Born Paul Peter Milski in Bromberg, Germany, (today known as Bydgoszcz, Poland) his parents decided to move to the United States in 1884, his father and brother Max first arrived in Baltimore on September 23, 1884. Later, his mother traveled with Paul and four older siblings and his baby brother Roman on the ship SS Oder to the United States, arriving in New York on March 23, 1885. After the Milski family was reunited, they moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin where Paul's father Felix worked as a carpenter.
Sometime in the late 1890s, Paul learned the trade of cutting meat at a butcher shop in Manitowoc. After the death of his father in 1902, Paul moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he changed the spelling of his name from Milski to Milske. He believed himself to be a German national, not Polish despite the geographical location of his birth and the Polish spelling of his name. Paul did not want to be called a "Polak", so this is why he decided to drop the "i" from his name and replace it with an "e". Ironically, speaking German in the family home was forbidden with Paul, he felt he was an American and had no reason to speak the language of a country he only lived in for four years of his life. He even switched churches in St. Paul shortly after his marriage because German was spoken during mass and not English.
It was in 1902 that he began cutting meat in St. Paul, first for Swift and company and later for Ehrmanntrout Meats in St. Paul. Paul worked for Charles Erhmanntrout and became a partner in the butcher shop while he was employed there. On May 2, 1905, Paul and Pearl Ehorn were married at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in St. Paul. They had three children, Florence, Walter and Ray and around 1912 moved into the only house they ever owned at 768 James Ave.
After Charles Ehrmanntrout died in 1925, Paul took his share of the butcher shop and opened his own store at 1166 Selby Ave in St. Paul. The Star Meat Market operated from that location until the 1960s and mainly serviced the Catholic schools in the St. Paul area. Paul trained both of his sons in the meat cutting business along with his son-in-law, Clarence Hirn. Known as a very good businesses man, family lore says Paul not only owned his store and home, but also owned several pieces of property in the St. Paul Area. He was a generous man too, giving a house to each of his children when they were married and gifts to his children and grandchildren. This earned him the family nickname, Santa Claus.
In 1956, Paul suffered a stroke and was left bedridden. He did not believe in insurance, so his fortune was slowly eaten up by health care costs for a nurse to care for him in a bed set up in his dining room. He laid in the dining room bed for two years until another, more massive stroke took his life on September 22, 1956.
Sometime in the late 1890s, Paul learned the trade of cutting meat at a butcher shop in Manitowoc. After the death of his father in 1902, Paul moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he changed the spelling of his name from Milski to Milske. He believed himself to be a German national, not Polish despite the geographical location of his birth and the Polish spelling of his name. Paul did not want to be called a "Polak", so this is why he decided to drop the "i" from his name and replace it with an "e". Ironically, speaking German in the family home was forbidden with Paul, he felt he was an American and had no reason to speak the language of a country he only lived in for four years of his life. He even switched churches in St. Paul shortly after his marriage because German was spoken during mass and not English.
It was in 1902 that he began cutting meat in St. Paul, first for Swift and company and later for Ehrmanntrout Meats in St. Paul. Paul worked for Charles Erhmanntrout and became a partner in the butcher shop while he was employed there. On May 2, 1905, Paul and Pearl Ehorn were married at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in St. Paul. They had three children, Florence, Walter and Ray and around 1912 moved into the only house they ever owned at 768 James Ave.
After Charles Ehrmanntrout died in 1925, Paul took his share of the butcher shop and opened his own store at 1166 Selby Ave in St. Paul. The Star Meat Market operated from that location until the 1960s and mainly serviced the Catholic schools in the St. Paul area. Paul trained both of his sons in the meat cutting business along with his son-in-law, Clarence Hirn. Known as a very good businesses man, family lore says Paul not only owned his store and home, but also owned several pieces of property in the St. Paul Area. He was a generous man too, giving a house to each of his children when they were married and gifts to his children and grandchildren. This earned him the family nickname, Santa Claus.
In 1956, Paul suffered a stroke and was left bedridden. He did not believe in insurance, so his fortune was slowly eaten up by health care costs for a nurse to care for him in a bed set up in his dining room. He laid in the dining room bed for two years until another, more massive stroke took his life on September 22, 1956.
