Henry P. Kotas

Notes:

Henry and Mae lived one year in Milligan, then moved to their farm six miles north of Milligan, here they farmed for fifteen years. They sold the farm in 1944 to Fred KOVANDA and moved to Milligan. There Henry worked for Edward "Swede" BULIN for one year and for Joe JICHA distributing beer for two years. He worked for the Auditorium doing custodian work for fifteen years, and last for the Kansas-Nebraska Gas Company until his retirement in 1966. (Milligan, p 354).

Henry married Mae Frances Kubicek on 23 Apr 1929 in Nebraska. Mae (daughter of Fred James Kubicek and Anna Elizabeth Tenopir) was born on 11 Mar 1909 in Nebraska; died on 23 Jun 2004 in Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Betty Jean Kotas was born on 22 Nov 1929 in Exeter, Fillmore County, Nebraska; died on 20 Dec 2014 in Geneva, Fillmore County, Nebraska; was buried on 26 Dec 2014 in Bohemian National Cemetery (Milligan South), Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska.
2. Living

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.

Notes:

He was born to Martin or Mattias KOTAS. He emigrated from Bohemia in 1868, settling first in Chicago for two years. The family left Illinois in October, 1870, arriving at the homestead of his sister and brother-in-law, Katherine and John PLACEK, who lived in Section 12 of Big Blue Township in Saline County. John and sons Frank and Joseph walked to Fillmore County to claim homesteads, which they filed in Beatrice on October 17, 1870, at the same time filing their naturalization papers. They lived with bachelor homesteader Frank ZNAJEMSKY until their dugout was built on October 25, 1870. John received his patent on May 16, 1878. The first dugout school of District #44 was on the KOTAS homestead. John was also instrumental in getting a Catholic Church built on his land, serving in the puplit occasionally as their was not resident priest. He also helped establish Ceski Brati, a Catholic Cemetery. Later in life, John purchased addtional land from the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad, making it possible to give each of his 7 surviving children a farm. He and Barbara retired to Milligan. While repairing the roof of his home, he fell and was impaled on their picket fence. The funeral was conducted at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church and he was buried in Ceski Brati cemetery near his son. More than 100 buggies followed the hearse to the cemetery. He is buried under the name KOTTAS, even though his railroad documents and homestead documents were executed using KOTAS. His son, W.J. was administrator of his estate, so this may account for the change in spelling. (Milligan, p 356). He was the son of Martin KOTAS and Mary PIPLA. (Milligan, p 357).

Jan married Barbara Svoboda before 1848 in Plzen, Bohemia. Barbara was born on 1 Apr 1829 in Ivanov, Zbyrov, Bohemia; died on 6 Mar 1899 in Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian Brethren Cemetery (AKA Cesky Bratri Cemetery), Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was the aunt of Josephine SAUFL. (Milligan, p 316). After the death of her husband, she lived with her son Joseph in Milligan. (Milligan, p 356). She was the daugther of Josefa SVOBODA. (Milligan, p 357).

Martin married Mary Pipla. Mary was born on 29 Jan 1802 in Bohemia; died on 22 Feb 1882. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
They also had two daughters that stayed in Bohemia, Marie who married Jan Kotas, and Josefa who married Vaclav Prusik. They were also the parents of sons Matej and Vaclav who came to America. (Milligan, 1988-2008, p. 107).