Frank E. Duba Biography


	This biography appears on pages 81-82 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				FRANK E. DUBA.  

	As cashier of the Belle Fourche State Bank, Frank E. Duba 
occupies an important position for one of his years. He has just 
completed his third decade, his birth occurring in Brule county, South 
Dakota, December 16, 1884. His parents, John A. and Annie (Vasicek) 
Duba, were both natives of Bohemia, where they were reared and married. 
The father in early manhood followed general farming but after removing 
to Sioux City, Iowa, was in the employ of the street railway company 
for about six years. In the winter of 1896 he returned to his farm, 
where he still remains, although he leaves its operation to others. He 
has three hundred and twenty acres in the home place and is also the 
owner of other valuable land in South Dakota.  

	Frank E. Duba is the fourth in order of birth in a family of five 
children and attended both the Sioux City schools and the country 
schools near the homestead, walking five miles each way. He did not 
think that a hardship, however, and maintains that he received more 
benefit from the district schools than from any other. He also attended 
the Kimball high school. When not yet sixteen years of age he found 
employment as messenger boy in a bank conducted by A. C. Whitbeck. He 
soon demonstrated his ability to do more important work and was given a 
chance to help in the bookkeeping. As his knowledge increased he was 
given more and more responsibility and in a comparatively short time 
had charge of the books of the bank. Later he was made bookkeeper in 
another bank opened by Mr. Whitbeck, with which institution he remained 
for about four years. In that time he had won still further promotion 
and by the time that he left the bank he held the position of assistant 
cashier. He next entered the Chamberlain State Bank as assistant 
cashier and a year later purchased stock in the Bank of Bijou Hills and 
became its cashier. When he assumed charge of its affairs the deposits 
were thirty-eight hundred dollars and in 1910, when he severed his 
connection with the institution, the deposits had grown to the sum of 
sixty-four thousand dollars, which increase is the best proof of his 
capability as cashier and manager. He had also bought more stock until 
at the time of leaving he owned a controlling interest which, however, 
he sold. His next removal was to Belle Fourche and in connection with 
his brother-in-law, C. A. Quarnberg, he established the Belle Fourche 
State Bank, of which he became cashier. Mr. Duba still holds that 
position and the solidity of the institution and the confidence that 
the people of the surrounding country have in it is largely to be 
ascribed to his knowledge of banking and his wise management. He is 
also a stockholder in the Alfalfa Mill and owns one hundred and sixty 
acres of well improved irrigated land near Vale, South Dakota, which he 
rents. His own time is completely taken up as cashier and he allows 
nothing to interfere with the discharge of his duties.  

	Mr. Duba was married on the 1st of May, 1907, to Miss Lillian 
Quarnberg, who was born at Centerville, South Dakota, a daughter of 
Hans and Minnie Quarnberg, both of whom were natives of Sweden, where 
their marriage occurred. Mr. Quarnberg is engaged at present in the 
milling business at Belle Fourche, to which place he removed in 1913. 
Mr. and Mrs. Duba have four children: Maurice, who was born ill 
February, 1908; Dorothy, whose birth occurred in December, 1909; Rex, 
born in September, 1911; and John, born in April, 1914.  

	Mr. Duba is a democrat and has been content to perform his 
citizens, duties in a private capacity, leaving to others the holding 
of office. He is a loyal member of the Masonic order and belongs to the 
blue lodge, chapter and consistory and to the Eastern Star. He is also 
affiliated with the Knights of Pythias. He is a young man of marked 
ability and is distinguished by scrupulous honesty and a willingness to 
subordinate private interests to community welfare.