William Bell Mitchell's "History of Stearns County Minnesota" provides many of the answers to your query:

"Michael C. Loesch, a well-known farmer of section 11, in the vicinity of Pearl lake, Maine Prairie township, was born in section 3, across the lake from where he now resides, November 22, 1863, son of Nicholas and Anna Loesch, and grandson of Michael Loesch, all natives of Luxemburg. Nicholas set out for America in 1854. In 1855 he started for the West with a party of eight young men. They were among the first to pass through the canal at Sault Ste. Marie. Through swamps and woods they pursued their course and finally reached St. Paul. From there Nicholas came to St. Cloud. He first took a homestead in Rockville township, but allowed his right to lapse. His parents obtained a homestead in Rockville township, where they ended their days. Nicholas finally secured a location in section 3, near Pearl lake in Maine Prairie township. Here he erected a log cabin, and with a yoke of oxen and a cow started farming operations. He marketed his produce in St. Paul, making the journey with an ox team, taking six days to complete the round trip. He became a leading man in the community. His particular interest was taken in churches and schools. He helped to build the Catholic Church on Jacob's prairie, and also the church at Luxemburg Postoffice in St. Augusta township. Later he assisted in building the church at Pearl Lake. Nicholas Loesch died March 17, 1913, at eighty years of age. His widow is still living at the good age of seventy-six. Of their fourteen children, Michael C. is the oldest. The others are: Margaret, Kate (deceased), Lena, Nicholas, Henry, Peter (deceased), Casper, Peter, Anna, Mary, Elizabeth, John and an unnamed infant (deceased).

"Michael C. Loesch was reared on the home farm, and received a splendid education. For eleven years he taught school in Stearns county. For a while he was clerk for Joseph Walch, at New Paynesville, this county, then for a time he was in the bindery department of the Pioneer Press at St. Paul. When he was about thirty years of age he located on eighty acres which are included in his present farm. At that time the tract was heavily wooded. Mr. Loesch erected a frame house and other buildings, the lumber of which was secured from timber growing on the land. He has added to the original purchase and now owns 120 acres of good land. He has erected a modern, ventilated barn, and a brick residence, as well as other improved buildings. At first he raised Hereford cattle. Recently, however, he has changed to Holsteins. He has a good grade of horses and red swine. He has also raised some excellent fruit. He has been secretary of the Pearl Lake Creamery since it was organized in 1897, and is the Maine Prairie director for the Mutual Fire Insurance Co., Incorporated, of Wakefield, as well as a director in the State Bank of Kimball. He has been treasurer of the school district for many years, and has served both as chairman and as a member of the town board. Mr. Loesch was married August 1, 1893, to Margaret Geideman, and they have eight children: Celia, Rose, Frank, Mary, Clara, George, Elma and Lawrence. Margaret Geideman, who became Mrs. Michael C. Loesch, was born in Rockville township, this county, June 12, 1868, daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Grien) Geideman. Joseph Geideman was born in Baaden, and came to America in 1854. He was married in St. Cloud to, Catherine Grien, who was born in Belgium, and was, brought to Ohio by her parents in 1857. After their marriage, they located on some wild land in Rockville township, erected a log cabin, and started farming with a yoke of oxen. Mrs. Geideman died in 1893 at the age of fifty-five, and after that her husband moved to Maine Prairie township, where he died in 1906 at the age of seventy-three. There were nine children in the family: Mary (deceased), Kate, Anna, Margaret, John, Barbara (deceased), Aloysius (deceased), Josephine and Elizabeth."