumping down the stairs into the family room. Boomer’s first words after he came to... “It wasn’t my fault!”

Sailed on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin during the summers of ‘68 and ‘69

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32 Frank stops smoking cigarettes (Pall Mall) and starts smoking cigars (Antonio & Cleopatra - Grenadiers) because… “you don’t inhale cigar smoke”… ie., unless your name is Frank J. Luecke. From then on, he smoked cigars like cigarettes. If he was sitting for any length of time, there would be a thick cloud of smoke hovering about 4 feet off of the floor.

Frank and Shirley moved to 10089 Stonell Dr/St. Louis (Lakeshire) summer of 1969.

Frank was an Assistant to the Vice President of Marketing at A-B. Frank, Eric and Karl built two 8’ El Toro dinghy sailboats in the basement, under the direction of Marty Bauer who was a carpenter at A-B. Eric and Karl sailed the boats on the Mississippi River as well as River des Peres near their home.

Attended Seven Holy Founders Catholic Church and School.

Mary had her first communion at SHF. It was not uncommon for Kurt to drive Frank and the boys home from the river when he was just 14-15 years old after his Dad had gotten way too much sun... or was it too much fresh air?

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Frank bought a 1967 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight 4-door sedan (black on black) from his boss. This was his first real luxury car and he loved it.

Frank bought a Kenner Kittiwake 23’ sailboat summer of 1970 from Don Wooldridge (a wildlife photographer and contributor to The Missouri Conservationist) at Lake of the Ozarks. They sailed in the Ozarks for one summer then moved it to Alton Lake. Frank christened the boat Adler (eagle in German). While installing a new Chrysler 12.9 hp outboard in the Adler, someone bumped into the motor as it sat on the dock causing it to fall into the harbor. Motor goes straight back to the dealer to be overhauled. Frank was not a happy camper on that day.

Oct. 1970 - Frank proudly wore his dark green lederhosen (“leather pants” in German) to the Strassenfest. Luecke kids kept their distance while at the event.

Teresa had her first communion on Nov. 21, 1971 at SHF. Margaret’s children felt that the big house was too much for Grandma to manage and that she should move to a smaller house. Grandma wasn’t happy about her kids pressuring her to move to a smaller home, so she sold the entire contents of the homestead to an antiques dealer for $4000 to the shock and dismay of her children. Lemp home was sold on Jan. 18, 1972.

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34 Jan (72) and Joan (75) graduated from Notre Dame High School.

Frank bought a 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate station wagon (maroon with wood grain siding). Shirley was driving in high style since this was the SUV of its day.

Frank loved playing Big Band records (Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman) on a rockin’ homemade stereo he bought at a yard sale for $40.

1973 - Joan met her long-lost twin sister. As a teenager, Joan met a girl named Darlene at a party in St. Louis.

Joan thought the girl looked strangely familiar and after going to the restroom and looking in the mirror, it dawned on her that the girl looked just like her! They met again at a party two weeks later and found out that they were the same age. Joan asked Darlene what her birthday was.

It was the same day, in the same hospital. And their front teeth were identical. Everyone just assumed they were twins.

Frank bought a new 1973 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight 4-dr sedan (black on black) All three boys attended St. John Vianney High School in Kirkwood. Kurt (‘74 grad), Eric (2 ½ yrs) and Karl (1 yr).

Sept. 1974 - After working for Anheuser-Busch Brewery for 26 years, Frank bought Tommy’s Distributing Company in Poplar Bluff, MO from Tommy and Helen DeSalvo. Luecke Distributing Company, Inc. is born.

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A few weeks before Thanksgiving 1974, Karl drove Frank’s new ‘73 Olds 98 through the garage, jumping the stairwell into the kitchen. As the story goes, on a recent trip to Poplar Bluff Karl had seen a rural mail carrier drive his car from the passenger seat and thought that it would be fun to try. One afternoon he decided to practice the mailman driving technique while his Mom ran into the house to grab a list she forgot. After backing up and pulling forward successfully, he decided to try it one more time.

After backing up, he shifted into drive and mistakenly hit the gas pedal rather than the brake pedal thus launching the car down the driveway, through the garage door, over the curb, in the garage, through the first wall over the stairway (to the basement), through another wall, driving the fridge across the kitchen floor into the sink. Boomer‘s first words following his grand entrance... “It wasn‘t my fault!” All of the kids were home except Eric who was at wrestling practice.

As Joanie tells it, everyone was in the basement watching Starsky and Hutch. Just as a bomb exploded on the scene, the car came crashing through the house. They were stunned at the apparent special effects of the explosion but quickly realized that it was the real thing as a cloud of sheetrock dust came rolling down the stairwell into the basement. Frank was in Poplar Bluff running his new business, so Shirley told the kids to refrain from mentioning the incident during phone calls with their Dad. Shirley invited neighbors over that evening to marvel at her son’s impromptu remodeling job. Shirley arranged to have the repairs completed by the time Frank returned. Karl said there wasn’t one dent on the car itself although the bumper was pushed in a couple of inches and most of it was covered with scratches. Years later when the fridge was being replaced with a newer model, the movers noticed what appeared to be an impression of a car’s headlight on the back panel.

