Frances Lesline Sedlacek

Frances Lesline Sedlacek was born on June 27, 1907, in Czechoslovakia, and departed this life on Friday, April 27, 2007, in Prague, Oklahoma, at the age of 99 years and 10 months. Frances was the daughter of Bartolomej and Antonie Malek Gojis. Her father left their country for America for a better opportunity of employment. Bart and a friend came to the U.S. first and worked in a packing plant in Colorado, then on to Texas to raise cotton. Bart worked 1 years to save enough money to bring his family to America. Frances was six years old and her baby sister, Marie, was one year old when they and their mother, Antonie, traveled by train to Rotterdam, then boarded the last civilian ship coming to America before World War I. The year was 1914. The trip took 14 days to reach New York and they then traveled by train to Ennis, Texas. A large slip of tickets were pinned to Antonia?s clothing and one ticket removed at each train stop because of the language difference. While living in Texas, the Gojis family heard about prospects around Prague, Oklahoma, for better cotton farming, so in 1921 they made the move. Frances met her future husband, Joe Sedlacek, at a country dance near Wilzetta. Frances and Joe were married in January of 1929 in a little log house church. They made their home on a farm near Wilzetta where they raised cotton, corn, pecans cattle, chickens, pigs, and had a big garden. Joe farmed with horses and later a tractor. They had no children and lived on their farm over 50 years. Joe died on September 16, 1981. Frances was a homemaker and a member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church where she was a member of the Altar Society. She was also a member of the Lincoln County Home Demonstration Club for 40 years and worked on the Election Board for 25 years. Her parents; sister, Marie Lowry; and brother, Jack Clayton, also preceded Frances in death She is survived by nephews, George Lowery of Tulsa, and Gary Clayton of Alaska; sister-in-law, Irene Sadowski of Redding, California; other nieces and nephews; and many, many friends.