USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Memoirs of Milwaukee County : from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Milwaukee County, Volume II > Part 13
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August C. Backus, recently elected as the district attorney of Milwaukee county, was born in Kewaskum, Washington county, Wis., April 24, 1877, and is the son of August F. and Caroline von Spigel Backus, the former born in Pomerania (Pommern), Ger-
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many, Feb. 25. 1837, and the latter in Dubuque, Iowa, May 11, 1853, both of whom are living. A parental great-grandfather named Re- Due, of French Huguenot extraction, was an officer in the German army and close to the crown in state matters. August F. Backus came to the United States in 1852, locating in Milwaukee, where he remained for about two years, and then went to Kewaskum, Wash- ington county, remaining there until he enlisted for service in the Civil war in 1863. He served with his command in Missouri. Au- gust C. was educated in the public schools of Kewaskum, and later was a student in the Oshkosh Normal School and the University of Wisconsin, taking special work at the last named institution, and was graduated from the college of law in 1900 with the degree of LL. B. He was appointed state factory inspector by Governor La Follette and did the legal work for the Bureau of Labor, making a special study of the employment of child labor. During his four years' connection with the labor bureau his principal work was the taking of children out of the factories and putting them in the pub- lic schools. During the last year of his work he prosecuted 173 foremen and proprietors of factories, securing conviction in every case, and took out of the factories 4,460 children under fourteen years of age and saw them enrolled in the public schools. Work of this description speaks for itself and needs no comment. While with the labor department he was made chairman of the Interna- tional Child Labor Committee by the International Association of State Factory Inspectors, which included representatives from all of the states of the Union, Canada, England and Mexico. After leaving the labor department he was appointed second assistant of the district attorney for Milwaukee county and after serving one year was promoted to the position of first assistant. The following year he was promoted to special assistant district attorney and as such took an active part in the prosecution of the graft and other criminal cases. Upon the resignation of State Treasurer Kempf, in 1903, Mr. Backus, at that time only twenty-six years of age, was nominated by the Republican state central committee to succeed him, but declined the honor. Mr. Backus is a man of unusual en- ergy, as may be shown by the fact that he began working for him- self at the early age of fourteen, starting as a messenger boy at a salary of twelve dollars per month. He has also the courage of his convictions, and his work both as a factory inspector and as assist- ant to the district attorney has brought him before the public in a light most favorable for his advancement at the present time when the people are demanding honest and fearless men in the adminis- tration of civil affairs. He has, without doubt, a brilliant and suc- cessful future before him. On Aug. 20, 1902, Mr. Backus was mar- ried to Miss Elizabeth Hausman, daughter of Dr. W. and Charlotte (Fleishman) Hausman, of Kewaskum, and they have three chil- dren, namely: Charlotte, Lucile and August Charles. The family belongs to the Lutheran church and Mr. Backus is a member also of the Milwaukee County and the State Bar associations, to the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association and to the Milwaukee
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Athletic Club. Mr. B. was nominated for the office of district attor- ney of Milwaukee county on the Republican ticket at the primary election held Sept. 1, 1908, and at the November election was suc- cessful, receiving a plurality of more than 3,500.
Rev. William Haberstock, pastor of the Holy Trinity. (Catho- lic) church of Milwaukee, was born in that city on Feb. 4, 1856. His parents were Balthasar and Catherine ( Berg) Haberstock, both natives of Nassau, Germany, the former of whom died in 1877 and the latter is still living. The mother came to the United States with her parents in 1844, locating in Milwaukee, and the father came in 1850. He was a shoemaker by trade, and spent all of his life, after coming to America, in the city except about five years, during which he lived in Elm Grove. The son was baptized in the church of which he is now pastor, obtained his early education in the pa- rochial school of the parish, and spent one year at St. Gall's Acad- emy. Later he was a one-year student at St. John's University. Col- legeville, Minn. He entered St. Francis Seminary in 1869. and re- mained there for five years. He then entered St. John's University and there spent one year in the study of philosophy, after which he returned to St. Francis, and after completing his course of theol- ogy, was ordained by Bishop Heiss, of La Crosse, in 1879, on Passion Sunday. He said his first mass at Holy Trinity church on Easter Sunday following. He served for a few weeks as substitute rector at Cross Plains, Wis., and for a few more as assistant priest at New- castle (now Campbellsport), Fond du Lac county, Wis., and was then located for two years at St. Mary's church, Silver Creek, near Random Lake, and the following six years was rector of St. Mary's at Seymour, LaFayette county. Two years were spent at St. Mary's, at Marytown, Fond du Lac county, and May 19, 1889, he went to St. Mary's, at Elm Grove, remaining until July 26, 1906. when he was appointed rector of Holy Trinity church. The parish numbers about 400 families, and there are 350 pupils in the parochial school under the charge of one male teacher and seven sisters. The church, erected in 1849, the same year that the parish was organized, is of brick and has a seating capacity of 660. The buildings belonging to the parish include, beside the church. two school buildings, a par- sonage, teachers' house and janitor's house. The church has a pipe organ and clock and chime of three bells. Father Haberstock is a member of the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin and of the Family Aid Association.
