Bennie F Smatla

1918 - 2003  (84 years)

• Name	Bennie F Smatla
  Born	11 Jun 1918	Maple Hill, Wabaunsee County, Kansas
  Gender	Male
  Died	23 Apr 2003	Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida
  Buried	26 Apr 2003	Jacksonville Memorial Gardens, Orange Park, Clay County, Florida
  Person ID	I6326	Rossville
  Last Modified	8 Dec 2019

  
  

  Father	Thomas G Smatla,   b. 19 Sep 1887, Pozdechov, Moravia ,   d. 17 Nov 1977, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas  (Age 90 years)
  Mother	Marie A Juran Smatla,   b. 14 Feb 1889, Pozdechov, Moravia ,   d. 15 Dec 1976, Silver Lake, Shawnee County, Kansas  (Age 87 years)
  Married	6 May 1914	Rossville, Shawnee County, Kansas
  Documents » Slide Show		Marriage- Juran, Marie-Smatla, Thomas 1 Thomas Smatla and Miss Mary [sic] Juran, two popular young people of the Bohemian neighborhood were granted a license to wed last Thursday by the probate judge at Topeka.
  		Marriage- Juran, Marie-Smatla, Thomas 2 Miss Marie Juran and Tom Smatla were married last Tuesday and a large crowd of relatives and friends were present. They will make their home in this community.
  		Anniversary- Smatla, Thomas and Marie Mr. and Mrs. Tom Smatla Observe 60th Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Tom Smatla celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary May 5th. They are the oldest surviving couple of the original Czechoslovakian community which settled northwest of Silver Lake many years ago. Their entire family were home for the happy event. Reverend Tom Smatla and his wife flew from Butte, Mont., and Ben Smatla flew from Jacksonville, Fla. Other children present were Henry Smatla, Meriden, and Edward and William Smatla, Silver Lake. Daughters were Lydia Dailey, Overland Park; Marie DeVeney, Raytown, Mo.; and Alice Kingman, Independence, Mo. A basket dinner was enjoyed by the entire Smatla family. Later in the day their children hosted an open house which was enjoyed by many friends of long standing.
  Family ID	F4463	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	LaVerne Lefler Smatla
  Married	20 Mar 1971	Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida
  Children	1. Rita Smatla Antonicwicz   2. Belinda Smatla Sawyer
  Last Modified	8 Dec 2019 23:44:36
  Family ID	F7853	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 11 Jun 1918 - Maple Hill, Wabaunsee County, Kansas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Documents

  Obituary- Smatla, Bennie Bennie Smatla ROSSVILLE — Services were April 26 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, Fla., for Bennie F. Smatla, 84, Jacksonville, formerly of Rossville, who died April 23,2003, at a Jacksonville hospital where he was admitted the day before. He had a heart ailment. He was born June 11,1918, in Maple Hill, to Tom and Marie Smatla. He spent his early life in Rossville and graduated from Rossville High School. Ha spent many years in Jacksonville. He was a federal Civil Service employee at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville for 15 years before he retired. He was a veteran of World War II, having enlisted in the Navy in August 1941. He underwent basic training at the Naval Station in Great Lakes, III., and then was a fire fighter instructor in Memphis, Tenn. During World War II, he served with the First Expedition Forces on Guadalcanal in the Pacific, on Guam and in other war zones. He retired from the Navy on April 4,1965. His military honors included the Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three battle stars, American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the Navy Good Conduct Medal. He was a member of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville and had served for 33 years as an elder at the church. He married LaVerne Letter on March 20,1971, in Jacksonville. She survives. Other survivors include two daughters, Rita Antonicwicz, Albany, Ga., and Belinda Sawyer, Memphis; a stepdaughter, Georgie Keller, Acworth, Ga.; three brothers, Henry Smatla, Meriden, and Edward Smatla and William Smatla. both of Silver Lake; two sisters, Lydia F. Carl, Prairie Village, and Marie DeVeney, Raytown, Mo.; and two grandsons. A detachment from the Jacksonville Naval Air Station and Veterans of Foreign Wars conducted graveside services at Jacksonville Memorial Gardens in Orange Park, Fla. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 6317103rd St., Jacksonville, 32210.