MATEJ AND ROSALIE [BRTEK] KREYCIK
[pg 307 PHOTO Matej and Rosalie Kreycik]
Matej Kreycik was born December 25, 1838, at Jestrabi, Lhota Okres
Lkonsky Kraj, Caslav, in Bohemia. He was born to a prosperous family
and later was inducted into the army where he served eight years.
This was the army of Austria and Hungary and he was in the battle of
Solferna. After the war, he was in the Army‘s Brass Band where he
played first clarinet; he was well educated in music.
Rosalie Kreycik, twin daughter of the Josef Brteks, was born on June
10, 1840, in Jestrabi Lhota, State of Caslav, Bohemia. Here she
spent her childhood and obtained her schooling. After Matej Kreycik
returned from war, they were united in marriage and established a
home. Nine children were born to them (three died in infancy and are
buried in Bohemia). Foreseeing that the land of their forefathers
held no opportunity for their children to prosper beyond the
peasantry, they decided after considerable evaluation to brave the
journey and come to America.
On March 17, 1880, Matej and Rosalie Kreycik and their children,
Joe, Louis, Vac, Mary, Stephen, and John, left the land of their
birth and started their journey to America. They came directly to
the state of Nebraska, way beyond the outposts of civilization. The
family homesteaded 160 acres in Knox County on the south side of the
Niobrara River in what is now Western Township.
In this new land their first home was a soddy consisting of one
large room, one door, and two windows. The windows came overland
from Yankton, South Dakota, and the door was made of hand-hewed
planks and a latch made of wood operated with a buckskin thong on
the outside. It was here in this soddy that Mrs. Kreycik would
gather her children and speak words of kindness and encouragement
while her own mind was filled with fear and lonesomeness. Out of the
stillness of the night would come to them the blood-curdling cry of
the Indians, and their hearts were filled with fear for they had
heard of massacres and the burning of homes.
The soddy was replaced by a home made of logs consisting of two
large rooms and a loft overhead. A summer kitchen was added later.
Being short of sleeping quarters, the older boys slept in a loft of
the granary. Two more children, Emil and Anna, were born here. A
beautiful pump organ stood in the living room and, on this, daughter
Anna played and later gave lessons.
During the summer the children would herd cattle on the prairies
east of their home. Other families, too, had cattle that grazed
there and every night each sorted his own cattle and drove them
home.
Matej Kreycik loved music and formed a brass band that consisted of
himself and five of his sons: Louis, Emil, Jim, Joe, and John. They
played for dances and celebrations in Pischelville, Knoxville,
Bristow, Lynch, and other towns.
Matej and Rosalie Kreycik were instrumental in helping to mold
civilization, schools were built so their children would receive an
education, townships and counties were laid out for local
government, and in 1883, Matej helped organize Lodge C.S.P.S. at
Pischelville, where both were life-time members.
On December 28, 1906, Matej Kreycik died at the age of 68 years. He
had been ill for some time and had gone to St. Joseph’s Hospital in
Omaha where he was operated on the day before his death. His funeral
was held in the ZCBJ Hall at Pischelville and he was laid to rest in
the Pischelville National Cemetery.
In the early 1900s the log house was moved by horse power some 200
feet to the south where it remains and is still being used. Signs of
it once being lived in are evident as pieces of wallpaper and
original paint still remain. In 1914, son Emil built a two-story
frame house which is lived in today.
On April 21, 1939, Rosalie Kreycik passed away at the age of 98
years, 10 months, and 11 days. Funeral services were held at the
ZCBJ Hall at Pischelville and she was laid to rest by her husband in
the Pischelville National Cemetery.
All their children married and established homes of their own: Joe
married Mary Vlasnik of Pischelville. They made their home at Wood
Lake, Nebraska. Six children were born to them: Jim, George, John,
Joe, Charlie, and Kate.
Son Vac (Jim) married Mary Vyzab from Tyndall, South Dakota, and
they made their home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Four children were born
to them: Annie, Kate, Rosie, and Marie.
Son John married Julia Sedlacek from Lynch. They made their home at
Missoula, Montana. One daughter, Phyllis, was born to them.
Son Louis married Bessie Tuch of Pischelville. Their first home was
near Lynch and they later moved by horse and wagon to Vassar,
Manitoba, in Canada. Eleven children were born to them: Steven,
George, Eddie, Emil, Charlie, Lottie, Elsie, Rosie, Emily, Marie,
and Pauliene.
Daughter Mary married Frank Kaftan from Tyndall, South Dakota. Two
children, Emil and Elsie, were born to them.
Son Stephen married Bessie Holan of Niobrara. They made their home
in Western Township. Their four children are: Otto, Frank, Helen,
and Louis.
Son Emil married Charlotte Marshall of Pischelville. They remained
on the homestead. Three sons, Archie, Emil, and Marvin, were born to
them.
Daughter Anna married Frank Bartos from Walnut and three children
were born to them: Frank, Emil, and Rosalie.
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