Maria Racek

Notes:

She married Benjamin Taylor SLACK.

Notes:

He was the son of Mathias Raczek, a farmer, and Anna Simpartle, daughter of Simon Simpartl and Eva Kreplin of Stisch, Czechoslovakia.

The following is excerpted from a two page typewritten paper from the Racek reunion of June 25, 1972 (Courtesy of Caroline Mastny)

Great Grand Father Matias (Mike) and Great Grand Mother (Born Suchy) Racek, with their three sons Mike, Jim, and Joe, and one daughter who married a Mensik came to Nebraska about 1868. they came from Czechoslovakia to an Illinois town (unknown). There (he) worked for a cattle feeder for about a year. He outfitted them with a old team of horses, wagon with a cover and a horned cow, and 25 cents in their pockets. They got halfway across Iowa when one of the horses died. There they stayed for more than a year. They started out of Iowa with a horse and cow to homestead in Nebraska. They followed the Platte River on the north side till they came to the town of North Bend. The river was too deep to cross. They met an Indian that knew how to speak a little English, he guided them to a crossing further west towards the present town of Linwood, where they crossed.

They intended to homestead land at Linwood whre the Tahacek farm currently is. There was a Pawnee Indian camp on the Skull Creek where they intended to homestead, so they traveled east and camped on the Homer land west of Morse Bluff. From there they started looking for land to homestead but could only get one eighty. From there they returned where they came in contact with a land agent. He told them there were three eighties together for homesteading south of Morse Bluff. Which are now owned by Uncle John and Aunt Julia Vachal, Lewis Racek, Emma Hunt and Ed Virka. One brother, Joe Racek was not of age to homestead so he went to Omaha to work. Before he became of age to homestead, the homestead act was discontinued. They built a sod house on a fence line between the present Virka and Lewis Racek land.

They just about lost their homestead rights for having one home for two homesteads. They wanted to live together..but the homestead act read one home for each homestead. Lewis Racek told us that when he and the Virka's were making a fence they came upon some stove lids and other articles so he figured that was where the sod house once was.

After they got they Homestead claim the brothers would work in Omaha three days a week. They worked for the City of Omaha leveling hills for 25 cents a day. They would also work two days on the homestead. They walked to work one day there and one day back.

Great Grandmother was killed by a horned cow that they bought with them from Illinois. She is buried on a hill side east of Morse Bluff which is an abandoned cemetery with unmarked graves. Great Grandfather Racek is buried in the Killian Cemetery west of Morse Bluff.

Mathias married Maria Suchy on 8 Nov 1842 in Pollenka, Bohemia. Maria was born on 21 Feb 1824 in Pollenka, Bohemia; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was the daughter of Lorenz Suchy and Veronica Katzerowsky, daughter of Ignaz and Maria Katzerowsky. Ignaz Katzerowsky was a townsman (similar to a marshal) and the family lived in Chudenitz, Czechoslovakia.