FAMILY STORIES

   Emil Faustin Cernik was born June 10, 1920 to Frank Louis and Mary (Vachal) Chernik. He was born on the farm homeplace southeast of Colon. He went to school in District 23 and graduated from Mead High School.

Emil Faustin Cernik, Elsie Mae (Roza) Cernik, Wedding April 10, 1947

   Emil joined the Army Signal Corps during World War II on November 14, 1942. He took his military training at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and served in the European Theater, being stationed around Rome, Milan, Florence and Naples, Italy. He served a total of 15 months overseas. He was an expert rifleman and sound projector repairman. He was discharged from active service with a rank of Corporal on April 3, 1946.

   He married Elsie Mae Roza on April 10, 1947 at St. Rose Catholic Church in Omaha. When they were first married, they lived and farmed east of Wahoo, later moving southeast of Colon. They had two sons, Paul Louis and Leonard George Cernik.

   In 1964, Emil's parents retired and moved into Wahoo. Emil, his wife, and two sons built a new home on the original homeplace southeast of Colon in the fall of 1966. Emil farmed until his death September 4, 1975. Emil was very active in the American Legion Firing Squad, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Workman Lodge and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a very avid ham radio operator and enjoyed communicating with people all over the United States.

   Elsie is employed at the First National Bank in Wahoo. She began work at the bank in August of 1966 as a file clerk and held many positions, including loan secretary and bookkeeping supervisor. She is now the Operations Officer. Elsie remained on the homeplace until October of 1982 when she moved into Wahoo.

   Their older son, Paul, graduated with a B.S. degree in Agronomy and Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1973. He married Linda Zelensky, June 15, 1974, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Omaha. They lived in Ottumwa, Iowa for a few years after marrying. Paul worked for Ciba-Geigy Chemical Co. and Linda was an elementary school teacher. In 1976, they moved to Wahoo. Paul began work then as an Agricultural Loan Officer for the First National Bank of Wahoo. He is currently Asst. Vice President. Paul also enjoys farming the homeplace southeast of Colon. Since his mother's move into Wahoo from the farm, Paul, Linda and their three children, Michelle, Alicia, and Nathan, plan to move onto the farmplace. They will be the fourth generation to live and farm there.

   Leonard graduated with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. In 1980, he became a registered Professional Engineer in Nebraska. He is currently employed as an Agricultural Application Engineer for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in the General Products Division of the Advanced Concepts Department. He will be living in Akron, Ohio after December 1, 1982. Submitted by Linda Cernik

   Frank Louis Cernik was the eldest son of Frank and Francis (Frantiska Tomsicek) Cernik. He was born August 17, 1886 in Touhy, Nebraska. Frank Louis had two brothers, Ed and John, and two sisters, Rosalie and Marie. In 1890, his parents purchased the farm homeplace southeast of Colon, Nebr. The family lived there until Frank Louis, as a young man, purchased the homeplace from his parents in 1910. His parents purchased a farm north of Wahoo.

Frank Louis Cernik, Mary (Vachal) Cernik, Wedding October 9, 1916

   In 1915, Frank Louis met Mary Vachal at a dance in Wahoo. They were married October 9, 1916 at St. Wenceslaus Church in Wahoo. Mary's uncle, Rev. Matthew Bor, married the couple. Rev. Bor helped Mary come to the U.S. from her home in Chrastavice, Plzen, Czechoslovakia in June of 1910. Mary was the oldest of ten children. Her parents were Andrew and Katherine (Bor) Vachal.

   Frank Louis and Mary lived and farmed the homeplace southeast of Colon for many years. One son, Emil Faustin Cernik, was born to them. They retired and moved to Wahoo in 1964. They moved to 137 West 3rd St., Wahoo, Nebr., a home inherited by Mary from her Uncle Faustin Bor. Frank L. Cernik died on January 12, 1966. Mary still lives there. She celebrated her 90th birthday on June 25, 1980 with an Open House. She still enjoys baking Czech bakery every Saturday morning, and loves to garden in the summer.

   Frank L. Cernik's father, Frank, came to the U.S. in 1875 at the age of eleven. He came with his parents, John and Rosalia Cernik, and brothers and sisters from Cihalin, Trebic, Moravia, Czechoslovakia. Submitted by Linda Cernik

   Harvey and I have lived in and around Leshara most of our lives. Although we live in town, Harvey is a farmer, farming west of Leshara.

   Harvey was born in January, 1922 near Clarkson, and I was born in 1927 near Memphis, Nebraska.

   When he was a year old, the family moved to Omaha. Harvey was an only child, but his parents took in and raised a cousin, Emil Cernin, as their own child when his parents died.

