Frank Nedved Biography


	This biography appears on pages 780-782 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	FRANK NEDVED. - The Bohemian settlement of South Dakota is 
largely the result of the efforts of Frank Nedved. His influence with 
his fellow countrymen led them to come to this state and to aid in the 
settlement of a commonwealth which has grown in importance until it now 
ranks with the leading states of the Union. Mr. Nedved was born in 
Bohemia on the 18th of August, 1828, and is yet an honored resident of 
South Dakota, although he has passed the seventy-fifth mile-stone on 
life's journey. He pursued an excellent education in the schools of his 
native country and when he put aside his text-books he received 
training in agricultural pursuits upon his father's farm. At the age of 
twenty years he was united in marriage to Miss Veronica Stadnik, also a 
native of Bohemia. His wife's fortune consisted of a nice farm which 
Mr. Nedved managed until he came to the United States. As the years 
passed nine children were added to the household ere they left their 
native country and in Ohio and also in South Dakota each another child 
was born, so that the family numbered eleven altogether.  

	It was on the 7th of March, 1867, that Mr. Nedved bade adieu to 
his native country preparatory to seeking a home in the new world. He 
sold his property there for seven thousand dollars, but because of the 
depreciation of Bohemian money when it was changed for other currency 
he had but thirty-five hundred dollars. Attracted by the possibilities 
of the new world and the excellent business advantages he emigrated to 
America, settling in Cleveland, Ohio, where he resided for two years. 
He then left that state as a member of the committee of intelligent 
enterprising Bohemian people who started out to visit Dakota and 
Nebraska for the purpose of locating land for a colony of about five 
hundred Bohemian families, who were contemplating the establishment of 
homes in the northwest. After a careful investigation of the land in 
Nebraska Mr. Nedved decided that it did not compare favorably with the 
Dakota land, hence reported to the members of the proposed colony. In 
1869 he himself demonstrated his faith in this portion of the country 
by settling in what is now Yankton county, where he secured a claim of 
one hundred and sixty acres which was then in possession of the 
government. Not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made upon 
the farm but he at once began its cultivation and soon good fields 
returned to him desirable crops. He still lives upon the old family 
homestead with his son Charles and although he is now seventy-five 
years of age he is yet very active and energetic, seeming to possess 
the vigor and strength of a man yet in his prime. In 1893 Mr. Nedved 
was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 13th of 
November, of that year. Their children were as follows: Charles, who 
married Miss Annie Kafka, a native of Bohemia, is now operating two 
hundred and forty acres of land which he purchased from his father. He 
had three children by his first wife, Anton, Annie and Beatrice, but 
the second named was accidentally drowned by falling into a well about 
nine years ago. On the 10th of December, 1895, the death of Mrs. 
Charles Nedved occurred and on the 26th of January, 1897, he married 
Miss Annie Pechous, who was born in Bon Homme county, South Dakota, of 
Bohemian parentage. This union was blessed with six children, four of 
whom have passed away, those living being Mollie, now two years of age, 
and Eddie, a little boy of less than one year. Joseph, James, 
Stanislaus and Anton are four sons of Mr. Nedved, who are now 
prosperous farmers of either Bon Homme or Yankton counties. Frank, 
another son of the family, met with a very painful accident in 1872. He 
was caught in a blizzard and his legs and fingers on his right hand 
were frozen. This resulted in the necessary amputation of both legs and 
the fingers. He lives with his brothers and he has an income from a 
forty-acre tract of land lying within the city limits of Tyndall. Mary 
Nedved became the wife of Jacob Skvaril, a laborer of Yankton county. 
Annie is the wife of I. A. Walter, a resident farmer of Knox county, 
Nebraska.  

	As before stated, Mr. Nedved was the pioneer among the Bohemian 
settlers of Dakota and it was largely through his influence that so 
many people of his nationality established homes here and became active 
and helpful factors in the work of general improvement. Being a man of 
superior education, he was looked upon as a leader of his people. He is 
a man of highest integrity in both public and private life and over the 
record of his career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of 
evil. He enjoys the unqualified respect of the entire community and was 
a devoted and faithful member of the Catholic church, as were members 
of his family. The first Catholic church in Yankton county was built on 
land owned by him and the cemetery is also located on a tract which was 
once the property of Mr. Nedved. Prior to the building of this church 
his home was used by the priest when offering up the sacrifice of the 
mass and it is said that one half of the Bohemian settlers of this 
section of Yankton county received Christian baptism in the home of Mr. 
Nedved. In political thought and action he has always been independent, 
carrying out his honest views without fear or favor. In business he has 
achieved success through honorable effort, untiring industry and 
capable management, and in private life he has gained that warm 
personal regard which arises from true nobility of character, deference 
for the opinion of others, kindliness and geniality.