My Genealogy Hound

JOHN LIGHT, who is numbered among the early settlers of Woodson county and is one of the honorable patriots of the Civil war, was born in Germany, June 5, 1832. His father, John Light, was also a native of that country and there married Lizzie Meidendal, who died in Germany in 1861 at the age of seventy-four years. The father crossed the Atlantic in 1862, locating first in Chicago where he died at the age of eighty-two years. He has two sons and one daughter living: Frederika, who makes her home in Cook county, Wilhelm and John, of this review.

The last named resided in the fatherland until twenty years of age, and acquired his education in accordance with the laws of his country. Believing that the New World would furnish better opportunities to a young man impatient for advancement, he then crossed the briny deep in the fall of 1855, locating in Chicago. Soon afterward he secured a situation, as a farm hand and was thus employed in Illinois for two years. In 1857 he came with Godfrey Weide to Kansas and through the succeeding year resided near Leroy, in Coffey county. In 1858 he came to Woodson county with ten dollars and purchased two hundred and forty acres of land on Turkey creek. Here he has made his home continuously for forty-two years, and in connection with farming, is engaged extensively in the raising of sheep and cattle. At the time of the Civil war, however, he put aside all personal considerations to aid his country in the struggle to preserve the union, joining company G, of the Fifth Kansas volunteer cavalry. He remained at the front as a loyal soldier for three years and two months, and participated in the battles of Helena, Pine Bluff and Little Rock, together with many other engagements of lesser importance. He then received an honorable discharge at Leavenworth in 1864 and returned to his home in Woodson county.

Mr. Light kept bachelor’s hall till 1871, at which time he was married to Miss Minnie Miller, a native of Germany, who came to America in 1867 and resided in Iowa until 1870, when she came to Woodson county. Her death occurred in 1877, and a husband and three children were left to mourn her loss; the latter being, Ed, Bertha and Willie Light. For seven years subsequently to his wife’s death, Mr. Light remained unmarried, but in 1884 was joined in wedlock to Elizabeth Klinkinburg, a native of Germany, who came to America in 1882 and has since been a resident of Kansas. They now have two children, namely: Emil and Frederick.

In his political affiliations Mr. Light is a Republican and has filled the office of treasurer of his township. He is deeply interested in the success of the party, but has never aspired to official honors and emoluments, content to devote his time and energies to his business affairs in which he has met with signal success. He is familiar with the history of Kansas from its territorial days; has lived through the periods of hard times — the drouth of 1860; the period of the Civil war, and through the grasshopper scourge from 1868 until 1873, but with marked perseverence he has continued his labors and success has crowned his efforts. As one of the honorable pioneers and leading farmers of Woodson county, he certainly deserves mention in this volume.