William A. Leuders is a son of Henry and Augusta Leuders, natives of Germany. Henry Leuders was born in the Kingdom of Hanover in 1806. He served in the civil service of that kingdom for forty-five years, and in 1865 came to America. He resided for awhile in both Altenburg and Frohna.

His wife was born in 1807, and by her marriage with him became the mother of twelve children, of whom nine are living. She is still alive and resides in St. Louis.

William A. was born in the Kingdom of Hanover in 1839, and received his education in his native country. He however, was but fourteen years of age when he landed in America. The oldest children of the family followed mercantile pursuits.

His first business for himself was a the New Wells, Cape Girardeau Co., Mo., where he established a general store in 1869. Four years later he sold our and removed to Wittenberg and resumed the mercantile business, which he has very successfully continued.

Besides his store he is proprietor of a livery stable in Wittenberg, and is one of the most thrifty business men in the town, as well as one of the best citizens of the county.

In 1860 he married Theresia Lehner, a native of Austria, who was born in 1848. They are the parents of twelve children, of whom nine are living: Gustave, Josephina, Clara, Emma, Richard, Albert, Dora Otto and Rudolph.

The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.