Mary Virka

Notes:

(Undated, unreferenced clipping courtesy of Caroline Mastny of Schuyler, Nebraska)

Marie (Virka) Racek Obituary

Marie (Virka) Racek was born on a farm near Morse Bluff on September 7, 1875 and died at her home in North Bend June 14, 1961. She had spent her entire life in this vicinity.

On September 22, 1896 she was married to Frank Racek in Fremont. Six children were born to this union. She was a 62 year member of the ZCBJ Lodge in Morse Bluff. She was a kind and loving mother and leaves a host of friends and will be missed by all.

Survivors are son, Lewis of North Bend; four daughters, Mrs. Tillie Chesley, Mrs. Emma Jensen, Mrs. Clara Best of North Bend; and Mrs. Julia Divis of Schuyler; brother Joe Virka of Morse Bluff; 13 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1931, and a son Frank in 1949.

Funeral services were at the Moser Funeral Home Chapel Friday afternoon with the Rev. Robert E. Favre officiating. Music was by Mr. and Mrs. James Arneal.

Pallbearers were Marvin Chesley, Merle Jensen, Melvin Divis, Gayle Chesley, Eugene Zeleny and Arnold Divis.

Interment was in Killian Cemetery near Morse Bluff.

Attending the services from a distance were Mrs. Frank Racek and daughter, Cheryl of Barnsville, Minn.

Mary married Frank Racek on 22 Sep 1896 in Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska. Frank (son of Vaclav "James" Racek and Veronika Beznoska) was born on 18 Dec 1872 in Morse Bluff, Saunders County, Nebraska; died on 10 May 1932 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Frank Racek was born on 5 Sep 1897 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska; died on 29 Apr 1949.
2. Emma Racek was born on 5 Jan 1899 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska; died on 5 Jan 1977 in Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska.
3. Lewis Racek was born on 19 Aug 1900 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska; died on 11 Nov 1978 in Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska.
4. Julia R. Racek was born on 4 Oct 1903 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska; died on 30 Oct 1988 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska.
5. Tillie Racek was born on 17 Aug 1905 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska; died on 18 Feb 1984 in Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska.
6. Clara Racek was born on 13 Sep 1907 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska; died on 8 Jan 1995 in North Bend, Dodge County, Nebraska.

Notes:

Jan/John Virka/Wirka

1900 Federal Census Nebraska, Saunders County, Morse Bluff, ED 128 #23-24 Virka, John Head W M May 1851 48 M 28 Bohemia Bohemia Bohemia 1869 Farmer Virka, ??oly WIfe W F Sep 1855 45 M 28 6/6 Bohemia Bohemia Bohemia 1869 31 Virka, Frank Son W M May 1880 20 S Bohemia Bohemia Bohemia Farm Laborer Virka, Annie Dtr W F May 1886 15 S Nebraska Bohemia Bohemia Virka, Emma Dtr W F Feb 1890 10 Nebraska Bohemia Bohemia Virka, Joseph SOn W M Apr 1893 7 Nebraska Bohemia Bohemia Soukup, Mary Mother in Law W F ??? 1819 83 Wd 8/5 Bohemia Boh. Boh. 1869

Jan married Veronika Soukup in Jun 1872 in Braidwood, Will County, Illinois. Veronika (daughter of Antonin Soukup and Marie Buresova) was born on 7 Sep 1855 in Koryta, Plzen-Sever, Plzensk? kraj, Bohemia; died on 3 Jan 1938 in Morse Bluff, Saunders County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Petr Zakovec instead shows that she, and her twin sister Katerina, was born on 7 Sept 1855.

(Medical):Intestional Nephritis

Notes:

Married:
Veronika Soukup married John Virka in Braidwood, June 1872.

Notes:

Petr Zakovec emailed, in December 2014, that he had found the wedding record of Anton and Mary, and that Antonin was a "blacksmith journeyman from Plasy no.15, son of Josef Soukup, shoemaker from Plasy no.15 and Teresie, born Hyke?ov?, from Babiny no. 19"

Anton Soukup and family can first be found in Braidwood, Illinois, later moving to Nebraska to homestead.

