One never knew what tomorrow brings
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Anna Čepelová was born on 25 April, 1924 in Slemeno as a daughter of the husbands Veverka, owning a farm near Rychnov nad Kněžnou. The father of her father, Václav, was long employed at the estate of the count Kolowrat as a deputation (bailiff) and he got the farm as surrenders during the land reform. Witness´ father got the farm in quite a debt and the next generation had to deal with a large historical disfavour. After 1948 the parents were pronounced gulags and since then faced continuous pressure following from overall state policy against private farmers; yet the legislative regulations were even enhanced by bullying on part of the local authorities. Gradually parents lost their agricultural technical equipment and finally had to hand over the whole farm to the state cooperative. But the persecution was not over yet. As employees of the state farm they have been still accused of mishandling of entrusted property. In 1991 the husbands got their farm back after an exhausting fight but in a totally poor condition. The renewal was actively handled by both the son and daughter of Čepela husbands, so todays almost idyllic form of the farm does not indicate at all what kinds of troubles it had to get through.