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

EDWARD JAMES VAKOC

Edward, the son of John and Katherine Hejna Vakoc, was born January 26, 1887, on a farm northeast of Verdigre, Nebraska. He attended a country school through the third grade and then had to quit to help his parents on their farm. He grew to manhood in the Verdigre area.

The United States Government passed the Kincaid Homestead Act June 28, 1904. In 1908 at the age of twenty-one, Edward went to Cherry County near Wood Lake, Nebraska, to stake his 640 acres. He told about the winters of heavy snow and how he couldn’t get to town to get provisions. He lived for two months on the wild game he could shoot and a gallon of molasses.

[pg 438 photo Edward Vakoc with his first wife, Emma, on their wedding day in 1912]

During World War I he caught and broke wild horses for the Cavalry. His hip was put out of joint after being thrown several times from the horses. The doctors gave him a brace - like a garment to wear - to keep the hip in place. The brace got in his way when he worked, so he didn’t wear it. Consequently, he had a limp for the rest of his life.

After he finished building his home on his homestead, he married Emma Chocholousek of Verdigre in 1912. To this union four children were born: Katherine (Mrs. Raymond Stone) on July 10, 1914; LeRoy on January 13, 1916; Lawrence on August 15, 1919, and Archie, February 27, 1925.

[pg 438 photo Edward Vakoc with second wife, Elsie, on wedding day May 4, 1926. Children are Katherine, Archie, LeRoy, and Lawrence]

On March 12, 1925, his wife Emma died of blood poisoning leaving three young children and a two-week-old baby. It was then that the house was moved two miles west and the main ranch was built. Edward built one of the largest barns in the county at that time.

On May 4, 1926, Edward married Elsie Elizabeth Chocholousek, his first wife’s sister. They had one daughter, Norma Mae (Mrs. Wayne VanRiper), who was born June 4, 1927. He and his family lived on the ranch until 1939 when the ranch was sold. His daughter Katherine married Raymond Stone and his sons, LeRoy and Lawrence, went to live and work in Chicago, Illinois. The rest of the family moved to Ainsworth, Nebraska, where Edward worked in a café for a short time. When the United States Air Force built an air base outside Ainsworth, Edward went to work there as a fireman. After graduation from high school, his youngest son, Archie, joined the Navy as his two brothers had.

In 1944 Edward went to Omaha to work in the Martin Bomber Plant. After Norma’s graduation from high school in 1945, the family joined Edward in Omaha. After World War II was over and the bomber plant closed, Edward worked for Brandeis Department Store, helping with the window displays.

[pg 438 photo Edward Vakoc, 93, with his children, LeRoy and Lawrence [front] and Norma, Katherine, and Archie, standing]

In 1950 Edward and Elsie moved back to Verdigre to live in the Harry Walker house. Edward worked many years at the Catholic cemetery and doing odd jobs around Verdigre. He was an all-around handyman. The years and rheumatoid arthritis took their toll. Starting in 1977 Edward and his wife Elsie would spend the winters at Alpine Village and the spring and summer at their home.

In September of 1979 Elsie was hospitalized for ten days in Creighton. They moved into Alpine Village after Elsie was released from the hospital. She passed away suddenly December 27, 1979, from congestive heart failure at the Creighton hospital having reached the age of 80 years, 10 months, and 8 days.

Edward continued to make Alpine Village his home until his death on February 4, 1981, at the age of 94 years and 8 days. On the morning of his death he felt well enough to have the nurse take him to the barber for a haircut. After this was done, he was taken back to his bed and a short time later closed his eyes for his final sleep.

Edward had one sister, Barbara Schneberger, one brother, John L. Vakoc; half-brother, Frank Burian; four half-sisters, Josephine Vlasnik, Mary Kocina, Rose Kleinlein, and Elizabeth Walker. Surviving are his five children: Katherine (Mrs. Raymond Stone), Norma (Mrs. Wayne VanRiper), and Archie E. Vakoc, all of Omaha; LeRoy Vakoc of Burlingame, California, and Lawrence Vakoc of Wood Dale, Illinois; 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Pages 437, 438