   When Harvey was 10 years old, the family moved to a farm a mile west of Leshara where his mother still resides. He attended school in Leshara. His father passed away in 1977.

   Harvey served in the United States Navy for one year.

   My family lived north of Memphis until 1942. When the Nebraska Ordnance Plant came along we moved to a farm two and a half miles west of Leshara.

   While living north of Memphis, we attended school at District 21. I spent my freshman year of high school at Mead High School and, after we moved, attended Leshara High School. At the end of my junior year, a decision was made to close the high school, so most of the students, including myself, went to Valley High School. I attended Midland College, and taught District 10 school north of Yutan for 3 years. Then I went to work for United Benefit of Omaha for 4 years.

   Harvey and I were married in August of 1952 at the home of my parents by Pastor Karl Konig of St. John's Lutheran Church of Yutan.

   We lived for 3 years northwest of Leshara, before purchasing our present home in Leshara.

   We have seven children, five boys and two girls. Five have graduated from Yutan High School.

   Mark, who was married and divorced, now lives in Valley with his daughter, Brandi. He is employed by Unarco of Millard.

   Steven is married to the former Patti Zima. They live 3 miles northwest of Leshara on Highway 64. Steve works at Valmont as a welder. They have a daughter, Samantha Marie.

   Rita is an executive secretary at Valmont and Karen is a bookkeeper at Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Company in Fremont. They share an apartment in Fremont.

   Mike is employed as a station attendant at Longacre Conoco Station in Fremont. He still lives at home.

   Scott and Todd are sophomore and freshman at Yutan High School.

   We are all members of Pohocco Lutheran Church. I am a charter member of the LCW at Yutan, a member of the Pohocco Lutheran Ladies, and a past member of the Sunshine Hour Extension Club of Leshara.

   Harvey has been a member of the Leshara Town Board for many years and a past member of the Pohocco Lutheran Church Board.

   I have been Librarian at the Valley Public Library for the past seven years. Submitted by Mary Ann Cernin

   The Anton Cernohlavek family consists of Anton, Antoinette, and their children, Richard, Arlene,

Mr. and Mrs. Anton Cernohlavek Family. Taken 1962

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LeRoy, and Bernice. Anton was born Sept. 6, 1906 near Weston, Nebraska, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cernohlavek Sr. Anton graduated from Prague School. Later, he farmed near Prague until he retired in 1978. Anton passed away Mar. 5, 1983 after a lengthy illness.

   Antoinette was born Nov. 25, 1914 in a log cabin near Weston, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vaclav Vanek. Antoinette graduated from country school Dist. 98. Later, she married Anton June 26, 1934, in St. John's Catholic Church in Weston.

   Their children were all born on the family farm. Richard was born Aug. 27, 1935. He graduated from Brainard High School in 1953. Later he worked for the railroad, then farmed for a while. Then he joined the army for four years. On Oct. 1, 1960, he married Patricia Grasmick in the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Lincoln. Then he worked for a Red-D-Mix Concrete Co. in Lincoln until his death Aug. 8, 1962. He was buried in the Plasi cemetery near Prague.

   Arlene was born Jan. 20, 1939. She graduated from Brainard High School in 1956. Later she worked in Lincoln on different jobs. On Nov. 16, 1957, she married Ralph E. Fisher in the Plasi Catholic Church near Prague, Nebr. Three children were born to them: Mark, Eric, and Michelle.

   LeRoy was born Jan. 14, 1943. He graduated from country school Dist. 106 in 1958. He stayed with his parents on the family farm, farming.

   Bernice was born Jan. 12, 1946. She graduated from Prague High School in 1964. Later, she worked in Lincoln on different jobs. On June 25, 1966, she married LeRoy Goemann in the Plasi Catholic Church near Prague. Three children were born to them: Richard, Lori, and Robert. Submitted by Antoinette Cernohlavek

   Emil Cernohlavek, son of Frank and Katherina Matejka Cernohlavek, was born November 10, 1901 on a farm south of Plasi as one of thirteen children. He walked almost a mile with his brothers and sisters to a rural school, carrying his lunch in a tin pail. He has fond memories of his father reading to the family in the evenings, singing together, and of his father teaching him to play a one-row button accordion.

Emil and Kristina Cernohlavek, Wedding Oct. 14, 1931 -- Wahoo

   He met his wife, Kristina Osmera, daughter of Bohumir and Mary Ann Osmera, at a dance in Brainard. They were married in Wahoo on October 14, 1931, and lived on a farm by Bruno in Saunders County. He began trucking in 1932 with a 1929 Ford truck, making many trips to Omaha. He quit trucking in 1938 when he moved the family to Brainard, so their only child, Rita, could attend school. There he hauled gas for the Farmers Union until WW II when he was a fireman at the Mead Ordnance Plant and the Lincoln Air Base. He later worked for the Farmers Co-op Elevator until his retirement. He was active in the Brainard Volunteer Fire Department for 17 years, seven of those years as Fire Chief.

