Valentine Leicht was born in Thuringia, Germany in 1835 as the 3^rd born to Sebastian Leicht (b. 1798 Baden-Wurttemberg Germany) and Ursula Wirschin (b. 1806, d. 1871) who had married in 1830. The family emigrated to the United States in 1842 and settled and farmed on land given him by Presidential Land Grant; issued and signed by President James K. Polk.
Ursula and Sebastian are of the first buried in Saint John Cemetery in High Ridge, MO.

Valentine married Patrolena Swehla (b. 1840 in Böhmen, Austria) in November of 1857. By 1880 Valentine’s residence changed from Rock Township, Jefferson County, Missouri to Meramec Township, Jefferson County, Missouri, but is still listed as a farmer during the 1880 census. In 1894 the first section of the building is registered. By 1900 Valentine Leicht is listed as a Merchant having established the Leight General Store of House Springs, Missouri. Around this same time frame between 1900 and 1910 the Leicht family anglicized their name to Leight.

In 1910 [US Census] Valentine Sr. is listed as retired, and Valentine Jr and Mary as store owners. Mary being in the business of hat making.

Valentine died in 1913, Petrolena died Nov 1923. They are both buried in Our Lady Queen of Peace’s cemetery on the hill behind the building.

Valentine Julius Leicht,Jr. was born in Jasper, Missouri on 28^th of July 1872. He married Mary C. Nahlik on 2 June 1898. Mary was born in Missouri on the 21st of Oct 1874, to parents from Bohemia [Czechia], she was Christened 15^th November at Saint John Church, [High Ridge] Jefferson County, Missouri.
Having taken over the store from his father before 1910, Valentine died 26 Dec 1922 at the age of 50. Mary died 7 February 1973 in House Springs at the age of 98.
The are both buried in Our Lady Queen of Peace’s cemetery on the hill behind the building with others from their family.

The couple had 4 children:

William Joseph Leight 1899–1974 • GST5-ZXX
Lillian Leight 1900–1983 • GST5-J32
May Pauline Leight 1905–2008 • GST5-1CV
Leo Valentine Leight 1912–1987 • GST5-R52

William Leight, first child of Valentine Jr. and Mary, was born on 1 March 1899.

William ran the business with his mother after his father died. He served in World War I (per his grave marker) and at some point obtained 3 years of college education according to his 1942 enlistment record.
By about the time of the 1940 census, he was again managing the store, with his sister Lillian and her husband Parker.
On 16 February 1942, Parker and William registered for the draft.

William was enlisted in the Army for service in WWII at the age of 42 on 11 November 1942. William is listed as white, standing 5’7” and 153 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes with a dark complexion.

Lillian Leight, second child of Valentine Jr. and Mary, was born on 13 September 1900.

Lillian married Moffat Parker Adams, born in Grammer, Bartholomew, Indiana, on 18 November 1903, an “engineer” in the “highway” industry on 27^th November 1929. They lived in Jefferson City, Missouri for a time up to the 1940 census. By 1942, per his draft registration, they had moved to House Springs and they joined the family in “retail grocery“. Parker is listed as white standing 5’6” tall at 158^1/2 lbs., blue eyes and brown hair, with a light brown complexion.

Lillian and Parker had three children: