Robert Edward Kristufek
November 16, 1921 - August 5, 2006
Robert E. Kristufek, 84, died August 5, 2006. in Des Moines. He was born in Topeka, KS on Nov. 16, 1921 and was the son of George M. and Florence Kristufek. Robert retired in 1985 from Meredith Printing after 39 years and served in the US Coast Guard during WWII. In his retirement, he worked 14 years at Wal-Mart. He enjoyed spending time with his family, and working with friends at Wal-Mart, and he was an avid Des Moines Buccaneers fan.
He was preceded in death by his wife Sonja and his son, Michael. He will be missed by his daughters, Sandra Duncan of West Des Moines, Cathy Smith and Julie Kain both of Des Moines; his brother, Donald Krist of West Des Moines; twelve grandchildren; eight great-grand children, two great-great grandchildren . A Celebration of Life Service will be at 5 p.m., Wednesday, August 9, 2006 at Brooks Funeral Care ~ University Chapel, 7975 University Blvd, Clive, IA. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Des Moines Buccaneers, 7201 Hickman Road, Urbandale, Iowa 50322.
Robert Kristufek was the son of George M. Kristufek and Florence McInherney. His father George M. Kristufek was born on August 18, 1890 in Chicago, Illinois. George M. Kristufek's father Matej Kristufek (born August 14, 1857 in Smrkovice, South Bohemia) died suddenly of typhoid fever on September 18, 1896. George M. Kristufek's mother, Rose Nemec, left a young widow with four sons (Otto, George M., Edward, and William), remarried on July 2, 1898 to Joseph Pondelik. They had three more sons: Jaroslav, Joseph and Charles Pondelik.
George M. Kristufek first married Antoinette Vileta in 1909 and they had two daughters: Georgiana Kristufek Krestan (1909-1982) and Mildred Kristufek Sladek (1912-1984), but separated soon afterward. Their local court battle over child support in early 1913, turned into a national news article reprinted all across the country.
George M. Kristufek, a professional musician and frequently on the road, married again to Florence McInherney and they had five more children (Evelyn Kristufek 1914-1992, George Kristufek 1916-1919, Harold Kristufek 1917-1935, Robert Edward Kristufek and Donald Eugene Krist 1926-2011) before her death in the late 1920s. George M. Kristufek's paternal gradfather Matej Krystufek (1816-1891) was born in Talin, South Bohemia, married Anna Kolar in 1856 and settled in Chicago around 1868.
