ROBERT 'BOB' SOUKUP
Funeral Mass will be 10 AM, Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Wagner. Burial is in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will at the church on Tuesday from 5 to 7 PM, followed by Rosary/Wake services at 7 PM. Peters Funeral Home in Wagner is in charge of arrangements.
Robert “Bob” Joseph Soukup, the son of George and Mary (Cuka) Soukup was born on a farm south of Wagner on October 17, 1925. He passed from his earthly life and entered through the gates of his new heavenly home on Friday, July 28, 2023, at the Lake Andes Sr. Living Center in Lake Andes, SD. Bob had attained the age of 97 years, 9 months and 11 days.
At the age of 2, he and his family would move to another farm south and west of Wagner. At age 5, another move would land him 7 miles south and 3 miles west of Wagner. It would be here that he would help his family create a four-generation family farm.
He walked or rode his horse to country school through the 8th grade at Ree #1, referred to by many as the Big Tobacco school. It was a 5 mile round trip.
Growing up in the 1930’s and 40’s were tough times and money was scarce. He knew nothing but hard work. Life’s daily tasks were dependent on a strong back and mind. Teams of horses pulled a plow, two row planter, a six foot cycle mower, wagons and whatever else, but it was the muscle and strength of a young man that pitched, shoveled, picked and carried to finish the job. He walked and rode countless miles behind a team of horses, Pete and Molly, back and forth across the fields, followed by faithful dog, Shep. Grain crops were bundled and thrashed when harvested, which brought friends and neighbors together for thrashing bees. The Fall harvest was one of Bob’s favorite times of the year. He said, “it was a good feeling to see the result of all your hard work, unless we didn’t have the rain, and that happened plenty of times, too, but you made do”.
On October 9, 1950, 8 days before his 25th birthday, this young farmer left for the service. He was drafted into the Army with orders to fight in the Korean War. He boarded a bus at the courthouse in Armour and headed for Sioux Falls. This journey would take him from Ft. Riley, KS to Camp Cooke, CA, then on to Ft. Lawton, WA. March 28, 1951, he arrived in Tokyo, Japan by ship. On April 5, 1951, he arrived in Korea by train. His first day of combat was April 8, 1951. He stayed in the same clothes for over 5 weeks and recalls all the rainy weather and always being so wet and cold. He carried a rosary with him always and it rusted in his pocket from the continuous moisture. He shared a time that his platoon was pinned down in fox holes that were half full of water, for three days without food or water, before their back up arrived. He always said that was why his knees ached so much. On May 21, 1951, he was wounded by a sniper and sent to a hospital in Japan to recover. July 24, 1951, he returned to the US. While recovering at Camp Cooke, CA, some of the soldiers were invited to attend a baseball game to watch the San Fransisco Seals. He received a baseball signed by the entire team including the signature of their famous manager, Lefty O’Doul. He remained stationed in the US until he was discharged. Bob kept a brief diary in a small black book while he was in the service. The last sentence he wrote in his book was this, “Got discharged July 10, 1952, came home July 12, 1952, as a free man again”.
On Monday, January 20, 1953, Robert married his honey, Marie Cimpl, at the Catholic Church in Dante, SD. Together they made their home on the family farm south of Wagner. They were blessed with 5 children. Together they worked hard raising their family, along with raising hogs, cattle, chickens and farming. He raised his children with lots of chores and taught them to be responsible and to have a good work ethic. While working, he was all business and his fast pace could accomplish a lot in a day. He enjoyed his family time especially in the evenings and when they gathered for meals around the kitchen table. Sundays were often spent playing softball in a pasture with relatives and friends. Bob had played baseball as a young man, so he enjoyed playing a similar sport with his family. He enjoyed raising cattle and riding his horse, Queenie. In the fall while rounding up cattle out of the hills at their Joe Day Bay pasture, he could be seen on Queenie, then heard cracking his long leather whip as he herded the cattle up toward the corral. As the years passed, he would form a partnership with his sons, Robert J Soukup & Sons. Together they continued to farm the land, raise cattle, and too many hogs, farrowing in the spring and fall. In May of 1982, Bob and Marie moved into town and his oldest son, Dick, continued to live on the homestead. Bob drove everyday to the farm. In 1995 he retired from the partnership, but continued to drive truck during harvest, work cattle, run errands and help whenever needed. He took great pride in watching his sons carry on his passion of farm life.
