== Bessie Psikal Vap - Family Stories == ''Page last modified [[LastModified(delta)]] ago'' [[PageOutline(1-2,Page Contents)]] '''''The following are from handwritten stories written by Bessie Vap for her granddaughter Melissa Vap (now Kubicka). Thanks to Melissa for sharing them with us. ''''' ---- July 16, 1975 Wrote by Grandmother of Missy Vap. Bessie B. Vap maiden name Bessie B. Psikal. Born Dec. 13, 1903. Parents Charles and Anna Psikal. Parents married Nov. 6, 1886 at Crete Nebr Catholic Church. Mother's maiden name Anna Malon born in Horny Loucky Moravia Czechoslovakia Europe. Her parents was Fred and Vincentia Malon who passed away at their home in Horny Loucky Moravia during the 1st world war. My mother at age 18 and her sister Amalia came to America in March 1886. They came to Deweese Nebr where their uncle and alot of friends from Horny Loucky lived. They worked for different people till Nov. when they went to Dorchester and married 2 brothers, Charles and Alois Psikal. My father Charles Psikal was born in Podoli Moravia Czechoslovakia Europe. He came to America in 1877 to Crete Nebr. with his parents John and Philipinia Psikal and brothers John, Frank, Joseph, Alois and Bert. Joseph passed away of pneumonia about a year after they arrived in Crete. They lived in Crete till 1880. When all of the family moved to a farm 7 miles south west of Dorchester. There was 320 acres of land in this farm they bought from a Railroad Co. My brother Henry Psikal owns this farm now. He is the only brother I have that is living now. My father's parents moved to Ponca City Okla. with sons John and Frank, both single, and Alois and family, who's wife Amalia was mother's sister, about year 1897. They bought farms there. Their son John passed away 2 years after moving out there and Alois passed away soon after John about year 1901. Leaving Amalia with 8 children, the 9th one born after he passed away. She stayed on the farm. Had a hired man do the work for a while then her children got big enough to do the work. They made a good go of it. My father's brother Frank passed away late in 1906, and my grandparents about 1907. They celebrated their Golden Wedding anv. about 2 years before they passed away. They were close to 80 yr. of age and died about 2 month apart. My father's brother Bert sold his part of the farm to my father and bought a farm about 1.5 miles north and moved his family on it. His sons, the Palky boys, own the farm now (Bert Psikal had his named changed to Palky). My parents now owned all of the farm left. I was the youngest of 8 children. All of us was born on this farm. The oldest was Emma. She was 16 yr older than I. Then was Mary, Emil, Lula, Joe, Henry, William, then me. Emil bought a farm south west of Dorchester 4 miles. Lived on it till he passed away in 1969. Joe bought a farm about 2 miles north west of Henry's place, passed away there 1952. William bought a farm across road east of Henry and passed away there in 1962. Emil never married. Joe married Augusta Zumpfe, she is still living and Henry married Julia Kasparek, they are both living, William married Marie Divoky, she is still living. My grandparents & parents and brothers all farmed raised grain cattle and poultry. They all owned steam engine threshing machines and corn sheller and well drilling rig, done work for people with this machinery. The farm also had a small stream running through part of year it was dry. There was a lot of walnut trees oak trees and other trees growing on it. Lot of this wood was cut for stove wood every year. Some of the walnut trees was sold to a lumber co. After my grandparents moved to Okla, my mother's brother Alois Malon came across from the old country and made his home for about 4 years with my parents. Then he bought a farm at Anadarko Okla, moved on it and got married to a Kvasnica girl there. My sister Emma went to visit him and stayed there, she married Eman Kvasnica, brother to Alois' wife. They bought a farm there lived on it till they passed away a few yr ago. They had one son Henry who never married and passed away about 3 yr ago, no other children. My mother's brother frank came across about same year my grandparents moved to Okla. He also bought a farm by Ponca City close to my grandparents. Both of mother's brothers and sister in this country have passed away. She had 1 brother & 2 sisters left in the old country, but I don't know much about them. I think they all passed away. I may have some cousins living there. Mother had a sister pass away a little younger than mother was, but just a small girl. My sister Mary married Ed Andelt they lived on his farm by Crete Nebr till they both passed away. Their son Fred owns and lives on the farm now. Their other children are Alice who lives in Crete. Emma Edward & William who live on farms close to Crete. Sister Lula married Lewis Vap, a uncle to my husband Albert and lived on the farm across the road from where Melvin Vap's live now west. They had 2 living children Richard who passed away at 26 yr of age of sunstroke and Margaret Hajny who lives on farm south east of Clay Center. After Lulas husband passed away on the farm she moved to Clay Center and passed away in a nursing home in Hastings a few years ago. Your grandfather Albert Vap was born Jan 19, 1902. Oldest of 8 children born to Joseph & Mary Zlatkovsky Vap on their farm 2 miles west of Deweese Nebr. He grew up on this farm. His brothers were Ray and Kenneth who have passed away, Ted and George living. Sisters Christina living address Lincoln Nebr, Helen Edgar, and Doris who lives in New Jersey. Albert's father Joe Vap had 3 brothers Frank, Enos and Lewis. 4 sisters Mary Skalka, Francis Faimon, Josie Svoboda, Lydia Melichar. Albert's grandparents Egnac and Francis Vap and great grandfather Frank Vap came from Horni Loucky also. They came across yr of 1880 and moved on farm they bought or its the farm given to Lewis Vap and my sister Lula. Across road west where Melvin lives now more of the Vaps that was cousins to Alberts dad came across year after year. Some settled at Atwood Kansas. Some in Ponca City Okla and Apache Okla All settled on farms. All had large families so Albert has 3rd and 4th cousins in all these towns. That Catholic Church that was hit by lightning and closed east of Melvin's was named Loucky Church after the town all the people who went to it came from. Albert's grand parents great grandfather and his father's brothers are buried in the cemetery across the road from the church. Albert's mother's parents and stepmother are buried in the Fairfield Cemetery just a little way east of where Albert's parents are buried. Ray and Kenneth are also buried close to Albert's parents also our daughter Milly. Albert's mother was just a small girl when her mother passed away. She had 2 sisters raised her one married Frank Vap brother to Albert's dad, the parents of Frank Vap in Hastings. The other married a Koukal their daughter was Joe Jedounek's wife she passed away over 20 yr ago. Joe and his 2 children still live on same farm just north of Melvin's. Albert's mother's father married again after Albert's mother married. So Albert's mother had 1 half brother and 3 half sisters about same age as her children. Her father passed away and her stepmother was taken to State Hospital where she lived a long time, she passed away there about the time LaVeta worked there. Albert's mother had 4 children of her own, age 2 to 8 yr old when her father died. There was no one to take care of his children so she had to take them into her home till homes was found for them. Some stayed several years. Well Missy this is about all I can write you may not understand this but when you see me I will try to explain it better. I forgot to give the married names of Albert's sisters. After Albert and I was married in 1924 we lived on farm across road from his folks. We moved to Hastings when Melvin was 1.5 yr old from then on we moved 16 times. Till St. Libory is our home now. Albert E. Vap and Bessie B. Psikal. Married Nov. 17, 1924 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Crete Nebr. ---- == Sources and Contributors == * Typed in from handwritten notes supplied by Melissa Vap Kubicka ---- == Links == * [wiki:Vap Return to Vap main page]