Joseph Kurka

  General Notes:

The following was written by the youngest daughter Della Kurka Justin. She was born in 1881 and was still living in 1982 when this was written.

In the m onth of March 1858, my Father Joseph Kurka and my Mother Theresa Setzer Kurka left their nataive Bohemia and with their three small children immigrated to America. After arriving in New York City they traveled westward until they reached Sioux City, IA where they remained for sometime and where Joseph found work for needed money. Then on to Niobrara, NE where Wenzel Kurka his older brother had located on land near the Niobrara riveer about ten miles southwest of the trading post of Niobrara, NE.

These earlier settlers endured untold hardships; they built and lived in log houses and were ever fearful of Indian uprisings. The only means of transportation was by oxen team which was an entire days journey to Niobrara for needed provisions.

My Father Joseph Kurka later bought land near Niobrara which enable his children to get a town school education and all enjoyed a much better and hard earned life for many years.

When we were youngsters, we had to get down and dig and not for very much cash. But as we bow at the shrine of childhood and youth let us not forget the bent form with the wrinkled face, the silver threads among the gold, that warn of the gathering shadows of life approaching sunset and that from the toil-marked hand of the aged came much of what we enjoy today. And in those snow-covered heads of fathers and mothers is the mature judgement the world needs so much now.

Joseph married Theresa Setzer Kurka. (Theresa Setzer Kurka was born on 17 Nov 1838 and died on 7 Nov 1906.)