Born Paul Peter Milski in Bromberg, Germany, (today known as Bydgoszcz, Poland) his parents decided to move to the United States in 1884, his father and brother Max first arrived in Baltimore on September 23, 1884. Later, his mother traveled with Paul and four older siblings and his baby brother Roman on the ship SS Oder to the United States, arriving in New York on March 23, 1885. After the Milski family was reunited, they moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin where Paul's father Felix worked as a carpenter.
Sometime in the late 1890s, Paul learned the trade of cutting meat at a butcher shop in Manitowoc. After the death of his father in 1902, Paul moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he changed the spelling of his name from Milski to Milske. He believed himself to be a German national, not Polish despite the geographical location of his birth and the Polish spelling of his name. Paul did not want to be called a "Polak", so this is why he decided to drop the "i" from his name and replace it with an "e". Ironically, speaking German in the family home was forbidden with Paul, he felt he was an American and had no reason to speak the language of a country he only lived in for four years of his life. He even switched churches in St. Paul shortly after his marriage because German was spoken during mass and not English.
It was in 1902 that he began cutting meat in St. Paul, first for Swift and company and later for Ehrmanntrout Meats in St. Paul. Paul worked for Charles Erhmanntrout and became a partner in the butcher shop while he was employed there. On May 2, 1905, Paul and Pearl Ehorn were married at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in St. Paul. They had three children, Florence, Walter and Ray and around 1912 moved into the only house they ever owned at 768 James Ave.
After Charles Ehrmanntrout died in 1925, Paul took his share of the butcher shop and opened his own store at 1166 Selby Ave in St. Paul. The Star Meat Market operated from that location until the 1960s and mainly serviced the Catholic schools in the St. Paul area. Paul trained both of his sons in the meat cutting business along with his son-in-law, Clarence Hirn. Known as a very good businesses man, family lore says Paul not only owned his store and home, but also owned several pieces of property in the St. Paul Area. He was a generous man too, giving a house to each of his children when they were married and gifts to his children and grandchildren. This earned him the family nickname, Santa Claus.
In 1956, Paul suffered a stroke and was left bedridden. He did not believe in insurance, so his fortune was slowly eaten up by health care costs for a nurse to care for him in a bed set up in his dining room. He laid in the dining room bed for two years until another, more massive stroke took his life on September 22, 1956.
Sometime in the late 1890s, Paul learned the trade of cutting meat at a butcher shop in Manitowoc. After the death of his father in 1902, Paul moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he changed the spelling of his name from Milski to Milske. He believed himself to be a German national, not Polish despite the geographical location of his birth and the Polish spelling of his name. Paul did not want to be called a "Polak", so this is why he decided to drop the "i" from his name and replace it with an "e". Ironically, speaking German in the family home was forbidden with Paul, he felt he was an American and had no reason to speak the language of a country he only lived in for four years of his life. He even switched churches in St. Paul shortly after his marriage because German was spoken during mass and not English.
It was in 1902 that he began cutting meat in St. Paul, first for Swift and company and later for Ehrmanntrout Meats in St. Paul. Paul worked for Charles Erhmanntrout and became a partner in the butcher shop while he was employed there. On May 2, 1905, Paul and Pearl Ehorn were married at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in St. Paul. They had three children, Florence, Walter and Ray and around 1912 moved into the only house they ever owned at 768 James Ave.
After Charles Ehrmanntrout died in 1925, Paul took his share of the butcher shop and opened his own store at 1166 Selby Ave in St. Paul. The Star Meat Market operated from that location until the 1960s and mainly serviced the Catholic schools in the St. Paul area. Paul trained both of his sons in the meat cutting business along with his son-in-law, Clarence Hirn. Known as a very good businesses man, family lore says Paul not only owned his store and home, but also owned several pieces of property in the St. Paul Area. He was a generous man too, giving a house to each of his children when they were married and gifts to his children and grandchildren. This earned him the family nickname, Santa Claus.
In 1956, Paul suffered a stroke and was left bedridden. He did not believe in insurance, so his fortune was slowly eaten up by health care costs for a nurse to care for him in a bed set up in his dining room. He laid in the dining room bed for two years until another, more massive stroke took his life on September 22, 1956.
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