Pilsen Community

02/28/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1bfVKT5jML/

Who's all making plans to TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE this Saturday?! Don't forget to look through our long line of posts to see the sampling of what we will have up for auction! That's right, there's a lot more where that came from, folks! See you soon 😊

☆JOIN US THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH AT 6PM IN PILSEN FOR A GREAT CAUSE!!!☆

02/13/2025

The Pilsen Marion County Charity Auction is near! Saturday Feb 22nd 6pm @ Community Center! Czech out their page for more goodies that will be available!

Many don't realize the auction benefits local nonprofits and families in need throughout Marion County.

Come shop and enjoy a meal for a great cause!!!

10/08/2024

Who's ready for some Bohemian Tractor Pulling this Saturday?!!

09/26/2024

09/18/2024

Updated Map of Pilsen for those that may not be familiar with our little Bohemian Community! We are 7mi N of Marion/Hwy 56 or about 4mi W of Lincolnville/Hwy77.

Most of the Days events will be at/or surrounding the Community Center (former Pilsen Grade School). The Kapaun Museum, Church and Cemetery are across the street.

The former Starlite Ballroom, Svitak's Garage (which in addition was a Case Tractor dealership for a time), Gas Station & Store are the buildings on the South end of town directly off of Re*****on. You might say Frank Svitak, Sr really operated the first 'One-Stop-Shop' from the 1930's until the 1990's. Maybe one of these national big box stores should consider adding Polka & Pilsener to their business plan?!

09/01/2024

Thank you to the Gail Makovec family for sharing several of your Pilsen photographs!

08/31/2024

Jak se máš?!' Celebrate Pilsen's 150th in style AND help support the Pilsen Community Center! Youth Sizes XS - XL are available, as well as Adult sizes S - 5X. ALL shirts are $15. PRE ORDERS FOR THE EVENT NEED TO BE PLACED BY SEPT 22nd. Orders will be available for pickup at the event (volunteers will have distributed at a prior time). A certain number of shirts WILL be available for purchase the day of the event, but pre-ordering guarantees your preferred sizing and quantity available.

http://www.pilsen.khaosapparel.com/

There will also be an assortment of toddler / baby items available for sale at the event along with other handmade Pilsen gifts, home décor and apparel items.

08/10/2024

BALLROOMS, POLKA MUSIC & DANCES
have been part of Pilsen's community since its beginning. The cultural importance, probably only coming second to the residents Catholic Faith and the St. John's Nepomucene Church. It may have often been hard to separate the two at times due to the participation of the priests as photographs have shown, as well as the wedding dances often being part of a ceremony's day-long festivities. Dances were held weekly, and were regarded as a family affair of entertainment often and socializing. Talented local orchestras or bands were regularly featured and often requested to perform and share their talents outside of the community as well.

The Starlite Ballroom was began by Frank Svitak, Sr. in 1937, while not Pilsen's first ballroom, it was the longest running and the last in the community and was closed in the late 1980s. In its heyday, it was THE place to be. It hosted many of the nations famous polka bands of the day that were growing in popularity with the help of the radio. People came from near and far to the Starlite to enjoy the live music, dance, and maybe a Pilsener or two. Frank's main rule of the ballroom was that ONLY polka styled music was to be played. This may have somewhat disappointed the younger generations in the decades following that began to enjoy different music styles...

Community Polka Dances and live music continue today once or twice a year in Pilsen using the former Pilsen Grade School building that has been turned into the Pilsen Community Center. Wedding dances are also held at the school.

The first picture below shows construction of the building on April 14, 1937. The front part of the structure was Frank Svitak's personal residence as well as the storefront. The second picture shows the first dance of the Starlite ballroom that was broadcast live on radio featuring Ernest Kolman & the Harmony Kings, June 7th.

The third picture is an article clipped from the Catholic Advance detailing the Klenda / Tajchman wedding of June 23rd that same year. It states the wedding dance hosted more than 700 guests. Maxine (Schimpf Silhan) Svitak wrote that their wedding was the first wedding dance held at the Starlite.

Can anyone help identify those in the picture besides the wedding couple on the front right? Father Kapaun appears to be in the back row, center. Was this possibly a 'multiple wedding' day or event as was sometimes done in the past? Or is this maybe the wedding party along with the Klenda's?

