Frederick Carl Luther, 1858

stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org on Sat, 17 Feb 2001

Surname: LUTHER, SCHULTZ, LINDETUGER, CORNWALL, PAUL, GRETZNER, FELSKY

----Source: History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918), by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

FREDERICK CARL LUTHER, who is engaged in operating a good farm section 2, Loyal Township, where he has resided many years was born in Posen, Germany, Mar. 3, 1858, son of Ludwig and Julianna (Schultz) Luther. The parents, who were farming people, died in Germany. They had five children, Frederick, Julius, Minnie, Emma and Gusta. Of these, Frederick was the only one to emigrate to the United States which he did in 1882, settling near Watertown, in Jefferson County, Wis.

The journey to America was in reality a wedding trip for him, as he had married in Germany, Mar. 23, that year, Wilhelmina Schultz, daughter of August and Wilhelmina (Zaber) Schultz, whose parents, extensive farmers, have six children-Gustave, August, Henrietta, Julia, Wilhelmina and Emma. Before his marriage Frederick C. Luther had acquired a good education had worked five years at railroad work in Germany and served two years as a soldier. After arriving in this country he and his wife lived in Jefferson County for about two years, he working at the mason's trade. In 1884 they left that part of the state and came to Clark County, buying forty acres of land in section 2, Loyal Township. They now found themselves confronted with pioneer work, as there were no roads in the immediate vicinity and their land was covered with big pines. Mr. Luther had no teams and had to grub in his first crop by hand. He also had to build a residence for himself and wife and so constructed a log house, 20 by 30 feet in size, with three rooms downstairs and one upstairs. His trading-place was Spencer, and he had to carry produce there on his back and return with :flour and other provisions in the same manner. He got an ox by raising it from a calf, but had a cow when he started in the fall. His first conveyance was a wooden "jumper." Subsequently he traded an ox team for a horse team.

His buildings at first were of logs, but later he built an eight-room brick house, his log house having burned down in January, 1909. He has also put up a barn, 36 by 50 feet, and a silo, 12 by 20 feet, having a three-foot wall. He has cleared his forty acres by his own efforts and now has a good farm, raising Holstein cattle successfully.

A member of the Lutheran Church, he has served twenty-five years as its clerk and celebrated his jubilee in January, 1917. In early days services were held in his log cabin and he assisted in starting the old log church of that denomination; he and his family have also assisted the third church in Loyal.

Mr. and Mrs. Luther are the parents of ten children: Adolph, of Sherman Township, who married Clara Lindetuger, and has two children-Veriia and Florence; Otto, who is a cheese-maker living in Beaver Township; Emil, who married Blanch Cornwall, resides in Thorp, Clark County and has two children, Gerald and infant; Frank, of Montana, who married Mina Paul, and has two children, Frances and Fern; John and Martin, who are unmarried; Martha, who is the wife of Otto Schwan, and has five children, Ernest, Herald, Erneline, Esther, and Rhinehaldt; Aluina, now Mrs. Adolph Gretzner, whose children are Gladys, Eva and Viola; Lena, now Mrs. Albert Felsky, of Beaver Township, who has one child, Aleda; and Alma, who resides at home.