36 Frank rented an apartment (Garrison Apts.), ground level closest to Hwy 67 North.

Jan. 1975 - Eric and Kurt moved to Poplar Bluff and lived with Frank in the apartment for 8 months.

thrown from the truck and subsequently trapped under it. Karl sustained minor injuries while his passenger, Tracy Peters, sustained moderate injuries that kept him in the hospital for several days. The roof of the truck was crushed down to the center of the steering wheel on the driver’s side. Boomer’s first words... “It wasn’t my fault!”

Tracy’s mom sued Frank and won a settlement.

Frank tells the boys that Poplar Bluff is such a safe and secure place to live that you can actually leave the keys in your car without having to worry that someone with 5 kids graduated fm Poplar Bluff HS: Eric (76), Karl (78), steal it. Eric tests his Dad’s theory by leaving the keys Mary (80), Teresa (82), Carolyn (86) in his car and it gets stolen from outside the apartment.

Eric’s classmate, Norman Hite, spotted the car in a nearby Jan married David Clark on May 7, 1977. grocery store parking lot a few days later. The new “owners” were doing a little grocery shopping before their arrest.

Summer of 1975 - The rest of Frank’s family moved to Poplar Bluff into a rental house at the northeast corner of Elm St. and 2nd St. Frank hired Willard Allison to build his castle at 2035 King Rd. in the Haven Hills subdivision, aka “Pill Hill”, so-named for all the doctors who lived in the area.

January 1976 - Moved into the new house.

Frank creates one of the original “man caves” in what he referred to as his rathskeller which is German for “a bar/ restaurant located in the basement.”

Attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Feb. 1976 - Karl rolled the two-tone blue 1973 Dodge pickup on Dead Man’s Curve (Barron Rd). Karl was

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Dec. 19, 1979 - Ryan Clark was born - 1st grandchild of Frank (49) and Shirley (50).

Around 1980, Grandma Luecke moved to St. Joseph’s Home in Jefferson City, and Grandma Frieda (Shirley’s mother) moved to Poplar Bluff.

April 1981 - Teresa flipped Woody’s green 4-door Dodge Dart on W Hwy. She sustained a severe abrasion on her forearm through the broken windshield as the car slid across the pavement on its roof.

Dec. 12, 1981 - Kurt married Fawn Ochsenschlager May 9, 1982 - Shirley’s mother (Frieda Woodward) died in Poplar Bluff.

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July 11, 1982 - The family gathered at Luecke’s Lake and Lodge outside Westphalia, MO to celebrate Grandma’s 91st birthday.

Aug. 24, 1982 - Grandma Luecke (Margaret Sophia) diesd at St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City (the same place her mother died in 1937).

1982 - Frank bought a GMC motorhome (tan and gold). which he christened the Franz Josef. It burned up the road between Poplar Bluff and St. Louis on trips to baseball games, plays, concerts, etc. It was powered by a 455 cu. in.

GM big block motor that would smoke the front tires on command. The Luecke boys were well connected with tire suppliers in town.

57

38 Frank died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack on the evening of Friday Oct. 12, 1984 while sitting in his recliner in the basement, while watching TV, while reading a book, while smoking a cigar, while drinking an adult beverage of some sort. This is how he spent most evenings at home. It’s noteworthy that Frank and his Dad died in the same manner, while doing something they both enjoyed doing (reading) 59 , in a place they both enjoyed spending time in the evening. He was buried on Tuesday Oct. 16, 1984 at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Poplar Bluff.

1985 - During a boys campout at Lake Wappapello, the Adler mast was raised at night in a thunderstorm. The sailboat was eventually struck by lightning while tied to its dock at Barrett’s Resort.

Dec. 12, 1986 - Shirley’s father (Elmer Huch) died at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.

1990 - Shirley was diagnosed with breast cancer. After mastectomy (no chemo or radiation), Shirley is declared cancer-free.

Summer of 1994 - Luecke family reunion at Jefferson Barracks Park.

Nov. 26, 2002 - Christopher Luecke answered the call to defend his country’s freedom and carry on his grandfather’s military legacy by enlisting in the U.S. Navy. He served as an Aviation Bosun’s Mate Fueler w/ a rank ABF3(AW) on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during the Iraq war.

58

Nov. 16, 2010 - Shirley traveled to Spring (Houston), TX to visit Joan and Carl Boyer.

What was originally intended to be a 3 week visit turned into a permanent move when it became apparent that Shirley should be left alone in her house.

Jan. 28, 2011 - Shirley returned to Poplar Bluff for her first visit back home.

Mar. 4, 2011 - Sold the family homestead on King Road to Kenny and Amy Rowland.

Oct. 2011 - Shirley returned to Poplar Bluff for her second visit.

Sept. 2012- Luecke cousins (grandchildren of Francis X and Margaret) returned to Lemp Ave, now owned by Tim and Patti Mulligan (a friend of Eric’s from HS), for a family reunion.

