FAMILY STORIES

Clarence and Lil Storm

   This verse was on a counted cross stitch sampler, sewn by Phyllis and given to Dad for Christmas, 1982. This verse typifies his life.

   Clarence Henry Storm was born March 3, 1911 to George and Anna (Mumm) Storm on a farm 2½ miles west of Yutan. He has two sisters, Minnie and Rose Eggers, and one brother, Arthur. He attended school in District #66 through the tenth grade. The following years he worked with his father on the family farm. He also worked part time for his uncle, earning $1.00 a day. His first pride and joy was his 1929 Chevy Cabriolet. Mechanically inclined, he was always interested in motors, and did a lot of overhaul jobs on cars, tractors, etc. Later, he became interested in flying. In May, 1951, he bought a Taylor-Craft plane, took flying lessons at Valley, Nebraska.

   On August 21, 1937, Clarence was married to Lillie (Carstens) at Gretna, Nebraska by Rev. Ernest Thomas. Lillie was born to Herman and Katherine (Bestmann) Carstens on May 5, 1913 on a farm southwest of Papillion. She attended District #7, graduated from Papillion High School, and attended Midland College in Fremont, Nebraska. She taught school for four years.

   Their first home was the family farm, consisting of 240 acres. With the income from the farm, plus a few cows and chickens, they managed to meet expenses and had a little extra for savings. In early 1941, they bought 40 acres of land which, in October of 1941, was taken for the Nebraska Ordnance Plant. In 1976, they sold 80 acres to August Ruser, for $1000 per acre. This was the first land sold in Saunders County for that price. After that, land prices rose steadily.

   In 1976, they were presented the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award by Aksarben as they owned land that had been homesteaded by Hans Storm in the early 1870's.

   On March 4, 1943, their first daughter was born, Hermine Kay. Another daughter joined the family on July 11, 1948, Phyllis Ann. Hermine and Phyllis both attended District 66 and graduated from Mead High School.

   Both girls enjoyed music, taking piano and accordion lessons which greatly enriched their lives, also brought entertainment and happiness to many others.

   Hermine studied music at the University of Denver and University of Nebraska. Phyllis studied music and elementary education at Hastings College and graduated in 1970.

   Hermine married James Ellison of Mead in 1962. They have five children: Deborah, Cynthia, James Jr., Mary and David.

   Phyllis married Albert Kendle III of Kearney, Nebraska in 1970. They have a daughter, Erika and a son, Steen.

   Our parents enjoy traveling. They have been to most of the fifty states, including Hawaii and Alaska. They have also traveled to Europe several times, visiting relatives and places of historic interest. Submitted by Hermine Storm and Phyllis Kendle

   After several days of rainy weather, Tuesday, September 22, 1959, turned out to be a beautiful sunny fall day, for the 9 A.M. wedding ceremony joining Elaine Franta, daughter of Louis and Gustie (Mach) Franta of Prague, Nebraska, and Raymond J. Stoupa, son of John and Evelyn (Slavik) Stoupa of Fremont, Nebraska, now deceased. Our wedding ceremony took place at the beautiful country church of SS Cyril and Methodius Plasi Church, Prague, Nebr.

Ray Stoupa Family

   I have one sister, Mrs. Norris (Bonnie) Fujan, Lincoln, Nebr. Ray's family consists of a sister, Mrs. John (Laverne) Whitmer, and a brother, Richard Stoupa, both of Fremont.

   Our first home was an apartment above Max's Drug Store, where I was employed for eight years. Ray worked at the Fremont Foundry. In 1960, he changed jobs and went to Valmont Industries where he is still employed as a supervisor in the lighting and transmission pole department.

   In the fall of 1960, we moved to 1114 N. Locust, where we still reside. During the twenty-three years at this residence we went through many happy occasions.

   During the fall of 1961, Ray was called to active duty with the 24th Medical Unit, National Guard, to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. I joined Ray at Fort Leonard Wood in April, 1962. Ray was released in August, 1962. We came back to our home in Wahoo.

   Ray joined the Wahoo Volunteer Fire Department in 1963. He served fifteen years as an active fireman of which he is now an honorary member.

   Our first son, Raymond Louis, was born April 26, 1963. On February 9, 1965, Robert John was born, and Ronald Joseph was born January 6, 1971.

   Our boys all attended the Wahoo Public Schools. Raymond graduated in May, 1981, and now is attending the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Robert will graduate this year, May, 1983, and plans to attend college. Ron is in the sixth grade at Wahoo Middle School.

