Tarsha Homestead History
The Pfeffer Farm 1917-1960 ("Loudix Farm")
Louis Lorenz Pfeffer, one of three brothers who owned the Pfeffer Milling Company in Lebanon, lived next to the Queen Anne in a beautiful small home at 112 E Main Street.
In 1917, through two separate purchases, L. L. Pfeffer acquired the farmland East of town from W. L. Nichols (338 acres), and John Midgley (50 acres.)
L. L. was known to work at the Pfeffer Milling Company during the day, then spend time at the farm before coming home. One evening in 1919, L. L.'s horse and cart returned home without a rider. L. L.'s son Harold went to investigate where he found L. L. unconscious under a walnut tree on the farm. L. L. passed away at home the next day.
L. L. and Thekla Pfeffer had 5 children: Walter, Harold, Robert, Louis H. ("Huck"), and Margaretta. Robert preceded L. L. in death in 1914 after a lightning strike electrocuted him while making a soda at the soda fountain in what is today known as Dr. Jazz in downtown Lebanon.
L. L.'s son, Louis H. ("Huck") married Dixie Egelhoff in 1919 and began construction of the farmhouse that still stands today on the farm land East of town. They called the farm the "Loudix Farm"
Huck and Dixie had two sons, Louis Laurence Pfeffer, and James Bradford ("Brad") Pfeffer.
Emily and I discovered Louis Laurence's initials carved into one of the original barns on the property, which would date the carving 1933, as Louis Laurence was born in 1920.
Louis Laurence Pfeffer did not want to run the farm, so Brad took over when their father, Huck passed away in 1955. Brad only lived for 4 more years, passing in 1959.
Brad was married to Jeanne Taylor Pfeffer and they had 3 daughters: Mary, Jane, and Nancy Pfeffer. With their father departed, and their uncle uninterested in farming, Granny Dixie was forced to sell the farm in 1960.
Mary, Jane and Nancy all moved away from the area, and Mary passed away in 2024 at home in Texas. In May 2025, Mary's family, including Jane and Nancy as well as Mary's children, will be returning to Lebanon for a memorial service. They plan to spread some of Mary's ashes here on the property which is special to us as she is one of the 3 Pfeffer children who last resided here before the property left their family.
Dr Needles' Place 1960-1965
Dr James Needles of O'Fallon, IL purchased the farm from the Pfeffers in 1960, renting out the home and farmland. First he rented the home for 6 years to an Air Force family,.
The Dietz Farm 1965-1987
Charles and Jeanette Dietz rented the farm and home from Dr. Needles from 1965 or so until 1986 or 1987.
----- Farm land and homestead split ----- ~1991
We don't know what came to be of the farm at this point, but the farmland ended up being separated and sold off from the 5.5 acre homestead in the center of the farm.
The Jennings Family Home 1991-2021 & Renner Stock Farms 1991-Present
This is about the time when we can find modern property records. In 1991, Dorothy Jennings acquired the homestead via a tax sale, so we believe the surrounding farmland sold in a tax sale as well. The farmland is currently owned and farmed by Thomas Renner and family of Belleville, IL and has been as far back as we can locate modern property records.
Dorothy Jennings' son, Michael and his wife Pamela Jennings raised their family here on the homestead until 2021.
The Tarsha Homestead 2022-Present
In 2022 Alex and Emily Tarsha purchased the property, and established Tarsha Homestead.
Our journey since acquiring the homestead has been one of repair and preservation. We have installed drainage in the basement, upgraded electrical, added insulation, replaced the septic system, replaced the roof, insulated and remodeled the kitchen. We have also restored an old open air pole barn and sided it for our livestock. We have done some repairs and major electrical upgrades to the original barn which Alex now uses as his workshop, and we brought in an Amish made building to use as a farm store.
If you know more about this farm, property, or home and can help us fill in some blanks, please reach out and let us know!
-Alex and Emily Tarsha