March 2010 Volume 22 Number 1. A Genealogist s View of Czech Family Names

Transcription

1 Naše rodina Our Famil y Quarterly of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International March 2010 Volume 22 Number 1 A Genealogist s View of Czech Family Names By Miroslav Koudelka Family names constitute an important part of our heritage. Handed. down by generations for centuries, the name symbolizes the family, identifies each of its members and his or her relationship to other members of the kin. It is a phenomenon that is of interest to any person engaged in genealogy. And yet, family names have not been accompanying our society for the whole history, they are a relatively young aspect of human lives. People originally had just one name, the one we today call forename (given, first name). For a long time that was a sufficient way to determine a person. And if someone needed to be more precise, they added the father s name. References such as Simon son of Jonah are known already from the Bible. With growing population during the Middle Ages, however, the range of given names was becoming less and less satisfactory. At first nobility started using various kinds of epithets (such as Richard the Lionheart, Charles the Great, Procopius the Bald). The attribute used most often was the name of the place the family had originated from either actually or just by a legend or where they had the main seat (Rudolph of Habsburg, George of Poděbrady). As for common people, not belonging among nobility, the process of adding a surname started in bigger cities. A large number of people living in a small closed up area, with dozens and hundreds of men named Jan, Martin or Václav and women named Marie, Anna or Kateřina, those were the reasons calling for a more particular way of referring to individuals. And then, step by step, the use of these additional names was spreading out into the country, among lower classes as well. In the Czech Lands it was a matter of the 1300 s thru 1700 s. Originally there were no strict rules to use surnames at that period, people simply followed traditions and they were different in various areas, as we will see below or a person may have been called with a personal nickname, completely different from the surname of his or her father. A breaking point in the process of constitution of family names was an edict issued by Emperor Joseph II on November 1, It established that surnames were hereditary and unchangeable, every child was supposed to get the names after father and a wife after her husband. Like everything in that period, it took years and in some areas even decades till these rules became commonly used by every clerk or priest and every common person in everyday life. Anyway, because the edict bound a person s surnames to the family (rather than the house, Continued on page 3 Theme of This Issue: Czech and Slovak Surnames 1 A Genealogist s View of Czech Family Names 2 President s Message 14 CGSI 2009 Conference A Rewarding Experience 16 Etymology of Selected Slovak Surnames and Their Latin and Hungarian Variants 20 St. Peter and St. Paul Orthodox Church in Burr Ridge, Illinois 26 The Name Game: Five Tips for Researching Slovak Ancestors 30 Recipe for Finding a Cousin: How a 3 x 5 Card Helped Me to Find a Relative at the 2009 Conference 34 Bostonians Finally Succeed in Discovering Their Czech Roots 36 The Surprise of Genealogy 38 Czech Name Days Calendar 41 They Came to the Heartland: CGSI s 2010 Symposium in Lincoln, NE 42 The Librarian s Shelf

2 Naše rodina Quarterly Newsletter for the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI) members CGSI Board of Directors (at large) Frank Soural (Ottawa, CAN) Rosie Bodien (Washington) Carolyn Janka (Virginia) Mary Jane Scherdin (Wisconsin) Tom Kajer (Minnesota) John Sabol (Ohio) Margie Sobotka (Nebraska) Gene Aksamit (Minnesota) Lisa Alzo (New York) CGSI Officers President 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President Treasurer Recording Secretary Corresponding Secretary CGSI Committee Chairs Education Hospitality Library and Archives Membership Newsletter Product Sales Publicity Volunteer Coordinator Internet (Webmaster) Ginger Simek Kathy Jorgenson Al Kranz Beth Baumeister Barb Vermeer Tony Kadlec Ruth Chovancek Pam Peltier Suzette Steppe Joyce Fagerness Paul Makousky Jerry Parupsky Chuck Romportl Mark Bigaouette Bob Bina Naše rodina promotes genealogy of the ethnic groups that comprise Czechoslovakia as it was formed in We accept articles of historical and cultural information, but they must have genealogical significance and all are subject to editing. The deadlines for submitting articles to Naše rodina are: January 1 March issue April 1 June issue July 1 September issue October 1 December issue Naše rodina (Our Family) (ISSN ) is published quarterly by the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, P.O. Box 16225, St. Paul, MN , a non-profit organization. Copyright 2010 by Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International. The publication is not responsible for the return of lost or unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or any other material not submitted with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Advertisements, manuscripts, articles, and photographs for the Naše rodina may be submitted to Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, Attn: Paul Makousky, P.O. Box 16225, St. Paul, MN Permission to copy, without fee, all or part of the material is granted, provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage. The CGSI copyright notice and the title of the publication must appear together with the date of the publication. Also, indicate that the copying is with permission by CGSI. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise or to republish, requires a fee and/or permission from CGSI. The Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International does not endorse the products that we sell nor the items or services, including translators that are advertised in this publication. Neither does CGSI guarantee the quality or results of any services provided by advertisers. President s Message by Ginger Simek Have you checked out the new CGSI website yet? The site was launched without any major glitches on November 20, The new site is easier to use, navigate, and has greater updated content. The Home Page blends some of the old with the new. There are color defined areas and a handy Research subject menu on the left hand side of the screen. On the right hand side of the screen is an easily accessible listing of the Latest News. Perhaps the biggest advantage is we now have the framework and tools to add research information important to our members. Initially there are two online searchable databases: Leo Baca s Czech Immigration Passenger Lists and the St. Paul (Minnesota) Archdiocese Church Records. We will be working hard to make more volumes and church records available as soon as possible. Some of the process requires getting the records we do have into the right format to put online and some requires finding willing volunteers to extract information. A big step has been taken and it is exciting to think of the many possibilities ahead. An online Surname database is at the top of the major projects list. Information from nine published volumes of surname indexes and four unpublished will be made available online. Members can now update and add their surnames online under My Surnames. What a terrific networking opportunity for members. If you have not done so, go to the CGSI website click on Member Log In, follow the instructions to create your Member Profile, and add your family surnames. Don t miss out. If you are not online and feel this is of little interest to you, it does benefit the Society and its members. The website is a tool to provide valued information and services to members and is useful in attracting new members. New and more members means a growing, stronger Society with a larger pool of knowledge. That benefits us all in learning more about our heritage. They Came to the Heartland is the theme of our upcoming symposium in Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1, Friday s focus will be on personal research using the CGSI Traveling Library or researching at the Nebraska State Historical Society Library (if their renovation plans permit). Another Friday option is an all day tour, The Czech Spirit Survives in Saline County to historic sites foremost among them being the Czech Capital of the US; Wilber, Nebraska. Saturday s session topics cover homestead records, the Czech language for genealogists, Czech-American freethinkers, and much more. The Nebraska Union on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will be the site for the program sessions as well as the CGSI Traveling Library, CGSI sales table, and an exhibition first presented at the National Archives in Prague. For symposium registration materials please see our website, contact Wayne Sisel at sisel001@umn.edu, or write CGSI, PO Box 16225, St. Paul, MN continued on next page Page 2 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

