George Karsko was born in Minneapolis on June 10th, 1916. He was the second child of John & Mary Harhay Karsko. He had an older sister, Mary, and two younger brothers, John & Henry. George's father was born in Czechoslovakia and emigrated to the United States as a youth. George attended high school at Minneapolis Boys Vocational School, which was located in Southeast Minneapolis at the time.
George met "Toots", his future wife, at a tent "revival" meeting in Minneapolis. Toots had been warned by her father to be home by 9 o'clock. She looked for someone who was wearing a watch, and noticed George, She thought he was attractive, and best, he was wearing a watch. She asked him for the time, and before long they were dating. They were married on June 20th, 1936.
When they were first married, George worked for the Atlas Coal Company, but in 1940, he became interested in working with heavy equipment. George's first job with the Percy McGowan Company was watering the newly laid sod on the shoulders. Before long, he was operating all sorts of machinery.
When the Second World War began, George wasn't called up because he was the father of two small children, with another on the way. But when the pool of single men exhausted, fathers became eligible for the draft. George was one of the first fathers in Minnesota to be drafted. In spite of the Army's reputation for making carpenters into cooks, he was assigned to the 1758th Engineer Battalion, and was sent to Atlanta, Georgia in December of 1943, to teach heavy equipment operation.
In the Spring of 1945, George's outfit was shipped out to Saipan, in the Pacific Theater. They built and maintained airstrips for the Army Air Force to use in the final push on the Japanese homeland. When Japan surrendered in August of 1945, and the war ended, George was sent home, arriving in Minneapolis on December 23rd, 1945.
With the post-war boom in building, George and his brother Henry decided to go into the excavating and pile driving business for themselves. The firm of Karsko Brothers Excavating on Cedar Avenue in Richfield was soon well respected in the local construction industry. George and Toots built a home in Bloomington, sold it, and bought a hobby farm in Eden Prairie. Then they bought a home in Eden Prairie o, just west of some vacant land that turned out to be the Eden Prairie Shopping Center.
George & Toots also built a cabin on Cedar Lake near Atkin, where they enjoyed fishing in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter, as well as ice fishing. When they turned 65, they retired. They made several trips to Texas and Mexico during the winters of the next few years. On June 20th, 1986, George and Toots' 50th Anniversary was celebrated with a great party at their daughter Marge's home. Relatives and friends came from near and far to enjoy the occasion, and the hit of the party was a swing band playing tunes from the 40's.
Sadly, around the age of seventy, George started showing the first signs of Alzheimer's Disease. As his condition grew worse, George needed constant care, and spent his last couple of years in a nursing home, where Toots visited him every day. Even then, however, there were days when the old George showed through and he recognized people, on those days he remembered the good times and the good old days. George died on July 3rd, 1997, at the age of 81 years. He was buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
George met "Toots", his future wife, at a tent "revival" meeting in Minneapolis. Toots had been warned by her father to be home by 9 o'clock. She looked for someone who was wearing a watch, and noticed George, She thought he was attractive, and best, he was wearing a watch. She asked him for the time, and before long they were dating. They were married on June 20th, 1936.
When they were first married, George worked for the Atlas Coal Company, but in 1940, he became interested in working with heavy equipment. George's first job with the Percy McGowan Company was watering the newly laid sod on the shoulders. Before long, he was operating all sorts of machinery.
When the Second World War began, George wasn't called up because he was the father of two small children, with another on the way. But when the pool of single men exhausted, fathers became eligible for the draft. George was one of the first fathers in Minnesota to be drafted. In spite of the Army's reputation for making carpenters into cooks, he was assigned to the 1758th Engineer Battalion, and was sent to Atlanta, Georgia in December of 1943, to teach heavy equipment operation.
In the Spring of 1945, George's outfit was shipped out to Saipan, in the Pacific Theater. They built and maintained airstrips for the Army Air Force to use in the final push on the Japanese homeland. When Japan surrendered in August of 1945, and the war ended, George was sent home, arriving in Minneapolis on December 23rd, 1945.
With the post-war boom in building, George and his brother Henry decided to go into the excavating and pile driving business for themselves. The firm of Karsko Brothers Excavating on Cedar Avenue in Richfield was soon well respected in the local construction industry. George and Toots built a home in Bloomington, sold it, and bought a hobby farm in Eden Prairie. Then they bought a home in Eden Prairie o, just west of some vacant land that turned out to be the Eden Prairie Shopping Center.
George & Toots also built a cabin on Cedar Lake near Atkin, where they enjoyed fishing in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter, as well as ice fishing. When they turned 65, they retired. They made several trips to Texas and Mexico during the winters of the next few years. On June 20th, 1986, George and Toots' 50th Anniversary was celebrated with a great party at their daughter Marge's home. Relatives and friends came from near and far to enjoy the occasion, and the hit of the party was a swing band playing tunes from the 40's.
Sadly, around the age of seventy, George started showing the first signs of Alzheimer's Disease. As his condition grew worse, George needed constant care, and spent his last couple of years in a nursing home, where Toots visited him every day. Even then, however, there were days when the old George showed through and he recognized people, on those days he remembered the good times and the good old days. George died on July 3rd, 1997, at the age of 81 years. He was buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
George Karsko was born in Minneapolis on June 10th, 1916. He was the second child of John & Mary Harhay Karsko. He had an older sister, Mary, and two younger brothers, John & Henry. George's father was born in Czechoslovakia and emigrated to the United States as a youth. George attended high school at Minneapolis Boys Vocational School, which was located in Southeast Minneapolis at the time.
