Frederick August Sieks

Fred, the second oldest of 10 children, was in his twenties during the great depression brought on by the financial meltdown in 1929. In 1934, out of work, his father, August, helped him by financing the purchase of a tractor-trailer. He drove eighteen wheelers from Chicago to Boston and back for over a year. The long haul business was ended prematurely by an winter accident resulting in the truck overturning. Fred's injuries if any, are unknown. Among other temporary work, he spent some time at Holt Industries in Peoria. Holt Industries was the original name of Caterpillar Tractor Co.

  He was introduced to Marie Agnes Tully, by her sister Marguerite at a Christmas party, and eventually married her in 1937. Fred was from a lutheran family but converted to Catholicism to seal the deal. After two years and two miscarriages, their first son, Jim was born in 1939.  They lived, for a short while, with John and Johanna [grandpa and nanny] Tully, at 606 Hudson St. in Peoria.   Those were tough times in the early 40's as other tenants at 606 Hudson were Marie's brother Mike, his wife Bernice and their new son, Ronnie, brother Tom and his wife Geraldine and, the youngest of Marie's sisters, Ann Mildred [Anamil].  After a year or two, Fred, Marie and their children moved to 1116 First Street in Peoria. That was St. Patrick's parish and school -  and where the first 5 children went to grade school.

By the time WWII rolled around, Fred and Marie had four children resulting in Fred's deferment from the draft. The family eventually grew to nine children.

In the early 1950's Fred interrupted his career as a lithographer/foreman for Fleming and Potter Company in Peoria and decided to open a Shell gasoline station at 1214 McArthur HiWay on the corner of First St. and MacArthur HiWay. Several years later, he added another Shell filling station located on Sterling St in Peoria.

After retiring from the gas station business, he decided to give lithography another try, working as a manager for Howard Company. Finally retiring in his 60's ,most of the children out of the house and into their own lives and families, he sold the family house at 1305 E. Nebraska Ave. in Peoria and bought a trailer by the Illinois river in Washington, Illinois. Fred and Marie lived in that trailer until his death, succumbing to cancer in 1991 at age 79.