The fourth picture shows the Pilsen Orchestra at the Starlite, which may have been taken the date of the Klenda / Tajchman wedding in 1937.

Does anyone have a picture of any of the earlier ballrooms? Or any additional Starlite or Polka related photographs? Favorite polka songs or general memories? SHARE BELOW IN THE COMMENTS!

08/10/2024

Bohemians & Their Poppies…
The Poppy flower has been a significant part of Bohemia’s land and people for hundreds of years. The flower has been cultivated for nutritional and medicinal purposes in addition to planting in gardens for its striking beauty.

Alfonse Mucha (who some refer to as the founder of Art Nouveau) from Pilsen, Czech, uses them throughout his artwork. There are also multiple poppy colors in addition to the classic red: ‘Czech Blue’ and white and other hybrids of a more purple tone.

While poppy cultivation has slowed down a bit in Bohemia’s homelands due to pharmaceutical advancements that have replaced o***m, the region continues to be a leading source of global supply. Some today may worry a bit after consuming too many pastries containing these delightful little seeds that they may fail a drug test required by an employer. While this is technically possible, (anyone seen the related Seinfeld episode of the poppyseed muffins?), it is unlikely...

The best kolaches in the world can be found in and near Pilsen, Kansas; many filled with a special ‘poppyseed filling.’ Some of the nutritional highlights are its fiber, protein and Omega 6 content, along with providing B1 and Folate sources and several minerals. Anyone hungry for OK Bakery’s kolaches, that we all know are WAY MORE than ok??? Consider ordering the poppyseed filling next time, and you can count on feeling even better about consuming those delicious Bohemian delicacies…

For ordering some delicious authentic Czech baked Poppyseed Kolaches and other Bohemian baked goods (pickup near Pilsen):
https://www.facebook.com/OKbreadco

Anyone have any poppyseed recipes that you are willing to share? Or maybe just a memory? Post below in the comments!

More Poppy Information can be found here:
https://www.poppyczech.com/history-of-the-czech-poppy/
https://www.nutritionadvance.com/poppy-seeds-nutrition/

08/05/2024

Centre's 1974 Graduating class, 100 years after the community's inception... Many likely descendants of one or more of the original settlers...

Imagine what Pilsen's founders would have thought of this bunch of Bohunks 100 years later? There's some shaggy 'do's' on some of the guys and lots of the female students are wearing their long hair down while probably wearing pants with their blouses.... Lots of great folks in this group, many still look much the same (maybe some with a bit less hair? ; ).

Planning is underway for this class' 50th Reunion - be checking your mailboxes soon if someone in your household belongs to this class!

Does anyone see a lookalike to Ponch off of the show CHiPs? He may have coached my softball team a time or two!

**I was told the 1974 yearbook was printed with the prior year's class officers for this group; the ones listed are not all correct as shown.

08/04/2024

Rudolph Family: L to R Adolph, Cecelia, Petrona, Elizabeth, Agnes, Peter, Christina abt.1914

Adolf B Rudolph
b5 JUN 1883 • Marion County, Kansas, USA
d29 DEC 1952

Christina "Tina" Stika Rudolph
b31 MAY 1883 • Kansas
d13 MAY 1970 • Marion, Marion, Kansas, USA

Agnes Rudolph Smolik
b8 JAN 1905 • Kansas
d12 JUN 1966

Petrona Rudolph Krotz
b22 MAY 1906 • Pilsen, Marion, Kansas, USA
d10 FEB 1994 • Marion, Marion, Kansas, USA

Elizabeth Rudolph Propp
b7 MAY 1908 • Pilsen, Marion, Kansas, USA
d15 MAR 2007 • Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas, USA

Cecilia Rudolph Svitak
b22 DEC 1911 • Kansas, USA
d20 NOV 1942 • Pilsen, Marion, Kansas, USA

Peter Paul "Pete" Rudolph
b29 JUN 1913 • Marion County, Kansas, USA
d23 FEB 1984

'Axmanfarm' shared this photo on 11 Jan 2017 to Ancestry.com. Colorized 2024.