COLUPKA, Thomas

1884 - 1955  (71 years)

• Name	COLUPKA, Thomas
  Birth	24 Feb 1884	Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	21 Mar 1955	Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States   [2]
  	Address: local hospital
  	Dies - Thomas Colupka, 71, 729 Jefferson St., for many years a bartender in Wausau, died at a local hospital early this morning. Before his retirement several years ago he was head bartender at the Wausau CLub. This picture was taken about 25 years ago. Tom Colupka, 71, Dies in Hospital Thomas Colupka, 71, one of that fast vanishing race - the old-time bartender - died at a local hospital this morning at 12:20 o'clock. He had been in failing health for several years. Tommy, as he was known to imbibers of several generations, tended bar most of his life in Wausau. He was behind the mahogany in the better places on Third Street before he went to the Wausau Club, where he became an "institution" for many years until he retired several years ago. Third Street "Fixture" He had hundreds of friends and he kept in touch with many of them on his daily walks uptown. He didn't go to work until noon and he often took a "constituional" on Third Street in the morning. He always wore a white shirt and black bow tie, the uniform of the old guard bartender. Besides having the "gift of a top bartender - remembering what his customers wanted and how they wanted it served - Tommy had scores of stories of the old days in Wausau when lumberjacks kept things humming in the downtown saloons. He often recalled how the Fourth of July was celebrated in those days. "The 'boys' really cele+brated," he would say. "The firecrackers they used would make a 'bushel basket' of those of today blush. The 'boys' would sit in the tavern and light them by the dozen until the firecracker paper was a foot thick. When there was a pile of paper someone would put a match to it." He recalled that skyrockets were fired up and down the street at night without thought of life or limb. He often recalled the practical jokes of those days and the fights. "I'd get a headache just watching some of those fellows take a beating," he would say and then bang his hand on the bar as he let out a roar of laughter. Born in Manitowoc Born in Manitowoc on Feb. 24, 1884, he was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank Chalaupka. He was married Sept. 27, 1905, in Merrill to Miss Hedwig Krueger, who survives. He was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge. Besides the widow, survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Clyde Hunter, 729 Jefferson St .; two brothers, Frank Chalaupka, 211 1/2 Forest St., and Joseph Chalaupka, 221 Forest St .; a half-brother, John Fara, 726 Spring St .; two half-sisters, Mrs. Walter Kluever, 911 Stark St., and Mrs. William Ziegler, who lives in California. Funeral services will be Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Helke Funeral Home, with the Rev. W. H. Ortwein, pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Church, officiating. Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery in the spring. Wausau Daily Herald Mon, Mar 21, 1955 ·Page 2
  Burial	Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States   [2]
  	Address: Pine Grove Cemetery
  Person ID	I1678	Jindra and Chaloupka Family Trees | Chaloupka (Ellen's paternal)
  Last Modified	11 May 2025

  
  

  Father	CHALOUPKA, Franz\Francis,   b. 10 Nov 1857, Kocin, Bila Hurka, Bohemia d. 12 Sep 1889, Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States (Age 31 years)
  Mother	LEITEL, Dorotha,   b. Abt 1864, Czech Republic d. Aft 1942 (Age > 79 years)
  Marriage	8 Sep 1882	Marathon, Wisconsin, United States
  Family ID	F586	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	KRUEGER, Hedwig Meta Elizabeth,   b. 1883, Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States d. 1955 (Age 72 years)
  Marriage	26 Sep 1907	Merrill, Lincoln, Wisconsin, United States   [2, 3]
  	obituary states marriage date is Sept. 27, 1905 numbers were transposed on either the record or the obituary
  Children	1. COLUPKA, Ronald T.,   b. Abt 1908, Wisconsin, United States d. Yes, date unknown > 2. COLUPKA, Dorothy   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F587	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	4 Oct 2025

  
  

• Photos

  CH-Colupka Thomas Colupka

  
  

• Sources

  [S119] Vital Records - Wisconsin Vital Records - Family Search, online viewed; 29 March 2011; Thomas Chalowbga (should be Chaloupka). name: Thomas Chalowbga gender: Male baptism/christening date: baptism/christening place: birth date: 24 Feb 1884 birthplace: Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin death date: name note: race:White father's name: Francis Chalowbga father's birthplace: father's age: mother's name: Dora Leiter mother's birthplace: mother's age: indexing project (batch) number: C00319-0 system origin: Wisconsin-EASy source film number: 1305087 reference number: P 734 rn 2969 [S41] Website - FindAGrave, viewed online; 2 January 2023; Thomas Colupka; memorial Id 156023251;https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156023251/thomas-colupka. Thomas Colupka BIRTH 1884 DEATH 1955 (aged 70–71) BURIAL Pine Grove Cemetery Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin, USA MEMORIAL ID156023251 ·  [S148] Vital Records - Wisconsin Marriages, 1836-1930 -Family Search, viewed online; Thomas Colupka marriage record-index transcription. groom's name: Thomas Colupka groom's birth date: groom's birthplace: Wausau, , Wisconsin groom's age: bride's name: Hedwig Meta Elizabeth Krueger bride's birth date: bride's birthplace: Wausau, , Wisconsin bride's age: marriage date: 26 Sep 1907 marriage place: Merrill, Lincoln, Wisconsin groom's father's name: Frank Colupke groom's mother's name: Dora Leitel bride's father's name: William Krueger bride's mother's name: Emma Kraukow groom's race: White groom's marital status: groom's previous wife's name: bride's race: White bride's marital status: bride's previous husband's name: indexing project (batch) number:M00351-4 system origin:Wisconsin-EASy source film number:1292009 reference number:00614 #43 p.515