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Frank Kostka was a long-time employee of West em Electric Hawthorne Works in
Cicero, Illinois. He was a gregarious gentleman and it was said that he knew everyone.
As a service to his fellow members of the Odd Fellows (IOOF), he began to give eulogies
in 1949. By the time of his death in 1992, he had conducted eulogies for over 17,000
persons, primarily from the free-thinking segment of the Czech community.
Mr. Kostka took great care to make each service meaningful for the family and friends of
the deceased. He would take notes beforehand on a 3x5" card concerning known vital
statistics (dates and places of birth and death, maiden name, etc.). He also included the
names of relatives or possibly close friends. To add a personal touch, his notes detailed
the deceased's personal characteristics, hobbies, and organizations.
The importance of this information is obvious to the family historian. Time after time the
refrain "if only I had asked" is uttered by descendents. If they are fortunate enough to
have an ancestor mentioned in this index, Mr. Kostka gives them at least a partial glimpse
of their roots through his notes.
It is important to note that in a few cases the information gathered by Mr. Kostka is very
sparse. Also, there are names listed in the index for which only a memorial card exists.
These cards were gathered by Mr. Kostka and are included as a part of the Kostka Note
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