Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 320
JOSEPH ESYCHEEK

Joseph ESYCHEEK, of Douglas Township, a resident of section 27, has been a resident of the county twenty years, coming as he did in spring of 1871. He is another example of the opportunities given to a man of industry and frugality in the growing West, where caste is thrown aside to a good degree, and where all men work on an equal footing, and where some fail and others succeed.

When our subject came to the county he went to work as a section hand, on the railroad, which work he followed for four years, and then purchased forty acres of wild land, near Woodbine, paying $480 for the same. There were twelve acres broken upon the place at the time he bought it. He at once broke the balance, built a house and barn, and remained there about five years, and then moved to Mud Creek, where he bought eighty acres of wild land at $7 per acre. He fenced and improved this, when he sold it and bought his present farm. This was also wild land and cost him $11 per acre. Here he built a house 14x18 feet, one story and a half high. He has sixty acres under cultivation.

Our subject was born in Bohemia in 1855, and came from that country when but three months old, landing in Quebec, and lived with his parents until he was sixteen years of age, and then went to work on a farm by the month. He came from Canada direct to Iowa, first stopping in Jones County, from which locality he came to Harrison County.

George ESYCHEEK, father of our subject, had three children --John, Joseph and Anna, all of whom are living. Our subject was married March 23, 1888, to Tony FERICK, daughter of Joseph and Anna FERICK, natives of Bohemia. She was the youngest of a family of five children. Her parents never came to America. The mother died when she was but four years of age. Mr. and Mrs. ESYCHEEK have been blessed by one child, Emma, born October 4, 1890. Mrs. ESYCHEEK was a widow at the time she married our subject, her first husband's name being WYRAK. They had the following children, all of whom are still living; Mary, James and Anna.

Mr. and Mrs. ESYCHEEK are members of the Roman Catholic Church. He commenced life poor, and has always been a hard worker, but like most of the foreigners, who came to the New World, he has succeeded in obtaining a comfortable home.

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