Mike Stodolka

Ancestors

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Biography

I have been researching my family off-and-on for over 30 years. I was born in St. Paul, MN in 1952 and grew up there. I am retired after working 38 years for the St. Paul Public Works Traffic Operations Department. I have been married to Ann McQuillan since 1982, and we have 4 children. On my father JIm's side, the Stodolka family immigrated in 1872 from Silesia, within the southwest Province of Opolskie. They homesteaded land in Morrison County, MN. This was within Two Rivers Township. This farm was located two miles south of Bowlus, MN. In 1906 they moved a few miles east, just south of Royalton, MN. My grandfather John left the farm at age 16 and moved to St. Paul to work on the Great Northern RR. John began as a coal shoveler and graduated to steam engineer. He eventually engineered the renowned William Crooks locomotive, which now resides in the Duluth RR Museum. John's brothers Cyril and Ed Stodolka invented a helicopter and monoplane circa 1912-14. The monoplane actually got airborne but, post WW1 in 1918, they purchased a biplane, assembled it and flew it at carnivals and special events. With their cousin Tony Kalis, they performed wing-walking and actually parachuted from 1918-1924 in the central MN area. On my mothers side, the Collins family immigrated from Rathkeale, Ireland and via Cambridge, Massachusetts, settled in St. Paul. My great-grandfather Dennis Collins, was a St. Paul Police Officer. His son Frank, after serving in WW1, managed a grocery store with his wife Irene Bailey Collins for over 40 years. The store was located in Falcon Heights, MN. In 1944, their daughter Phyllis Lucille Collins married James Peter Stodolka. I am the son of Jim and Phyllis who oddly enough, were both only children.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by Mike Stodolka at registration.