Joseph "Joe" Mitsch

HIS FATHER BROKE PRAIRIE SOD

Joe Mitsch lived 60 years of his 77 on the homestead at Plum Grove and then moved a half mile north to the Donnaha farm, purchased from John Donnaha. Son George, who, like his father was born on the homestead, continued there and is now training his boys, Gerald and James, also born there, to run the 160-acre place. An aerial picture of the Mitsch farm buildings and of the George Mitsch family can be found on Page 4, Section 2 of this issue of the STAR.

Mrs. Joseph Mitsch, who was Katherine Manten of Chicago before their marriage in 1908, died in their new home and it was sold shortly after. Joe has stayed with his daughter Antoinette, Mrs. Howard Nichols of Lowell, ever since. He helps her with the operation of Toni's Drive-In north of town and cultivates a large garden at the rear of it.

Joseph's father, August, came from Germany at 18, purchased the land unbroken from the Dinwiddies before the Civil War and lived there until he was 92. August used a six-oxen team to break the prairie on his Plum Grove farm that has remained in the Mitsch family for about 100 years.

Joe has eight grandchildren. A son Edwin died 14 year ago.