2007-2008 Nebraska Czech-Slovak State Queen

Shandra K.

York Czechs Chapter

 

 2007-2008 Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queen

   Shandra was crowned the Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queen in Clarkson, Nebraska on June 23, 2007. There were eight chapter queens entered in the 45th Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queen Pageant.

  Shandra is from Fairmont, NE and is the daughter of Rick and Linda. Shandra represents the Nebraska Czechs of York chapter. Her talent for the pageant was an accordion solo, which also won her the talent award.

She is a graduate of Exeter-Milligan High School and plans to attend Southeast Community College in Beatrice for two years. She plans to then transfer to the University of Nebraska at Kearney to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.

Shandra has been involved in 4-H and enjoyed being a counsel for 4-H camps. She was a part of Speech during high school and placed 6^th at State for her humorous pose. Shandra also played in the high school pep band on her accordion.

 Shandra’s great-great grandfather on her father’s side came from Ladmerice Plzen, Bohemia and settled in Fillmore County, NE and married his wife in 1875. Her great-great-great grandfather on her mother’s side came from Volenice Pisek, Bohemia and settled in Fillmore County, NE in 1868. Her heritage is important to her because it is something that no one can take away. She is surrounded by Czechs that have shown her what life is about. They have exposed her to the foods of her ancestors, as well as the wonderful music they listened to. Shandra says “They have passed these traditions on to me and I will keep them and pass them on to further generations of my family as well. What I have learned from my Czech family and friends has strengthened the loving peaceful Czech within me.” She is involved in the preservation of family heritage by making kolace, dolky, potato dumplings, Sladka Vomacka (fruit soup) and crescent rolls that her Grandma Sluka taught to her. Shandra also preserves the heritage by playing the beautiful music on the accordion in nursing homes, conventions, and accordion jamborees, and attending Czech festivals each summer.

 

  

2007-2008 Butler County Czech Queen

 Valerie represents the Nebraska Czechs of Butler County. She is the daughter of Joe & Sharon of David City, NE.  Her talent for the pageant was an acappella vocal solo.

       Valerie is a graduate of Aquinas High School in David City. After attending Peru State College for one year, she will transfer to Missouri Valley College in Marshall, MO to major in Human Services. She was awarded a vocal music scholarship and will sing in the college choir. Some of her activities are attending and singing at Czech festivals, President of the Nebraska Czechs of Butler County, and a delegate of the Nebraska Czechs Inc.

       Valerie’s ancestors came from many different parts of Moravia, and Bohemia. On her maternal grandmother’s side are the Kohout’s and Nemec’s. Her great-great grandfather Albert Nemec, immigrated to the USA from the Ceske Budejovice area. Her great-great grandfather, Anton Kohout, Sr. immigrated with a friend and his sister. The sister later became Mrs. Anton Kohout, Sr.  On her maternal grandfather’s side are the Andel’s and Sedlacek’s. The Andel’s immigrated to the USA in the 1870’s from Kninice, in the county of Dacice in Moravia. The Sedlacek’s from the Pilzen area, also immigrated in the 1870’s to avoid the involuntary draft into the Austrian-Hungarian Army. Her heritage is important to her because it helps her to realize how many trials and sacrifices her ancestors had to go through to provide a better life and it is important for all people to know where they came from to help them understand who they really are. She is involved in the preservation of family heritage by attending Czech festivals and spending time trying to learn the language and culture through her late grandfather. Because of his teachings, she tries to share what she learned with others.

      

 

2007-2008 Clarkson Czech Queen

 Caitlin represents the Nebraska Czechs of Clarkson. She is the daughter of Mark and Judy of Clarkson. Her talent for the pageant was a vocal solo “Sleep Little Angel”.

She attends Clarkson High School and will graduate in 2009. Her future ambitions include earning a degree in Radiology Technology after graduation.

Some of her activities include being a Beseda and Maypole dancer for several years and teaching the younger dancers. She has been a 4-H member for nine years, where she has held the offices of President, Historian and Treasurer. She has received awards in Horticulture, dairy, cake decorating, action exhibit and welding, and has been a member of the Colfax County 4-H Council for three years. Caitlin has donated 10 inches of her hair to the Locks of Love organization.