   Kristina was born in a sod house in Western Nebraska, but her parents also lived on a farm in Saunders Counts for about 15 years. Kristina's grandparents, John and Anna Zobek Osmera, were taking their family from Brainard to homestead in Western Nebraska (by covered wagon) when they were caught in a flash flood by Cambridge, Nebraska. Grandmother Anna, Uncle Joe, and Aunt Christina were drowned. A monument now stands outside of Cambridge as a tribute to these brave pioneers.

   Kristina was active with the bloodmobile in Brainard for many years.

   Excerpts from Emil's diary: 1936 -- wheat made from 5 to 40 bushels, oats about 10 bushel per acre. There wasn't any corn. 1933 -- corn 10 to 30 bushels, wheat 2 to 10 bushels. 1943 -- plenty of rain, corn 40 to 70 bushels per acre. 1946 -- bumper crop, wheat 10 to 25 bushels, corn 25 to 100 bushels, oats 10 to 50 bushels. Wheat sold for $2.65, corn 1.65 and oats 40¢. 1947 -- Wheat sold as high as $2.98, hogs $31, Cattle $40 per 100 pounds. Submitted by Rita Polak

   My grandfather, Frank Cernohlavek, born August 4, 1862 in Visnov, Czechoslovakia, the son of Mathew and Josephine (Posvar) Cernohlavek, came with his family and settled in Elk Precinct.

   On November 27, 1888, he married Katherina Matejka, daughter of Jacob and Rosalie (Jirovsky) Matejka. My grandmother was born April 21, 1867 in Kouty, Czechoslovakia. They were married at Plasi the same day his half-sister, Josephine, married John Matejka, brother of Katherina.

   To Frank and Katherina were born 13 children: Anna, married to James Proskovec; Emma, married to Joseph Smaus; Bessie, married to Paul Zavodny; Frank, married to Josie Vavra; Hedvicka, married to John Sedlacek; Emanuel; Alois, who died at about 1 year of age; Stanley, married to Rose Slossar; Emil, wed to Kristina Osmera; Helen, married to Henry Sobolik; Anton, born and died same day; Anton, married to Antonia Vanek; and Rudolph. Still living are Bessie, Emil, and Helen in Butler County; Stanley in Saunders County.

   Frank was a farmer as were his father and grandfather. Frank died in 1933 on his farm about two miles north of the original homeplace. Activities enjoyed by the family were reading, singing, and Grandpa teaching some to play the button accordion.

   Katherina was a small woman that enjoyed her family, baking and cooking. Some of her recipes are still enjoyed by her family, down to her great, great-grandchildren. One of the favorites is "cabbage pancakes," always served with vegetable soup.

Frank Cernohlavek Family. Back Row, L to R: Emil, Stanley, Bessie, Emma, Frank, Anna and Emanuel; Front Row, L to R: Frank Sr., Rudy, Katherina, Anton, Hedvika, and Helen.

   Some memories of Frank and Katherina's children are: On Christmas Eve, each of the children put a plate on the dining room table, and Christmas morning they arose to find goodies on their plates, fasting and abstinence the day before Christmas was encouraged so they could see the "Golden Pig", which never seemed to materialize.

   When Frank built a new barn on the home place, a barn dance was enjoyed by all before the barn was put to use.

   Grandma Katherina continued to live on the farm with her two sons, Emanuel and Rudy, until about 1947 when they moved to Bruno. Grandma died January 22, 1955. By Rita Polak

   My great-grandfather, Mathew Cernohlavek, born Sept. 13, 1831 in Visnov, Czechoslovakia, son of Jan Cernohlavek and Cecilia Hayek, settled in Elk Precinct, Saunders County. He came with his second wife, Antonia Cerny Cernohlavek, and children. His first wife, Josephine Posvar, my great-grandmother, died in Czechoslovakia, possibly in childbirth with her second son, John.

Mathew and Antonia Cernohlavek

   To start farming, he bought 80 acres in 1881 from Alexander and Marie Brezina for $200. This land is still owned by his descendants. A great-granddaughter lives in the house, and a great-grandson farms the land. In 1892, it was deeded to his son, Frank, with whom they made their home until they died.

   Mathew and Josephine Posvar Cernohlavek had 2 sons: Frank, my grandfather, and John. With his second wife, Mathew had 6 children: Antonia, married to John Kudlacek; Mary, married to John Juzek; Frances, married to George Miller; Fred, wife's maiden name unknown; Joseph, married to

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