Rosemary Kovanda

1921 - 2011  (90 years)

• Name	Rosemary Kovanda  [1]
  Birth	27 May 1921	Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Death	19 Jul 2011	Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska   [2]
  Burial	Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska   [2]
  Notes	Rosemary graduated from Lincoln High School in 1938, later earning her teaching certificate from the University of Nebraska in 1940. She taught in Ohiowa, David City, and Beatrice. After her husband's death, she returned to teaching, earning her Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Nebraska in 1968. She also studied Library Science, and went to work at the Crete Public Library. (Milligan, p 238). Rosemary Capek, 90, of Milligan, died Tuesday, July 19, 2011. Funeral services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Farmer & Son Funeral Home Kotas Chapel, Milligan. Visitation: Friday 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Farmer & Son Funeral Home Kotas Chapel, Milligan. Graveside service: Bohemian National Cemetery, Milligan. Memorials to the Milligan Rescue Unit or Bohemian National Cemetery Rosemary Capek, 90 years of age, of Geneva, Nebraska, passed away peacefully during the morning of July 19, 2011. Rosemary was born on May 27, 1921 in Milligan, NE. She was the youngest of three children born to Frederick and Rose Kovanda. Her older siblings were Joyce Glandon (deceased) of Florida, and Glenn Kovanda (deceased) of Milligan, NE. She had a loving childhood and often remembered the horses on their farm. Rosemary frequently remembered her happy and fun loving mother and father. Rosemary lost her mother, due to illness, when she was at the age of twelve. Her Aunt Anna Bulin, who was a nurse at the Mayo Clinic, came home to the farm to help take care of the three children. Her Father, Fred, remarried to Rose's sister, Anna and he was fortunate to have two happy marriages. During Rosemary's high school years, her family moved to Lincoln, NE. Rosemary graduated from Lincoln High. Rosemary showed a certain initiative through her teen age years as she was born Rose, and she changed her name to Rosemary while she was a teen. She attended University of Nebraska for a teaching degree. She had taught in the elementary schools in Ohiowa, David City, and Beatrice. Before WWII, she met a very special and gregarious man, John James Capek, from Milligan, NE. She communicated with John for the four years of the war and when he returned to the states, they had a garden wedding. John came from a very musical family. During WWII he was in the Army Band. One of his loves was the Rudy Jay Orchestra, where he was one of the singers. He also played trumpet, clarinet, and saxophone. Rosemary and John enjoyed many Big Band Orchestra dances. They also enjoyed family get-togethers with many relatives as well as many of John's close friends from the war and their families. Rosemary was a wonderful cook and many of her dishes will remain loving memories for her family. Unforgettable were her barbeque spare ribs, duck, pheasant, rabbit, cherried tongue, dumplings, cream puffs, strawberry-rhubarb pie and her many Jello fruit salads, especially her pineapple banana salad. Gardening and canning were also two of Rosemary's avocations. Rosemary and John were very happy with their family life and they were blessed with two children. David John Capek was born in 1948 and Marilyn Rose Capek was born in 1952. Great sorrow and tragedy occurred on Oct 3, 1960, when John died in a car accident. With the loving support of her parents, Rosemary went back to University of Nebraska to complete her teaching degree. Rosemary's primary concern was for the well-being of her own children during those years as she handled all of the responsibilities of a single parent. Rosemary loved all young children and she taught Kindergarten at Milligan, NE and preschool at Crete, NE. Rosemary was involved with the Methodist Church Ladies Group as well as Garden Clubs. Rosemary had many personal strengths that carried her through life's challenges. She remained optimistic and caring. Later, she studied photography at Doane College. She also studied Librarian Science and worked at Crete Library. Rosemary spent many hours painting with oils and acrylics. She entered some of her paintings into local contests. She also focused on exercising and staying healthy as she took classes on a regular schedule. She also loved to travel. Her travels included Switzerland, England, France, Austria, and the Czech Republic with her mother, Anna Kovanda, and her sister Joyce Glandon. She also traveled to Florida, the Caribbean, and many states in the Western USA. Rosemary also traveled to Boston and New England multiple times to spend time with Marilyn and her family, Karl, Melissa, and Brett Henrikson. She loved swimming in the lake in New Hampshire with Marilyn's family and picking berries with her grandchildren. Rosemary was also very involved with David's family, with his wife Denise, and children Karel David, Haley, and Morgan Capek. Rosemary was also very kind to animals and had a wonderful rapport with dogs and cats. Rosemary was always a source of strength and love when it involved her six grandchildren. She spent many hours caring for and loving them. Rosemary was a pure example of passing on unconditional love to her own children as well as to her grandchildren. She had strong values and had a stable sense of right and wrong. Rosemary was gifted with incredible personal strength. She had an inner beauty and guiding light that shone through in her calm, quiet, and kind nature. She was an excellent listener. She was always looking to be uplifting and encouraging. Rosemary looked for the good in each person and situation with amazing authenticity. She had purity in her thoughts and actions that manifested as endearing empathy and optimism. She had an authentically unselfish nature. She was kind beyond imagination and words. Rosemary was quiet, but very strong in her ability to listen without judging. For all of us who knew her inner strength, it will be a source of inspiration. Her inner beauty and love will shine forever and she will be deeply missed. Her family's love will always be like her wedding china pattern. It was called "Forget-Me-Not." Rosemary's life will be forever with love in the hearts of her children and her loved ones. Rosemary was preceded in death by her parents; her husband John; sister Joyce Glandon; and brother Glenn Kovanda. Rosemary is survived by her children David Capek and his wife Denise of Lincoln and Milligan, NE and Marilyn Capek of Winchester, MA, her grandchildren Karel D. Capek of Omaha, NE, Haley and Derrick Peters of Omaha, NE, Morgan Capek of Lincoln, NE, Karl J. Henrikson of Winchester, MA, Melissa Henrikson of Winchester, MA, and Brett Henrikson of Winchester, MA, and her great grandson, Rudy Capek of Omaha, NE, and many loved relatives and friends. Services for Rosemary will be held Saturday, July 23, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Farmer & Son Funeral Home -Kotas Chapel in Milligan, Nebraska. Interment will be in the Bohemian National Cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Farmer & Son Funeral Home-Kotas Chapel in Milligan. Memorials are directed to the Milligan Rescue Unit or Bohemian National Cemetery. (Courtesy of Dennis Belohlavy)
  Person ID	I3326	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	1 Jan 2024

