James Sindelar, 1866

Posted4U@Charter.net on Fri, 16 Feb 2001

Surname: SINDELAR, FRIEEK, TYKAE

Source: History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918), by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

JAMES SINDELAR, who is making good progress as a farmer and stock raiser in section 33, Hewett Township, after many years of earnest effort, was born in Brack, Bohemia, Nov. 17, 1866, son of Anton and Annie (Frieek) Sindelar. The parents were farming people and had six children: James, John, Joseph, Anton, Mary and Antonia. James Sindelar, by which name he is usually known, resided with his parents until he was 13 years old and then began industrial life in a butcher shop in his native land, continuing in the same occupation for a number of years. He was married in November, 1888, to Amelia Tykae, whose father, Louis Tykae, was a game warden for the king. His marriage took place at Brack, Bohemia, and he continued in the butchering and meat market business until 1890, when he came with his family to the United States, locating first in Baltimore, Md. There he worked in a butcher shop for two years and then came west as far as Chicago, in which city he followed the same occupation for six years.

At the end of that time, or about 1898, he came to Clark County, Wis., halting at Columbia, where he bought sixty acres of wild land in section 33, Hewett Township. The surroundings were all of the pioneer kind, as there was no road by the place and no house on it. Provided only with an axe, he commenced the arduous task of carving out a home in the wilderness, and had soon built a log house and barn--the first requisites of a pioneer farmer. As he was unable at first to get a living from the land, for three years he returned each winter to Chicago and worked at his old trade in meat markets, coming back to the farm in summer to continue the work of improvement. Gradually the farm became profitable and after fifteen years on it he erected a nine-room frame house and several other small buildings, and in the present year, 1917, he has built a basement barn, 30 by 42 feet in size. He has cleared forty acres of his land and has bought sixty more for his son. His cattle are high grade Holstein and Guernsey animals, and he also raises Poland-China hogs. Mr. Sindelar belongs to the Modern Woodmen and in religion is a Catholic.

He and his wife have had three children: August and Charles, who are both deceased, and Otakar, who is now a mail carrier on the rural route from Columbia, and who, like his father, belongs to the Modern Woodmen. He is also town
clerk of Hewett Township.