   Raymond received his Eagle Scout Award from Troop 246, First Presbyterian Church, Wahoo, Nebraska on June 28, 1981. Robert is a Star Scout and Ron is a Tenderfoot Scout of Troop 246. I served five years as a den mother for the Cub Scouts. In March, 1981, I started working at the Wahoo West Ward Elementary as a Teacher's Aide. Submitted by Elaine Stoupa

   Tom and Kathie Stranik first met at a St. Patrick's Day dance at Abie, Nebraska, in 1964. They were married October 2, 1965, at St. Mary's Catholic Church at Cedar Bluffs. They are the parents of four children: Amy, Rita, Thomas, and Stacey.

Tom Stranik and Combine Harvest -- October 1980

   Tom was raised on the farm southeast of Morse Bluff and graduated from North Bend High School in 1960. He served overseas in the Navy from 1961-1963, and recently retired from the Naval Reserve with nearly 22 years of service. Tom worked for Blevins Popcorn Company for about 1½ years and for Geo. A. Hormel & Co. for 3½ years. Since spring of 1968, he has been farming full-time and raising hogs.

    Tom, the second of five children of Rudy and Adeline Jirik Stranik, was born on November 2, 1942, at Iva Liles home at North Bend. He has three sisters: Phyllis Spence of Lincoln, Carol of Wahoo and Maribeth of Morse Bluff, and a younger brother, Jim, of North Bend.

   Rudy Stranik was born May 15, 1911, and died June 15, 1980. He was the son of Vaclav (Jim) and Julia Dohnalek Stranik. Vaclav was born September 28, 1880, in Mlada Boleslava, Czechoslovakia. He came to this county at age twenty. He died April 30, 1949. His parents came to this country shortly after he did. They were Joseph and Anna Kmoch Stranik. Julia was born in 1880 and married Vaclav Stranik October 8, 1908, at Stanton, Nebraska. She died in June of 1960. Julia's parents, John and Anna Hovorka Dohnalek, had lived in a sod house and were able to move temporarily into the parsonage at Abie for Julia's birth, as this was a warm home. Father Hovorka was pastor there at that time. The Dohnaleks were weavers in Czechoslovakia.

   Tom's mother, Adeline, was born and raised in Prague, Nebraska, and married Rudy Stranik June 29, 1935. Her parents were Simon and Mary Sabata Jirik. Simon was born in Czechoslovakia and his parents were Joseph and Anna Pop Jirik. Mary Sabata Jirik was born January 24, 1879, at Plasi, the daughter of Jacob and Mary Duffek Sabata.

   Kathleen Gaughen Stranik was born December 23, 1943, at Iva Liles home in North Bend, Nebraska, the 4th and last child of Luke and Ruth Catherwood Gaughen. The Catherwood and Gaughen families were both descendants of Scotch-Irish and Irish immigrants who settled in Dodge County, the Gaughens from Catholic Ireland, and the Catherwoods from Protestant Northern Ireland.

   The Luke Gaughen family became residents of Saunders County in 1945 when they moved to Cedar Bluffs. All the Gaughen children, William, Patricia, Marjorie, and Kathie were graduates of Cedar Bluffs High School, Kathie graduating in 1961. In 1959 the family moved from the town of Cedar Bluffs to a farm four miles southeast of Cedar Bluffs, where Luke and Ruth Gaughen spent ten very happy years as farmers. Luke Gaughen died May 31, 1970, and Ruth Gaughen has been a resident of Arbor Manor in Fremont since 1976.

   Kathie attended Wayne State College for one year and worked as a secretary at Geo. A. Hormel & Co. for four years, marrying Tom Stranik in 1965. After sixteen years spent being a full-time wife and mother, she returned to work as a secretary at Burnham Insurance Agency in North Bend this past summer.

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   In the 1880's, Frank and Marrie (Lorenz) Strizek came to America from Germany. They homesteaded in Saunders County, living in a dugout northwest of Touhy. They had 11 children. Two of them, Anna and Marrie, stayed in Germany. Their other children, John, Frank, Joseph, James, Minnie, Pauline, and Fannie, came to America with them. Two sons were born in America, Fred and Anton. The sons worked the land with oxen, while their father worked, building the railroad from Omaha to Grand Island. The first house they built was with lumber brought from Fremont with oxen.

