Bio: Klovas, William & Antoinette

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Klovas, Lucas, Smith, Kapfer

----Source: Family Scrapbook

William Klovas (Bill) was born December 15, 1890 in Lithuania. He came to this country in 1909 and settled in Chicago. This is where he met and fell in love with Antoinette Lucas.

On October 19, 1919 they were married in Chicago and two children were born to them there. Bill worked for the railroad.

In 1925 Bill and his wife and two children Bill Jr. and Marian moved to Wisconsin. They lived in the town of Mead, cleared land and woods and built a small house and barn. They had a few cows, two horses, some chickens and pigs.

Life was very hard for them as they had many hardships. They were blessed with three more children, George, Betty and Richard. In the year of 1926 when George was only two months old, Bill had the misfortune of losing his right arm up to the elbow in a sawmill accident. This did not stop the Klovas' from farming for the next 26 years, then tragedy again struck the family.

This time Bill's beloved wife Antoinette was stricken with cancer and died of the lingering illness at the early age of 51 years. She was laid to rest in the Holy Family Parish Cemetery at Willard.

After her death in 1952 he stayed and farmed with his son Richard until February 1953 when he sold the farm to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith of Thorp. They in turn sold it to Eric Kapfer of Thorp who in due time sold it to his son Eric Jr.

Bill moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin after he sold the farm and bought a small house where he lived alone for about 20 years. He had a garden and a hobby of building bird houses, doll beds, picnic tables, etc. Then as he was getting along in years he moved in with his daughter Betty till his passing on April 15, 1976. He was laid to rest beside his wife at Holy Family Cemetery at Willard.

Their five children reside at the following places: William Jr., Ishpeming, Michigan; Marian, Marysville, Washington; Betty, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Richard, Aberdeen, Washington; George, Thorp, Wisconsin.