the photo collection
of
mildred herink buethe
photo 4667, millie & her brother leo in 1931, in a snowstorm, with their dog
photo 4602, millie & her brother leo...and a story
photo 4631 - leo in his first car, 1942
Photo 4631, Leo Herink. Millie says, "On the back of the photo is written Leo in his car the day before he went on a trip to Wyoming and Colorado with R.H. July 29 to August 1, 1942.”
joe & rose stepan herink
1911 - Joe Herink at his farm in thayer county, ne before he married rose stepan
Photo 4642 - It is postmarked in nearby Muhaska, KS but on the back, but says it was taken in Hubbell, NE. Both towns straddled the Kansas-Nebraska line and the farm was apparently just on the Nebraska side, which was Thayer County. The house in the distance is not the farm where Joe would go with his new wife, who he would marry the year after this photograph was taken. Millie does not know what the Vencil or Joseph Herink homes looked like. Vencil was a wood craftsman in Plzen Bohemia . He built their home there and also a home on the land that they homesteaded here in Nebraska.
Back of Photo 4642, Joe Herink in a buggy
photo 6678, the 1912 wedding of millie's parents, rose stepan & joe herink
Millie tells a story about this photo:
This is the wedding photo of Joseph Herink and Rose Mae Stepan , October 12, 1912, Pawnee
City, Nebraska. Attendants were Bessie Stepan, sister of the bride, and Amos Hubka, cousin of the groom.
Amos drove them to the new Pawnee courthouse. The story goes that Rose had her handmade floral bouquet in a box in the car. Before they left, her father, thinking he was helping, took the box out so they would have more room. When they got to Pawnee City they realized they had no flowers for the photos so they had to go to a shop to purchase them. So the flowers in the photo were not hand made.
They had a wedding supper at the brides home near DuBois consisting of noodle soup, pies, kolaches, and many other goodies, all made by Rose's mother and sisters. After they ate, everything was cleared away and they danced to accordion music provided by Frank and Henry, her brothers. It was not mentioned in Rose's memoirs but I have a feeling they may have had some beer to drink.
JOE & ROSE HERINK'S first home
Thayer County, Nebraska
Where was the new home of Pawnee County girl Rose Stepan Herink? Some photos say Thayer County, Nebraska. Some say Muhaska, Kansas. Some say Hubbell and some say between Hubbell, Nebraska and Muhaska, Kansas. Hubbell is in Thayer County, Nebraska and is perched on the Kansas-Nebraska line. Muhaska in in Washington County, Kansas and is only a few miles away, a bit southeast of Hubbell. The farm must literally have been on the line.
The 1910 and 1920 federal census records show Jose & Rose living in Rose Creek, Thayer County, Nebraska. There was indeed a tiny town of Rose Creek in Thayer County, but it had disappeared long before that, when the railroad was built elsewhere.
It was not at the Kansas-Nebraska border because the village of Rose Creek was said to have been north of the Republican Valley Railroad line built in 1880.
HOWEVER, it turns out that there was a Rose Creek precinct in Thayer County. The operative word is "was" because in the days of the 1910 and 1920 census at least, the voting precincts in Thayer County did not have set boundaries. The boundaries changed according to the number of residents, and were subject to consolidation with other precincts. The precinct does not exist today. Hubbell is in Chester Precinct. Weirdly, Rose Creek Precinct in KANSAS is on the other side of the border from Chester Precinct in Thayer County, Nebraska, which is the currently the precinct in which Hubbell, NE is located. Bottom line is that we can tell that Joe & Rose lived in Thayer County and their farm was within the Rose Creek voting precinct in 1910 and 1920 but that Rose Creek voting precinct was apparently consolidated into another (perhaps Chester?) at some time after that.
With all of that, who could be faulted for citing Muhaska as the site of some of these pictures?
The 1910 and 1920 federal census records show Jose & Rose living in Rose Creek, Thayer County, Nebraska. There was indeed a tiny town of Rose Creek in Thayer County, but it had disappeared long before that, when the railroad was built elsewhere.
It was not at the Kansas-Nebraska border because the village of Rose Creek was said to have been north of the Republican Valley Railroad line built in 1880.
HOWEVER, it turns out that there was a Rose Creek precinct in Thayer County. The operative word is "was" because in the days of the 1910 and 1920 census at least, the voting precincts in Thayer County did not have set boundaries. The boundaries changed according to the number of residents, and were subject to consolidation with other precincts. The precinct does not exist today. Hubbell is in Chester Precinct. Weirdly, Rose Creek Precinct in KANSAS is on the other side of the border from Chester Precinct in Thayer County, Nebraska, which is the currently the precinct in which Hubbell, NE is located. Bottom line is that we can tell that Joe & Rose lived in Thayer County and their farm was within the Rose Creek voting precinct in 1910 and 1920 but that Rose Creek voting precinct was apparently consolidated into another (perhaps Chester?) at some time after that.
