Valentine "Val" Kusey, born 24 December 1864, immigrated to Texas from Moravia, Europe in the fall of 1881. He was numbered among fifty immigrants who settled in the Weimar area, as described in a Colorado Citizen article dated November 3, 1881. His future bride, Tekla Macha, was also an immigrant from the Czech homeland. She married Valentine in 1883. The couple farmed their own land, and raised six children. The eldest, Sophia, was born in 1885. Ferdinand "Fred" Kusey was born in 1888, followed by Louis Alexander, born in 1892; Raymond "Ray" F., born in 1895; and George Josef "Joe", born in 1897. The youngest, Teckla, was born in 1899.
The family attended St. Michael's Catholic Church in Weimar. Valentine and Teckla were active in the Weimar Bohemian Auxiliary of the American Red Cross, which sent Christmas boxes to troops from Colorado County (including all four of their sons) during WWI. By 1910, the couple's eldest children had left home to pursue their respective destinies. Sofia removed to Mentz where she met and married Ed Blanchard. Ferdinand "Fred" gained employment at Alkemeyer's, Inc. in Houston. Following WWI, the boys all married. Fred and wife, Julia, set up house in Houston, Texas where they eventually owned and operated an auto garage. Louis married Mollie Schumann and remained in Weimar as did George Joe and Annie [nee Heller]. At one time, George Joe co-owned a garage with Ford dealer, Oscar G. Brandt. Later George and Emil Kosler worked as carpenters for Weimar's Highway Motor Company erected by Henry Seifert in 1945. Raymond married Lucile Williams and removed to Schulenburg. Raymond worked briefly as an auto mechanic in the 1920's, but is best remembered as the owner and proprietor of the Kusey Lumber Company in Schulenburg. Teckla, the "baby" of the family, married Arnold Kansteiner in 1921. The couple made their home in Mentz, Texas.
Tekla Kusey passed away later in 1921 and was buried at St. Michael's Cemetery in Weimar, Texas. Valentine remarried in 1923. His second wife was Mary [nee Binder] Kroboth, widow of Frank Kroboth. In 1925, Valentine B. Kusey was granted final naturalization papers for United States Citizenship. He lived to the age of 81, having been a resident of Colorado County for 64 years. Valentine B. Kusey died on 24 August 1945 and was buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Weimar, Texas.
Submitted by great-granddaughter, Judy Siegrist
