Bernard Modde, an old resident of Bois Brule Bottom, was born in Bouchaute, Belgium, on September 16, 1827. He remained in his native country until 1857, when with his family he came to America. He located in St. Louis, where he remained for seven years.

He then came to Perry County and rented a farm at Allen�s Landing, and for a number of years lived upon leased land in that and this neighborhood. He is now the owner of a good farm.

In 1850 Mr. Modde married Amelia Verbeke who died in 1868 with the cholera, leaving five children, three of whom died the same week with that disease. That was a sad blow to the devoted husband and father who with his two motherless sons was forced to bear the grief. Of the two sons, William, the younger, died unmarried in 1882.

Edward, the elder married Catherine Bouwens, and is a respected resident of Bois Brule Township. Mr. Modde chose for his second wife Julia Nuyt a native of Belgium, to whom he was married on December 20, 1868. Five children have been born to them of whom four are living. They are Joseph, Mary, John and Rosalie. These children with others of the neighborhood receive regular instruction from Father De Ceunynek.

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.