Joseph Vondra, 1880 - 1967

Joseph Vondra, 1880-1967



Joe's birth record:
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Josef was born on March 6 and baptized March 7, 1880 at Usilov house 38, Bohemia. The record says that he was born katolik (Catholic), male and legitimate.

His father was Jan Vondra, blacksmith, at Usilov house 38, son of Matej (Matthew) Vondra, blacksmith, of Usilov house 38 and Marie born Zitek of Melzholz.

His mother was Marie daughter of Jakub Sedlacek, farmer from Mlynic house 6 and Josepha born Marka (Marek) of Mlynic.

This is a snip of 1930 census records which shows Joseph living with his sister Agnes Vondra Thurston's family, as a farm laborer. He is 49 years old. The record says that he is able to read and write. This census records are from Eden township, Hyde County, South Dakota.

1935 census record for Joseph. The record says that he is 56 years old, living in Hyde County, post office in Highmore, in the Eden township. He is listed as a farm laborer. The record says that his father and mother were born in Bohemia. 

This record shows Joe crossing the Canadian border into the United States at Sweet Grass, Montana. He worked on a steam ship for a period of time. His brother in law, Martin Bouzek, sponsored his immigration back to the United States. It is unknown if there was some reason that he left the Thurstons and did not return there. 

Joe is listed on the 1940 census records living with Martin and Mary Vondra Bouzek, his sister and brother-in-law. The full records states that Joe attended school for 7 years. 

Joseph lived his retirement years in a retirement home in DeSmet, Kingsbury, South Dakota. Some of his nieces and nephews did not even know of his existence until his death.

Joe is buried at the Bohemian National Cemetery in northern Hyde County, where much of his family is also buried. At the time of his death, the Vondra family plot was full, so he was buried in the plot of his sister, Josie Sporrer's family where there was space. His headstone is like all of his family's stones, with his first name and birth and death year. Because he is not buried in the family plot, his headstone had been misnamed with another last name, Weisner, on Find a Grave. Only those of us in the know, would realize who he is. It took some searching to find his grave. Also, note the error of his birth year being 1882. These types of mistakes are not uncommon. Joe's brother John was buried in the family plot at the time of Joe's death. Their sister Emma purchased a plot at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Highmore, SD and had her brother John moved there. She is buried beside him there. There is room for Joe to be moved to the family plot now, if anyone would like to spend the money and go through what it would take to get it moved. Photo credit to Ellen Krull Miller, Find a Grave contributor. 

Joseph was committed to an institution in Fergus Falls, Minnesota for a period of time, time frame unknown. At this time, it is also unknown what type of institution it was. Some of his siblings did not want him at the Vondra home place, but others did not want him institutionalized. One of his brothers went to remove him from the institution, creating a rift in the family. Two of his nieces have stated that he was a little slow, one saying he fell down some stairs as a young child. 

Agnes Vondra Thurston, 1884 - 1942

Grant Thurston and Agnes Vondra Thurston

http://www.portafontium.eu/iipimage/30068307/slavikovice-07_0710-n?x=474&y=386&w=519&h=195

Agnes Vondra was born March 26 and baptized March 30, 1884. Her Czech name was Angezchka Vondra-ova. The birth record says that she was katholic (Catholic), female, and legitimate. She was born at Usilov house 38, where her parents lived. The last column on the right indicates the midwife who helped with her birth, Marie ______.

Jan Vondra (her father), was a blacksmith (kovar) from Usilov house 38, son of Matej (Matthew) Vondra, blacksmith, and his wife, Marie, born Zitek of Meltholz house 4, of  _____.
Marie, daughter of Jakub Sedlacek, farmer (rolnika) of Mlynec house 6 and Josepha, born Marka, Mlynec house 5 of Klatovy district.
The section to the right indicates sponsors.

1905 census card, Agnes Vondra, age 21 is a farmer. The card lists her place of birth as Austria and the number of years she has lives in South Dakota and the United States as 21 years.


