website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Father Henry Novotny
1896-1945
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Henry was born in Watertown
and was the son of John and Francisca Novotny.
He attended St. Henry’s
School and, after completing his service in World War I,
entered St. Francis
Seminary. (Cross reference: eBook on WWI)
He celebrated his first Mass
at the church in 1929.
Jane Fendt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene
Fendt, was the symbolic bride, representing the Father Novotny’s spiritual
union with the church.
The flower girls were Julia Novotny, Rita
Novotny, Helen Misegades and Bernice Scheiber.
.
The Reverend George Eilers of St. Francis
Seminary, who delivered the sermon, was the chaplain of Company E while the
boys were at Camp Douglas.
At the outbreak of hostilities of the First
World War Novotny had enlisted as one of the members of the original Company E
and left with that unit for Camp Douglas in 1917, with the Fifth Wisconsin
Infantry. Later, when the unit went to
Waco, Texas, and became part of the 32nd Division he went with it and the
latter became Co. D of the 120th Machine Gun Battalion.
He served throughout the war in France with
the 32nd Division, taking part in many of the historic battles of that
war. He remained with Company E, made up
of young men of the city, throughout the war. He spent two years in the army,
serving 15 months in service overseas.
Six months of that time were spent in active fighting and six months
were with the army of occupation in Germany.
Henry was honorably discharged from service in
1919. He entered St. Francis in the fall
of the same year.
This son of the parish died at age 49 of a
heart attack, only two months after he assumed his last appointment, the
pastorship of St. Cecelia’s parish in Wisconsin Dells.
A solemn requiem funeral High Mass, a moving
mix of religious rite and military aspect, was held at St. Henry’s with the
Archbishop Moses E. Kiley of Milwaukee in attendance and assisting Father
Schwinn.
The night prior to the funeral, his earthly
remains were brought to Watertown and taken directly to the church; members of
Company E, with whom Father Novotny served in World War I, and the Sgt. Frank
L. Pitterle post of the American Legion were among those who paid
him tribute.
Prayers were said by the differing groups that
assembled and a guard of honor and an all-night vigil were maintained
throughout the night by members of the Holy Name Society of the parish. Many old friends and acquaintances, old
classmates, and buddies of WW I filed past the bier.
Burial was in St. Henry’s cemetery.
Father Novotny was a member of the American
Legion and took part in many of its conferences and activities.
History of Watertown, Wisconsin