   John, James and Joseph were bachelors and stayed to farm the homestead. The others married and made their homes in different parts of the country.

   Frank married Josephine Cerny. They had 5 sons -- Louis, Charles, Albert, Frank III, and Edward; and 10 daughters -- Mary Sacket, Gustie Hruza, Pauline Skokan, Anna Polak, Doris Westscott, Katherine Policky, Josephine Mercl, Rose Schwitzer, Elizabeth Schwitzer, and Laura Barry.

   Minnie was married to Charles Pour. They lived in Little Rock, Arkansas. Pauline was married to John Krchnavy. They lived on a farm near Gregory, South Dakota. They had 3 sons -- Albin, Robert, and Fred.

   Fannie was married to Clyde Cook. They lived on a ranch near Gillette, Wyoming. They had one son -- Kamper. Fred was married to Tisha West. They lived on a farm northwest of Touhy. They had 2 sons -- William and Raymond, and 2 daughters, Nellie Skalak and Violet Tomcak.

   Anton, the youngest of the children, stayed home to farm with his brothers, John, James and Joseph. In 1911, he built a farm one-half mile south of the homestead. In 1912, he was married to Mary Kucera. To them was born one son -- Adolph.

   Adolph grew up and farmed with his father. In 1935, he was married to Rose Ohnoutka. At the present time they make their home in Valparaiso. To them were born 4 children. Delano was born in 1936. He was married to JoAnn Chapek in 1961. They have 2 daughters -- Joyce and Sandra. Marvin was born in 1939. He was married to Delores Dvorak in 1960. They have 3 children -- a daughter Myra (Mrs. Tim Rahmann), and 2 sons -- Mark and Darren.

   Eldon was born in 1947. He was married to Lucille Havlovic in 1970. They have 2 sons, Keith and Shawn. Vernetta was born in 1950. She was married to Dennis Masek in 1970. They have 4 children -- 2 sons, Cory and Bryan, and 2 daughters, Tina and Tonya.

   At the present time, Eldon and Lucille and sons Keith and Shawn, are the fourth generation to live on the Anton Strizek farm, and the fifth generation to farm the Frank Strizek homestead. Submitted by Eldon Strizek

   On June 13, 1947, Eldon was born to Adolph and Rose (Ohnoutka) Strizek in Wahoo Hospital. He was the third son born to them. He has two brothers Delano and Marvin, and one sister, Mrs. Dennis (Vernetta) Masek.

   Eldon attended grade school at "Cunningham" School District #113, northwest of Touhy. He attended high school at Valparaiso. After graduating, he attended Western College of Auctioneering at Billings, Montana.

   He joined the Nebraska Air National Guard and served from 1966-1972. He is a farmer, auctioneer and real estate salesman. He is a 4-H Club Leader and a member of the 4-H Council, Parish Council and Election Board. He raises cattle, hogs, and Belgian Draft horses.

   In 1970, he was married to Lucille Havlovic at Plasi. We have two sons -- Keith and Shawn.

   I, Lucille, was born at Prague in 1944. My parents were Vaclav and Tillie (Koranda) Havlovic. They were both born and raised in Saunders County, and were the parents of 11 children: two sons, William and Thomas; and nine daughters, Mrs. Jerry (Josephine) Polacek, Mrs. Leonard (Frances) Woita, Mrs. Leonard (Helen) Ourada, Mrs. Edward (Emily) Pacula, Mrs. Louis (Lillian) Palik, Marcie (who died in infancy), Mrs. Dean (Caroline) Cudaback, Mrs. Eldon (Lucille) Strizek, and Mrs. James (Bernadette) Jelinek. They also raised a nephew, Cyril Havlovic, whose parents and brother were electrocuted by a downed powerline west of Prague. Cyril now makes his home at Franklin Park, Illinois. My mother also helped raise four grandchildren, the children of Leonard Woita, when their mother was killed in a car accident.

   I attended school at Dist. #19 and high school at David City and Prague. Our sons, Keith and Shawn, attend School District #74 in Saunders County. Their teacher is Helen Sedlacek. They are members of the Touhy Livestock 4-H Club. They attend CCD classes at St. Vitus Catholic Church, where we are members. Submitted by Lucille Strizek

   Edward, son of John Stuchlik and Anna Paseka, was born Aug. 10, 1903. He married Helen Busek, daughter of John Busek and Antonia Veverka, on August 28, 1928. Helen was born on a farm near Brainard on October 18, 1910. They lived all their married lives in Chapman township, first on the farm west of Weston, and then upon retirement in Weston.

