Emily married Watts, Cory Michael [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Kouba, Carol Annette [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was in the US Army 15 Feb 1952. His middle name is his Mother's maiden name. One of his jobs was driving a milk truck. He had an early delivery route along a local road where he seemed to always meet a certain other resident of West Frankfort. They started doing a 'chicken' routine, both switching lanes at the same time. One day Roger took vacation and was not driving, and when the other driver switched lanes, and the substitute driver did not, and they almost had a head on collision. Roger later started working for 'Old Ben' coal mine and worked up to being in charge of the lift. He injured his shoulder in an accident, and then developed a severe case of vasculitis from which he almost died. His second wife, Phyllis, was a good nurse to help his recover from this illness..

Roger married George, Dorothy Dean on 10 Jul 1948 in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, USA. Dorothy (daughter of George, Alfonso Otto and Brown, Mozell Lura) was born on 20 Nov 1928 in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, USA; died on 3 Dec 1983 in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Her son, John Bradley discovered her genealogy notes after her death.
These provided a great deal of the George/Young genealogy information.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: Between 21 Mar and 31 Dec 1929, United Methodist Church, Blairstown, Benton, Iowa, USA
• Occupation: Electrical Engineer
• Religion: Baptist

Notes:

He served in the US Air Force from Aug 1951 to Aug 1955. His Service Number was 172 333 172. He was sent to Radar School at Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi. Then he was sent to a radar bomb scoring detachment at Fairfax Airport, Kansas City, Kansas. There, in Kansas City, Kansas, he met his bride to be. Just when they got acquainted, he received orders to go to Korea for a year. When he got back he was sent to a bomb scoring unit in St. Louis for 3 months until he was discharged, and then they were married! A thought from a book on Virginia Unger's table: "Man is constantly adding to his knowledge of the world, but to do any good, it must be shared." My Mother recorded that he was baptized by the Rev. L. D. Stubbs in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Blairstown, Iowa in 1929.

Buried:
Body Donated to Science

Emil married Unger, Helen Grace Margaret on 14 Aug 1955 in First Baptist Church, Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA. Helen (daughter of Unger, Albert and Watkins, Agnes) was born on 24 May 1927 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA; died on 6 May 2023 in St Andrews Assisted Living of Bridgeton, Bridgeton, St Louis, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Housewife
• Religion: Baptist

Notes:

Helen worked after high school graduation for a number of firms: John Deere, Hartzfeld Jewelers and Lerner's Vogue. Then she worked 10 years for JR Lobaugh, Realtor. During this time she also attended junior college classes in Kansas City, Missouri. She wrote a ltter every day for a year to her future husband while he was overseas in Korea.

Helen Grace Margaret Unger Kouba was born in Kansas City, Kansas on May 24, 1927, and passed away on May 6, 2023 in Bridgeton. She was preceded in death by her parents, Agnes and Albert Unger, older brother, Bill, and husband, Emil R. Kouba.

Helen was baptized as a small child, and faithfully attended First Baptist of KCK. She wrote that she “learned to love the Lord Jesus and to accept Him as my Savior.”

After high school graduation in 1945, she went to work full-time to support her parents. She sent herself to community college at night. She worked for almost a decade at JR Lobaugh’s insurance agency, earning her broker’s license and managing the office. At church, she was involved in teaching Sunday School and singing in the choir, where a certain Air Force Airman had been invited to meet the girl next to her in the choir loft! Helen told her mom that she met a man who had the funniest name she’d ever heard; Emil Kouba! When he left for Korea, they wrote each other daily. They married on August 14, 1955, and moved to Manhattan, Kansas where they welcomed their first son, Kevin, days before graduation! They moved to St. Louis with Emerson Electric. In 1958 they settled into their new home in Florissant, and joined Florissant Presbyterian. They welcomed a second son, Douglas. Later they joined Ferguson Presbyterian, where Helen was ordained as a Deaconess, serving the sick and elderly.

Friends often came to visit Helen & Emil, and she worked tirelessly to welcome overnight company and frequent dinner guests. They welcomed a daughter, Carol.

The family joined Hazelwood Baptist in 1972, where Helen taught youth in Sunday School and helped at Vacation Bible School. She helped sick neighbors, delivered Meals on Wheels, and transported kids so often she said she needed a “chauffeur’s hat.”

After joining First Baptist Ferguson in 1978, Helen made housecalls for each child enrolled in their preschool Sunday School classes. Helen & Emil taught for over 25 years, including their five grandkids.
They took family vacations each summer, seeing almost every continental state. Helen & Emil went to Hawaii in 1980 to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and were in Alaska during 9/11. Emil counted their wedding anniversary each month on the 14th and they celebrated with hamburgers. They reached 771 months before Emil’s death in 2019.