Her mother’s family came from South Bohemia. The Vitek name comes from the Cesky Krumlov area. Her great-great-great grandfather Frank Vitek brought his family to the Clarkson area in 1889. Other family names from the Clarkson area include; Jonas, Zrust, Severa, Rosicky and Cimfl. Her heritage is important to her because many of the Czech traditions would be lost if her generation did not carry them on. Many of these traditions include: Czech cooking, Beseda dancing and celebrating the Czech culture within the Clarkson community. She is involved in the preservation of family heritage by learning to make strudel for 4-H at the county fair. She also baked kolace to raise money for mission trips, and has been a volunteer at the Clarkson Czech festival.

 

 

2007-2008 Lincoln Czech Queen

 Amanda represents the Nebraska Czechs of Lincoln. She is the daughter of Ernie of Crete. Her talent for the pageant was an oral presentation of the history of the Czech flag.

She attends Crete High and enjoys science, computers and problem solving. Her future ambitions are to work for the CIA in Japan, so she can learn about that culture and protect the USA. Amanda enjoys working with computers and helping the teachers at school. She is also a cheerleader and her favorite sport to cheer for is football. She really enjoys baking Czech sweets like kolace.

Her great-great grandfather, Petr Odvody and her great-great grandmother, Marie Bedlan came to America from Southern Bohemia. Petr came to America at the age of 17 on a steam ship in 1884. The trip cost $200 and he arrived at a port in New York after 2-3 weeks of travel. Her family still has old fashioned picnics in a pasture and they celebrate the Czech heritage by polka dancing, waltzing, Czech baking and various other traditions. Her heritage is important to her because it is a part of who she is and she wants to continue the traditions for many years. She wants her future children to know where they came from and to be proud of their background. She is involved in the preservation of family heritage by being involved in Czech traditions. Her grandparents have a polka band and they bake and sell kolace and other baked goods in the Wilber area. She has been a Wilber Czech dancer for many years and served as a little sister for Lisa Volesky, Miss Czech Slovak USA 2001-2002.

 

 

 2007-2008 Omaha Czech Cultural Club Queen

 Carrie represents the Omaha Czech Cultural Club. She is the daughter of Gary and Monica of Omaha. Her talent for the pageant was a vocal solo of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”, from Jesus Christ Superstar, sung in Czech. Carrie was the 1^st runner up and the winner of the Oratory Award at the pageant.

She is a graduate of Cross Catholic High School, and is currently attending the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her future ambitions are to graduate from UNO with a degree in Speech Pathology and to someday be a wife and mother.

She has volunteered with TOP soccer, an organization that assists children with disabilities in a friendly soccer game.  The past three summers Carrie has worked as a summer school classroom aide at an elementary school. Her family hosted a foreign exchange student from the Czech Republic this past year.

Her ancestors came from Caslav in Cechy; Plzen and Domazlice in Bohemia; and Brno, Hrotovice and Krumlov in Moravia. The first ancestors born in the USA lived in Prague, NE. Her great-great grandparents settled in a Czech community in South Omaha and several members of the extended family still reside in the same area. Her Czech and Slovak heritage is very important because it is imperative to continue the legacy of our ancestors. Carrie says, “I take pleasure in hearing stories about where my family originated and how they lived. My family honors the lives and sacrifices of our ancestors by keeping alive their memory.”

She is involved in the preservation of family heritage through the cuisine. She enjoys baking kolace and houska, because they are tasty Czech dishes that always bring the family together. Carrie enjoys learning new Czech words, phrases and songs, and hopes to learn the language well enough to have a conversation in Czech with her Grandma. Carrie feels that being a Czech queen has helped her promote her heritage and she has presented the image that her culture and ancestry is important to her and will forever continue to be.

 

 

2007-2008 Prague Czech Queen

 Melissa represents the Nebraska Czechs of Prague. She is daughter of Doug and Christine of Malmo. Her talent for the pageant was an oral presentation about artwork of herself and her grandmother. Melissa won the Miss Congeniality award at the pageant.

She graduated from Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo. She has attended Briar Cliff University and Southeast Community College the last two years. Her future ambitions are to get a degree in a field where she will be helping other people, and to try and make the world a better place.

Melissa loves to draw, color, paint and anything involving art. She likes to bake and try new recipes. She also loves to read, write and interpret poetry.