Ed and Helen Stuchlik

   Ed was born and lived on a farm near Plasi until Feb. 14, 1920. At that time the family moved to the farm west of Weston. Ed attended only six weeks of high school, and spent the rest of his teen years on the farm, helping his father.

   Helen attended 2 years of high school, and then spent the rest of the time at home, where she was a right hand to her father, as she hadn't any brothers.

   Ed's parents moved to Wahoo when Ed and Helen married. They went on a honeymoon to Colorado with Ed's sister, Edith, and her husband, Ed Morrissey, in a Whippet car.

   They cut ice on a creek and stored it in an ice house for summer use.

   Ed, during impassable roads, walked to town for yeast and flour and carried it home down the railroad tracks.

   They always had hired men while farming was done by horses. In the bad years, many times they stayed all winter, just for room and board. For a short time a boy from Boys Town stayed with them, and to this day he stops in to visit the family.

   Upon the death of Ed's father, John, Ed took over in the insurance business for 31 years until Ed Jr. took over.

   Ed and Helen had four children, Charlotte, married to James Sousek, lives near Malmo, and has four children; Jim Jr.; Jeanne Rasp; Julie Slechta; and John.

   Edward Jr. married Lorene Shanahan and has 5 children, John, Le Anne Bullock, Eddie, Linda Nordstrom, and Kenneth. They live in Weston.

   Helen Marie married Rudy Sloup and lives in Wahoo. They have six sons: Rudy III, Robert, Joseph, Thomas, Daniel, and William.

   Lawrence married Betty Phillips and they have four children: Patricia, Michael, Pamela, and Kelly. They live in Lincoln.

   Ed and Helen did much traveling and visited all the States including Alaska and Hawaii, and took a tour of Europe, also.

   Upon retirement, Helen spent her time doing the things she liked best, crocheting and making quilts. She made many of these and her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and many friends were the recipients of these many lovely articles.

   Ed spent his time in his shop, making round decorator tables, picture frames, shelves, bread, and cheese boards.

   Helen died in July of 1980. Ed continued to live in Weston until poor circulation cost him the loss of his second leg. He now resides in the Care Center at Wahoo. Submitted by Charlotte Sousek

   James Benedict Sturdevant, son of Elijah Sturdevant married Josephine Louise Mowry on March 30, 1848. To them were born the following children: Infant, Dec. 14, 1848 to Dec. 17, 1848; Joseph Blanding, Jan. 31, 1850 to April 1, 1926; Infant, born and died Sept. 24, 1851; Brently Elijah, Dec. 11, 1852 to Jan. 1, 1938; George Mowry, April 21, 1854 to Aug. 10, 1880; James Otis, Oct. 8, 1856 to Nov. 12, 1879; Charles Lacey, July 3, 1858 to Mar. 19, 1939; Frank Moxley, Jan. 7, 1860 to Sept. 5, 1940; Otis Loomis, May 7, 1861 to May 25, 1861; Edward Payson, Mar. 10, 1862 to Nov. 16, 1919; and Bertha Josephine, Oct. 30, 1867. (Death date not available.)

The Sturdevant Family Band. All Sturdevants except second from right, a Mr. Smith.

   In February, 1870, James B. Sturdevant accompanied Aunt Eliza Robinson and family from Meshoppen, Pennsylvania to Wathena, Kansas, bringing them to Uncle Culbert Robinson, the husband and father who had procured a position as conductor on the new railroad running from St. Joseph, Missouri to Grand Island, Nebraska. James saw them safely located in their new home in Walthen, just across the river from St. Joseph.

   Having oldtime friends who had located at Fremont, Nebraska, Joseph went there to visit friends and inspect the country. These friends were Theodore L. Adams, L.J. Lee, J.G. Smith, and others. Theodore L. Adams, who had been living on a farm in the Elkhorn Valley near Fremont, was then locating about twelve miles south of Fremont in Saunders County. (Marietta Precinct on Highway 77.) James B. Sturdevant purchased of the railroad company, a quarter-section of land near where Mr. Adams was then locating. He then returned to his home in Blackwalnut, Pennsylvania.

   Early in May the same year (1870), he, with his son, Joseph, returned to Nebraska and had broken out the entire quarter-section of land he had purchased, and built a house and a sod stable, preparatory to moving the family there the following spring.

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