Father George John Mehok Jr. was born on April 16, 1912 in Dresden, North Dakota to Teresa and George Mehok.  Father Mehok attended school in Dresden and Langdon North Dakota and graduated from high school in 1931 from Nazareth Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota.  After graduation, he attended St. Paul Seminary from 1931 to 1937 and later pursued an advanced degree in history at Notre Dame and Columbia University in New York.  On May 22, 1937, Father Mehok was ordained at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fargo, N.D., by Aloisius Cardinal Muench.  The next day he offered his first mass in his hometown of Dresden, N.D.  Following ordination, Father Mehok served at the St. Anthony of Padua, Fargo congregation from 1937 to 1938 and St. Mary's Cathedral from 1938 to 1941.  Father Mehok ended his career at St. John's in Wahpeton, N.D. where he served for 39 years (1948-1987).  After his retirement in 1987, he moved to Fargo, N.D.  George Mehok died on May 28, 1994, in Fargo.

The George Mehok collection consists primarily of letters written to Father Mehok from 1931 to 1993.  The letters (1931-1994) are arranged chronologically and contains nearly 600 letters written to Father Mehok from a variety of people.  In the early files, there are several letters written from his parents, Teresa and George Sr., which are probably written in Czechoslovakian.  Father Mehok also corresponded regularly with his two brothers, William and Charles, beginning in the mid-1930s, and ending in the 1980s.  William's letters from the 1960s are of particular interest because he writes of his experiences in Rome, Italy where he lived for a number of years.  The subject files include letters and documents related to Father Mehok's personal life and career.  Some of the files have information related to his parishes in Aneta, N.D., Hope, N.D., and Wahpeton, N.D.  The file also has a few documents dealing with Father Mehok's first solemn mass, ordination, and parish appointments.  There are also some miscellaneous financial, legal, and membership papers, such as driver's licenses, property tax forms, and membership cards. 

Photograph Collection Finding Aid
Religion