Martin S. Cyborowski, the efficient and popular secretary of the Kuryer Publishing Company, was born in Poland on Nov. II. 1865, a son of Andrew and Catherine (Wetzel) Cyborowski. Both parents were born in Poland, the father in 1833 and the mother in 1838. The father was a tailor by trade, who brought his family to America in 1866, and located at Waukesha, Wis. The first year of his life in the new country he was engaged in farming, and then turned to follow his trade. When he gave up farming he came to Milwaukee and opened a tailoring establishment of his own. He did not remain long at this work, however, but entered the employ
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of the David Adler Clothing Company. He continued his connec- tion with this firm for a period of twenty-five years, and then re- tired to enjoy a well earned respite from active labor. Of the eight children born to him but three, two sons and a daughter, are now living. He has seen many phases of life, among them a period of service as a soldier in the German army. Martin S. Cyborowski. the eldest of his father's family, received his educational training in the public and parochial schools of Milwaukee. Being of an ambi- tious turn, he was not content with the knowledge gained in these institutions and after he had been at work for some time he devoted his evenings to attending night school. His first labors were as a delivery boy and clerk for a grocery, but not seeing any opportunity for advancement in that line, he left it and learned the printer's trade. His apprenticeship started in 1881 on the Polish paper Przyjaciel Ludu ( People's Friend). He mastered the trade step by step and was at different times connected with the composing de- partments of the Herold, the Sentinel and the Evening Wisconsin. For four years he was employed at his trade in Chicago. In 1892 he started a daily paper called the Telegraf, in Chicago, but on ac- count of lack of financial support the publication was suspended, the plant was sold and the paper continued as a weekly publication. In 1893 he began his connection with the Kuryer Publishing Com- pany, whose editor and president was Mr. Kruszka. Besides being a stockholder and having charge of the mechanical part of the pa- per, which today has the largest circulation of any paper of its kind in the city, Mr. Cyborowski is secretary of the company. In poli- tics Mr. Cyborowski is an active Republican and has done much to bring about the success of his party in the past few years. In 1899 he held the position of custodian during the session of the legisla- ture in Madison. His religious associations are with the Polish Cyril and Methodius church. Fraternally he is prominent as a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, acting as secretary of his court and also as deputy chief ranger, and he is also actively identified with the Polish National Alliance. On May 11, 1892, oc- curred Mr. Cyborowski's marriage to Miss Wanda Wazbinski, a native of Poland, who was reared in Chicago. To this union was born, on April 10, 1893, a son, Edwin.
Adolph Frederick, an aspiring and promising young musician of Milwaukee, was born in that city on Feb. 9, 1882, being the son of Garfield and Alvina Frederick, both natives of Germany, the for- mer born there in 1843 and the latter in 1845. The father served three years in the German army, participating in the Franco-Pris- sian war, and being present and engaged in the siege of Paris. Him- self and wife came to the United States and to Milwaukee about 1871, where they were blest with six children, four daughters and two sons, all of whom are living except a son, who died in 1893. Adolph Frederick received his early education in the public schools of Milwaukee and spent some time attending the high school. Be- ing gifted with musical talent of a very high order, he was sent to Berlin and Paris to study his art under the guidance of the great
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masters of the piano in the old world. He made two trips to Europe and spent three years there, one of his instructors being the world renowned Godowsky. He returned to Milwaukee in March, 1907, and is now engaged in teaching the piano, in which vocation he is meeting with marked success. He has given two concerts, which were well received and applauded by the public, hence it is his intention to prepare himself for a musical director's work, as he has had several flattering offers already in this line. He has at- tained remarkable success thus far, for he is quite a young man yet, and those who know him best and are competent to pass upon his qualification, critics and newspapers, are enthusiastic in his praise and expect great results from him in the not distant future. He takes great pride in his linguistic accomplishments, as he speaks fluently English, German, French and Italian.
