Pgs 746-47

FRANK ISSTAS, prominent citizen and successful business man of Washington township, Shawano county, was born in Belgium November 15, 1855, and is a son of Mr. and Mrs. John Isstas.  John Isstas was a farmer in Belgium, of limited education. With his wife and family he embarked at Antwerp for America in the spring of 1856, landed at Boston, Mass., and came direct to Green Bay, Brown Co., Wis. He afterward bought a tract of land in Wrightstown, Brown county, located upon it, and remained there about six years. He then removed to Neenah, Winnebago Co., Wis., and soon afterward his wife died. Their children were as follows: Louis, now deceased; Frank, the subject of these lines; Sophia and Peter, both now deceased; and two others who died in infancy. In Neenah John Isstas again married, taking to wife Mary Byer, and later they removed with the family to Calumet county, Wis., where he bought a farm. His wife died, and he later removed to Little Chute, Outagamie county, and there married again. He died in Little Chute April 22, 1895. His last wife survives him.
     
Frank Isstas received a limited education, but has acquired much general knowledge from experience and from good books. He learned the trade of a cooper in Neemah, Wis., and up to that time had done almost anything he could get to do. In his eighteenth year he left home and went to Minnesota, where he was employed for fifteen months as a farm hand near Minneapolis. He then returned to Wisconsin, and for six months worked at his trade in Appleton, Outagamie county, next going to Oshkosh, Winnebago county, where he found employment as a deck hand on a lake steamer. From there he went to Seymour, Outagamie county, procured work in the hub and spoke factory of the Northern Manufacturing Co., and continued in their employ for five years. 
     
On January 4, 1881, Frank Isstas was united in marriage, in Seymour, Outagamie county, with Miss Ida Zachow, who was born in Greenville, Outagamie county, January 4, 1863, and they have had two children William, born November 19, 1881 and Edwin, born March 11, 1884. Shortly, after their marriage they removed to Centralia, Wood Co., Wis., and Mr. Isstas was there engaged as a filer and assistant foreman in the hub and spoke factory of McKinnon & Griffith. At the end of the three years he left their employ, removed to Cecil, Washington township, Shawano county, and purchased an interest in the firm of  J. C. Zachow & Co., of Cecil. They erected a general store, and a sawmill and gristmill. . Later Mr. Isstas disposed of his share in the store. In November 1892, he bought out the interest of his partners in the sawmill and he also has a share in the gristmill.
     
Mr. Isstas is a strong Democrat, and works for the success of his party. He has been township clerk for five years, justice of the peace for five years, and district school clerk for nine years. He was reared a Catholic, but at present is a member of no Church. His wife is a Lutheran. Mr. Isstas built his home in 1888. It is a modern dwelling and is nicely furnished. He is a man of intelligence, fond of reading good books, and is well-known and respected.