Bio: Urbanz, Frank & Margaret

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Urbanz, Kunauer, Mensinger, Pekol, Boh, Landini, Qualls, Plautz

----Source: Family Scrapbook

My father Peter Urbanz was born in Koroskem, Austria. My mother Mary Kunauer was born in Krainj, Austria. They married and settled in Krainj. To this union were born six children, three boys and three girls.

We lived in the city of Krainj, where my father was a tailor and at one time he had eighteen men working for him. After a time and much thought our father decided to come to America. After being here for some time he went back to Europe to see his family. He returned to America and went back to Europe again. After several trips back and forth, mother said: we will all go back with you. So we all went to America.

We settled in Chicago which we then called our home. I was not quite eleven years when we came to America. I had some education in Europe but the rest of my education was in parochial and public schools in Chicago. As I grew up I worked and learned the printing trade. I worked in Chicago and also worked in New York and Boston but Chicago was always home.

My first visit to Willard was through friends, the Mensingers in about 1918. I also later spent two weeks in Gorman, Wisconsin. After several trips to Willard country I decided to buy land out here, because I liked it. So I bought eighty acres in the town of Mead in the early 20's. In 1927 I bought the Joe Pekol farm, altogether then I had 220 acres. It was such a pleasure to breathe good clean air instead of printer's ink.

I married Margaret Boh and we had five children: Gwen Landini, Greenwood Route; "Dolly" Isobel Qualls, Hudson, Wisconsin; Margaret Plautz, Owen; Mary Ann married, Columbia Heights, Minnesota; Frank Jr. married, Clintonville, Wisconsin.

I am retired now after farming for fifty years. Today I am 83 years of age and am glad to contribute what I can toward the pioneer history book of Willard.

Submitted by: Frank Urbanz