"Most of the Czechs in this vicinity (Saunders County, Nebraska) were obliged to go elsewhere to earn a living. Many originally came (in this country) from around Braidwood, Illinois, where they had worked in mines. So back there they went for the winter season, or to Omaha (and in either case they went to Omaha afoot), leaving their wives to take care of the children and homesteads. Mrs. Frank Hines (living at date of writing) remembers when her husband left for Braidwood and two weeks later their son Frank was born. There was no alternative, they had to live."

Source: As noted at http://www.rootsweb.com/~neethnic/czechs/cz-pg97a.html

When Anton's son, Frank died in in 1933, the informant for the death certificate (Harry Soukup, a grandson of Anton) erroneously stated that Frank's father was also named Frank Soukup.

CZECH NATIONAL CEMETERY (also known as Killian Cemetery) located in Bohemian township in the NE 1/4 SW 1/4 of Sec 23 Township 17, Range 5E of Saunders County, Nebraska.

Recorded on April 12, 1977 and completed on April 15, 1977 by Clarabelle Mares 1722 E 19 Fremont, Nebraska and assisted by Kathrine Petersen. Cemetery in very good condition. Working from front to back in rows.

Marie Soukup 1813 - 1885
Antonin Soukup 1814 - 1898

It appears, however, that a widowed 83 year old Mary Soukup was listed in the household of her daughter and son-in-law, the VIRKA's, at the time of the 1900 census, so her date of death must have actually been shortly after that census.

(Research):
Census Listings:

1870 Federal Census
Illinois, Will County, Reed Township,
Braidwood Post office (page 57)
#392-227
Sycopp, Antoin 50 M W C. Miner Bohemia
Sycopp Mary 44 F W Bohemia
Sycopp Frank 18 M W Coal Miner Bohemia
Sycopp Antoine 22 MW " Bohemia
Sycopp Fannie 9 F W At home Bohemia

It appears that most of the inhabitants of Braidwood were coal miners. Although there were many miners from the east coast of the United States, most of them were immigrants, predominately from Ireland, Wales, Germany, Belgium and Bohemia.


From the Familysearch 1880 United States Census and National Index. This MAY be the listing for the same couple, but there are some differences that would need to be accounted for.

Census Place:Douglas, Saunders, Nebraska Source:FHL Film 1254756 National Archives Film T9-0756 Page 37 RelationSexMarrRaceAgeBirthplace
Anton Saml. SOCOOP Self M M W 75 BOHEMIA Occ:Too Old To Work Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA
Rosy SOCOOP Wife F M W 72 BOHEMIA Occ:Too Old To Work Fa: BOHEMIAMo: BOHEMIA

Notice the dramatic change in age between 1870 and 1880. It appears that the ages listed in 1870 may have been off, as the 1880 ages more closely match their years of birth according to their tombstones.

(Medical):Y DNA Results, FTDNA Haplogroup:

R1b1

A direct male descendant volunteered to have his DNA tested
. The results can be found at www.ysearch.org, under the user ID #J7DYD. The FamilyTreeDNA Kit number is 69508.

The members of R1b are believed to be the descendants of the first modern humans who entered Europe about 35,000-40,000 years ago. Those R1b forebearers were the people who painted the beautiful art in the caves in Spain and France. They were the contemporaries (and perhaps exterminators) of the European Neanderthals. R1b is the most common Y haplogroup in Europe - more than half of men of European descent belong to R1b. Fourteen of the 30 most common haplotypes in the YSTR.org database are typical of R1b.

Antonin married Marie Buresova on 21 Nov 1848 in Koryta, Plzen-Sever, Plzensk? kraj, Bohemia. Marie was born on 9 Jul 1815 in Sedlec, Plzen-Sever, Plzensk? kraj, Bohemia; died after 1900 in Saunders County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Petr Zakovec emailed, in December 2014, that he had found the wedding record of Anton and Mary, and that the bride, Marie was the "widow of departed Matej ??kovec, blacksmith from Koryta no. 13, daughter of Martin Bure?, farmer from Sedlec no. 12, and Johanna, born Hausner, from Robcice no. 5"

The 1870 Will County, Illinois census shows Anton Sycopp (Soukup) as married to a Mary, six years younger than him, born circa 1826.