60

61

62

Jan. 19, 1919 - [3] Clarence Joseph Luecke is born in St. Louis.

Nov. 1918 - End of WWI.

Feb. 16, 1918 - Margaret Luecke’s father, Theodore Radmacher, dies at 70 years old.

Feb. 28, 1917 - [2] Virginia Catherine Luecke is born in St Louis.

Feb. 22, 1915 - [1] Eugene “Gene” Henry Theodore Leo Luecke is born in St. Louis.

Summer 1914 - Beginning of WWI.

1913 - Francis X and Margaret are married in in Westphalia, MO.

Nov. 1912 - Woodrow Wilson is elected president (#28).

Apr. 15, 1912 - The RMS Titanic sinks.

become a Supreme Court justice.

Nov. 1908 - William Howard Taft is elected president (#27). He was the only president to

1902 - An American League team comes to St. Louis and takes the old Brown’s team name.

1901 - Construction of 3117 Lemp Ave. is completed.

a foreign country while in office.

Nov. 1900 - Theodore Roosevelt is elected president (#26). He was the first president to visit

Oct. 1900 - Francis X’s mother, Theresa Uellentrup Luecke, dies at 49 years old.

1900 - The Perfectos change their name to the Cardinals.

1899 - Johan Vaaler invents the paperclip.

1899 - The Browns change their name to the Perfectos.

July 11, 1891 - Margaret Sophia Radmacher is born in Washington township, MO.

Feb. 28, 1887 - Francis Xavier Luecke is born in Westphalia, MO.

Oct. 28, 1886 - The Statue of Liberty, a centennial gift from France, is dedicated.

1883 - The Brown Stockings change their name to the Browns.

1882 - The St. Louis Brown Stockings are founded.

1879 - Thomas Edison creates the first lightbulb.

1868 - Franz Phillip and Theresa immigrate to the U.S.

Feb. 17, 1868 - Franz Phillip and Theresa are married in Oestinghausen, Westfalen.

June 22, 1865 - Last shot fired in the Civil War.

May 1851 - Theresa Uellentrup is born in Paderborn, Westfalen (Germany).

June 18, 1839 - Franz Phillip Luecke is born in Keitlinghausen, Oelde, Westfalen, (Germany).

Timeline

40

Dec. 11, 1941 - Hitler declares war on the U.S.

Dec. 8, 1941 - U.S. and Britain declare war on Japan.

Dec. 7, 1941 - Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.

1941 - M&M’s chocolate candies are introduced as a treat for American GI’s.

Dec. 11, 1937 - Francis X and Margaret purchase 3117 Lemp Ave.

Nov. 7, 1937 - Margaret Luecke’s mother, Anna Catherine Margaret, dies at 86 years old.

of her historic round-the-world flight.

July 2, 1937 - Amelia Earhart disappears over the Pacific Ocean after completing two-thirds

Oct. 1934 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#3).

1934 - The family moves back to St. Louis.

Dec. 5, 1933 - Repeal of Prohibition.

Oct. 24, 1933 - [10] Leroy William Luecke is born in Rich Fountain, MO.

Nov. 1932 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president (#32).

Oct. 1931 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#2).

Nov. 17, 1930 - [9] Francis “Frank” Joseph Luecke is born in Rich Fountain, MO.

Depression)

Oct. 29, 1929 - “Black Tuesday” (stock market crash that marked the beginning of the Great

Oct. 5, 1929 - Shirley Mae Huch is born in St. Louis.

Mar. 12, 1929 - [8] Norbert “Norb” Peter Luecke is born in Rich Fountain, MO.

Nov. 1928 - Herbert Hoover is elected president (#31).

Mar. 10, 1927 - [7] Leander “Lee” Anton Luecke is born in Rich Fountain, MO.

They won after Babe Ruth drew a walk then was thrown out trying to steal 2nd.

Oct. 1926 - St. Louis Cardinals win their first World Series title beating the New York Yankees.

Mar. 31, 1925 - [6] Ferdinand “Fred” Anton Luecke is born in Rich Fountain, MO.

Nov. 1924 - Calvin Coolidge is elected president.

Aug. 17, 1922 - [5] Virgil “Virg/VB” Bernard Luecke is born in Rich Fountain, MO.

Nov. 17, 1921 - Franz Phillip Luecke dies at 82 years old.

women voted. Harding dies in office and Calvin Coolidge (#30) assumes the presidency.

Nov. 1920 - Warren G. Harding is elected president (#29). It was the first election in which

Francis X and Margaret move their family from St. Louis to a farm in Rich Fountain.

Oct. 8, 1920 - [4] Marie Josephine Luecke is born in St. Louis.

Jan. 16, 1920 - Prohibition goes into effect.

1919 - Charles Strite invents the modern pop-up toaster.

1954 - Frank and Shirley buy their 1st house (3808 Primm St/St. Louis).

June 22, 1954 - Francis X dies at 67 years old.

Apr. 4, 1954 - [1] Jan Marie is born at Deaconess Hospital.

