Sergeant York

Last night, on Turner Classic Movies, I watch the 1941 movie Sergeant York starring Gary Cooper. Sergeant Alvin C. York was a hero of World War I and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

He was awarded the MOH for his actions on October 8, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (also known as the Battle of the Argonne Forest. Sgt. York killed several German soldiers and, along with seven of his fellow infantrymen, took 132 German prisoners.

My grandfather, Edward Kostal, was in the same battle, but was wounded before Sgt. York’s heroics, on September 30, 1918.

Grandpa’s sidearm

My grandfather, Edward Kostal, was a doughboy in World War I and was wounded in France a few weeks before the Armistice was signed. He was a machine-gunner, but I’m certain he carried a Colt 1911 as his personal sidearm.

Because he was wounded and carried from the Argonne Forest battlefield, his sidearm was lost to him … and to his family.

For sentimental purposes, I wish we had his pistol, but we do not.

Turnbull Manufacturing Company has been manufacturing handguns and is famous for restoring antique firearms. Here’s an example of what a restored 1911 Colt looks like from approximately the same manufacturing year.

If I had my grandfather’s pistol, I would take it to Turnbull for restoration and would never, never, never sell it!!

Emma Kostal Psota wedding day

While looking up some recipes form my mother’s recipe blog, I found a photo of my great aunt, Emma Kostal Psota, taken on her wedding day. Emma is seated holding the flowers. Her new husband, Fred Psota, is to her right.

Emma was the younger sister of my maternal grandfather, Edward Kostal. She was born March 20,1896 and was three years younger than my grandfather. On June 29, 1914, she married Fred Psota. Three years later, their daughter Jeannette was born.

My grandfather entered the service in 1917 and left for boot camp and then overseas to France. He never saw Emma again. She became ill during the Great Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918 and passed away on April 2, 1919. Two years later, Fred married another Emma Kostal (no known relation) and remained married until Fred’s death in 1969.

This picture was included in The Psota Collection which is a compilation of recipes and genealogy about the Psota family. The Psotas are an allied family with the Kostal family. In addition to Emma marrying into the Psota family, her younger sister, Albie Kostal Psota, married Fred’s brother, Rudolf.

Harry Truman

This morning my mother was telling me about a book review that she heard about on the radio. The book was about Harry Truman.

She said: "Did I ever tell you that Dad knew Harry Truman?" I told her that -- no -- that little family tidbit was withheld from me.

Apparently my grandfather -- Edward Kostal -- knew Harry Truman from their days in France with the American Expeditionary Force. Truman was an Army captain; my grandfather was a private. We don't know if my grandfather served in his unit or was otherwise aware of him. He apparently did not make much of an impression upon my grandfather as he told my mother that he did not like him and that Truman "would not amount to much!"

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Winter of Death

I recently blogged about my great aunt, Emma Kostal Psota, who died at a young age as a result of the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919. This week I received a copy of a new booklet by local Ravenna author, Valerie Vierk, that chronicles the flu pandemic.

The booklet is called Winter of Death: Ravenna Area Victims of the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic. Readers of this blog who may be interested in obtaining a copy of the booklet can do so by contacting Valerie directly by e-mail. The cost of the booklet is $10.00 plus $1.50 shipping.

[Disclosure: I provided Valerie with some material for her book. I have no financial interest whatsoever.]

Emma Kostal Psota

My grandfather, Edward Kostal, had four step-siblings and three full siblings. He was the only boy among his full siblings. Two of his three sisters grew to adulthood and lived long, long lives. I knew both of them.

While in France with the AEF, my grandfather learned that his third sister, Emma Kostal, contracted Spanish Flu during the great pandemic of 1918. Even though The Great War ended on November 11, 1918, my grandfather was severely wounded and did not return to the states until the following spring. It was too late as Emma succumbed on April 2, 1919. She was 23 years old.

Emma married Fred Psota and they had a daughter together named Jeanette. After Emma’s death, my great grandparents took care of Jeanette. Fred remarried another Emma and moved to Fairbury, Nebraska.

