From Austria to America: Franz Luger's Immigrant Experience

Over 38 years ago, back in the late summer of 1985, when I was about 13 years old, I was

visiting my Grandpa Raymond Luger, my Dad's father. By then, the interest in my family

roots was in full swing for Myself. I had endless questions and my family only had so many

answers for me. The rest, I got to find out on my own, through time. Anyway, at that time,

I asked Grandpa Ray about his parents and family origins and he told me of what he knew-

that his father was John Luger and Bertha Klar, and John's father was Franz Luger, and

that they came from Austria. I was thankful for what he told me, but as could be expected,

I was, of course, wanting to know more-this started the quest, for Myself, to learn more

about him as well as the rest of my family history. Over time, I would amass an extremely

large family tree, going generations and generations, centuries, and centuries, before

Myself back into time.

I would find out when my ancestors, Franz and his family being some of them, came to

America, which areas in Europe and the world that they came from, what they did for

occupations, and their family origins, as well. As they are my ancestors and relatives, I

ardently believe that their stories, back then, are also our stories today, and we wish

to be able to tell them today, so that they won't be forgotten. It is something to take

note of, that we have gone from asking my Grandpa Ray questions about Franz Luger,

his grandfather, way back when, to telling others about Franz and his family, 38 years

later. We hope that, through this book, we will be to speak for him and his family,

as well as their life experiences in Austria and America, during the 19th and early 20th

centuries.