Clapisgha, head of the household. By 1860 Wenzel had taken over as head of the family. The census records suggest that Katerina lived with her son and his family until her death. She died 11 Jul 1878 and was buried in St. Wenceslaus Cemetery, Spillville.

Her daughter, Katherine married Joseph Sobolik on 3 Feb 1863 in Spillville. They farmed in Calmar Twp. where four children were born. She died 27 Apr 1868 following childbirth and was buried in St. Wenceslaus Cemetery. Wenzel married Mary Novak on 21 Feb 1860 at Spillville. They farmed in Section 34, Calmar Twp. where eleven children were born. Mary died 31 Aug 1881. The following year, Wenzel married Anna (Jarosh) Riehle on 30 Jul 1882. Wenzel died 21 Feb 1902 and was buried in St. Wenceslaus Cemetery. Mary married Joseph Sluka on 18 Aug 1863 at Spillville. Until 1866 they lived at McGregor where their first child was born. Returning to Winneshiek Co, they farmed in Washington Twp. where ten more children were born. Mary died 26 Mar 1940 at the age of 97. She was buried in St. John Cemetery, Fort Aktinson. Barbara married Anton Dostal on 10 Nov 1868 at Spillville. They lived at Calmar and Ossian before moving to Washington state. They had two children. Barbara died 3 Nov 1928 and was buried in Washington.

Sluka, John and Veronica (Marik/Marque)

(Mary Richmond)

John Sluka (b. 1808) married Veronica Marik/Marque (b. 1807) in Bohemia. They brought their children to the U.S. about 1854, eventually settling in Springfield Twp, Winneshiek Co. between 1856 and 1860. Their known children were: Mathias/Michael (ca 1834), Joseph (1840), Mary (1840), Wenceslaus (ca 1842) and John (1849). John, Sr. farmed until the late 1870’s, then moved to Fort Atkinson. Veronica died in 1885 and John in 1886. Both were buried in St. John Cemetery, Fort Atkinson.

Mathias lived in Spillville. He died at a Dubuque hospital on 12 Mar 1917.

Joseph married Mary Slepicka (see their biography).

Mary married John Votava/Wattawa. They had 10 children. Mary and John farmed east of Fort Atkinson and donated part of their land to create St. John Cemetery in which they were buried - she in 1896 and he in 1920.

Wenceslaus married Maria Voracek at Spillville 23 May 1871. They had 15 children. They sold their farm in the early 1880’s and eventually settled in Kandiyohi Co, MN. He died in 1938, she in 1933.

Sluka, Joseph Augustine and Mary Elizabeth (Slepicka)

(Mary Richmond)

Joseph Sluka, born in Bohemia 22 Feb 1837 to John and Veronica Sluka, and Mary Slepicka, born in Bohemia 21 Feb 1843 to Vaclav and Katerina Slepicka, married at Spillville 18 Aug 1863. For a time they lived at McGregor where their first child was born. By 1868 they were farming 134 acres in Sec. 17, just southeast of Fort Atkinson.

In 1873 Catholics in the Fort Atkinson area voted to build a church. John Votava, chairman of the group and Joseph Sluka’s brother-in-law, donated the land on which to build the church. Funding ran out before the building was completed; so Joseph, secretary of the building committee, mortgaged his farm to obtain money to complete the roof. A series of crop failures followed and Joseph was unable to repay the debt. With foreclosure threatening, Father F.X. Boeding of St. Lucas drove with horse and buggy from farm to farm collecting whatever he could to help pay the interest on the loan. The farm and the church were saved.

In the late 1890’s, Joseph and Mary acquired 129 acres in Sec. 9, northeast of his original farm and built a new home. While raising timbers to build the barn, one of them fell on him, crushing his body. He died two days later, 19 Jun 1899, and was buried from the church he helped to build.

Mary lived for another 41 years. For awhile she and her children managed the farm. In 1920 she retired to Fort Atkinson with her children, Mary, William and Kate. She died 26 Mar 1940, age 97. Both she and Joseph were buried in the St. John Cemetery, Fort Atkinson. They had eleven children.

Veronica (b. 13 Dec 1864) married Frank J. Huber 18 Nov 1890 at Fort Atkinson. They farmed in Sec. 33 and 34 in Washington Twp. where their five children were born. In 1921 they moved to Fort Atkinson. Veronica died in 1961; Frank in 1957. They were buried in St. John Cemetery. Vaclav (9 Sep 1866-12 Jun 1875) was buried in St. Wenceslaus Cemetery, Spillville. Josef (4 Feb 1868-4 Aug 1868) was buried beside his grandmother, Katerina Slepicka, in St. Wenceslaus Cemetery. Mary (4 Feb 1870-18 Apr 1929) was buried in St. John Cemetery. John (b. 22 Nov 1871) married Elizabeth Budke on 26 Oct 1897 at Fort Atkinson. They farmed the Sluka homestead southeast of Fort Atkinson, then retired to Fort Atkinson. They had one child. John died in 1958; Elizabeth in 1961. Both were buried in St. John Cemetery. Anna (29 Nov 1872-18 Oct 1879) was buried in St. John Cemetery. Emma (b. 29 Nov 1875) married Anton J. Schreiber on 23 Sep 1903 at Fort Atkinson. They had four children. She died in 1950; he in 1940. Both were buried in St. John Cemetery. Barbara (b. 21 Feb 1878) married Leo H. Huber on 8 Apr 1908 at Fort Atkinson. They had seven children. She died in 1965; he in 1965. Both were buried in St. John Cemetery. Anthony (1 Jul 1880-14 May 1885) was buried in St. John Cemetery. William T (b. 6 Mar 1883) farmed southeast of Fort Atkinson until 1920, then worked for the Fort Atkinson Nursery until his retirement. He died in 1969 and was buried in St. John Cemetery. Katharine (b. 14 Dec 1885) worked as a housekeeper at the Catholic parsonage in Fort Atkinson until 1930. She died in 1982 and was buried in St. John Cemetery.

Smalley, Ray and Elsie (Young)

(Ransome Bolson)

Elsie Young was born 9 Jan 1900 to George, Sr. and Minnie (Gutzka) Young about one mile east of Burr Oak, IA. The family moved a few miles further east of Burr Oak