Will and Mayme Kopecky family

Will Kopecky Family

By Mrs. Will Kopecky (Mayme)

From Hyde Heritage, copyright 1977, page 281

Will Kopecky was born September 14, 1898 in Eden Township to Mary and John Kopecky. Will was born on the home place and has lived there all of his life. He attended Eden School District No, II, which was located only ½ mile west of the place. After his schooling, he stayed at home and helped with the farming, which was done with horses and horse drawn machinery. He had two sisters and four brothers.

On June 11, 1923, he married Mayme Bouzek. A wedding dance was held in the hall, which was built in 1916 on the home place.

Mayme Bouzek, the fourth child of Martin and Mary Bouzek, was born January 27, 1903 in Eden Township. Grandma Vondra was the midwife, also for her two brothers and four sisters. After graduation from the 8^th grade in Eden Township, she attended two years of Normal Training in Aberdeen, South Dakota. She taught two years in Banner and Washington Townships.

In the ‘30’s Will sold all his cattle, but 20 head. It was a dry spring. In the early summer, there were some good rains and the thistle thrived in the fields. Will mowed them for hay with horses and stacked the thistles with ropes in a large stack, which pulled the cows through the winter.

In 1936, he worked with a crew of 25 men for the WPA under the supervision of Henry Rezac. With a team of horses, they built grades (roads) in Eden Township.

One of the highlights of their lives was in late July of 1969—their first airplane ride. They flew to Oregon to attend the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Ben and Bozena Kopecky of Scio, Oregon on August 6, 1969. Both of their children, Gorden (his wife and three of their children) and Mary Jane (her husband and three children) attended the event from South Dakota.

On June 11, 1973, Will and Mayme celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in the Hyde County Memorial Auditorium. Her sister, Emma (Mrs. Charles Huff of Idaho) and her brother, Ben Bouzek, their attendants were present for the open house.

Will and Mayme have one son, Gordon and one daughter, Mary Jane. They have twelve grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

Their daughter, Mary Jane, was born June 4, 1932. She married Gordon E. Gadd. They have one daughter, Pam (Mrs. Kurt King of Algona, Iowa [Rita adds-divorced, married to Robert Bawdon, Highmore] ) and two sons, Steve and David. They have one granddaughter, Kristen.

Their son, Gordon Gale was born April 26, 1924. He married Winnie Morford. They have six daughters and three sons. They reside on the home place as the third generation of Kopecky’s.