VACLAV AND ANTONIA [PAVLIK] JELEN, SR.
Vaclav Jelen, Sr., was born in Bohemia in 1839. The family also
lived in the little province of Tyrol.
When Vaclav grew to manhood, he served in the army and later came
back to Praha, Bohemia. In 1869 he was married to Antonia Pavlik and
they farmed in Bohemia.
Antonia Pavlik was born March 30, 1845, in Velvary, Bohemia, where
she spent her childhood days and grew to womanhood. At one time she
was an exchange student in Germany.
Their four oldest children were born there. Fanny, the eldest,
passed away when she was about five years old, and Mary Anna, and
Vaclav, Jr., came to America with their parents in the year 1878.
They settled in Omaha, Nebraska, where Vaclav worked in a smelter
for six years. Their son Anton was born there. After that they moved
to Diller, Nebraska, where he took care of a farmer’s sheep for half
share.
In 1886 they moved to Holt County, near Mineola, which is now
Opportunity, Nebraska, where they homesteaded. Their youngest child,
John, was born there. Four years later, they sold their homestead,
and moved to Jelen, Nebraska. After farming at Jelen for twelve
years, Vaclav, Sr., passed away, at the age of fifty-seven years, on
Easter Sunday in 1896.
In the next twelve years, Antonia carefully managed the farm and
brought up her family; all helped with the farm work. Her oldest
son, Vaclav, Jr., did the farm work, and later took over the farm.
After that, she lived with her youngest son, John, who farmed three
miles west of the home place for ten years.
In the year 1918 she returned to the old home place to live with her
son, Vaclav, Jr., and family. The following spring she passed away
on April 13.
The following tells a little about their children.
Fanny Jelen was born in Bohemia and passed away there at five. The
exact dates of birth and death are unknown.
Marie A. Jelen Nikl was born March 6, 1873, at Usti-Nad Labem,
Bohemia, and came to America with her parents at the age of 6. They
settled at Omaha, Nebraska, and later moved to Jefferson County in
Nebraska, then homesteaded at Holt County. In 1885 they moved to
Jelen, Nebraska, where she grew to womanhood. She took a great
interest in beautifying the surroundings of her home. With her own
hands she planted the saplings, which now are stately cottonwood
trees, along the highway from her home at Jelen to the Jelen
Cemetery. Marie was united in marriage to Josef Nikl and they had
one son and two daughters. She lived her last five years in
California with her family. Marie died April 26, 1929. (See history
of Joseph Nikl.)
Anna A. Jelen was born September 16, 1875, in Bohemia. She came to
America at the age of three. The family settled in Omaha and later
moved to Holt County and then to Jelen in Knox County, Nebraska.
After grade school, Anna attended Creighton High School and
graduated in three years. Then she earned her A. B. degree and in
1895 began teaching. She taught nine terms in rural Knox County
schools; she was assistant principal in Verdigre Public School and
then served four years as superintendent. From Verdigre, she went o
Douglas, Wyoming, where she was a high school instructor. Her next
teaching role was in Casper, Wyoming, Normal School. Anna devoted 50
years to teaching. She was also a librarian at the Casper, Wyoming,
high school. Anna was a member of Western Bohemian Fraternal
Association of Verdigre for many years. Her last years were spent at
Verdigre. She died October 22, 1948.
[pg 285 PHOTO Vaclav and Anna [Haineraich] Jelen
Vaclav Jelen, Jr., was born September 24, 1877, in Bohemia. He came
to America with his parents at the age of six months. They settled
at Omaha and later at Holt County on a homestead. After the family
sold the homestead, they moved to Jelen, Nebraska. When his father
passed away, he farmed the home place and helped care for his mother
and family. For many years he was president of the National Bohemian
Cemetery Association at Jelen, Nebraska, and served several years as
a member of the school board at District Number 27. He was united in
marriage with Anna Haineraich. The couple had two sons and a
daughter. Vaclav, Jr., died June 9, 1955.
Anton Jelen was born November 11, 1883, at Omaha, Nebraska, where he
lived until he moved to Holt County with his parents. They later
moved to Jelen. He attended Fremont Normal College and business
school in Omaha. Later he owned and managed for several years the
Jelen Store, post office and hall. Anton then moved to Verdigre and
conducted a real estate and insurance business. He was united in
marriage to Emma Smolek. Anton died July 27, 1963.
John Jelen was born June 24, 1884, at Opportunity, Nebraska, in Holt
County where his parents had homesteaded. From there they moved to
Jelen, Nebraska. Years later, he began farming for himself three
miles west of Jelen and his widowed mother lived with him for
several years. John and his sister Anna homesteaded in Wyoming for
several years. Later, he again farmed at Jelen, then retired, and
moved to Verdigre. His last years were spent at Alpine Village
Nursing Home until his death on September 2, 1979.
-Submitted by Marie Mlady and Ann Walton
Pages
284, 285