She and Emil loved supporting their grandkids, Philip, Andrew, Katherine, Emily and Laura with popcorn parties, rides to lessons and AWANA, attending their concerts, plays, and sporting events.

Helen survived breast cancer in 1994, a broken neck in 2016, and three strokes in 2018. She was an avid reader until Macular Degeneration dimmed most of her vision. Even into her 90’s, she loved keeping up with friends and family through Facebook.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1910, Herrin, Williamson, Illinois, USA
• Residence: 1920, Herrin, Williamson, Illinois, USA

Charles married Brewer, Reba on 9 Aug 1923. Reba (daughter of Brewer, Denver and Rowe, Effie) was born on 2 Jul 1905 in Herrin, Williamson, Illinois, USA; died on 6 Mar 1996 in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, USA; was buried on 8 Mar 1996 in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Alfonso married Brown, Mozell Lura on 28 Mar 1925. Mozell (daughter of Brown, George Alexander and Karnes, Mary Florence) was born on 30 Oct 1901 in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, USA; died on 5 May 1995 in West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She died in the American Beauty Nursing Home in West Frankfort. She was a member of the Eastern Star for over 50 years and a member of the First Baptist Church in West Frankfort for over 70 years.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Merchant
• Religion: Lutheran
• Baptism: 1887, Luzerne, Benton, Iowa, USA; White School South

Notes:

He died of prostate cancer. He graduated from Epworth Seminary, Epworth, Iowa in 1901. Then he went to Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa with an projected graduation date of 1904. However, in 1903 his Dad offered to buy A. J. Schriver's General Store in Luzerne for him and his brother William if he would drop out of College to help run the store. He went to a banker in Cedar Rapids for advice as to what to do. He wanted to go on and study to be a doctor.The banker advised him to take his Dad's offer, so he did. His Cornell year book shows his picture as ex '04, the year he would have graduated. He was baptised in the White school south of Luzerne. The Congregational circuit rider preacher came to Luzerne from Vining once a month to hold services. He fell off the back of a horse drawn wagon when he was a baby. His parents found him playing in the snow when they came back looking for him. He and his wife were married in the Westinghouse home in Belle Plaine. Mrs. Westinghouse was his wife's sister. He and his brother William were merchants and ran the Kouba Bros. store in Luzerne for 45 years. (From 1903 until 1948.) The store was also a post office for Luzerne. They initiated the first telephone service for the town by connecting he store and the two homes so additional clerks could be called when a lot of customers arrived in the store at the same time. The service expanded to include the rest of the town who asked. Yearly cost for the local service was about $7.50, (in the 1950s) which paid for the services of a full-time operator. He is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Belle Plaine, Iowa.

Birth:
Family Farm

Emil married Rosburg, Laura Maria on 1 Jan 1908 in Belle Plaine, Benton, Iowa, USA. Laura (daughter of Rosburg, Wulf WILLIAM Frederich and Nieland, Maria Dorothea) was born on 24 Feb 1887 in Luzerne, Benton, Iowa, USA; died on 9 Oct 1971 in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA; was buried on 13 Oct 1971 in Oak Hill Cemetery, Belle Plaine, Benton, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Housewife
• Religion: Lutheran
• Baptism: 8 Apr 1887, St Paul Lutheran Church (destroyed), Luzerne, Benton, Iowa, USA
• Confirmation: 31 May 1901, St Paul Lutheran Church (destroyed), Luzerne, Benton, Iowa, USA

Notes:

n my 25th birthday (Feb 24, 1912) Mother, Father, brothers and sisters gave me a surprise and came in the evening to our house on Main Street to celebrate my birthday.

Ester was married to Arthur Welterlen of Edgewood at the Harry Hartung home in Van Horne on Sept. 12, 1917. This was just before Arthur was called into service in World War I.

On New Year's Day 1928 we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Marcella was 8 years old.

On Thursday, March 21, 1929 Emil Rosburg Kouba Jr. was born in Luzerne.

Aunt Rose and Uncle Chrles Van Deusen celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at their home in Van Horn on January 24, 1934. The next year on the same day we buried Uncle Charles.

We had many family gatherings at the folks house and among their children on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and special days.

Tow of Emil Kouba Sr's brothers died very young. Joseph was killed accidentally with a shotgun and Karl Paul died wit the measles. Five other infant children died and were buried in Bohemia before they emigrated.

Emil Kouba, our Dad was lost off a load of merchandise while moving from one farm South of Luzerne to another. He was about a year old and when they got to the new place, the man on the wagon noticed that he was missing, so they went back. They found him playing in the snow. He had fallen off the load and was not missed for awhile!

Peter Kouba (Dad's Dad) was a hotel operator in Velka Lhota, Moravia, which in now in CZECHSLOVAKIA. He and his wife, Frances Loyka came to America in 1870. H ewa 27 and she was 35 years old.

