Georgiann Kotas

Notes:

Funeral service for Georgiann will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at the Farmer & Son Funeral Home - Kotas Chapel in Milligan, Nebraska.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 12:00 noon until the service at the Funeral Home in Milligan.

Graveside service will be in the Milligan North Cemetery following the service. Memorials are directed to the family.

Georgiann Josephine Vohnout was born to Fred Kotas and Josie Marie Kotas (Hanus) on September 19th, 1926 at Milligan, NE on the farm, and passed away on August 29th, 2017, at her home on the farm in Milligan, NE at the age of 90. She was an only child.

Georgiann was born and raised on her family farm ? a mile north of Milligan, NE. She went to school at Milligan Public and graduated in 1944. She worked at the Kottas Drug Store where she served enough ice cream that for a long period of time she couldn't stomach the stuff. Shortly after she worked at the Fairmont and Brunning Air Base where she was a secretary who welcomed and helped deploy the troops during World War II. While there she met the most handsome man she had ever seen and ended up marrying John J. Vohnout on June 12th, 1948.

On October 4th, 1965 they had their only son, John F. Vohnout. Instead of bringing flowers like the rest of the new dads, John brought Georgiann three stalks of milo to celebrate the birth of their son and his great crop that year!

Georgiann and her husband lived in Lincoln for a short time before they came back to her family farm when her father fell ill and that is where they made their lives for forty-four years, until John's death in 1998. Afterward, Georgiann fell ill with many medical issues but, despite her problems her family and friends helped keep her strong for another nineteen years.

During her life, Georgiann enjoyed the perks of farming with her husband, such as taking trips when and where they wanted to, going to many polka dances, and a "small" sideline of BINGO, casinos, and playing poker until the late hours of the morning with family. All the while never falling short of being a great mother, wife, and care taker of her mother. She was truly the least selfish person and always put the needs of her family and friends before her own. Her sense of humor and contagious laugh will so be missed by her son, his wife (the daughter that Georgiann always wanted but never had) and their three daughters.

Georgiann was preceded in death by, Fred and Josie Kotas, father and mother, John J. Vohnout, husband all of Milligan, NE.

She is survived by, John and Christine Vohnout, son and daughter-in-law of Hastings, NE; Stephanie Ann, Tiffany Jo, and Georgie Marie, granddaughters of Hastings, NE; Liam Alexander, great-grandson of Hastings; Mamie Gordon, sister-in-law of Lincoln, NE; and many nieces and nephews.

(Courtesy of Dennis Belohlavy)

Georgiann married John Vohnout on 12 Jun 1948 in Nebraska. John was born on 16 Mar 1926 in Wilber, Saline County, Nebraska; died on 6 Feb 1998 in Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian Brethren Cemetery (AKA Cesky Bratri Cemetery), Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
The wedding was hosted in the home of Georgianna's parents. (Milligan, p 353).

1. Living

Notes:

Fred was born one mile north of Milligan, and resided and farmed there his entire life. He quit school after his father died to help his mother with the farm, which didn't seem to bother him a bit. He worked hard at farming, but was mischievious, always pulling pranks. During his early teen, business men would often ask idle boys to bring them back a bucket of "Pivo" from a local saloon. The bucket was an empty one that had held half a gallon of pancake syrup, and cost five to ten cents to fill with beer. Fred usually delivered each of his a few sips short, and was later seen sleeping it off on someone's Model T running board. In his adult life, he farmed and ran a threshing crew. (Milligan, p 352-353).

Fred married Josie Marie Hanus on 8 Feb 1923 in Wilber, Saline County, Nebraska. Josie was born on 20 Oct 1901 in Nova Ves, Bohemia; died on 28 Jul 1986 in Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian Brethren Cemetery (AKA Cesky Bratri Cemetery), Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Josie came from Czechoslovakia in 1920, with sister Anna. When they arrived in Ellis Island at the ages of 18 and 19, their names were pinned to their clothing as they spoke no English. They were sent to live with their Aunt Josie Rozanek of Milligan. Eventually arriving at the Fairmont train depot, they were again in the arms of loved ones, even though still strangers to them, but at least they could speak Czech with them. Josie worked at Lincoln as a domestic before her marriage. Sister Anna, and her husband Frank KARA came from Illinois to live with the Kotas family for a brief time during the depression (Milligan, p 352).

Notes:

John was a farmer and businessman. In 1899, he built a lumber yard. The Catholic Church was built with lumber donated from his yard. In 1890, he built a saloon on Main Street, from land he bought from Vaclav and Mary KOTTAS. One Saturday night, as he was locking up, he heard a noise and as he turned around someone threw a bottle, hitting him in the face which cut his lip badly and broke out a tooth. He grew a moustache after this to cover the scar. He sold the saloon, and purchased land from Frank ANDREL in 1892 and returned to farming. They later returned to their home place which had been rented. John died following an accident in the hay field, which was caused by one of the frames for stacking hay coming unfastened and falling on him, hitting him across the shoulders and neck. He was a prominent citizen from the time the village of Milligan was organized, quiet of dispostion, and never meddling in other people's affairs, attending only to his business. Friends and neighbors stacked the grain and hay in the fields for the family. As the boys were too young to take over the farm, it was rented. (Milligan, p 357).

Jan married Marie Rejsek on 7 Feb 1882 in Fillmore County, Nebraska. Marie was born on 27 Aug 1862 in Stra?ec?, Bohemia; died on 5 Aug 1927 in Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian Brethren Cemetery (AKA Cesky Bratri Cemetery), Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The daughter of John REJSEK and Mary MATEJOVSKY. Her mother died when she was 13, and her father sent her to America in 1880 with her aunt and uncle, Josefa REJSEK and Joseph JANDA. She helped them care for their children. She left behind a three brothers and a sister, Eleanor, who later came to America and married Karel LAUN. Her brothers were Mike, Charlie and John. After arriving in America, Marie worked as a nanny for the ZISKA children and as a chamber maid at a hotel in Exeter, Nebraska. This is where she met John KOTAS, who had to haul his grain to Fairmont. (Milligan, p 357).

Notes:

Married:
They were married in a triple wedding with John's brother, W.J. and Filipina STEINACHER and a neighbor, Valentine STEINACHER and Mary PROKOP. (Milligan, p 357, 369). The actual date was shown alternately as February 3 and February 7.