| Notes |
- PETER KOUBA FAMILY COMES TO AMERICA
BY T. F. KOUBA
Peter Kouba, wife and three children, came to the promised land, the United States of America, by sailing vessel in 1869. Two girls were the oldest children, while Frank, the youngest, born November 25, 1868, became father of my sister, Helen, and me. Two additional children, William and Emil were born in Iowa.
The sailing trip from Europe to America was difficult beyond comprehension, and almost proved fatal. Storms, frequent and overpowering required the masts to be lowered to keep the boat from overturning and sinking, and then the boat road the wild waves and precious distance was lost. Able bodies (many were seasick) drew water from the boat with pails to keep it afloat. Prayers were truly from the heart!
Neither grandfather Peter, nor his brother John, who came later, had farmed. Peter Kouba's had an Inn where meals, beer, and lodging were available. John apparently assisted a large landowner to protect his timber and wildlife as poaching and illegal timber-cutting were common. Game in Austria-Hungary apparently was owned by the landowner, not the state.
Grandfather, farming for the first time, was totally helpless, as was brother John. It appears the Peter Kouba family came from Moravia, Austria Hungary, province of Talice, village of Radlice. That portion of Europe in now CZECHSLOVAKIA.
The land grandfather purchased, apparently sight-unseen, was forty acres on an unimproved road a few miles from Blairstown and Luzerne, Iowa, geographically location NWSW, Section 28, T.82N.R.11W.
Father Frank grew up enjoying farming and fortunately so, as grandfather apparently could not adjust. Dad, over the years, achieved extraordinary farming success. He was a talented accordion player and called dances, and played at many. Square dancing apparently was the farmers' principal recreation.
In 1897, Father married the most wonderful girl living, Emma Melsha, daughter of another Czech-American family several miles away.
Father realized to get farm produce more efficiently to Luzerne and Blairstown markets, one must live on a better road. He bought land and a farmstead along a better road about a mile North from his parents's farm.
Grandfather Peter died apparently of cancer in 1909 at Luzerne, where he and wife Frances were living. Grandmother died there in 1916.
My Father and Mother were kind, proficient, hard-working farmers. Mother not only did the cooking and other work inside the home, but many times worked in the fields along Father. In a few years they acquired an adjoing "40" ad so it went concentrating on raising quality corn, beef-cattle, and hogs. Then they hired a year-round farm hand who lived with them.
Father grew blue-ribbon quality corn and other small grain which he displayed at county and state fairs and won scores of prizes. His winnings brought commercial seed company representatives to his door. Oftentimes they purchased at double market price the entire corn crop of several thousand bushels, picked out the seed ears and left the remainder for him to use, without cost, for livestock feed. In cooking, Mother also excelled, winning more prizes, (12 of them), than Father with grain and occasionally joklingly reminded him that such a thing could happen.
Mother never refused a hungry person who came to the door for food, including homeless or unemployed men. They were given a nourishing meal which they ate sitting on the front porch. More than one offered to chop wood at the woodpile or perform other menial tasks for payment, but was refused. Father gave grain to covered-wagon gypsies who begged for grain for their tired horses. Women did the begging, carried grain in gunny sacks to the several wagons, which seemed already filled. . .with kids!
Mother died of continuing heart attachks; deeply felt by her few relatives alive, and her many friends, on October 19, 1935 at 60 years. Our dear father, Frank, died from malignant cancer at Helen's home where he was living on March 5, 1944 at age 75.
My precious sister, Helen, was born in 1899 at the farm homestead where I came along in 1902. From the beginning I was horribly sick for two years, requiring day and night care. Medical research years later recognized allergies and mine apparently was feathers. As baby, I as others in that era, slept in soft, warm featherbed and with down filled pillows. The sicker I became, the more love and feathers were piled around. After the doctor confided that one certain baby would have a short life, folks hired a photographer who came and while baby, weakly standing in nightshirt, and alone, took my picture. But the subject was out of focus. Sister Helen, about four years old, who wanted to stand with her sick brother, but was refused by the photographer, stood several steps back and come out in sharp focus.
My sister, always fortunately, was one of those never sick individuals. We came into a close friendship which has never weakened. She graduated in music from Coe College, became a strikingly successful high school music teacher, and strangely, began at Blairstown where she graduated, before she finished at Coe. Other schools where she taught included grade and high schools at Belle Plaine, Madrid, and St Charles, Iowa. Many persons came to her for private lessons.
In 1925 Helen married Milo Kopecky in the prestigious "Little Brown Church in the Vale", continued teaching music as time permitted and later on worked full-time at Collins Radio, which contributed notably to the World War II effort. Milo's untimely death of a heart attack occurred a few years ago, and is buried in Cedar Memorial Cemetery at Cedar Rapids where Helen expects to be buried also.
Ted in 1926 graduated in forestry at Iowa State College, (now University), where he participated in athletics and band. He became forester for the State of Wisconsin Land Economic Inventory, where in 1929 at a University dance he was introduced to a beautiful and distinctly talented girl taking graduate work in English Literature from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After her graduation in 1930, we were married in the Congregation Church at Madison, Wisconsin, During her school career she was awarded memberships in three honorary sororities; Kappa Delta Pi, Kappa Sigma Iota, and Pi Lambda Theta. And at this writing, after several strokes, darling Marie is in the Madison Convalescent Center in which we celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary on August 3, 1990 to the tune of a fine orchestra, among many balloons, enjoying a large cake, and which fed all other patients, nurses, and aides. Maries' parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Love are buried in Wildwood Cemetery, Salem, South Dakota. Marie and I will be buried at Forest Hill where we have an inscribed small marble gravestone.
Father and Mother, the Frank Koubas are buried on the hilltop in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Blairstown, Iowa as are grandparents Peter Kouba's and uncle Will Kouba.
Neither sister Helen and Milo have children, nor Marie and I, thus no continuing generations of the Peter and Frank Kouba's lineage will follow. Thus ends a resume of the Peter Kouba family which immigrated to the promised land, the magnificent United States of America in 1869.
Ted Kouba July 1, 1991
There were five children who died in Radlice and are buried there.
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1833 - 1909 (76 years)
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