Emma (Mertl) Slama   1906-1958

 

 

Born:  June 26, 1906

Died:  May of 1990

 

Spouse:        John “Mike” Michael Slama, married in 1923.  

Children:       John Paul Slama (More information below):      

 

 

Father’s name:        Joseph Mertl          

Mother’s name:       Frances (Vavrinek) Mertl

Siblings:

 

Please go to sister Anna Bertha (Mertl) Hilak’s page to read her remembrances about immigrating and life in Iowa.

 

Son John Paul Slama was born June 22, 1931 and passed away on April 6, 2010 in Davenport, Iowa.   He married Kay Frances (Holso) Slama in February of 1954 in Deadwood, South Dakota.  Kay was born September 30, 1934 Lead, South Dakota, daughter of Walter and Nancy Holso.  She passed away November 13, 2009 in Lakewood, Colorado.  John and Kay resided in Bettendorf, Iowa where their six children were raised and then moved out to the Slama family’s rural Davenport, Iowa 40 acre farm in 1974 where the last 3 children of the six lived.  They were divorced after 32 years.  John Paul Slama is now retired, drove trucks for the Pabst Brewing Company for 25 years, still lives on the farm, and volunteers at the Human Society.  John and Kay’s children are:

Cynthia Jean Slama, b. March 12, 1954.  Married Marrie Arthur Bolinski and has 1 child, Jared.  They are now divorced.  Cindy has another older daughter named Angela Renee.

John Michael Slama, b. October 1, 1955.  He is widowed as his wife Sherry passed away from cancer.  They have one child, Alicia.

Christine Elaine Slama, b. December 24, 1956.  Never married and no children.

Lori Ann Slama, b. December 26, 1958.  Married Larry Ernst and they have one child, Stefanie Dawn.

Lisa Marie Slama, b. June 4, 1960.  Has one child, Ashton Marie.  Lisa Marie recently married Glenn S. Fritz on July 4, 2005.

James Richard Slama, b. February 11, 1962.  He has 3 children from his 1st marriage to Tammy (Church) Slama, now divorced.  The children are Tara Kay, Joshua James, and Katherine Lynn.  James married 2nd to Regina (Akers) and he adopted 2 of her 4 children.

          (The Slama family information was graciously shared with me by Lisa Marie (Slama) Fritz.  Thanks, Lisa!)

More regarding son John Paul Slama.   His father, who went by the nickname “Mike”, emigrated from Czechoslovakia, passing through Ellis Island, New York and first settled in Bethlehem, PA.  His mom died while still in Europe.  Eventually they moved to Bettendorf, IA.  The Slama family also lived in Minnesota for a time as well.  On December 29, 1950 young John enlisted in the US Air Force in Minneapolis, MN.   He received basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, spent the majority of his service at Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City, SD, with specialist training assignments briefly occurring at Shepherd AFB in Wichita Falls, TX and Chenute AFB in Rantoul, IL.  His specialty was as a mechanic for reciprocal airplane engines, especially for the Convair B-36 Peacemaker heavy bomber.  He also did some work on jet engines.  John also spent the autumn of 1953 at an airbase in England.  Upon returning to Ellsworth, he married Kay and their first daughter was born.  John was discharged with honor on October 4, 1954. 

          (I learned this from a conversation I had with John on 1/3/09.  Thank you John!)

 

    

Left: John Paul Slama, around 2009.

Right:A pair of B-36 Peacemaker Heavy bombers. 

The Peacemaker, built by Convair, was the first truly intercontinental heavy bomber for the US Air Force.

Photo borrowed from Wikipedia.

 

Obit for Kay F. Slama

BETTENDORF, Iowa — Kay F. (Holso) Slama, 75, Bettendorf, and most recently of Lakewood, Colo., passed away Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, at The Court at Denver, Memory Care Residency.

Kay Frances Holso was born Sept. 30, 1934, in Lead, S.D., the daughter of Walter and Nancy (Tammi) Holso.

In February 1954, she married John P. Slama in Deadwood, S.D. Kay worked for many years as a cashier at the former National Food Store and Country Market in Bettendorf.

Survivors include four daughters, Cynthia Slama, Bettendorf, Christine Slama, Claymont, Del., Lori (Larry) Slama Ernst, Twin Falls, Idaho, and Lisa (Glenn) Fritz, Lakewood; two sons, John M. Slama, Davenport, and James (Regina) Slama, Walcott; 12 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two sisters, Nancy Wonenberg, Claremore, Okla., and Eleanor Jatko, North Glenn, Colo.; and one brother, Ralph Holso, Rapid City, S.D.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Services will be at 6 p.m. today at the Cunnick-Collins Mortuary Chapel in Davenport.

Graveside committal services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Summit Presbyterian Church Cemetery in rural Davenport.

From the Rapid City Journal, November 20, 2009

Obit for John P. Slama

DAVENPORT, Iowa — A memorial gathering for John P. Slama, 78, of Davenport, will be 4 to 7 p.m. today at Cunnick-Collins Mortuary in Davenport. Graveside services with military honors will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at the Summit Presbyterian Church Cemetery, rural Davenport. The family requests that you come dressed casually as John would have known you. Mr. Slama died on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, at Genesis Medical Center West Campus in Davenport.
John Paul Slama was born on June 22, 1931, in Kewanee, Ill., the son of John and Emma (Mertl) Slama. Following his high school graduation, he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served time during the Korean conflict. In February 1954, he married Kay F. Holso in Deadwood, S.D. John worked for many years at the former Valley Beverage, Scott Distributing, and Wolfe Beverage Company as a beer distributor. He also farmed in rural Scott County. His memberships include the Bettendorf VFW Post #9128.
Survivors include four daughters, Cynthia Slama of Bettendorf, Christine Slama of Claymont, Del., Lori (Larry) Slama Ernst of Twinfalls, Idaho, and Lisa (Glenn) Fritz of Lakewood, Colo.; two sons, John M. Slama of Davenport, and James (Regina) Slama of Walcott, Iowa; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by both of his parents.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Scott County Humane Society or to the family.
Online condolences and memories may be left at Cunnick-Collins.com.

From the Quad City Times, April 9, 2010

 

Back to the Genealogy Main Page.