Ok, I have found a letter written by one of my great aunts in 1967. She was a sister of my great grandfather Harry Robert Luescher. Obviously some it I am unable to verify, but then what appears to be simple things I cannot verify either. For instance I can not find any trace of a Rudolph Luescher with any spellings involved in either the Spanish American War or the 260 people that died on the USS Maine. I cannot find any Mulsen, Switzerland either. I can find a Mulsen, Germany, so am wondering if she meant Muhen, Switzerland. I cannot find a Walter Luescher in California, or the records of Rudolph Luescher jr, that went to California and then Philadelphia. Please review the story and timeline below to see if you can offer me any assistance. I have tried to get assistance with locating records in Switzerland, but none of the sites are in English and I have not had anyone respond to my queries to the genealogical societies there.
"Sometime in the early 1600’s the family of Count Leseur lived in France. When the Peasant Revolution brokt out in 1700 they fled to Italy; and around 1820 had to leave Italy. They lost everything including some very valuable paintings which were confiscated by the Italian government.
They fled to Bern, Switzerland; then changed their name to Luscher. Later they went to Mulsen, Switzerland, where Grandfather Rudolph was born August 4th, 1835. As the family was very poor, they apprenticed Rudolph, their oldest son, at the age of 12 to a shoemaker to support the family and learn a trade. When our Grandpa Luscher became of age he left the shoemaker and married a French girl. They had two children, one boy, Rudolph, JR. and one girl, name not known. His wife went back to France and took the baby girl with her. She left the boy with his father and never returned. Later Grandpa remarried. She was Ursula Frei and they had three children, two girls named Ida (Oldest died in childhood) and one boy, Otto Wilhelm, our father. Otto was born August 5, 1871 in Basel, Switzerland, and Ida was born February 28, 1875. When Otto was 11 and Ida 7 they came to the United States of America in 1882. They landed at New Orleans, Louisiana. Later they settled at Seguin, Texas.
They changed their name from Luscher to Luescher. The oldest boy, Rudolph Jr, went to California and then went to Philadelphia. He married and had a family, but we don’t know much about the family. One son Walter Luescher was in California. Rudolph, Jr., joined the navy when the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898. He was on the USS Maine in Havana, Cuba and when it was sunk it was presumed he went down with the ship, as nothing was heard of him thereafter.
Otto Wilhelm Luescher married Mathilda Muenzler. They had three boys and four girls. The boys are Harry Robert Luescher, Eugene Wilhelm Luescher, and Paul Johannes Luescher, who died in childhood. The girls are Alma Luescher Voges, Emma Ursula Luescher Albrecht, Lillie Hulda Luescher Albrecht, and Velma Augusta Luescher Hammond.
Ida Luescher married Edward Albrecht. They had three children, two girls and one boy; Wanda Albrecht, Voigt, Olga Albrecht Kirchoff, and Herbert Albrecht.
Grandma Frei Luescher had one brother, that we know of, Jacob Frei. He was married, had children, but do not know how many. He drowned in the Mississippi River. One son, Jacob Frei, was in Houston, Texas, in 1920, but left within six months. He had a family, but don’t know anything about them.
Rudolph Luescher died June 12, 1914. Ursula Frei Luescher died January 22, 1921.
Ida Luescher Albrecht died March 11, 1907. Edward Albrecht died March 2, 1935. They are buried in the Lutheran Cemetary at Monthalia, Texas.
Otto Wilhelm Luescher died April 9, 1949. Mathilda Muenzler Luescher died September 15, 1951. They are buried in the Three Rivers Cemetary."
1600 Approx
France
Family name was Leseur and allegedly nobility
1789 Approx
Italy
Family fled here from France when the French Revolution started
1820 Approx
Bern, Switzerland
Family fled to Switzerland losing most possessions and changed Family name to Luscher
04 AUG 1835
Switzerland Birth
Rudolph Luescher born to ??? and ???
1836
Switzerland Birth
M Ursula Frei born to ??? and ???