John F. Helm, one of the prominent German pioneer settlers of Milwaukee, and for many years an active and successful business man of the city, was born in Charchow, near Camin, Germany, Feb. 25, 1839, the son of David and Caroline Helm. His parents were born and reared in the same part of Germany, where David Helm was an extensive farmer. In the year 1839 he started for America with his family, consisting of his wife and two children: John F. and his sister Minnie. During the slow and tedious voyage, which lasted three months, Mr. Helm contracted a fatal illness and died at sea. When his widow and orphaned children finally landed at New York city they proceeded directly west to Milwaukee. The terri- tory of Wisconsin was then little more than an unbroken wilder- ness, and the whole region about Milwaukee was very sparsely set- tled. The widow secured eighty acres of wild land in Ozaukee county, erected a log cabin and some rude outbuildings on the same, and started in to clear and improve her farm. She contracted a second marriage in 1841 with Joachim Wilde, a native of the same part of Germany from which she had come, and it was not many years before Mr. and Mrs. Wilde had brought their wild land to a high state of cultivation. They both continued to reside on the farm up to the time of their death. Our subject's mother had two children by her second marriage, Frank and Mary, both of whom are now deceased. Amid the rude pioneer surroundings of those carly days John F. had only a limited opportunity to attend school, but he managed to acquire some book learning through his own ef- forts. He began to earn his own living when he was a lad of six- teen years, and was employed in hotel service for some time. In 1854 he went to Chicago, Ill., where he worked until 1856, and then came to Milwaukee and embarked in the grocery business in the Second ward. He was thus engaged until 1860, and then disposed of his grocery-store interests and entered the employ of John F. Leu. a hardware merchant, for whom he worked some fourteen years. In 1874 he embarked in the hardware business on his own account at No. 656 Third street, and conducted a lucrative and pros- perous business at this location until 1895. when he disposed of his hardware store and retired from active business. During the years
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of his business activity he also dealt to some extent in real estate. Mr. Helm has always been allied with the Republican party in poli- tics, but has never sought or held public office. HIc has a sincere and abiding Christian faith and is a devoted and active member of St. Mark's Lutheran church, of which he is one of the most liberal supporters. As one of the very early settlers of Milwaukee he takes a warm interest in the gatherings of the Old Settlers' Club, of which he is an active member. He was united in marriage on
Oct. 18, 1874, to Miss Alvina Matilda, daughter of William Dum- strey, of Gristoa, near Camin, Germany, who died on Aug. 12, 1897. Mr. Helm has no children and makes his home at 760 Buffum street with his legally adopted daughter, Mrs. R. G. Wendland. Mr. Helm adopted four children: Robert, located in Chicago; George Dumstrey. deceased; Mamie Pfeil, now Mrs. Wendland, and Ella Wilson, deceased.
Rudolph Anton Kielpinski, pastor of St. Mary's church, of Czestochowa, and former assistant pastor of St. Hedwig's, is a na- tive of Poland and was born on Sept. 25, 1875. His parents, Paul and Anna (Guerke) Kielpinski, born June 27, 1847, and Sept. 30, 1852, respectively, are both still living, but are residents of Ger- many. The former was born in Poland and the latter in the adjoin- ing province of Silesia. The father has been a game warden for forty years. One brother, Frank, served for ten years in the Ger- man army and is now engaged as secretary and bookkeeper. Ru- dolph A. attended the parochial schools for eight years and was then six years under private instruction. Two years were spent in the Berlin Gymnasium and one in the Belgium Seminary of Philoso- phy, and in 1899 he came to America, remaining for a time at St. Meinrad, Ind., and in 1900 coming to St. Francis, where he spent three years ; was ordained by Bishop Schwebach, of La Crosse, June 22, 1903, and celebrated his first mass at the church of St. Cyril Methodius, Milwaukee, on June 28 following. He was assigned at once to St. Hedwig's church as assistant, his work being entirely parochial. In May, 1907, he organized the new parish of St. Mary's, of Czestochowa, among the Polish inhabitants on the north side of the city, and it now includes 225 families. A building which will serve the double purpose of church and school is now in process of construction.
Rev. Anthony F. Michels, spiritual director of St. Joseph's Convent, of Milwaukee, was born at Holsthum, Germany, Sept. 25, 1840. His parents, now both deceased, werc natives of the same country. The father, Bartholomew, was born at Gerolstein and the mother, Margaret (Weber) Michels.at Oberehe. The father was for thirty years a teacher in the public school of Holsthum. Teaching was a favorite profession in the family, two sisters, two brothers and three nieces following that line. Rev. A. F. Michels received his early education in his native land, immigrating to the United States in 1857. when he was about seventeen years of age. Here he entered the seminary of St. Francis, in which he was or- dained on Aug. 12, 1868. He celebrated his first holy mass in St.
