Emil Veprosky Passes At 96; Services Thursday

Emil Anton Veprovsky was born Sept. 1, 1930, to John and Rose (Kasal), on a farm east of Dorchester, known as the Luzum farm.

He attended school in District 43 (kindergarten through 8th grade), where he learned to speak English, and then went to Dorchester Public School. At the age of 16, he stayed home and helped on the family farm.

The family moved to a different location near Dorchester until they finally settled on the place that would become their home place. A farm that was located five miles south of Dorchester was purchased by his dad in 1948. They moved onto the property, a large, tall farmhouse from about 8 miles away, in 1956. Emil helped with building the basement walls and setting the house on the sturdy foundation.

In 1950, Emil joined the National Guard. Drafted for active duty from Feb. 26, 1953, to Feb. 11, 1955, he completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then trained as an Engineering Foreman at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He later served in Korea and Japan before returning to the U.S., where he was stationed in Seattle, Washington, and Fort Carson, Colorado. Though released from active duty, Emil continued in the Army Reserve for several years.

Emil met the love of his life, Shirley Eret, at the Sunset Dance Hall in Emerald. They were married June 5, 1960, and lived a half-mile south of Pleasant Hill for five years. They then moved to their permanent home, which was the home place. Here, he made the home place a prosperous farm. He raised cattle, hogs, chickens, crops, and continued to upgrade his equipment.

His family was very important to him. He and Shirley raised three children, and Emil instilled a good work ethic. He worked very hard to provide for his family. When Shirley wanted a milk cow, he went out and found one. When she wanted to raise chickens, he set up a chicken house for baby chicks and a chicken house for hens to lay eggs. He helped her start a garden and plant potatoes on Good Friday, and he remodeled the house. He drove the school bus for the Dorchester school for a few years to help out with expenses. 

There were times for enjoyment as well; he took his family on summer vacations. He was a member of the Dorchester American Legion. He received a quilt of Valor in May 2022 and was Veteran of the Month in May 2025. He also was a long-time member of the WFLA Lodge Tabor Hall, where he spent many nights with other members remodeling and repairing the hall so Tabor could be re-opened to the public. Emil held the office of president at Tabor for many years and spent many weekends working the events at the hall.

The love for farming continued, and he put many long hours on the tractor even into his elderly age. At 94 years old, he was still driving tractors, cutting hay, feeding cattle, and driving grain trucks. He was always willing to try new things, even if he was skeptical. He used to say that he started by planting with a team of horses. He ended by using GPS. (Although he wasn’t really fond of it. He was certain he planted straighter rows without it.) However, over time, his body started wearing out, and he became ill. Despite battling illness for over a year, one of his last goals was to go out to cut hay one more time. His last farm duty was cutting 78 acres of alfalfa in the 2025 season.  When he felt well enough, he continued to enjoy rides out to the field. Eventually, on Oct. 18, 2025, his fight ended when he passed away at Bryan East in Lincoln.

Left to cherish his memory are his son, Gary (Penny) Veprovsky, his daughter, Karen Chadwick, his son and daughter-in-law, Kevin & Lisa Veprovsky, all from Dorchester. Sister-in-law, Bonnie Eret, brothers & sisters in law: Frank & Judy Eret, Richard and Vicki Kuzelka. Grandchildren: Joshua (Amber) Mackeprang, Melanie, and Shelby. 4 step grandchildren, many great grandchildren, nieces & nephews.

Emil is preceded in death by his parents, sisters & brother in laws, Rosie (Orin) Duchek and Jarmila (Arnest) Dvorak.

Services will be held Oct. 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 6 - 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Memorials have been designated to the Dorchester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. 

Looking Back: Pleasant Hill One Of Nebraska's Most Notable Ghost Towns

 

In 2019, the Lincoln Journal Star published a list of 15 famous Nebraska ghost towns.  

Saline County's Pleasant Hill made the list. 

This is a big deal considering Nebraska once had more than 1,100 towns -- many more than today's roughly 530 cities and villages. So the Cornhusker State has its share of ghost towns.

Sometimes referred to as Dorchester's sister community, Pleasant Hill replaced Swan City as the county seat following an 1871 countywide vote. (Dorchester had also been in the running to become the county seat.)

"Already the county's biggest and most prosperous town after its platting in 1867, with a state-of-the-art mill and at least one store, its offer of land and cash for a courthouse no doubt encouraged voters," the Journal Star reported.

