JOSEPH AND MARIE [ROZA] SEDIVY
Joseph Sedivy was born at Nymburk, Boleslav, Bohemia, on November
28, 1825. On November 26, 1855, he married Marie Roza. The couple
had two children, Christina and Joseph P. before immigrating to the
United States. Following their arrival in Chicago on October 31,
1865, they spent four years in that city which had a growing
population of Czech immigrants. From October 23, 1868, to October 1,
1869, Joseph Sedivy operated a grocery store and he had other
business interests.
In 1869 under the auspices of the Ceska Osada (which however,
furnished no money for the enterprise), the Sedivy family, now
including sons Ben and daughters Frederika and Anna, journeyed by
railroad to Sioux City. Leaving his family there, Sedivy and several
others crossed the prairie with a team of oxen and went to Niobrara,
county seat of L’Eau Qui Court County. The rest of the family later
went to Yankton and thence to the north bank of the Missouri, which
they crossed when the river was frozen over. Then, despite the fact
that it was December, Sedivy chose his land, which was in the
southernmost tier of sections in Niobrara Township. Here he put up
the framework of a house.
In Nebraska the Sedivys had four more sons to complete their family.
Its members included Christina, Joseph P., Frederika, Ben, Anna,
John, Charles, George, and Paul.
Christina was born in 1855 and died May 15, 1913. She was married
first to Frank Pavlik and then was widowed. She then married Thomas
Belsky.
Joseph P. was born October 28, 1856, and died of glandular
tuberculosis on December 13, 1918. On July 18, 1880, he married
Marie Jecminek. There were two children, Premysl and Lydia Micanek.
Frederika was born March 24, 1864, and died August 11, 1897. On May
18, 1887, she married Albert Jecminek, Jr.
Ben was born December 30, 1865, and died September 25, 1957.
Anna (Birch) was born in Chicago between 1866 and 1869 and died
about November 17, 1951. She was survived by ten children.
John was born Mary 5, 1870, and died July 8, 1945. In 1894 he
married Amelia Nikl. There were six children: Edwin, Felix, August,
John, Tillie (Mrs. B. C. Kroupa) and Evelyn (Mrs. Art Steele).
Charles W. was born August 12, 1875, and died January 25, 1954. He
was survived by his son Charles and his daughter Marie Rosborough.
George was born May 28, 1877, and died March 30, 1963. George
married Sophie Haspe. The children who survived him were Mrs. Robert
Brown, Mrs. Frank J. Miller, Mrs. Bernard C. Datch, George, Jr., and
John.
No dates are available for Paul, who married a daughter of Vincent
Jilek, first operator of the Steele Creek Mill, except that he was
alive in 1963.
Joseph Sedivy, having conquered the land, acquired property. In 1890
thoughts of retirement and better land and climate prompted him to
go to Virginia with his family, including son-in-law Albert Jecminek.
Joseph Sedivy died there on March 12, 1912, and was buried at
Marmora, Virginia, as was his wife. George, Charles, and Paul
remained in Virginia the rest of their lives, as did Paul’s
father-in-law Vincent Jilek. Ben not only returned, he brought a
wife back with him.
Pages
391, 392
