FRANK AND THERESIA [CEK] MAY
Frank May was born in 1833 in Bern, Switzerland. His wife, Theresia
(Tressie) Cek, was born January 15, 1851, at Gross Lupen, Germany.
She worked in the beet fields for 18 cents a day in the old country.
Because she lived on the border, she could speak both German and
Czech fluently. Theresia also suffered severely from asthma.
[pg 328 TWO PHOTOS Frank May Theresia [Cek] May]
Frank and Theresia were married before they came to the new country
in 1869. In the United States, they settled in New Haven,
Connecticut, where Frank was a clock maker and made furniture in a
factory. Later the family moved by train to Yankton, and then to
Dukeville, Nebraska (located eleven miles northwest of Verdigre)
with about ten other families. Here they either homesteaded the
Southwest Quarter of Section 4 in Bohemia Township or the West Half
of the East Half of Section 9 in Bohemia Township. The exact
homestead is undetermined, but the 1903 atlas lists Theresia Kurka
as the owner of these two pieces of land. It is possible that the
Mays owned both parcels of land. Each parcel totaled 160 acres.
Frank and Theresia had five children: Carl H., born April 29, 1873,
married to Barbara Bren on June 28, 1896, and passed away August 31,
1948; Matilda E. born January 18, 1875, married to Wencel Diez in
January of 1893, and passed away December 9, 1942; Mary T., born
November 2, 1876, married John Wright on December 5, 1897, and
passed away November 21, 1947; Anna was born in 1878 and died the
same year with tuberculosis; and Emma, born February 26, 1880,
married Herbert E. Van Buren on June 13, 1900, and passed away
February 8, 1920.
In 1879 Frank died of tuberculosis at the age of 46 years. His body
was first laid to rest at the Kurka Family Cemetery located atop a
hill on land now owned by Adolph Sukup. His body was later moved to
L’Eau Qui Court Cemetery in Niobrara, Nebraska. After Frank died,
Theresia lived with her father, Wenzel Cek, until she married Joseph
Kurka. They had seven children: Frank, born September 11, 1881,
married to Julia Roubal on March 5, 1917, and passed away May 28,
1962. Ernest, born December 26, 1882, married to Albina Schreier on
January 2, 1907 (later divorced), and passed away October 9, 1971;
Fred C., born in 1884 and passed away in 1886 with diphtheria;
Joseph C., born in 1886, and passed away in 1886 with diphtheria;
Joseph C. born in 1886 and passed away in 1886 with diphtheria;
Bertha, born September 7, 1886, married to Rudolph Tusha December
18, 1905, and passed away May 18, 1969; Rosie, born February 28,
1888, married to L. Victor Schreier on January 2, 1907, and after L.
V’s death was married to Max F. Randa on December 5, 1960, and
passed away May 27, 1970; and Julia, born April 4, 1891, married
John Sukup April 18, 1910, and passed away February 22, 1975.
Joseph passed away in 1931 and Theresia passed away January 12,
1943. Both were laid to rest at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church
Cemetery west of Verdigre.
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