Pioneer Czechs
In Colfax County
Written in 1926.
(Continued from last week.)
CHAPTER 12
FRANK HERBRICH, born in Hlistov, County Trebic, Moravia, in 1818, came with his wife Mary and three sons: Frank, Martin and John, to Schuyler, where he bought a farm east of town for $2,200.00. They had $3,000.00 upon arrival. His wife died in 1887 and he the year following following, both buried in Dry Creek. The three sons have farmed successfully, being worth together over $200,000.00.
JOHN ROUSAR, born in the village of Milovy, County Hlinsko, in 1839. He married in 1857 and came with his wife and six children to Schuyler, where he bought a farm west of town. They had eighteen children, nine living: Anna Moural, John, Josephine Husak, Marie Bukacek-Svoboda, Fanny Morhon, Theresa Mitchell, Emma, Edward, Adolf and Julia Knipping. Mr. Rousar died in 1889, his wife in 1898, both buried in Schuyler.
FRANK VANICEK, born in Slavice, County Trebic, Moravia, in 1817. His son Frank J. writes: “We came to Nebraska in 1875, my parents Frank and Josephine Vanicek, my brother Joseph, my sisters Mary (born 1843 and married to Frank F. Svoboda), Josephine (born 1849 and married to Frank Vanicek) and I. I was born in 1861, my brother in 1868, all in Starci, Moravia, where father had married mother in 1841. My mother was born in 1822 and was Josephine Hruza. We settled on a farm fourteen miles north of Schuyler. Father bought 80 acres of land, on which stood a little cabin of one room and a straw shack called a barn. There was no well, we had to haul water for two years, in a barrel on a sled. There were two cows, a pair of old horses, a plow, a breaking plow, an old harrow and some tools. Father paid $800.00 for all this. We then bought 80 acres more, from the railroad, on terms. We farmed there until 1890, when father died aged 73 years, mother died a year later. In 1891 I married Mary Vanicek. Her parents, like my father, were from Slavice. My brother Joseph married in 1892 Antonie Mitiska, whose parents came from Mysliborice, Moravia. She died in 1922. I multiplied the one eighty into four eighties and as I have four sons, I gave each one eighty. I have also a daughter and all my children are in good circumstances. My wife and I live in retirement in Schuyler.
F. F. SVOBODA, son-in-law of Frank Vanicek Sr., writes: I was born in 1845 in Sterci, County Trebic, Moravia, where I attended a two-grade school. Then I learned tailoring and after two years of that traveled afoot to acquaint myself with the country. At the age of nineteen years I was drawn into military service, in 1866, when the Prussian-Austrian was was raging, but we fired not a shot. We marched to Pressburg (now Bratislava) where we stayed a month, Then we were sent to Trnava, in Slovakia, whence the soldiers went home and we younger marched to Brod, on the Russian frontier, where we stayed a year. Then to Stanislava in Poland, where I stayed two years. At that time a wealthy and good Jewish girl, to whom I had been engaged, died, and I wanted to leave. I came home and rented a tavern, which business I conducted until 1871, when I married Mary Vanicek. In 1875 we came to America, as related by Frank J. Vanicek. My father-in-law settled on a farm, my brother-in-law and I stayed in town, he to work at his shoemaking trade and I to work for Frank Folda in his grain elevator. Two years later Novotny & Smatlan established a lumber yard and I worked for them. The pay was but $30,00 a month; my wife ailed constantly, it was impossible to save anything. She was operated twice and died in 1904. Buried in Schuyler. I remained a widower and for years have been janitor of the lodge hall owned by the C S. P. S. and Tel. Jed. Sokol lodges.
The following settled in the vicinity of Clarkson.
JOHN PETR, born in Dankovice, County Nove Mesto, Moravia, August 2, 1844. He came to Colfax county in May 1875 and settled on 160 acres in Adams precinct, later buying 100 acres more and then two quarter sections, so that when he retired from farming, he owned 640 acres. He had, in his time, the finest orchard in the whole vicinity. Seventeen years ago his wife died and he went to live with his daughter Emily, Mrs. John D. Bukacek, Howells. He has four sons and two daughters. Frank is a physician in Oakland, California; Emil, cashier of the Clarkson State Bank, and John, a prosperous farmer of near Clarkson. He suffered the usual hardships. In 1876 the grasshoppers destroyed his crops, but he presevered and prospered. At date of writing he is eighty-one years old and in good health.
JOHN KOZA and his father, JOHN, from Spilkov, Moravia; FRANK MUNDIL born in Frantisky, Moravia, and FRANK MUSIL, Frysava, Moravia.
In 1876 the following came: John Faltys, Joseph Krejci, Vaclav Sudik.
JOHN FALTYS SR. was born in the Village of Nadlesny, County Vysoke Myto, in 1841. His wife, Christina Sousek, was born, in 1842 in the village of Suchalhotka. They had five children: Joseph, Vaclav, Frank, Anna (Mrs. Anton Mastny) and Marie (Mrs. Matej Havel). Two more, John and Louis, were born later in Colfax county. They came to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1874, where they found work. In 1876 they settled eighteen miles north of Schuyler, having bought 80 acres of railroad land. They were industrious and thrifty, and thus were able to buy more land, so that Faltys owned 800 acres at the time he divided it up among his children. Mrs. Faltys died in 1912, he in 1920, both buried in Clarkson.
JOSEPH KREJCI, born in the village of Volesna, County Caslav, December 17, 1830. In 1859 he married Mary Vlcek, born in 1838. They came to Omaha in 1875 and a year later later Krejci bought a homestead from Joseph Zerzan, 80 acres with improvements, seven miles northeast of Schuyler. He farmed there until his death April 3, 1913. His wife died June 13, 1914, both buried in Schuyler. They had six children, of whom are living Frank and Joseph. Frank was born March 2, 1867 in Bohemia and in 1892 married Anna Beran. They had three children: Frank, who farms his father’s farm of 350 acres; Libuse, (Mrs. Rudolph Hobza) and Jaroslav. In 1915 Mrs. Krejci died and in April 1919 Krejci married Mary Balkovec. He is living in retirement in Schuyler. He is president of the State Bank and in 1921–1924 he was councilman from the Third Ward. Joseph Krejci Jr. was born in Bohemia, December 19, 1872, married Mary Cerny February 15, 1898. They have four children: Otilie (Mrs. John Maca), Ernest, Eliska (Mrs. Milton Kluck) and Rose. Mr. Krejci farms on the original homestead which has been extended so that it comprises 290 acres. He has been county commissioner.
VACLAV SUDIK, born in 1839 in the village of Menany, near Beroun, came with his family to Omaha in November 1875. The following spring they settled on a farm in Colfax county, which comprised 200 acres when Mr. Sudik sold it in 1904 and moved with his three sons to Oklahoma, where he died March 17, 1924 and is buried near Oklahoma City, Okla. His son, Joseph, wrote the larger part of this history.
(To be continued.)
