Fremont Tribune/Services held for Father Folta at church at Dodge

by anonymous

SERVICES HELD FOR FATHER FOLTA AT CHURCH AT DODGE

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Two Thousand at Dodge for Funeral Services

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DODGE, Sept. 24–Funeral services for Rev. Anthony Folta, pastor of the St. Wenceslaus church who died Saturday at St. Joseph’s hospital in Omaha of complications following an operation two weeks ago, were held at the parish church Wednesday at 10 o’clock.

Bishop James J. Ryan of Omaha read the solemn requiem mass assisted by the Rev. Wm. Klein of Oleyan parish and Rev. Fr. Kovar of Omaha as deacons and Rev. Fr. Tehan of Clyde and Rev. Fr. Thies of North Bend as honorary deacons, Rev. Fr. Boshek of West Point as assistant priest, Rev. Fr. Nicholas Wagner of Omaha as master of ceremonies, Rev. Fr. V. Herman and Rev. Fr. C. Z. Petlach of Clarkson in charge of arrangements. The services were begun with a march of the visiting priests and monsignors, 55 in number from surrounding parishes. They intoned the litany for the dead, later the march of the bishop and his staff preceded by the children of the parish school dressed in white, and the various lodges of the parish. The requiem mass was sung by visiting clergy.

After the mass and sermon the body laid in state until 2 o’clock when they preceeded to the Holy Trinity church at Heun, where services were held. A sermon by the Rev. Fr. Oborney, pastor of the church in the Czech language, was followed by the Rev. Fr. Chepuran of Omaha in English, with burial in the Heun cemetery.

There were over 500 cars in Dodge on Wednesday and it is estimated there were at least 2,000 persons at the services. The American Legion members were in charge of directing traffic, and the general funeral services were in charge of Miller-Humlicek mortuary.

Rev. Anthony Folta was born at Stara Bela, Moravia, November 30, 1884. He studied at the Salesian Fathers college, Daszawa, Poland, and later came to America and studied at the Salesian Fathers college, in Ramsey, N. Y., and at St. Francis seminary, Milwaukee, Wis. He was ordained in 1919 at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral in Omaha by the most Reverend Jeremiah J. Harty, then bishop of Omaha. Thereafter he served several months as curate of St. Wenceslaus parish in Omaha, then he became pastor of Holy Trinity church, Heun, a country parish about 16 miles southwest of Dodge. While in charge of this parish, a fine new brick church was built at a cost of about $40,000, and a parsonage for about $10,000. He was there for 11 years or until October 1, 1931, when he was transferred to the St. Wenceslaus parish in Dodge. During this time the parish erected a fine new brick parsonage at a cost of about $14,000 and many other improvements.

Surviving are four brothers and one sister, all in Europe, also one nephew who is studying for the priesthood.