3 The emphasis this year is on growing CGSI membership. You are needed to help spread the word about the benefits of belonging and participating. Tell others with Czechoslovak area family background about CGSI. Get them interested and started on their unique family journey. See you in Lincoln! Czech Family Names...continued from page 1 the estate or a nickname), we can say that since then we can speak about actual family names. The number of family names used in a country is certainly not fixed, especially in the recent period it has been growing because of migration. But it is quite interesting that the basic range of family names constituted both in Czech and English was quite similar around 40,000. It will be interesting, I believe, to take a look at the way surnames in the Czech Lands were created, in other words, what their sources were and what their semantic interpretation can be. Before we start, let me underline that can be. We have a number of surnames in Czech the origin of which is obvious, but on the other hand, in many a case there are more possible explanations of a name s source and its meaning. So, the original meaning of the most frequent Czech family name, Novák (derived from the adjective nový/new) is unambiguous it referred to a newcomer and had the same meaning as Newman in English. But for example, as for my family name, Koudelka, the source is quite obvious too the word stem, koudel means oakum or tow, and koudelka, literally translated, is tow yarn. But if the ancestor of mine who first got that surname was a tow yarn maker or dealer, or if, let us say, the grayish light brown color of his hair resembled the color of oakum, that will remain in the mist, I am afraid. And if we go on and take the name Klíma, there even the source is not certain: It may have been derived from the given name Klement, or from the verb klímat (to be drowsing, lazy). Besides, in some cases the names may have actually been ironic: A person known as Šikula (the skillful one) could have been a local jack-of-all-trades, as well as a local fumbler (aka klutz). Father s Given Name The first source of surnames has already been foreshadowed above the father s given name. This way was widely used in other languages too compare, for example, names like Peterson or Johansen in Nordic languages where the relation between the suffix -son/- sen and the meaning son of Peter or son of Johan is obvious. In the Czech society it had a somewhat different form. Our language unlike English, let me add offers a large range of suffixes to make diminutives. And this way of word formation was used very often to create surnames. If there was a need to refer to a son of Jan, he was taken as the small/young Jan and got a surname with one of diminutive suffixes. Most productive were suffixes -ek, -ec, -eček, -ka, -ík, -íček. So, the surname with the meaning the young Jan could be Examples of combined ancient Czech-German spelling of family names. Notice the feminine forms (with the German suffix -in/-yn added to purely Czech names) Holubin, Sedlaržin, Kowacžkin, Zatopkyn, etc. - column with the white background. (Provincial Archive in Opava, Collection of Vital Registers, Roman-Catholic Parish Office in Kozlovice, vol. P-VI-5, birth section p. 14.) March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 3

4 Double spelling (Czech and German) of a family name in the 1876 marriage record for Augustin Lacl/Latzel. (State Regional Archive in Zámrsk, Collection of Vital Registers, Roman-Catholic Parish Office in Hořice, vol , fol. 280.) Janek, Janeček, Janečka, Janík, Janíček, Janka. And surnames derived the same way from other frequent given names are, for example, Martinec, Martínek, Martinka, Martiník, as well as Pavelec, Pavlík, Pavlíček, Pavelka, and the like. A similar sort of surnames of this kind are those that originally had the form of possessives. They adopted the possessive suffix -ův or -ových, sometimes preserved it (Janův, Janových) but often dropped off the last -v and have been preserved as Janů, Martinů, Pavlů, etc. Multiple Variations of a Common Name The derivation of surnames from given names could have gone another way, however. Sometimes they used various forms of the same name as for the varieties of Jan (and their diminutives), it could have been Janda, Jandáček, Jandačka, Jandoušek, Jandák, Jandas, Jandásek, Jandera, Janderka, Jandát, Jandourek, Janďourek, Jandovský, Janák, Janáček, Janačík, Janko, Janouch, Janoušek, Jansa, Janza, Jašek, Jansta, Janata, Janota, Janžura, Jeník, Jeníček, Jeništa, and so on. When speaking about the name Jan, in Latin and German it is Johannes. And there are a large number of Czech family names derived from this foreign form of that given name, particularly from its middle part -han-: Hanuš, Hanus, Hanousek, Hanoušek, Haniš, Hansal, Hanýsek, Hanele This way the number of Czech surnames derived just from the given name Jan goes well beyond a hundred. Christian Saints If we take into account the period when surnames were constituted in our country (as mentioned above, approximately 14 th to 17 th centuries), it is obvious that a vast majority of these surnames were derived from the names of Christian saints in addition to Jan, Martin and Pavel mentioned above they were biblical names, namely Petr (Petřík, Petráš, Peterka ), Tomáš (Tomášek, Tomek, Tomeček, Tůma ), Jakub (Jakubec, Jakoubek, Jakubů, Jakubčík, Kubeš, Kubíček ), Marek (Marek itself, Mareček, Mareš, Marko ), Lukáš (Lukeš, Lukšík ), Matěj/ Matouš (Matějka, Matějů, Matějovský, Matoušek, Matocha ), Šimon (Šimek, Šimůnek, Šíma ), and then the names of Czech saints Václav (Václavík, Vašíček, Vacek ), Prokop (Prokopec, Prokeš, Průša ) and Vojtěch (Vojta, Vojtek, Vojtíšek ). Fairly productive was the name of a saint from the 6 th century, Benedikt: Beneš, Benda, Bendl, Beneda, Benák, Baňačka, Beniak, Benko, Benšík, Bína, and the like. Out of all Czech family names, those derived from given names make the biggest group. Linguists dealing with this phenomenon write that up to one third of Czech surnames were constituted that way. Professions/Position An important characteristic of a person was his profession or the position in the local society. That was why this feature often became the source of a person s surname too. And it was a very productive source too, the social characteristic must have played a role more important in the past than today: In the general index to Page 4 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

