Joseph Alfons Navratil:
Born - 4 August 1883 at Moravia Czechoslavakia
Died - I August 1959 at Raymond, Alberta, Canada

Marie Horejsi:
Born - 18 - November 1884 at Prague, Czechoslavakia
Died - 19 - February 1961 at Raymond Alberta, Canada

Joseph came from Czechoslavakia to North Dakota in
1907. Then to the Medicine Hat area where he took out
a homestead south of Seven Persons in 1909. He worked
the land with oxen, built his home and outbuildings. He
worked for Mitchell's Butcher shop and Slauter house
during the winter months and put the cash into the
homestead.

At a Czechoslovak community in Pisek, North Dakota
he met and married Marie Horejsi (Mary) 16 February
1914.

Their five children were born while on the homestead.
They had three sons and two daughters.

Joseph dug about 20 wells, with a shovel, to obtain
water. He built a dam which to this day is called
Joe's Dam. Due to drought many families left that
area. Joseph and Mary moved their family to Spring
Coulee district in 1924. They settled on part of the
Marsden Ranch.

The oldest children had started school at Valley View
school near Seven Persons, but now all the children
attended school at Vernal School south-east of
Spring Coulee.

At Spring Coulee Joseph farmed, raised pigs and
chickens, milked cows and sold cream. They took
the cream to the Railway Station to send to Cardston.

The lived in Spring Coulee for about 13 years, then
moved to Magrath where they lived for 3 years in town.
Here Joseph ran a slaughterhouse. The next I 1/2 years
they spent on farms north of Magrath and south of
Welling.

Joseph and Mary and family moved to Raymond in 1941.

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