JOSEPH AND JOSEFA JANDA Joseph Janda, son of Jan and Marie Vojat Janda, was born in 1844 in the village of Volenice, Strakonice, Bohemia. Joseph studied to be a tailor and remained a tailor for eight years. Josefa Rejsek, daughter of Frantisek and Marie Prokop Rejsek, was born in 1846 in the village of Strasic, Strakonice, Bohemia. Her father was a miller. Joseph and Josefa were married January 28, 1868, in Strakonice. In 1880, they sold their cottage, land, and cattle. They packed their trunks and bundles and with their children, Mary, Frank and a niece, Mary, went by train to Bremen, Germany, from where they set sail for America. They spent 17 days on the ocean, enduring a severe five-day storm. They landed in Baltimore and went by train to Chicago and on to Nebraska. A brother, Vinc, met the family at the train station and took them by wagon to his home in Fillmore County. They spent the winter with Vinc's family. There were four adults and seven children in a two-room house. The winter was severe and they ran out of fuel, so they burned corn and cornstalks. When their flour supply was gone, they ground corn in the coffee mill and mixed it with water to make cornbread. After the weather improved, Joseph walked seven miles to town for flour, sugar, and coffee. On November 13, 1882, Joseph purchased the S1/2 SE1/4 in Section 19 of Liberty Township from the Burlington and Mis- souri River Railroad Company. They built a dugout. Joseph bought a team of oxen to plow the sod. Finding them hard to work with, he traded them for a team of horses. In April of 1885, Josefa died of pneumonia. She is buried in the Ceski Bratri Cemetery. They had four children: Mary (James) Sluka, Frank (Mary Hlina), Antonie, Anna (Joe) Bures. After her mother's death, twelve-year-old Mary took over the cooking and caring of the younger children. On July 9, 1885, Joseph, age 41, married Rousy Hranac, age 27, daughter of Vencil and Anna Bures Hranac. Rousy was born September 3, 1858, in Cernice, Pisek County, Bohemia. Rousy had a three-year-old daughter, Emma. Many Czech publications were advertising cheap land avail- able in western Nebraska. In 1887, Joseph decided to go to western Nebraska to look over the land. He took along his old- est daughter, Mary, leaving the rest of the family and a hired man to take care of the farm. Joseph and Mary settled in Box Butte County near Lawn, which consisted of a combination of a store and post office. Many Czechs came to this area to settle. They built a sod house, barn and chicken coop and broke some prairie. Joseph left 15 year old Mary to hold down the claim while he returned to Fillmore County to sell his farm and grain. In the fall Joseph returned to Box Butte with his family and a load of farming equipment. Joseph and his children, Mary and Frank, plowed the prairie. They planted flax, corn and wheat. On March 10, 1888, Joseph purchased 160 acres of govern- ment land for $1.25 an acre. On July 3, 1888, he filed a claim on a 160-acre homestead. On October 31, 1888, he filed for a timber claim of 160 acres. He had to plant ten acres of trees and care for them for eight years. Joseph Janda acquired a total of 480 acres in Section 27, Township 27 North, Range 52 West, in Box Butte County. For four years Joseph sowed his crops but harvested very little. If the crops didn't dry up, they were hailed out. Joseph borrowed money to plant another crop and it also failed. The banker took everything except a team of horses and a wagon. Joseph got a job in Wyoming, hauling timber ties and the older children found jobs. With the money, they were able to buy some farming equipment and a couple cows and start farming again. The family planted many acres of wheat. On August 16, 1894, a severe electrical storm hit the area. A belt of lightning struck the house, killing Joseph and Antonie, his 13 year old daughter. They were buried in a Bohe- mian Cemetery near their home. Joseph and Rousy had five children: Joseph C., Gust, Estella, Alice, and Vincent. Alice was born April 22, 1892 and died Jan- uary 28, 1893. After Joseph's death, his children; Mary, Frank, and Anna, by his first marriage decided to return to Fillmore County. They traveled by covered wagon joining eight other wagons that were heading back east. Joseph's widow, Rousy, married Joseph Matejavsky, a homesteader in the area. He was born in 1850 in the village of Sobesice, County of Pisek, Bohemia. They also returned to Fillmore County where their Three children were born: Edward, Stanley, and Agnes (Redmond, Rogers). Joseph died January 27, 1924, and Rousy died March 13, 1937. They are buried in the Bohemian National Cemetery.