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Nicholas' church at Decada, Sheboygan county, Wis., Aug. 15, 1868. The parish of St. Mathias (Beloit road), Milwaukee county, was the first field for his labors. Then the parish of St. Boniface at Richfield, Washington county, from where he was transferred to the Teachers' Normal School at St. Francis, Milwaukee county. Subsequently he was appointed pastor of St. Lawrence's church and chaplain of St. Colettas' Convent, near Jefferson, Jefferson county, and then assigned to St. Mathews, at New Cassel, Fond du Lac county, where he founded a home for the school sisters of St. Fran- cis. Resigning as pastor of St. Mathews, he was appointed spiritual director of these sisters, holding this position now over thirty-five years. His home is at St. Joseph's Convent, Greenfield and Wash- ington avenues, Milwaukee, the mother house of the school sisters of St. Francis.
Hygin Florian Kupka, of Milwaukee, assistant pastor of the Church of St. Vincent's (Catholic), was born in Silesia, a province of Germany, on April 24, 1873. His parents, now both deceased, were John and Paulina (Rokus) Kupka, both natives of the same province. A number of the near relatives of Rev. H. F. Kupka were military men and several were officers, one serving as an officer in the war between Germany and France-1870-71. Hygin F., of this sketch, was educated in the public schools of Germany and studied architecture at Bauerwitz, Germany, and then went to Rome, Italy, where he entered the school of the Society of the Divine Savior, studying theology in the St. Gregory's University of Rome, and he was ordained at Trent, Austria, by Bishop Valussi, July 6, 1902, and officiated at his first mass on July 13 at Matzkirch, Silesia. He re- turned to Rome and pursued his theological studies for another year and then came to the United States, becoming pastor at St. Nazianz, Manitowoc county, where he remained three years, and then came to Milwaukee, where he was assistant at the Church of St. Stanislaus for a short time, and on Jan. 1, 1907, was transferred to his present position.
Francis Joseph Cytronowski, assistant pastor of the Church of St. Stanislaus, Milwaukee, was born and reared in Polish Prussia (Silesia), his parents, Emil and Josephine (Schiwietz) Cytronow- ski, both being natives of the same province. Francis J., born Sept. 16, 1878, was educated in the public schools and gymnasium of his native land and later became a student in the University of Fri- bourg, Switzerland, and after graduation was ordained at Sion (German, Sitten), canton of Valais, Switzerland, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Abbet, on Dec. 14, 1902, and officiated at his first mass two days later in the chapel of St. Canisius, Fribourg, Switzerland. Coming to the United States on May 17. 1903, he located in Mil- waukee, where he was first appointed to the position of assistant in the church of St. Josaphat, and later to a similar post of duty in the Church of St. Casimir, where he remained for three and one-half years, in March, 1907, being transferred to St. Stanislaus. He is a young man of ability and admirably adapted to his work among his countrymen located in the metropolis of the state.
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Felix Anthony Goral, assistant pastor of the Church of St. Hya- cinth, Milwaukee, is a native of the Badger State, having been born at Grand Rapids, Wood county, Wis., Nov. 20, 1881. His parents, Casimir Joseph and Mary ( Piszczek) Goral, were both born in Pol- ish Prussia, and the former is still living, but the latter died in 1894. The parents came to this country about 1880, and were first occu- pied with farming, but later removed to Milwaukee, where Mr. Goral is now proprietor of a restaurant. Rev. Boleslaus E. Goral, professor of Polish and other languages and of philosophy at St. Francis Seminary, is a cousin of Rev. F. A. Goral of this sketch, and Rev. Joseph Goral, another cousin, is rector of a college in the province of Galicia, Austria, and is also engaged in missionary work at that place. Felix A. spent his earlier years in the parochial schools and later attended the Polish Seminary of Detroit, where he completed the classical course. Returning to Wisconsin, he en- tered the Seminary of St. Francis, and there studied philosophy and theology, and on June 18, 1900, was ordained to the priesthood and said his first mass on June 25, following, at the Church of St. Josa- phat. He was first appointed assistant pastor at St. Casimir, and on March II, 1907, was transferred to a similar position in the Church of St. Hyacinth, where he is at present. This is one of the large and important churches and is elsewhere described in connection with the sketch of Rt. Rev. Mnsgr. H. Gulski. While in the seminary Rev. Father Goral was much interested in oratory and dramatics and belonged to the St. Stanislaus Literary and Debating Society, and was also prominent in the athletics of the institution.
