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Note: N5158 After the death of his father, Jan\John Nedela in 1893, Frank Nedela kept the Czech music much alive, playing for many events requiring music. As a young man, Frank had served in a military band in the Austrian army. Czechoslovakia was at that time governed by the Austro-Hungarian empire, a dual monarchy under Emperor Franz Joseph. Frank served in the army during the Scheswig-Holstein war of 1864 and in the Prussian-Austrian was of 1866.
In 1867, Frank came to the United States with his parents and settle in Chicago. The following year, he headed west and located in Johnson County, Nebraska, in the southeast portion of the state. However, this latter action proved unsatisfactory, so he went back to Chicago, where he married Miss Marie Papik. The day after their marriage, they decided to make the trip from Chicago to southwest of Crete, where his father, John Nedela and family had settled.
1871 was the year the railroad came to Crete, but before the advent of the iron horse, Mr. Nedela used to go to Lincoln on foot and spent one whole winter there at the cobbler's trade in order to earn the $200 necessary to file a pre-emption payment on a homestead. He made boots for the pioneers, helped them financially and morally, and acted as an interpreter for both the Czech and German immigrants. He had learned to speak English in Chicago and German while serving in the army.
All this time, Frank Nedela was keeping his musical activity very much alive. He was the most well-known Czech musician in Nebraska. He started what was know as a "kid's band" where over half of Crete's school children learned to play a brass instrument with pride, through the teaching of Frank Nedela.
An 1895 photo of Nedela's band, taken at Smith's photography studio in Crete, pictured Frank Nedela, Jr., Edward Jelenik, Joe Nedela, Frank Nedela (director), Otto Kubicek, Charles Aron, Fred Jelinek, Anton Belka, Ed J. Aron, Charles Jelinek, and Anton Frolik.
A selected group from the band accompanied the choir in the Catholic churches during mass services. It was also the custom in those early days to have the band leand funeral processions. Mr. Nedela used to play "Taps" at all funerals of G.A.R. veterans.
As the years went by, other Czech musicians came to settle in Saline County and joined the Nedela band. Among these were Frank Brt, Frank Justa, Vaclav Shebl, Vaclav Gerner, Mr. Herzog, Mr. Bohac, Joe Dedic, Mr. Baloun, and Joseph Franta. Nearly all of these men had received military musical training in the Austiran army, where they also learned trades and thus were instrumental in the building of towns and farms in Saline County.
With Frank Nedela's love of his family, love of community, and his passion for music, his band grew both in size and popularity. Many friends and acquaintances played in the Pioneer Band over the years, bringing joy and spirit to farmers and pioneers in Saline County.
He kept alive the music of the Old Country, rekindling memories for the older generations and making new memories for youngsters. His music was felt by all who listened to him. Frank Nedela, Jr., his son, Karl Nedela, and Karl's son, Norris Nedela, all carried on the musical tradition. Norris played music in the Crete High School band and, while still in high school, also played in the Doane College band.
A long family history of musical pride, which started in 1868 in Chicago, Illinois, with Jan\John Nedela have kept the Czech music alive. The Nedela Pioneer band was known all through Nebraska. For 50 years, the band was active, playing at weddings, dances, operas, political rallies, and all other occasions requiring music. This band will be remembered on March 24, 2002, at a Czech concert at Doane College in Crete, Saline County, Nebraska. The former Nedela Building of 1880 still stands at the northeast corner of 12th and Main Streets, once a tavern and then a drugstore, operated first by Frank Nedela and then by his son, Frank Nedela, Jr.
Both Nedelas served on the Crete City Council and were members for a number of years. Frank Nedela, Jr. served as a city clerk.
"In 1869, my father came to Nebraska with my brother-in-law, Thomas Aron, and settled in Saline County on claims. They wrote us, telling us to come, too.
I married Miss Marie Papik and the day after the wedding, April 1, 1869, we started for Nebraska. One can imagine our wedding trip, considering what Nebraska was like in those days. We had to go by wagon from Nebraska City, and those who had no conveyance had to go on foot. Before my father came to Nebraska, he sent me to this state to locate on a claim, and I did take one up in Johnson County and then returned to Chicago. When I arrived in Nebraska the second time, I inquired if I could take up a claim again, having done so once before, and was told to go ahead - that no one would know. I did so, but was sorry for it. I prepared a dougout where we spent our honeymoon. I plowed some and prepared for the next year, but before the year was up, it became known that I was not entitled to a homestead, and I was afraid I would lose it.
I went to Lincoln, where my sister worked for the family of Governor Butler, and asked his advice. He sent me to an attorney, Mr. Robinson, then considered the best in Lincoln, and in accordance with his advice I gave up the homestead and got a preemption and agreed to pay $200 within a year. It was sad to have no money and agree to pay $200 within a year and not know where to get it. I thought it over and decided to do the work I fairly hated -- shoemaking -- but there was no other way. I worked one winter in Lincoln and earned a nice sum. There was no railroad then, so I used to walk.
Music is my passion. I served in a military band in the old country during the war between Prussia and Austria, so pretty soon I gathered a few fellow musicians into a band. There were five of us -- my father, Jan Nedela; my brother-in-law, Thomas Aron; Josef Chyba; Jan Svoboda; and I. We used to play in the capital city and our music was well-liked. We got very good pay, $8.00 per man, and the one who owned the horse team we used for traveling got $8.00 for playing and $8.00 for transporting. Our band was the first that played in Lincoln, for there was no other in this part of the country.
In the fall of 1870, Crete was established and I plied my trade there. In the spring of 1871, the railroad was built and I made good money with my cobbling. I had two workmen and we had all we could do. In those days, we made boots and shoes to order. A pair of boots cost from $11.00 to $17.00, and there was good profit in it. Thus, I worked for two-and-a-half years while my wife worked on the farm.
I would go home on Saturday evening and stayed over Sunday. I lived on the famr two years and then opened a saloon in Crete. In the spring of 1875, I rented a place and a year-and-a-half later built my own building. In 1880, I sold it and built a larger one where I kep a saloon for 15 years. Then I started something about which I had no knowledge whatever -- a drug store -- and to this day I wonder how it happened that I made a success of it, for I had to hire help to run the place. Later, my son studied to be a druggist, and then he took over the store.
I own three farms, a store in town, and a nice home. I am well situated in every way, and my family life has been a happy one, also.
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