ANTON AND JOSEPHINE [BALOUSEK] HOUZVICKA
Anton Houzvicka, born on June 13, 1857, in Sadska, Bohemia, in
Austria, was nineteen years old when he accompanied his parents,
Antonia (Hrazky) and Vaclav Houzvicka, two brothers, and three
sisters to America. As they continued their journey westward to
Nebraska they stopped in Chicago, Illinois, and Yankton, South
Dakota, before arriving in Niobrara in late 1876 or earl 1877.
Land ownership was extremely important to the Houzvickas. At age
twenty-one Anton applied for a 160 acre homestead located in the
South Half of the Northeast Quarter of Section 18 and the Southwest
Quarter of the Northeast Quarter and the Northwest Quarter of the
Southwest Quarter of Section 17 in Sparta Township on May 30, 1878.
On the same date he filed for his citizenship papers. He received
the patent on December 5, 1884.
On February 18, 1882, Anton married Mary Skalicky (born May 15,
1860) and to this union were born three children: Mary, Frank, and
Anna, as listed in the Nebraska Census of 1885. Charles, a fourth
child, was not listed and probably was born after the census was
taken. Little is known of Mary except that she probably had a
prolonged illness before she passed away November 9, 1886.
Anton’s second wife, Josephine (Josepha, Josie) Donat had been
married previously to a Joseph of Jan (John) Balousek about whom
little is known. Josephine was listed in the 1880 Federal Census and
the 1885 Nebraska Census as the daughter of Vaclav and Marie Donat
and was a sister of Theresa Donat, the wife of Anton’s brother, John
Houzvicka.
The wedded bliss between dark, curly-haired Anton and sandy-haired
grey-eyed Josephine began on November 24, 1886. During the
thirty-five years they lived on the farm, three children were born
to them: Emanuel, Josie, and Joseph (James). Of the six children in
the household, Joe was born in 1894 and succumbed in 1900. Frank who
was ill with cough and fever when he went out into a blizzard to
fetch the cattle, developed pneumonia and died at about the age of
18 in 1905. Emanuel, 16, passed away in 1904.
Anton was a member of the ZCBJ Lodge for many years, a member of the
Modern Woodmen of America, a school board member for twelve years,
and was on the Knox County election board for eight terms. He was a
road overseer in Sparta Township for twenty-one years, and served
jury duty eight times. Josephine was active in the ZCBJ and other
community work.
His daughter, Mary (born November 2, 1884), was wed to Lou (Sam)
Powers (born June 18, 1877) in Verdigre on February 24, 1903. They
moved to Memphis, Nebraska, where his parents lived. In 1922, they
moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Sam worked for Sulllivan Transfer
and where they raised their family. Mary died on October 20, 1962.
Mary had six boys. Omer was born August 3, 1918, and died September
10, 1918. Clarence (born February 29, 1904) attended Creighton
Medical School and became a lab x-ray technician and was cited for
his research. He and his wife Evelyn (Silver) lived in Santa Ana and
Long Beach, California, and had two children, Sherrell and Renee. He
died in 1978.
Roy E. Powers (born March 16, 1908) and wife, Vera Lewis, lived in
Lincoln, Nebraska. Roy, as an automotive electrician, included in
his employment being an instructor at Southeast Community College in
1959. Roy has two children, Phyllis Joan and Marilyn Arlene. He
lives in Lincoln.
Gilbert (born October 2, 1909) and wife, Helen Rotheram, lived in
Lincoln where he as a businessman in construction became highly
involved in the Sertoma Club, Elks Lodge and Mason Lodge. He
succumbed July 22, 1968. Michael Edward Powers lives in Lincoln.
Carl Powers (born March 20, 1910) resided in Lincoln. He married
twice and has a daughter and son. He retired from the Burlington
Railroad shops in Havelock and still enjoys bowling with his wife.
Anton’s son, Charles (born February 17, 1883), remained a bachelor.
When Anton and Josephine moved to Verdigre in 1921 Charles lived
with his parents and continued to do so until their deaths. He
inherited the farm and rented the fields until he sold it. He was
known as a super gardener; relatives and friends appreciated the
fresh garden vegetables and canned goods he distributed each season.
Daughter Josie (Josephine Elizabeth), who was born August 13, 1891,
remained at home until she was twenty-six. She married Richard Uhlir
on December 15, 1915.
Anton succumbed December 9, 1928, and Josephine on November 27,
1926. They are buried in the ZCBJ (Hillcrest) Cemetery in Verdigre
along with their children: Frank, Joseph, and Emanuel.
-Submitted by Hazel B. Devine
Pages
272, 273
