A transcription of pages 195-469,
Family Histories from the Verdigre Centennial Book
Thanks to the Verdigre Library and its volunteers for making this available.
 
The index below only includes the husband and wife for each family.
The maiden name for the wife is used if listed.
For other names, use the search on the Home Page.

Index's A-I, J-P, & Q-Z

LAD AND MARIE [HANZLIK] PAVLIK

Ladislav Pavlik, son of Joseph and Barbara Mlady Pavlik, was born January 7, 1882. His education was at a country school located near their farm home east of Verdigre. Lad and his brothers, Edward and Joseph, did most of the farming as their father was part owner of the Verdigre Flour Mill, so he spent most of his time there. John, the oldest brother of Lad, had already left home and found employment in Verdigre.

Lad experienced the pioneer life in his early boyhood days, when some of the farmers still worked with oxen and lived in sod houses. Also he saw the coming of the railroad to Verdigre which created more activity for the town of Verdigre and the surrounding communities.

[pg 367 PHOTO Double wedding picture taken October 3, 1905. From left: Charles V. Pavlik and Josie Jaros, attendants; Lad O. Pavlik and Marie Hanzlik Pavlik and Joe Hanzlik and Barbara Pavlik, newlywed couples; attendants John Hanzlik and Lillie Pavlik Stoural]

Lad’s wife-to-be, Marie Hanzlik, daughter of Frank and Elizabeth Hanzlik of Verdel, was born in Bozetice, Bohemia, January 26, 1883. In 1893 at the age of 10 years, she came to America with her parents, brothers, and sister, arriving first at the home of her uncle, Louis Moravec, about three miles south of Niobrara, where they stayed until her father and uncle found land which was to their liking and open to settlement. This they found - three miles south of Verdel where they moved after a house was built.

Marie attended school both in Bohemia and in America. During her early years she experienced the typical life of early pioneer youth, working for various families in Niobrara to supplement the meager income so common to pioneer families. One time at the age of 14, she got lonesome for her family, so she decided to walk from Niobrara to Verdel. Whenever she would hear a wagon coming along the road, she would hide in the weeds by the roadside, thinking it could be the Indians. Night came and she had to walk past a cemetery. She was scared but she made it home safely.

Another true experience she related was that when night came to their farmstead, which was located near a wooded area, the family saw all these flickering lights in the woods. They thought the Indians were coming, so they all got down on their knees and prayed for their safety. What they saw were fireflies.

On October 3, 1905, Lad and Marie were united in marriage in the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Verdigre. The Verdigre paper of October 1905 stated, “Grandest event in the history of this beautiful little village was a double wedding Tuesday morning which united for life Ladislav Pavlik, the gentlemanly son of our esteemed neighbor Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pavlik, and Marie Hanzlik, daughter of Frank and Elizabeth Hanzlik of Verdel. Also Mr. Joseph Hanzlik (brother of Marie) and Barbara Pavlik (sister of Lad) which doubly united these respected families.”

“After the wedding ceremony, the bridal couples, accompanied by a host of relatives and friends and led by the Pavlik Band, went to the beautiful home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pavlik where a wedding feast fit for a King’s banquet was in waiting. The house, porches, and lawn were literally packed with people but they were all taken care of in the good old Pavlik way. There aren’t people in America who know better how to take care of their guests than people who live in and around Verdigre. In the evening there was the usual wedding dance with music by the Pavlik band.”

Lad and Marie moved to their home on a farm located in the Pleasant Valley community. Before their house was completed, they stayed a short time with John (brother of Lad) and Albina Pavlik, who lived a short distance from their place. These two couples always helped each other out with work and truly enjoyed each other’s company throughout their lives.

Lad and Marie had four children: Mayme, the oldest, died when she was only one year and nine months old, after an illness of a few days. Then there was son John and daughters Marjorie and Irene.

Lad was very active in band and helped organize the Pleasant Valley Band which was in existence for several years before merging with the Pavlik Band which went back to pioneer days. Lad and Marie were active in what was known as the Jelen, Nebraska, celebration. There were picnics, dances, and bowling. Refreshments were usually served. Then there was the annual Decoration Day celebration. Pavlik Band led the procession followed by small girls dressed in white carrying bouquets of flowers. Small boys carried little flags. They marched from Jelen schoolhouse to the Jelen Cemetery where memorial services were held.

At the cemetery there were speakers, both in Czech and American, beautiful singing, and placing of flowers on graves. Then they all marched back to the Jelen schoolhouse and the children enjoyed a cone of ice cream and the band was treated to a delicious lunch served by the women in charge. Ice cream and soft drinks wee also sold.

There were also barn dances, usually happening on their wedding anniversary. Women brought food and at midnight lunch was passed around.

Lad and Marie and family experienced the great depression, the dust storms, drought, crop failures, etc.; but there were a lot of good years. The family always had plenty of food, never going hungry. Marie did a lot of canning and preserving of vegetables and meats, and she raised poultry. She loved to bake and cook and did almost all the sewing for herself and her daughters. Truly, in all, it was a wonderful family life.

Lad and Marie celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1955 and were able to be together for their 64th Anniversary. They retired from farming in 1960 and moved to the Verdigre Czech Alps. Marie died January 18, 1970, at the age of 86 years, 9 months and Lad passed away October 18, 1974, at the age of 92 years, 9 months.

Their son John married May Barta and lived on the family farm. Marjorie married Harry A. Pavlik and lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Irene married Emil Jerman and lives in Verdigre. They had four grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren, and Lad had four brothers: John, Ed, Joe, and Paul, and four sisters: Caroline (Mrs. Steve Somer), Christina (Mrs. Vinc Cihlar), Barbara (Ms. Joe Hanzlik), and Lillie (Mrs. Emon Stoural). Marie had six brothers: Joe, John, Louis, Emil, Frank, and Vac, and two sisters, Josephine (Mrs. Joe Jaros) and Lydia (Mrs. John Kounovsky).

Pages 367, 368