JOSEPH A.. AND BESSIE [SKOKAN] SUKUP
Joe A. Sukup was born April 28, 1880, the first child of Andrew and
Mary (Sedivy) Sukup, on the farm his father homesteaded in 1874. In
1903 he moved to a farm purchased by his father in Logan Township,
known as the Cottonwood Grove Farm. On April 18, 1904, he married
Bessie Skokan, daughter of Frank and Anna (Safarik) Skokan of
Niobrara.
[pg 413 photo Joseph A. and Bessie Sukup]
Joe and Bessie lived all of their married lives on this farm,
building many of their buildings from their own cottonwood lumber.
Joe, like his father, was the neighborhood blacksmith and Bessie was
the community midwife. Joe owned and operated the threshing machine,
spending many years doing the neighborhood threshing. This was
passed on to his son, Leo, who continued to do threshing until the
combines took over in the 1950s. During the 1930s and the depression
years, they grew sorghum cane which they hauled down to be made into
sorghum to sell. Neighbors came from near and far, bringing their
cane to be made into sorghum. This was done for a small fee or on
shares. Joe and Bessie were the parents of six children. Edward
married Alice Buerkley and their children are Phyllis, Duane, and
Stanley. Elmer married Elsie Zila and they are the parents of Betty
and Jim. Elsie and Joe Svoboda had one daughter, Lois. Henry and Ima
Marcom are the parents of Floyd and Sharon. Leo married Elinor Block
and their children are Karen and Lyle. Eva married Donald Maude and
their children are Donna Faye, Dean, Joan, Diana, and Jeanne.
Joe passed away January 1, 1944, at the age of 63. Bessie continued
to live on the farm making her home with her son Elmer until her
death on October 4, 1960, at the age of 75.
Pages
413, 414
