Living

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Henry attended the University of New Hampshire Engineering school, and worked as a Nuclear Engineer in Portsmouth for 15 years, later transferring to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California. (Milligan, p 207). They retired to Spring Hill, Florida and enjoyed cruising their boat on the Gulf and many waterways of Florida. In 2005, they sold their Florida home and moved to Milligan. (Milligan, 1988-2008, p 116).

Obituary

Funeral services for Hank will be held on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at the Farmer & Son Funeral Home-Kotas Chapel in Milligan, Nebraska. Kim Dunker will officiate the service. Graveside services will follow the funeral in the Bohemian National Cemetery.
Visitation will begin on Monday from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Kotas Chapel in Milligan. Memorials are directed to the family.

Henry Ramsdell Bigelow, of Milligan, Nebraska, passed away on October 26, 2012 at the Beatrice Community Hospital. He was 78 years old. He was born on July 23, 1934 in Bourne, Massachusetts to Victor Bigelow and Bernice Ramsdell Bigelow. He was baptized in the Baptist Church in Quincy, Massachusetts. After graduating from Dover High School in New Hampshire, he attended the University of New Hampshire, graduating with a degree in Nuclear Engineering. He served in the United States Air Force from 1952 - 1956.

While stationed in Lincoln, he met the love of his life, as well as the wind beneath his wings, Roma Buzek. He whisked her away to New Hampshire where he introduced her to his loving family, and of course, his love for seafood. Together, they wed and had four children: Julie, Laura, Beth, and Mark. He moved the family west in 1969 to the beautiful Napa Valley where they built a new home on the Napa River, equipped with a dock in the back yard where he proudly displayed his love of boating with a 31 foot Silverton dubbed "The Prowler." He enjoyed fishing, good friends, and he often stated, "Life was a party in those days."

Henry was a highly intelligent man. He often spent many nights after supper quizzing his children on spelling, math, science, and miscellaneous other topics, with the winners of the quizzes receiving ice cream at Foster Freeze.

Henry retired in 1989, and he and Roma moved to Florida where they bough a dream home and their dream boat, which they named "Abracadabra." They spent their time with good friends at the Hernando Beach Yacht Club, where Henry was very active, holding many Commanding Offices.
Henry also had a great love of woodworking, where he made all of his family many beautiful cherished heirlooms and was tenacious about completing these projects.

They came home to Milligan in 2005, to spend the remaining years of his life with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He enjoyed again the quiz games, as well as various sporting and other activities his family participated in.

Henry was preceded in death by his parents Victor & Bernice, and adored sister Joyce Kemp.
He is survived by his wife Roma; daughters and son-in-law Julie Pimentel, Laura & Dean Kassik, Beth Dunlap; son and daughter-in-law Mark & Becky Bigelow; 14 grandchildren, 10 great-great grandchildren; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Merle & Betty Buzek and Kathy & Dick Rischling; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins

(Courtesy of Dennis Belohlavy)

Henry married Roma Beth Buzek. Roma (daughter of Miloslav "Milo" Edward Buzek and Mildred Hines) was born on 6 Jul 1936 in Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska; died on 6 Jul 1936 in Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

A graduate of Milligan High School and of the Lincoln School of Commerce. She worked at the Lincoln County Assessor's office, and after moving to California she became the personnel manager of Sawyer of Napa, a sheepskin tannery and shearling coat manufacturer. (Milligan, p 207). After moving to Milligan in 2005 Roma became a board member of the Milligan Public Library and the Milligan High School Alumni Association. (Milligan, 1988-2008, p 236).

Obituary for Roma Beth Bigelow

Funeral services for Roma will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Milligan Auditorium in Milligan, Nebraska, with Chaplain Shari Lagemann officiating. Burial will follow the funeral service at the Bohemian National Cemetery, Milligan, Nebraska.

Public visitation will begin Friday from 1 pm until 8 pm at the Farmer & Son Funeral Home - Kotas Chapel in Milligan. Memorials are directed to the Milligan Auditorium.

Roma Beth Bigelow, of Milligan, Nebraska passed away on March 2, 2016 at the Friend Manor at the age of 79 years 7 months and 27 days. She was born on July 6, 1936 in Geneva, Nebraska to Mildred H. (Hines) Buzek and Milo E. Buzek. She was a member of the Methodist Church.
Roma spent her childhood on a farm in Tobias, surrounded by her loving parents, siblings, cousins and many aunts and uncles. They were a very close family, and spent a lot of their time together at many family gatherings. She graduated from Milligan High in Nebraska and attended the Lincoln School of Commerce.

