Living

Leo married Helen Bernasek on 6 Oct 1945 in Alliance, Box Butte County, Nebraska. Helen (daughter of Cyril Methodias Bernasek and Helen Votipka) was born on 28 May 1922 in Ohiowa, Fillmore County, Nebraska; died on 20 Jul 2011 in Scottsbluff, Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was married to Leo RYCHECKY and later Telmar ROLFSTAD, both now deceased. Helen lives in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. (Milligan, 1988-2008, p. 112).

Obituary
Helen Rychecky Rolfstad

Helen Rychecky Rolfstad, 89, of Scottsbluff, died Wednesday, July 20, 2011, at Heritage Estates in Gering.

Her memorial service will be held 10 a.m. Monday, July 25, 2011, at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel in Scottsbluff with Pastor Ron Nuss-Warren officiating. Interment will be in the Fairview Cemetery in Scottsbluff.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.

Helen was born on a family farm near the Town of Ohiowa, Nebr. on Sunday, May 28, 1922, to Cyril M. and Helen V. Bernasek. Helen was the youngest of three daughters. She was baptized at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Milligan. When Helen was three years old the family moved to their farm on the Geneva route in Chelsea Township. Helen attended Chelsea School, district 32, through the eighth grade and attended Sunday school and church at the Chelsea United Bretheran Church.

Helen graduated from Geneva High School in 1939, and took Normal training to prepare her for a teaching career. In the fall of 1939 she began teaching in a rural school. After a few years she enrolled in Teachers College the University of Nebraska from which she received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She became a member of the Phi Lambda Theta, a teachers' honorary society.

When she was 17, Helen met her future husband, Leo Rychecky, at a dance she attended in Saline Center. They were married October 6, 1945, in Alliance, Nebr., where Helen was teaching in the Alliance Public Schools. They couple moved to Leo's home area of Wilber, Nebr., and it was here that a son Jack was born in 1949.

In 1951 the family moved to Scottsbluff where Leo continued his auctioneering and real estate business, and Helen went back to teaching. She found every day of her career was a joy. Her biography was printed in Who's Who in Education in the early 1990s.

After Leo's death, Helen moved around a bit and made contact with a former beau, Telmar Folfstad, she had met during World War II when he was stationed at the Alliance Air Base. After a separation of 50 years the couple married. They lived in Willston, N. Dak.

After Telmar's death, Helen decided to move back to Scottsbluff to be closer to family and friends. She rejoined the First Presbyterian Church of which she had been a member many years before. She was a member of the Woman's Circle, an Elder, a Deacon, A Sunday School teacher, and a church librarian.

During her life Helen traveled throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Africa. She was a fabulous baker and made the best Czech kolache this side of heaven.

Survivors are loving son, Jack Rychecky and his caring wife Ann of Littleton, Colo., grandchildren and their spouses, Jill (Wes) Schrader of Littleton, Colo., Thom (Natalie) Rychecky of Edmond, Okla., Helen (Whitney) Hite of Madison, Wisc., and LTJG Per Rychecky of Whidbey Island Navel Air Station, Wash., great granddaughter Lena Rose Rychecky of Edmond, step children, Tom (Dana) Rolfstad of Williston, N. Dak., Dorothy Rolfstad of Mandan, N. Dak., and John Rolfstad of Seattle, Wash; step grandchildren T.C. (Kelci) Rolfstad of Portland, Ore. and Anne Rolfstad of Mandan, N. Dak.; and her extended family and special cousins and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Leo Rychecky (1988) and Telmar Rolfstad (1999); sisters and their spouses Elsie (Bill) Dungan and Lillian (Bill) Davis

Notes:

CYRIL M BERNASEK 22 Feb 1890 08 Nov 1993 68361 (Geneva, Fillmore, NE) (none specified) 505-44-9176 Nebraska

(Research):

Census Listings:

1920 Census
Nebraska, Fillmore County, Chelsea Twp
Enumerated 23 Jan 1920
SD 4 ED 23 Sheet 5B
103-103
Bernasek, Cyril M Hd M W 29 M Neb Bohemia/Bohemian Bohemia/Bohemian Farmer
Bernasek, Helen Wf F W 25 M Nebraska Bohemia/Bohemian Bohemia/Bohemian
Bernasek, Elsie Elizabeth Dtr F W 2 7/12 S Neb Neb Neb
Bernasek, Lillian A. Dtr F W 6/12 S Neb Neb Neb

Cyril married Helen Votipka on 23 Feb 1916 in Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. Helen was born on 30 Jun 1894 in Fairmont, Fillmore County, Nebraska; died on 2 Oct 1953 in Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Their daughters were Elsie Dungan, Lillian Davis and Helen Ryschecky. (Milligan, p 200)

Notes:

Cyril was only ten years old when he came to America with his parents. He should have automatically become a citizen when his father was naturalized. Fearing he might be deported back to Bohemia at the outbreak of the First World War, he filed a declaration of intent to become a U.S. Citizen in Fillmore County on 24 July 1919. He was sworn in as a citizen on 4 October 1921, with Charles Smrha of Milligan and James Delaney of Exeter as witnesses. (Milligan, pp 199 - 200).

Cyril married Marie Andelova on 16 May 1889 in Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska. Marie (daughter of Vaclav Andel and Marie Ziskova) was born on 23 Aug 1869 in Hlinci, Plzen, Bohemia; died on 12 May 1922 in Fillmore County, Nebraska; was buried on 14 May 1922 in Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She came to America on June 9, 1888, stopping first in Chicago. She was a well read woman, giving readings from Bohemian literature. (Milligan, p 199). She had a brother named Tom Andel, and several half siblings, John, Josefa, Jim and Frank Fujan and Mary Kaderabek. Her half-sister, Josefa, married her brother-in-law, Frank Bernasek. (Milligan, p 201). The name of her parents, as reported on her marriage license, were Jim Urbanek and Mary Zekes. Robert Nohavec instead shows them as Vaclav ANDEL and Marie ZISKOVA. The supplementary Milligan History book, 1988-2008, lists them as Vaclav Andel and Marie Ziska.

During World War I, ladies in the Milligan area knit warm clothing for the soldier boys through the Red Cross. Marie was a champion knitter. She received letters from soldiers stationed at Fort Omaha thanking her for the socks. They had found her name in the socks. (Milligan, p 200)

Marie took her life on May 12, 1922, at the age of 52 years. (Milligan, p 200)

Notes:

Married:
They were married at the Courthouse in Geneva by the county judge. Witnesses were J.L Honchin and J.J. Dempster. The Fillmore Weekly Chronicle newspaper described the couple as lavishly decorated with roses and pink ribbons, closely followed by an elderly pair. They made their home in Glengary and Chelsea Townships. (Milligan, pp 199 - 200)