With all of that, who could be faulted for citing Muhaska as the site of some of these pictures?
Photo 4652 - Herink property at Rose Creek
Photo 4614. Their first home. Millie says that Joe had been living here single, and brought his new wife here to make it their first home.
1914 - joe & rose's first car
Photo 4637
1913 - 3 stepans cutting wood
Millie says this photo was taken in Thayer county, the first home of Rose Stepan & Joe Herink and the men are building a new barn on the property. These are Rose's father Joe Stepan, and Rose's brothers Ralph & Henry.
Henry, Ralph, & Joe Stepan cutting wood in 1913. Photo 6485.
1914 - a new barn
Photo 6486 -- a new barn for Joe & Rose at their Thayer County, Nebraska home, built by their Table Rock relatives -
1915 - joe & rose with baby melvin at the depot
Of the group of four adults, the two on the right are Millie's parents, Rose & Joe Herink, with Rose holding Millie's brother Melvin. Photo 6478.
1916 - guests at the farm
Photo 4639: “Joe and Rose holding Melvin. Mary Novotny Herink, mother of Joe, center,man, lady and boy- unknown. Joseph and Emma Herink Prokop, Joseph and Alma Herink Wosoba. Emma and Alma sisters of Joe Herink.”
1917 - melvin on a tricycle
Photo 4643 - Melvin Herink on his tricycle. According to the photo, it was taken at the Hnizda farm near Table Rock.
1919 - joe & rose with melvin
Photo 4638: Joe, Rose, and Melvin. “Taken October 1919 Farm owned by Joe and Rose between Hubbell and Mahaska, Kansas. Moved from there to Pawnee in 1920.”
1927 - building a machine shed at the farm
In 1927, a new machine shed & crib were built for Joe & Rose at their home in Thayer County, Nebraska. Working on the shed, according to the label, were Henry and Frank Stepan, Joe Karas, and Joe, Melvin, and Leo Herink -- all relatives.
Photo 6487, Mildred's photo, unretouched & uncropped -- names &* date are here.
joe & rose's second farm, near pawnee city
When did they move to this farm? Millie was born in Pawnee City in 1929, so it was at some point before that.
Photo 4618. This farm was the second farm of Joe and Rose Herink, and was located two miles west and two miles north of Pawnee City. The farm was sold when Joe and Rose retired to a house in Pawnee. Later the house burned down and buildings also. The first home was in Thayer county in the little house with the huge barn they built there.
Photo 4617, Joe & Rose Stepan Herink farm's near Pawnee City.
mementos from rose stepan's country school days
Year 1889: "Mrs. Elizabeth Stuky (sic?), Dubois
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School year 1902-1903, prize for "best speling." From country school teacher Zella Andrews. Photo 4608b.
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School year 1907-1908 memento from teacher Flora Britt at District 31 country school. Photo 4608a.
threshing with ralph stepan, a brother of millie's mother ROSE STEPAN HERINK
Mildred says,
I have several old postcards of Ralph's threshing operation. Thanks to my Mother's being a writer and hoarder of old things, I have a lot of stuff. Also,Ralph's wife, Lillian was a photographer in those days. That was rather unusual...she even developed the photos herself.
Mildred says that the photo is on a card and it says on the back, "Taken on the Hnizda place. Joe, Me, Mary and Ella. " That would be Rose Stepan Herink, Joe Herink, with Mary Stepan Hunzeker on the wheel with the girl Ella -- last name unknown.
Photo 6479.
Photo 6480, on Ralph Stepan's tractor
Photo 6488, Threshing
photo 4649 -- with the grandmothers?
Millie says, “Left to right Mary Stepan, Tony Stepan Jasa, Millie Jasa Bryant, and two unknown ladies.
Those two ladies on the far right must be grandmothers. Guessing I would say the heavy set lady might be Pete's mother but I have never seen a picture of her so I don't know. The other lady could be Tony's mother Antonie Stepan.”
