Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Pecenka, Anthony Charles 1863 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 21, 2007, 11:36 pm Author: Emma E. Forter (1917) ANTHONY CHARLES PECENKA. Anthony Charles Pecenka, one of the best-known and most substantial farmers of the Bremen neighborhood in this county, former trustee of Logan township, former clerk of that same township and formerly and for years a well-known and influential school teacher in this county and in the neighboring county of Washington, is a native of the state of Iowa, but has been a resident of this county since the days of his boyhood, his parents having settled here back in pioneer days. He was born at Cedar Rapids, in Linn county, Iowa, December 6, 1863, son of John and Anna (Flidr) Pecenka, Bohemians, who came to this country after their marriage, settling in Iowa, but later came to Kansas and settled in this county, where their last days were spent, earnest pioneers of this region. John Pecenka was born in the village of Ridky u Litomysle, in the district of Chrudim, kingdom of Bohemia (Cechy), June 14, 1825, and his wife, Anna Flidr, whose ancestors were of the Svobodnik, or freemen, was born in the village of Osyk, in that same district, October 31, 1830. They were married in their native land and afterward came to this country, locating at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where they remained until 1869, when they came to Kansas and settled on a farm in the then Marysville, now Logan, township, Marshall county, where they established their home and where they spent the remainder of their lives, Mrs. Pecenka dying there on January 5, 1897, and Mr. Pecenka, November 17, 1902. They were the parents of nine children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the sixth in order of birth, the others being as follow: John, of Bremen, this county; Joseph, whose present address is unknown to his family; Frank A., of Condee, South Dakota; Mrs. Anna Sedlacek, of Bremen, this county; Waclav, of Seattle, Washington; Mrs. Mary Pejsa, of Hanover, this state; Milos A., of Bremen, and Mrs. Emilie Sedlacek, also of Bremen. Having been but a lad when his parents came to this county from Iowa, Anthony C. Pecenka was reared on the home farm here and grew up familiar with pioneer conditions, even in the days of his youth becoming a practical farmer. He early became imbued with the desire for a higher education and upon completing the course in the district schools entered the Atchison Institute at the age of twenty, in 1884, and after a short course there and at the St. Benedict College of Atchison, Kansas, in 1885, began teaching the home school and was thus engaged during the following winter. He then took a further course of instruction in 1887-89 at the Campbell University of Holton, Kansas, and in 1898 was graduated from the junior scientific course at the Modern Normal College at Marysville. Meanwhile Mr. Pecenka had been continuing to teach school, farming during the summers, and after his marriage in 1890 rented a farm and established his home; continuing for some time after his marriage to teach, his teaching experience including schools in this county and in the neighboring county of Washington, but finally finding it difficult to give his proper attention to both of these vocations, gave up teaching and has since confined his efforts to farming and stock raising and has done very well, being now the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres on rural route No. 2, out of Bremen, and the possessor of one of the pleasantest and most comfortable homes in that community, he and his family being delightfully situated. Mr. Pecenka takes an active interest in the general business affairs of his home community and is a stockholder in the Farmers' Elevator Company at Hanover and a stockholder in the Farmers' Educational Co-operative Union of America, in the affairs of both of which organizations he takes a warm interest. Politically, Mr. Pecenka is a Democrat, though inclining to independence of party on local issues, reserving his right to vote for the men best qualified for the offices sought and in 1895 was elected clerk of Logan township, a position he held for four years. In 1902 he was elected trustee of that township and held that office for four years, his friends declaring that his administration of the affairs of that important office was the most satisfactory that had ever been rendered there. On January 7, 1890, at the Catholic church of St. John the Baptist at Hanover, in the neighboring county of Washington, Anthony C. Pecenka was united in marriage to Christina Pacha (Pejsa), who was born at Minden, in Sanilac county, Michigan, April 17, 1865, daughter of Matej and Marie Pejsa, Bohemians, who were married in their native land and later came to America, presently settling in Michigan, where the former died, his widow later coming to Kansas with her children and establishing her home here. Matej, or Mathias, Pejsa was born in the village of Drhovice No. 2, in the kingdom of Bohemia (Cechy), February 24, 1806, and his wife, Marie Placha, was born in the neighboring village of Drazice No. 18, February 19, 1824. They were married in the latter village on November 26, 1844, and five children were born to them in Europe. In the latter part of September, 1853, they came to the United States and located in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, in the latter part of December of that same year. In the February following twins were born to them. In August, 1854, Matej Pejsa and his family moved up into Canada and there remained until in May, 1859, when they moved down into Michigan and settled in Sanilac county, Matej Pejsa buying a tract of land in the immediate vicinity of Minden, in that county. The land agent at Detroit, from whom he purchased the land, had difficulty with the spelling of the foreign name and with a careless disregard for the proper preservation of the family name and the accuracy of the land record, recorded the purchase in the name of "Matthis Pacha," which latter spelling of the name, in order to keep the record straight, the family afterward observed and has since maintained, all the members of this considerable family, with the exception of Albert Pejsa, of Hanover, this state, continuing to spell the name Pacha. Matej Pejsa died in Michigan in November, 1868, and his widow maintained her residence there until 1875, when she came to Kansas with her family and established her home on a farm, where her last days were spent, her death occurring on June 5, 1895. Of the large family of children born to Matej Pejsa and wife, Mrs. Pecenka is the youngest, the others of these children who grew to maturity, several having died in infancy, being as follow. Frank, of Pleasant Plain, Iowa; Jacob, of that same place; Matej, of Richwood, Union county, Ohio; Mrs. Mary Benda, of Lanham, Nebraska; Joseph, of Marysville, this county; Mrs. Katherina Triska, of Hanover; Mrs. Anna Klecan, of Hanover; Mrs. Elizabeth Hladik, who died on February 1, 1893; John, of Black Duck, Minnesota, and Albert, of Hanover. To Anthony C. and Christina (Pejsa) Pecenka have been born eight children, namely: John Anthony, born on January 5, 1891; Katherina and Christina (twins), February 1, 1893; Mary, December 11, 1898, who died on April 8, 1901; Mary, October 4, 1901; Zita, April 24, 1903; Francis Anthony, May n, 1906, who died on July 13, 1906, and Francis Alois, August 6, 1908, all of whom are at home. Katherine Pecenka was graduated from the Marysville high school in the spring of 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Pecenka are members of the Catholic church and their children have been reared in the faith of that church. The family have a very pleasant home and have ever taken a proper part in the general good works and social activities of the community in which they live, helpful in promoting the general welfare. Additional Comments: Extracted from: History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions by Emma E. Forter Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. 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