JOHN AND THERESA [DONAT] HOUZVICKA
As a young man, John (Jan) Houzvicka, born in the village of Sadska
in the town of Podebrady in the county of Caslav in Bohemia on April
12, 1858, traveled to the USA with his parents, Vaclav Houzvicka and
Antonia (Hruska); two brothers, Anton and Vaclav, Jr.; and five
sisters: Mary, Theresa, Antonia, Annie, and Josephine. After this
arduous journey, the family probably lived in Chicago, Illinois, and
;Yankton, South Dakota, before arriving in Niobrara, Nebraska, in
late 1876 or early 1877. A brother, Charles, was born in Nebraska in
1878 (Fed. Census, 1880).
According to the 1885 Nebraska Census, he lived on a homestead on
which he had filed in 1881. On June 21, 1890, he acquired this
160-acre homestead located in the west Half of the Southeast
Quarter, the Southwest Quarter of the northeast Quarter, and the
Northeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter of Section 30 in Sparta
Township. At this time, he also leased eighty acres of land - forty
acres southeast of his land and forty acres north of the Southwest
Quarter of Section 30. In 1892 he owned 240 acres of land in Section
30 and 31 of Sparta Township.
In 1887 at the age of 29, John married Theresa L. Donat (born
October 13, 1864), daughter of Vaclav Donat. Vaclav homesteaded on
160 acres of land located in the Southwest Quarter of the Northwest
Quarter, the North Half of the Southwest Quarter, and the Southeast
Quarter of the Southwest Quarter of Section 22 in Sparta Township on
July 8, 1889. Theresa was the sister of Josephine Donat who married
his brother, Anton. L Probably, she had been married previously.
According to the 1900 Census and other sources, John and Theresa’s
children were Jaroslav, better known as Jerry (born March 5, 1890);
Antoinette or “Tony” (born in March of 1892); Louis (born November
5, 1893); Martha Augusta (born February 5, 1898); Otto August (born
August 11, 1900) and Victor (born September 17, 1905). Two children
died in infancy, daughter Berta in 1897 and son Otokar in 1905.
Jaroslav (Jerry) was employed in Omaha, never married, and passed
away on January 6, 1968.
Otto was educated as a physician at Creighton University in Omaha,
Nebraska. He joined the army where he served as a medical doctor
during World War II. He and his wife, Olive Inez, nee Lusk (born in
1906), lived in San Diego the greater part of their lives where he
practiced medicine. Inez preceded Otto in death. Otto is retired in
San Diego.
In 1912, seventy-five years ago, Antoinette was taking nurse’s
training. Following graduation she worked in Chicago until her
mother became ill and later passed away in 1927. She assumed her
mother’s household tasks for her father and brothers, Louis and
Victor. Victor served overseas in the army during World War II.
Living the rest of their lives on the farm were John (died 1948),
Antoinette (died 1960), Victor (died 1967), and Louis (died 1972).
John and Theresa Houzvicka were very active in community affairs. As
a wealthy farmer, John often acted as a banker and loaned money to
those in need, especially during the depression. John lived on his
farm for sixty-three years. He and all of his family, except Otto,
were buried in the Hillcrest Cemetery in Verdigre.
-Submitted by Hazel B (Uhlir) Devine
Page 273
