Obituary of Joseph Sproch

Joseph Richard Sproch, 92, passed away February 8, 2012. George Sproch (1888-1980) and his brother, Michael (1870-1957) came to the United States in 1904. Leaving their father (Petre) and mother along with their brothers behind in Czechoslovakia. They started in Pennsylvania and made their way West. Michael went to Lamona, Washington. The state looked promising and later sent for his brother. George met Michael’s stepdaughter (Mary) there. Washington did not work. The families then came to Colorado, settling in the Slovakian area north of Ramah, Colo., and had to learn to speak the English Language. George married Mary Homa (1896-1966) on June 16, 1916 and started a family: two sons, Joseph (1919-2012) and Paul, (1924-2011) and a daughter, Aima (Sproch) Mikita. Joe was born on March 17, 1919 on the Huinodi place (now the Pasko property) and baptized at the Sproch Church with John Murin and Mary Mikita as his Godparents. The family moved north of Calhan in 1939 to the then known Palko place. From there they commuted by horse or pickup seven miles east to farm the land they eventually purchased. The family moved to the present land in December 1941, one mile east of Joe’s birth place. The pickup (1936 Chevy short bed, step side), Joe still had. It is believed to be the first in the area. He attended Snell Grade School and Ramah High School. Back in those days you rode a horse or walked to school. Joe left school in his ninth year to help with the farm work. The family was lifelong members of the Holy Orthodox Church, attending the Church on the Hill until the Sproch Church was built in 1916. (The land was donated by Michael Sproch). After that church closed, they attended St. Mary’s. Joe served in WWII. “The first war where Air Power alone defeated a major nation.” He was drafted into the Army Air Force on March 16, 1942 and attending flying school in Chandler, Arizona. He served in the Western Pacific, New Guinea, Southern Philippines and Luzon, as a supervisor of 30 men in operation, care, and repair of airplanes. The planes were P-38s, AT-6s, AT-9s and AT-lOs. His monthly pay was $6.60 a month. Joe received the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, WWII Victory Medal, American Service Medal, and the Mkm Carbine Mechanics’ Technician Badge Lapel Button. He served his country for three years and eight months with an Honorable Discharged in November 1945 at the rank of T/Sgt. Happy to be back state side, Joe returned home, to farm and ranch with his father. They used two, four and six horse teams and wheel tractors (the first one in 1944) raising their own crops and produce. Their crops included corn, beans, potatoes, hay, and grain, among others. They raised and butchered their own livestock: hogs, cattle and poultry. During the summer months, the average day was to get the horses fed first, (usually by lantern). They had to be ready to work when you were. Next you brought the cows in and milked them, by hand, separated the cream from the milk. The cream was used for butter or for selling and the milk was fed to the pigs. Then you ate breakfast, finished the remaining chores, harnessed the horses and went to the field. Around midday the horses were brought back to the barn for a rest and water. This gave you time for your meal (prepared by the wife) and also rest or maintenance of the equipment. In the afternoon, you took the horses to the field and worked, came back in about dark, took the harnesses off, fed the horses, milked the cows, fed the other animals, fed yourself and went to bed. Tomorrow you get to do it all over again! The wife took care of the house, children, gardening, cooking, canning, washing, and whatever else that needed to be done. She worked as hard if not harder than the husband! The Sprochs did conservation to help save water and erosion, building dams, ponds, diversions and terraces. For a while they even stocked the ponds with fish for the locals to use. Joe married Frances Kucerik on June 18, 1959. They divorced January 21, 2001. Dennis worked alongside his father farming and ranching like his father and grandfather did, only having the engine driven machines. In 1952, Joe went to work as Rural Letter Carrier for the United State Postal Service out of Ramah, Colo., first as sub carrier, then as full time, and retired in 1992, with many service awards. He is a member of the American Legion Post 3 for 65 years. Joe was active up to the last, always asking how things were at the ranch. His heart and soul was into farming and ranching. He is survived by a son, Dennis Sproch of Ramah, Colo., a daughter that had adopted him, Brenda Spears and her family Jeremy and Jennie, one sister Anna Mikita, and grandson, Nathan. Memorial services were held February 14, 2012 at St. Mary’s Holy Dormition Orthodox Church, north of Calhan, Colo. Burial was at Sproch Cemetery, north of Ramah, Colo.