History of Frank M. Krejci Family

Farnk Matt Krejci's Family
Frank Matt Krejci, wife, Anna Helen Schaefer Krejci
children: (not in line) Victor, Emma, Mary, Thomas, Estella, and Edwin

History of Frank M. Krejci Family:
   *Thomas Krejci (grandfather of Frank M.) was born and lived in Bohemia {Germany}, Europe and marries Mary Skotiel*.
   *John Krejci (father of Frank M. Krejci) married Barbara Kunish, where they were born. They were born in Lepnice, Bohemia and came to America in 1855. One daughter, Barbara, was born there and died shortly after coming to America*. The family landed in America after a 6 weeks voyage in a sailing vessel, then proceeded to Washington Co. Wisconsin. John Krejci had been a farmer in Germany and now he secured a piece of improved land in Trenton Township, Washington County, Wisconsin and began the work of impovement with an ox team. His place was located 32 miles from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then an insignificant hamlet. He often walked to Milwaukee, bringing provisions home on his back. He lived on this farm until the last ten years of his live, after which he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He died at the age of 84 and his wife at the age of 66. In addition to their daughter, Barbara, the first, eight children were born to them in Washington County, Wisconsin. They were Wenzel, 1868-1943, 75; Mary; Joseph (first); Barbara (second); Frank Matt; Joseph (second); Anna and louis. *Joseph (first) died as a young boy.* When he lived on his farm in Washington County, Wisconsin.   He had cleared and improved his farm, erected good buildings on it and had reached a state of comparative prosperity.
   Frank Matt Krejci, a proprietor of a paying farm in section 33, York Township, Clark County, Wisconsin, was born in Washington County, Wisconsin November 4, 1859.   He was the son of John and Barbara (Kunish) Krejci. He attended school in Washington County and grew to manhood on his father's farm. He began working independently at the age of twenty years. After spending two years at farming, he took up the carpenter trade, at which he was occupied for three years. In 1885, he was united in marriage to Anna Helen Schaefer. She was born in Washington County, Wisconsin and the daughter of Joseph Schaefer, both parents being natives of Europe. Coming to Clark County, Wisconsin as a young married couple, Frank Krejci and his wife resided for the first winter with his sister and brother-in-law, John Klinke and the following spring moved to their present place in section 33, York Township, Clark County, Wisconsin which consists of 80 acres of wild land and there being no road they had to cut their way in.
Frank Krejci built a log house of one room, 14X26 in dimension and a log barn and then proceeded with the arduous task of developing a farm. It was not until the next spring he got a cow and five years later a yoke of steers. His first crops were grubbed in. He often walked to Neillsville, Wisconsin, 7 miles, carring home supplies on his back. His wife accompanied him, carrying eggs and butter to market and receiving 6 cents a pound for butter. In the course of time, by his own hard labor he got his land cleared, also building a nice brick house of 8 rooms and a barn, 36X48 feet and a silo of 100 tons capacity.
   He raises a good grade of stock and is the proprietor of a good farm which renders profitable returns for the labor invested in it. He is a shareholder in the Granton State Bank and the packing plant in Wausau, Wisconsin and was formerly a member of the company that operated the old cheese factory. For one year, he served as a member of the York Township side board.
   Mr and Mrs Krejci have six children: Victor (unmarried) is a farmer in the Fremont Township, Clark County, Wisconsin, where he cleared 80 acres of wild land and made a farm of it and being a carpenter putting up the buildings but still lives at home; Emma, now Mrs Louis Hemp of Neillsville, Wisconsin has two boys (Leon and Warren); Mary, the wife of George Hales and the mother of two girls ( Verona and Marion); Thomas, Estella, and Edwin still reside at home.
   *Mrs Frank M. Krejci was the daughter of Joseph Schaefer and his wife, Mary Chaska. Really her name was Mary Vilete. Her mother was married twice, first to a Vilete, to which union Mary was born. Chaska was her stepfather. Mary left a lover, who was very dear to her, in Bohemia to come to the USA with her parents to care for her mother. Her lover, in Bohemia, felt it was his duty to remain with his parents and so they had to part.*
   Taken from the Clark County, History of Wisconsin - Franklin; by Curtin Wedge, 1918.
   All starred material added by Estella F. Krejci (daughter of Frank Matt) in 1984.

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1918 History of Clark Co., WI, by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

Frank M. Krejci Family and Residence
Frank M. Krejci, proprietor of a paying farm in section 33, York Township, was born in Washington County, Wis., Nov. 4, 1859, son of John and Mary (Kunesh) Krejci, who were natives of Europe, where they were married. The parents came to the United States in the latter forties of the 19th century, accompanied by one child, Barbara. Landing in this country after a six weeks' voyage in a sailing vessel, they proceeded to Washington County, Wisconsin. John Krejci had been a farmer in Germany and he now secured a piece of improved land in Trention Township, Washington County, and began the work of improvement with an ox team. His place was located thirty-two miles from Milwaukee, then an insignificent hamlet, to which he often walked, bringing home provisions on his back. There he resided until the last ten years of his life, when he moved to Milwaukee. He had cleared and improved his farm, erecting good buildings on it and had reached a state of comparative prosperity.
He died at the age of 84 years and his wife at that of 66. In addition to their daughter Barbara, they had eight children born in Washington County: Mary, Joe, Barbara, second (the first of the name having died young) Frank M., Wencil, Joe (second), Anna and Louis. Frank M. Krejci attended school in Washington County and grew to manhood on the farm. He began working independently at the age of 20 years, and after spending two years at farming, took up the carpenters' trade, at which he was occupied for three years. In 1885 he was united in marriage with Ann Schaefer, who was born in Washington County, daughter of Joe Schaefer and his wife, Mary (Chaska) Schaefer, both parents being natives of Germany. Coming to Clark County as a young married couple, Mr. Krejci and wife resided for the first winter with John Klinkee, and in the following spring moved onto their present place in section 33, York Township. It then consisted of eighty acres of wild land and there being no road, they had to cut their way in. Mr. Krejci built a log house of one room, 14 by 26 feet in dimensions, and also a log barn, and then proceeded with the arduous task of developing a farm. It was not until the next spring that he got a cow, and it was five years later when he got a yoke of steers.
His first crops were grubbed in, and he often walked to Neillsville carrying home supplies on his back. His wife, accompanying him, carried eggs and butter to market, receiving six cents a pound for butter. In course of time, by his own hard labor, he got his land cleared, also building a nice brick residence of eight rooms, a barn 36 by 48 feet, and a silo of 100 tons capacity. He raises a good grade of stock and is the proprietor of a good farm which renders profitable returns for the labor invested in it. In early days Mr. Krejci himself spun wool to make yarn, his wife and daughters doing the knitting.
He is a shareholder in the Granton State Bank and the packing plant at Wausau and was formerly a member of the company that operated the old cheese factory. For one year he served as a member of the township side board. He and his wife have six children: Victor, unmarried, a farmer of Fremont Township; Emma, now Mrs. Louis Hemp, of Neillsville, who has two children, Lea {Leon}and Warren; Mary, wife of George Hales and the mother of two children, Roma and Marion; Thomas, Stella and Edwin, all reside at home.

Compiled by Sara Bader Hemp