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.

Laura married Kouba, Emil on 1 Jan 1908 in Belle Plaine, Benton, Iowa, USA. Emil (son of Kouba, Peter and Lojka, Frances) was born on 4 Apr 1877 in Leroy Township, Benton, Iowa, USA; was christened in 1887 in Benton, Iowa, USA; died on 5 Jul 1952 in St Luke Hospital, Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa, USA; was buried in Jul 1952 in Oak Hill Cemetery, Belle Plaine, Benton, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Mathematican/Housewife
• Baptism: 28 Jul 1920, Blairstown United Methodist Church, Blairstown, Benton, Iowa, USA

Notes:

She was a wonderful sister! She died of lung cancer 4 years following a mastectomy in 1971. She went to Chicago after graduation from Cornell College with a major in mathematics. She got a job there with the Continental Assurance Company. This was an insurance company established by British investors. She never smoked, but worked in smoke filled offices. She volunteered in the USO during World War II. Her Mother recorded that she was baptised by the Rev. Cuthbert S. Burnard at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Blairstown, Iowa on 20 Jun 1920. Even in her last days of life, she thought of others. She told us in which closet she had stored a birthday present for her nephew, Kevin David Kouba.

Marcella married McQuigg, JAMES Donald on 4 Nov 1945 in Cornell College Campus Chapel, Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, USA. JAMES (son of McQuigg, Frederick Walter and Gould, Doris Alice) was born on 2 Sep 1920 in Schaller, Sac, Iowa, USA; died on 12 Nov 1985 in Columbia, Boone, Missouri, USA; was buried on 15 Nov 1985 in Memorial Park Cemetery, Columbia, Boone, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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]

Linda married Thoma, James Frederick [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Citi Banking Employee
• Confirmation: 1967, Missouri United Methodist Church, Columbia, Boone, Missouri, USA

Notes:

She graduated from Central Methodist College in Fulton, MO. She moved to New York City, NY to work.

Buried:
Cremated, buried beside her mother

Died:
9 Thayer Street, Apartment E4

Douglas married Bursmeyer, Joscolyn [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Carol married Young, John Bradley [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Laura married Roller, Peter Scott "PETE" [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lindsay married Hall, Jason Lee [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lindsay married Sexton, Jason Darrell "Jake" [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lindsay married Norris, James Joseph Aaron [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Philip married Dincher, Jamie Helene [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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