5 the 1654 Berní rula (Tax Roll) which can be taken, among other, as the oldest survey of surnames in Bohemia we can learn that seven out of ten most frequent surnames were derived from professional/social statuses. Most frequent was Kovář (blacksmith), second was Krejčí (tailor), fifth was Švec (shoemaker), sixth was Svoboda (free man, i.e. not a serf), seventh was Kolář (wheeler), eighth was Tkadlec (weaver) and tenth was Dvořák (free owner of a larger farm, or a man working at a bigger estate or even at a noble s court). And let me add that in eleventh position was Rychtář (village Justice of the Peace). The role of professions as a source of family names must have been decreasing over time, because today just the names Svoboda and Dvořák remain among the top ten (see the chart on page 13). A subdivision of surnames based on professions is made by those referring to tools used by particular craftsmen or their typical products. These would be names such as Jehlička (needle a tailor), Sekyra (axe carpenter), Bič (whip a coachman), Žemlička (bun baker), Pivec (derived from pivo = beer barkeeper), and so on. Geographical Phenomena Another big group of surnames are those referring to geographical phenomena. First of all they referred to the person s place of origin. A man who had moved into a town from a village of Lhota started to be called Lhoták, a man from Prague was called Pražák, a man from Makov became Makovský, a man from Palačov was known as Palacký. In these cases, a city/town/village name became the source for the surname. And similarly, it could have been the country, province or region the person was coming from as well: Němec was a person coming from Germany (in Czech, Německo), Polák from Poland, Bavor from Bavaria, Moravec from Moravia, Hanák from the lowlands named Haná. In some other cases, the reference to a country may have had another connotation for example, a person named Tureček (little Turk) may have been a child of a Turkish soldier who had taken part in one of the invasions and assaults of Central Europe rather than a civil man of shorter stature having come from Turkey. To be fair, we should add that it may have been a person somehow looking like a Turk, too One more section of surnames has a geographical aspect those referring to the person s location in a community. Kopecký (kopec = hill) was a man living on/under a hill, Zápotocký (za = across, potok = creek) was someone living on the other side of a stream running down the village, Dolejší (dole = down) in the lower section of the town. A special subset are nouns derived from house signs. Located usually just above the front door or in the gable, house signs were the way to mark houses before the 1771 introduction of house numbers. So the name of a Mr. Anděl may have originated from the place he was living at, generally known as the house at the angel (or he may have been a man very nice to others like an angel). Examples of family names in tombstone inscriptions in a country cemetery (Rozseč, Jihlava County, Moravia): Rodina Ježkova, Rodina Grünwaldova, Rodina Rodova. Photo by Hana Koudelková. Personal Characteristics Many surnames were derived from personal characteristics. The most striking feature of a person was if a man or a whole family moved in from another March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 5

6 place, if they were new to local people. That is why Novák has been for a long time the most frequent family name in our country and its variation, Novotný belongs among the top three too. Names with similar meaning are frequent in other languages as well compare the names Newman and Neumann in English or German respectively. The reasons for this name in our country were multiplied by the disaster of the Thirty Year s War when plenty of farms were found abandoned and had to be re-settled by newcomers from other areas. A big number of surnames were created by the shape of the person s body or a distinguishing feature. They most often have the form of adjective with the masculine/feminine endings -ý/-á: Malý (short), Dlouhý (tall), Černý (black-haired), Hlavatý (big-headed), Holý (bare/bald), Hrbatý (humpbacked), Tlustý (fat/big), and so on. Or it could have been the person s nature, temperament, way of behavior that became the base for his surname: Šťastný (happy), Pokorný (humble), Veselý (merry), Tichý (silent), Hrubý (rude), Moudrý (wise), Neruda (surly), Hlas (voice), Doležal (having a nap: lazy), Otčenášek (paternoster: pious), and many other. Names from Nature Another group of surnames refers to natural world. Most of them originally had a metaphorical meaning. Some of them were derived from animals, birds, insects, etc: Křeček (hamster: a person furious like a hamster? or a furrier?), Srnec (roebuck: shapely?), Liška (fox: cunning?), Vrabec (sparrow: short and lively?), Bejček (bull: strong? or a farmer raising cattle?), Motejl (butterfly: handsome?), and the like. Trees, plants or their parts gave birth to surnames as well, for example: Dub (oak: magnificent stature?), Lípa (linden tree), Růžička (rose: handsome? or pink-cheeked?), Fiala (violet), Petržela (parsley: a gardener?), Jahoda (strawberry: small and rounded?), Ječmínek (barley: a farmer?) Kořínek (root: thin?), Větvička (branchlet). Inanimate objects and phenomena became sources for surnames too: Skála (rock: high-principled? or ruthless?), Hora (mountain: big?), Křemen (flint), Potůček (creek), Mráz (frost: heartless? or sturdy?), Větr (wind: fast moving?), Mráček (cloud: glum?), Voda (water), and the like. The place named U Šťastných (west of Vsetín, south of Ratiboř). Notice the number of names of that same kind in the whole area: U Pavlíků, U Dorniců, U Záhumeňů, U Košutů, U Adámků, U Dukátníků, U Mrázků, U Kvočků (Autoatlas Česká republika 1:100,000. Česká Lípa, Brno : Geodézie ČS, a.s. a Geodezie Brno, a.s., 1997, ISBN , p Names from Verbs or Entire Sentences An interesting category of Czech surnames are those that actually represent verbs or even whole sentences. Most of them end with l which indicates a verb in past tense. They occur in Bohemia but more frequent they are especially in Moravia: Pospíšil (he hurried), Navrátil (he returned), Smékal (he dragged), Musil (he had to), Chladil (he cooled), Běhal (he ran), and also, Drahokoupil (he paid a high price), Přecechtěl (he still Page 6 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

7 wanted), Potměšil (he sewed in the dark), Skočdopole (Jump into a field!), and many more. Names derived from Foreign Languages A special group of surnames in every country are those adopted from foreign languages. Most of them in the Czech society come from German because contacts between the Czech Lands on one side and the neighboring German and Austrian Lands on the other side have always been very close and because a considerable number of German speaking people lived right in the territory of this country for centuries. Some of these surnames have preserved their original (foreign) spelling, others have been more or less Czechicized. And we can say that their sources are the same or very similar to those of Czech origin given names, professions, geographical or natural phenomena, personal characteristics, and the like: Franzel/Francl (Frankie), Hansel/Hanzl (one of diminutive forms of given name Johannes), Müller/Miler (miller), Schmidt/Šmíd (smith), Schuster/ Šustr (shoemaker), Bayer/Pajer (Bavarian), Böhm/ Bém (Bohemian), Treutnar/Trajtner (from the city of Trautenau/Trutnov, North Bohemia), Vieweg/Fibich (grazing ground), Hübel/Hýbl (hillock), Strauss/Štraus (ostrich), Knoblauch/Knobloch (garlic), Schwarz/Švarc (black), Zehrmann/Cerman (spending much for food and drinks), Lustig (merry), Habenicht (I don t have), and thousands of other names. Jewish Surnames A special sort of surnames were those belonging to Jewish people. There was a Jewish minority in our country and they had just one name each for quite a long time. A common way to make the name more specific was bounding it to the father s name: David, son of Samuel. Another edict issued by Emperor Joseph II in July 1787 ordered Jews to adopt permanent surnames. They had a selection of around 1,500 names (about 10% of them This restaurant at one of the best known pilgrimage places in Moravia, Svatý Kopeček near Olomouc is named after the Macek family: U Macků. Photo by Miroslav Koudelka. March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 7

