A. J. Lugeanbeal has for many years been a successful merchant at Angols, and at the same time has participated actively in Labette County politics and in civic affairs.
Born at Gridley, Illinois, January 12, 1872, Mr. Lugeanbeal has spent most of his life in Kansas. His grandfather, Alexander Lugeanbeal, was born in Germany, came to America and followed farming in Ohio and died at Black Run in that state. A. J. Lugeanbeal, Sr., was born at Marion, Ohio, in 1841, and died at Fredonia, Kansas, in 1902. He was reared and married in Ohio followed farming there, and then moved to Gridley, Illinois, soon after his marriage. While in Illinois he saw active service in an Illinois regiment during the Civil war. He enlisted in 1861 and went through the entire struggle. From Illinois he moved to Fredonia, Kansas, in 1882, and was actively identified with farming there until his death. He was a democrat in politics, a member and deacon in the Christian Church, and was an active Mason, having taken his first degrees in that order while at Camp Butler, Illinois, during the Civil war. A. J. Lugeanbeal, Sr., married Elizabeth A. Kearfoot, who was born at Delaware, Ohio, in 1845, and is now living at Fredonis, Kansas. They had a large family of children, noted briefly as follows: Mary, wife of D. O. Ponsor, a blacksmith of Guilford, Kansas; Rose, who died at the age of twenty-six years as the wife of George Hutchinson, who is a farmer at Shaw, Kansas; D. C. Lugeanbeal, a merchant at Fredonia; Ella, wife of John W. Smith, a farmer at Fredonia; A. J. Lugeanbeal, Jr.; W. F., a merchant at Bartlett, Kansas; Lizzie A., wife of R. W. Kibler, a farmer at Benediet, Kansas; E. E, who is cashier of the bank at Elk City, Kausas; Pearl, who died at the age of twenty-five, the wife of W. T. Morse, a farmer at Guilford, Kansas; Eva, wife of Henry Woollard, a merchant at Guilford; and Lela, wife of Andrew Ward, a farmer at Parsons, Kansas.
Mr. Lugeanbeal, who was brought to Kansas by his parents when he was ten years of age, completed his education in the district schools of Wilson County in this state. The first twenty-five years of his life he spent on his father’s farm and then varied the monotony of farming by engaging in railroad work and also beginning the operation of a farm on his own account. His home has been in Angola since 1902. In that year he bought the building at the corner of Main Street and Watson Avenue which he has ever since occupied, and there established a general stock of merchandise. He has the principal one of the two stores in the town, and has built up a very large patronage over a wide surrounding territory.
Mr. Lugeanbeal has long been a prominent figure in local democratic politics. For ten years he served as township clerk. At the last election he was a candidate for the office of county treasurer, but owing to the fact that he had for an opponent a lady and that she was a candidate for the second term (it being customary to give an incumbent of a county office the second term), he was defeated by a small majority. Mr. Lugeanbeal is affiliated with Lodge No. 237 of the Knights of Pythias at Fredonia, which he served as master at arms for two terms; also belongs to the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan, the higher branch of Pythianism, is affiliated with Edna Lodge No. 345, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, with Angola Lodge No. 523 of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, of which he is past master, and for twelve years has served as financier. He is also vice president of the Labette County Good Roads Association.
In the way of property Mr. Lugeanbeal owns both his home and store at Angola. In 1905 at Edna, Kansas, he married Miss Mamie Cave, daughter of H. C. and Julia Cave, who live on their farm near Angola. Mr. and Mrs. Lugeanbeal have two children: Wintress, born August 3, 1906; and Jack Cave, born March 17, 1908.