Louis Dale "Shorty" Svec

Louis married Rose Becwar. Rose (daughter of Matej "Mike" Becwar, Sr. and Josephine Bech) was born on 11 Nov 1906 in Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska; died on 5 Feb 1999 in Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Svec -- Rose Marie, 92, Milligan, died Friday (2/5/99). Born, Milligan. Survivors: sons, daughter-in-law, Leslie and Cheri, Louis, all Milligan; sister, Val and Winn Knight, Buhl, Ind.; two grandsons; greatgrandson.

Services: 10:30 a.m. Monday, Farmer & Son Funeral Home, Milligan. Burial, Bohemian National Cemetery, Milligan. Visitation: beginning 1 p.m. today, funeral home. Memorials in care of the family.

(Courtesy Dennis Belohlavy, Lincoln Star Journal Archives)

Joe married Anna Schultz about 1903. Anna (daughter of Frank Schultz and Mary Fujan) was born on 11 Jan 1885 in Prague, Saunders County, Nebraska; died on 21 Jan 1921 in Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Shown as Matthew on the 1880 census.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1930 Census
Nebraska, Saline County, Olive Precinct
ED 76-16 SD 11 Sheet 5B
Enumerated April 30, 1930
106-106
Becwar, Mike Hd M W 57 M 24 Neb Czech Czech Farmer
Becwar, Josephine Wf F W 57 M 24 Ill Czech Czech
Becwar, August Son M W 18 S Neb Neb Ill Farm Laborer
Becwar, Vlasty Dtr F W 14 S Neb Neb Ill

Matej married Josephine Bech on 23 Feb 1897. Josephine (daughter of Johann "Jan" Bech and Anna Kotas) was born on 26 Sep 1870 in Kozojedy, Plzen, Bohemia; died on 24 Jul 1951 in Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian Brethren Cemetery (AKA Cesky Bratri Cemetery), Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The first Milligan History book shows her as born in Kozojedy, Plzen. However, the 1930 census instead shows her place of birth as Illinois. The supplemental Milligan book shows that Josephine was born on 26 Sept 1870 in Kozojedy #74, and notes that this was contradictary to the date of 4 Jun 1873. This book also indicates that she is one of four children born in Bohemia to Johann/Jan BECH and Anna KOTASOVA of Kozojedy. Josephine came with her parents and siblings to Braidwood, Illinois on September 15, 1873. Her parents had three children born in Illinois. The family moved to Nebraska in 1881 and settled first with the Kotas family and then bought a farm in Atlanta Township in Saline County. Jan's feet were frozen during the blizzard of 1888, and died shortly thereafter. Anna went to live with her son Joseph on the farm. Both are buried in the Cesky Brati Cemetery (Milligan, 1988-2008, pp. 107 and 108).

Notes:

Married:
They lived on the farm that had been purchased by Mike's father, Frantisek, in 1871, the SW 1/4 of Section 23 in Liberty Township, Fillmore County. Mike passed this farm on to his son, Michael, Jr. in 1922 and moved to a farm a mile west of Tobias. They later moved to Geneva and finally to Milligan in 1948, where they lived until their deaths. (Milligan, p 195).

Notes:

Vaclav Svec and Marie Suda were early pioneers in Fillmore County. They lived all their married life on the farm which Vaclav homesteaded. The farm, still in the family, is one mile west of Milligan.

Vaclav Svec was born October 16, 1841, to Josef and Barbora Kippova or Kibova Svec in Zichovice, okres Stasecky, Bohemia. When he was 12, his mother died so he had to make his way in the world while still a young boy. He took up the trade of a cabinent maker. He came to America in 1869, following his trade of carpenter and farmer for a time in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Vaclav came to Nebraska two years later...filing the homestead entry at the Beatrice Land Office on April 17, 1871.

From the Familysearch 1880 United States Census and National Index

Census Place:Glengary, Fillmore, Nebraska Source:FHL Film 1254748 National Archives Film T9-0748 Page 50 RelationSexMarrRaceAgeBirthplace James SWECSelfMMW40BOHEMEN Occ:FarmerFa: BOHEMENMo: BOHEMEN Mary SWECWifeFMW24BOHEMEN Occ:HousekeeperFa: BOHEMENMo: BOHEMEN Agnes SWECDauFSW2NE Fa: BOHEMENMo: BOHEMEN Mary SWECDauFSW1NE Fa: BOHEMENMo: BOHEMEN

Vaclav married Marie "Mary" Suda on 17 Jan 1873 in Fillmore County, Nebraska. Marie was born on 29 Oct 1856 in Pisek, Bohemia; died on 3 Jun 1921; was buried in Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Marie Suda came to this country with her parents in 1868...(her) first home in America was Chicago, where the family remained until 1871. Leaving Chicago after the great fire, her parents, Frantisek and Karolina Klokanova Suda, homesteaded in Section 2 of Glengary Township.

Place of birth sometimes shown as Berdekov u Blatne Pisek, Bohemia.

