John Charles Horacek, age 94 years and four months, passed away May 13, 2020 at Cedar Village Retirement Home, Ness City, Kansas.
He was born at the family home near Rush Center, Kansas, the son of Czechoslovakian immigrants Frank and Mary Hrdlicka Horacek. He attended grade school through the eighth grade at Chilly Knob, the local country school at Rush Center, and then finished his high school education at LaCrosse, Kansas. On November 25, 1948, he married Bonnie Lavonne Spreier. This was a union that lasted 57 years until Bonnie passed away. He enjoyed farming for over 75 years. He was also a truck driver, insurance salesman, mechanic, carpenter, fix-it man and loved polka dancing.
John was a member of the Kansas Czechs from Wilson, Kansas, and served on the governing board as Chair. He was also a member of the Sunflower Polka Club of Russell, Kansas. John and Bonnie attended many dances during the Wilson Polka Days. John remarked several times, “I still love music as I always have although I don’t play it as I used to. I love to hear quality harmony and the mood swings it can create. I also love my hobby of working with wood and metals in my well-equipped farm shop. I love tools. When I die, don’t bring many flowers to my funeral, just bring tools.”
In 2008, John, along with daughter and son-in-law Shirla and Danny and John’s niece, Rose Mary, traveled to the Czech Republic and toured the country seeing the back roads and villages and getting to use his Czech language he grew up speaking. John was able to spend time with several relatives living there, who took them to the town of Benatky, from where John’s parents emigrated. This was a trip of a lifetime for John and he continued talking about it for years.
Farming and cattle, his chosen work, were John’s passion and love. He felt as one with the earth and took pride in planting and harvesting crops. He was very conscientious in protecting the soil and always used environmental preservation techniques to respect Mother Earth. In 1976, he was awarded the Ness County Bankers Award for outstanding conservation farming practices.
John is survived by his daughter Shirla and her husband Danny Walker of Laramie, Wyoming, and two sons, Larry Horacek of Arnold, Kansas and Danny and wife Cecilia of Munjor, Kansas; six grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife Bonnie in 2005, his parents Frank and Mary Horacek, sister Mary Barron and brother Frank Horacek, Jr.
Family visitation was not available because of the ongoing Corona Virus Pandemic. Viewing was available on May 15, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City. An interment will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2020, 11:00 a.m. at the Utica, Kansas Cemetery next to his beloved Bonnie.
The family requests no flowers, and memorials may be made to the Ransom, Kansas VFW or the Ransom Go-getter’s Senior Center in care of Fitzgerald Funeral Home.