The following are some memories Leora Sauerteig had of my Mom, Laura Kouba . . . ERK

In later years when Mom was living in Luzerne by herself after Dad died, almost every week Leora would take her and Meta Buch, a faormer grade school classmate of hers, to Belle Plaine on grocery shopping expeditions. They would sit in the back seat and reminisce on the 4 mile journey there and back while Leora drove them like a chauffeur. Each of the would independently go through the store and then meet again back at Leora's car. One time though, Laura and Meta got back before leora did, so they got in what they though was her car. It turned out to belong to an older gentleman, who was quite surprised to find them there. You can imagine the snickers and giggles that erupted when they realized what they had done, and exited his car very much in a hurry!.

Another time Mom noticed that they were parked on Main street in front of a millinery shop and although she wanted to buy a new hat she was too tired to go in to buy it. Leora offered to go in and bring several out, along with a hand mirror. She found one she liked, so she sent Leora back in the shop with the mirror, the rest of the hats, and a check to pay for the one she selected. Leora said that was quite an unusual shopping spreee for her.

The following from History by Jim Thoma

On January 1, 1908 he (Emil) married Laura Maria Rosburg. Leora was the child of william Fredrich Rosburg and Mary Maria Nieland. The marriage took place at the home of Specer and Amelia (Rosburg) Westinghouse, in Belle Plaine, Iowa, near the Evangelical United Brethren Church. A wedding dinner followed at the Westinghouse home. Amelia was Laura's sister. Laura was born on February 24, 1887 in Luzerne, Iowa. When she was seven years old, her sister Rose was married in the family home. There was a dance in the Rosburg home following the wedding. During the dance, Laura fell against the hard coal stove and burned her arm. Laura attened the Luzerne Lutheran Parochial school and graduated from Belle Plaine High School. She was 5' 6" tall, weighed 175 pounds and had blue eyes. She was a strong person, taking over the family farms and running them with great skill after the death of her husband. She believed in hard work as attested to by one of the many poems that she wrote. "early to bed and early to rize, till you make enough money to do other - wise." She was an avid record and scrapbook keeper. Many of these scrapbooks contain poetry that she wrote throughout her life. She kept record books or journals for almost every day of her life. She kept her sense and mind up until the day of her death. In fact, she finished writing checks on her way to the hospital.

The following is a poem she told us Christmas 1961 - Emil Jr.

I'd like to read to you a poem written by my brother,
who has just graduated with high honors from the county jail.
and it reads as follows:

He stood at the bar of justice,
Sober, but with a jag
He chewed upon a toothpick,
While his lawyers chewed the rag.

They placed on his shoulders many a crime,
So many he back was bent.
For they say he robbed the cheese works,
And stole out every scent.

Silence! yelled the grey haired judge.
The court yelled silence too.
And everyone yelled silence,
Until silence filled the place.
Then somebody woke the jury up,
With a good hard slap on the face.

"is he guilty or not?", the judge he cried.
"Guilty!", the foreman said.
And the verdict was that he be hung
Three times, until he's dead.

"Oh mercy, Oh mercy!", the prisoner cried.
"See, I'm on my knees".
And a voice cried out, "Vouch, he is innocent!"
And in rolled a case of cheese.

So never run down limburger.
Just stop and consider please.
You may never know when you life may be saved.
By a poor little piece of cheese.

Notes:

Married:
Westinghouse Home in Belle Plaine, Iowa

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Baptist

Notes:

His SSN is 510-07-7078. His tombstone in the Highland Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas is inscribed with the following: "Cook 69 Infantry 10 Div. WWI. Serial number 3794234. Virginia Unger, wife of their son, William relates that he told her that his dad joined the Navy when he got back from FRANCE and was a 'seal' working on the foundation of the Statue of Liberty. He was subjected to poison gas during World War I. One of his jobs when he got back was working in the Oristes flour mill in Kansas City, Kansas. The combination of poison gas and flour mill dust casued him to develop a very serious case of lung congestion. He did a lot of coughing , which weakened his heart so he couldn't work. He finally did with an anuerism of the aorta,

He worked at the Standard Milling Co. Feb 1916 to March 1944. Then he worked at North American Aviation March 7 1944 to Feb 26, 1945

Albert married Watkins, Agnes on 14 Jan 1922 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA. Agnes (daughter of Watkins, James Thomas and Cordell, Mary Jane) was born on 29 Aug 1904 in Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA; died on 19 Oct 1987 in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA; was buried on 21 Oct 1987 in Highland Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Baptist

Notes:

SSN is 515-18-9437. She was born in Denver, Colorado, came from Colorado back to Oklahoma in a covered wagon and then to Kansas City, Kansas. She was a very warm hearted lady. At Christmas time she would bake a basketful of cookies to take to local orphanages. It is no wonder they called her 'the cookie lady'! In later years she sold greeting cards and novelty items to augment her meager social security and veterans benefit.