Marie Slamova was born in Tri Studne, Nove Mesto, Moravia which at that time was part of the Austria-Hungary Empire. She was the daughter of Jan and Josefa Kuncova Havlik. Her mother died sometime after the birth of her sixth child and her father married Josefa Havlikova in 1854. Marie was very close to her step-mother.
In November, 1878, Marie traveled with her father, step-mother and six siblings to America on the ship "Leipzig" to Baltimore. The family migrated directly to Nebraska and were in Wilber by May 1979 when the youngest child was born. Her father then secured a homestead in Clay County near Fairfield.
Marie Slama married Joseph Havlik on October 27, 1883 in Wilber, Nebraska. Witnesses of the marriage on the marriage record were John Slama and Vincencia Slama, the brother and sister of Marie. It is not known exactly when Marie began using the name Mary but this appears to have changed after her marriage and continued throughout the rest of her life. Americanization of the names was nearly universal for these immigrants.
Marie followed her husband to western Nebraska, then northeastern Oklahoma and finally southwestern Oklahoma, each time having to pull up roots and begin again to establish a home and crops in newly opened territories. Throughout these challenges, she gave birth to four children.
Once the family appeared to have finally settled near Lawton, Oklahoma, she was soon a widow with four children ages 6-14. She did not speak English and Lawton was a very primitive area at that time. Indians often came to camp on their creek. In 1904, Bessie, the oldest daughter, married Frank Beznoska in true old country style and was given livestock from the farm as a dowry.
Mary and daughter Emma became very ill with typhoid fever and it fell to Agnes, the youngest daughter to keep things together for a long period of time. It is hard to imagine how this mother must have felt in a strange land and not even be able to speak the language, but she kept the family together. The girls worked and she was an excellent seamstress and would keep them dressed far above their means.
Emma married Charles Biggs in about 1906 and in 1910, Agnes married William Elmer LaHue. Emma later used the name Emily.
On October 25, 1911, Mary married Frank M Soukup. Mary realized that she was ill and sent her son, Henry, to Colorado to live with Agnes so that the stepfather would not be an influence in case of her death. She had promised Joseph that she would "save the land" for Henry and that had been the motivation for her existence since Joseph had died, so it is understandable that she didn't want the stepfather to take over what was Henry's. She had appointed Elmer LaHue as administrator of her estate. Mr. Soukup removed himself from an inheritance after her death.
Mary died on June 2, 1912 and was buried beside Joseph in the Lawton Cemetery.
Note: The birth year on Mary's tombstone is incorrect. The family apparently believed this was her year of birth but early documents indicate the birth year as 1863 and her younger sister was born in July, 1865 so the 1865 date would be impossible.
In November, 1878, Marie traveled with her father, step-mother and six siblings to America on the ship "Leipzig" to Baltimore. The family migrated directly to Nebraska and were in Wilber by May 1979 when the youngest child was born. Her father then secured a homestead in Clay County near Fairfield.
Marie Slama married Joseph Havlik on October 27, 1883 in Wilber, Nebraska. Witnesses of the marriage on the marriage record were John Slama and Vincencia Slama, the brother and sister of Marie. It is not known exactly when Marie began using the name Mary but this appears to have changed after her marriage and continued throughout the rest of her life. Americanization of the names was nearly universal for these immigrants.
Marie followed her husband to western Nebraska, then northeastern Oklahoma and finally southwestern Oklahoma, each time having to pull up roots and begin again to establish a home and crops in newly opened territories. Throughout these challenges, she gave birth to four children.
Once the family appeared to have finally settled near Lawton, Oklahoma, she was soon a widow with four children ages 6-14. She did not speak English and Lawton was a very primitive area at that time. Indians often came to camp on their creek. In 1904, Bessie, the oldest daughter, married Frank Beznoska in true old country style and was given livestock from the farm as a dowry.
Mary and daughter Emma became very ill with typhoid fever and it fell to Agnes, the youngest daughter to keep things together for a long period of time. It is hard to imagine how this mother must have felt in a strange land and not even be able to speak the language, but she kept the family together. The girls worked and she was an excellent seamstress and would keep them dressed far above their means.
Emma married Charles Biggs in about 1906 and in 1910, Agnes married William Elmer LaHue. Emma later used the name Emily.
On October 25, 1911, Mary married Frank M Soukup. Mary realized that she was ill and sent her son, Henry, to Colorado to live with Agnes so that the stepfather would not be an influence in case of her death. She had promised Joseph that she would "save the land" for Henry and that had been the motivation for her existence since Joseph had died, so it is understandable that she didn't want the stepfather to take over what was Henry's. She had appointed Elmer LaHue as administrator of her estate. Mr. Soukup removed himself from an inheritance after her death.
Mary died on June 2, 1912 and was buried beside Joseph in the Lawton Cemetery.
Note: The birth year on Mary's tombstone is incorrect. The family apparently believed this was her year of birth but early documents indicate the birth year as 1863 and her younger sister was born in July, 1865 so the 1865 date would be impossible.
