Bio: Bizjak, August Sr. & Anna

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Bizjak, Schasebl, Cesnik, Kaucnik, Alverson

----Source: Family Scrapbook

August Bizjak Sr. was born in August, 1877 in Ljubljana, Jugoslavia. Anna (Schasebl) Bizjak was born in March 1878 in Klagenfurt, Austria. August was a blacksmith. He had his schooling in Trieste, Jugoslavia, (now Trieste, Italy).

They came to America in 1902 and a year later they returned to Austria, where their first child was born in 1903. Her name is Rose (She now lives in Tacoma, Washington) They then returned to America in 1906 and settled in Indianapolis, Indiana. There August had a blacksmith-shop called The Brown Kitchen Ironworks and Anna also ran a boarding house.

Three sons were born in Indianapolis, August Jr. in 1907, Karl, who died at nine months in 1909, and Joe in 1911. August Sr. developed eye problems and became blind in one eye so they decided to come to Wisconsin in October 1911.

Joe was only three weeks old at the time. They stayed with the Kaucnik family who lived at what now is Darwin Kokaly land on the Rock Dam Road (C.T. G.G.). There was no road at that time so they made a road one-half mile west to where they started to build their home. They too purchased their land via Ignac Cesnik.

After settling in Willard and building their home here, they raised three more children; John born in 1914, Agnes born in 1917, and Sophie born in 1922.

In 1921 they built their new hip-roof style barn. In 1922 a new ten-horse Fairbanks-Morse gasoline engine was purchased ($200.00) and a feed grinder ($35.00) to grind feed from grains for their cows, pigs, horses, and even poultry. They also bought a saw-rig and did some custom grinding and sawing.

In 1924 they built the first silo in Willard country (12' wide x 40' tall), bought the silo filler in 1923 and in 1925 purchased a Case Cross-Motor Tractor ($225.00) which could power the silo filler.

In 1932 they built a new tile home, (now occupied by the Alversons). In 1946 they retired and moved to Greenwood. August Jr. ran the farm.

In December 1947 August Sr. passed away. Anna spent a lot of time at the farm and her daughter's for several years. She passed away in January 1956. August Jr. passed away in February 1967. Joe lives on a farm in rural Greenwood, John lives on a farm in Butlerville country, Thorp, Wisconsin, Route 3, Agnes lives in Loyal, and Sophie lives in Colby, both in Wisconsin.

Submitted by: John Bizjak (John passed away after this was written in Summer, 1981.)