When he was 27 years old, Lucas immigrated to America. His ship, the ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Mozart, sailed out of the Port of Le Havre, France, bound for the Port of New Orleans. He arrived on Thursday, November 28, 1839. Of his eight siblings, four others also immigrated to America; Marcus Ignatius, Maria Theresia, Caspar, and Beda. 

Lucas' eldest brother, Marcus Ignatius (Ignatz), married Petronilla Hurst. The couple arrived in America in 1832 and settled in Perry County, Missouri. Theresa, Lucas' eldest sister, and her husband, Joachim Bernard, probably arrived in 1831 or 1832. Caspar arrived in 1846 with his wife, Francisca Meyer. Youngest brother, Beda, with his wife, Cresentia, did not arrive in Missouri until 1852.

In March, 1839, only four months after his arrival, Lucas paid $60 cash for 40 acres of land in Perry County. Then, on August 3, 1846, he filed his declaration of intent to become a U. S. citizen. There has been no record yet found of the actual date of naturalization. Lucas did not appear on the 1840 Federal Census (having just arrived in November, 1839). There is also no listing for him on the 1850 Federal Census although we know that he owned land in Perry County at that time. By the time of the 1860 Census, Lucas was already deceased.

It is not known precisely when Elizabeth and her family immigrated to America. We have evidence that her parents applied for permission to leave Baden on May 21, 1832. However, we do not know the port from which they left or the ship upon which they traveled. The authors of the book, Bohnert Family Heritage, were able to find no evidence that the family ever reached Perry County, Missouri. Their eldest daughter, Petronilla, and her husband, Marcus Ignatius Bohnert, left for America soon after their marriage in 1831 and made their home immediately in Perry County.

After extensive searching, evidence was found that the rest of the Hurst family did not make their permanent home in Missouri at all. Rather, after spending some time with Petronilla and Marcus Ignatius, they chose to live across the Mississippi River in the village of Kaskaskia in Randolph County, Illinois. There is also anecdotal evidence that their father, Lorenz Hurst, may have died en route to America. 

Brigitta Hurst, Elizabeth's mother, died on May 9, 1853 after a short illness. Her death is recorded in the records of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Kaskaskia Island, Illinois. The record lists Brigitta by her maiden name of Hartwig, although uses the spelling variation of "Hertouek."  See the biography of "Lorenz and Brigitta Hurst" for more information and supporting documents.

It is possible that the couple had previously known each other while living in Renchen. However, since Elizabeth left for America when she was only 11 years old, it is unlikely that any arrangements had been made for marriage. It is reasonable to suggest that the two became acquainted after Lucas immigrated to America through the connection of Elizabeth's sister, Petronilla, and her husband, Marcus Ignatius, who was Lucas' eldest brother, 

Unfortunately, Lucas and Elizabeth's marriage was destined to be fraught with terrible tragedy. In August of 1844, the couple lost their first son, a boy named John, at 10 months old. 

Two more sons, William and Joseph, were born in the next few years. Both of these boys lived to adulthood. Then, in October of 1849, Elizabeth and Lucas welcomed another boy and named him John after his deceased brother. Three years later, they lost him as well. The cause of his death is unknown.

Exactly one month later, they lost their infant daughter, Elizabeth. She was just under nine months old. One would have to assume that whatever affliction took John the prior month was also what caused Elizabeth's death.

It was only one month later that tragedy struck once again. On December 8, 1852, Lucas died of unknown causes. Within three months Elizabeth had lost her husband and two young children. She was left with two young sons-William, seven years old, and Joseph, five years old, and no means of support.

The location of Lucas' burial is currently unknown. Many of the Bohnert family and their relatives are buried in St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery in Apple Creek, Perry County, Missouri. A search for his grave (conducted personally in 2016) was unsuccessful. However, many of the markers are worn and illegible. It is also possible that he is buried in the cemetery, but does not have a physical marker.

With two young sons to care for, Elizabeth chose to remarry quickly, only two months later, to her recently widowed brother-in-law, Caspar, who, with an infant daughter and four young sons of his own,  needed a mother to care for his children. 

Although both were devout Catholics, Elizabeth and her brother-in-law, Casper, were not originally married in the Catholic church. Whether it was because their marriage was originally one of necessity or because there was no time to obtain an official dispensation from the Church (for in-laws marrying each other) we do not know. The document below, dated January 3, 1853, shows that they were married by a Justice of the County Court in Perry County, Missouri. Together, Caspar and Elizabeth had five additional children. 

Caspar died on July 15, 1876. Elizabeth lived another five years and died on April 18, 1881. There is a monument in the cemetery of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Apple Creek, Perry County, Missouri, to their memory, including his first wife, Franciska Meyer. Inscribed on the stone is the date that he immigrated to America ("Einwanderer"  Oct. 13, 1846). The stone was dedicated in September, 2000.

However, it has been suggested that this stone does not mark that actual site of their burial. According to Henry F. Weiss, the son of Adella Bohnert Weiss (daughter of William Ignatz Bohnert and Granddaughter of William Bohnert - Caspar's stepson), his mother "heard that his actual grave may be located outside of the cemetery proper because of a falling out that Capsar had with the church at Apple Creek." 

If true, then the actual location of their graves is unknown. Regardless, the inscription on the memorial is truly a fitting tribute:

"Their courage gave us our future."