DR. FRANK AND MRS. CLARA [STOURAL] KUCERA
Dr. Frank H. Kucera was born in Pisek, Czechoslovakia, December 3,
1879, and, at the age of three years, came with his parents, Frank
V. and Josephine Slapak Kucera, to the farming community near
Milligan, Nebraska. (The obituary of his father, Frank Kucera,
states, however, that the family came to the United States and to
Fillmore County in 1876.)
He graduated from Milligan High School and at the age of 17 taught
the home rural school, then attended Fremont (Nebraska) Normal
School and Creighton (Omaha) University where he graduated with
honors from medical school in 1904. He was also a prominent figure
in athletic circles. He did his internship at St. Joseph’s Hospital,
Omaha, and from there went to New Prague, Minnesota, to practice his
chosen profession.
Dr. Kucera’s obituary states that on March 17, 1907, enroute to
Tabor, South Dakota, to consider setting up practice, he got off the
train in Verdigre to see the town and never left. However, the
Citizen of July 27, 1905, states that the Citizen had received a
letter from Dr. Frank Kutchera (sic) announcing his intention of
locating in Verdigre. Then the Verdigre Progress of May 17, 1906,
reported that Drs. Kucera and Bates had performed an operation on a
Miss Chladek to remove a large tumor on the jaw. This same newspaper
carried an advertisement for Dr. F. H. Kucera.
Dr. Kucera built an extensive practice over a quarter century being
one of the eminent physicians and surgeons in this territory. Over
the years he also served as mayor, president of the Commercial Club,
and member of the
[pg 310 PHOTO Dr. and Mrs. Frank [Clara Stoural] Kucera]
Volunteer Fire Department. He was a member of the Knights of
Columbus, ZCBJ, and wore an Elk’s tooth.
On September 10, 1912, Dr. Kucera was united in marriage to Miss
Clara Madeline Stoural of Verdigre, daughter of Tom and Antonia
Divis Stoural, a long-established family in the community. The
marriage took place at St. Wenceslaus Church with Father Petlach
celebrating a high mass. The attendants were Stella Kucera, sister
of the groom as bridesmaid, and George Stoural, brother of the bride
as groomsman. It is interesting that following a big dinner at the
Tom Stoural farm home serving all family members and many invited
guests, a charivari party accompanied by the Verdigre military Band
surprised the couple in the traditional manner. This band was widely
acclaimed and oldtimers today have pleasant memories of listening to
their music, whatever the occasion might have been.
Clara Madeline Stoural, daughter of Thomas and Antonia Divis Stoural,
was born on the homestead place four miles southeast of Verdigre on
November 9, 1888. She attended the rural school which building is
now located in the Verdigre athletic field area where it is a
historic symbol of rural education. She was later employed as a
telephone operator and also was the organist for St. Wenceslaus
church services. Other members of her Stoural family were brothers,
Emon, George, Tom, and Frank, and sisters, Minnie and Martha.
To this union were born four boys, Frank, Fred, Tom, and Clarence.
Frank of Mission Hills, California, with his wife, Evelyn, have two
sons, Douglas and Dennis; Fred of Kent, Ohio, and his wife Deloris
have four children, Kathie, Fred, Bob, and Jim; Tom and wife Frances
of Lincoln, Nebraska, have three sons, David, Richard, and Paul; and
Clarence (now deceased) and wife Evelyn of Verdigre have five
children, Kathy, Charles, Ken, Betty, and Barbara. The World War II
branch of service and chief life-time employment, respectively, of
the four Kucera sons were: Frank - Navy, Pacific Theater and Los
Angeles Electric Utility Inspector: Tom - Navy, and master plumber
in Lincoln; Clarence - Paton’s tank battalion and Verdigre farmer;
Fred - Air Force, and Kent State University (Ohio) Econ. Professor.
Some events that stand out in the writer’s mind are Mother
crocheting and sewing quilts which she sold for a few dollars,
earning her social security benefits; our dad often being paid in
kind such as the time he came home with about 30 watermelons in and
on his car; the times he loaded neighborhood kids in and on his
four-door , open-sided Buick for a journey to the swimming hole near
the old mill and sometimes an eat-fest on the sandy shore line; our
mother’s care and enjoyment with Grandpa and Grandma Stoural who
lived next door; or the times when dad let them take their friends
into his office to see the skeleton he had in a closet in exchange
for a kolach or exchanging Mother’s kolaches with a neighbor, Mike
Yount, for some of his aggies; seeing Mother’s enjoyment and
contentment in living out the winter season at Clarence and Evelyn’s
farm and watching her grandchildren grow up; our dad getting phone
calls in the middle of the night to go see patients and wondering
why he never though t of gumbo “alps” that first day he got off the
train in Verdigre; the true stories that were told of the 1918 flu
epidemic and how Dad might go days at a time without taking off his
boots in an effort to fight the scourge that broke the health of
many people; dad’s brick office building (new in 1912 and now the
town’s museum- especially due to the leadership of Ed and Eldiva
Pavlik) but which also meant someone had to carry coal and ashes;
and Mother’s visits with friends and relatives on her screened in
porch while listening to polka music carried into the valley from
dance bands at the hillside pavilion.
The life of a small-town doctor always on call was never easy. Then,
as a result of the economic downturn starting in 1929 which affected
both business and agriculture, Dr. Kucera lost income, his farm,
their assets, but not his daily work. Many businesses closed and a
number of farmers moved away, but Dr. Kucera’s roots were here, and
given sufficient time, he really believed conditions were bound to
improve.
Dr. Kucera died suddenly of heart failure on October 25, 1932. He
had been seriously ill a couple of times in the 1920s (it was said
he worked so exhaustingly during the flu epidemic that his own
health was impaired) but for the last three or four years was
apparently in good health. Another doctor in town had brought
needed, welcome relief. His death came at the age of 52. Besides his
immediate family, he left to mourn his parents, brothers John and
Fred; sisters Katherine Mary Stejskal and Stella Bedlam. The Rev.
Charles Oborny was in charge of the services at the home, the
church, and the cemetery.
Mrs. Clara Kucera passed away at the home of her son, Clarence, on
November 21, 1971, at the age of 83 years. She was preceded in death
by her husband, her parents, one brother, and one sister. She was
survived by her four sons, her brothers Emon, George, and Tom, and
sister Martha Drobny. Funeral services were held at St. Wenceslaus
Church with the Very Rev. Charles J. Oborny offering requiem mass
and interment at the St. Wenceslaus Cemetery.
Pages
310, 311