Jan. 11, 1954 - Frank is granted an honorable discharge.

July 27, 1953 - Korean war cease fire signed.

July 25, 1953 - Frank marries Shirley Mae Edna Huch at St. Agatha Parish.

1953 - The Browns leave St. Louis and become the Baltimore Orioles.

1953 - August “Gussie” Busch Jr. purchases the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.

President.

Nov. 1952 - Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected president (#34). Richard Nixon was his Vice

March 10, 1952 - Frank enters the U.S. Navy.

Sept. 1950 to Feb. 1952 - Frank attends St. Louis University.

1950 - Francis X’s leg is amputated.

1949 - Frank meets Shirley Huch at Anheuser-Busch; they start dating around Easter.

Nov. 1948 - Harry Truman is elected president.

July 1948 - Frank gets hired on at Anheuser-Busch.

May 30, 1948 - Frank graduates from St. Francis de Sales High School.

1948 - The Frisbee is invented by Walter Morrison and Warren Franscioni.

Oct. 1946 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#6).

USS Missouri. End of U.S. involvement in WWII.

Sept. 2, 1945 - Japanese sign surrender agreement in Tokyo Bay, Japan aboard the battleship

Aug. 14, 1945 - Japanese agree to unconditional surrender.

Aug. 9, 1945 - Second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.

Aug. 6, 1945 - First atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

May 7, 1945 - Unconditional surrender of all German forces to Allies.

the presidency (#33).

Apr. 12, 1945 - FDR dies of a cerebral hemorrhage. Vice President Harry Truman assumes

Nov. 7, 1944 - FDR is re-elected to a 4th term.

Louis Browns in what was known as “The Streetcar Series”.

Oct. 1944 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#5), beating their cross-town rivals the St.

June 11, 1944 - Frank graduated from St. Francis de Sales Elementary School.

June 6, 1944 - D-Day - 160,000 Allied troops land on the shores of Normandy, France.

Oct. 1942 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#4).

42

1974 - Post-It Notes are invented by Arthur Fry.

1974 - Kurt graduates from St. John Vianney High School.

Jan. 28, 1973 - Vietnam cease fire is signed.

1972 - Jan graduates from Notre Dame High School.

Jan. 18, 1972 – Lemp Ave. home is sold.

August 15-18, 1969 - Woodstock takes place from in the town of Bethel, NY.

July 20, 1969 - Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to set foot on the Moon.

Summer of 1969 - Frank and Shirley move to 10089 Stonell Dr/St. Louis (Lakeshire).

Nov. 1968 - Richard Nixon is elected president (#37).

Summer of 1968 - Frank and Shirley move to 725 Marcella Rd./Des Plaines, IL (Chicago).

Apr. 4, 1968 - Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated.

Feb. 21, 1968 - [8] Carolyn Jean is born at Deaconess Hospital.

Oct. 1967 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#8).

Summer of 1965 - Frank and Shirley move to 3952 French Ct./St. Louis in the.

Nov. 1964 - LBJ wins presidential election.

Oct. 1964 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#7).

Feb. 1964 - The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Johnson assumes the presidency (#36) aboard Air Force One.

Nov. 22, 1963 - John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, TX. Vice President Lyndon B.

Oct. 23, 1963 - [7] Teresa “T” Ann is born in Tennessee.

Christmas of 1962 - Frank and Shirley move to 1750 Carr Ave. Memphis, TN.

Nov. 24, 1961 - [6] Mary Elizabeth is born at Deaconess Hospital.

become president.

Nov. 1960 - John F. Kennedy is elected president (#35). He was the first and only Catholic to

Dec. 10, 1959 - [5] Karl “Boomer” Joseph is born at Deaconess Hospital.

Summer of 1958 - Frank and Shirley move to 3680 Bellerive Blvd/St. Louis.

June 26, 1958 - [4] Eric John is born at Deaconess Hospital.

Industrial Relations.

1957 - Frank graduates from St. Louis University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce/

Jan. 14, 1957 - [3] Joan “Joanie/Joni” Frances is born at Deaconess Hospital.

Oct. 9, 1955 - [2] Kurt Gerard is born at Deaconess Hospital.

Frank resumes his studies at St. Louis University.

1990 - Shirley is diagnosed with breast cancer, but after a mastectomy she is declared cancer-free.

President to be elected president since Martin Van Buren in 1836.

Nov. 1988 - George H.W. Bush is elected president (#41). He was the first sitting Vice

Oct. 3, 1987 - Eric marries Carol Lea Hodge in Poplar Bluff.

Dec. 12, 1986 - Shirley’s father, Elmer Huch, dies at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.

Nov. 25, 1986 - Mary marries Tommy Armes.

1986 - Carolyn graduates from Poplar Bluff High School.

Oct. 12, 1984 - Frank dies at 53 years old.

Apr. 30, 1983 - Joan marries Carl Boyer on in Anaheim, CA.

Oct. 1982 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#9).

in Jefferson City, the same place her mother died in 1937.

