Jaromil Kopecky

Jaromil was born May 27, 1911, around Holland. He and his brother Jerry Kopecky were farming until the Great Depression caused them to lose their farm due to forfeiture of loan on their land. With the advent of World War II, he enlisted in the Army in 1941, serving a total of 7 years in the United States, Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines as a Tech Sergeant. On February 12, 1946, he married Pauline Polly Kubenka at St. Anns Catholic Church in Houston. He always had a dream of owning a black land farm and obtained it at the age of 38, moving to Holland in 1949. He farmed and also worked at the Temple Veterans Hospital, retiring from the hospital in 1970 and continued active farming until the age of 92. Jim was a comical, kindhearted man who loved nature and animals. He developed and constructed his farm to what it presently is today. He was a long time member of S.S. Cyril Methodius Catholic Church in Granger, Texas and the SPJST Lodge No. 80 in Holland.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by five halfsisters from his fathers Martin Kopecky first wife Frances Stojanik: Millie and husband Dan Urbanek, Frances and husband Joe Skrhak, Bertha Birdie and husband Albert Selucky, along with twin sister Clara and husband Louis Wentrcek, and Mary and husband John Gorubec. He was also preceded in death by three siblings from his fathers second wife Marianna Ermis: Angie and husband Tebe Kelly, Jerry and wife Bessie Tepera, and Ludmila Lillian and husband J.D. Brown.

Visitation for family and friends will be from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. followed by a 7:00 p.m. rosary on Friday, January 24th at HarperTalasek Funeral Home at 500 W. Barton Ave. in Temple. Funeral services will be at 12:00 p.m., Saturday, January 25th at S.S. Cyril Methodius Catholic Church in Granger, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers are Richard Milek, Franklin Hudec, Buddy Hudec, Alan Baldwin, Robert Quinters, and Bobby Brown.

The family requests that memorials may be made in Jims name to the Holland Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 326, Holland, Texas 76534, or to Scott White Hospice, 2401 S. 31st St., Temple, Texas 76508.