Those two ladies on the far right must be grandmothers. Guessing I would say the heavy set lady might be Pete's mother but I have never seen a picture of her so I don't know. The other lady could be Tony's mother Antonie Stepan.”
photo 4604, In 1911, six young ladies who worked in pawnee city
“Left to right; Rose Mach, Fannie Sibl, Rose Mae Stepan
Rose Sibl, Emma Dvorak, Molly Jaros Kunz. They all worked in Pawnee. 1911”
here's a little slide show so you can see just how pretty each young woman is:
photo 4606, mary stepan & ed hunzeker wedding picture
frank stepan, the favorite brother of millie's mother
Photo 6484, Millie's Uncle Frank Stepan
millie's STORY about her uncle frank
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Photo 4613
MORE with the stepans
Rose & Bessie Stepan with Blanche Hubka, dated March 5, 1911. Photo 6491.
Henry Mary, & Rose Stepan & Frank Slama. Photo 6489.
JOE STEPAN
Joe Stepan's original house. It was on a 120-acre farm near Dubois. Photo 6682.
Joe Stepan moved to Lockwood, Missouri in about 1913. Lockwood is in southwest Missouri; at the last census, the population was 936.
The Stepan home in Lockwood, Missouri in 1913. Photo 4605.
Lockwood, Missouri in 1913. Ralph Stepan on bale, Joseph Stepan on the right. Marie and Bessie are on the left. The others are neighbors. Photo 4625.
Back row: Ralph Stepan and Frank Kadlec (neighbor); seated: Lois Smith and Marie Kadlec (neighbors), Bessie Stepan Karas, and Marie Stepan Hunzeker. Photo 4616, taken in Lockwood, Missouri.
On closer look, Bessie Stepan Karas and Marie Stepan Hunzeker are wearing flags on their bosoms, and Ralph Stepan has a nice head of hair!
Photo 4627. Taken in Lockwood in 1913: Mary & Bessie Stepan and Marie Kadlec, a neighbor
Photo 4624. Millie labeled this photo: "Lockwood. Ralph, Bessie, & Marie with neighbors 1913.”
Having fun -- Postcards from frank slama, camping at apache, oklahoma
Photo 4600: Seated: Molly Svykovsky, Emma and Marie Vitek, with Frank Slama
Photo 4601: Molly Svykovsky, Emma & Marie Vitek, Frank Slama
the joseph & antonie vasik stepan pamily
(THE FAMILY OF ROSE STEPAN HERINK)
In 1904
Photo of Joseph and Antonie Vasik Stepan family taken in 1904
Back row: Louis, Frank, Joseph, Rose Mae, Henry, Ralph
Front row Bessie, Joseph, Mary, Antoinette, Antonia (Tony)
Bessie, Mary and Tony lived in the Table Rock vicinity all their married lives.
Back row: Louis, Frank, Joseph, Rose Mae, Henry, Ralph
Front row Bessie, Joseph, Mary, Antoinette, Antonia (Tony)
Bessie, Mary and Tony lived in the Table Rock vicinity all their married lives.
1906 (circa) Joe & antonie home near dubois
Photo 4647
Some of the younger children of Joe & Antonie: Frank , Bessie, Rose Mae, Mary, and Henry Stepan. It says on this card that this house was known as the Wenzbauer farm and that they bought it and moved there in 1906 (but does not give the date of the photo as 1906, although it could be). It says thgat the farm was three and one half miles from DuBois, so this is where Rose lived and went to school. Later, probably after Rose left home, the family lived at the Hndiza place. Millie says, "They really moved around a lot!"
1913 - joe & antonie & family
Photo 4640, Back row; Henry Stepan, Joe Herink, Ralph Stepan; 2nd row, Mary Stepan Hunzeker, Rose Stepan Herink, Bessie Stepan Karas, Tony Stepan Jasa, Pete Jasa, Front; Joseph Stepan Sr., Antonie Vasik Stepan, Ludvik Jasa, Millie Jasa; taken 1913. New Year's Day
Pete Jasa
born in bohemia in 1882, died in table rock in 1965
Pete Jasa from the family photo taken in 1913, above. He lived a long life.
Photo 4654
Photo 4654, lifted from the FindaGrove memorial above --- waiting for names from Millie
tony stepan jasa
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Photo 4655b, Antonie Stepan Jasa
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at joe stepan's
Photo 4641. Taken by Lillian Novotny Stepan at Joseph Stepan's.
Back row standing; Joseph Stepan, Sr., Henry Stepan, Joe Herink, Joe Karas
Sitting; Pete Jasa and boys; Ludvik, Louis and Loyd,, Ralph Stepan
1920 - joe & antonie stepan with daughter rose & her husband joe herink
Photo 4644, Joe & Antonie Stepan with Rose & Joe Herink
1923 - antonie & joe with grandchildren melvin & leo herink
Josef & Antonie Vasik Stepan and grandchildren Melvin & Leo Herink, children of their daughter Rose. Photo 4615. On the back of this photograph is written: "Photo 4615. Joseph & Antonie Vasik Stepan with Melvin & Leo Herink. Mildred says, “December 16, 1923. On back of photo is written: Dear Father, died 9 months after their golden anniversary.age 76, 7 months, Took sick July 6th and died July 18th, 1925.”