Aug. 24, 1982 - Grandma Luecke (Margaret Sophia) dies at 91 years old at St. Mary’s Hospital

1982 - Teresa graduates from Poplar Bluff High School.

May 9, 1982 - Shirley’s mother, Frieda Woodward, dies at 78 years old in Poplar Bluff.

Dec. 12, 1981 - Kurt marries Fawn Ochsenschlager.

Nov. 1980 - Ronald Reagan is elected president (#40).

1980 - Grandma Frieda (Shirley’s mother) moves to Poplar Bluff.

1980 - Grandma Luecke moves to St. Joseph’s Home in Jefferson City.

1980 - Mary graduates from Poplar Bluff High School.

Dec. 19, 1979 - Ryan Clark is born, the first grandchild of Frank and Shirley.

1978 - Karl graduates from Poplar Bluff High School.

May 7, 1977 - Jan marries David Clark.

1976 - Eric graduates from Poplar Bluff High School.

Nov. 1976 - Jimmy Carter is elected president (#39).

subdivision.

January 1976 - The family moves into the new house at 2035 King Rd. in the Haven Hills

corner of Elm St. and 2nd St.

Summer of 1975 - The rest of Frank’s family moves to Poplar Bluff into a rental house at the

1975 - Joan graduated from Notre Dame High School.

Jan. 1975 - Frank, Eric, and Kurt move to Poplar Bluff and live in an apartment for 8 months.

Sept. 1974 - Frank buys Tommy’s Distributing Company in Poplar Bluff, MO.

Vice President Gerald Ford assumes presidency (#38).

Aug. 8, 1974 - Nixon announces his resignation on live TV and radio from the Oval Office.

44

Sept. 2012 - Luecke family reunion hosted at Lemp Ave.

Oct. 2011 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#11).

Oct. 2011 - Shirley returns to Poplar Bluff for her second visit.

March 4, 2011 - The family homestead on King Road is sold to Kenny and Amy Rowland.

Jan. 28, 2011 - Shirley returns to Poplar Bluff for her first visit home.

Nov. 16, 2010 - Shirley moves to Spring (Houston), TX to live with Joan and Carl Boyer.

Dec. 12, 2009 - Jan marries Bob Leible on.

Nov. 2008 - Barack Hussein Obama is elected president (#44).

Oct. 2006 - St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series (#10).

atmosphere.

Feb. 1, 2003 - Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during re-entry into the earth’s

Sept. 13, 2003 - Carolyn marries Kelley Lackey on.

Nov. 26, 2002 - Christopher Luecke enlists in the U.S. Navy.

Sept. 11, 2001 - Terrorists fly planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Nov. 2000 - George W. Bush is elected president (#43). It was the closest election since 1876.

Nov. 1992 - Bill Clinton is elected president (#42).

Aug. 1, 1992 - Karl marries Lisa Juliette Foley.

46

Appendix a Map from bergbook.com b Map from alte-landkarten.de 1 Theodore Joseph Radmacher was born on Aug. 29, 1847 in Muendelheim,

Angermund, Rheinland (Germany) and died Feb. 16, 1918 at 70 years old. He was the 6th of 12 children: the 5th of 8 boys. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1851.

Theodore married his first wife, Elizabeth Boehm, in a double wedding with Theodore’s sister Josephine and Elizabeth’s brother John on June 21, 1870. The actual marriage record said Elisa Boehm. Theodore and Elizabeth had at least 2 children: Peter (1877-1933) and Ferdinand (1885-at least 1933). Elizabeth died at 34 years old in 1885, so it’s possible that she died giving birth to Ferdinand.

Anna Catherine Margaret (Bolton) Radmacher was born Nov. 15, 1850 in Lohman, MO, and died Nov. 7, 1937 at 86 years old at St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City, MO from bronchial pneumonia. She was one of 8 children: 6 boys and 2 girls. Theodore and Anna Catherine were married on Tues. May 15, 1888.

He was 40, she was 38. Theodore and Anna are buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Rich Fountain.

2 Francis X and Margaret Luecke on their wedding day 3 The Luecke family around 1941 4 Francis X and Margaret’s children: [1] Eugene “Gene” Henry Theodore Leo Luecke Born Mon. Feb. 22, 1915 in St. Louis. Francis X was 27 and Margaret was 23, they had been married for 1 year and 7-12 months. 3114 A Seventh St. was the address listed on his birth certificate.

Confirmed Apr. 23, 1926 at Sacred Heart in Rich Fountain. Sponsor: Leo Mengwasser.

Married Dorothy Arlene Crabdree on June 28, 1940. He was 25, she was 16. They

were married for 40 years. They had one child, Bonnie Gene Margaret Kathleen, who was born Aug. 17, 1941.

Gene worked at A-B for 37 years as a brewer working for a brewmaster.

Gene was a WWII combat infantryman (U.S. Army) from May 1944 to March 1946. He was wounded by shrapnel (in the foot) from an exploding mortar.

Awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Service Star. Spent 9 months in a hospital before returning to U.S. Had his first heart attack at 42 years old (1957) while at work. He drove to his parent’s home on Lemp Ave. and Grandma called an ambulance.

