Cemetery History ** BOHEMIAN NATIONAL

The Bohemian-Slavonian cemetery in Wilber is noted for its fine appearance. Frank Rejcha, the present secretary, has furnished the following information: On February 16, 1874, a meeting was called in Wilber, for the purpose of founding a cemetery. Sixty-one members enrolled and each agreed to pay $4.75, in payments, as a fee. Joseph Kobes agreed to sell forty acres of school land that he had taken in Sec. 16. The first payment per member was 70 cents each, to get together the amount which Kobes had had to pay as first payment on the land. The association borrowed money to purchase the land and this debt was paid off in time. Joseph Kobes was elected president, Joseph Prokes secretary; Frank Stepanek treasurer, Frank Tichy and Jacob Kobes trustees and Andreas Rezabek caretaker. Ten acres in the southwest corner were set aside for cemetery purposes, the rest "broken". All members who broke ground with a team for one day received a lot free, otherwise the cost was $5.00. Frank Seidl, a blacksmith, wanted a lot, but had no team or money. He offered to sharpen plowshares gratis for those who did the breaking and thereby received a lot. We make note of this just to show how difficult it was for pioneers to get a little money, so scarce in those days. The first body to be interred there was that of Joseph Karas, a ten-year-old boy, March 10, 1874, and in that year also were buried the bodies of Anna Schleis, George Parker and Helen Pivonka. In 1875 the cemetery was surveyed into lots. In 1876 Joseph Kobes rented the cultivated portion for $1.50 per acre. In 1886 the first fence (of wood) was put up. In 1887 the first Decoration Day was observed, although it was commemorated July 6, the anniversary of the burning of John Hus. This was repeated the following year, by which time Congress had set aside May 30 for this memorial and it was observed on that day thereafter. In 1888 dissension occurred. Some members wanted part of the cemetery to be set aside for the Catholics, but F. J. Sadilek and others succeeded in averting a disruption. In 1890 a building costing $102.50 was erected and a well 102 feet deep made. That year fire destroyed this building and a subscription was made to erect another. In 1891 a vandal knocked over and damaged a number of monuments and although the Association offered $50.00 reward for his apprehension, he was never found. In 1892 a windmill was purchased and in that year the first trees were planted. In 1911 a cement walk costing $2,415.00 and leading from the city limits to the cemetery was laid, a distance of one and a fourth miles. Joseph Rychtarik donated $50.00 and a strip of land for the purpose. Others subscribed to the amount of $1,600.00, the rest was paid by the Association. In 1919 an ornamental fence was erected at a cost of $2,821.05, the whole matter being under the supervision of secretary Rejcha. The Association established a fund for perpetual care. F. J. Sadilek, a Wilber pioneer, who as a non-sectarian speaker has officiated at more funerals of Czechs throughout our state than any other, naturally has thus served more of his townspeople, buried in this cemetery. Martin Janecek has taken care of the beautiful trees, and Frank Rejcha, who became secretary in 1916, undertook the Herculean task of making a complete record, dates of deaths, etc., of all buried here. This had never been done before. One side of the entrance gate bears the following inscription: "What you are, we were." On the other side: "What we are, you will be."

Contributed on 10/9/17 by confederate_wolfe
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Record #: 318220

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