“Newcomer” Becomes First Founding Member
Verdigre
As reported by Glenna Pavlik of the Verdigre Eagle
Why would a man born in Lincoln and raised in Chicago want to come to Verdigre, Nebraska, a place he had never heard of before he saw it?
Pat McCarron tells the story of checking out different ZCBJ* lodges—Czech fraternal organizations—in communities west of the Missouri River. When coming over the hill from Center, Nebraska, he can still see the little village “all laid out there.” He said he and Donna Zimmerman, a good friend who also resides in Verdigre now, stopped at Frank’s Food Mart, located next to the ZCBJ Bila Hora Hall at the time. They wanted to find out the meaning of “Bila Hora.”
“Pat Liska and Peggy Krupicka were working and they were so warm and friendly,” Pat said. They couldn’t answer his question so they called someone at the nursing home who told them it meant “Battle of White Mountain.”
When Pat returned to Chicago he began subscribing to the local newspaper, the Verdigre Eagle, and has been a subscriber ever since.
Pat McCarron bought a house in Verdigre in 1989 and moved to the town in 1991. He was told it had a “mean driveway” and “it wasn’t underestimated,” he added.
Pat enjoyed having his morning coffees at the Cozy Corner and being involved in civic events. He proudly stated that he still has his Verdigre Hawk jacket that the basketball team presented him in 1993.
His health has let him down the past couple of years and he is not seen out and about as often, but he certainly continues his interest in the area and the people.
Pat came forward with his membership and gift to the newly-organized Verdigre Community Foundation Fund before anyone was asking – even before there was criteria for a Founding membership. What prompted this generosity?
“I wanted to help bring the community together – all families, both rural and in urban. So I looked at the different organizations to see who could try to unite this community and decided it might be the community foundation, which would cover both in-town and rural people.” So he contacted Brian Vakoc, the chair of the Fund.
Brian said, “Mr. McCarron approached our community fund with this gift and his wishes to become a member when it was just being formed. Mr. McCarron’s gift has been very generous. As we look to more established affiliated funds of the Nebraska Community Foundation, such as Shickley, Keith County or Stuart, we can see first hand the positive influences that all gifts can have.”
Members of the Verdigre Community Foundation Fund’s Advisory Committee extend their congratulations and thanks to Mr. McCarron as its first Founding member.
Founding members are those persons or couples who make a cumulative contribution of $1,000 over a period of time. Smaller amounts are also welcome.
* ZCBJ stands for Zapadni Cesko-Bratrska Jednota, or Czech-West Unity of Brethren