8 were highlighted as especially suitable), and because German was the official language in the then Empire, they had a German form. Even a couple of those that had been of Czech origin got German spelling (Benesch, Libusch). That way the names of a majority of Jewish society in our country were Germanized. We have mentioned a selection, but of course, it very much depended on the willfulness of the recording clerk. If he was in good mood (and/or a richer man was able to bribe him), he assigned the applicant a fragrant name such as Rosenfeld (rose field), while on the other hand, if the clerk was disgusted, the poor Jewish man could have got, for example, the name Kanalgeruch (sewage odor). But of course, German was not the only foreign language surnames have been adopted from. The neighborhood of Slovakia resulted in a number of Slovak names to our country (Kováč smith, Kramár merchant, Trnavský from the city of Trnava), and because Slovakia belonged to Hungary in the past, a number of Hungarian names too (Farkaš wolf, Nagy/Naď big, Fazekaš potter). Italians were known as excellent craftsmen and artists who were frequently coming to Central Europe namely in the sixteenth thru eighteenth centuries and bringing names of Italian origin (Sorbi, Chittussi, Gambetta). The expansion of the Turkish Empire to the Balkan in the late Middle Ages pushed many Slavic people from there (namely Croatian but also Serbian and Slovenian) to Central Europe in the sixteenth century. Some of them ended up in Southern Moravia and brought their surnames to the Czech neighborhood as well. Most of these surnames have a suffix -ič: Drobilič, Malinkovič, Lukačovič, Ožanič (or its Czechicized form, Ošanec), and the like. There are surnames of French (Le Breux, Davignon), Spanish (Dekastello) or Scandinavian (Jensen) origins occurring in our country too. Most of them originally belonged to noblemen who got properties and settled here especially after the 1620 Battle of the White Mountain, their courtiers and servants, or soldiers of foreign armies who stayed behind here because of some reasons (love, injury). Things in this field have been changing faster particularly in recent period as one of the results of globalization. A growing Vietnamese minority in our country, workers from the Ukraine or Mongolia, students from African countries, businessmen from Russia and other ethnic groups enrich Czech society with their surnames too. That is why the present statistics of the Ministry of Interior listing all the surnames occurring in the Czech Republic (including foreigners living in this country) already contains more than 60,000 entries see aspx?q=y2hudw09mg%3d%3d (scroll down the left side and find the příjmení ČR + cizinci ). On the other hand, mobility was not a typical aspect of life in the past. Virtually up until the 1848 abolition of mandatory labor and other remainders of the feudal system, farmers were subject to their feudal lords, bound to the ground and the dominion to perform their feudal duties there and therefore they could not freely move. Thanks to that, some surnames were typical more or less just for a certain area or even a certain town, namely those that were rather rare. One of my friends from Nebraska is Gary Zabokrtsky and his family came from Slemeno, Eastern Bohemia. The concentration of that surname had been so high in that little town that I found records where a man named Žabokrtský married a young lady named Žabokrtská in the presence of two witnesses named Žabokrtský, the priest marrying them was Žabokrtský, and when they gave birth to a child, the midwife s name was, of course, Žabokrtská. Anyway, in the whole Czech society it does not belong among very frequent family names, the ministerial statistics lists 53 men presently bearing it. During the years we have been working on Gary s genealogy we have not talked to all of them, however, the ancestors of those we managed to contact had come from that same little town and the preserved documents indicate that they all are most likely descended from one man living there in the 1590 s, Jan Pavlíků of Zabokrky. Another example is the name Orság (and its spelling variations Orsák, Ország, Országh). When a community presently named Nový Hrozenkov, Eastern Moravia was founded in 1649, it was then created by six colonists one of which was named Orság. He must have had a number of male descendants because in the 19 th century the name was as frequent in Nový Hrozenkov as Žabokrtský in Slemeno. Similar cases are the name Dušák, occurring especially in the area around the town of Třeboň, South Bohemia, or the names ending with -le (Heckele, Bieberle, Pimperle ) referring us to the island of German speaking population (descended from medieval colonists coming from Swabia, South Germany) on the Bohemian/ Moravian frontier between the towns of Svitavy and Moravská Třebová. Knowledge of this surname geography can be helpful if someone is unsure about the place his or her ancestors came from. Certainly, only if we are so lucky that the researched family name is not a Novák Page 8 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

9 or Svoboda, so it does not occur in every other village or town like Smith in English. Anyway, if all the documents referring to your ancestors you found on your side of the Big Pond only say Bohemia/Moravia or even Austria as their place of origin, in other words if you have no idea where in the Czech Lands your ancestors came from, it does not hurt to consult some tools that are available. You can start with the current telephone directory (see or hard copies of telephone directories at the CGSI library) to see where the family name appears today. And in the next stage you can take it from the opposite side to research the above mentioned general index to the 1654 Berní rula (available at the CGSI library as well) there you can learn where in Bohemia particular surnames occurred around the middle of the seventeenth century (i.e. which towns/villages and dominions). It may be a useful hint as for where to start your search. All right, we have made a survey of the main sources of family names occurring in Czech society. All the examples included so far have been presented in their basic form (nominative singular). But everyone engaged in Czech genealogy comes across family names written down in many more forms. They are nouns from a grammatical point of view, and Czech as an inflective language provides nouns with a number of suffixes and endings. Some of them even change the word stem spelling. A foreigner not mastering Czech language may have problems with them. The most frequent variation of a family name is its change according to gender. Most of the Czech family names create their feminine forms by adding the suffix -ová: Nováková, Dvořáková, Prokopová, Hanáková, Větrová, Doležalová, Schwarzová, Sorbiová, and the like. The adoption of that suffix in some cases causes a change of word stem: Names ending with -a or -e drop off that final vocal (Koudelka Koudelková, Svoboda Svobodová, Skočdopole Skočdopolová), in some other cases a middle -e- is dropped off (Janíček Janíčková, Marek Marková, Vrabec - Vrabcová, Ošanec Ošancová). The history of that suffix is quite interesting. Like in other Christian countries in the Middle Ages, a woman in the Czech Lands was actually not considered a fullfledged individual, she was just someone s daughter or someone s wife. The form of her surname simply referred to that fact, it was the possessive case (because she was his) which was expressed by the suffix -ova. Later on, to be politically correct instead of male chauvinist, we added a diacritical mark (little slash) over the last vocal (-ová instead of -ova) and it is not any more the possessive but the feminine form. Very simple, isn t it? Another way to turn a Czech family name to its feminine form refers to the names having the form of adjectives ending with -ý (Novotný, Černý ) they turn the ending to -á (Novotná, Černá ). And finally, there is a small group of names that remain unchanged those ending with -í (Krejčí, Hořejší) or -ů (Martinů, Pavlů). One more note regarding feminine forms. A similar suffix expressing the change according to gender exists in German too there it is -in. Today we can find it in feminine appellatives (e.g. Lehrer/Lehrerin man/woman teacher). In the past, that suffix was added to family names too Mrs. Bayerin, Straussin, Lustigin, etc. And in the period when German was declared as the official language in the whole Austrian Empire (including the Czech Lands) and all records had to be conducted just in German (approximately late 18 th and early 19 th centuries), that suffix was used for Czech family names too. Then a ggg-grandmother of yours may have been recorded as Mrs. Nowakin/Swobodin/Skočdopolin (instead of Mrs. Nováková/Svobodová/Skočdopolová ). To conclude the passage about feminine forms of Czech family names, let me add that the amendment of Vital Statistics Registers Act passed in 2004 somewhat loosened the rules. Especially foreign names do not have to absolutely necessarily change their form according to gender. So, for example, the Czech wife of a Mr. Nguyen Van does not have to spell her last name Nguyen Vanová, she can simply be Mrs. Nguyen Van. Needless to say, she can preserve her maiden name or her husband can turn to that maiden name of hers, too. Location of ancestral graves and collection of data from the tombstones belong among regular parts of genealogical projects. And there we come across another form of family names. Let me say in advance that cemetery research is harder in the Czech Republic compared to the United States because our cemeteries are somewhat different. We do not have so much vacant space to bury every body individually, in our country we have family plots in some of which there are several generation buried at one place. That is also why not everyone can be listed on the tombstone. Sometimes we can find there only the names of last one buried or two generations, in some cases the tombstone only says the family name: Rodina Novákova, Rodina Svobodova, Rodina Markova, Rodina Novotných, Rodina Martinů, etc. Readers of this quarterly know, I guess, that the Czech March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 9

