Memorials › Joseph Rerucha Sr

Joseph Rerucha Sr

27 Feb 1856 – 1 Nov 1949

Birth27 Feb 1856
Death1 Nov 1949
CemeteryOld Catholic Cemetery
Brainard , Butler County , Nebraska , USA
Added byLarry Safarik on 25 Feb 2014
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/102395319

Bio

I was born on February 27, 1856 in the village of Valec, Moravia, county Hrotovice Kraj Fanojin. Both of my parents, John and Klara Rerucha, were born in the same village and were farmers. They spent their young life in the village and ventured nowhere else except to the neighboring villages to market their farm products and to obtain necessary supplies for their family. They lived in this village until their children emigrated to America to seek a better life. The family consisted of my brothers, John, Martin, Matej, and Thomas, and sisters Mary and Karolina, and myself, Martin's wife, Rosallo Piller, whom was married before our departure, also came with us. We left our home and birthplace on the 29th of May in the year 1872. We went by railroad train two days and two nights to the port city of Bremen Germany. There we waited for four days for our boat named the Ohio on which we sailed and arrived after 19 day, at the American port city of Baltimore. That same day, it was on a Sunday, we left by train, along with many other immigrants to for the state of Nebraska with the intention of devoting ourselves to farming, We arrived in Omaha, Nebraska the 27th of June, on a Thursday, where we remained overnight, The next day, we went to Fremont, Nebraska. In Fremont, with the help of former Czech citizens Frank Jillos and Henry A Fiser we found and hired drivers to take us to a Czech settlement on Wahoo Creek in Sunders County, Nebraska. We left Fremont, Friday afternoon and spent the night at the farm house of these drivers on Sand Creek. On Saturday they drove us to the settlement on Wahoo Creek. There they unloaded us, leaving the trunks out in the open on the ground, on the farm of Jan Vanous, a former fellow countryman. Mr Vanous already lived on his farm for four years, but had only small building, so he could not accommodate us. After our arrival Mr. Vanous sent word to near-by farmers fellow-country men Matej and John Chmelka and they came with wagons, and their relatives, the families of Ferdinand Coufal, Karel Coufal, Vaclav Mazanec, and Mrs, Koza took use into their home, at that time sode house. The family of John Palik obtained a place at the home of Matej Curda, and we at the home of John Novak. Thus we were all settled for some time near-by according to American distances and conditions. Near the farm of Mr. Vanous a post office was established the following year. It was named Plezn but later changed to Plasi. Later in 1877 and 1878 a church was built and a cemetery laid out, both of which are there to this day. At that time considerable land was still available which the government gave free to immigrants as homesteads so they would farm the land for their living. My mother and brothers John, Martin, and Matej, each received 80 acres of land. Because I was not yet 21 years old I did not qualify for a homestead. Each male had to be 21 years of age and females 18 years, in order to qualify. I farmed with my mother on her land until the year 1878 when she received a patent to her homestead which I purchased from her and agreed to pay for 40 acres of land for my younger brother Thomas. In seven years time this cost me $275. To my sister Carrie I agreed to pay $150. In 1878 I was married to Miss Mary Coufal of Butler County Nebraska. We were married on April 29 by Rev Joseph Hovorka at St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Abie, Nebraska, in the presents of bridesmaids Antonie Koza and Josephine Posvar. The best men were Frank Koza and Frank Posvar. Many other friends also were in attendance. After marriage we lived and farmed on the same farm with my mother until the year 1881. My mother passed away during the month of October in 1881 and is buried in the cemetery at Plasi, Saunders County Nebraska. We continued to live on the same place until the year 1888 when we sold the farm and bought one near Bruno Nebraska, in Butler County. We lived there until the year 1910. In 1910we retired from farming and on the 26th of February we moved to Brainard, Butler County Nebraska. ( Written by Joseph Rerucha the 26th of Dec. 1919) Translated from Czech

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