Donna Casper while visiting her mother at Traditions of Hershey.
On Tuesday night, November 8, 2022, Donna Jean (Nahodil) Casper of Kulpmont died at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
Donna was born on February 16, 1956 in Bristol Township to George and Alma (Strausser) Nahodil whom she loved dearly.
Kind, loving, and outgoing, Donna loved to talk and could have hour-long conversations with strangers she encountered along her travels. Donna loved all animals and was always quick to act when an animal was in need. She enjoyed walking through cemeteries with her daughter on their pursuit to find ancestors and work on the family tree.
Donna is survived by a daughter, Lisa; two sons, George and William; grandchildren, Linda, George, and Michael; a brother, George; several nieces and nephews; cousins; and her beloved chihuahuas and turtle.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Earl; a sister, Linda (Turner), and a daughter, Nicole.
Donna will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
Private services will be held at the convenience of the family.
On the evening of Friday, October 28, 2022, Alma Lareen Nahodil died of natural causes at the age of 96.
Alma, known as Peggy, was born on March 17, 1926 in Coal Township to George and Ada Mae (Wetzel) Strausser. After her father’s death in 1927, her paternal uncle and his wife, Earl and Martha Mae (Bradigan) Strausser, raised little Peggy as their own.
Although Peggy was 14 when she learned Martha and Earl were her aunt and uncle, she always considered them to be her mom and dad and loved them dearly. In this family, she was raised with a sister, Vivian, and one brother, Earl.
Peggy knew and spent time with her biological family throughout her childhood, though she was uncertain as to their relationship until she turned 14. At this time, she moved from Coal Township to Philadelphia to live with her mother and siblings. Peggy was the youngest of eight children: Marlin, May, Thelma (Rothman), Leonard, Dorothy (Rothman), Robert, and Betty (Mullin).
On March 4, 1945, Peggy married George “Rudy” Nahodil at First Schwenkfelder Church in Philadelphia. Peggy and Rudy started their family in Philadelphia before moving to Levittown, PA in 1953. Their home in the Goldenridge section of Levittown would become the pride and joy of the family for nearly 50 years. The front door was always open to visitors wishing to stop by or stay for a while. Peggy loved visitors and the opportunity to feed them. With plenty of food, desserts, and other goodies, Peggy always made sure everyone left with a full stomach. Peggy and Rudy’s 55-year marriage came to an end when he died on October 19, 2000.
On March 14, 2006, Peggy married John Thompson in Virginia. Together, the couple traveled and enjoyed an active life. John died in 2011.
Peggy is survived by a daughter, Donna; a son, George; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and Linda Maurin, whose loving friendship spanned more than 60 years.
She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, husbands, and two children, Earl and Linda (Turner).
Peggy spent her final years living at Palmyra Heritage House, where she was well cared for and loved by the staff who made sure Peggy was comfortable and her family had everything they needed while keeping vigil.
Ah, as soon as I saw this prompt I knew exactly which surname I would discuss. My maternal grandfather was George Rudulph Nahodil (1923-2000) and it is his line that has resulted in very little information. Even after more than a decade of searching and reaching out to anyone I can find, I know little more now than at the beginning of this journey and what I have found has left me with more questions than answers.
George was born in 1923 to Frederick and Flossie (Lynn) Nahodil in the coal mining town of Shamokin, PA. Fred and Flossie had at least nine children of which two died during childhood and one died in Korea at the age of twenty. 1973 was a particularly sad year for this family; in May of this year Fred and Flossie lost another of their children, forty year old Blyler. In August of 1973 Fred lost his battle with lung disease and just two months later Flossie succumbed to a heart attack. My great grandparents missed seeing my birth by just a few short months.
Fred was born in 1892 to Rudolf and Rosamond Nahodil. I would love to be able to tell you Rosamond’s maiden name but every document I have found lists something slightly different; heck, I have eight (yes, 8) variations of her first name so even that I am not 100% certain of. What I am certain of is that Rosamond left Antwerp aboard the Steamship Switzerland and arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in August of 1892 with four young children in tow.
August 1892 Passenger List for Steamship Switzerland including Rosalie Nahodil and Children
Oral history passed down through the generations tells of Rosamond being Habsburg royalty who was disowned when she fell in love, married, and started a family with a Prussian officer. That officer was Rudolf Nahodil…or so the family story goes. After communicating with other cousins, it seems that everyone has been told the same story but none of us have been able to find any evidence to back it up. In fact, we have found very little on this Nahodil family aside from their passenger lists and their inclusion in four census records.
If you know this name or the story sounds familiar, drop me a line. I am certain my Nahodil family will appear in future posts so check back so find out more about them and their lives.
Finding My Dead 
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