The FamilySearch transcription of the 1880 census for Saunders County, Nebraska, shows an Anton Soocop (Soukup) married to a Rosy. If this is the same couple, not only is the first name of the wife listed differently, but both couples have reported ages considerably higher than the ten years you would expect based on the ages on the 1870 census. Rosy is listed as being age 72, born circa 1808. According to her tombstone, Marie was born ca 1814, and didn't die until 1898. This MAY be a different couple.

Nancy Soukup's genealogical chart shows that Marie's maiden name was unknown, however, and that she was first married to a Mr. Zakovec, having two children with him: John Zakovec and Anna Zakovec Hines. Nancy further indicated that Marie's maiden name *might* have been Bures. Additionally, Ken Chromy shows on his Gedcom that the parents of Anton Soukup, Jr. were Anton Soukup, Sr. and Mary Buresh. Neither Nancy or Ken cite a source for this information. It appears that it could be from the death certificate of Anton Soukup, Jr. This shows that he was the son of Anton Soukup and Marie Buresova. The informant for this certificate was Rosarie Soukup, presumably Anton Jr.'s wife, Rosalie Datel Soukup. It is highly probable that she knew her mother-in-law, or at least knew her maiden name. Therefore it seems reasonable to accept that Anton's wife was Marie Bures. Additionally, the death certificate for Marie's daughter by her first marriage, Anna Zakovec Hines, shows that her parents were Maria Bures and Mathew Zakovec. The informant on that death certificated, filed in 1934, was Mrs. John Hines, a daughter in law of Anna's.

It is also noted that on the 1880 Saunders County, NE census, HH 127-127 was that of Barbara BURES and her husband, Vaclas Chlup (transcribed as Kloop), HH 128-128 Frank and Ann Soukup (transcribed as Socoop), HH 129-129 Anton and Rosy Soukup (Socoop), and HH 130-130 Anton (age 75) Soukup (Socoop) and Rosy (age 72, or Marie BURES Soukup)? Both the Chlup and the Soukup were in Bohemia, then Will County, IL, then Saunders County, NE, and finally, Fillmore County, NE.

In his submission to the LDS Ancestral File, Howard Knapp Parker instead shows the parents of Frank M. Soukup (born 4 July 1852) as Mary Zakovec and Frank Soukup of Korytech, Plzen, Bohemia. To further complicate matters, when Frank died in in 1933, the informant for his death certificate stated that he was the son of Frank Soukup and Barbara Hines. The informant for Frank's death certificate was Harry Soukup, his son. Harry's grandparents appear to have died before he was born, so perhaps he had only garbled recollections of their names.

When Veronica Wirka, the younger sister of Anton and Frank, died in 1938, only the last name of her father, Soukup, was reported. Her mother's name was left entirely blank. The informant for this certificate was Mrs. ?.L. Hines of Morse Bluff. Her relationship to Veronica is unknown.

Nancy Soukup of Davey, Nebraska obtained her information about Anton and Marie Soukup from their tombstones at the Killian Cemetery. Killian Cemetery is in Saunders County, just a couple miles west of Morse Bluff. An index to Nebraska's cemeteries is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~necemete/; and #8 is Killian Hill, or the Czech National Cemetery. Many members of the Zakovec, Hines, and Virka families are all buried there.

(Research):At the time of the 1900 census, Mary was living with daughter and son-in-law, Veronika & John Virka, and listed as a widow, age 83, and the mother of 8 children, five of whom were living. Her year of birth was listed as 1819, with the month of birth being shown as unknown.

Notes:

Married:
Marriage information courtesy of Petr Zakovec.

http://www.portafontium.cz/iipimage/30067054/plana-ps-20_1930-o?x=68&y=5&w=708&h=319

"Wedding Date : 21st November 1848

Groom: Soukup Anton?n, blacksmith journeyman from Plasy no.15, son of Josef Soukup, shoemaker from Plasy no.15 and Teresie, born Hyke?ov?, from Babiny no. 19

Bride : Marie, widow of departed Matej ??kovec, blacksmith from Koryta no. 13, daughter of Martin Bure?, farmer from Sedlec no. 12, and Johanna, born Hausner, from Robcice no. 5"