Changing to to meet the needs offraternalists.
Joining Hands To Touch Lives... . . . Fraternalism for the Family and Our Nation
VESTNIK SPJST He :it' Official Publication of the SPJST, originally chartered as the Slovanksa Podporujici Jednota Statu Texas, in 1897
c Insuring CT Enriching
HUMANITY
E6,iEVOLENCE
Lives
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 to: SPJST Home Office, P. 0. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76503 VOLUME 89 NUMBER 39 ISSN-07458800
October 10, 2001
Family Fun and Important SPJST Dates
Si; aply Incredible! That's what people were saying about Lodge 29, Taylor's first-ever barbecue cook-off on Saturday, September 29. A total of 80 teams participated. "You've got to give all the credit in the world to organizer Jerry Tallas and his crew in Taylor," says Bob Miracle, pictured above, right. "It was an outstanding day." Brother Miracle, who is president of the Central Texas Barbecue Association is also president of SPJST Lodge 200, Bruceville-Eddy. Joining him, from left, are lodge members Larry Roming and Jane Miracle. Watch for related cook-off photos and summary in a coming edition.
Czechs have proud histo by Susan Rektorik Henley
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
It was the rich soil that drew the Czechs to Nueces County 94 years ago. Most were immigrants or the children of immigrants who had come to Texas decades before. Most had originally settled in central East Texas. When ranches in Nueces County opened for farming, it was a magnet for those who needed land. In many cases, fathers who had settled in
SPJST Mortgage Interest Rates Rates subject to change without notice
Central Texas then had sons who were ready to establish themselves. Nueces County would receive this second migration of Czechs. The George H. Paul Land Company was promoting development around Robstown. Many Czechs arrived early. Some of the first to arrive were the Tom (Tomas) Mrazek family from Williamson County; Frantisek and Stanislav Prochaska from Fayette County; and John (Jan) and Louis (Alois) Rektorik
Universal Life 7.25% for Annualized*
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Home or Farm Mortgages:
6.50% for Annualized*
6.25% for 1 to 7 years 6.25% for 8 to 15 years 6.50% for 16 to 20 years 6.75% for 21 to 30 years
Annuity H
Qualified Business Real Estate Mortgages 7.50% for 10 years 7.75% for 11 to 15 years
6.50% for Annualized* Certificates issued 4-1-93 and after
Annuity I 5.50% for Annualized* Certificates issued prior to 4-1-93 *Rates effective 8-1-2001 through 10-31-2001
Czech Heritage Month in Texas October October 9-11 SPJST Supreme Lodge Meeting at the SPJST Home Office SPJST Library, Archives and Museum meeting October 11 at the SPJST Home Office October 13 Peanut Festival - Lodge 107, Floresville Lickskillet Celebration - Fayetteville October 20 Czech Heritage Day at Lodge 24, Cyclone October 20 Free Dance by Melodion Band from Czech Republic October 20 at Lodge 183, Arlington District One Fall !Meeting at Lodge 17, New Tabor, October 21 hosted by Lodge 39, Bryan October 21 Turkey and Dressing Dinner at Lodge 35, Elk Make a Difierence Day October 27 Progressive "42" -,.Tounament at Lodge 48, Beyersville Oct•bar 27 7:7ree Pali Meeting at Lodges 25, Ennis October 28 District Six Fail Meeting at Lodge 40, El C October 28 Lodge 88, HoL.:.ton Czech Day November 3 Lodge 24, Bc:jecue Cook-Off and Countywide Sale —SPJST-
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See page two for details.
in Nueces County from Lavaca County. "Running mesquite" covered most of the area. There was little growth above the ground, but each mesquite had a vast network of roots. Early farmers cleared their land by hand, grubbing out the tenacious mesquite and burning it. Soon, Tom Mrazek and his sons would design and manufacture a grubbing plow that quickly cleared the area. A Czech community grew northwest of Robstown. A county school was built. While both Czech and Hispanic children attended the school, English was the only language permitted and students were punished for "speaking Bohemian." Cooperative efforts by Czech settlers included the Moravian Hall and Moravian Co-op. There was the Slovanska Podporujici Jednota Statu Texas (SPJST), known in English as the Slavonic Benevolent Order of Texas, which provided life insurance. There was the Rolnicky Vajemni Orchranni Spolek Statu Texas
(RVOS), the Farmers Mutual Protection Association of Texas, which provided fire, lightning and storm coverage. Czech settlers were mainly Roman Catholic or Moravian Brethren. Tom Mrazek was a founder of the Robstown Moravian Brethren Church. The first Brethren service was held in his home. Reverend Joseph Barton was the first minister to travel by train to conduct services. Ministers would continue to come for many years. The first Catholics also struggled to attend their religious services. They would wait for six years for a priest. In 1913, Reverend Joseph Klobouk arrived in Corpus Christi and was petitioned to serve the Robstown Moravian Catholics. For two years, mass was celebrated in the home of Frank Prochaska, Sr. The parish of Saint John Nepomucene grew. A new church was dedicated on October 17, 1937. A rectory and school were added. (Continued on page 3.)