This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/lRC.2ACE/3484 Message Board Post: WALSH HERITAGE, ND - VOL 4: 1881-1981 PAGE 1335 STANLEY VEJTASA was born 14 Nov 1911 on a farm, three and one-half miles east of Fairdale, ND., the youngest of 12 children of Frank Vejtasa and Frances Svoboda. Due to his parents background, he learned Bohemian and could not speak English very well when he started school. He attended country school in Silvesta Township for 6 years before the school closed. Due to his mother's early death, he was more or less on his own, so he stayed out of school for two years. He then transferred to the Fairdale High School and continued there through the 11th grade. In order to defray his expenses, he raised turkeys and raised/trapped furbearing animals. Since there was not a 12th grade at Fairdale, he transferred to the NDSU Model High School at Fargo, where he graduated in 1931. He was also able to secure enough training to be granted a teacher's certificate, and taught eight grades at the Hillside School north of Fordville, for four years. He was anxious to continue his education, so attended summer sessions and one full year at Valley City State College where he was granted his standard two year degree. He also secured a job as school janitor to assist with his college expenses. The following year he returned to NDSU at Fargo to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in education, majoring in mathematics, history and social studies, natural science and education. To defray his college espenses, he worked in the Correspondence and Extension Department of the college. Just previous to graduation, he had the misfortune of falling fra a ladder when he was helping his landlady remove storm windows, and spent 3 months in a full cast in St John's Hospital in Fargo. He was still on crutches when he accepted a position as high scool principal and coach at Crary, ND. On 8 June 1938, he married Alice Anderson of Warwick, ND. She was also a teacher and attended NDSU, Valley City State and the University of Minnesota. they spent their honeymoon travelling 7,000 miles throughout the West and Southwest in a Model A Ford. Theycame home to live at Webster, ND where Stanley had accepted a position as superintendent of schools. Four years later, they moved to Isle, Minnesota, where he served as high school principal and coach for one year. Because of his draft classification, he returned to Warwick, ND as superintendent of schools for one year. After that they returned to Minnesota where he served as superintendent of schools at Lancaster, Henning and Floodwood. During that time, Stanley attended summer sessions at the University of Minnesota and was granted a Master of Arts degree with a major in school administration. They then moved to the Iron Range of Minnesota where he was superintendent of schools at Mountain Range for 12 years and at Ely for 10 years. stanley retired in 1977 after 44 years in teaching and administration. Because he had earned all of his high school and college expenses, he felt that this helped him to be more able to assist and understand the problems of students. His educational contacts and experiences have always been a great inspiration to him. He has been interested in legislation to improve education in Minnesota, so has worked on legislative committees and served as a lobbyist for school groups. He is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and in 1976, was honored as an outstanding school administrator of the year. He was selected for personal distinction in the Biographies of Eminent Living Educators. He was a member of the American School Administrators Evaluating Team in Atlantic City, New Jersey, covention. He has always taken part in and assisted with many community activities and organizations: PTA, Red Cross, Rotary and many church groups. Stanley and Alice Vejtasa have three children: David, Doreen, and Stanley Jr. Stanley Jr has two children: Debbie and Steven and they live in Palto Alto, CA. David and his wife Nancy and their son Todd live in Ely, MN. Doreen married Robert Berrini of Ely and their son Brian live at White Iron Lake, MN PHOTOGRAPH: Stanley, Sr., Stanley Jr, Doreen, Alice and David ~~Volunteer Posting~~