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                                                             Joseph_Mikolas_Mary_Robel

Joseph Mikolas immigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 1905 at the age of 14, from Komorowka.  He married Mary Robel  April 13, 1920 in St. Wenceslaus Church in Gerald, Sk., Canada. 

 In 1922 their first born, Josephine, arrived in Yarbo, Sk., Canada.  Then in 1923 Benjamin their son was born in Esterhazy, Sk., Canada. 

In 1924 with two children they moved to Elmwood Park, Il. There he worked as a contractor. He bought several homes here and a large building. These he rented out.   He bought these with a down payment and monthly payments which he received from the tenants. 

In 1925, 1926, 1928, three more children were born.  Namely Eleanor, Leo, and Lawrence. At this time money was tough to come by, and his tenants were unable to pay him, so he was unable to make his payments to the bank and he lost all his real estate holdings.  Jobs, also were hard to get in this area at this time.   An article in one of the newspapers told about land that was available in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for farming which may have been the reason he moved with five children to Menominee, Mi. 

With little money he and Mary and five children, youngest six months old moved to Menominee, Mi. in late 1928. Here he bought an eighty three acre farm on a land contract, which meant he didn’t need a down payment.  Joe had to make monthly payments until the $2,000.00 farm was paid off.  In 1929, 1930, 1932 and 1935, four more children were born, Alice, Bernard, Thomas and Mary Ann.  The farm revenue was not enough to continue making payments on the farm and supporting the large family at the same time.   So once again in 1936 Joe lost the farm on which he still owed $1,000.00. Now with nine children he had to find another place to live. 

A financially stable man, name of Peter Weber, who owned a lumber mill and lots of property, was touched by this family.   He offered Joe 80 acres of land to farm and some lumber to build a house.  Many of the neighbors got together for a house raising for the Joe Mikolas Family. Here the family successfully farmed that land to feed the cows on their dairy farm

During this time Joe and his children also cut Christmas trees and took them to the Chicago area and sold
them. Later Joe paid Mr. Weber $300.00 for the land that he had given him. 

During the 1940’s when the economy recovered Joe bought another 40 acres and more cows. In 1945 another child, Barbara,  was born. After giving birth, Mary never fully gained back her strength. It was diagnosed that she had pernicious anemia.   She was hospitalized for long periods of time, had many blood transfusions. In March of 1946 at the young age of 46 she
passed away.

Joe, having a one year old daughter at home, had his hands full.  In 1949 he married Nettie Mikolosh, who resided in Beausejour, MB., Canada. She then moved here and helped him raise his daughter Barbara.  Joe passed away in 1961 of a massive heart attack, after which Nettie returned to Canada.   Barbara, 16 years of age at this time went to reside with the Lawrence Mikolas family until 1963 when she graduated from high school .