BIOGRAPHY:
Originally wrote name as Helga because of census records. Obituary of Mary Porak Kratky lists her name as Stella Strecker. No obituary was placed in the Elwood Call-Leader when Stella Strecker was buried in Elwood. Per Elwood Library Index

BIRTH: Her birth name was Zdenka, but she used the name "Stella" - Per Joy Harriman Hebert
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Name: Desska Anna Kratky
Birth date: 01 May 1890
Birth place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Gender: Female
Race or color (expanded): White
Father name: F.L. Kratky
Father birth place:
Age of father: 27y
Mother name: Mary Porak
Mother birth place:
Mother age: 22y
Film number: 1287901
Digital GS number: 4031058
Image number: 203
Reference number: 13981
Collection: Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates 1878-1922


DEATH:
SSDI
Name: STELLA STRECKER
SSN: 311-16-3272
Last Residence: 85205 Mesa, Maricopa, AZ
Born: 1 May 1890
Last Benefit:
Died: Mar 1983
State (Year) SSN issued: IN (Before 1951 )
(This could be the correct person. There is an Indiana connection & the birth year is close.)
This doesn't match the tombstone.

BURIAL:
Name: STRECKER, STELLA
Birth: 1898 Death: 1992
Cemetery: CITY OF ELWOOD Section: R19, GROVE
Location of Cemetery:
Cemetery name: City of Elwood, Quincy
Township: PIPECREEK Section: 16NE
Town: 21N Range: 6E
Location: Between S 9th & S 13th Sts. , & S-C & S-H Sts. in Elwood

LAND:
Stella Strecker and her son John must have moved to Elwood between 1938 & 1941.
Elwood City Directory
1938 - Stella is not listed.
1941 - Strecker Stella A (wid J N) r 1419 S H
(son John is also listed as working)
1945, 1947-1948 - same as above
1949, 1952 - Strecker Stella A. (wid J N) r 1419 S H phone 589
1954, 1957 - Strecker Stella A (wid J M) r 217 N 9th phone FE2-3173
1959 - Strecker Stella A Mrs r ns Harmony dr

CENSUS:
1900 US Census
Illinois, Cook, Chicago, ED#210
Address: 593 South Central Avenue
Line 9, Kratky, John L., head, white, male, born Mar 1863, 37, married 15 years, born in Bohemia, parents born in Bohemia, immigrated 1881, lived in US 19 years, naturalized, book binder, able to read, write, speak English, rent home
Line 10, Marie, wife, white, female, born Nov? 1868, 32, married 15 years, mother of 5 children, 4 living, born in Bohemia, parents born in Bohemia, immigrated 1871, lived in US 29 years, able to read, write, speak English
Line 11, Ladislav, son, white, female (incorrect), born Jan? 1886?, 14, single, born in Illinois, book binder, able to read, write, speak English
Line 12, Jarmila, daughter, white, female, born Apr? 1888, 12, single, born in Illinois, at school, able to read, write, speak English
Line 13, Zdenka, daughter, white, female, born May 1890, 10, single, born in Illinois, at school, able to read, write, speak English
Line 14, Olga, daughter, white, female, born May 1894, 6, single, born in Illinois, at school
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1910 US Federal Census
Illinois, Cook, Chicago 34th Ward, District 1480, April 22, 23, 25, 1910, sheet 12B
(Ancestry.com image 24 of 24)
Address: 2123 S. 40th Ave., Chicago
Dwelling ___?, family 232
Line 75, Kratky, John L., heard, male, white, 48, married 24 years, born in Austria Bohemia, parents born in Austria Bohemia, immigrated 1881?, naturalized, speak English, Binder, Book Company, able to read and write, rents home
Line 76, Mary, wife, female, white, 40, married 24 years, mother of 6 children, 5 living, born in Austria Bohemia, parents born in Austria Bohemia, immigrated in 1874, speak English,
Line 77, Ladislav, son, male, white, 21, single, born in Illinois, speak English, paper hanger, wallpaper, able to read and write, does not attend school
Line 78, Jarmila, daughter, female, white, 19, single, born in Illinois, speak English, making? ____, bindery, able to read and write, does not attend school
Line 79, Stella, daughter, female, white, 17 or 13, single, born in Illinois, speak English, machine operator, Fill? works, able to read and write, does not attend school
Line 80, Olga, daughter, female, white, 15, single, born in Illinois, speak English, able to read and write, attends school
Line 81, Sylvia, daughter, female, white, 6, single, born in Illinois, speak English, attends school
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1920 US Census
Illinois, Cook, Chicago, ED #2196, sheet 27B, January 17, 1920 (ancestry.com image 54 of 59)
Address: 2842 S. Kostner Ave., Chicago
Dwelling 397, family 481
Line 93, Strecker, John, head, rent, male, white, 33, married, immigrated 1895 naturalized 1917, able to read, write, speak English, born in England, speak English, father born in Germany, speaks German, mother born in England, speaks English, Bench hand, telephone shop
Line 94, Stella, wife, female, white, 26, married, able to read, write, speak English, born in Illinois, parents born in Bohemia, speak Bohemian
Line 95, Pearl A., daughter, female, white, 4 8/12, born in Illinois
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1930 US Census
Name: Stella Strecker
Age: 39 years
Estimated birth year: 1890
Birthplace: Illinois
Relation to Head-of-house: Head
Race: White
Home in 1930: Cicero, Cook, Illinois
Occupation: View image
Education: View image
Military Service: View image
Rent/home value: View image
Age at first marriage: View image
Parents' birthplace: View image
Owned a radio: View image
Image Source: Year: 1930; Census Place: Cicero, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T626_498; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 2099; Image: 0931.
(Image for 12A does not boot up, but is the same source as her son, John.)
She was born at 401 18th Street, Chicago, Illinois. Father was a Book Binder. She was her mother's fourth child.
Stella as a young woman.
Stella Kratky Strecker is buried in the Elwood City Cemetery in Elwood, Indiana. There was no obituary in the Elwood Call-Leader for Stella. She lived in Arizona. Picture of stone taken 21 November 2003.