Pioneer Czechs
In Colfax County
Written in 1926.
CHAPTER 15
(Continued from last week.)
where with his future brother-in-law Joseph Dvorak he had a grocery store. November 10, 1870, he married Mary Sonka (Shonka) of Cedar Rapids, and six children were born to their union: Josephine (Mrs. Chas. J. Safarik of Schuyler), Mary, (widow of M. J. Bouse of David City), Emma (Mrs. Lad. Stopka of Chicago), Edward W.; mayor of Schuyler, Dr. George F., of Holyrood, Kansas, and Charles J. of Portland, Oregon. In 1871, Mr. and Mrs. Zerzan settled in West Point, Nebraska, where he had a general merchandise store for about five years. As a proof of his patriotic and cultural activity, he established there, in 1874, a small Bohemian library and founded a reading club. In 1876 he moved to Schuyler, and founded a reading society, which later developed into the lodge Zapadni Jednota No. 42, C. S. P. S. At first he lived on a homestead and in the winter of that year (1876) taught public school. In 1877 he moved to Schuyler, working for Jellison & Miller, hardware and machinery. Later with John Nieman he bought them out and conducted the business about ten years. After that he engaged, until his death, in real estate, loan and insurance business. He spoke, wrote and read Bohemian, English and German, gave all his children a good education and was always in the forefront of all cultural and lodge activities among Bohemians. He was well known among his people, having assisted many with advice and money.
BIOGRAPHIES OF SEVERAL SCHUYLER CITIZENS.
The Prokes Family.
Frank Prokes was born October 1, 1864 in Jaromerice, Moravia. He came to this country in 1873 with his parents John and Clara Prokes, settling in Butler county, Nebraska, where they bought 160 acres. Besides him, there were two brothers, Martin and John.
Martin Prokes, the eldest, married Barbara Coufal in 1877 and with his brother John conducted a meat market in Schuyler, meeting his death in 1898 by accident. He had six children: Joseph, Emil, John, Stacia (Mrs. George Shonka), Hedvika (a nun), and Lumila (Mrs. Edward W. Zerzan).
John Prokes, also a butcher, married in 1878 Anna Simondynes in Wahoo, moving to Schuyler, where for many years he was in the meat market business with his brothers Martin and Frank. He had three children: Alois (Louis), John and Louisa (Mrs. Will Dvorak). He died in 1924, in California, where he and his wife spent their winters. Buried in Schuyler. John Prokes was an esteemed citizen and active in political office. He was a member of the city council and board of education. In later years president of the Schuyler State Bank.
Frank Prokes married Marie Sobolik in 1888. They have two daughters, Edith (wife of Dr. Jos. Lauvetz in Wahoo) and Sylvia. Frank Prokes was for many years in the meat market business, also proprietor of a saloon, and a member of the firm of Higgins & Prokes. He too is a highly esteemed citizen. For two terms a member of the city council and two terms county commissioner. Living in retirement, although still active in the management of a farm which he rents out.
The Prokes family is highly regarded and wealthy, a result of industry and business acumen. The mother died in 1878, buried in Abie, the father in 1905, buried in Schulyer.
JOSEPH DIVIS was born in Litavany, County Hrotovice, Moravia, in 1828. He came to Butler county, Nebraska, in 1871 with his family and bought a homestead near Linwood, farming same with the help of his wife and two children, F. J. Divis and Mary (Mrs. John Maca), F. J. Divis was born in 1858 and bought a farm on Shell Creek, Colfax county, eight miles from Schuyler, in 1880. In 1924 he moved to Schuyler with his second wife. His father died on his son’s farm in 1914 and is buried near Richland.
VACLAV NOVAK, son of John and Anna (Zita) Novak from Pabenice, county Caslav, was born August 2, 1857 in Mala Becvar, Bohemia. They came to Milwaukee, Wis, in 1867, having six children, but three stayed in the old country, John, Anna and Mary, following the parents later. Those who came were the six: Joseph, Alzbeta, Vaclav, Anton, Frank and Ferdinand. A year later the father with his son Joseph and neighbor Ignac Skala came to Cuming county, Nebraska, to John Maly, who assisted them and each took a claim of 80 acres. Near the German settlement called St. Charles, was a vacant log school house, for the German settlers had built a new one. Novak wrote for his family to follow him and the old log house was their first home, before a “soddy” could be put up. That was in the spring of 1869. They worked with a will but four years later the father died and the mother had to care for her large family. When the son, Vaclav Novak, was 24 years old, he married, in 1881, Anna Maly, Vaclav Maly’s stepsister, born February 16, 1823. They had eight children, five living: Jaroslav, Leonora (Mrs. Frank Moural), Emilie (Mrs. Rudolph Strnad), Adolph, Anna (Mrs. Adolph Divis) and Ralph. After farming for eight years, Novak moved to Schuyler, where for a time he conducted a saloon with Joseph Maly, then farmed. In 1900 he bought a farm three miles north of Schuyler. In 1920 gave each child its share and retired to Schuyler. His wife died in 1897 and is buried in West Point, his father John Novak in 1872, buried in St. Charles, Cuming county, his mother in 1918, buried in West Point, Nebraska.
JOSEPH KRUNTORAD was born in the village of Kozohledy, Bohemia, in December 1834. In 1862 he married Katherine Zaloudek, eight children being born to them, six living; Joseph, Anton, Henry, Mrs. Mary Shorny, Mrs. Emily Prochazka and Mrs. Clara Svoboda. They came to Wisconsin in 1866 and stayed there five years, then to Butler county, where they took a claim near Abie. In 1905 they retired and came to Schuyler, where he died February 21, 1922, his wife two years later, both buried in Schuyler.
JOSEPH CUDA was born in Okresany, County Caslav, in 1849. He came to this country in 1868 with his stepmother. His father, Matej Cuda, had died two days before their departure. They came to Omaha, where young Cuda worked in the brickyard for $1.50 per day. A year later his mother married a German, John Wall and moved to a farm near North Bend, Dodge county. Cuda took a claim near Abie, Butler county, where he “batched” it until he got his patent, then married Mary Turek. There were no children and his wife died in 1912. In 1914 he moved to Schuyler and married his wife’s sister, Josephina Otradovsky, widow of Frank Otradovsky.
JOSEPH CUDA was born in Saunders county, near Wahoo, in 1876. His father Vaclav and mother Katherine came in 1868 from Kamenne Mosty, County Caslav, and settled on a homestead near Wahoo, then bought more land, so that eventually they owned 240 acres. They had nine children. The mother died in 1893, the father in 1918, both buried in a country cemetery near Wahoo. Josef Cuda married Vincencie Divis in 1899 and they came to Schuyler in 1904. There were six children: Mrs. Anna Whatt, Mrs. Josephine Wolf, Joseph, Emma, Edward and Adolph.
(To be continued.)
