Rynda family will be honored at Heritage Breakfast April 15

By: 
Lisa Ingebrand

Czech was Don Rynda’s first language.

His grandparents made sure of it.

“When I was little and my parents would be out working on the farm, my grandparents would care for me. They spoke Czech to me. It was important to them that the language was not forgotten… It wasn’t until I started country school—first grade—that I learned English,” explained Rynda. “I’m 85 now, and I can still speak it (Czech). I have my grandparents to thank for that.”

  Rynda and his family will be honored at Montgomery’s Arts and Heritage Center’s Heritage Breakfast on Sunday, April 15 at Hilltop Hall, starting at 8 a.m. A special program featuring the Rynda family will start at 10:30 a.m.

According to Arts and Heritage Center representative Kathy Peterson, Rynda was selected for the honor based on his continuing dedication to the Montgomery community and love of his heritage.

“The breakfast started in 2003 as an Irish breakfast and celebrated Irish families who were instrumental in the community, but there are a lot of other really good people too, so it became a heritage breakfast,” Peterson explained. “Now, we look for people who are historical to the community, who have contributed to Montgomery over the years who we don’t always think to thank because they may not be in the front line anymore—like Don.”

Rynda is 100 percent Czech and a proud, life-long resident of Montgomery.

“I was born on my family’s farm and only moved once—when my eldest son took over the farm and Ruth and I built the house in town in 2004. I moved 2.5 miles,” he stated with a grin.

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