Kit Carson County, Colorado
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Kit Carson County Pioneers:

John and Mary (Satek) Zemek, 6 South 48 West




John "Zenek" claimed a quarter in 15, 7S 49W in 1890, so it might very well be one who returned.


John Zemek and Anna Velak had John Zemek in Chicago on May 14, 1881.

In 1900 Chicago, John Zemek is a grocer, born May 1857, married 20 years to Anna Feb 1858. John is 19, Jame 16, Rosie 15, Mary 12, and Henry 9.

John Zemek, 48, married Marie Vasicka, 36, on August 15, 1905 in Cook County, Illinois.

In 1910 John is in Chicago, farming, 52, married four years to Mary 41, both born in Bohemia. George is 4, born in Illinois. Mary's kids Frank Vasecka 16, Julia 14, Fred 11, and Edward 9 were all born in Illinois.
In 1910 Chicago, Mary Zemek 22, Henry 20, and James 26 are living with sister Rose, 24, who's married to John Havelka.

John claimed a tract in 31, 6 South, 48W in 1915. That's about 12 miles south of Cope.


In 1920 Kit Carson County, John is 63, Mary 54, George J. 13 born in Chicago, and Frank and Edward Vasecka.

JOHN ZEMEK, b. 30 May 1857, Humpolec, Bohemia died 18 Nov 1926, Possibly in Sterling, Logan, CO. living there at time of death.

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Zemek were held at the Cope congregational Church, Wednesday, Aug __, at 2:30 o'clock, with Mrs. Millie ___ of Flagler in charge. Interment took place in the Cope Cemetery.
Those in attendance at the services from out of the state were Dr. Benjamin Satek, a brother from Chicago, Illinois, a son, Edward Vasecka and his son, Edward Vasecka and Geo. Zemek, son of the deceased, all of Chicago.
OBITUARY
Mary Satek was born Sept. 8. 1868, at Simpach, Kraj, Tabor, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, and departed this life on Aug. 19, 1944 at Cope, Colo., being aged 75 years, 11 months, and 11 days. When Mary Satek was 11 years old she, with her parents, left Bohemia and ______America, to Chicago where she grew to womanhood. On January 28, 1893, she was united in marriage to Frank Vasecka. To this union were born three sons, Frank, Fred and Edward and one daughter, Julia, now the wife of Guy Cope. Mr. Vasecka died July 2, 1902. After three years, on Aug. 16, 1906, Mrs. Vasecka was married to John Zemek. To this union was born one son, George.
In March of 1908 the family moved from Chicago to Colorado near Seibert, where they lived for a time and then moved to Sterling, Colo., and resided there for six or seven years. After the death of Mr. Zemek, Mrs. Zemek returned to Chicago where she lived for a time and then came back to Colorado and lived with her daughter and family, until the time of her death.
In her younger days she belonged to various societies, but as she grew older, she dropped out of all of these organizations and seemed to enjoy being with her grandchildren, caring for them more than anything else. She wanted to be useful and enjoyed doing things for others. She will be greatly missed by her children and grand children, by her brothers and sisters and all her relatives and her friends in this community.
She leaves to mourn her passing four sons, Frank Vasecka, of Flagler, Fred, Edward and George, of Chicago, her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Cope of Cope. Four step-children, two sons and two daughters, four daughters-in-law, Mrs. Hilma Vasecka, Mrs. Alta Vasecka, Mrs. Louise Vasecka of Chicago, and Mrs. Anna Zemek, one brother, Dr. Benjamin Satek, two sisters, Mrs. Barbara Greske and Mrs. Emma Pekar, of Chicago, and nine grandchildren and many other relatives and a host of friends mourn her passing.
She was seriously ill but a short time, became sick on Tuesday, the doctor was called when she grew worse on Wednesday, and on Saturday she passed away from the effects of lobar-pneumonia. Her death was hastened by a weak heart.



Hilma and Evelyn Cope attended Cope High School and lived with their Grandmother Zemek in Cope until graduating in 1943.

JULIA

Julia married Guy Cope, son of the founder of Cope.

In 1940 Washington County, Guy J. is 51, Julia 43, William Guy 21, Evelyn R. 18, Wilma J. 14, Mary Ellen 10, and Betty Low 8.

February 11, 1954 Joes items "This community was greatly shocked on Tuesday morning to hear on the air that Mrs. Guy Cope of the neighboring region of Cope had beeen killed in a car accident south of Akron."