Her whole family is Czech and each family gathering is a traditional Czech meal. Melissa considers her family traditions as her way of live, not just her heritage. She likes to make kolace, rosettes and is working on making good strudel. Her family plays games during the winter time, where her grandparents ask the family to speak Czech. Thru this experience Melissa has come to realize that some of the words she has used over the years were not English, but Czech. Her heritage is important to her because she realizes that her heritage makes her who she is and without knowing your heritage you don’t really have much of an identity. She realizes how hard it must have been for her ancestors and it motivates her to strive to be more. She is involved in the preservation of family heritage by baking Czech foods with her mother and grandmother for weddings, funerals and other occasions. She grows poppy seed, grinds it and uses in it in her Czech baking. Melissa is trying to learn to play the accordion and learn the Czech language. She loves to dance the Polka.

 

 

2007-2008 South Central Czech Queen

 Erin represents the Nebraska Czechs of South Central. She is daughter of Kevin and Kathy of Friend. Her talent for the pageant was performing the “Clarinet Polka” on her clarinet. Erin won the best kroj (costume) award at the pageant.

       Erin plans to graduate from Friend High School in 2008 and then attend beauty school to become a cosmetologist. Erin has been involved in 4-H for 9 years and volunteers for many activities in 4-H. She is also involved in FCCLA and FBLA, which does many activities to help the community. Erin enjoys many sports and is involved in volleyball, basketball, track and softball. Erin believes that sports will provide a good learning path for her.

Her great-great grandfather, on her father’s side, immigrated to the USA from Verechov Horazd in 1883, and settled east of Crete, NE where they farmed. Her great-great grandparents, on her mother’s side, immigrated to the USA in the 1800’s and settled south of Dorchester, NE where they also farmed. Her heritage is important to her because it’s who she is. Dancing with the Wilber Czechs sparked Erin’s interest in learning about her heritage, so she would ask her grandmother about the heritage. Erin’s ancestors came to this country with many musical talents and the family has continued this tradition thru the generations, which makes Erin proud to be Czech. Another important part of her heritage is the family farming, which started when her ancestors immigrated and continues today. She is involved in family preservation by watching her grandmother doing family genealogy, and this helps Erin learn more about her family’s heritage. Erin was a Czech Princess in 1998 for the Nebraska Czechs of South Central.  

 

 

2007-2008 Wilber Czech Queen

             Elizabeth represents the Nebraska Czechs of Wilber. She is the daughter of Dale and Mary of Wilber. Her talent for the pageant was a tap dance to “Brazos Bottom”.

       She is a graduate of Wilber-Clatonia Public High School and is currently attending Kansas State University. She is enrolled in the five year architectural engineering program and will graduate in 2011 with a focus on structural engineering.

       Her activities include participating in dance for fourteen years and competed for eight years at Crete’s Dance Company. She has done tap, ballet, hip-hop and lyrical. She was a member of the high school tennis team, where she lettered for three years, and went to state three years in number one doubles. She also played softball for three years in high school and was selected as a second team all-conference infielder. She also received academic all-state honors in both tennis and softball. She still enjoys playing both sports with friends and at college.

       Her grandparents on both her father’s and mother’s side are 100% Czech. Her great-great grandparents immigrated to the USA, some as adults and some as children. Her heritage is important to her as she wants to teach her future children so the heritage is kept alive for future generations. She enjoys beseda dancing and playing with the alumni band on Czech Days in Wilber. She wants to keep the delicious Czech recipes of koalce, duck and dumplings and houska in the family. 

       She is involved in the preservation of family heritage as she works on documenting her Czech heritage on both sides of her family.

      

 

 

2006 – 2007 Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queen - Michelle

      Michelle will represent the Nebraska Czechs, Inc. at the 2007 Miss USA Czech-Slovak National Pageant in Wilber, NE.   Thank you Michelle for being our 2006-2007 Czech Queen.  Michelle is currently attending college at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She has taken the Czech language program at UNL and has attended many events to promote the heritage.

  

 

2007 – 2008 Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queens

First Row – South Central Queen – Erin

2006-2007 Nebraska Czech Slovak Queen -  Michelle

Lincoln Queen – Amanda

 Second Row -  Omaha Czech Cultural Club Queen – Carrie

Prague Queen – Melissa

Third Row – York Queen – Shandra

Butler County Queen – Valerie

Clarkson Queen – Caitlin

Wilber Queen - Elizabeth

 

 (More Czech Queens Pictures taken by Brandy VanDeWalle at Clarkson)

Click to ENLARGE, then click to EXPAND

 

(More Pictures from Clarkson by Brandy VanDeWalle)

  Congratulations to all the Czech Queens!!

Thank you for representing your Chapters

 and the Nebraska Czechs, Inc. 

Be proud of your heritage and celebrate it!