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Shawano
County Journal
17 September
1936
Thanks to
our "Shawano GenWeb Volunteer" for sending this in!!
[Photo in
newspaper clipping is too dark to copy.
Left to
Right: Seated Herman Kupsky, Standing Adolph Kupsky holding Leslie
Kupsky, Seated Ferdinand Kupsky. Little Wesley seems to be
wearing a “sailor’s suit” baby outfit. The three adult men are
well-dressed in suits and neckties. Ferdinand appears to be
sporting a handsome mustache!]
NOTE:
Thanks,
Carl
for correcting this data! Carl is Adolph Kupsky's son and if you
are researching this family, I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.
FOUR GENERATIONS OF KUPSKY FAMILY
Four
generations of the Kupsky family are represented in the
accompanying picture. It is a rare occasion when a family can
boast of four generations. Ferdinand Kupsky, who is 76 years old
and is one of the early pioneers of this county, represents the
first generation; his son, Herman, aged 53, the second generation,
and Herman’s son, Adolph, aged 24, the third, while the latter’s
son, the smiling little fellow, Wesley, 14 (or 24) months, is the
fourth generation.
Ferdinand
Kupsky came to this country from Germany in 1867, when he was
seven years old. His parents settled in Belle Plaine on land
located just off what was then called Military Road. It was the
first trail to be cut by the government through northern
Wisconsin. All about was dense wilderness and in typical pioneer
fashion, Mr. Kupsky’s father set about building a new home in a
new country. All of Mr. Kupsky’s life has been spent on this same
farm, which has been developed by three generations of the family.
Like many of
those early settlers, Mr. Kupsky’s father had only a small sum of
money to take he and his family to America. When they arrived in
Belle Plaine the money had dwindled away and it was up to him to
take the first job at hand in order that he might provide food for
his family. His father was one of the first wagonmakers to come
to these parts and because of his skilled knowledge of the work it
was not hard for him to find employment. “Those were the days, “
Mr. Kupsky said, “when a man worked for a living.” There was no
county aid, no old age pensions, nor relief. Both men and women
worked from sun-up to sunset, taking advantage of every
opportunity offered them. “People were more content and
appreciated what nature had to offer,” he said. “They lived
simple lives and knew the joys that came with such manner of
living.” He well remembers when his father paid $15.00 for a
barrel of flour(?)
In 1883 he
married Augusta Reinke in the town of Grant and brought her home
to his father’s farm to live. There are eight children in the
family, five boys, one of whom is a minister, and three girls.
The children are: Herman, who lives in Appleton; Henry, of this
city; Ted, who resides on a farm near Bonduel; Rev. William Kupsky
of Bellwood; Albert, who is on the home farm; Helen, Mrs. William
Schmelling, Rockford, Illinois; Tillie, Mrs. Arnold Krohn, this
city; and Gertrude, Mrs. Walter Cash, who lives near Rockford.
There are 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Besides
farming, Mr. Kupsky and his sons have operated a sawmill on the
farm for over twenty years. All of them worked in the mill
besides assisting with the farm work. Today, Mr. Kupsky’s son
does as his father did—operates the mill along with the farm.
Two years
ago, Mr. Kupsky fell from a ladder and broke his hip, and since
that time has been forced to retire. Mr. and Mrs. Kupsky
celebrated their golden wedding anniversary nearly five years
ago. In March 1937, they will have been married fifty-five
years. Mrs. Kupsky is 77 years old.
For many
years, Mr. Kupsky has been active in the town of Belle Plaine as
well as in the county. He served as a member of his town board
and has been a member of the Shawano County fair association for
many years and is one of the early presidents of that
organization. Age, however, has not diminished his interest in
the association and this week you will find him at the county fair
just as he has been coming for over fifty years.
Mr. Kupsky
is among the last of those pioneers who aided in the development
of this community. Their foresight and integrity have builded a
community that they can, with pride, hand down to the generations
to come. He has built a beautiful farm home, he has reared a fine
family, and now, when he has reached that place in life when he no
longer can engage in active work, he is able to guide others
because of his experience. We know the late years are going to be
all the more interesting and amusing because of that curly haired
little fellow, his great grandson, who has come to bring happiness
to one of Shawano county’s oldest pioneers.
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