Anthony Mathias Erz, assistant pastor of St. Anthony's church, Milwaukee, was born in that city Oct. 27, 1879. His father, Fred- erick Erz, is a native of Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, and came to Milwaukee in 1872, where he carried on the business of a wholesale dealer in wines and liquors. He married, in Milwaukee, Mary Sey- fried, whose father was one of the pioneer settlers of the city, and a contemporary of Solomon Juneau. He located on the South Side, and was for a long period a member of the firm of Schroeder & Sey- fried, lumber dealers. Mrs. Erz was born in Milwaukee and died there in 1902, but her husband is still living and resides in the city. Rev. A. M. Erz was educated first in the St. Francis parochial schools and later in Marquette College and St. Francis Seminary, and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop J. J. Fox on June 10, 1906, and said his first mass on June 24, following, at St. Francis church, Milwaukee. After his ordination he came directly to St. Anthony's church, where he has since been engaged in church and parochial work. While in the seminary he was a member of the German Debating Society and is now a member of St. Michael's Society of St. Anthony's Church Family Protective Association of Wisconsin.
Peter Kilian Flasch, assistant pastor of the Church of St. An- thony, Milwaukee, was born at St. Kilian. Fond du Lac county, Wis .. Jan. 12. 1881. His paternal grandparents came to this coun- try from Germany about 1847, driving through from Milwaukee
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with an ox-team, and they settled on a farm in Fond du Lac county, where Kilian Flasch, the father of Rev. P. K. Flasch, of this sketch, was born and reared, he becoming a well known and popular mer- chant of St. Kilian and a very successful business man. His death occurred in 1887. His wife, before her marriage Catherine Schu- macher, was born in Eischen, Luxemburg, and is still living. Kilian C .. paternal granduncle of Father Flasch, also belonged to the priesthood, and when Bishop Heiss was promoted to the archbish- opric of Milwaukee succeeded him as Bishop of La Crosse, and oc- cupied that position until his death on Aug. 3, 1891. An uncle by marriage, Michael A. Jacobs, of Beaver Dam, was elected state sen- ator in 1899 and served four years. The ancestry on both sides of the family can be traced back for a long period, and the names are not unknown to history. Peter K. was educated in the parochial schools in his early youth and later, in 1896, entered St. Francis Seminary, remaining there in preparation for his work until his ordination by Bishop Fox in 1906. He entered the priesthood on June 10, said his first mass on June 19, following, and was appointed assistant pastor of St. Michael's church, Milwaukee, remaining for one year, when he was transferred to his present position. While in the seminary he took a prominent part in oratorical contests and dramatic productions, and was also active in athletic sports, base ball being his favorite game. He is a member of St. Michael's So- ciety, a parish organization, and is director of the same, which is a dramatic association. Rev. Father Flasch is a young man admira- bly fitted for his responsible and varied duties and has every pros- pect of becoming an important factor in the councils of his church. He is a member of the St. Boniface, St. Thomas and St. Albertus societies at St. Francis Seminary, and is also a member of "The Saengerbund" and St. Cecilia Society.
Anthony Pradzynski, rector of St. Casimir's Catholic church, Milwaukee, is a native of the city where he now occupies so promi- nent a position in religious circles. His parents, Stephen and Jo- hanna (Senger) Pradzynski, were both born in Poland and immi- grated to the United States in 1862, coming directly to Wisconsin and locating in Milwaukee. The mother died in 1900 and the father is now retired from the cares of active life. Anthony received his carly education partly in the public and partly in the parochial schools in Berlin, Muscoda and Highland. Wis., and took his colle- giate and theological training at the Seminary of St. Francis, near Milwaukee. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Heiss, June 24. 1889, and two days later said his first mass at the Church of St. Stanislaus, Berlin, Wis. He was sent first to the Church of St. Hyacinth. Milwaukee, where he remained for over twelve years, and although offered other parishes. he declined to change until compelled by the archbishop to accept the charge of St. Josaphat in 1000. This church he resigned, but Bishop Messmer did not accept his resignation, and he remained in charge until 1907, when, on Jan. 6. he was offered the St. Casimir's church. which he accepted. and was transferred to that charge. It is one of the largest parishes in
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