By Patricia Massard

Editor’s note: A participant in a recent Luxembourg Legacy Presents webinar asked if any Luxembourgers had settled in Missouri. Another participant, Patricia Massard, a former Luxembourg Legacy dual citizenship client, wrote about her ancestors and other Luxembourgers who settled around Maryville, Nodaway County, Missouri. We offer Mary our gratitude for sharing this wonderful article. 

Thousands of people immigrated to the United States from the tiny European country of Luxembourg in the 19th century.  In his 1889 book “Die Luxemburger in der Neuen Welt,” translated from German in 1987 as “Luxembourgers in the New World”, Nicholas Gonner wrote: “In the northwestern corner of the state [of Missouri], around Maryville in Nodaway County, there is a small Luxembourger settlement of some 20 Luxembourgers to which should be added a dozen or so families in which either the father or mother are of Luxembourger origin.”^[1]

The family of my great-grandmother, Mary Thull Massard (b. 1856, Wisconsin; d. 1904, St. Joseph, Missouri), was one of those families, having moved from Wisconsin to Nodaway County soon after the Civil War. Luxembourgish families from Wisconsin and elsewhere joined them. 

The 1870 and 1880 U.S. Federal Censuses for Nodaway County list people with the following surnames among those having been born in Luxembourg (the names in parentheses are the common Luxembourgish spellings for these names): Baker (Becker), Bloone/Bloom (Blom), Deheck, Hansen, Hilliard (Hilgert), Kirk (Kirch), Lahr, Mengen (Mangen), Nevens (Neuens), Olengar (Olinger), Schrader (Schroeder), Shieber (Schieber), Shuler/Schouler (Schuler), Sibeniller (Siebenaler), Sturm, Till (Thill), Toole (Thull) and Weber. 

Because Luxembourg is very small and was partitioned twice in the 19th century, Luxembourgish immigrants in the U.S. Federal Census are frequently listed with country of birth as Germany, Belgium, or Holland. On death certificates, Germany or “Luxemburg, Germany” is often given as their birthplace. 

In the October 10, 1882 edition of the “Luxemburger Gazette,” the largest Luxembourg-American newspaper, also published by Nicholas Gonner, a traveling reporter for the Gazette who visited Nodaway County wrote: “A number of compatriots (Luxembourgers) have settled in and around Maryville over the years, all of whom are well-off. There is, for example, Mr. Thill, who not only owns several of the most beautiful houses in the city, but also a beautiful farm near the city, where he cultivates the garden himself. Anyone who visits Mr. Thill at this time of year will be generously treated to grapes, peaches, and other produce from his own garden. Anyone who needs a good suit, for summer or winter, will find one at Nic. Sturm’s. Mr. Hansen ensures that no one goes barefoot. He makes good shoes and boots to order. Nic. Schumacher, the clerk at Wray & Moorse’s [sic] Grocery Store, who is known far beyond Maryville, takes pleasure in serving his fellow countrymen well. N. K. Schumacher sells good sewing machines and fine organs. Those who are thirsty will find excellent beer, fine wine, and even eng echt létzeburger Drépchen (Luxembourgish schnaps) at Mr. Hilgert’s. If you want to build a good house, Mr. Lohr [Lahr] will provide you with stones and Mr. Siebenaler with lime. The “House of Luxembourg” is thus represented in all branches of trade.”^[2]

While not mentioned in the Luxemburger Gazette, my great-grandmother Mary Thull’s family appears to have been actively involved in their community in Nodaway County for many years. Mary’s mother, Margaret Becker Thull, had been born in Wormeldange-Haut, Luxembourg, in 1832 and died in Maryville in 1897. Mary’s father, Nicholas Thull (b. 1819-1895), was from the Eifel region of Prussia, not far from the Luxembourg border. He died in Maryville in 1895. 

Mary and her sisters Anna “Annie” (1865-1948) and Katherine “Kate” Thull (1858-1936) were all married in Maryville. Mary wed a man from Uebersyren, Luxembourg, my great-grandfather Joseph Michel Massard (1851-1905). Annie’s husband was Michael Sturm (1863-1945), who was born in the United States to Luxembourgish parents. Kate married a widower born in Hamm, Luxembourg, Mathias “Matt” Franciscus (1848-1928). Matt’s first wife, Margaret “Maggie” Deheck Franciscus (1854-1881), was born in Hollenfels, Luxembourg. Maggie’s family had immigrated when she was a teenager, settling in Nodaway County. 

Luxembourgers were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic and often worshipped with German-speaking Catholics. Many of Nodaway County’s Luxembourgish immigrants are buried in Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Maryville and Saint Columba (Conception Abbey) Cemetery in Conception, Missouri.

Because of Luxembourg’s history, researching Luxembourgish families can be challenging. If you are researching people that you think are German, but you cannot find any German records, they might be Luxembourgish. The Luxembourg American Cultural Society offers helpful “Luxembourg Genealogy Resources & Tips” on its website: https://www.lacs.lu/research-resources-tips/.

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^[1] Ensch, Jean, Jean-Claude Muller, Robert E. Owen, and Nicholas Gonner. 1987. Luxembourgers in the New World: A Reedition Based on the Work of Nicholas Gonner “Die Luxemburger in der Neuen Welt”, Dubuque, Iowa, 1889; Published with a Complete Index … Esch-sur-Alzette, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: Editions-Reliures Schortgen. Vol. I, p. 189.

^[2] Luxemburger Gazette. (Dubuque, IA) 10 Oct. 1882, p. 5. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84027101/1882-10-10/ed-1/. English translation by Patricia Massard.

Ancestor information:
Nicholas and Katherine (Friederich) Miller
Nicholas (1838-1903) from Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg
Katherine (1840-1932) from Mensdorf, Luxembourg

Nicholas Miller
Nicholas (1838-1903) from Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg

Nicholas and Margaret (Becker/Baker) Thull
Nicholas (1819-1895) from Prussia
Margaret (1832-1897) from Wormeldange, Luxembourg

Nicholas and Mary (Draut) Lahr
Nicholas (1846-1893) from Moersdorf, Luxembourg
Mary (1853-1926) from Bockholtz/Hosingen, Luxembourg

Wilhelm and Susan (Siebenaler) Kirch
Wilhelm (1823-1895) from Greiveldange, Luxembourg
Susan (1827-1889) from Stadtbredimus, Luxembourg