JOHN AND VERONICA [MLADY] BERAN
John Beran was born on October 12, 1849, in Bozetice, Bohemia, where
his father owned a small farm. In his teenage years, he helped his
father with his work as his two brothers were in the army. At the
age of 19 he emigrated to America.
On October 18, 1868, John boarded the Breman Steamer, Johannes
Smith, and was on it for 33 days, working his way through. He
arrived in New York on December 1. He went on to Chicago, arriving
there on December 8 and stayed with a friend. There was no
employment in the winter. In April he got a job working in the
lumberyards.
Veronica Mlady was born on February 4, 1850, in Skychov, Bohemia. At
the age of 18 she accompanied her parents, Joseph and Katerina Mlady,
to America. They made their home in Chicago. In July of 1870
Veronica’s parents left for Nebraska and took up a homestead which
they selected in the Verdigris Valley. This later became the town
site of Verdigre.
Veronica remained in Chicago and on August 28, 1870, she married
John Beran. The next day the young couple left for Knox County,
Nebraska, to join her parents who had found suitable land for them
to make their future home. They traveled by rail as far as Sioux
City, Iowa. From there they proceeded on foot to Niobrara, a
distance of 125 miles,
walking barefoot to save their shoes. From Niobrara they walked
twelve miles to the Verdigris Valley to the home of her parents
which was located on the site of what was years ago the Verdigre
park.
[pg203 PHOTO John Beran, Veronica Mlady Beran, Anastazie Beran
Chalupnik]
They settled down with Veronica’s parents who lived with a friend.
There were now four families living there. They began constructing a
building on her parents’ farm first. They dug a cave into a bank and
built a roof of wood covered with clay. The front was built of wood
and logs. In fourteen days they moved in.
John took up a homestead one-half mile west of Verdigre, including
160 acres homeland and later 80 acres timberland. He then began to
accumulate logs for his own building, which took all winter.
In the spring the outlook for making a living was very poor, so Mr.
Beran, in company with three of his friends, left on foot for
Chicago to look for work. He worked there over the summer and
returned in the fall. He had purchased provisions and clothing in
Chicago and had shipped them to Niobrara, but upon his arrival at
home, he found the shipment had been lost in transit.
On the homestead they endured the hardships and privations of the
early pioneers, living in constant fear of the many Indians who were
frequent visitors but friendly. Often they would crowd into
buildings as many as could get in, and would stand in doorways
around buildings and look in windows. They gathered around their
first child, Vaclav J., the first white child born in the area.
“In February 1872, five of us residents traveled to the Army of Fort
Randall in South Dakota, asking for aid after being questioned about
our circumstances. We were served supper in the mess hall and given
lodging. In the morning they loaded up two loads of provisions and
gave us orders to divide the goods between the 15 poorest families,”
John Beran wrote later.
In 1888 John established a general merchandise store in partnership
with Mr. Albert Pavlik. In November of 1891 the store burned down
and everything was lost. The partnership was dissolved about three
months later. Next spring, in partnership with V. A. .Nedorost, he
purchased the general merchandise store of Kane and Clark. He
remained in this business for eleven years, then sold out to
Nedorost.
John donated one acre of land for the original St. Wenceslaus
Cemetery. Later they organized and fenced in the cemetery. One of
the citizens offered a cedar log for a cross. Through a motion
adopted by the majority, the cross was made and erected.
In 1905 they moved to Beroun, Minnesota, where they owned a 380-acre
farm and lived for five years. They then returned to Verdigre where
they built a home in which they lived a retired life.
John Beran died on July 23, 1925, and was laid to rest in “his own
cemetery.” His wife Veronica followed him to the grave September 19,
1934.
In 1911 the railroad company’s surveyors laid out a small addition
to the town. They platted two blocks. John Beran was the joint owner
of this tract with the railroad company.
Their children were: Vaclav J., John F., Louis, Marie (Mrs. Vac
Jedlicka), Antonia (Mrs. John Stoural), Frances (Mrs. John Franek),
Emma (Mrs. James Slama), and Anastazie (Mrs. James J. Chalupnik).
-Submitted by Mrs. Gertrude (Chalupnik) Ulrich and Veronica (Ondracek)
Tharnish
Pages
203, 204
