After locating in Fort Atkinson, Adolph and Josephine Hlubek purchased the Palace Hotel and accompanying property from Anna Martinek for the sum of $4,000.00 on 3 Jan 1911 (actual date of purchase).

In 1916 the Palace Hotel burned and a new hotel was built on the same site using some of the original foundation. The name of the business was changed to the Commercial Hotel. The hotel advertised fifteen, clean, comfortable guest rooms, steam heat, electric lights, hot and cold water, fine meals and a bath for guests. In 1932 the letterhead for the hotel read “Fine Accommodations for Traveling Men.”

The Adolph and Josephine Hlubek family, 1932.

First row: Sr. Mercedes Hlubek (Anna), Josephine Hlubek, Sr. Valentine Hlubek, Adolph Hlubek Sr. and Mary Hlubek Doubek. Second row: Leo Hlubek, Clement Hlubek, Victoria Hlubek Meaden, Georgina Hlubek Kuhn, Joseph Hlubek and Adolph Hlubek Jr.

While residing in Fort Atkinson and managing the hotel, Adolph served as mayor of the community. He also worked for the postal service as a rural mail carrier. He initially delivered the mail with horses. Adolph also was a journalist and wrote articles for English and Czech newspapers in Chicago and St. Louis.

Adolph and Josephine raised nine children while operating the hotel: Victoria, Adolph, Jr., Mary, Valentine, Anna (Sr. Mercedes), Joseph, Georgina, Clement and Leo. Adolph, Jr. became a professor and served as superintendent of the Fort Atkinson Public School before moving on to other positions. He also served in the military during World War I. Valentine was ordained a Catholic priest and became the first priest from St. John Nepomucene Parish. He served as a Catholic chaplain during World War II in England, France and Germany. Anna entered the School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee and took the name of Sr. Mercedes Hlubek, O.S.F. Clement attended Columbia College and later served as mayor of Fort Atkinson. Leo served in the military during World War II.

Clement and Mathilda Hlubek took over the operation of the Commercial Hotel in 1945 and operated it until 1972. They raised three children while in the business: Jeanette (Kruse), Robert and Richard who all still reside in the area.

The hotel was noted for its fine home cooked meals (first under Josephine Hlubek, then under Mathilda Hlubek) and was a hub of social activity for the community. A wooden Cola-Cola sign hangs in most pictures of the business. It reads “Ye who enter here on refreshment bent shall welcome be and forth with blessings sent."

Clientele ranged from general travelers to traveling salesmen to railroad and construction workers. Besides the daily clientele for the restaurant and hotel, several people were weekly boarders making the hotel their home.

The business was sold in 1972 to Kenneth Croatt and Gary Mihm.

Hochstetler, Jeremiah and Elizabeth (Brandt) and Mary (Farney)

(Mel Faldet)

In the 1211 page volume “Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler”, a very complete genealogy of the family, we will find that Jacob, the immigrant, was the great-great-grandfather of Jeremiah my great-great-grandfather.

Jeremiah was born in 1786 most likely in Pennsylvania. He was married to Elizabeth Brandt on 1 Nov 1819 by William D. Mifeindert a J.P” To this union Jacob and Lvdia were born. Elizabeth died. Jeremiah then was married to Mary Farney on 13 Jan 1830 by Henry Lally 'J.P" To this union were born three children: Martha, Katie and Marie.

Martha married Conrad Brandt, father of Eli. Their children were: Henry, Manuel and Martha. Katie was born 20 Jun 1834 and married Eli Brandt and they became my great-grandparents. Their children were: Henry Jefferson, Josephine, my grandmother Delia, Susan, Jacob, Charles and Willis. Marie was born 25 Oct 1837 and married Elmiran Adams in Sep 1858 at Independence, IA. Their children were: Edward, James and Minnie. Elmiran died in 1867 and Marie married Cyrus Lyon on 28 Dec 1871 at Moscow, IA. They became the parents of Ellen, Alice, Dorothy, Adelle, Florence, and one son, Bill Lyon. The Lyons family lived Rock Island, IL.

The census of 1860 for Locust Lane lists Jeremiah Hochstetler age 73 as a farmer from Pennsylvania; Maria (sometimes written as Mary or Marie) Hochstetler age 64 from Pennsylvania. They were living in Freeport, IA.

The book “Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler” on page 299 gives this unfortunate account of Jeremiah. “In 1864 Jeremiah was accidentally killed by a falling tree. He was buried on the farm now owned by Ole Hendrickson,” which is the first farm place east of the Canoe Store in Pleasant Twp. It is believed that there are two other graves with his. One of them being a Brandt and the other unknown. “

Hogan, Coletta (Meyer)

(Elizabeth Field Hogan)

Coletta E. Hogan was born Coletta Meyer in Quincy, IL on 20 May 1898, a daughter of John and Anna (Twiehaus) Meyer, whose antecedents were from Germany. She had 4 brothers: John, Leo, Anthony (Tony) and Lawrence.

Coletta was married 8 Oct 1919 in Quincy to James Hogan II, a native of Decorah. Witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Malli and Dorothy Taylor. James and Coletta were the parents of 6 children: Anne (Shugrue) Mannion of Chicago, Catherine Spicer of San Jose, CA., Patricia Bolding of Mason City, IA ; Shirley Kalish of Chicago,