Agnes Ann Hejna

Hejna, Agnes

Agnes A. Hejna, age 80 of Tabor, SD passed away on Friday, February 21, 2020 at Avera Sister James Care Center in Yankton, SD. Pallbearers will be: John Slama, Ron Hejna, Dan Hejna, Brian Beran, Kevin Nordby and Christopher Thoene.

Agnes Ann was born December 30, 1939 at home in Yankton County to Henry and Vincie (Carda) Adam. She grew up on the family farm east of Tabor and attended Peterka District #46 and St. Wenceslaus Catholic School. She graduated from Mount Marty High School in May of 1957. Agnes worked as bookkeeper for Montgomery Wards and Tabor Lumber COOP for many years until her retirement in 2004. She also baked and decorated many beautiful wedding cakes all over the area.

On June 18, 1960 Agnes married her high school sweetheart, Kenneth Hejna from across the mile. Her and Kenneth lived on the farm near her family farm all their lives. Agnes loved the farm and being part of the whole farming operation. She had a passion for the outdoors where she gardened and decorated their whole farm with beautiful flowers. From this union came two children, Mark and Mary Jane.

Agnes was a member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church all her life. She also was very active in the Czech Heritage Preservation Society and the St. Wenceslaus Altar Rosary Society where she baked many kolaches and helped make oodles of noodles. She loved gardening. She could grow the most beautiful vegetables of which she sold at the local farmers market for many years. Her grandsons joined in the business for a couple years learning valuable lessons from her entrepreneurship. She loved crafting and would attend every local craft show selling her beautiful crafts and her fresh baked kolaches. Agnes was an avid fan of her grandsons attending all their activities. Her Czech Heritage was very important to her as she could speak and write the Czech language fluently. She was very active in preserving Czech Days by working for every organization and baking many kolaches including up to 200 dozen some years. She also visited relatives in Czechoslovakia three different times and loved researching her Czech roots. Agnes had a sense of humor that warmed your heart and will be dearly missed.

Agnes is survived by her husband, Kenneth of 59 years; son, Mark (Renee) Hejna of Tabor, SD; daughter, Mary Jane (Danny) Schaefer of Fordyce, NE; four grandsons: Jeremy and Jordan Hejna of Tabor, SD, Matthew and Mason Schaefer of Fordyce, NE; one brother, George (Connie) Adam Yankton, SD; three sisters: Ann (Darrell) Beran of Tabor, SD, Martha (Steve) Nordby of Coleridge, NE and Mary (Ken) Thoene of Fordyce, NE; two brothers-in-law, Larry Hejna of Las Vegas, NV and Robert (Kathy) Hejna of Tabor, SD; two sisters-in-law, Betty Slama of Tabor, SD and Marilyn Hejna of Yankton, SD; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Agnes was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Vincie Adam; father and mother-in-law, Emil and Helen Hejna; five brothers-in-law: Laddie Slama, Emil, Steven, Lloyd and Clarence Hejna; two sisters-in-law, Lila Hejna and Donna Hejna and one nephew, Dustin Thoene