In Loving Memory Of Longin L. Prokop

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 11, 2013 at the Lauber-Moore Funeral Home, in Friend with Rev. Dr. Paixao Baptista officiating. Interment will be in the Wilber Czech Cemetery, Wilber following the luncheon. Visitation will be on Thursday 4pm-6pm and Friday until service time at Lauber-Moore Funeral Home, Friend. Memorials have been established to the Friend United Methodist Church and the Saline County Museum.

Longin Louis Prokop was born at Crete, Nebraska on August 4, 1912, to Frank H. and Mary Ann (Bouchal) Prokop, the youngest of seven children and passed away on Monday, January 7, 2013 at the Friend Manor in Friend, Nebraska at the age of 100 years, 5 months and 3 days. As a young boy, Longin attended District #35 country school southeast of Friend and then Crete Public School, graduating with the class of 1930. In 1931, at the age of 19, he enrolled in Doane College, where he studied history and was a member of Tau Sigma Zeta fraternity. He took drum lessons from Bernard Klasek and after leaving Doane he played drums with dance bands including the Golden Harvest Orchestra in Nebraska, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma until 1936. He returned to the family farm east of Friend where he farmed, retiring from active farm life in 1979, and moved to Friend in 1991. While farming, he also worked as a crop reporter (enumerator) for the USDA’s Nebraska Statistical Office for 22 years. Longin also worked as an assessor for the Lincoln Precinct of Saline County.

On November 15, 1953, he married Jolleen Kelso, a Friend school teacher, in Friend after meeting her while he served on the school board. To this union two children, Arlie and Terry were born. Together they continued to make their home on the Prokop family farm east of town. Longin loved to travel and took his family on vacation trips every summer, visiting family members and sites throughout the Midwest and South. Longin was very close to all his brothers, sisters and extended family, enjoying their summer visits to the farm during their vacations from school. He was a kind and gentle man, and always thoughtful of others.

Longin became a member of the Friend United Methodist Church in 1952. He was on the Administrative Board, and a member of the Trustees. He also was the Sunday School Superintendent and taught the high school class. Longin was proud of his Czech Heritage and was a member of the ZCBJ’s Saline Center Lodge #389 for over 50 years. He was a founding member of the Saline County Historical Society, served as its president for several years, and was instrumental in raising funds for the construction of its buildings in Dorchester. Longin was also a member of the I.O.O.F. Lodge #69 in Friend for 40 years, serving many of those years as secretary. In 2011, he was awarded the Friend Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Resident Award.

Longin was a sports fan and tried to take the family to a Nebraska basketball game each year, usually against arch-rival, Kansas. He also liked to attend Doane football games and followed the Tigers for over 30 years. Longin supported Doane College throughout his life and stayed involved in other activities at the college.

Longin is survived by his wife, Jolleen Prokop, daughter, Arlie Prokop, both of Friend, son and daughter-in-law, Terry and Gail Prokop, two grandchildren, Alex Prokop and Tony Prokop, all of Lincoln, sisters-in-law, Colleen Helmink, Firth, Helen Prokop, Lakewood, CO, nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, Frankie, Milo, Arnold and Robert, two sisters, Adelaide Bernica, Irene Prokop, sister-in-law, Dorothy Kelso, and other sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.