10 noun rodina means family. But not everyone is such a good student of Czech. Once I brought a client of mine to the cemetery in his ancestral town, he looked around, and seeing the number of inscriptions Rodina so-and-so, he said: That Rodina must be a very frequent given name here. (smile). But back to these forms of family names. We can see that on the tombstones they have actually preserved the possessive form, i.e. in most cases with the suffix -ova without any more diacritical marks. The names having the form of adjectives adopt the ending -ch (Rodina Novotných, Rodina Krejčích) or remain unchanged (Rodina Martinů, Rodina Pavlů,). That same formula is also used in regular mail address. So, if you want to send a letter to your relatives in the Old Fatherland and want to address it to a whole family rather than just an individual, on the envelope there should be Rodina Novákova/Novotných/ Martinů But of course, our postal clerks understand Novák Family as well. Let me repeat that children were supposed to inherit their family names after fathers (except illegitimate children inheriting the mother s maiden name) and wives after their husbands. But sometimes we can come across family names not following the rules of their preserving and handing down. Cottage or House Names A phenomenon that every researcher can get fairly flummox about are the so-called names after cottage. Here and there they appeared in many areas but most frequent and long surviving they were (and have been) especially in South Bohemia. People in a village knew that a certain family lives at a particular house. And if another man took over the property (by marriage or purchase), along with the property he took over the surname in other words, he lost the surname after his father, and instead, inherited the surname after the farm/ house/cottage. For example, we may in our research find a man who was born as Mr. Kubeš and got married (to Miss Kalátová) as Mr. Kubeš, but having taken over the Kalát family property, he gave birth to children as Mr. Kalát. This mess was supposed to be removed by the 1786 edict, but as a matter of fact, it took not years but decades until the edict s principles of family names (rather than cottage names) prevailed in official documents. Some priests started using correct (family) names in vital statistics records as late as the middle of the 19 th century. So, if we return to our example of the man who turned from Kubeš to Kalát upon his marriage and movement into the Kalát s place, we can add that when he died, he was recorded as yes, Mr. Kubeš again. And of course, the children of his, born with the name Kalát, were in marriage registers recorded under the name Kubeš too That way the appearance of cottage names and then their correcting actually cause a double obstacle in genealogical search. If we are lucky, we may come across a record (e.g. for one of the man s children) where both the names after cottage and after father are used. Or we may be able to figure out the name change from the land register record if an owner is recorded as the previous owner s son-in-law, it is obvious that his original family name was most likely different. Then, when looking for his actual family name, we know that in marriage register we have to locate the record not by the groom s family name (Mr. Kalát) but by the bride s one (Miss Kalátová). And yet, people in some villages have been using those cottage names so far in colloquial speech. If you are looking for the house where the above mentioned Mr. Kubeš once lived in that village, you may hear: Go to the house just across the street they are the Kalát family but they sign as (it means, in official contact they use the name) Kubeš. Genealogy can be pretty colorful, do you agree? We already know that the names after cottage were not just a matter of village lore, they are reflected in official documents too, namely in land registers. Records in them were bound to particular properties if we say it in a simplified way, one by one they always listed the owners of a farm and their duties. And before houses were numbered in 1771, each of the properties was specified according to the name of the founder or oldest recorded owner Statek Jana Nováka (Farm of Jan Novák) or Novákův statek (Novák s Farm) or simply U Nováků (At Novák s). And then everyone living at Novák s was called Novák. One of these forms of cottage names can still be found in detailed maps to date. Many of the farms in South Bohemia and Eastern Moravia (by the way, both areas where emigration for America was very frequent in the late 1800 s and early 1900 s) standing isolated, far from town centers remain bearing names of that kind: U Nováků, U Dušáků, U Březovských, and the like. A good friend of mine from Austin, Texas, John Stasny has ancestors coming from Rokytnice, Moravia. But when I researched his ancestry down to the mid-1700 s, it lead me to a little town of Ratiboř, particularly to one of those isolated farms belonging to that town but standing some three miles apart Page 10 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