  
  

  Father	Frederick F. Kovanda,   b. 29 Jul 1894, Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska d. 29 Oct 1968, Nebraska (Age 74 years)
  Mother	Rose Bulin,   b. 24 Apr 1894, Saline County, Nebraska d. 5 Jul 1932, Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska (Age 38 years)
  Marriage	8 Mar 1917
  Family ID	F1932	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	John James Capek,   b. 10 Feb 1916, Glengary Township, Fillmore County, Nebraska d. 3 Oct 1960, Fairmont, Fillmore County, Nebraska (Age 44 years)
  Marriage	22 Oct 1946  [3]
  Children	1. David John Capek,   b. 30 Mar 1948, Friend, Saline, Nebraska d. 19 Dec 2023, Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska (Age 75 years)   2. Living
  Family ID	F1931	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	9 Dec 2006

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 27 May 1921 - Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska Death - 19 Jul 2011 - Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska Burial - - Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S219] Milligan Centennial History Book Committee HISTORY OF MILLIGAN, NEBRASKA 1888-1988 (Walsworth Publishing, Marceline, MO), p 237 (Reliability: 3). [S548] Belohlavy, Dennis (belohdb@windstream.net) "Family Tree of Dennis L. and Rebecca J. "Becky" (Arnold) Belohlavy ; http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=belohlavy, (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=belohlavy). [S219] Milligan Centennial History Book Committee HISTORY OF MILLIGAN, NEBRASKA 1888-1988 (Walsworth Publishing, Marceline, MO), p 238 (Reliability: 3).