KRAPEK, Sophie 1902-2000

KRAPEK

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 4/2/2010 at 17:09:19

SOPHIE KRAPEK

OSAGE - Sophie Krapek, 98, died Wednesday (July 5, 2000) at Faith Lutheran Home in Osage.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the United Church of Christ, 630 State St., Osage, with Rev. Robert Melhorn officiating. Interment will be in Osage Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Champion Funeral Home, 702 State St., Osage, and will resume one hour before services at the church Monday.

Sophie Krapek was born the twelfth of 15 children on January 15, 1902, in Cary, Czechoslovakia. Her parents, John and Anna Stroz, named her Skolastika which was changed to Sophie in America.

In 1920, at the age of 18, Sophie sailed alone to the United States to join two older, married sisters, Anna Pavlovic and Jutka Magdal, who were living in Johnstown, N. Y. Within a short time, she chose to move with her sister Jutka and her husband to Detroit. There she met and married Joseph Matejecek in 1923. Three years later, Joseph died from blood poisoning.

In 1928 Sophie met John Krapek, a widower with two children, Frank and Helen. John and Sophie were married in Detroit, where their son, Joseph John, was born. A couple years later, they moved to Osage to work the Fred Markham farm. A daughter, Mary Ann, was born in 1936 and in 1937 they moved to manage the Van Voorhis farm. Sophie was widowed again in 1939 when John Krapek passed away from a heart attack.

To earn a living, Sophie cleaned homes for several prominent families of Osage. In addition, she cleaned business offices and took in ironing. She loved and took great pride in the care of her own home, gardens and yard. Sophie loved baking, especially her native country's pastry called kolaches.

Her desire to become a U. S. citizen was realized in 1942. Through the years Sophie often thanked God for the opportunity of living in this country. Her grandson, Steven Krapek, honored his grandmother by having her name inscribed on the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island American Immigrant Wall of Honor in New York Harbor.

Sophie is survived by a daughter, Mary Ann McDonald and her husband, David, Orinda, Calif.; a daughter-in-law, Eleanor Krapek, Mason City; a grandson, Steven Krapek and his wife, Kelly, and their children, John and Annie, Chanhassen, Minn.; two granddaughters, Kim Krapek, Aurora, Colo., and Kay Nolan and her husband, Dan, and their daughter, Andrea, Monmouth, Ill; and a sister, Sidona of Slovakia.

She was preceded in death by her parents; 13 brothers and sisters; two husbands, Joseph Matejecek and John Krapek; and a sister-in-law, nne Van Voorhis.

[Mason City Globe-Gazette, 7-7-2000]