11 and named so far yes, U Šťastných! When the next year I brought John to that place on the slope of a hill dominating the whole neighborhood, he was proud to return to the nest of his family after some two and a half centuries. And there is another chance for us to come across the use of family names that same or very similar way in the Czech Republic in the names of hotels, restaurants and taverns. We can compare it to the names such as Murphy s Tavern/Bar/Steakhouse or even McDonald s in the United States. So, for example, if you want to visit the oldest beer bar in Pilsen, go to U Salzmannů, in Prague you can taste good beer at U Pinkasů, in Prostějov you can stay at a B&B place named Penzion Kubíček, and so on. The family name in the name of the business is supposed to imply to a potential client the idea of family atmosphere. Official Name Changes Marriage and converting to the name after a cottage have not been the only cases when someone s surname got changed. In the modern period it has become possible for an individual to have their name changed on request. Most often these changes were performed if the person had been bearing a name he felt as inconvenient or even offensive such as the one meaning sewage odor, mentioned above, or a name referring, for example, to a less decent part of human body. No wonder that they have almost completely disappeared from the present repertory of Czech family names. Ethnic Relation Name Changes Another kind of change in family names refers to ethnic relations in the history of our country. In the late 18 th century, when the Czech Lands belonged to the Austrian Empire, the ruling circles wanted to enforce the unification of the whole empire by language. Czech actually disappeared from official documents, they all were conducted in German, and because there are differences between the spelling in Czech and German (we have diacritical marks, in German they do not exist) many a Czech surname was fairly crooked: Ošťádal was recorded as Oschtiadal, Hlaváček as Hlawatzek, Coufal as Zaufall, and the like. And of course, there was an opposite trend from the Czech side too some Czech patriots Czechicized their German-looking names. Many readers of this quarterly are familiar with the Sokol gymnastics organization, founded in But not everyone knows that its founder was baptized as Friedrich Emanuel Tirsch, but later on, to demonstrate his Czech patriotism, he turned to Miroslav Tyrš. Another wave of Czechicizing family names took place after World War II. Some Czech people no longer wanted to have their names look German and they transformed the spelling (Šmíd instead of Schmidt, Macek instead of Matzek) or in some case they even translated the name from Schmidt to Kovář, from Schwarz to Černý, and so on. Variations in Name Spellings The spelling of names often varied, it many times depended on the particular person writing down a record, his education, mother tongue, age, and the like. Many common persons were practically illiterate, could not check what the priest had recorded, and if he was new to that place and did not know his parishioners very well yet, he simply wrote down what he heard. Besides, we have to realize that grammar principles both of Czech and German as modern languages were still developing at that time. That was why we can find the name Jílek spelled as Gjlek, Václavek as Wacslawek and Bouček as Bauczek. In addition, there were a number of surname forms influenced by local dialects in the past and some of them have been preserved: Mlynář, Mynář, Minář, Mlnář. Or an example from my own family. The maternal root of mine leads to Eastern Bohemia and they were named Treutnar there. One of my ancestors moved to the Moravian city of Prostějov and the name got changed to Truetner and then Treitner. And when my great-grandfather married into the Czech speaking village of Přemyslovice, the spelling of the family name was Czechicized to Trajtner. From Treutnar to Trajtner, and yet the same family. Americanization of Surnames Researchers from the United States have to take into account one more kind of surname change that might have taken place in their families Americanization upon arrival to the New World. Omission of diacritical marks was a matter of course in the English speaking (and writing) country but some of the names were rather butchered by immigration officers or other clerks usually simplified or made look more American. Besides, some more changes were performed by (or upon request of) the immigrants themselves. Most of them tried to continue with the written form of their family name (and put up with its crooked pronunciation, different from what they had been used to in the old country), but if they wanted to preserve the name s original sound, March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 11

12 they had to conform its spelling to the rules of pronunciation in English. This way the family name Šandera became Shandera, Krejča turned to Kracha, and the like. Ending Changes by Declension I have already indicated that Czech as an inflective language has prepared another trap to foreigners dealing with our family names their endings used in declension. They are very useful, they express the function of a noun or adjective in a sentence. Compared to four possible forms of nouns in English (nominative and possessive, both in singular and plural), in Czech we have seven declension cases both in singular and plural, and as for names, if we add their possessives and multiply it by two because of feminine forms, we are facing dozens of possible forms. It does not mean that each of our names has dozens of ending some of them repeat, used for more than just one case. But it makes the whole matter even more complicated to a foreigner. Let me give you a couple of examples of family names in various cases a researcher may find in main documents for genealogy (birth/marriage/death records, land registers and census sheets). (Father/mother:) Havel/Havlová; (widowed after) Havlovi/Havlové; (son of) Havla/Havlové; (with) Havlem/Havlovou; Havlův/Havlova/Havlovo/Havlové (=Havel s/havlová s, e.g. cottage, garden, field); (to Mr. and Mrs.) Havlovým; (to stay at the house of Mr. and Mrs.) Havlových, etc. And we could go on, showing names of different declension with different endings (son of Svobody, Němce, Černého ), or those recorded in German with the feminine suffix -in/-yn (Sedlaržin, Zatopkyn, Svobodin ). Already this brief survey shows that a foreigner not speaking Czech (and German) who comes across one or two of these forms of the name may have a hard time to determine what the basic form should actually be. And to present one s Czech grandfather s family name as Havlové would be rather odd, wouldn t it? It is definitely better to turn to someone mastering Czech and possibly even acquainted with genealogy. To conclude our excursion to the world of Czech family names, let me add a curiosity. You may know that we have given-name days in our calendar. (Editor s Note: See named day calendar elsewhere in this issue). For example, Josef is celebrated on March 19, Anna on July 26, Václav on September 28, as Miroslav I celebrate on March 6. And recently someone came up with an idea of family-name days. They published a calendar where the most common Czech family names are attached to particular dates. The authors tried to add explanations, if possible, why just that day is determined for a certain name. For example, they suggest that Kostka (cube) is celebrated on January 23 the date when sugar cube was patented in 1843, Láska (love) on February 14 Valentine s Day, Boháč (rich man) on April 4 when Bill Gates established Microsoft in 1975, Holub (pigeon) on October 9 International Postal Day, or Černý (black) on October 24 the anniversary of the 1929 Black Friday. It is a matter of course that 365 days of year are not enough for the whole range of family names occurring in our society. So, by that special calendar, all of those who do not find their family name attached to a particular date can celebrate on April 30. There always is a reason to party Literature: BERNÍ RULA: Generální rejstřík ke všem svazkům (Tax Roll. General Index to All Volumes ) compiled by Václav Červený & Jarmila Červená. Praha: Libri, volumes pp. ISBN JMÉNA TAJEMSTVÍ ZBAVENÁ (Names Rid of Mystery) by Vladimír Mates. Praha: Knižní klub, pp. ISBN X. NAŠE PŘÍJMENÍ (Our Family Names) by Dobrava Moldanová. Praha : Agentura Pankrác, pp. ISBN NĚMECKÁ PŘÍJMENÍ U ČECHŮ (German Family Names of Czechs) by Josef Beneš. Indexes made by Marie Nováková. Ústí nad Labem: Univerzita J. A. Purkyně, volumes. (242 pp pp.) ISBN About the Author: Miroslav Mirek Koudelka (bearing the 218 th most frequent Czech family name) from Olomouc, Moravia is a professional Czech genealogy researcher and personal tour guide, the CGSI Regional Representative for the Czech Republic. He is a frequent speaker at our genealogy conferences and the author or translator of a number of publications. More at Page 12 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

