Memorials › Stephen “Stepan” Hruska
Stephen “Stepan” Hruska
18 Jun 1845 – 29 May 1889
| Birth | 18 Jun 1845 |
| Death | 29 May 1889 |
| Cemetery | Hruska Cemetery Zabcikville , Bell County , Texas , USA |
| Added by | Texas Czech on 06 Dec 2015 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/155749868 |
Gravesite details
The original marker has become difficult to read.
Bio
Stephen Hruska was born in Jablunka at #59. His parents were Jan Hruska and Marianna Vanek Hruska. He, his wife Anna and daughters Johanna and Anna came to this country December 23, 1871 arriving in Galveston on the Bark Erna. A child named Teresie died in Jablunka. They lived with the Jan and Katerina Hruska family in Ross Prairie for about 8 years before eventually buying land in east Bell County. They farmed and ran a country store. The Hruska family owned a tavern/country store called Hruskaville at the southeast corner of Hruskaville Road and SH 53. . Stephen had a disagreement with a patron/neighbor likely over water rights and they agreed to meet at the curve to settle the matter. Stephen rode up to the corner on a wagon with a long gun and the patron rode up on a horse, gun raised. He shot Stephen before he could drop the reins and raise his gun. The Hruska family buried Stephen near where he was killed so the killer and his family would be reminded of what he had done. Danny Lesikar discovered newspaper articles stating that the other person in the duel was Jan John Simek. Simek turned himself in and was tried for murder. The name on the tombstone is Stephen and birth records in Austria list his name as Stephen but some other records list his name as Stepan. In 2016, I had his grave rehabilitated because the old wrought iron fence had been hit so many times it was collapsing onto the headstone. The only part of the fencing that was salvageable was the old, heavy iron gate and I brought that back to Boerne with me. Since I took the first photo, the headstone has become nearly unreadable so I am going to order a plaque to be attached to the cement covering his gravesite. The grave is located .6 miles from SH 53 east of Temple, TX.
Photos
Family
Spouse
Children
- Johanna Hruska Batla 1866–1931
- Anna Hruska Wojtek 1871–1953
- Frances Hruska Krizan 1873–1964
- John H. Hruska 1877–1943
- Stepan Josef Hruska 1878–1943
- Alois William Hruska 1881–1962
- Emilia Louisa Hruska Reznicek 1883–1971
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