| 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.
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1887 - 1971 (84 years)
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