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

WENCEL J. AND ALBINA [PAVLIK] JANKIEWICZ

Wencel J. Jankiewicz, eldest son of Samuel and Louise (Zamiar) Jankiewicz, was born September 7, 1899, in Elsenau, Germany, now Poland.

At the age of six years, he emigrated with his parents, brother, and two sister to Dodge, Nebraska, through the Port of New York City. Here he learned to speak English.

In 1907 the Jankiewicz family moved to Fremont, Nebraska. In 1910 the family moved to Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, and he was enrolled in the High Nye - Hawthorne Public School where he excelled in geography and spelling.

In 1910 the Jankiewicz family moved to a farm in Saunders County, Nebraska. It was here in rural school District 25 that he was so influenced by the teacher, Miss Annabel Jackson, that he decided to be a teacher. Miss Jackson persuaded him to read all the worthwhile books in the school’s small library at Cedar Bluffs, a small town three miles away.

When he was in the seventh grade, he was taken out of school to work on a farm to help support the family. He finally left home in 1918 and became a hired hand on a farm east of Cedar Bluffs, since that was all he could do - so he thought. He worked as a hired man, saved most of the wages, and in September, 1921, when he was 22 years of age, he decided to enter high school.

He enrolled in preparatory school at State Teacher’s College at Wayne, Nebraska, and completed high school work in two years. Before he was awarded the A. B. degree, he applied for the principalship and teaching position at Verdigre High School and won the appointment for the 1926-1927 school year. He received the A. B. degree during the summer of 1929 at the State Teacher’s College at Wayne. During his five years at the college, he worked his way through school, sometimes at two jobs. He was a principal of the Verdigre High School for five years.

[ pg 278 PHOTO Wencel J. Jankiewicz]

In October 1932 Mr. Jankiewicz took over the publication of The Verdigre Eagle. He was fortunate that while attending Wayne State Teachers’ College, he took two semesters of Journalism and was editor for one semester of the college paper, The Goldenrod.

Mr. Jankiewicz published the Eagle for 32 years. The first few years, during the great depression of the 30s, were difficult and discouraging. As time went on and economic conditions improved, the Jankiewiczs were able to replace nearly all the equipment. Mr. Jankiewicz underwent a series of minor and major surgical operations in 1964 and 1965 and caused them to first lease The Verdigre Eagle and later sell the business.

As publisher of The Verdigre Eagle, he was given recognition in the A. N. Marquis and Company Book Who’s Who in the Midwest for 1949 and for 1952; in the Harbinger House book Who’s Who in Polish America for 1943; and in the Nebraska Press Association book Who’s Who in Nebraska in 1940.

Mr. Jankiewicz served on the Verdigre Board of Education for eight years; he was secretary of the Verdigre Improvement Club for 12 years; was a member of the Verdigre Volunteer Fire Department for many years, as well as being affiliated with several national organizations, including the last one as an affiliate member of the Nebraska Press Association. Wencel was a Knights of Columbus member from 1924 and a Fourth Degree Knight since 1950.

Mr. and Mrs. Jankiewicz moved to Omaha in May of 1966. Wencel, who had been in failing health since February of 1975, spent his last six weeks in an Omaha hospital and medicenter before cancer claimed his life. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery at Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday February 7, 1976.

Pages 278, 279