Bio: Kotcon, Mike & Mary

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Kotcon, Dyha, Djubenski, Luzovec, O’Brian

----Source: Family Scrapbook

Mike Kotcon was born January 6, 1887. Mary Dyha was born December 27, 1888. Both were born in Poland, Europe around the Warsaw and Lublin area.

Mike came to America, settling in New York state where he worked on a farm. He saved enough money for his fare to Kalamazoo, Michigan where he worked in a gas factory.

Mary was the eldest in her family, so she left home quite young to work for some wealthy people. She saved enough money for her traveling expenses and came to the United States in February 1909 with a cousin. They settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan where Mary worked in a factory. Mike and Mary met and were married August 15, 1909.

They heard about the Willard area through a Polish land agency and bought the land, south of Mead Lake, through him. Mike and Mr. Mike Djubenski traveled together to their new land where they built their two room homes and returned for their families. In September 1914 they moved into their new homes. There was no cleared land so they cleared land during the winter and made some logs for the log barn he made. There was no road to get to their place so the lumber had to be carried in for the house as far as from the Herrick's place.

There were nine children born to Mike and Mary, five girls and four boys. Wanda and Bernice were born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mary, Frances, Helen, Walter, Felix, Vincent and Victor were born in Willard.

Mary lives in Highwood, Illinois; Frances lives in Chicago; Bernice and Felix live in the Neillsville area.

Mike died in 1945 and Mary in 1947. Wanda died in a train accident in 1928. Walter died in 1925 with a broken leg. Vincent was killed in 1946 in a dynamite accident. Victor was hurt in this same accident and spent some time in the hospital. The farm was passed on to Victor who had married Betty Luzovec. Victor was killed in a pick-up truck accident. Later Betty sold the farm to A. O'Brian. Helen also died in 1970. She was married, living in Lyon, Illinois.