Lukesh. Emalie was born 19 Jun 1875. John and Emalie had 6 children: William, Mary, Lillian, John, Anna and Frank.

John and Emalie were prospering and planning on building a grand new house. There was a second house on the farm, a small retirement house where John’s mother and brother Jim made their home. Their dreams were dashed when John suddenly passed away of a heart attack on 14 Mar 1914 at the age of 42 leaving Emalie with 6 children-the eldest 17 and the youngest age 7. The new house did get built, although large it was much simpler than the original plan. Emalie raised her family and never remarried.

Wedding portrait

Bride and groom: John Voyek and Emalie Lukes.
Attendants: Anna Zahasky, Jim Strnad, Mary Strnad and Frank Kinkor.
Emalie was the daughter of Frank Lukes and Barbara Zahasky Lukes.

William married Anna Krall and moved to a farm in Chickasaw Co. Later they moved to Waterloo, IA where William worked for Rath Packing Co, until his retirement. Mary married Edward Kalishek and also moved to Chickasaw Co later retiring in Protivin. Lillian married Ben Vsetecka and moved to a farm a few miles from her home. John worked for Bouska Construction and also helped with the farming. In 1939 he moved with his mother to Protivin. Later he married Gertrude Novak. Anna married Ben Riha also moving to Protivin. Pier uncle Jim made his home with her until his death in 1945. Her husband died at the age of 35 in 1944. She later married Edward Ira. During those years her mother Emalie made her home with them until her death on 25 Mar 1952. Frank the youngest son purchased the family farm from his mother Emalie in the 1930’s during the depression years.

Voyek, Mathias and Katherine (Stepan)

(JoAnn C. Dostal)

Matej Vojik (Voyek) was the 4th of 5 children born to Frantisek and Ana Sykora Vojik. He was born 1 Jan 1831 at Tesinov, Bohemia. His brother and two sisters died at an early age. Matej married Katherine Stepan, daughter of Albert and Elizabeth (Sobolik) Stepan, on 24 Feb 1851 at Tesinov. Katherine was born in Vsetec, Bohemia on 23 Sep 1829. Matej and Katherine lived in Tesinov in the house built in 1770 by Matej’s grandfather Jacob. On 8 May 1852 Matej sold the house in Tesinov for 135 gold pieces. The family included Matej, wife Katherine and daughter Marie who was one year old, when they embarked on their journey to America on the ship Bark Hansa out of Bremen, Germany. They arrived in New York Harbor on 13 Dec 1853. They continued their journey to Iowa and on 30 Dec 1854 Matej purchased land in Sumner Twp, Winneshiek Co. from the United States Government. They lived in a sod house until spring when they began building their permanent house. They had a fine limestone well, and built a hog house, chicken house, granary and large barn. A large orchard with a variety of fruit trees was planted as well as several rose bushes. To this day there is a large wooded area behind the farm. In the years when Matej and Katherine were living the woods was inhabited by many species of wildlife including bobcats and wolves.

Mathias and Katherine Voyek (Vojik)

During their years of farming, Matej and Katherine had 12 children, eight of whom survived. The eldest Marie married Vaclav Koudelka and moved to a neighboring farm. Elinor and Anna worked in Decorah, IA as House Girls, one of them working for the Ben Bear Family. Elinor married Thomas Kerian and Anna married his brother James, both migrated to the Red River Valley of North Dakota. Katherine married Joseph Malek who died in their third year of marriage leaving Katherine with 2 children. She later married John Hrnecek of Spillville-they migrated to Dakota Territory in a covered wagon settling on a claim near Lidgerwood, ND in 1883. Soon after they moved into Lidgerwood where Frank was an Implement Dealer as well as a farmer. Rose married Matt Kinkor and moved to a neighboring farm. The year Rose got married the Vojiks had completed construction of their new barn. As was customary in those days a barn dance was held on her wedding day. That also was the year that Spillville