gazzettearticle

The Gazette (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA)

May 26, 2007

Page: 7B

Arizona Czech, Slovak group connected to Cedar Rapids

By Ken Sullivan - Freelance writer

TUCSON, Ariz. - How about that cache of Czechs - and Slovaks - in Tucson? In gearing up for a late winter break in Arizona, my wife and I anticipated basking under a warm March sun and partaking in cultural opportunities of southern Arizona. Along with its sizable population of Hispanic Americans, Tucson also is barely an hour's drive from Nogales, Mexico, so the city is rich with the influence and charm of a culture far different than is customary for us.

Besides, since our visit coincided with St. Patrick's Day, we were reasonably confident the "wearin' o' the green" would be suitably celebrated. It was, though, sad to say, not by us. Still, our expectations for warm weather and new adventures were amply satisfied. And more.

That's because we hadn't anticipated meeting David Hensley. But when we did, and he found out we hailed from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the wheels were in motion for one of those happy coincidences that make travel so delightful.

When Hensley discovered a couple of snowbirds from Iowa were living almost next door to his Tucson apartment, his Southwestern hospitality went from friendly to enthusiastic.

At first, he encouraged our attendance at an EMAT function scheduled one weekend at a nearby mall. For the uninitiated, as we were, EMAT is the acronym for European Multi-ethnic Alliance of Tucson Inc., an umbrella organization of about 20 European ethnic clubs. Hensley is its president.

But when he learned we Iowans were from the Cedar Rapids area, his interest kicked into high gear. We had to meet some people, he insisted. And so we did. Hensley also happens to be president of the Czech Slovak Club of Tucson, an energetic band of about 120, with a handful of direct transplants from the Old Country and a majority of members who trace their roots to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Moravia. They take their role as keepers of Old Country traditions seriously, as we discovered on a Friday evening during Lent when we joined members of the club's board of directors for an evening of conversation and food (cheese pizza in our case) at the home of Vera Masa.

When organized in 1954, the club set a membership goal of 32, explained Georgia Dobrovolny Rice, vice president of the organization. "They even counted the kids to get their 32 members," added Rice, who also is a member of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids. At the time, Tucson's population was about 45,000; the city recently passed the 1 million mark. As more Czech immigrants gravitated toward the city, said Tony Valach, countrymen already established in Tucson helped the newcomers become acclimated to a new culture and different climate.

"People here helped them find jobs," he said. His own father was among early emigres, coming to the United States from Slovakia in 1912.

That commitment more than a half-century ago to preserving their ancestral heritage remains both strong and necessary, emphasized the club's director of activities, Jack Simons, among the youngest board members. "Tucson needs all of these cultures," he said. "It needs these types of groups. A lot of older people want these traditions to be part of the culture for the younger people, and want to preserve that culture" for future generations. As a measure of his commitment, Simons is taking a Czech language class at the University of Arizona.

Most of what you need to know about the history of Czechs and Slovaks in Tucson can be found, oddly enough, in the "Czech & Slovak Old World Cookbook," a fundraising project undertaken by the club. It's a delightful little publication - 64 pages, paperback and available for $5 (plus $1.50 postage) by contacting Vera Masa, 8658 E. Bullrider Pl., Tucson, AZ 85747. It's a tantalizing collection of recipes that should arouse pleasant memories in Czech and Slovak communities everywhere. But it also provides insights into the founding of the club 53 years ago by Tucsonians whose goal is "to preserve the culture of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia." Many names from that roster of early club members might have been lifted from the telephone directory in Cedar Rapids: Novy, Vomaska, Musil, Svobody, Bodlak, Malik, Nemec, Novak, Dobrovolny, Jakimowich, Pitr, Knizek, Masa, Kohut and others.

Some, like Vera Masa and Georgia Dobrovolny Rice, continue to be leaders of the organization. Rice is vice president. Masa, a Prague native, is the Czech Slovak Club representative to EMAT.

Beyond abundant historical background on the organization, the cookbook contains several brief essays on such varied topics as "Porcelain, Pottery, Embroidery and Glass," "Christmas Customs" and "Easter Holidays," faithful to the club's mission of perpetuating the traditions of he old country.

Rice was among two Czech & Slovak Museum & Library members attending the Tucson meeting in late March. The Cedar Rapids museum is a treasure for those of Czech and Slovak ancestry, she said, calling it "one of the most impressive ethnic museums I've seen."

The second museum member was her niece, Diane Halvorson, who lives in a Minneapolis suburb.

"I also belong to the Sons of Norway," she said. "I believe it's important to preserve all of our culture and ethnicity. I grew up with Czech grandparents, and I want to help keep alive their foods and traditions. I want them to be part of my life and for my children and grandchildren."

At least one other member of the Cedar Rapids museum and library may emerge from that dinner meeting. Not only is he planning to investigate membership, Valach also expressed an interested in making a donation to the museum. His father brought a "button accordion" when he came to America in 1912 and continued to perform Old Country music as his family grew. With his father long since deceased, Valach is exploring the possibility of donating the instrument to the museum. (The idea has been shared with museum officials). The author is a former Gazette political reporter who retired in 2003.

More information on the Czech and Slovak Club of Tucson can be found on its website: http://tucsonczechslovak.homestead.com. Arizona residents pay $15 a year in dues. For all others, dues is $10. Czech, Slovak and Moravian descent is helpful, but not mandatory. The club holds monthly social gatherings – September-May – at a Knights of Columbus Hall in Tucson.

COLOR PHOTOS

ABOVE: The Bouncing Czechs plays for dances, senior communities, fraternal organizations, cultural events and private parties in the Tucson, Ariz., area. // LEFT: Vera Masa, a member of the Tucson Czech Slovak Club, shows the antique clarinet her late husband once played. She believes it came from the area of the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Moravia. // Vera Masa, a native of Prague, is among those active in the Czech Slovak Club of Tucson, Ariz. She is the club's representative to EMAT, the European Multi-ethnic Alliance of Tucson, and was at an EMAT Fair at the Foothills Mall in Tucson in this picture taken in March 2006. // David Hensley, President, Tucson Czech Slovak Club