Bio: Blecha, Frank N. (1871 - 19??)

Contact: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Blecha, Hubing, Loomis, Fink, Beil, Graettinger, Bischel,

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

Blecha, Frank N. (15 January 1871 - 19??)

FRANK N. BLECHA, whose productive farm of l00 acres lies in Rietbrock Township, owns also a fine residence with seventeen acres of land in the village of Athens, and is one of the substantial and representative citizens of this section. He was born at Fillmore, Washington County, Wis., January 15, 1871, and is a son of Frank E. and Mary (Hubing) Blecha.  

Frank E. Blecha was born in Bohemia, Germany, and was one of the early enterprising settlers of Athens, building the first hotel (year 1890) here, which he conducted for a number of years. He married Mary Hubing, who was born in Wisconsin, but was of German ancestry. They are both deceased, their children being: John, deceased; Frank N., George A., Anna, Celia, Arthur, Charles and Edwin. Anna married John E. Loomis.

Frank N. Blecha attended the public schools and later took a commercial course in a business college at Milwaukee. For the following two years he was a clerk in a grocery store and after that was with his father in the hotel, as his clerk, for two years, and after the death of his father was manager for his mother for about five years. Then he and his brother George bought the mother's interest and they continued to be partners for six years, during which time they were also .in the saw mill business, buying the Big Rib Lumber Company's plant and name. In 1903 they sold the hotel, but continued a few years longer in the lumber business and then sold to the Star Lumber Company. For the next three years Mr. Blecha served as manager, secretary and treasurer of the Athens Creamery Company, when he purchased the opera house and retained that property for five years, since then devoting his time mainly to looking after his agricultural interests.

On June 23, 1897, Mr. Blecha was married to Miss Anna Fink, who was born in Austria and was nine years old when she accompanied her father to America, her mother dying previously. The father was a farmer in Marathon County and died here. His children were: John, who is deceased; Catherine, who is the wife of Joseph Beil; Christiana, deceased, who was the wife of Louis Graettinger; Mary, who is the wife of George Graettinger; Aloysius; Matilda, who is the wife of Blasus Bischel: Anna, who is the wife of Mr. Blecha; and Charles. To Mr. and Mrs. Blecha seven children were born: Beatrice, Ruth, Cecelia, Loretta, Anna, Mary and Charles. The family all belongs to the Catholic Church. Mr. Blecha is a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, of the Eagles, the Elks and the G. U. G., the last named being an exclusive German organization. He is a Republican nominally, but in public matters is more apt to use his own judgment than to blindly obey any party call. He has served in a number of important positions in the government of the village.