Thomas Charles Pistulka

  General Notes:

More information about the Pistulka name and family history is located at www.pistulka.com



Obituary of Thomas Pistulka:
Funeral services were conducted Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. at The church of the Sacred Heart in Burke, South Dakota for Thomas Pistulka. Father Ignatius Potts conducted the services with the rosary Wednesday evening. Wake services, Mass in the morning and burial services at the Graceland cemetery in Burke.
Pallbearers were grandsons of Thomas Pistulka: Thomas Cerny, Eugene Cerny, Raymond Cerny, Ronald Hawley, Jerome Raterman, and Dennis Krebs.
Thomas Pistulka was born December 28, 1886 and passed away August 18, 1975 at the age of 88 years. He was ill a short time and passed away at the Platte Hospital,
Thomas Charles Pistulka was the son of John Pistulka and Mary Berka. On Sept 14, 1910 he was united in marriage to Lydia Humpal and they developed a farm near Herrick, South Dakota. To this union three children were born, Mildred, Edward and Mamie. He worked hard on the farm and loved the freedom of rural life, the challenges and the joys of nature, and being able to see his own handiwork after a day of toil.
He leaves to mourn his passing, his wife, Lydia, children, Mrs. Frank Cerny of Creighton, Nebr., Edward Pistulka of Herrick, S. D., and Mrs. Henry Ratermanof Wessington Springs, S. D. There are eight grandchildren, eighteen great grandchildren, a brother George Pistulka and a sister Katherine Pistulka, many relatives and friends.
A precious one from us is gone,
A voice we loved is still.
A place is vacant in our home.
Which never can be filled.
Sleep on, dear one, and take thy rest
We love you but God knows best.
No one knows the pain we bear,
No eyes can see us weep,
But many a tear is shed
When others are asleep.
When nights are gloomy and friends are few,
It's then, dear one, we long for you.
We cannot see through the darkness
The meaning of God's Plan.
We can only trust his guiding light
And follow as best we can.


As listed in the Gregory County Atlas Copyright 1912. Anton and John Pistulka, brothers of Thomas, were both born in Bohemia. Thomas was born in S.D. and came to Gregory County in 1890. James and Thomas Pistulka were partners. They purchased a farm located five miles S.W. of Bonesteel about a mile from the Nebraska border near the Ponca River. This was originally school land. The legal description of this property was SE1/4 29-95-R 69 W.

The farm that Thomas Charles Pistulkda and Lydia Humpal Pistulka now have was purchased in 1923 from the Rosebud Indian Agency. They moved on the farm in 1925.

Thomas married Lydia Humpal Pistulka, daughter of Joseph Humpal and Anna Kanda Humpal, on 14 Sep 1910 in Herrick, SD. (Lydia Humpal Pistulka was born on 20 Dec 1890 in Kimball, SD and died on 22 Mar 1977 in Gregory, SD.)