February 1954 "Double funeral services were held last Friday afternoon at Cope for Mr. and Mrs. Guy Cope, long-time Washington County residents, who died following an automobile accident Monday evening, February 8. Returning to Akron after a ... of the Little Beaver oil field, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Al Ward, Sr., of Akron, Mr. and Mrs. Cope suffered fatal injuries when their car plunged into a steep barrow pit, 21 miles southwest of Akron. "
1960 " Evelyn BATES, Hilma Madison, Mary Williams, Betty Rapp and Bill Cope, five adult children of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Cope and brought this action under C.R.S. '53, 13 9 1 commonly known as the guest statute, and the wrongful death statute C.R.S. '53, 41 1 2. Following a jury trial a verdict was returned in favor of defendant, judgment was entered accordingly and plaintiffs are here on writ of error. The complaint alleged that plaintiffs' parents were killed in a one car accident in February 1954; that "at the time the said Guy Cope and Julia Cope were killed they were guests in a passenger car owned and driven by the defendant, Alfred Ward, Sr." "

They had Hilma on June 23, 1925.
Hilma died in 2014.






"Evelyn (Cope) Bates grew up on a ranch in Colorado. When she was middle school age, Evelyn walked to the Wrape's ranch, neighbors that lived a mile away, and helped Belle Wrape with the laundry on wash day. Belle gave a shoebox full of quilt blocks to Evelyn in 1936 for her 8th grade graduatioon and to thank her for all her help with the laundry. Eveyln's grandmother, Nettie, offered to sew the extra blocks that were needed and to put the blocks together into a quilt. Using fabrics from Evelyn's and other family member's clothing, Nettie hand sewed the extra squares and put the quilt together. This "Friendship Star" quilt was finished in 1940. Julia (Vasecka) Cope, Evelyn's mother, lived in Chicago where her mother Mary ran a grocery store. After Mary's second marriage, the family moved to Colorado and lived in a sod house. Julia took a job on the Cope Ranch working for William and Nettie Cope. While working there, she met their son Guy, whom she married in 1916.

April 11, 1963

July 30, 1964

1974 "Mr. and Mrs. Bill Cope and Edith Ann, Mary Zech, and Betty Rapp all of Aurora spent the weekend in the Walt Madison home. "Mary Zech, Betty Rapp and Helma Madison visited in the Dan Long home in Yuma Sunday evening."

1983 "Mrs. Evelyn Cope Bates of Muskegon, Michigan arrived Monday for a week's vacation visiting her sisters."

Evelyn R. "Evie" Bates 1922-1999 is buried in Muskegon # 135012421, with William L. Bates 1914-1999.

William had married Patricia Flint in 1948.

William Guy Cope, 1st Lt. U.S. Army WWII, 10/25/1917-2/20/1998 is buried in Cope.

Mary Williams and Howard Zech married in Denver June 8, 1965. Mrs. Betty Rapp served her sister as matron of honor. Afgter a honeymoon in Kansas City, Mr. and Mrs. Zech are at home in Yuma."

Mary Zech had daughters Mrs. Beverly Long of Yuma, Janice Williams of Wray, and Tracy of Denver.

August 19, 1971

Tracy married Alan Axton of Windsor in May 1995.
Tracy was the daughter of Mary Zch of Cope and Howard Zech of Las Animas.

One post said "Howard Scott Zech died April 8, 1999 in Las Animas, Colorado, cremated, ashes scattered north of Rifle."
1888

GEORGE

George was born August 24, 1906 in Chicago to John Zemek and Marie Satek, dying June 29, 1980 in Berrien County, Michigan. He's buried there # 78822588, with Lillian 1915-

July 17, 1980 "Word was received from Michigan of the death of George 'Zeneks' June 29. George ws tehe youngest brother of Julia Cope."
George had married Ann, who's buried in Chicago 1807-1957 # 139306832, with their daughter Dorothy 1933-1940.

1984


FRANK VASECKA

July 17, 1980 "Mrs. Hilma Vasecka of Flagler has been visiting her niece and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Walt Madison."

Frank 1894-1960 is buried in Flagler, Colorado # 15722172, with Hilma (Pearson) Vasecka 1893-1958.

EDWARD

In 1930 Edward is a carpenter in Chicago, 29, with Louise 28, and Louise's sister Marie Vorel 23, all born in Illinois.
1980 Yuma Pioneer "Ed Vasecka of Havre, Montana arrived here Monday for a week's visit with his nieces, Betty Smith, Mary Zeck, and Hilma Madison. He went to Flageler on Tuesday to visit his sister-in-law, Hilma Vasecka."

Edward 1900-1984 is buried in Inverness, Florida # 50069526, with Louise Barbara Vasecka 1901-1978.



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