John Stedronsky Biography


	This biography appears on pages 12-13 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN STEDRONSKY. 

	John Stedronsky, of Wagner, is a member of the Stedronsky 
Brothers Company, engaged in the hardware and implement business both 
at Wagner and at Lake Andes. He is a representative of those 
progressive young business men who by their activity and enterprise are 
laying the foundation for South Dakota,s substantial progress and 
prosperity. He was born at Lakeport, Yankton county, this state, May 4, 
1872, his parents being John and Marie Stedronsky, who in the year 1868 
left their native country, Bohemia, Austria, and located in Cleveland, 
Ohio. Later in the same year they came to Dakota territory and have 
since resided within its borders. 

	Reared in his native town, John Stedronsky completed the eighth 
grade work in the public schools and afterward attended Yankton College 
for a short time. He engaged in teaching in the district schools of 
Yankton, Bon Homme and Charles Mix counties and when not devoting his 
energies to educational work gave his attention to farming. In 1907 he 
homesteaded on the Yankton Indian reservation. His identification with 
commercial pursuits, however, dates from 1901, in which year he 
established a hardware and implement business at Wagner. When that 
undertaking was placed upon a substantial basis, enjoying a growing 
trade, he organized the Stedronsky Brothers Company for the conduct not 
only of the Wagner enterprise but also for the establishment and 
conduct of a similar business at Lake Andes, South Dakota. The trade of 
the company has grown along substantial lines and the success of the 
business is gratifying. 

	Mr. Stedronsky has been married twice. On the 30th of October, 
1895, he wedded Miss Emanuela Cernik and following her demise married 
Miss Emily Teply, the wedding ceremony taking place on the 17th of 
April, 1900. He has the following children: Charles, Edward, Rose, 
Henry Patrick, Ella Irene, Helen and Grace. 

	Mr. Stedronsky was born and baptized a Catholic but has joined 
the Congregational church at Wagner. His military record covers service 
as a private of Company C, of the South Dakota National Guard, at 
Yankton. In politics he is a democrat and has always manifested deep 
and intelligent interest in political questions, state and national. 
Popular suffrage called him to the office of mayor of Wagner in 1911 
and he filled that position for four consecutive years, bringing to 
bear practical and progressive business methods in the management of 
municipal affairs. He was then elected to represent his district in the 
state legislature and became one of the leaders in debate on the floor 
of the house during the session of 1915. He also did important 
committee work and was connected with much constructive legislation. He 
studies political questions with thoroughness and his support of any 
measure is based upon his firm belief in its efficiency as a factor in 
good government. His interest in community affairs is indicated in the 
fact that he is an active member and one of the directors of the Wagner 
Commercial Club. He has become well known through fraternal relations, 
belonging to Alpha Lodge, No. 159, F. &; A. M., of Wagner, of which he 
was master in 1911-12, while in Yankton Consistory he attained the 
thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He is also a Noble of El 
Riad Temple of the Mystic Shrine and he has membership in Wagner Lodge, 
I. O. O. F. The various interests of his life are well balanced, all 
given due consideration with regard to the rights and privileges of the 
individual and the opportunities and obligations of citizenship.