Retired early from A-B at 58 years old (1973) for health reasons (heart condition).

Gene died September 16, 1980 at 65 years old. Cause of death: heart disease Gene and Dorothy are buried in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Westphalia, MO. [2] Virginia Catherine Luecke Born Wed. Feb. 28, 1917 (her Dad’s 30th bday) in St Louis.

Confirmed Apr. 23, 1926 at Sacred Heart in Rich Fountain - Sponsor: Margaret Luecke Virginia was referred to as “Sis” by her siblings.

Married John Dill on Sept. 27, 1933. He was 26, she was 16. They were married about 31 years. They had three children: Harold (5.7.35), Ron (7.11.38), and Bobby (6.19.44) Married Bob Montgomery on Sept. 24, 1986. He was 53, she was 69. They were married 12 years.

Virginia’s interests were gardening, canning, sewing, decorating, and dancing.

She died Oct. 3, 1998 at 81 years old.

Virginia and Bob are buried in Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Affton, MO. [3] Clarence Joseph Luecke Born Sun. Jan. 19, 1919 in St. Louis.

Confirmed Oct. 1, 1931 at Sacred Heart in Rich Fountain - Sponsor: Bernard Luecke Married Henrietta “Etta” Rehagen on June 5, 1946 at Sacred Heart Church in Rich Fountain. He was 27, she was 21. They had 7 children: Ken (6.23.47), Kathie (9.27.50), Jeanette (11.6.52), Tom (3.25.56), Greg (3.27.59), Mark (3.25.62) and Michelle (3.8.67). They were married 50 years.

Clarence worked at A-B for 39 years in brewing equipment maintenance. He

went to work for A-B at 17 years old (1936), joined the Army in 1941, served 4 years on the front lines in Europe as an infantryman, went back to A-B, and retired in 1979 at 60 years old.

Clarence’s interests: fishing, carpentry, leading 12 Step programs, telling stories and jokes. In retirement he went to an AA meeting almost every day.

He moved to Poplar Bluff in 1985. His family followed in 1986.

Clarence died May 2, 1997 at 78 years old. Cause of death: apparent heart attack Clarence is buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Poplar Bluff, MO. [4] Marie Josephine Luecke Born Fri. Oct. 8, 1920 in St. Louis Confirmed Oct. 1, 1931 at Sacred Heart in Rich Fountain - Sponsor: Elizabeth Neuner Marie went to Winkelmann School in Rich Fountain through the 8th grade. She lived at home on Lemp Ave. until she got married.

Married Philip William DeLong on Feb. 9, 1946. He was 27, she was 25. They had one child: Beverly Susan (1.29.47). They were married 41 years.

Phil was co-founder and co-owner of DeLong Steel Co. in Jefferson City, MO Marie died on Mar. 2 (or 5?), 2002 at 81 years old.

Marie and Phil are buried in Resurrection Cemetery in Jefferson City, MO [5] Virgil “Virg/VB” Bernard Luecke Born Thurs. Aug. 17, 1922 in Rich Fountain, MO Baptism: Aug. 20, 1922 - Godparents: Theodore and Elizabeth Luecke Confirmed Oct. 1, 1931 at Sacred Heart in Rich Fountain - Sponsor: Adolph Mengwasser Married Florence “Flo” Mezzacapa on Aug. 3, 1942. He was 19, she was 17. The had four children: Richard (3.20.43), Amy (4.14.45), David (1.15.48) and Cindy (9.5.59). They were married 53 years.

Served as a Chief Petty Officer in the Merchant Marines from 1942 to 1949 Virgil worked for the A-B brewery in Newark for 30+ years as a brewer.

Virgil was active in the Knights of Columbus, and dedicated to causes that supported funding for mental retardation and feeding the hungry.

Virgil died Oct. 25, 1995 at 73 years old. Cause of death: heart failure (had a quadruple bypass in 1985).

Virgil and Flo are buried in Calvary Cemetery in Sayreville, NJ.

[6] Ferdinand “Fred” Anton Luecke Born Tues. Mar. 31, 1925 in Rich Fountain, MO Baptism: April 3, 1925 - Godparents: Ferdinand Radmacher and Anna Mengwasser Confirmed October 13, 1935 at St. Francis de Sales Church in St. Louis, MO Married Arline Wichmann on Feb. 7, 1948 @ St. Agatha Church. He was 22, she was 21. They lived in Grandma’s house their first year of marriage. They had two children: Cindy (5.30.51) and Cheri (11.29.59). They were married 43 years.

Fred worked at National Cash Register for 28 years as a Service Technician.

Served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. Fred enjoyed restoring old cash registers and collecting napkin holders.

He died Dec. 6, 1991 at 66 years old.

