CARLS, LEWIS WILLIAM, who was once an important factor in the agricultural life of Cass County, a heavy landowner there, and also a potent influence in politics, lent his support only to those measures calculated to be of benefit to his fellow creatures, and in dying left many warm, personal friends behind him. Mr. Carls was born in the vicinity of Beardstown, Ill., December 12, 1847, a son of George H. and Elenora (Daydrick) Carls, natives of Hanover, Germany, where the father was born in 1818. They came to the United States at an early day, locating at Beardstown, Ill., and lived on a farm in the vicinity for eighteen years. They then bought a farm near Bluff Springs, and still later moved south of that property, where they both passed away.

Lewis William Carls attended the district schools and also the German school at Beardstown, and not only resided with his parents until his marriage, but for twelve years thereafter. He then purchased 260 acres of land, five miles southeast of Beardstown, and moved his family to it, and there they lived until his death, January 29, 1903. He kept on adding to his holdings until the homestead became a large one, and through his efforts it was increased in value very considerably. Prominent in local politics, he served a number of years as a school director.

On October 17, 1872, Mr. Carls was married to Lena Musch, born near Arenzville, Ill., a daughter of John and Albidena (Lippert) Musch, the former a native of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, while the latter was born on the Atlantic Ocean. Her birth occurred during the voyage of her parents to the United States, on the ship Albi, for which she was given her rather unusual name. John Musch came to Cass County, in 1849, and his parents followed him some five years later. The Lippert family located in Cass County in 1833. Mrs. Carls was educated in the district schools, and at St. John's Lutheran School, the family belonging to St. John's Lutheran Church. After the death of Mr. Carls, Mrs. Carls, with the assistance of her sons, conducted the farm until August, 1908, when she moved to Beardstown, and is now residing in a modern frame house she had built for her, and some of her children are with her at present. Mr. and Mrs. Carls became the parents of the following children: George H., who is at Bluff Springs; Gustav A., who is of Cass County; Robert G., who is of Beardstown; William Morris, who is of Cass County; Herman H., who is of Cass County; Louis W., who is on the home farm; Julius O., who is of Cass County; J. Albert, who is of Beardstown; Paul B., A. Elnora and Edythe A., all of whom are with their mother; and John M., who died in infancy.