Bio: Chesak, Hon. Joseph (1853 - 19??)

Contact: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Chesak, Sigmond, Schrieber, Masak, Blecha, Wilger, Hentz, Searing, Miller

----Source: History of Marathon County Wisconsin and Representative Citizens, by Louis Marchetti, 1913.

Chesak, Hon. Joseph (8 December 1853 - 19??)

Hon. Joseph Chesak, who has been identified with mercantile and lumber interests in Marathon County for many years and has been prominent in public affairs as well, was born at Pilsen, Bohemia, December 8, 1853, and is a son of Martin and Mary (Sigmond) Chesak. The parents of Mr. Chesak were born, reared and married in Austria and from that country they came with their children to the United States in 1857 and settled in Washington County, Wis. For three years after coming here the father followed his trade of brick-mason, then turned his attention to farming until 1884, when he came to Marathon County and for a number of years afterward was connected with his son Joseph in the mercantile business and also with all his sons was concerned in lumbering. Both he and wife have passed away. They had the following children: Joseph; Barbara, who is deceased, was the wife of Herman Schrieber; John H.; Mary, who is the wife of Joseph Masak; Frank F., who is a prominent business man and politician in Marathon County; and Josephine, who is the widow of John A. Blecha.

Until he was sixteen years of age, Joseph Chesak was mainly interested in his school books and the sports and occupations of boyhood but then he was deemed old enough to begin the work of a man in the lumber regions, where he worked as a laborer until he was twenty-one years old. Then, after completing a business course at Milwaukee, he started a general store at Newberg, Wis., which he continued from 1875 until 1880, when he came to Marathon County and continued merchandising until February, 1912, a period of thirty-two years. He was postmaster of Poniatowski from August, 1881, to April, 1906, when he retired and moved to Athens, Wis. In 1891 the Chesak Brothers started the mill at Athens, now known as the Athens Manufacturing Company, which is one of the important business enterprises of this section.

In 1876 Mr. Chesak was married to Miss Mary S. Wilger, who was born in Washington County Wis., a daughter of Mathias and Susan (Hentz) Wilger, the former of whom was born in Prussia and was a farmer after coming to Wisconsin. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Wilger were: Elizabeth, wife of John C. Searing; Mary S.; and John, Joseph and Nicholas. To Mr. and Mrs. Chesak five children were born, namely: Mary B., wife of George M. Blecha; John C; Thomas M.; Agnes J., wife of Joseph N. Miller; and Anna R. Mr. Chesak and family belong to the Catholic Church. In politics he is a Republican and while living in the town of Trenton, served as town clerk and for twenty-three years was clerk of Town Rietbrock; for fourteen years was a justice of the peace; and in 1888 was first elected a member of the General Assembly, serving most acceptably in 1889 and 1890. He was also trustee of the village of Athens in 1907 and 1908; supervisor of the village 1909 and 1910; trustee of the Marathon County Insane Asylum 1894-1895-1896-1897 and was elected president of that body. His only fraternal connection is with the Eagles.