13 A family name with an interesting meaning : Skočdopole (Jump into field!) in the 1707 birth record (4 th from the top) for Maržena, daughter of Martin Skoczdopole (State Regional Archive in Třeboň, Collection of Vital Registers, Roman-Catholic Parish Office in Bechyně, vol. 1, p. 274.) A survey of the most frequent family names in the Czech Republic in July 2009 Feminine forms: nejcetnejsich.aspx Name, number of persons bearing it (the meanings are at right): 1. Nováková 35, Svobodová 26, Novotná 25, Dvořáková 23, Černá 18, Procházková 16, Kučerová 15, Veselá 13, Horáková 12, Marková 11, Němcová 11, Pospíšilová 11, Pokorná 11, Hájková 10, Jelínková 10, Králová 10, Růžičková 10, Benešová 9, Fialová 9, Sedláčková 9,298 Masculine forms: Name, its meaning, number of persons bearing it: 1. Novák (newman) 34, Svoboda (liberty) 25, Novotný (newmann) 24, Dvořák (free farmer) 22, Černý (black) 17, Procházka (walk) 16, Kučera (curly) 15, Veselý (merry) 12, Horák (from upper section of town) 12, Němec (German) 11, Marek (Mark) 10, Pokorný (humble) 10, Pospíšil (he hurried) 10, Hájek (broadleaved forest) 10, Král (king) 9, Jelínek (little stag) 9, Růžička (little rose) 9, Beneš (derived from Benedikt) 9, Fiala (violet) 9, Sedláček (little farmer) 8,926 March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 13

14 CGSI 2009 Conference A Rewarding Experience By Donna Fitzsimmons I was a first time participant at the CGSI Conference in Cleveland. Kudos to the Conference Co-Chairs and volunteers for an outstanding conference. There were so many highlights: the excellent presentations, the wonderful Baine/Cincebeaux Folk Dress Collection, the great hospitality of the hosts at the tour venues, the warm camaraderie among the participants, and the perfect opportunity for networking with others of similar interests. This conference was also responsible for a breakthrough in my personal family research. I had the additional pleasure of visiting with Roy Rushka, who gave a conference session on the Chod, Guardians of Bohemia and I was happy to be introduced to fellow Chod clan members, Agnes and Mildred Hallama of Grande Pointe, Manitoba. Roy Rushka is the patriarch of our Chod clan in the Canadian Prairies, from whom we have benefitted by his thirty-five years of Chod research. Roy has documented the genealogy and told the story of our ancestors, the approximately twenty Chod families who migrated 1000 km by ox-cart (circa ) from the Chod villages surrounding Domažlice to found the village of Komorowka, District of Galicia, Austrian Empire. Komorowka was about 3 km from the Russian border and situated north of the district town of Brody in the Lviv Region of the Ukraine. After more than fifty years of experiencing hardships in Komorowka and other surrounding villages, many of these Chod descendants were again on the move in search of land and freedom. The families of my Tochor and Hruska grandparents were among these immigrants who travelled to the New World. Many years ago, Roy Rushka had discovered most of these Chod immigrants entering through Ellis Island and a few coming into Halifax, NS, Canada. My grandfather Tochor s family had not appeared with any of these groups and their Port of Entry remained unsolved. Recently, as I began to take an active interest in my family history, the main focus of my research was to locate my grandfather Tochor s, Port of Entry into North America. In 1837, my Tochor family relocated to Komorowka, District of Galicia, from Stráž, one of the eleven privileged Chod villages of Bohemia and a lookout point for guarding Chodsko. Some years later, my grandfather s grandparents were among those families persuaded by the Byzantine Monks at the Parish of Lesznionvie to relocate from Komorowka to Berestecko, to help spread the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. However, life here proved more difficult since control of this village vacillated between the Russian and Austrian Empires. My grandfather, Joseph Tochor, was born in Berestecko, Russia. Joseph s parents, Johan and Elizabeth Tochor, became tired of the harassment and hardship created by the Russian soldiers so in 1891, the family became one of the first in their clan to emigrate to Canada. The Tochor family boarded a train in Brody which transported them to the port of Hamburg. Ship Passenger List records indicated that my Tochor family departed Hamburg on Oct. 26, 1891; Destination: Winnipeg; Ship: Lincoln; Port of Arrival: Grimsby (America via Liverpool). The Tochor family, like many other immigrant families would have made the short trip from Hamburg to Grimbsy by ship and then proceeded by rail to Liverpool which was a popular point of departure to the New World. My research challenge was to pinpoint the exact ship which my grandfather s family boarded in Liverpool. Frank Soural s CGSI presentation entitled, Eastern Canadian Ports of Entry for Immigrants, provided me the clue necessary to locate my Tochor family s ship from Liverpool the Allan line Steamship Company of Canada. Frank spoke about the Allan Line which ran scheduled crossings from Liverpool to the Canadian ports of Halifax and Quebec City. He explained that many European immigrants, bound for both Canadian and U.S.A. destinations, boarded the Allan Line because of reasonable fares and good transportation connections. Frank candidly remarked that many of our ancestors provided the ballast for the Allan Line steamships voyage to Canada since Canadian lumber was the primary cargo returning from Canada. The port of Quebec City was well connected by rail or inland waterways to Montreal and Western Canada and, many parts of the U.S.A. surrounding the Great Lakes. As Frank spoke, I had a strong hunch that my Tochor family probably boarded an Allan Line steamship from Liverpool to come to Canada. I Googled Library and Canada Archives [On your browser type: and then clicked on Ancestors. I then scrolled down until the heading Immigration and Citizenship and then clicked on Passenger Lists, and clicked Search. The only information which I supplied was Year of Arrival since I was positive that my grandfather arrived in A long list of ships came up on the screen, the majority of them belonging to the Allan Line. I kept in mind that my Tochor family had left Hamburg on the 26 th of Oct., Frank had indicated that the turn around time for the Page 14 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