The newspaper continued with its report: 

"Within a couple years, though, Crete and Wilber had grown and sought to claim the courthouse as their own. State law required them to wait five years before bring the matter to a vote. Like its successor, Pleasant Hill finished last in a tight election won by Wilber, where the courthouse remains to this day.

"Getting the county records from Pleasant Hill, however, wasn't a given. It took 160 wagon teams and 300 people projecting force from Wilber before the papers were handed over.

"Like many other towns, its demise was sealed when the railroad by passed the former county seat. That first courthouse, used first as a poor house and then as a community hall, burned down prior to World War I. The final straw, though, was the fire that destroyed the mill in 1930."

Read the Times' 2008 article on Pleasant Hill's history here.

Dorchester's Sandy Klein Passes; Services Oct. 22

Dorchester's Sandra “Sandy” Kay Klein, 73, passed away peacefully on October 10, 2025. She was born on August 23, 1952, in Nebraska City to Alvin and Bertha Velder.

Sandy grew up in a large, loving family and spent nearly all her life in Dorchester, where she built a home filled with warmth, laughter, and love. Her happiest moments were spent with her granddaughters, Brooke, and Brittney, who were truly the center of her world. She cared for them, encouraged them, and treasured every moment they shared together.

Sandy married the love of her life, Roger Klein, and together they shared a lifetime of love and devotion. She is survived by Roger; her daughter Rhonda (Bob) Zoubek; and granddaughters Brooke and Brittney Zoubek, all of Dorchester, Nebraska.

She is also survived by her siblings: Pat Wiles (late husband Don), Charlene (Richard) Neal, Karen Briggs (late husband Larry), Gerry (Sara) Velder, Roseanne (Dean) Rasmussen, Ron (Nancy) Velder, Bill (Diane) Velder, and Kay (Ronald) Mahaffie; along with many nieces, nephews, and dear friends who loved her deeply.

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin and Bertha Velder; brothers Kenny Velder and Tom Velder (wife Deb); and sister Betty Good.

For much of her life, Sandy bravely battled multiple sclerosis, yet she faced each day with remarkable strength, grace, and humor. Her wheelchair, lovingly referred to as her “Cadillac,” gave her the freedom to keep living life to the fullest. She never complained and always found a reason to smile.

Sandy will be remembered for her kind heart, her honesty, and her unshakable positivity. She loved Husker Volleyball, the Hallmark Channel, and spending time sewing special projects for those she loved.

Memorials will be determined by the family at a later date.

Graveside Services: Wednesday, October 22, 10:30 a.m. at the Dorchester 
Cemetery.

Everyone is invited to join the family for lunch following the Graveside Services at the 
American Legion building in Dorchester. 

The online obituary is available here.

Gold Fever Struck Our Area 130 Years Ago

Gold is currently fetching around $4,000 an once -- up from $2,350 in summer 2024 and $1,850 at the beginning of last year. Some critics of the federal government's fiscal policy say gold could soon go for $5,000 an ounce as the U.S. debt, and the debts of most other nations, soars and fiat currencies become worth less.

Is it time to start panning Nebraska rivers and creeks for the yellow metal?  

There are folks who believe you should try. Watch this video by a guy who touts a successful prospecting trip near the Niobrara River. 

Gold has been found in western in rivers that flow from Colorado and Wyoming. Gold in the eastern part of Nebraska has been found in the glacial gold sources around the Nebraska-Missouri border, where it has been trapped, sliding and settling in the flatland.  

Nebraska isn't exactly California 1849, but experts say there's still gold to be found here, even in areas like Saline County. In the 1890s, there was a short-lived gold rush in the Dorchester area, believe it or not.

This week 130 years ago, the Oct. 7, 1895 edition of The New York Times reported: "A raging gold fever has settled down on this section of country over a startling discovery" of gold just north of Dorchester.

According to the publication, the primary source of speculation was a gravel pit near Milford, said to be "rich in gold dust." The pit had been used by Burlington Railway in the construction and upgrade of its rail system.

The Times noted that there was "great excitement in the vicinity of the reputed find" and that speculation was active. 

If you're too skeptical to go panning for gold on the West Fork or Turkey Creek, just take the advice of another YouTube star: Look for buried treasure in old outhouses. Or try looking in one of these five areas where ample gold can still be found.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Stand By For Fall Colors

Stand By for Fall Colors: Forget New England. The other "NE" -- Nebraska -- will have the most vibrant fall colors this year, according to AccuWeather's 2025 fall foliage forecast. Plan some of the best fall color viewing sites include Indian Cave and Ponca state parks, writes the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

DHS Volleyball Drops Below .500: Early October means high school sports are entering the final stretch before state tournament play. Dorchester High School volleyball lost three games to begin this month as the Lady Longhorns have dropped below .500 for the season at 9-10. The Orange and Black Attack have a good chance to earn back some wins with only five regular season games left, including a triangular at Twin River (Genoa and Silver Creek) this Thursday.

