Nickolas HarschNicholas Harsch came to the United States from Kuebebur, Luxembourg.  Kuebebur is in the County of Echternach about six miles southwest of the city of Echternach. He arrived at the Port of New York on the ship "Matilda" from Antwerp on 15 May 1856.  Temporarily staying in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois,  he later moved to St. Donatus in Jackson County, Iowa.  Nicholas joined the many Luxembourgers settling in Jackson County around St. Donatus. His sister Anna Harsch Beckius was also living in St.Donatus.
 
The immediate family of Nicholas joined him in America.  His family included his sister Anna Barbara Harsch [Beckius].  Anna Barbara, according to her obituary, also immigrated in May 1856 with her parents from Kuebebur to St Donatus.  In St. Donatus, on 1/11 November 1856, she married John Beckius.  The rest of Nicholas's family included his mother Barbara [Harsch] [Thill] whose maiden name is unknown, his stepbrother Nicholas Thill,and his step sister Barbara Thill [Kalmes]. 

The children, Nicholas Thill and Barbara Thill [Kalmes], are obviously from her second marriage to John Thill.

Considering the birth of Anna Barbara Harsch [Beckius] in 1830, and the birth of Barbara Thill [Kalmes] on 14 Jan 1837, Nicholas Harsch's father died between 1830 and 1836. The re-marriage of Barbara (maiden name unknown) [Harsch] [Thill] to John Thill probably occurred about 1836 based on the birth of Barbara Thill [Kalmes] on 14 Jan 1837.

Nicholas remained in St. Donatus until 1862.  In St. Donatus, he followed his trade as a stonemason.  A Harsch Family story is Nicholas helped place the stones for the catholic church at St. Donatus in 1858.

Based on the obituary of his sister Anna Barbara Harsch  [Beckius], Nicholas's family joined him in St. Donatus.  In addition, at the baptism of his sister's first child on 28 Aug 1859 in St. Donatus, his step-sister Barbara Thill [Kalmes] was present as a sponsor.

In 1862, Nicholas moved to the Town of Glen Haven in Grant County, Wisconsin.  A 1868 Plat map of the Town of Glen Haven shows the farm he purchased consisted of 80 acres in Section 26.  The farm was about 3 miles southeast of Glen Haven.  It is the first farm to the south of the Charlotte Cemetery. By 1877, he had increased his holding to 160 acres.

Helena HinkleNicholas married Helena Hinkel in 1867.  Their six children were all born on the farm.  By 1900, only his son Leo and his two daughters Agnes and Emma were still living on the family farm.

Some of the immediate family of Nicholas joined him in Glen Haven.  His step-sister Barbara Thill [Kalmes], who married Jacob Kalmes in St. Donatus on 24 December 1860, farmed in Glen Haven until at least 30 Aug 1867.  At least two of their children, Barbara, 14 Aug 1866, and Peter Jacob, 30 Aug 1867, were born in Glen Haven.  They moved to Rollingstone, Minnesota sometime after 1867 but before the death of her sister Anna Barbara Harsch in 1887.

Nicholas's step-brother Nicholas Thill married Louisa Aprath of Glen Haven in Glen Haven on 2 Jun 1874.  They had four children in Glen Haven.  The last was John who was born on 1888.When Nicholas Harsch died in 1910, his brother Nicholas Thill was living in Pasadena, California with his spouse Louisa, their daughter Edith and their son John.

 
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