Joseph Kotas

Notes:

He died after an appedix operation performed by three doctors from Milligan, Geneva and Exeter. (Milligan, pp 347-348).

Notes:

Anton attended rural school district #44 which was a dug out in the northwest corner of his father's homestead. Anton was making his home, as a young lad, in a dug out on the SE 1/4 of Section 3 when the blizzard of 1888 struck. Several of the big boys were sent to Anton's farmstead to weather out the storm. Anton valued education, wanting his sons to become professors. He sent them to town school after they completed elementary school. (Milligan, p 347).

Anton married Antonie Volmut on 31 Jan 1893 in Milligan, Fillmore County, Nebraska. Antonie (daughter of Joseph Volmut and Anna Vanis) was born on 6 Jul 1870 in Pisek, Bohemia; died on 16 Apr 1922 in Glengary Township, Fillmore County, Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian Brethren Cemetery (AKA Cesky Bratri Cemetery), Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The daughter of Joseph and Anna VOLMUT, and older sister to Barbara. Her parents lived with she and Anton as of 1900, and his father continued to live with them after his wife died (Milligan, p 347). Grandson John H. "was a constant companion of his grandfather, Joseph VOLMUT, who made his home with the Kotas family." (Milligan, p 358).

She was said to be born in Zivoticich, Pisek, Blatna, Bohemia.

Notes:

Married:
They were married at St. Wencesclaus Catholic Church by Father James BARTIK, with John STEINACHER and Joseph SUDA as witnesses. They made their home with Anton's parents, moving into their new home in Section 3 on April 10, 1893. As of 1987, part of the home was still standing. Besides the land gifted to Anton by his parents, he purchased additional land in the Milligan area from his brothers and from the KUSKA family. He also owned land in Montana, where his brother W.J. lived. (Milligan, p 347).

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).

Notes:

Joseph and Anna Volmut came to the United States in 1889 with their two youngest daughters, Antonie (19) and Barbara (16). They lived with their oldest daughter, Mrs. John (Mary) Holpuch, of Altanta Precinct in Saline County. Two of the Volmut daughters, Mary and Anna, had come to Saline County earlier where they were married. (Milligan, p. 574).

Joseph married Anna Vanis. Anna was born on 11 Nov 1835 in Bohemia; died on 27 Mar 1903 in Nebraska; was buried in Bohemian Brethren Cemetery (AKA Cesky Bratri Cemetery), Fillmore County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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).