Settling in at West, Texas
[Originally written by William Josef Cervenka and published in Hospodar on January 01, 1975. Submitted to the
Český hlas by Willa Mae Cervenka, daughter, of Waco, Texas]Originally published in the
Český hlas/The Czech Voice, Vol. 17, No. 2, May 2002
Mr. Will Cervenka was photographed while singing, a capela, the Czech National Anthem, Kdo Domov Muj, at the State Fair in Dallas, Texas, during Czech Day in 1975 when he was named “King of the Day“ for being the oldest Czech person present. Photo courtesy of Ms. Willa Mae Cervenka.
Mr. William J. Cervenka from West, Texas writes:
I was born in Moravia in 1889 and came to America on June 26th, 1924, on the ship Neckar after being released from the army. The trip took twenty-four days from the seaport of Bremen to Galveston in Texas. After docking was the first time that I had ever seen a black woman. She was sitting on the ground. Then I left on a train to Waco, Texas, which lies in the central part of Texas. From the railroad I walked through the main street, which is called Austin Avenue, and every so often I stopped but I could not read any of the signs on the streets or businesses. I finally arrived at the courthouse.
There I was a watering trough with water where farmers watered their horses when they brought their cotton to sell. So I washed myself and combed my hair. On the corner of the street stood a strong man in a black suit. I keep looking at him, not knowing that he was a policeman because he had no weapon. In Austria-Hungary, the police carried swords. Then I went to the railroad station and found my baggage in good order. At that time there were not as many thieves as there are now. I took my property on my back and walked the train track and asked people where I could find my compatriots; but, they did not understand me and I did not understand their answers. Luckily, I met a lady who told me, in German, to go a little further and that I would find a tavern (a Czech one), which was owned by Michael Mazenec. When I luckily found this place, I ordered a glass of beer because I was very thirsty. Mr. Mazanec did not charge me for the beer and then took me to his farm near the town of Ross (near West) where his farm was farmed by Mr. Josef Jaska Sr., also an immigrant and his son, Alois, who now lives in the rest home in West. After two weeks of living on a farm, they found me a job at Mr. Anton Hlavenka near the small town of Tours. There I picked cotton at twenty-five cents for one hundred pounds of cotton. A kilo is about two and a quarter United States of America pounds. Mr. Hlavenka had black hired hands and when he told them that I am seeing and picking cotton for the first time, they did not what to believe it, for I always picked more cotton than they did. Mrs. Hlavenka still lives in Dallas.
The next day I began chopping cotton at the farm of Frank Machovsky, and when they came out to the field, they asked me why I was chopping out the cotton. I told them, “You asked me to chop cotton.” Then they showed me that I must chop grass and leave the cotton plants on each row. When the farmers found out I was a good worker, I did not have to look for work, they found me and I had plenty of work. Cotton chopping paid seventy-five cents a day and after a rain a dollar a day. At that time a day’s work meant from dark to dark and because the day was so long we ate three or five times a day and I was always hungry and ate everything they put before me--so nothing was left for the cats and dogs.
Since here in Texas it is warmer, I was always thirsty in the fields at work. I carried a bottle with water tied to my waist; but, the more I drank, the thirstier I got and perspired so much that I was always wet. Then later I learned carpentering and got seventy-five cents for nine hours of work a day. I began going to the Czech club Hlahol, was a member of the Sokol band, member of the Knights of Columbus, Chamber of Commerce, and also a member of a joint band from around West. Most of the musicians were from the county and all came to West which at that time was a small town and all the band practices took place there. At that time I blew the horn so loud that people in West could not sleep. The band had thirty-five members and played only at special celebrations…especially the Fourth of July, when America celebrates Independence Day. One time when we were marching down main street I beat on the drum so hard that the strap on the drum broke off and the drum rolled down the street. The band kept on going and the musicians did not know what was going on in the back; but the crowd that had come on wagons and horses had a good laugh. Guests went to the park in the afternoon. After playing for and amusing people, we musicians got a free meal.
Mr. Frank Jezek and John Rejcek Abbott are the last members of the band still living. Also many years ago we played in a contest in Dallas, Texas, and heard that our band received first place but to this day I have not seen the prize or any of the money. I was a member of the choral group with Mrs. Rose Sieth, Rose Cocek, Hattie Matus, Mr. Otto Hanak, and the organist was Mrs. Rudie Grimm. I was active in the theatre group. Some of the ladies, who are still living are Rose Seith, Marie Jerabek, Christine Hruska, and Agnes Kubala. Mr. And Mrs. Cocek were also involved. All of these people were from West.
I was born in Kašava in Moravia where I still have five sisters: Agnes Konarik, Vlasta Knedla, Otylie Julin, and Cecilia Holik (are all in Kašava, county of Zlin) and Frances Horak of Veslí, county of Slušovice. My two daughters, Henrietta and Willa Mae visited my kinfolks in the old country in 1972 and Czech-Slovak and Hanák costumes made, which they all put on for special occasions like Czech day at the State Fair in Dallas, Texas. This year I was named king of the day because I was the oldest Czech person present and I sang a song and also told a few jokes.
Recently I received a sad letter that my brother, Alois, died in a Brno hospital at the age of seventy-eight years and was buried besides his wife. He married her in Russia when he was a legionnaire during the First World War. Another brother married in Poland and I, William, married in America. In the war, I served with a friend, Henry Horky, who still lives in Kašava. We served in the Twenty-Fifth Regiment in Kroměříž in Moravia in the years 1911 through 1913.
I have written my recollections so that my progeny would know what I went through and suffered and my narration would serve them for the good of all.