Continuing my visit to Red Cloud, Nebraska, the childhood home of Willa Cather, we move from in town to the country roads north of town. It was along these dirt roads and rolling hills where Cather first encountered the landscape that influenced her writing. This was also where her friend Anna Sedilek Pavelka, the prototype for Antonia Shimerda in My Antonia, spent her early years.
A little more about Anna —-
Antonie (Annie) Sedilek moved to a farmstead north of Red Cloud in 1880 when she was 12 years old. Three years later, the Cather family moved to the area and named their precinct Catherton. While the Cather’s only stayed in the country a short time, the Sadilek’s remained. Annie’s family struggled to make a life on the prairie, and ultimately, her father committed suicide. Annie later moved into town as a hired girl for the Miner family, neighbors of the Cather family. As an adult, Annie had her first child out of wedlock, and later married John Pavelka. The family lived on a small acreage between Red Cloud and Bladen. This farmstead provided the setting for events not only in My Antonia, but also in a short story Cather wrote called “Neighbour Rosicky.”.
Heading north out of Red Cloud, we first encountered a Nebraska traffic jam and had to wait to get around a large tractor in front.
Once on our way, we followed a map we got at the Willa Cather Foundation office to the various sites. Along the way, one can see remains of the early dug out houses, essentially small caves dug into the side of a hill to provide shelter before a regular house could be built.
Danish Lutheran Church and Cemetery – When homesteaders first came to the area, among the first buildings immigrants would have built was a church. For the Sedilek family, the churches in the area caused additional hardship when Annie’s father committed suicide. Suicide was considered a great sin. As a result, none of the churches in the area allowed Mr. Sedilek to be buried in their cemeteries. Instead, as a symbol to all of the eternal ramification of suicide, he was buried in the middle of a dirt road so horses and wagons rode over him. His suicide and burial in the road are detailed in My Antonia. Mr. Sedilek would later be reburied in the Red Cloud Cemetery by Annie’s brother.
Catherton Cemetery – When settlers moved to the area, families named each precinct. The Cathers naturally named their precinct Catherton. A small cemetery still remains. Willa’s grandparents and her aunt and uncle are buried here.
Cloverton Cemetery – In another section of the county lies Cloverton Cemetery. This is where Annie Sedilek Pavalka is buried. The grave is marked with a sign telling visitors of Annie’s story. Several of Annie’s children died in infancy and are also buried here.
Pavelka Farmstead – In a modest white farmhouse, Annie and John Pavelka raised their family. The farmstead is detailed in My Antonia as the book’s narrator discusses visiting Antonia at her farm. He talks about the fruit orchards and the root cellar. The farmstead was placed on the National Register of Historic Homes in 1979 because of its significance in American literature. Cather often sent the Pavelka’s money to help pay taxes and other expenses.
Coming Up – The final installment of my series on setting includes an interview with a current Nebraska writer, Laura Chapman.
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