The Vokouns of Chicagoland

Happy Memorial Day. I am a retired naval officer. The majority of my career was spent in the Navy Medical Corps. I also served during America's longest war. As a result, I was no stranger to the grimmest reminders of the sacrifices required by our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. I have received casualties at the front, provided care for the injured months and years after their wounds were inflicted, served on notification teams and liaisons for the families of the deceased, and attended too many memorial services. Acknowledging and honoring the service of members of our military, as well as their families, is deeply ingrained in me. With that in mind, I present our honor roll. The Vokoun family has a long history of service dating to World War I. Here is the roster of family service members that I have thus far accumulated: World War I Rudolph W Vokoun Jr - Pharmacist Mate 3C, USN, served on USS Leviathan a converted superliner that carried over 120, 000 troops to Europe. ...

 It's as broad as 20th Century America (and Canada for our Canucks). I want to give some perspective on the growth of family through the generations starting with Jan Vokoun, Anna Bechyne and Josefa Sazima's eight children born between 1858 and 1876 who came to Chicago. Here is the tree with spouses (I hope as this goes along that I will be able to add photos): The second generation, i.e. the first cousins, numbered nineteen which is less than you might guess. Both John William Vokoun and Joseph Edward Vokoun had no children. They were born over a 23 year span from 1878 (Francis James Vokoun, son of Frank) to 1901 (Edward Matthew Vokoun Sr, son of Rudolph). The third generation, i.e. the second cousins, numbered twenty-eight with birth years ranging from 1901 (James William Vokoun, son of Francis James Vokoun) to 1942 (Edward Matthew Vokoun Jr, son of Edward Matthew Vokoun, Sr). A shout out to my dad, Edward Matthew Vokoun Jr, the youngest of the second cousins. He is from the ...