Bud was born on January 26, 1923 to Fred and Antonia Petrowske in the Prochaska homestead cabin, where Fred and Antonia lived at that time, on the North Shore of Upper Red Lake, near Waskish, Minnesota.

He worked with his father in the bait dealer business and logging until 1944 when he joined the U.S. Army, serving in the 104th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company during World War II in the European Theater of Operations.

On May 2, 1948, he married Florence N. (Nickie) Soukup, of Chicago, Illinois.  They made their home in Waskish, Minnesota, from 1948 to 1968 where Bud worked at logging during the winters and as a carpenter during the summers.

They raised six children:  Margaret, Jan, Karl, Frederick, Ruth, and Carol Joy.

In the summer of 1968, the family moved to Bemidji, Minnesota.  In the early 1970s, Bud formed Pete’s Construction Company with his sons.  In the fall of 1982, a new home was built east of Bemidji.

In 1983, following a decade of research; interviews with numerous relatives, friends, and old timers from the area; and countless revisions of the entire manuscript, Bud finished writing “On The Trail,” a history of homestead life on the North Shore of Upper Red Lake.

Although it was originally written as a history and heritage for his children, since its publication, it has been of interest to others who grew up in the northwoods of Minnesota, or who had relatives or acquaintances who homesteaded there.  He is happy to continue to publish the manuscript for them.