Notes:

He was the second son of Josef and Marie Schultz nee Buchar, a family of eleven children, born in Zahajske Lhoty [Zalesni Lhota] Okres Jilemic, Kraj, Jicin, Bohemia about 40 miles northeast of Praha. He served in the German Army for six years listed as Franz Scholz. (Milligan, p. 477). Kathleen Peterson notes that their last name was listed as Scholz in Nebraska records, and that he farmed the E/2 of the NW/4, section 35-16N-5E, Chester Precinct, Saunders County, NE. This 80 acres was bought in 1883 for $1000 and sold in 1890 to Mary Kaspar for $2675. This farm was apparently originally owned by (Frank's brother?) Joseph Scholz (Sulc/Schultz?) and wife Maria.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=kathleenpeters59&id=I00038

Frank married Mary Fujan about 1879 in Prague, Saunders County, Nebraska. Mary (daughter of Frantisek Fujan and Marie Koziskova) was born before 1862 in Koryta, Plzen-Sever, Plzensk? kraj, Bohemia; died on 12 May 1929 in Huron, Beadle County, South Dakota; was buried in Riverside Cemetery, Beadle County, South Dakota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Frank Schultz, Sr. married Mary Fujan in 1879 at the Catholic Church in Prague, Nebraska. They farmed with a yoke of oxen four miles south of Prague. Eight children were born to this union. In 1890, the family moved to Milligan about hone and one-half miles south of town. They farmed here until 1908 when they bought land near Huron, South Dakota. The entire family moved to Huron except two daughters: Anna (Mrs. Joseph SVEC) and Frances (Mrs. Frank M. SVEC) (Milligan, p. 478).

Notes:

Frantisek Becvar, born in 1829 in Nezamslice, Strakomie Pisceky, Bohemia was naturalized in Fillmore County, May 18, 1875. He died August 15, 1900, and is buried in the Ceski Bratri Cemetery. His first wife, Marie Hubac Becvar, died in Czechoslovakia. His second wife, Mary Zdenek, was born March 25, 1836, and died November 1, 1924, and is buried in the Ceski Bratri Cemetery.

Mr. and Mrs. Becwar migrated to the US by sailing ship in 1868. They came from the east by train to Lincoln, Nebraska. There they hired a wagon and drive to take them to the Kral homestead north of Milligan. After paying the driver, they had 75 cents left.

The Becwar's homesteaded the 80 acres just west of the Krals, which would be W 1/2 SE 1/4 of Section 26, Liberty Precinct. Frank received the patent on February 20, 1877. They made a dug-out using an animal hide to cover the doorway. Frank was a cabinent maker, and walked 25 miles to Pleasant Hill to work, staying there all week, and walking home again on the weekends. The work involved building the William Smith Flour Mill. On his first trip home, he carried enough lumber to make themselves a proper door.

Life in the dugout was quite primative. It was hard to heat, and invited snakes. They ground corn with stones, and used a plentiful weed to make tea. Mr. Becwar would also shot prarie chickens on his way home for meat. Indians came through occasionally begging for food. Rustlers were also a problem. One night their cow was stolen, but it got away and came back home to be with its calf.

Mr. Becwar worked for the Burlington and Missouri Railroad in 1870 and 1871. He bought the SW 1/4 of Section 23 from them. This was handed down to Mike Becwar, Sr. and then Mike Becwar, Jr. At present the Kuska's own this land.

The Becwar daughters married and moved away. Agnes and Josephine moved to Kansas, Barbara to Nelson, Nebraska, Mary to Sunol, Nebraska. However, sons Mike and Anton stayed in Fillmore County. (Milligan, p 194).

NOTE: As the death date of Marie Hubac, as well as the date of the marriage of Frank and Mary Zdenak is unknown, the mother of his children can not be positevely identified until such a time as these questions are answered. Additionally, the biography of oldest son Anton notes that his mother was Mary Versek. For the time being, Mary Zdenak is being listed as the mother of Frank's six children, but this is subject to change.


(Research):Census Information:

FamilySearch 1880 Census
RelationSexMarrRaceAgeBirthplace
Frank BECWAR Self M M W 50 BOHEMIA Occ:Farmer Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA
Mary BECWAR Wife F M W 43 BOHEMIA Occ:Keeping House Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA
Anton BECWAR Son M S W 19 BOHEMIA Occ:Farming Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA
Agnes BECWAR Dau F S W 15 BOHEMIA Occ:At School Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA
Josephine BECWAR Dau F S W 11 NE Occ:At School Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA
Mathew BECWAR Son M S W 7 NE Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA
Barbara BECWAR Dau F S W 5 NE Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA
Mary BECWAR Dau F S W 1 NE Fa: BOHEMIA Mo: BOHEMIA

Census Place:Liberty, Fillmore, Nebraska
Source:FHL Film 1254748 National Archives Film T9-0748
Page 49

Frantisek married Marie Zdenek. Marie was born on 25 Mar 1836 in Bohemia; died on 1 Nov 1924 in Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian Brethren Cemetery (AKA Cesky Bratri Cemetery), Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Johann married Anna Kotas on 14 May 1861 in Bohemia. Anna (daughter of Martin Kotas and Mary Pipla) was born on 10 Jun 1835 in Kozojedy, Plzen, Bohemia; died on 17 Feb 1916 in Saline County, Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]