ALBERT STOURAL
Albert (Vojtech) Stoural was born April 24, 1837, at Stare
Prachatice, in Bohemia. (There seems to be some ground for thinking
the name might originally have been Stovall.) He served in the army
as a young man and earned his living as a mason. In the mid-fifties,
he married Madeline Baur (the last name is deciphered from
handwritten documents). One child definitely was born of this
marriage and perhaps two. In 1862 or 1863, probably, he married
Katherine Zahorka (born November 25, 1839), his first wife having
died. Four sons and five or six daughters were born to this couple,
some degree of uncertainty remaining about whether Mary was a
product of the first or the second marriage.
[pg 406 photo Albert and Katharine [Zahorka] Stoural]
In 1871 the Stourals emigrated with their six children, arriving in
the United States, according to obituaries, on December 24, 1871.
They lived in Chicago for about 18 months before moving to what is
now called Knox County. One child, Albert, may have been born in
Chicago, four other children were definitely born in Knox County.
When the Stourals first came, they lived in the one-room cabin of
Joseph Mlady, according to an account written by Mrs. Joseph Kalal.
Soon, however, they had their own homestead. Indeed, Albert Stoural
proved up on a homestead located in Sections 3 and 4 and at the same
time bought 160 acres of public land in Section 15, all in Verdigre
Township.
The eldest son of Albert Stoural was Thomas, born at Stare
Prachatice on December 9, 1857. He died at Verdigre on October 5,
1934. Thomas took a homestead just to the east of his father’s. On
May 25, 1884, he married Antonia Divis; they were the first couple
to be married in the new parish church. Their children were Frank,
Minnie, Clara, Emon, George, Martha, and Thomas.
Mary was born in 1863 and died April 17, 1936. On May 21, 1886, she
married Frank Marchan. There were three daughters, Mrs. Anna
Schofield, Mrs. Mary Wright, and Mrs. Rose Harrsch.
Katherine was born November, 1864, and died August 30, 1939. On July
9, 1881, she married Vac Pavlik. Their children were Charles V.,
Eldiva, Milada, George, and Albert.
Rose Mary (evidently sometimes called Kasia) was born March 13,
1867, and died December 10, 1947. On October 12, 1885, she married
Joseph Holan. Their children were Gertrude, Edward, Paul, Joseph A.,
James C., and Mamie.
Jennie was born in 1869 (she is said to have shared a birthday with
her sister Anna, who was born on May 14) and died May 19, 1929. On
August 30, 1892, she married Frank Jelinek. There were three
children, William, Gertrude, and Felix.
Frank was born December 4, 1871 in Stare Prachatice and died January
1, 1936. Frank was a photographer with a studio located to the east
of Karen’s Café.
Albert J. was born July 12, 1873, in Chicago (perhaps) and died
September 8, 1928. On July 8, 1897, he married Mary Maly. Their
children were Minnie, William, Paul, Adam, and John.
Anna Marie was born May 14, 1875, and died August 26, 1953. On April
29, 1897, she married John Foerster. Four children were born to
them. John, Helen, Adam, and another whose name is not known.
Barbara was born November 9, 1879, and died April 3, 1954. On
February 17, 1899, she married Joseph J. Schmidt.
Felix was born February 6, 1881, and died March 26, 1960. Felix and
his brother John operated the Commercial Hotel in its early years.
At one time he ran a bar in Niobrara. Felix took over the family
farm and after separating from her husband, his sister Barbara
shared this home. Other members of the family came there to die
until even Barbara was gone and there was no one left but Felix.
Albert spoke three languages: German, Bohemian, and English. He was
road boss for Verdigre Township for about 35 years. By 1903 he had
accumulated 640 acres of land. On August 11, 1909, he died. Felix
then took over the family homestead. Katherine lived until March 25,
1919. Not long after she died, a letter, delayed for years by
British censors, came for her from what had been the Bohemian
province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but was now the Republic of
Czechoslovakia.
Pages
406, 407