Marie Slamova was born in Tri Studne, Nove Mesto, Moravia which at that time was part of the Austria-Hungary Empire. She was the daughter of Jan and Josefa Kuncova Havlik. Her mother died sometime after the birth of her sixth child and her father married Josefa Havlikova in 1854. Marie was very close to her step-mother.
In November, 1878, Marie traveled with her father, step-mother and six siblings to America on the ship "Leipzig" to Baltimore. The family migrated directly to Nebraska and were in Wilber by May 1979 when the youngest child was born. Her father then secured a homestead in Clay County near Fairfield.
Marie Slama married Joseph Havlik on October 27, 1883 in Wilber, Nebraska. Witnesses of the marriage on the marriage record were John Slama and Vincencia Slama, the brother and sister of Marie. It is not known exactly when Marie began using the name Mary but this appears to have changed after her marriage and continued throughout the rest of her life. Americanization of the names was nearly universal for these immigrants.
Marie followed her husband to western Nebraska, then northeastern Oklahoma and finally southwestern Oklahoma, each time having to pull up roots and begin again to establish a home and crops in newly opened territories. Throughout these challenges, she gave birth to four children.
Once the family appeared to have finally settled near Lawton, Oklahoma, she was soon a widow with four children ages 6-14. She did not speak English and Lawton was a very primitive area at that time. Indians often came to camp on their creek. In 1904, Bessie, the oldest daughter, married Frank Beznoska in true old country style and was given livestock from the farm as a dowry.
Mary and daughter Emma became very ill with typhoid fever and it fell to Agnes, the youngest daughter to keep things together for a long period of time. It is hard to imagine how this mother must have felt in a strange land and not even be able to speak the language, but she kept the family together. The girls worked and she was an excellent seamstress and would keep them dressed far above their means.
Emma married Charles Biggs in about 1906 and in 1910, Agnes married William Elmer LaHue. Emma later used the name Emily.
On October 25, 1911, Mary married Frank M Soukup. Mary realized that she was ill and sent her son, Henry, to Colorado to live with Agnes so that the stepfather would not be an influence in case of her death. She had promised Joseph that she would "save the land" for Henry and that had been the motivation for her existence since Joseph had died, so it is understandable that she didn't want the stepfather to take over what was Henry's. She had appointed Elmer LaHue as administrator of her estate. Mr. Soukup removed himself from an inheritance after her death.
Mary died on June 2, 1912 and was buried beside Joseph in the Lawton Cemetery.
Note: The birth year on Mary's tombstone is incorrect. The family apparently believed this was her year of birth but early documents indicate the birth year as 1863 and her younger sister was born in July, 1865 so the 1865 date would be impossible.
In November, 1878, Marie traveled with her father, step-mother and six siblings to America on the ship "Leipzig" to Baltimore. The family migrated directly to Nebraska and were in Wilber by May 1979 when the youngest child was born. Her father then secured a homestead in Clay County near Fairfield.
Marie Slama married Joseph Havlik on October 27, 1883 in Wilber, Nebraska. Witnesses of the marriage on the marriage record were John Slama and Vincencia Slama, the brother and sister of Marie. It is not known exactly when Marie began using the name Mary but this appears to have changed after her marriage and continued throughout the rest of her life. Americanization of the names was nearly universal for these immigrants.
Marie followed her husband to western Nebraska, then northeastern Oklahoma and finally southwestern Oklahoma, each time having to pull up roots and begin again to establish a home and crops in newly opened territories. Throughout these challenges, she gave birth to four children.
Once the family appeared to have finally settled near Lawton, Oklahoma, she was soon a widow with four children ages 6-14. She did not speak English and Lawton was a very primitive area at that time. Indians often came to camp on their creek. In 1904, Bessie, the oldest daughter, married Frank Beznoska in true old country style and was given livestock from the farm as a dowry.
Mary and daughter Emma became very ill with typhoid fever and it fell to Agnes, the youngest daughter to keep things together for a long period of time. It is hard to imagine how this mother must have felt in a strange land and not even be able to speak the language, but she kept the family together. The girls worked and she was an excellent seamstress and would keep them dressed far above their means.
Emma married Charles Biggs in about 1906 and in 1910, Agnes married William Elmer LaHue. Emma later used the name Emily.
On October 25, 1911, Mary married Frank M Soukup. Mary realized that she was ill and sent her son, Henry, to Colorado to live with Agnes so that the stepfather would not be an influence in case of her death. She had promised Joseph that she would "save the land" for Henry and that had been the motivation for her existence since Joseph had died, so it is understandable that she didn't want the stepfather to take over what was Henry's. She had appointed Elmer LaHue as administrator of her estate. Mr. Soukup removed himself from an inheritance after her death.
Mary died on June 2, 1912 and was buried beside Joseph in the Lawton Cemetery.
Note: The birth year on Mary's tombstone is incorrect. The family apparently believed this was her year of birth but early documents indicate the birth year as 1863 and her younger sister was born in July, 1865 so the 1865 date would be impossible.
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