1925 -joe stepan dies
Photo 4649a - Joe Stepan's death certificate
Photo 4657, bringing the coffee out -- looks like the home, not a funeral parlor or church....
Photo 4657b, at the Bohemian Cemetery, Table Rock
1930 - tony stepan dies
bessie stepan & Joe Karas
Photo 4620 - Bessie & Joe Karas with their daughter Nettie
photo 4607 a & b: lillian NOvotny & ralph stepan
Lillian Novotny, undated
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Lillian & Ralph Stepan's wedding picture
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a family reunion in 1915
Photo 4630: Left to right; Mother Stepan; Mother Jasa, Bessie Stepan Karas, Tony Stepan Jasa, Mary Stepan Hunzeker, Emma Herink (sister of Joe Herink), Lillian Novotny Stepan (wife of Ralph Stepan).
Lillian took the photo. Oct. 1915; taken at Joseph Stepan's home.
1915 family reunion. Left to right; Joseph Stepan, Antonie stepan, Emma Herink, Mrs. Jasa, Marie stepan (Hunzeker), Pete Jasa, Tony Jasa,Joe and Bessie (Stepan) Karas, Joe and Rose (Stepan) Herink, Louis, Lloyd, Ludvik and Millie Jasa
photo by Lillian
photo by Lillian
some of the family in 1950
Stepan, herink, Karas, hunzeker, turnbull, neve, and knippelmeyer
Left to right in back; Lily Novotny Stepan,, Vlasta Stepan; Bessie Stepan karas , Rose Stepan Herink,Mary Stepan Hunzeker, Virginia Stepan Mortensen, Nettie Karas Stehlik, holding (?), 2nd row; Jean Wilcox Herink, Rose Stepan Hubka, Betty Marie Stepan, front; Alma Krofta Herink with Carol Jean Herink Turnbull, Evelyn Stepan Neve, Dorothy Stepan, Mildred Herink Buethe holding Connie Rose Buethe Knippelmeyer
family fun
A November 1908 house party. Ed Hubka and John Stepanek, far left and right. Standing: Blanche Hubka & Rose Stepan Herink. Seated: Bessie Wenzbauer, Bessie Stepan, & Bessie Rakosnik. Photo 4622.
Fun in the snow: Dec. 29, 1909, In the snow: Back row: Anna Stepan, Bessie Stepan Karas, Bessie Rakosnik, & Mary Stepan Hunzeker. Front row: Ralph Stepan, Rose L. Stepan Hubka, & Rose Mae Stepan Herink . Photo 4623.
A big house party at the Joe Stepan home near Dubois. The postcard text says it was a dance party on April 20, 1909. A date stamp says it was in July 1908. I would trust the text. Photo 4628.
Names according to the back of this picture: First row: Blanche Hubka, Rose M. Stepan, Anna Stepan, Bessie Rakosnik, Bessie Stepan, Rose L. Stepan, Marie Stepan, Adolph Stepan. Second row: Will H., John Rakosnik, Ferdinand H., Lou Hiubka, Albert Hunzeker, Ed Hubka,and Ludvik Rkosnik; Last row: Albin Hubka, Jim Hubka, Ludevik Shinn, Chester Mach, and Henry Stepan.
On the back of of the house party picture
photo 6679, herink, jasa, & stepans
Photo 6679: Joe Herink, Pete Jasa, Joseph Stepan, Henry Stepan, Ralph Stepan, & in front is Ludvik Jasa
in the year 1906
In 1906, Blanche Hubka, Lillian Zulek, Bessie Rakosnik. Photo 4626.
Photo 6680 - henry stepan & accordion
some stepan friends
Mollie Kysela, taken in Moore, Oklahoma in 1910. Photo 6490. Millie says that Mollie was not a relative, presumably was a close family friend.
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Mollie & Rosa Kysela, taken in Moore, Oklahoma. Photo 6492. They were friends of Rose and Bessie Stepan
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at dubois
A play at Dubois, Photo 6496.