Fred is buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO. [7] Leander “Lee” Anton Luecke Born Thurs. Mar. 10, 1927 in Rich Fountain, MO Baptism: March 13, 1927 - Godparents: Anton and Bertha Hertzing Confirmed October 13, 1935 at St. Francis de Sales Church in St. Louis, MO He enlisted on July 16, 1945. Branch of service: U.S. Army Air Corps - Staff Sergeant, served stateside Married Shirley Syberg on Feb. 3, 1951 @ St. Agatha Church. He was 23, she was 19. They had four children: Linda (3.12.54), Donna (10.31.57), Bobby (4.6.60) and Laura (2.13.64). They were married 48 years.

Lee worked at Anheuser-Busch for 40+ years as a Master Brewer.

His interests: was a pilot, hee and Shirley would rent small planes out of Weiss airport and fly to Jeff City or Chicago (before the accident).

Six months after getting married, Lee was working around a large boiler tank when it exploded. His wrist was crushed and he was in a body cast from his waist to the top of his head. They were living at Grandma’s at the time. The brewery’s settlement was next to nothing.

Lee died Mar. 14, 1999 @ 72 yrs old Lee and Shirley are buried in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO. [8] Norbert “Norb” Peter Luecke Born Tues. Mar. 12, 1929 in Rich Fountain, MO Baptism: March 15, 1929 - Godparents: Peter and Gertrude (Gertie) Radmacher

48

Peter was Margaret’s half-brother from her father’s 1st marriage (to Elizabeth Boehm) Confirmed October 24, 1937 at St. Francis de Sales Church in St. Louis, MO Married Margaret “Marge” Mary Boydte on November 25, 1954 at St. Francis de Sales Church. He was 25, she was 25.They had five children: Karen (9.5.50) Chris (8.13.53) Kim (4.24.58) Mike (9.22.59) Steve (2.24.61).

Served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantryman in the Korean War (no combat).

Norb’s interests: roller skating, dancing, cars Norb is alive and well at 82 years old [9] Francis “Frank” Joseph Luecke Born Mon. Nov. 17, 1930 in Rich Fountain, MO. His Dad was 43 and his Mom was 39.

Baptism: November 18, 1930 - Godparents: Joseph and Teresa Luecke Confirmed October 19, 1939 at St. Francis de Sales Church in St. Louis, MO Married Shirley Mae Huch on July 25, 1953 @ St. Agatha Church. He was 22, she was 23. They had eight children: Jan (4.4.54), Kurt (10.9.55), Joan (1.14.57), Eric (6.26.58), Karl (12.10.59), Mary (11.24.61), Teresa (10.23.63) and Carolyn (2.21.68). They were married 31 years.

Served in the U.S. Navy 2 years as a Quartermaster during the Korean War. Worked at Anheuser-Busch for 26 years before becoming an A-B distributor.

Frank’s interests: sailing, big band music, reading and smoking cigars Frank died Oct. 12, 1984 at 53 years old. Cause of death: heart attack/heart disease [10] Leroy William Luecke Born Tues. Oct. 24, 1933 in Rich Fountain, MO Baptized Oct. 27, 1933 - Godparents: Francis Berhorst and Elizabeth Klebba Leroy had Down Syndrome and lived at home on Lemp Ave. until the summer of 1953.

Leroy was captivated by the trolley that passed in front of their house and the trolley operator eventually offered to give Leroy a ride for one lap around his route. From that point on, Leroy regularly got rides on the trolley. It was an opportunity for Grandma to have a brief break from having to look after him.

Eventually there came a point when Grandma could no longer handle him. Leroy was small in stature, but very powerful and not easily controlled. He lived most of his life at St. Louis State Hospital (now called Bellefontaine Habilitation Center)

in Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO Grandma went to visit Leroy as often as she could get someone to take her. She never complained about the challenges of having a son with a profound disability.

Although Leroy had very limited functioning, caregivers who attended his funeral had much to say about his enjoyment of life and his penchant for practical jokes such as hiding things from his roommates.

Leroy would refer to his brother Frank as Frankie or Frankie Joe. He loved to visit the homes of his siblings.

Leroy March 11, 1995 at 61 years old.

He is buried in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Westphalia, MO.

5 Grandpa and Grandma Luecke 6 Lemp Ave. Construction of 3117 Lemp Ave was completed in 1901. The home was built in 1901 by Otto Leimbach, who owned a dry goods store at 3000 Lemp Ave. The sign for that store is apparently still there. After Grandma Luecke sold the home on Lemp Ave., it was eventually bought (in 1985) by Tim Mulligan, a former classmate and wrestling teammate of Eric’s at Vianney High School. Tim and his wife Patti Eischen are only the fifth owners of the home in 110 years.

7 Francis Joseph Luecke’s first communion 8 I contacted the editor of the paper that the story would’ve been printed in (The

Okawville Times) and he looked through every paper in the summer of 1944, but couldn’t find any reference to the adventure. He seemed to be just as disappointed as I was.

