Memorials › William Frank Ptacek

William Frank Ptacek

17 Aug 1881 – 1970

Birth	17 Aug 1881
Death	1970
Cemetery	Sunrise Cemetery Wahoo , Saunders County , Nebraska , USA
Added by	Dan Reese on 23 Jun 2023
FaG	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104666056

Bio

W. F. Ptacek 89, Dies Wed. Funeral services for William F. Ptacek, 89, of Wahoo will be held Saturday, September 26, 1970 at 10 a.m. in the First Methodist Church at Wahoo with the Rev. Ivan Richardson officiating. Mr. Ptacek was born August 17, 1881 in Cleveland, Ohio and died at the Saunders County Community hospital at Wahoo early Wednesday morning. He was a well known retired mail carrier, both in Wahoo and Lincoln, where he had worked previously Having spent most of his childhood in the Bruno area, he married Anna Cuda on January 16, 1905. She died in 1947. On June 10, 1962 he was wed to Olive West. Survivors include: widow; son, Dr. William J. of Scottsbluff; daughter, Mrs. Laura Ellison of Kearney step-son, H. E. West of Mt. Gilead Ohio; and seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Irrterment will be in Sunrise Cemetery at Wahoo with Kucera Rozanek Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Pallbearers: Max Cuda, Lloyd Konecky, Virgil Freeman, Roy Epperson, Clarence Lehn, Gothard Anderson WALKING POPULAR FAD: BUT NOT FOR POSTMAN Suddenly, out of the clear blue sky, walking has become a sport. Attorney Generals, teenagers, Marines. Harry Truman, trailing newsmen and well-wishers rarely misses his daily constitutional. Mailmen, whose jobs require miles of pavement pounding every day no doubt groan at the thought of walking for no reason. But, mailmen, strong of limb and sturdy of cheek, are proof of the merits of the daily hike. While no statistics covering the life span of mailmen are readily available, it is a safe bet that they live longer that sedentary office workers. One example of vibrant longevity, Mr. William Ptacek of Wahoo, is a recent recipient of a 50 year membership card in the National Association of Mail Carriers. The card was presented to Mr. Ptacek by Clarence Lehn, local secretary of the national association. Retired since 1951, Mr. Ptacek began his years of service in 1911 at Lincoln. He was delivering mail in Lincoln on the day in 1912 that Shorty Gray, John Dowd, and Charles Morley broke out of the penitentiary. Deep snow covered the ground, and it was supposed that the convicts were somewhere in the city. They managed to reach Ashland where they were captured, but not before killing the warden and a farmer. Sometimes, Mr. Ptacek substituted for rural carriers and he remembers delivering mail to the W.J. Bryan Memorial Hospital. The strangest address that Mr. Ptacek remembers was on a letter sent to Mr. Bryan. The envelope read: W.J. Bryan, The Hole in the Donut, Lincoln. Once on a rural route, Mr. Ptacek urged the horse to speed up. The horse stopped and Mr. Ptacek sitting in the enclosed carriage, slapped the reins again. Suddenly a train whizzed by, inches from the horse's nose. "A car wouldn't be that sensible" Mr. Ptacek smiles. On January 6, 1919, Mr. Ptacek transferred to Wahoo and carried the mail here until June 1, 1951. After his retirement, Mr. Ptacek gave more time to his hobby, gardening. He boasts the largest display of lilies in Wahoo. And he can coax many baskets of tomatoes from a few plants. Last June, Mr. Ptacek who is 81, was married to an old friend Mrs. West, whose maiden name was East. The couple has known each other for years. Mrs. Ptacek was reared around Weston and years ago belonged to the same dance club as Mr. Ptacek. "I used to deliver mail all day and then go and dance," tells Mr. Ptacek, "and I didn't think anything of it." The new Mrs. Ptacek, whose husband of 50 years passed away several years ago, has 16 great grandchildren and Mr. Ptacek has 6. The Ptaceks, who have to stop and figure out their families accasionally, each have twin grandchildren. Last Summer, the Ptaceks vacationed on Lake Erie and came home to Wahoo to tend the garden. A joint effort produced jars of jellies, preserved and canned vegetables. Mrs. Ptacek tells, "My husband can walk up the stairs without holding on to the railing. He is strong and so he takes over the job of washing the dishes and such when we are canning. I'm not as lively as he is." Looking twenty years younger than his age, Mr. Ptacek agrees with his wife concerning his strength and attributes it to the many years of outdoor walking. He feels wonderful and usually wears a bright smile. That is, until somebody mentions dogs, every postman's rough spot. "I never let a dog scare me," boasts the retired letter carrier, "but I've scared a lot of dogs in my day."

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