BioA: Lato, Mr./Mrs. Joseph J. (70th – 2018)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Sobolewski, Lato, Piekarski, Knauff, Griese, Al-Mishwit

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 11 Jul 2018

Lato, Mr./Mrs. Joseph J. (70th – 19 JUN 2018)

Caroline (Sobolewski) Lato and Joseph J. Lato were married on June 19, 1948, at St. Hedwig's Catholic Church in Thorp, Wisconsin by the late Father Francis Piekarski. They had five children: Janice Lato (Soud Al-Mishwit), Arden, NC; Gary (Joan) Lato, Waukesha, WI; Diane (Kurt) Knauff, Madison, WI; Greg (Jennifer) Lato, San Ramon, CA; and Kathleen (Ron) Griese, Loveland, CO, who passed away in 2001. They have 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, who they met for the first time during the anniversary celebration. All of the family, except one granddaughter, traveled from as far away as England and Germany to spend a long weekend with them, which included a Mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Stratford, followed by a dinner in their honor.

For the first six years of marriage, the couple farmed his parents' homestead in the Thorp, WI area, after which he was a railroad telegraph operator for two years. In 1956, they purchased the McCrory Hardware store in Stratford, WI. They ran their business, "Stratford Our Own Hardware" until 1989. During that time they also acquired the Klemme Dental building in Stratford, converting it into a 5- unit apartment building, and were instrumental in developing the South Ridge Drive subdivision in Stratford, which was previously Spinder Fur Farm and Stratford Speedway, both non-operational at the time. After retiring from the hardware store, they built the 38-unit "Stratford Mini Storage." In earlier years, they enjoyed dancing, bowling, gardening, fishing, hunting and their cottage on the Eau Pleine Flowage. Now they are enjoying their time at their home on South Ridge Drive in Stratford.