9 Frank Luecke 10 Frank sailing on the Mississippi River 11 Frank in Navy uniform at Lemp Ave. 12 Frank on deck of the USS Cascade in Cannes, France

13 Frank at the helm of the USS Cascade 14 Elmer Friedrich Huch was born November 23, 1903 in Columbia, IL. Elmer was the son of John and Maria (Riebeling) Huch. John had a twin brother (Michael Huch) who died on Nov. 5, 1953. Elmer had 2 brothers and 6 sisters: John, Oliver Huch, Lulu Axley, Elaine Trost, Edna Ramsey, Adele Gaetaniello, Marie Merli, and Eva Stumpf. Elmer was a mechanic who worked on forklifts. He worked at Kroger, Reese Trucking and AAA Lift Truck Co. He retired when he was 70.

He loved to hunt (in his younger days), fish, sit out on his porch, play with his dog and listen to St. Louis Cardinals baseball on his AM transitor radio. Elmer died on December 12, 1986 at 83 years old at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. He had 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren at the time of his death. He is buried in the Evangelical St. Paul Cemetery in Columbia, IL. Gene’s story of Elmer at the Wigwam Tavern at 2750 Chippewa in St. Louis: “They had music there on Friday evenings, usually just a lady playing the piano, but later on your Grandpa was playing his drums. He was pretty good at it too. I remember when we were young and a song came on the radio (no TV then) that he liked, he would get a couple of table knives and tap on the table to accompany the song. (Mom wasn’t too nuts about it as I recall). He had a pretty good drum set. I never saw them or asked about them after they moved from there.”

Frieda Marie Rehg was born on March 17, 1904 in Olmstead, IL. She was the daughter of Fred and Caroline (Lutz) Rehg. Frieda had 2 brothers and 2 sisters: Walter, William Rehg, Anna Heisner, and Edna Mosbacher. Frieda died on May 9, 1982 at 78 yrs old in Poplar Bluff, MO. Frieda is buried in the St. Paul United Church of Christ Cemetery in Columbia, IL Elmer and Frieda married on 1925. Frieda and Elmer divorced in 1953 or 1954.

Elmer lived with Helen Sparwasser and her husband above The Wigwam Tavern.

Elmer moved to Farmington, MO in 1973 with Helen Sparwasser. They lived at 611 Wesley Dr. Frieda married Oliver “Woody” Woodward on July 16, 1955. He was 55 and she was 51. Woody was a machinist by trade and loved to bowl in his spare time. Woody drove a tan 1964 Ford Fairlane 2-door sedan. Frieda and Woody lived at 4328 Nebraska Ave.

15 St. Louis homes Shirley lived in: 1301a Wyoming (address on Shirley’s birth certificate)

1956 Wyoming (rental) from 1935 to 1955 2628a Virginia Ave. (upstairs) from 1955 until they bought...

4328 Nebraska Ave. (shotgun house)

16 Shirley Huch - picture that Frank took to the service 17 Shirley in front of Lou’s house, Summer of 1947 18 Shirley in a bathing suit 19 Frank and Shirley dating 1 20 Frank and Shirley dating 2 21 Frank and Shirley dating 3 22 Frank and Shirley in his 1940 Ford convertable, Fall 1949 or Spring 1950 23 Frank and Shirley hanging onto mast, Summer of 1951 24 Frank and Shirley, Summer of 1951 25 Guests throwing rice at Frank and Shirley’s wedding 26 Frank and Shirley’s wedding party 27 Frank and Shirley’s wedding day 28 Frank and Shirley cooling off after wedding 29 Frank and Shirley, Christmas 1952 30 Frank and Shirley

50

31 His diabetes was not well controlled and there was talk of having to amputate another leg. He had Congestive Heart Failure for four years, and contributing causes of death were Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease and Diabetes Mellitis.

47 Joanie on the hood of ’63 Buick in Memphis, TN 48 Joanie’s first communion at Immaculate Conception in Memphis, TN

32 Jan in 1955

49 Joan and Teresa

33 Frank and Shirley

50 Karl fishing, 1964

34 Shirley at Miss Budweiser Beauty Pageant

51 Luecke’s at Marie and Phil’s house around 1966

35 Eric

52 Frank J. Luecke

36 Jan, Joan, and Kurt, Christmas 1958

53 Grandma Luecke on front porch of 3117 Lemp Ave.

37 Karl, Summer of 1960

54 Eric and his ’57 Chevy at Bob Susanka’s house, Nov. 29, 1980

38 Luecke kids, Winter of 1960

55 Luecke brothers, April 11, 1980

39 Mary

56 Grandma Luecke

40 Jan and Joanie

57 Frieda Huch

41 Kurt, Eric, Joan, and Karl at the beach, Summer 1964

58 Frank Luecke at Arapaho Pass, CO in March of 1968

42 Frank “cookin’ yardbird and drinkin’ Bud” in Memphis, TN, June 1964

59 After Frank read a book, he would always go back to the inside cover, date it,

43 Shirley with kids on Carr Ave. (Memphis, TN), Easter 1963 44 Teresa and Mary 45 Luecke kids at the lake in 1964 46 Shirley with kids boarding plane

sometimes comment on it, sometimes give it a grade, then sign or initial.

60 Thanksgiving at Joanie and Carl Boyer’s house 2011 61 Eric and Shirley 2009 62 Shirley and Jane Weber in San Marcos, TX, Oct. 30, 2011