Nicholas moved to Minnesota about 1866 and purchased land 240 acres of g overnment land for $1.25 per acre. He eventually owned large acreage in S ection 17, 18 and 19 in Mt. Vernon and in Sections 13 and 24 of Whitewa ter township in Winona County. He was instrumental in getting the churc h build at Oak Ridge in Section 29 in Mt. Vernon Twp.
Nicholas was a Winona County Commissioner and well known in the county.

1900 and 1910 Federal Census states they were the parents of 13 childre n of which 9 are living. 1895 Minnesota State Census states that Nichol as was the resident of State for 28 years 6 months and of Enumeration D istrict 27 years 6 months.

Nicholas was naturalized on 29 December 1896 or 1897 in Winona County, C ity of Winona. His Naturalization Certificate states he became a citiz en on 29 December 1897 but the Court's signature lists 29 December 1896 .

Nicholas WALCH was born in Bigelbach, Luxembourg, on 23 Dec 1839, the s on of Nicholas WALCH and Ann Catherine BURG. Bigelbach, was in the Diek irch Canton, Luxembourg. Nicholas WALCH had come to America about 1856 a t he age of 17 to join his brother Nicholas in Detroit, Michigan.

Nicholas WALCH married Clara KEMP on 25 June 1866 in Dubuque, Iowa. The y moved to Winona County, Minnesota about 1866-67 where Nicholas 240 ac res of land for $1.25 per acre in Mount Vernon Twp. Their holdings eve ntually increased to 1400 acres.

Sister Romana WALCH ‎(daughter of Roman and Katherine (SPELTZ)‎ WALCH has w ritten a short family history and describes the first homestead of her g randparents:

"The first home of Nicholas and Clara Kemp Walch was a log cabin in Tr out Valley where they lived until the land was cleared and the brick ho me was completed in 1876. Grandmother Clara often related her experien ces with Native Americans, then known as Indians, as they roamed throug h the woods and stopped by to peer into the window of the cabin. Her li fe in the wooded area also kept her ever aware of the presence of the a nimal world around them."

The History of Wabasha County states that they were one of only 18 Cath olic families in the Minnieska area in 1866. In 1867, he helped to bui ld the first frame church built in Minnieska. Eventually, about 1875, a c hurch was built at Oak Ridge, near the family farm. Nicholas became na turalized in 1896.

They had 13 children but only 9 survived infancy. The names that are k nown are:

1. Henry A.
2. Nicholas John
3. Roman
4. ‎[--?--]‎ ‎(a twin of Roman)‎
5. John
6. Francis F.
7. Lauretta J.
8. Aloysius
9. Katherine A.
10. Cecilia M.

Nicholas WALCH died 14 April 1899 of a heart attack. His funeral took p lace at the family residence on a Sunday afternoon. Clara continued to l ive at the family home for six years but then moved to Winona with some o f her children where she lived for 18 years until her death on Tuesday, 6 N ovember 1923. Their home was at 159 E. 4th St. Both Clara and Nichola s are buried at Oak Ridge, Mount Vernon Twp, Winona County at the Immac ulate Conception Cemetery.

Pallbearers at his funeral were: P and J. KRONEBUSCH, M RIES, J. FRISCH , J. SPELTZ and M. KIRCH

NOTE: The children listed are by name and birhtdates that are known. Th e birthdates and the arrangement of the unknown children are just gues ses.

<b>Nicholas Walch</b>, now deceased, was born in Luxembourg, Germany, D ecember 23, 1839, son of Nicholas Walch and Margaret ‎(Burg)‎ Walch. He c ame to America at the age of seventeen and joined his brother Nicholas a t Detroit, Michigan. After assisting his brother at gardening five year s, he moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where he engaged in the livery business s ome six years. In 1866 he came to Winona county and purchased a farm in M t Vernon township. Here he built a house, cleared land and carried on g eneral farming until his death, April 14, 1899. He was a man of politic al power and personal influence in the community in which he lived for m any years. From 1893 to 1897 he was county commissioner from his distri ct. He also served on the school and town board. Nicholas Walch was mar ried June 25, 1866 to Clara Kemp, who was born December 14, 1845, daugh ter of Henry and Clara ‎(Krell)‎ Kemp, natives of Belgium, who came to Am erica in 1844, settling in Ohio and living there until 1858, when they c ame to Houston county, Minnesota, and engaged in the hotel business. Mr . and Mrs. Walch had nine children: Henry and Nicholas ‎(twins)‎, Roman, J ohn, Francis. Laura, Aloysius A., Katherine and Cecilia. Henry born Feb ruary 24, married Louisa Kramer and has one child. Nicholas, born Febru ary 24, 1867, married Lena Erpelding, and they have six children. Roman , born November 29, 1872, married Katherine Speltz, and they have four c hildren. John, born July 13, 1877, married Leona Steichen. Francis, bor n November 6, 1879, is in the automobile business in Rollingstone. He m arried Susan Myers, and they have two children. Laura was born June 18, 1 881, and married Arthur Speltz. Aloysius A. was born August 2, 1883, an d married Olga Schuh. Katherine born December 11, 1885, married Edwin S chell, and they have one child. Cecelia was born November 24, 1888. She l ives with her mother. In 1905 Mrs. Walch moved to the city of Winona wh ere she still resides.
<b><u>History of Winona County, Minnesota
</u>Vol 2, 1913
Pages 825-826
</b>