It was in Lincoln where she met the love of her life, and very strong willed husband, Henry "Hank" Bigelow. Together they wed, and Roma relocated to New Hampshire, Henry's hometown, at the age of 19. This was a daunting task for Roma as she had never been out of the state of Nebraska. To this union, four children were born; Julie, Laura, Beth and Mark. Roma adapted quite well and enjoyed the new experiences of seafood, winding roads and the woods of New England. In 1969 the family headed west, relocating to Napa Valley, California where Roma settled in her new home in the River Park Estates. Although Roma never learned to swim, she now lived on the Napa River, complete with a 31-foot boat and dock in her backyard. Once again, Roma graciously took full advantage of yet another new experience, embracing the valley and all the excitement the wine country offered in the 1970's and 80's. Roma loved to cook?she taught herself how to make gourmet meals and loved to be in charge of catering many meals for the yacht club and marinas. Roma also became an accomplished first mate and fisherman; usually very lucking in landing the largest and heaviest salmon, grouper, or whatever was the catch of the day, much to her husbands chagrin. During this period in the Napa Valley she also worked as a Personnel Manager for Sawyer Tanning of Napa as well as Ray Burlison Real Estate.

After retiring in 1989, she and Hank moved to Florida where they purchased their dream home and dreamboat, which then named "Abracadabra". They spent their time with their good friends at the Hernando Beach Yacht Club where Roma prepared countless feasts for their many parties and functions.

Roma also was an accomplished seamstress, in her younger years, sewing most of the families clothing, as well as upholstering many boat cushions, etc. She loved to do crafts and helped paint and stain her husbands many woodworking projects.

Hank and Roma returned to Milligan in 2005 to spend their remaining years with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her many relatives in the area. Roma was actively involved in volunteering at the library and the WWII plane crash memorial established on the north corner of Milligan. While retired in Milligan, Roma suffered from a stroke, which greatly reduced her ability to be as active as she wished, however, she continued to move ahead and take care of her husband and family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mildred and Milo, husband, Henry, and sister-in-laws; Betty Buzek and Joyce Kemp.

She is survived by daughters, son, spouses: Julie Pimentel, Laura (Dean) Kassik, Beth Dunlap, Mark (Becky) Bigelow; sister, brother and spouse; Merle Buzek, Kathy (Dick) Rischling: 14 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.

(Courtesy of Dennis Belohlavy, copied from Farmer and Sons website)

Notes:

Milo attended rural school District #85 in Saline County, and was one of three children in his family that graduated from High School. He briefly attended the University of Nebraska, but an appendix operation curtailed his education and he returned to Milligan. He worked as a meat cutter and later operated a grocery store. In 1942, he and Mildred moved to a farm sound to Milligan. Later they moved to Lincoln, where Milo worked at Cushman Motors and Mildred worked at the University. The family lived in Lincoln until 1969, when they went back to the farm he loved. Milo passed away at his home of a heart attack, and is buried in the Bohemian National Cemetery. (Milligan, p 228).

(Research):

Census Listings:

Nebraska, Fillmore County, Glengary Twp
Enumerated 14 Apr 1930
ED 30-17 SD 11 Sheet 6A Stamped 102
120-121
Buzek, Milo Head M WE 25 M 23 Neb Czech Czech
Buzek, Mildred Wife F W 23 M 21 Neb Neb Czech
Buzek, Merle D Son M W 10/12 S Neb Czech Czech

Miloslav married Mildred Hines on 28 May 1928. Mildred (daughter of Joseph E. Hines and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Racek) was born on 7 Apr 1907 in Saunders County, Nebraska; died on 26 Feb 1997 in Friend, Saline County, Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buzek - Mildred H., 89, Milligan, died Wednesday (2/26/97) in Friend. Born, Morse Bluff. Survivors: son, Merle D., Milligan; daughters, Roma B. Bigelow, Kathryn A. Rischling, both Milligan; sister, Julia Kuska, Exeter; nine grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren.
Services: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Farmer & Son Funeral Home, Kotas Chapel, Milligan. Bohemian National Cemetery, Milligan. Visitation: begins 1 p.m. today, funeral home, Milligan. Memorials in lieu of flowers in care of family.

(Courtesy of Dennis Belohlavy, Lincoln Journal Star archives)