Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Red, John ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 13, 2006, 7:52 pm Author: History of Grundy County, 1914 Red, John, is not only one of the representative Bohemian citizens of Grundy County, but is an influential and potent factor in municipal affairs, and is now serving in the office of supervisor of Braceville Township, to which he was elected in April, 1912. He was born in Bohemia, June 6, 1868, and is a son of Joseph and Josephine (Petros) Red, natives of Bohemia. In the place of his nativity, Joseph Red was engaged extensively in tilling the soil until bringing his family to the United States in 1871. In that year they located in Chicago, and were in that city at the time the great fire practically wiped that city from the earth, and in the year following moved to Braceville. There Joseph Red was engaged in mining until going to Braidwood, Ill., and subsequently, in 1877, he came to Coal City, where he worked in the mines until his death in 1902. He was buried at Braidwood. His widow still survives him and makes her home with her son John. There were six children in the family of Joseph and Josephine Red, namely: Joseph, who died at Coal City; John; Josephine, who died in Chicago; Frank, who died at Braidwood; Mrs. Mary Raimon, who resides at Coal City; and Josephine, deceased, who was buried in Braidwood. John Red was a child of three years when brought to the United States by his parents, and his education was secured in the public schools of Braidwood, which he attended until twelve years of age. At that time he commenced working in the coal mines for a salary of seventy-five cents per day, but after the family came to Coal City he again entered school for one year. He then returned to the mines, and worked therein until twenty years of age, when he became clerk in the company store at Coal City. He entered public life in 1896, when he was elected to the office of city clerk, a position which he retained for three years and then again entered the mines. From 1910 until 1912 he acted in the capacity of township clerk, and in the latter year was elected a member of the board of supervisors of Braceville Township. He is proving an able and conscientious public official and is rendering his fellow- citizens signal services. Mr. Red was married in 1898 to Miss Josephine Vavrik, who was born at Crawfordsville, Ind., daughter of Joseph and Mary (Chandler) Vavrik, the former a native of Bohemia and the latter of Kentucky. The Vavrik family came to the coal fields of Illinois in 1886, and the father passed away here April 12, 1909, while the mother still survives and resides at Coal City. There were five children in the family: Josephine, who is now Mrs. Red; Andrew; Joseph, who is deceased; Mrs. Mamie Stuart, and Mrs. Catherine Dent. Mr. and Mrs. Red have three children, all attending school: Lola May, John Henry and Clarence Joseph. Mr. and Mrs. Red and their children are members of the Catholic Church. He is secretary of the Musicians’ Union, has been secretary of the Miners’ Union at Coal City for seven years, and is a member of the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Turners and the C. S. P. S., of which last-named organization he is a trustee. His political belief is that of the Democratic party. pages 891-892 Additional Comments: Source: History of Grundy County, Illinois, Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. Publishers; 1914 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/bios/red978nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb