A happy home has made for a happy life for Louie Sikora

Louie (left) turned 100 July 23, and will celebrate 73 years of marriage with his wife, Anna, 90 (right), on the farm they’ve lived at for most of their adult lives. Submitted Photo

By Ginna Young

You’ll never hear it from him, but Cornell resident Louie Sikora turned 100 years old July 23, a major milestone he barely acknowledged, because “a person has one birthday and that’s the day you’re born!”

Louie was born in the house on his parents’ farm by Pike Lake, not far from where he’s lived for the last 75 years, growing up with one brother and four sisters. Longevity runs in his family, as his brother lived to be 93, and three of his sisters made it to 94, 96 and 98, while his youngest sister is now 92.

Speaking only Bohemian at home was hard for Louie when he started first grade and had to learn English; however, he no longer remembers much Bohemian. Once Louie finished eighth grade from the Drywood Creek Country School at the age of 12, he was needed to help support the family during the Depression years.

“I can remember working at a turkey farm,” he said. At the turkey farm south of Cadott, Louie spent half the day turning eggs in the incubator, and the other half was spent shoveling fresh manure.

When he was old enough, he entered the Civilian Conservation Corp and when he got out of that, he served in the Army Air Force for four years, enlisting in November of 1941.

“I went from the three C’s to the Army,” said Louie. As part of the 58th Fighter Control Squadron, he was sent to Camp Brant in Illinois, the same place his father was at in World War I. From there, it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

“And then, in December, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor,” said daughter JoAnn Parks.

“I was supposed to go to the South Pacific, but we wound up in the North Pacific,” said Louie.

On his way to Alaska, Louie and the squadron weren’t too far out in deep water, but stuck close to the shore the whole time, ending up on Attu in the Aleutian Islands. Attu is the last island of the chain, which is 40 miles wide and 80 miles long, with only one tree to its name, situated in the cemetery plot.

“It was a rough patch he got to,” said Anna Sikora, his wife of 73 years.

Louie spent 30 months straight on Attu, along with a “pet” Artic or silver fox, who served as their base mascot.

“And no women,” said Louie. When the war was over, Louie returned home, purchasing a house and land on County Hwy. D. He also got his first beehive and proceeded to harvest his own honey for many years.

“My brother told me they used to go up and down the road with the pickup truck to the neighbors, and sell them the honey,” said JoAnn. “They’d come back with a bucket of money.”

The land was only a half mile from Anna’s folks, which Louie jokes is why he bought the property.

“See, why I bought this…I’d be closer,” he said. Anna and Louie were married Aug. 12, 1950, and had six children – Janet McArthur, JoAnn, David, Gary, Jack and Daniel, as well as many, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The couple at first milked cows by hand, while Louie built the barn. Then, the outbuildings came into existence, since he was a carpenter, hiring out to a close friend for projects.

“When he wasn’t busy farming, he went to work,” said Anna.

Louie is known not just for his honey, but also for growing large produce next to Anna’s beloved flowers. But, it wasn’t all work and no play, as the two went to Alaska, for two weeks, for their 50th wedding anniversary. They took the train all the way from La Crosse, to Washington state, getting off three times, to see cousins and his old Army sergeant.

Now that Louie is retired, his granddaughter and her husband run the farm, and Louie concentrated on his woodworking, making much sought after grandfather clocks, as well as chests and benches. “He was over 70 when he started,” said Anna.

Louie is still active and able to live at home with Anna, which is good, because he often tells her that it is his first and only happy home. As to what he has to say about being a whole century old, Louie replies with a smirk and a twinkle in his eyes, a very simple summary.

“I’m still living.”