THE KOCINA FAMILY HISTORY
Nicholas (Mik u las H.) Kocina and Anna Tikalsky Kocina came from
borderline Germany and Czechoslovakia in about 1873, bringing one
infant son, John. It took seventeen weeks to come to America on a
sailing vessel and upon their arrival they located in Chicago.
Nicholas worked at Armour-Fowler Packing House in Chicago where they
lived on Archer Avenue and Halstead, now an area of railroad tracks.
Two sons, Charlie and Joe, were born in Chicago.
After settling south of Verdigre at a site known as the Dietrich (Dittrick)
farm, daughter Tillie and son Ed were born. Later they moved to a
farm in Union Township about seventeen miles northeast of Verdigre
where they lived for several years.
Nicholas regularly attended mass at Verdigre, driving a team of
horses to get there.
About 1909, with W. A. Strain as the auctioneer, they sold their
farm possessions and retired to Verdigre where they lived in the
home now occupied by Sylvia Vecera.
John’s family - John Kocina married Mary Vakoc and they lived
northwest of Winnetoon where they had six boys: Joe, Raymond, James,
John, William, and George. Joe married Mary Schafer and they have
two children, Merthelene (Mrs. Neal Ollinger) of Omaha, and Kevin
whose wife, Mary, is from O’Neill. Ray Kocina married Ann
Rothenberger and their daughter Margaret married Tom Muldoon. James
married Rena Smith. They had three children, Gordon James died in
infancy. Flora Jean married Lawrence Matherne and they presently
reside in Maryville, Missouri; Neal, the third child, married Sue
Chavez and they live in Atlanta, Georgia. John’s wife Mary is from
Wahoo, Nebraska. William married Helen Franek and they have two
children, Marlene and Wayne. George and his wife Mary have four
children: Janet, David, JoAnn, and Donald.
Charles’ family - Charles Kocina married Mary Jedlicka. They lived
and farmed 1 ½ miles southeast of Verdigre where they raised their
family of three: Mamie, Charlie, Jr., and Emil. Mamie married Joe A.
Holan and they had a son, Felix, who lives with his wife Florence
and family near Verdigre. Charles, Jr., married Margaret Stoural and
they had three children, namely Bobby, Dean, and Mavis. Emil married
Lillian Horinek and they had three children: Rita (Mrs. Harold
Hildreth), Don, who married Lois Belka, and Jerome.
Joe’s family - Joseph F. Kocina married Antonia Kolar. They lived
twelve miles northeast of Verdigre in Sparta Township. They later
lived six miles south of Verdigre or one mile north of Winnetoon.
Three sons were born to them: Leonard J., Ben, and Elmer A. Leonard
J. married Edythe honor Hazen of Creighton. They had two daughters: Ardith L (Mrs. Kenneth Nienhuser) of Sidney, Nebraska, has four sons
and three grandchildren; Nepha Z. (Mrs. Ed Franks) of Flagstaff,
Arizona. They have two children: Christopher, who married Jeanette
Wolfe, and Jennifer. Ben married Jean Nettleton. A son, Marvin, was
born to them. Elmer married Ruth Hoferer. After becoming a young
widower, he later married Delores Boelter. They had a son Marlin.
The Elmer Kocina and Marlin Kocina families reside in Platte Center,
Nebraska.
Tillie’s family - Tillie Kocina married Fred Netherda. They had
several children, some of whom are: Ernest, John, two sets of twins
- first set were Clarence and Clara, second set were Margie and
Margaret. Eleanor, another daughter, was born before the second set
of twins.
Ed’s family - Edward L. .Kocina married Sodonia Kolar, sister of
Antonia Kolar who married Joe Kocina. They farmed in Union Township
and later moved to Niobrara. They had two sons, Duane and Wesley
Wayne. Wesley died shortly after birth and is buried in the
Hillcrest Cemetery north of Verdigre. Duane, now widower and retired
principal, married Eleanor McDonald of the Boston area. They had two
sons, David, now living in Bedford, New Hampshire, and Jeff, living
in Westwood, Massachusetts, with his father.
Pages
196, 197
