Frank Nedved, born in Bohemia on August 18, 1828, played a pivotal role in establishing the Bohemian settlement in South Dakota. Emigrating to the U.S. in 1867, he initially settled in Ohio before leading a group to Dakota in 1869, where he secured land in Yankton County. Nedved’s efforts attracted many Bohemian families to the area. He lived on his homestead with his son Charles until his death. Nedved’s contributions to the community included establishing the first Catholic church and cemetery in Yankton County. His wife, Veronica Stadnik, and their eleven children shared in his pioneering legacy.
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 milestone on life’s journey. He pursued an excellent education in the schools of his native country and when he put aside his textbooks 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.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.