Thatcher Brothers Banking Co. (Utah)

Eugene Santschi, Jr. was born in Alton, Illinois, on January 15, 1883 to Swiss immigrants Eugene, Sr. and Emma Chausse. At some point in his youth, his family moved to the coal-mining region of Utah. Thereafter, according to a Utah Since Statehood biographical sketch of Santschi, he enlisted in the United States Army and spent two years overseas on active duty, and was involved in both the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) and the Boxer Rebellion in China (1900-1901). In 1903 Santschi returned to the United States and enrolled in the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and graduated with the class of 1907. From 1907 to 1914 Santschi was stationed at Fort Douglas, Utah. In 1908 Santschi attended the Agricultural College of Utah (now Utah State University), at Logan, Utah and received a B.S. that year. Although Santschi was stationed at Fort Douglas during this time period, the military sent him on numerous trips to Japan, the Philippines, and China where he spent time studying military tactics and touring the battlefields of the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. While in the United States, Santschi met and married Amanda Marie Holmgren of Logan, Utah on June 5, 1911.

From 1914 to 1917, Santschi lived in Logan, Utah to serve as a ROTC instructor at the Agricultural College of Utah. With the war in Europe taking place Santschi was recalled to the Tactical Department at West Point, where he remained until 1919. In 1919 Santschi went to Europe and served in the army of occupation in Germany, as Chief of Staff of the 2nd Brigade, until 1922.

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