Bob loved to play cards with his family and Black Jack at the Ft Randall Casino. He enjoyed meeting people and visiting with anyone. He also enjoyed attending his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren's events and activities. This year marked the 40th Annual Bobby Soukup Memorial Softball Tournament. It was the first one that he was unable to attend, but his entire family was there. He was so proud of his family.
Bob was an active member of St. John Catholic Church of Wagner, where he served for many years as a eucharistic minister and usher. He was a Third Degree Knight of the Wagner Knights of Columbus and would have received his 80 year membership pin this October. In 2009, the Robert J Soukup family was awarded the State Knights of Columbus Family of the Year. He was a member of the Catholic Workman, the American Legion Post 11, the VFW Post 7319 where he received his 65 year membership pin in Nov. 2022. He was a past member of the Wagner Rural Fire District, NFO, and the Wagner Cemetery Board. In 2010 he and Marie were chosen as the Parade Marshalls for Wagner’s annual Labor Day Celebration.
Bob was a proud veteran and a very brave man. He was honored to have fought for his country and had great respect for the American Flag. In May of 2008 he was awarded the Purple Heart Medal for his bravery in combat. On January 12, 2016, he was honored at a ceremony honoring Korean War veterans at our South Dakota State Capitol, in Pierre, SD. He was personally awarded the Ambassador of Peace Medal by the South Korean official, Minister Sungchoon Park. This award was in appreciation of the US soldiers that helped to bring peace to their country during a time of war. On May 7, 2019, at the age of 92 years, Bob had the privilege of being chosen as one of veterans to travel to Washington, DC, on Honor Flight #700, accompanied by his grandson, Jared Soukup. It was a trip they would both remember forever.
He was proud of his Czech heritage and would speak in the Czech language if given the chance. He loved chocolate malts and would deliver them to his family in the field during harvest time. He enjoyed looking at crops and driving the countryside in his Dodge Dakota pickup with a license plate that read “MR BS”. He enjoyed having coffee at various businesses in Wagner and being informed of the local news. When he quit chewing tobacco he liked jelly beans and proudly shared that he could make one last almost 2 hours. Grandpa Bob had a special way with little children. He liked to have fun with them and sometimes teased them about his short finger. He’d let them know that this could happen to them if they kept their fingers in their nose or mouth.
Bob was a strong, kind and humble man. He was not a prejudiced person or quick to judge. He had morals. Bob believed that you didn’t buy something unless you could pay for it and you took care of what you did buy, because you worked too hard for it. He took great pride in all that he did and he took care of all that he owned. Things had to be cared for and in their place. He did things right the first time. He didn’t put anything off till tomorrow if there was a chance that it could still be done today. He was a very honest man and a very helpful friend and neighbor. He was a man of his word and when he shook your hand it meant something. He gave respect and expected it in return. His faith in God was strong and true. He practiced it daily. The rosary was prayed every day and when he and Marie drove around or traveled they prayed it together. Their rosaries were always with them. It was this strong faith that would carry him through many tough times in his life. It was this strong faith that made him tough and not bitter. It was this faith that made him the strongest and softest man that his family would ever know. We will all miss his gentle hugs, his firmhandshakeandhearinghim say “I love you, too”.
Thankful for having such a loving father are children: Karen (David) Kuhlman, Richard “Dick” (De Ella) Soukup, Ronald “Ron” (Denise) Soukup, and Karol (Doug) Kniffen; grandchildren: Dan (Teanna) Kuhlman, Joe Kuhlman, Jill (Nick) Cotton, Janelle (Mike) Bormann, Randy Soukup, Riley (Lisa) Soukup, Ryan Soukup, Trina (Otto) Fousek, III, Kristi (Grant) Olson, Jared (Sayde) Soukup, Lori (Clif) Kayl, Scott (Carroline) Kniffen and 23 great-grandchildren; sisters, Eleanor Andersh and Mary Cimpl; sister-in-law, Evelyn Cimpl; and many nieces, nephews, friends, and special family friend Craig Bastemeyer.
Bob was preceded in death by his loving wife, Marie, his son, Bobby; his parents, George and Mary Soukup; his brother Raymond A Soukup; and brothersin- law: Robert Andersh, Charles, Wes and John Cimpl, and Leonard Nedved; and sisters-in-law, Albina Soukup, Irene Cimpl, and Frances Nedved.