Emma is buried in the Ravenna cemetery. This photo has been in the family for a very long time. Back then, it was common practice to hire a studio photographer and have him/her take photos of the deceased with all of the floral decorations. For a small town like Ravenna, this was a lot of flowers!

I’m unsure if this was photographed at a funeral home or in a private residence. I know that some memorial services were held in the home rather than in church or a funeral home. For example, the service for my great grandmother (Emma’s mother) was held at her home.

Those Kostal Kids

My mother recently found a photo taken of her father and his three sisters. In his family, there were a total of eight children – four half brothers and sisters, his three full sisters and himself.

In this picture, from left to right, is Albie Kostal Psota, Edward Kostal, Emma Kostal Psota and Agnes Kostal Glodowski. Three years ago, I posted a photo of all eight children with my great grandparents.  I guessing the picture above is more recent than the full family photo. I’m basing that solely on Aunt Albie looking slightly older in this picture – maybe a year difference at most. She was born in 1899 so this picture was probably taken somewhere in the 1904 – 1906 range.

I really wish I knew more about these old pictures.

Agnes Rogers Kostal

A photo of my maternal grandmother, Agnes Rogers Kostal, with two of her brothers -- Clarence Rogers (on the left) and Edward. My grandmother was born in 1898 (and passed away in 1987). We think this photo was taken sometime in 1901 when she was three years old. She was the second-youngest in the family. My Aunt Veronica (Babe), who was the youngest child, was born in 1902.

Young Arlene

A photo of my mother, Arlene Kostal Cornelius, as a young girl. This photo was found behind another photo of my great grandmother.

< Hosted on Flickr

Lou and Josie Helebrant

Photo of my great uncle, Lou Helebrant, with his wife, Josephine Novy Helebrant. Lou was the half-brother of my maternal grandfather, Edward Kostal. Lou and Josie farmed in the Ravenna, Nebraska area for many years. Josie passed away in 1942 and Lou passed away in 1971. I met him on one occasion. Lou is the great grandfather of my half-second cousin (once removed), Sarah Johnson, whom I met through this humble weblog.

James Kostal family

Back Row: Antonia (Tonnie) Helebrant Stanton, Lou Helebrant, Agnes Kostal Glodowski, James Helebrant, Anna Helebrant Smaha. Front Row: Albie Kostal Psota, James Kostal, Edward Kostal, Josephine Sladovnikova Kostal, Emma Kostal Psota.

My second cousin, Elaine Psota, sent this picture to me giving me an opportunity to play with it in both Photoshop and Picasa. My sister has a large copy of this picture in its original frame hanging in her parlor and I have a smaller version hanging in my dining room.

This is my maternal grandfather, Edward Kostal, and his parents and siblings. (My grandfather is the young boy standing in the middle of the photo.) I'm estimating this photo to have been taken around 1904. My grandfather was born in 1893. The young girl on the far left is my Aunt Albie who was born in 1899. (Albie is Elaine's grandmother.)

My great grandfather, James, came over from Czechoslovakia in 1880. My great grandmother, Josephine, came over from Bohemia the same year. At the time, she was married to her first husband, John Helebrant. They had four children together and they are standing in the back row. John passed away in 1887 and she married my great grandfather in 1889. They also had four children together. My Aunt Agnes was the oldest of the second set of children. She's wearing a ribbon in her hair and standing just to the right of my grandfather in the center of the picture. My Aunt Emma is the girl on the far right. Emma was born in 1896 and died in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-19. She was married and had a young daughter, Jeanette.

• Anna Helebrant Smaha (1881-1959)
• Antonia (Tonnie) Helebrant Stanton (1883-1964)
• Louis Helebrant (1884-1971)
• James Helebrant (1886-1955)
• Agnes Kostal Glodowski (1890-1985)
• Edward Kostal (1893-1967)
• Emma Kostal Psota (1896-1919)
• Albie Kostal Psota (1899-1978)

Josephine, who was older than James by seven years, passed away in 1923. James remarried a woman named Eleanor Vacek and he passed away in 1948. They had no children together.