My Genealogy Hound

CLARENCE A. LUCE, the popular and successful druggist of Republican city, Nebr., had his birth place among the green hills of Lamoille county, Vt., on May 27, 1847. He comes of good old New England stock, his father, Harvey, and his mother, Mary A., both being natives of Vermont. His father was a farmer and also followed the business of a contractor and builder. He died at the age of sixty-eight in Allamakee county, Iowa, in 1887, to which place he had removed from Vermont in the spring of 1855. Mr. Luce’s mother also died at the same place in the spring of 1873. Our subject was the oldest of six children, of whom Alice, now Mrs. Heustis, is at present living at Atchison, Kans.; Clinton L., is in Albert Lea, Minn.; Philemon B., near McGregor, Iowa; Harvey L., at Hayes Center, Kans., and Jonathan, the third oldest, is dead.

Our subject removed with his parents to Iowa when he was eight years of age, and passed his life on the home farm until he was nineteen, receiving in the meantime a good common-school education. At this, time he engaged in the occupation of rafting lumber down the Mississippi, taking it from the pineries in the north and distributing it at various points along the river. This occupation he followed till his twenty-fifth year, at which time he concluded to abandon river life and embark in the wood business at Red House Landing, Iowa. This business he successfully conducted till 1878, when he sold out, and, removing to Republican City, Nebr., bought an interest in the drug store owned by his uncle, H. M. Luce. At the end of two years he purchased the interest of his uncle and has since continued the business alone. He now owns two drug stores, the only ones in Republican City, having bought the second in June, 1887. He has invested some of his surplus in realty, owning 320 acres of land in Harlan county, Nebr., and 160 in Decatur county, Kans.

His fellow-citizens have not seen fit to allow him to concentrate all his splendid abilities on his private business, and in 1885 sent him to Lincoln to represent the fifty-third legislative district, comprising Phelps and a part of Harlan counties. As a member of the legislature he was on the committee on towns and townships and also on the committee on federal relations. He has also been a member of the village and county board. He has taken a good deal of interest in social orders and fraternities, being a Knight Templar and a member of the I. O. O. F., having in the latter order passed all the chairs. He is a charter member of Home Lodge, No. 71, I. O. O. F., and had the honor of being the first noble grand of that Lodge. He has also been twice chosen to represent his lodge in the Grand Lodge. He has served as worshipful master in Republican Lodge 98, F. & A. M., and has twice represented this lodge in the grand lodge of the state and is at present holding the office of worshipful master.

Mr. Luce was married in December, 1873, to Miss Harriet E. Dickens, of Clayton county, Iowa, daughter of Edward Dickens of that place.