William Litsch - Goodspeed
Rankin Family History Project
Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri

William Litsch


William Litsch (deceased) was born in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany in 1828, and was a son of Joseph Litsch, who was a baker by trade. William was educated in his native country, and at the age of fifteen years entered a large store as an apprentice, and remained three years at the end of which time he learned bookkeeping.

When twenty-one years of age he was drafted into the army but being opposed to the Emperor and his party, escaped to America. Upon coming to the United States, he located in St. Louis, and was employed in a butcher shop. In 1849 he came to Perry County, Mo., and soon hired as a clerk in a general store in the county.

Wm. Litsch

In 1858 he married Miss Francisca Armbruster, also a native of the Grand Duchy of Baden, born in 1827. With three of her sisters she came to the United States n 1848. Seven children were born to this union, four of whom are living, viz.: Julia (Mrs. Jacob Killian), Tresa (Mrs. Kendrick Hayden), Charles, and Emma (Mrs. Thomas L. Phillips). Immediately after his marriage Mr. Litsch established a general store four miles east of Perryville, but removed to Perryville in 1865 where he continued in business the remainder of life; his death occurred on December 16, 1876.

He possessed the business capacity and was very successful. For years he was one of the leading merchants of Perry County and was universally respected. He was always charitable to all commendable enterprises, ever working for the advancement and prosperity of his county, and his death was a severe loss to his family and to the community. He was appointed treasurer at Perry County in April, 1865, and being elected to the same office in 1866, he was re-elected every two years thereafter as long as he lived.

Since his death his widow has resided in the home he left her. She is a zealous member of the Roman Catholic Church, and is a very estimable lady.

Charles Litsch will begin merchandising at the old stand of William Furth in Perryville, and will put in $9,000 stock of goods. He was educated in the public schools of Perryville, with eighteen months at St. Vincent�s College at Cape Girardeau.

In 1878, he went to St. Louis, and worked for about eighteen months as salesman in a wholesale fancy and notion house, after which he returned to Perryville and hired to William Furth, by whom he has since been employed. For the past eighteen months he has been Mr. Furth�s bookkeeper. He has had experience in all branches of merchandising, which amply fits him to carry on an establishment on his own responsibility.

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The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.

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