This was a joyful reunion for our Souhrada family but it also held the sadness of losing one of our precious family members, Elizabeth Wosoba Vanicek. The Lord took Elizabeth home to be with him about two weeks before this reunion. She was the mother of three of our very active members, Velma Flynn and John & Anton Vanicek. Elizabeth & her family had organized this 9th reunion, and her family though greatly missing her, graciously hosted it. We are blessed with delightful, happy memories of being with Elizabeth. She is and will be missed by all of us.

Elizabeth was a great addition to our family reunions. She had attended Souhrada Reunions held a generation ago in area’s around Oxford Junction, Strawberry Point, IA and others, and shared the joy of attending them with us. Jane Souhrada knew of her and sent her and her family an invitation to attend our 3rd Souhrada reunion. They came and have played an active part in our reunions ever since. Some of us who arrived early for our reunion met with Elizabeth’s daughter, Velma Flynn and one of her sons, Anton Vanicek to tour the Mayflower Cemetery near Oxford Junction where many of our Souhrada family members have been laid to rest. From the cemetery some of us gathered with a few other members of Elizabeth’s family at Elizabeth’s home in Oxford Junction. Her home held an atmosphere of love, peace and joy that penetrated though her home. Though she wasn’t there to welcome us her family made us feel perfectly at home as we all fixed ourselves a meal in her kitchen. That afternoon was spent delighting ourselves by going though the genealogy and family pictures of our Souhrada family that Elizabeth had collected through the years.

Our reunion was scheduled to start at noon on Sunday but some of us gathered for a sharing time over breakfast at one of the restaurants in the area. From there we moved on to the Legionnaire Park where our 9th Reunion took place. We were greeted with delightful music being played by the Oxford Junction Polka Band who played for our listening enjoyment before our noonday meal. Pastor Wane Souhrada led us in prayer, thanking our Lord Jesus for his love for us, the joy of the day and for our food. After our meal Leota Campbell spoke a bit about the importance of our reunions and preserving our Souhrada heritage. She spoke of the terrible conditions some of our Souhrada families in the Czech Republic lived through during the 2nd World War when both German and then Russian troops moved into their country. Some family members did not survive but those who did preserved what they could of our Souhrada heritage.

Our reunions are meant to bring us together as a family to grow closer together as we share our faith and how we handle the good and bad things that are happening in our lives. This is the heritage we pass on to our next generation. Leota also interviewed Arthur Souhrada for two reasons; one to honor him for being the oldest family member in attendance and the other to speak in remembrance of his father, Michael, an unforgettable member of this family. It was evident in Michael’s life that he loved our Souhrada family and family gatherings and kept many of us informed about the happenings of our family through either his letter writing, or a visit. He was our ‘Souhrada Family News Letter' back then.

We had had a joy filled day and when the reunion was over and it was time to leave many pictures were taken for a remembrance of the day and those who shared it with us.

By Leota Campbell

Leota Campbell, Viola Noska, Viola Leslie, Jane Souhrada, LaVonne Noska

Hanna, Betsy and Tom Flynn, Diane Willimack Netcott, Anton Vanicek, Edwin and Betty Willimack