Theodore J. Krasinsky
Theodore J. Krasinsky came
from Germany to America when a youth of eighteen
years and established his residence in Iowa, where it
has been his to achieve distinctive success and
prosperity through his own energy and well directed
efforts and where may consistently be termed one of
the pioneer citizens of Clayton county, for here he
has maintained his home during the greater part of
the period since he came from his native land, nearly
half a century ago.
He owns and conducts a well stocked and modern
general merchandise establishment in the village of
Garnavillo, and in connection therewith he has a
specially well appointed jewelry department, with
excellent facilities for the repairing of watches,
clocks and general lines of jewelry. Mr. Krasinsky is
essentially one of the influential business men and
representative citizens of Garnavillo, where he has
served in various public offices, including that of
postmaster of the village. He has impressed upon the
community that has long been his home the strength
and steadfastness of his sterling character and he
commands in violable place in popular confidence and
esteem, so that in all respects he is specially
worthy of recognition in this history of Clayton
county and its people.
Mr. Krasinsky was born in Germany, on the 24th of
July, 1850, and is a son of John and Dorothy
(Brunern) Krasinsky, both of whom there passed their
entire lives; they became the parents of three
children, of whom two are living. He whose name
introduces this article was reared and educated in
his Fatherland, and in 1868 he followed the course of
his youthful ambition by severing the home ties and
setting forth to seek his fortunes in the United
States. Soon after his arrival in America he came to
Iowa and found employment at farm work in Clayton
county, this occupation having been followed by him
for the first three years, at the expiration of which
he assumed a position as clerk in a mercantile
establishment at Garnavillo. Several years later he
engaged independently in the general merchandise
business at McGregor, but after conducting the
enterprise about two years he disposed of his stock
of goods and removed to the city of Dubuque, where he
was employed as clerk in a mercantile establishment
for a period of six years, this being the only
interval of his not maintaining his home in Clayton
county during the entire time that he has been in
America.
Upon returning to this county from Dubuque he again
established his residence at Garnavillo, and soon
afterward, in 1884, he was appointed postmaster,
under the Cleveland administration. He continued the
efficient incumbent of this office for a period of
one term, and in the meanwhile he again engaged in
the general merchandise business, with which he has
continued to be successfully identified during the
long intervening years. He has built up a large and
substantial business and the high reputation he has
won for himself and his establishment constitutes a
most valuable business asset, besides being a matter
of just pride and satisfaction to him. Mr. Krasinsky
has been prominent and influential in the Clayton
county councils of the Democratic party and in
addition to his service as postmaster he held for
thirteen years the office of township clerk and was
for several years a member of the board of education
of Garnavillo.
In addition to his substantial and modern store
building and an attractive residence property Mr.
Krasinsky is the owner of two village lots that have
not been improved with buildings. He is affiliated
with the blue-lodge, chapter and council bodies of
the York Rite of the Masonic fraternity and both he
and his wife are communicants and liberal supporters
of the Lutheran church in their home village.
In the year 1872 Mr. Krasinsky wedded Miss Elizabeth
Walleser, who was born in Pennsylvania but who has
passed the greater part of her life in Clayton
county, where her parents established their home when
she was a child. Mrs. Krasinsky is a daughter of
Matthew and Rosina (Ruester) Walleser, both natives
of the Kingdom of Baden, Germany, whence they came to
America when young folks, their first place of
residence having been in Pennsylvania, whence they
came to Clayton county, Iowa, in the early pioneer
era of its history, their home having been
established on an embryonic farm, which they
developed into one of the valuable landed estates o f
the county and upon which they passed the remainder
of their lives.
Mr. and Mrs. Krasinsky have four children: Amelia is
the wife of Frank Barnhouse and they reside in the
city of Chicago; Hugo is now in the city of St. Paul,
Minnesota, in which state also reside the two younger
sons, Waldemar and Baldwin, the latter maintaining
his home at St. Paul.
source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to
the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; pg.
224-226
-OCR scanned by S. Ferrall
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