Mildred says that on the back of the card is this writing:
A Big Drama - took place at the DuBois K of P hall, Feb. 20, 1911. Photo by Henry R. Rakosnik
First row: Ferdinand Hubka and Frank Jaros
Second row: Mr and Mrs Frank Stepan, Ed Hubka, Agnes Horalek, Bessie Stepan, Blanclhe Hubka, and Rose Mae Stepan (Herink)
Seated are: Albin Hubka, Rose L. Stepan (cousin) , Frank Mares, Anna S. Slama, Frank Dobrovolny, Manager.
Mildred says that on the back of the card is this writing:
A Big Drama - took place at the DuBois K of P hall, Feb. 20, 1911. Photo by Henry R. Rakosnik
First row: Ferdinand Hubka and Frank Jaros
Second row: Mr and Mrs Frank Stepan, Ed Hubka, Agnes Horalek, Bessie Stepan, Blanclhe Hubka, and Rose Mae Stepan (Herink)
Seated are: Albin Hubka, Rose L. Stepan (cousin) , Frank Mares, Anna S. Slama, Frank Dobrovolny, Manager.
a czech performance at the ideal theater in table rock
(Now the table rock theater)
Photo 4621. Millie says of this: "Photo 4621, flyer for performance at the Table Rock Theater. Millie says, “Ralph Stepan (my uncle) Ludvik Jasa (my cousin) The Edd Karas might be my uncle but not sure as there is another Ed Karas. I didn't think he spelled his name with 2 D's.” [Edd Karas was the father of Dolores Karas Sochor.]
at humboldt
Photo 4634, Humboldt flooding May 21, 1908
Photo 4635, Humboldt, undated
old postcards
The new Pawnee County Courthouse. Note that in the
background to the right is the old Pawnee City Opera House. Millie, says about the courthouse, "My parents, Joe and Rose Stepan Herink were the first couple to be married in the new Pawnee Court House , on October 16, 1912.
Photo 6494, the old Nebraska State Capitol
Photo 6495, the Nebraska State Penitentiary
from a home far away
in
moravia
This is a map of Map of Nove Mesto Moravia -The map shows Kuklik and Konikov, villages of Millie's direct Stepan & Vasik ancestors. Photo 4632.
Photo 4633, the ship's list for the journey to America of Joseph & Antonie Stepan and family. The ship was only a little over a year old and was to have a long history of its own.
a poignant letter from home, written in 1910 but not delivered until 1912
Millie does not know this family. She says they were friends of her grandparents Joseph & Antonia Vasik Stepan. It was written to them by Marie Havlik of Kuklik, Moravia. Joe & Antonie had left Moravia in 1893, 17 years before the letter was written. Perhaps letters had been exchanged before.
Photo 4636a, apparently the mother Havlik described in the letter, with children. This photograph was included with the letter.
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family homes back in the old country
Below is a home in Oudranek, Photo 4648. Millie says about this photo:
House in Odranec, listed as No. 4, and right on the square near the village chapel and the fishpond. (In the olden days nearly all the villages had a pond in the center). Quaint little storybook cottage.
The story of the occupants is intriguing. This was the home of Josefa Warak (born November 23, 1823). Her father was Matje Warak listed as a farmhand living at Odranec house no. 4.HOWEVER, In the birth registerof the village was the notation that Josefa was the illegitimate daughter of Josefa Warak; and that Josefa the mother was the illegitimate daughter of Anna (no last name given). Grandfather Jiri George Stepan married Josefa Warak November 24 , 1844, in Ondranec. There has to be a story behind this. Was the problem religion? Or, men going off to war and not returning? Or was it a cult or family tradition??? Might be a mistake in the records, or an error in translation. Not sure
The Stepan house in Kuklik, Photo 5650A & B
Millie says, "I think it was next to Frysava and Kuklik somewhere. The villages sometimes ran together so you couldn't tell which village it was . Just a road sign.”
The home in Cikanka
Photo 4651
who are they?
Millie does not recognize the faces and so believes that they must have been friends of the Stepans and/or Herinks. Who are they? They may be from the Table Rock - Dubois area, but not necessarily.
Photo 4662. What a wonderful picture, but who are they! These are in her old family pictures and may not necessarily be Table Rock.
Photo 4663
Photo 4664
Photo 4665
Photo 4668
Taken at the Karas Studio in Elk Creek, Photo 4610
Taken at the E. & H. Photo Company, no place or date. Photo 4611.
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Photo 4612. Millie says of this one: "I believe them to be Hubka's, but, I can't place them. If you can find somebody in the family they might know them.They look so much like the family...just can't figure out how they fit!
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Mildred does not know these two young ladies. The studio where it was taken was in Pawnee City. On the bottom of the original is written "Herink," but Mildred thinks that was a reference to who the photo belonged to or was to go to.
She does not recognize them. Photo 6470.