The history section is done-the council meeting I will have done tomorrow. Until 1977 you could grab a stool at the counter and order a vanilla Coke or a “suicide” at the Clutier Sundries Store ran by Jerry and Evelyn Stejskal helped by his brother Frank. The store carried a variety of things, pencils, paper, books-everything the serious student required. The soda fountain was a meeting place for the young people of the town. The store was located in the building on Main st. owned by Virginia Jensen. Jerry bought the store, the former Roushar Drug Store, right out of high school. In June of 1940 he married Evelyn Hartwig. The Stejskal family came from Czechoslovakia in 1913, they settled in Chicago where Jerry sr. worked as a cobbler. With Jerry,sr. and Marie Stejskal was 18 month old Jerry, jr. Three more sons were born William, Frank and Ludwig. In 1920 they arrived in Clutier. Mr. Stejskal opened a Harness and Shoe Repair on Main St. This is the current Museum building owned by Ardene Cross. The family made their home behind the shop. A fifth son,, Charles was born the year after they moved to Clutier. During WWII all of the brothers served with the youngest brother dying in the Philippines. According to the obituary of Charles Stejskal he died January 24, 1945. An Army chaplain sent his mother a letter telling her of her son’s death. He died from shrapnel injuries during fighting in Rosario Sector, Luzon. He was buried in USAF Cemetery No.1 , Santa Barbara, Luzon , Philippine Islands. He gave the grave number and row. At the time of his death his brothers were all serving their country. Jerry Stejskal Jr.,Clutier druggist is assigned to an Army medical clinic in the Netherlands East Indies, William, employed in a war plant in Des Moines, Pfc. Frank Stejskal is a guard over war prisoners at Camp White, Ore. and Cpl. Ludvik Stejskal in the amphitheater engineers somewhere in the Philippines. Ludvik had been wounded earlier but was back with his outfit at the time of his brother’s death. He was an outstanding athlete at Clutier High School even helping coach the outstanding girl’s basketball team in 1942 and 43. He lettered in basketball and baseball all 4 years of his high school career. Charles and Arthur Hadacek had built a trophy case to house the many trophies the girls won. Jerry and Evelyn were charter members of the Community Protestant church organized in 1950. Evelyn was one of the original members of the Women’s Christian Fellowship. Jerry also directed band concerts and worked with the Engel Construction co. of Traer for 16 yrs. From 1951-1991 was Clutier City Clerk. Jerry died in March of 1991. He was survived by Evelyn and two daughters Dixie Ann Heiser of Cedar Falls and Lori Jarrett of Ottumwa. Jerry’s brother Frank operated a grocery in Clutier before the war and later worked in the Sundrie until it closed in 1977. Frank never married. Bill married Helen Sanderson in DesMoines , he settled there and worked for Des Moines Pittsburg Steel Company until retirement. Ludwig married Rene Richards-settled in Waterloo where he worked as a carpenter. Jerry sr, continued in his repair shop until his death in 1963. I started writing this after I read a page in 20th Century Czechs by Marcella Podhajsky Pults-Marcella talked about going to Stejskal’s Drug Store after Catechism classes. Sometimes the store would be jammed and they would have to wait to get to the counter where Frank Stejskal was serving up ice cream and sodas. I could just picture the store and the soda fountain so I started going through other books. I found a history of the Stejskal family in the Clutier Centennial Book-it was signed by Evelyn Stejskal. I found Charles Stejskal’s obituary in an old scrap book, I’m assuming it was from a local paper. I thought the story of the Stejskal family was probably very similar to many immigrant families during the first half of the century. Hardworking, religious, patriotic-they were the type of people that helped build Clutier. An interesting family.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 00:04:02 +0000
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