Longhorn Football Seeks Third Win: After a 47-0 victory over Harvard on Sept. 26 and a tough 12-66 loss to Silver Lake last Friday, DHS will travel to Diller-Odell (1-4) this Friday, Oct. 10. With some solid play and good health, Dorchester could finish the regular season at .500, according to computer projections   

City Slickers Still Closed With No Answers: City Slickers Bar and Grill -- loved by area residents for more than a dozen years -- has been closed for more than two weeks, since Aug. 1. For the sake of our community and area residents and future of main street, it's time for some clarity. If there are financial issues, we're betting the area community would pull through to support fund raisers. Whatever the case, Dorchester wants to see that spot utilized for the benefit of our community.

Whooping Cough Cases Spike: Whooping cough cases are on the rise in the United States and Nebraska, according to Saline County's Public Health Solutions. Community members are urged to take precautions against the disease, which can be severe and potentially life-threatening for infants and young children. Some health officials have linked the rise to waning immunity from vaccines and potentially decreased vaccination rates. Read more.

Saline County's Pro Baseball Scout: The Flatwater Free Press has published a piece on Friend's Thad Weber -- "a globetrotting professional baseball scout" who's now in his eighth year with the Chicago Cubs and fourth year "trekking to Asia" in his search for who has enough talent for the majors. Read the article.

Beware of Local Journalism's Political Bias: We are disturbed to see the Crete News' soft endorsement of a local progressive (i.e. "liberal") running for the state legislature in 2026. While there are likely personal relationships that are fueling the newspaper's coverage of this candidate, fair and balanced coverage is to be expected, especially at a time when government needs to shrink. (There is a conservative candidate in the race for the Legislative District 32 race.) We are hopeful this favoritism will be corrected by the publisher and that activist journalism won't win the day. 

Boiling Point Over Property Tax Hikes: The Tax Foundation's latest rankings has pegged Nebraska as fourth worst in the U.S. for property tax burden, behind only Illinois, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Property owners in Saline County recently received notices -- thanks to Nebraska’s Truth-in-Taxation law -- that their local governments (school districts and counties) are proposing significant property tax increases as much as 15% to 20% or more. It's a shame. Local governments are spending the property valuation increases instead of lowering levy rates to offset valuations. State government is forced to live within its means -- that is, the income and sales tax revenue. But local governments have a printing press called property taxes, whether its valuations or the levy imposed -- and this broken system has to end. Local elected officials (school board members and county commissioners) must realize they don't have to spend more every year, and that cutting spending is not only OK, but healthy.

October is Food Truck Season: Dorchester's main street (Washington Ave.) will be hopping in October, as cooler temps and farmers hauling grain will mean more food trucks. Here's a look at this month's food truck schedule, as published by Village government:

• Billie's Grilled Cheese: Monday, Oct. 6 (10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.)
• Daylight Donuts: Tuesday, Oct. 7 (7-10 a.m. or until sold out)
• Amigos: Monday, Oct. 13 (11:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.)
• KennaBell's BBQ: Monday, Oct. 20 (11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.)
• Amigos: Monday, Oct. 27 (11:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.)
• Billie's Grilled Cheese: Monday, Nov. 3 (10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.)

Gilbert’s Graveyard: Prairie History Lost To Criminal Vandalism

Nestled on a remote, windswept hill in Saline County -- between the communities of Dorchester and Friend -- sits Gilbert’s Graveyard, officially known as Gilbert-Hulse Cemetery. 

For years, dating back to our first year in 2007, the Times has featured Gilbert's Graveyard on its list of "spookiest places." But we know that our annual October list of area haunts doesn't convey the real story behind this pioneer cemetery. Worse yet, the ghost stories perpetuated by sites like ours may have only encouraged the low-IQ vandals who have damaged the cemetery beyond repair over the decades.

Today, we tell the real story behind Gilbert's Graveyard -- the final resting place for Saline County’s earliest pioneers.

