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 E. AND EVELYN E. [DOBRICHOVSKY] HASS

[pg 258 PHOTO Edward E. and Evelyn E. Hass]

Edward and Evelyn Hass are both natives of the Verdigre community. Edward was born in Verdigre April 18, 1914, to Bohemil and Julia (Tomsik) Hass, the third of six children. He attended the Verdigre Public School; his first few years were in the old schoolhouse.

Edward always loved to hunt, trap, and fish as a boy, and hunting and fishing are still his hobbies. The 1930s were hard years and to earn a little money Edward worked on farms during summer vacations. He worked for Zdenek and Ben Vonasek. Wages in those days were 50 cents or $1.00 a day plus room and board.

Edward graduated from Verdigre high School with the class of 1933. He joined the CCC Camp and was stationed in Oregon and Spearfish, South Dakota. Later he worked on the farm for Ivan Davey and for Wenzel Kurka. While at Wenzel’s farm, he used his machinery and farmed for two years for himself, but prices were low and it wasn’t too profitable; grasshoppers ate everything in sight, so when he had a chance to work for the State Department of Roads, he accepted the job. He worked there until World War II began and then he entered the service. He spent three years and two months in the service - 18 months were overseas and 11 months were in combat. He was stationed in Italy. When he returned from the service, he went back to his job with the Highway Department until the fall of 1946 when he purchased the Verdigre Bakery from Anton Scheinost.

Evelyn Dobrichovsky was born September 21,1915, on a farm in the Pischelville community, 17 miles northwest of Verdigre. She was the second youngest of seven children born to Joseph and Mary (Tuch) Dobrichovsky. Evelyn attended eight grades at the Meadow View country school and then attended the Verdigre Public School, graduating as salutatorian of the class of 1933. Edward and Evelyn were classmates and graduated the same year.

After graduation Evelyn worked for David Johnson and Wenzel Kurka when their children were small. Later she worked for Anton Scheinost who owned the White Corner Café, the building now known as Tony’s Tavern. Jobs were hard to find in the 1930s, so if you had a chance to work you took it. There were no fringe benefits or 40-hour weeks; you worked until the job was done - seven days a week.

In those days dances were going strong in Verdigre and many good bands came from Yankton, South Dakota, Wilber, DeWitt, and Schuyler, Nebraska. Crowds you couldn’t believe were in town and the café was the only eating place available, so at intermission there was standing room only. There was counter service only since getting to the booths was impossible. It was lots of work but fun, too, even if the wages were only $3.00 a week. Later she got a raise - $5.00 a week!

As time went on there was an opening at the Bank of Verdigre which was operated by Adolph Kotrous. The hours and wages were better, so Evelyn went to work there. Later she accepted the bookkeeping job at the Farmer’s Store and worked there until her marriage to Edward Hass on September 17, 1947.

Together they operated the Verdigre Bakery for over 25 years. They had a very large trade area, extending from Lincoln and Columbus to Yankton, South Dakota. Their bakery was noted for cream-filled and poppy seed donuts, rye bread, molasses cookies, applesauce cake, krispies, to mention a few items. They carried a full line of baked goods and baked ever day. If they ran out on Saturday evening, Edward and Evelyn made cake donuts on Sunday morning for the customers who wanted items after church.

They made holiday break (houska), a Bohemian tradition, beginning with a few loaves and increasing to reach a total of over 700 loaves for the three special holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. They even made a few at Easter.

When Verdigre celebrated its Diamond Jubilee, they made the world’s largest kolach. It measured two feet in diameter; they baked three of them and donated them to the Improvement Club; the boosters took one to Norfolk to serve and the other they served here during the celebration.

Edward and Evelyn made several loaves of Bohemian rye with caraway seed which were over five feet long; they could have sold many, but they were too hard to cover to transport.

After they sold the Bakery and Don’s Drive Inn opened, Edward worked there as a cook for two years. Evelyn also worked there for a time and later was manager of the Czech Alps Terrace for three years. She still works part time as a waitress at the Verdigre Sale Barn Café when they need extra help. She always enjoys people and that is one thing Evelyn misses by not being in the bakery.

While operating the bakery, they became parents of a daughter, Neva Jean, who died in infancy.

When Wenzel Kurka sold his farm, Edward and Evelyn bought 10 acres of land on the Niobrara River where they enjoy their extra time at their cabin. They raise a nice garden and when asked what they are doing now, they answer “We’re retired, but we still like to keep busy!”

Pages 258, 259