This is the record of Agnes homestead.

Mrs. Thurston Buried Last Sunday

Agnes Vondra was born on March 26, 1884, in Bohemia. As a babe in arms she came to the United States. Her people settled in the northern part of Hyde County (South Dakota) during the early eighties, where she has lived all her life.

She received her education in the rural schools with one year in the Highmore Public School, after which time she took the teacher’s examination, received her teacher’s certificate, and began teaching in the rural schools of Hyde and Faulk counties.

She was united in marriage to Joseph G. Thurston on March 30^th, 1910. They established a home in Banner Township, and have lived there up to the time of her death.

To this union two children were born: Marion and Ruth.

She passed away in the early morning of April 16^th at the St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre, S.D., where she had been taken for treatment.

At the time of her death, she was fifty-eight years and twenty-one days old.

She is survived by her husband, two daughters, one grandchild, four brothers, and seven sisters, all of whom are living in the near neighborhood, except two: Mrs. Hall Jarvis (Jessie) of Faulkton, and Mrs. H. Scott (Barbara) of Chadron, Nebraska. The brothers are: James, Joe, John and Will Vondra. Her other sisters are: Emma Vondra, Mrs. Martin Bouzek (Mary), Mrs. Schuyler Hanson (Anna), Mrs. Ray Hanson (Bessie), Mrs. George Sporrer (Josie). Another brother, Frank, passed away several years ago.

Although she was not well, having been under a doctor’s care for some time, for high blood pressure, and heart trouble, no one thought her in immediate danger. A severe attack of influenza brought on complications which proved to be fatal.

On Easter Sunday she was taken to St. Mary’s hospital at Pierre where she would be nearer a doctor and would receive much better care than could possibly be given at home. For about nine days her condition remained about the same or slightly improved, but the attack of the flu left her with pneumonia and that, with the other complications, proved too much for her to withstand. Her husband, two daughters, and one sister went to her bedside Tuesday, April 14, called there by a sudden change in her condition for the worse, and were with her until the end, which came peacefully, soon after 12 o’clock midnight, Thursday, April 16^th.

The funeral services, under the direction of undertaker, A.N. Hurd, of Highmore, with Rev. Slocum of the United Church of Highmore as minister, were held in the home which she had helped so ably to build and maintain for many year, at 2 P.M. on Sunday, April 19, 1942.

John Lusk, James Palon, Frank Baloun, John Kozel, Ed Volek, and Tom McGough, all friends and acquaintances of long standing were pallbearers.

She was laid to rest in the Bohemian Cemetery in northern Hyde County, among relatives, friends, acquaintances and neighbors who have gone before.

Attending the funeral from outside the community were: Mr. and Mrs. William Morrison of Sioux Falls, Mrs. Harry Peek, Clyde Day, Mrs. Estel Dillman and three children, all of Huron; Mr and Mrs. Porter Hall of Harrold, Mrs. Carroll Davis and Ben Killinger of Holabird, all of whom were old friends. One sister, Mrs. Scott, was unable to be present due to sudden illness of her own young son.

Thus we have come to the end, and close the book of life of one who has been an active member of her community, socially and politically, but the memory of her will remain in the hearts of many for years to come.

CARD OF THANKS

We take this means of expressing our thanks and appreciation for the help, sympathy, and the beautiful flowers sent to us on this occasion of our great loss. To each and every one of you in our hour of trial.

Joseph G. Thurston an Marion

Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Lusk (Ruth) and Rita Ann

Mr. and Mrs. Martin Bouzek and Family

James, Joe, John, Will and Emma Vondra

Mr. and Mrs. Hall Jarvis and Family (Jessie)

Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Hanson and Family (Anna)

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hanson (Bessie)

Mr. and Mrs. George Sporrer and Family (Josie)

Mr. and Mrs. Harris Scott and Family (Barbara)