A Piece of Pioneer History 

In 1865 Jonas Gilbert, his wife Louisa, and their six children left Darke County, Ohio, traveling by wagon train to settle in Nebraska. After a journey lasting 52 days, the wagon train reached its destination on Turkey Creek, in what later became Saline County. 

Jonas became one of the county's first commissioners, and his son John became the county's first assessor. 

Established in 1872, Gilbert-Hulse Cemetery was founded when Jonas and Louisa Wyans Gilbert sold a half-acre plot to the Hulse family for use as a community burial ground. It became the resting place for many of the area’s first settlers, including some Union and Confederate veterans of America's Civil War. 

For decades, this plot of land preserved the history of those who first turned the soil in the mid- to late-1800s. The cemetery holds the remains of families who endured the brutal conditions of the Plains in those early years.

A majority of the graves belong to babies, toddlers, teens, and young mothers who died while giving birth or shortly after. 

Outspoken Agnosticism 

The cemetery’s notoriety stems largely from Jonas and John Gilbert's outspoken agnosticism, although it appears today that atheism would be a better description of their beliefs. 

Jonas passed away in 1882. His headstone features a highly provocative, anti-establishment epitaph, famously stating that the Gilbert died unafraid of "gods or ghosts or Heaven or Hell and all their hosts."

The controversy surrounding his beliefs -- and particularly the inscription on his tombstone -- is a foundational to the cemetery's lore.

Meanwhile, his son John "never belonged to a church ... and called himself an agnostic," according to the Dorchester Centennial history book. In the late 1800s, Dr. Frank Hamilton of Friend once asked John to embrace Christianity. That is when John Gilbert allegedly "went into a seizure for about two minutes, his muscles jerked, his eyes became bloodshot, his face became congested and red, his mouth became dry, and he kept wiping his lips with his tongue. During the attack, he venomously cursed God." 

Gilbert later donated money to build a library in Friend, on the condition that his anti-God books would be on the shelves.

Vandalism and Ghostly Tales

The inscription on Jonas' headstone made the Gilbert name famous. But that notoriety is what has led to the state of the graveyard today.

While it has been more than 140 years since Jonas died, rumors of non-Christian rituals and strange happenings in the graveyard -- over many decades -- cemented its status as an unusual and often unsettling location.

Among the strange events reported there:

- Visitors have long claimed to hear unexplained noises and witness the apparent shifting of burial markers.

- Eyewitness accounts include visitors describing seeing a "black fog" rising from graves, or being followed by unexplained flashing lights that appeared to emerge from the cemetery grounds. 

- Some visitors have even claimed they saw the figures of the Gilbert family and other pioneers roaming the grounds.

The sad reality of Gilbert's Graveyard is the significant vandalism it has faced over several decades. The acts of disrespect have led to the destruction of roughly 80 percent of the cemetery's headstones.

Jonas' controversial gravestone itself was broken by vandals and now lies in pieces. (This photo shows how it once looked whole.) Many of the pioneer graves, including those of Civil War veterans, are no longer marked, erasing a significant portion of the county’s history.

Today, those who visit this remote prairie cemetery are asked to remember the significant loss of our area history and to show respect. Recognize that a place meant for eternal rest has been tragically turned into a frequent target of criminal desecration.

Looking Back: Dorchester Lawmaker, Crete Woman Gave Us State Flag

Florence Hazen Miller of Crete, right. 

Nebraska's flag should always fly a little bit higher in Dorchester and Crete.

That's because the person most responsible for convincing the Nebraska Legislature to approve of our state flag (or banner, as it was called in 1925) was State Sen. Charles Meacham Jr. of Dorchester.

Sen. Meacham was steadfast in his legislative efforts primarily because of the consistent urging of constituent Mrs. Florence Hazen Miller of Crete, a staunch advocate to establish an official Nebraska flag. 

In fact, Crete was where the Nebraska's state flag flew following its official designation in the mid-1920s. 

According to the State Historical Society, "At one second after midnight on July 1, 1925 -- the day the banner law took effect -- a small Nebraska flag with a fifteen-inch-diameter state seal embroidered in gold and silver was hoisted on a pole in Crete, probably by Mrs. Miller, and it remained flying until 8 a.m."

This adoption of a state flag was a big deal, mostly because Nebraska was the last state at that time to get its own banner. As of 1920, each of the other 47 states had already adopted a flag -- so Nebraska was only five years behind the curve. (Maybe we will soon return to a two-chamber legislature to return to the wiser system America's founders established.) 

Read more about our state flag at the Nebraska History Museum's website. Then go fly your Nebraska flag high.