When St. Quentin Post 555 was organized in Ely after the First World War, its 45 charter members were young men in their twenties and thirties. Most had grown up on farms around Ely, Solon, Fairfax, Shueyville, Swisher, and Cedar Rapids. Many were the sons of Czech immigrants who had settled the area only a generation earlier.
They answered their country’s call during World War I and served in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Some served overseas in France. Others trained and served stateside. When the war ended, they returned home and resumed their lives in eastern Iowa.
The founders of Post 555 became farmers, railroad workers, merchants, blacksmiths, carpenters, laborers, businessmen, and community leaders. They helped build the institutions that defined life in rural Linn and Johnson Counties during the twentieth century. They served on school boards, church councils, a telephone company board, township boards, farm organizations, and civic groups. Many were members of lodges such as the Odd Fellows, CSA, Masons, and ZCBJ. They raised families, operated farms and businesses, and contributed countless volunteer hours to their communities.
Many spent their entire lives within a few miles of where they were born. They witnessed enormous change during their lifetimes. They saw automobiles replace horses, electricity come to rural Iowa, radio and television enter the home, and Americans land on the moon. Yet many remained connected to the same churches, farms, neighborhoods, and friendships that had shaped their youth.
The records of Post 555 also reveal another story. A surprisingly large number of the founding members never married. They remained on family farms, cared for aging parents, lived with siblings or other relatives, and became the dependable uncles, brothers, neighbors, and friends who were an essential part of community life. Though these lifelong bachelors left no descendants, many served their communities faithfully for decades and held leadership positions within the Legion and other local organizations.
Sadly, at least three, and perhaps four, of Post 555’s founders ended their own lives. None left letters explaining why they chose suicide but we know that World War I was difficult experience as was the Great Depression they lived through. We will likely never know the real reasons they chose that path but their story is a fundamental part of the history of the post founders.
Today, the founders are all gone. Their names survive in cemetery records, faded photographs, newspaper clippings, and the history of the organizations they helped build. Yet the communities they served continue to benefit from their efforts. The roads they traveled, the churches they attended, the farms they worked, and the Legion Post they established remain part of their legacy.
The founders of St. Quentin Post 555 belonged to what has often been called the Greatest Generation before that term existed. They answered the call to serve in wartime, returned home without fanfare, and spent the rest of their lives building families, farms, businesses, churches, and communities. The Ely American Legion stands today as a lasting monument to their service, sacrifice, and commitment to one another.
The following is a list of the charter members of American Legion Post 555 including photos, obituaries and their final resting places.
Henry Bartosh, 1893-1939 Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery Solon Johnson County Iowa,
Joe Becicka, 1891-1971 Shueyville Cemetery Shueyville Johnson County Iowa,
Emil Broulik,1892-1970 Saint John’s Cemetery Lisbon Linn County Iowa,
Louis Cerveny, 1896-1934 Czech National Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
Mitchell Cerveny, 1888-1964, Rogers Grove Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa Pic
Wesley Cerveny, 1876-1954 Czech National Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
Charles C. Clark, 1880-1936 Rogers Grove Cemetery Ely Linn Iowa Pic
Bud Eaton, 1895-1973 Dunkard Cemetery Midway Linn County Iowa,
Frank W. Elias, 1889-1982 Rogers Grove Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa,
Harlan Fordice, 1887-1967 Shueyville Cemetery Shueyville, Johnson Iowa
Forrest L. Fuhrmeister, 1891-1986 Rogers Grove Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa Pic
Frank Halva, 1886-1942, First Presbyterian Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa,
Charles Hanus 1884-1957, Wood National Cemetery Milwaukee Wisconsin, Plot: 37, R11/G11 Pic
John A. Hanus, 1893-1966 Cedar Memorial Park Cedar Rapids, Plot: Memorial Lawn, lot 68, Pic
Frank Hartl, 1896-1938 Saint John Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
Arthur Hieber, 1891-1974 Oakland Cemetery Solon Johnson County Iowa,
Frank Jiroutek, 1893-1966 Czech National Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
Louis W. Jonas, 1896-1980 Linwood Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
Alois Kadlec, 1891-1960 Cedar Memorial Park Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa, Plot: Forest Lawn
John Kohout, 1890-1927 Saint Marys Catholic Cemetery Solon Johnson County Iowa,
Ed Koss, 1892-1956 Czech National Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
Frank Krob, 1889-1983 Cedar Memorial Park Cedar Rapids Iowa, USA Plot: Greenlawn, lot 256 Pic
George McCulloch, 1892-1972 Palo Cemetery Palo Linn County Iowa Pic
Henry Moses, 1890-1948 Czech National Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa,
Charles Motejl, 1897-1928 Czech National Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
George Motycka, 1895-1991 Buresh Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa,
John Netolicky, 1889-1971 Sulek Cemetery Johnson County Iowa,
Mike Novak, 1895-1968 Saint Johns Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
Joseph J Novotny, 1895-1958 Cedar Memorial Park Cedar Rapids Iowa, Plot: Memorial Lawn
Tom Phillipson, 1897-1981 Baker Cemetery Linn County Iowa,
Leo Rohlena, 1897-1972, Czech National Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa,
Joe Rousar, 1895-1946 First Presbyterian Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa,
George Simon, 1889-1970 Czech National Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa,
Frank Sirovy, 1887-1957 Anderson Cemetery Swisher Johnson County Iowa,
Frank Smith, 1891-1953 Bellevue Memorial Park Ontario California, UPlot: Section Cypress Pic
Tom Smith, 1896-1967 Baker Cemetery Linn County Iowa
Erba Stahle, 1889-1963 Oakland Cemetery Solon Johnson County Iowa,
Joseph Stastny, 1894-1972 Rogers Grove Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa Pic
Frank Staskal, 1896-1985 Saint Johns Cemetery Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Pic
Milo Stransky, 1896-1977 Oakland Cemetery Solon Johnson County Iowa Pic
LeRoy Sword, 1886-1959 Western Cemetery Linn County Iowa, Pic
Leonard V. Truhlar, 1896-1930 Rogers Grove Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa Pic
Lumir Truhlar, 1894-1976 Rogers Grove Cemetery Ely Linn County Iowa Pic
Perry Woods, 1897-1951 Lisbon Cemetery Lisbon Linn County Iowa Pic
Frank A. Zahradnik, 1894-1963 Cedar Memorial Cedar Rapids, Plot: Chapel Garden, lot 291, space 1