George met "Toots", his future wife, at a tent "revival" meeting in Minneapolis. Toots had been warned by her father to be home by 9 o'clock. She looked for someone who was wearing a watch, and noticed George, She thought he was attractive, and best, he was wearing a watch. She asked him for the time, and before long they were dating. They were married on June 20th, 1936.
When they were first married, George worked for the Atlas Coal Company, but in 1940, he became interested in working with heavy equipment. George's first job with the Percy McGowan Company was watering the newly laid sod on the shoulders. Before long, he was operating all sorts of machinery.
When the Second World War began, George wasn't called up because he was the father of two small children, with another on the way. But when the pool of single men exhausted, fathers became eligible for the draft. George was one of the first fathers in Minnesota to be drafted. In spite of the Army's reputation for making carpenters into cooks, he was assigned to the 1758th Engineer Battalion, and was sent to Atlanta, Georgia in December of 1943, to teach heavy equipment operation.
In the Spring of 1945, George's outfit was shipped out to Saipan, in the Pacific Theater. They built and maintained airstrips for the Army Air Force to use in the final push on the Japanese homeland. When Japan surrendered in August of 1945, and the war ended, George was sent home, arriving in Minneapolis on December 23rd, 1945.
With the post-war boom in building, George and his brother Henry decided to go into the excavating and pile driving business for themselves. The firm of Karsko Brothers Excavating on Cedar Avenue in Richfield was soon well respected in the local construction industry. George and Toots built a home in Bloomington, sold it, and bought a hobby farm in Eden Prairie. Then they bought a home in Eden Prairie o, just west of some vacant land that turned out to be the Eden Prairie Shopping Center.
George & Toots also built a cabin on Cedar Lake near Atkin, where they enjoyed fishing in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter, as well as ice fishing. When they turned 65, they retired. They made several trips to Texas and Mexico during the winters of the next few years. On June 20th, 1986, George and Toots' 50th Anniversary was celebrated with a great party at their daughter Marge's home. Relatives and friends came from near and far to enjoy the occasion, and the hit of the party was a swing band playing tunes from the 40's.
Sadly, around the age of seventy, George started showing the first signs of Alzheimer's Disease. As his condition grew worse, George needed constant care, and spent his last couple of years in a nursing home, where Toots visited him every day. Even then, however, there were days when the old George showed through and he recognized people, on those days he remembered the good times and the good old days. George died on July 3rd, 1997, at the age of 81 years. He was buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
George met "Toots", his future wife, at a tent "revival" meeting in Minneapolis. Toots had been warned by her father to be home by 9 o'clock. She looked for someone who was wearing a watch, and noticed George, She thought he was attractive, and best, he was wearing a watch. She asked him for the time, and before long they were dating. They were married on June 20th, 1936.
When they were first married, George worked for the Atlas Coal Company, but in 1940, he became interested in working with heavy equipment. George's first job with the Percy McGowan Company was watering the newly laid sod on the shoulders. Before long, he was operating all sorts of machinery.
When the Second World War began, George wasn't called up because he was the father of two small children, with another on the way. But when the pool of single men exhausted, fathers became eligible for the draft. George was one of the first fathers in Minnesota to be drafted. In spite of the Army's reputation for making carpenters into cooks, he was assigned to the 1758th Engineer Battalion, and was sent to Atlanta, Georgia in December of 1943, to teach heavy equipment operation.
In the Spring of 1945, George's outfit was shipped out to Saipan, in the Pacific Theater. They built and maintained airstrips for the Army Air Force to use in the final push on the Japanese homeland. When Japan surrendered in August of 1945, and the war ended, George was sent home, arriving in Minneapolis on December 23rd, 1945.
With the post-war boom in building, George and his brother Henry decided to go into the excavating and pile driving business for themselves. The firm of Karsko Brothers Excavating on Cedar Avenue in Richfield was soon well respected in the local construction industry. George and Toots built a home in Bloomington, sold it, and bought a hobby farm in Eden Prairie. Then they bought a home in Eden Prairie o, just west of some vacant land that turned out to be the Eden Prairie Shopping Center.
George & Toots also built a cabin on Cedar Lake near Atkin, where they enjoyed fishing in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter, as well as ice fishing. When they turned 65, they retired. They made several trips to Texas and Mexico during the winters of the next few years. On June 20th, 1986, George and Toots' 50th Anniversary was celebrated with a great party at their daughter Marge's home. Relatives and friends came from near and far to enjoy the occasion, and the hit of the party was a swing band playing tunes from the 40's.
Sadly, around the age of seventy, George started showing the first signs of Alzheimer's Disease. As his condition grew worse, George needed constant care, and spent his last couple of years in a nursing home, where Toots visited him every day. Even then, however, there were days when the old George showed through and he recognized people, on those days he remembered the good times and the good old days. George died on July 3rd, 1997, at the age of 81 years. He was buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
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