1842 Approx
Switzerland
Rudolph Luescher apprenticed as shoemaker at 12 years of age
1853 Approx
Switzerland
Rudolph Luescher married French girl named xxx (Two children. Rudolph jr and unknown girl)
05 AUG 1871
Basel, Switzerland Birth
Otto Wilhelm Luescher born to Rudolph Luescher and Ursula (Frei) Luescher
1875 or 1877
Switzerland Birth
Ida Luescher born to Rudolph Luescher and Ursula (Frei) Luescher
18 DEC 1882
Arrival from Le Havre, France to New Orleans, USA
Mr Rudolph Lucher, 47, Farmer, From Switzerland, Steerage Class
M???e U. Lucher, 46, From Switzerland, Steerage Class
Otto Lucher, 11, From Switzerland, Steerage Class
Ida Lucher, 5, From Switzerland, Steerage Class
14 DEC 1893
Seguin, Guadalupe, Texas Marriage
Otto Wilhelm Luescher and Mathilda Annie Muenzler
1894
Gonzales, Texas Birth
Alma Emilia Luescher born to Otto Wilhelm Luescher and Mathilda Annie (Muenzler) Luescher
08 AUG 1897
Gonzales, Texas Birth
Harry Robert Luescher born to Otto Wilhelm Luescher and Mathilda Annie (Muenzler) Luescher
1899
Gonzales, Texas Birth
Emma Ursula Luescher born to Otto Wilhelm Luescher and Mathilda Annie (Muenzler) Luescher
1902
Texas Birth
Lillie Hulda Luescher born to Otto Wilhelm Luescher and Mathilda Annie (Muenzler) Luescher
1909
Texas Birth
Velma Augusta Luescher born to Otto Wilhelm Luescher and Mathilda Annie (Muenzler) Luescher
01 MAR 1907
Texas
Ida Luescher passed away
16-17-18 APR 1910
Texas, Gonzales, Justice Precinct 1
Otto Luesher, 38, Head of Household, Farmer, Born Switzerland, Arrival 1882
Mathilda Luesher, 37, Wife, Born Texas
Harry Luesher, 12, Son, Farm Labor, Born Texas
Emma Luesher, 10, Daughter, Born Texas
Lily Luesher, 8, Daughter, Born Texas
Velma Luesher, 1, Daughter, Born Texas
1910
??? Birth
Bill Johnston Voges born to Alma Emilia (Luescher) Voges and Harry H Voges
1913
Texas Birth
Paul Johannes Luescher born to Otto Wilhelm Luescher and Mathilda Annie (Muenzler) Luescher
1914
Texas
Eugene Wilhelm Luescher born to Otto Wilhelm Luescher and Mathilda Annie (Muenzler) Luescher
12 JUN 1914
Texas
Rudolph Luescher passed away
1915
Gonzales, Texas Marriage
Harry Robert Luescher and Lizzie Stehle
1916
Texas Birth
Robert Paul Luescher (Schmidt) born to Harry Robert Luescher and Lizzie (Stehle) Luescher
18 JUL 1916
Cleveland, Texas Birth
Eva Lillian Conway born to Martha Jane (Bates) Conway and Madison Cardelius Conway
1919
Three Rivers, Live Oak, Texas Marriage
Harry Robert Luescher and Martha Jane (Bates) Conway
24 AUG 1918
Corpus Christi, Texas Local Board of Nueces County War Department Registration
Harry R Leuscher, 21, Self, living in Robstown, Texas Born Cost, Texas
Lizzie Leuscher, Wife, living in Robstown, Texas
20 FEB 1920
Texas, Gonzales, Justice Precinct 1
Otto Luescher, 48, Head of Household, Farmer, Born Switzerland, Arrival 1881
Mathilda Luescher, 48, Born Texas
Emma Luescher, 20, Daughter, Born Texas
Lillie Luescher, 18, Daughter, Born Texas
Velma Luescher, 11, Daughter, Born Texas
Eugene Luescher, 6, Son, Born Texas
Zula Luescher, 84, Mother, Born Switzerland, Arrival 1881
1920 or 1921
Moved to Cost, Texas
Otto Wilhelm Luescher
22 JAN 1921
M Ursula “Zula” (Frei) Luescher passed away in Texas
14 MAR 1921
Houston, Texas Birth
Helen Sophie Luescher born to Harry Robert Luescher and Martha Jane (Bates) (Conway) Luescher
1922
??? Birth
Norma Ida Methilde Albrecht born to Emma Ursula (Luescher) Albrecht and Adolph Albrecht
1924
??? Birth
Josephine Viola Albrecht born to Lillie Hulda (Luescher) Albrecht and Paul Albrecht
25 SEP 1924
Texas Birth
Burton Herbert Luescher to Harry Robert Luescher and Martha Jane (Bates) (Conway) Luescher
1925
Texas Birth
Bernelle Elizabeth Albrecht born to Emma Ursula (Luescher) Albrecht
08 MAR 1928
Three Rivers, Ray Point, Texas Birth
Matilda Carrie Luescher to Harry Robert Luescher and Martha Jane (Bates) (Conway) Luescher
02 JUN 1929
Three Rivers, Texas Birth
Carrie Hulda Luescher to Harry Robert Luescher and Martha Jane (Bates) (Conway) Luescher
16 SEP 1929
??? Birth
Margaret J McNeil born to ??? and ???
6-7 MAY 1930
Texas, Gonzales, Justice Precinct 1
Otto Luscher, 58, Head of Household, Farmer, Born Switzerland, Arrival 1882
Matilda Luscher, 58, Wife, Born Texas
Eugene Luscher, 16, Son, Born Texas
Harry R Luescher, 33, Head of Household, Farmer, Born Texas
Martha Luescher, 36, Wife, Born Texas
Helen Luescher, 9, Daughter, Born Texas
Burton Luescher, 6, Son, Born Texas
Matilda Luescher, 2, Daughter, Born Texas
Carrie Luescher, Daughter, Born Texas
Eva Conway, 13, Step-Daughter, Born Texas
27 MAY 1932
Three Rivers, Live Oak, Texas Birth
James Leroy Luescher Sr to Harry Robert Luescher and Martha Jane (Bates) (Conway) Luescher
03 OCT 1934
Nueces, Texas
Doris Jean Luescher born to Eugene Wilhelm Luescher and Alva (Luker) Luescher