15 Allan Line was about three weeks so I planned to search all Allan Line steamships departing Liverpool within a six week time period from the Hamburg departure. The search didn t take long! I looked down the column of ships checking the Dates of Arrival. Ship #23, Circassian, arriving was the first ship to appear within the correct time frame. I clicked on Circassian and noted that the Departure Date was Considering that the Tochor family left Hamburg on Oct. 26, 1891, this ship was a definite possibility. I clicked on View Image for the Circassian Passenger List and started to peruse the list of names. The Tochors were there--page four, half-way down the page! My Tochor family appeared on the Passenger List for the Allan Line ship, Circassian, departing Liverpool on Nov. 1, 1891, and arriving in Quebec/Montreal, Nov., 10, The family would have disembarked in Quebec City and travelled overland to Montreal where they would have cleared Canadian Customs. My grandfather s family continued on to Western Canada on the Canadian Pacific Railway. The last 60 km of the journey was made by ox-cart to the final homestead destination of Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Canada. Frank Soural s CGSI presentation was central in helping me to bring my search to a satisfying conclusion. I ll now be able to concentrate on some of the hints from CGSI s Cleveland Conference to search for original genealogical sources for my paternal ancestors of Slovak descent. Family sources indicate that my greatgrandfather Hanis (Hanics) was born in the village of Šiba (near Bardějov), Šariš County, Slovakia. At eighteen, he emigrated to America where he worked in the coal mines of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. A lifetime in the coal mines did not appeal to my greatgrandfather Hanis and he longed for land of his own. In 1885, the colorful historical figure, Paul Oscar Esterhazy, was employed by the Canadian government and the Canadian Pacific Railway company to assist in the recruitment of Austro-Hungarian immigrants from the United States to relocate to Western Passenger Lists, Item Display View Image Ship: Shipping Line: Canada. Esterhazy operated from Pittsburgh and he established the Hungarian Immigration and Colonization Aid Society to assist in the recruitment of Hungarian miners from Pennsylvania. My great-grandfather Hanis and his new wife, joined this group of mostly Hungarian and a few Czech and Slovak miners who were recruited by the immigration agent, Paul Oscar Esterhazy, to create a settlement of homesteaders in Western Canada in Later, a town was established nearby this settlement which was named Esterhazy, after the immigration agent who had taken a keen interest in the success of his colonists. I can say unequivocally that the 2009 CGSI Conference was a very rewarding experience for me. I sincerely hope that other conference participants had similar stories of success with their research. I m looking forward to St. Louis 2011! Slovak Historical Sources: Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online Canadian Plains Research Center Chod Historical Source: Roy Rushka s personal collection of documents Shown here is a screen print of the internet search on Library and Canada Archives made by Donna on Passenger Lists, CIRCASSIAN Allan Line Steamship Co. Departure Port and Date Liverpool, England (yyyy/mm/dd): Port and Date of Arrival: Montreal, Que. - Quebec, Que Remarks: List Number: 80 Reference: RG 76 Microfilm: C-4538 Suggest a Correction Return to results Search Search Help March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 15

16 Etymology of Selected Slovak Surnames and Their Latin and Hungarian Variants By Michal Razus A surname is similar to a face, we do not choose it, we inherit it from our father and it usually accompanies us during our entire life. A surname has the same feature as a face - it can tell something about our ancestors. The goal of this article is to attempt to explain the origin of selected surnames (especially those that the readers of Naše rodina may be familiar with), their meaning and features connected with geography, occupation, nationality or other signs. In the second part I would like to compare the language variants of the surnames derived from the professions. The surname, together with the given name has officially been mandatory in Slovakia since the end of the 18th century. From the beginning it is important to realize that until 1918 Slovakia belonged to the multi-national Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the area of present Slovakia most people were Slovaks, but there were important and significant Hungarian, German, Rusyn, Jewish and Gypsy minorities. Therefore it is possible to find the surnames typical for all of these nationalities. Particular to the Slovak language is the use of suffixes to express the gender of the person, which can be important when working with the surnames. Especially women s surnames contain these suffixes. There exist two variants: -ová, and á (this suffix is being added in case the surname is also an adjective that has form in male and female gender). For example: male (female) Senko (Senková) Rusnák (Rusnáková) Kopanič (Kopaničová) Porubský (Porubská) Veselý (Veselá) Krivý Krivá) Other suffixes that might help with defining surnames are: - ovič Šefčovič, Gašparovič, Bilkovič the origin of the surname is possibly from former Yugoslavia. - ček usually the sign of diminutive (small) (e.g. Chovanček, Kopček, Chlapeček - čik usually the sign of diminutive (small) (e.g. Kováčik) - ko usually the sign of diminutive used mainly in surnames created from given (first) names, (e.g. Danko, Ferko, Jurko, Maťko) Another fact is that the surname of immigrants were sometimes changed by the authorities or by the immigrants in order to sound more English, or due to error. Many surnames have their root also in a dialect word or historical word which is no longer used. Origin and meaning of some surnames remain unclear in those cases. Alzo (Slovak Alžo) this surname can be found in East Slovakia. There are about 30 Alžos living in about 12 localities presented especially in Košice and Vranov counties. Chmiko (Slovak Čmiko) there are about 70 Čmikos living in about 18 localities mainly in central Slovakia in Prievidza county. Chovancek (Slovak Chovanček)- surname of Slovak origin, means little inmate or ward. Dzugan (Slovak Džugan) in the dialect of Upper Šariš it means: the one that jostles there are about 200 Džugans in about 60 localities in northeast Slovakia. Ference surname created from Hungarian Ferenc, Ferencz which is actually male first name Francis or Franciscus. Figlar derived from the east Slovakian, dialect word designating jester. Present spelling can be Figlár, Figľar, Figľár or Figlar and it is possible to found in Košice, Michalovce, Poprad and Kežmarok counties in east Slovakia. Gabuzda (Slovak Gabužda or Gabužďa) surname with very rare occurrence with unknown origin. Occurrence of this surname is tightly connected with the village Raslavice and two localities in Brezno county. Harcar (Slovak Harčár or Harčar) from the Šariš dialect word for Potter. There are about 400 Harčárs living in about 70 localities mainly in Prešov county. Hornack (Slovak Horňák) very common surname with frequency of about 2,500 in about 450 localities. Surname is derived from the adverb up - probably the one that lived in the upper side of the village or town. Page 16 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

17 Hudak even more frequent surname, there are more than 4,200 Hudaks living in more than 500 localities around Slovakia, however majority of them are living in the eastern part of Slovakia. Hudak is musician in dialect. Kopanic Slovak Kopanič very rare surname with only about five people living in Malacký county in the western part of Slovakia. Derived either from Kopanice region in the northwest part of Slovakia, or from the verb kopať to kick. Lukacs Lukáč there are about 5100 Lukačs living in more than 800 localities in all Slovakia. Michalek surname of Slavic origin, can be Czech, Moravian or Slovak and is derived from the name Michal. Michalek is its nice or childish form. There are about 1000 Michaleks mainly in western part of Slovakia. Mojko it can be a Slovak diminutive derived from the the pronoun moj which is my. It is being used in meaning similar to my dear. There are only about 11 people with this surname in Nové Zámky. Ondrusko diminutive derived from the male first name Ondrej. There are about 30 Ondruškos mainly in Poprad county. Pafko there are about 50 Pafkos in several regions all around Slovakia. Porubsky (Parupsky in USA) derived from the name of locality poruba place of the chopped forest. In Slovakia there are about 900 Porubskýs in 200 localities. There are also about 12 villages including the word Poruba. Rajec There are about 90 Rajecs living mainly in the Žilina and Bratislava regions. There is also a 10 Most Common Surnames in Slovakia as of 2003 In the year 2003 there were 185,288 male and female surnames in use in Slovakia. The Slovak population of approximately 5.4 million averages one unique surname for every 29 people. # Surname Frequency (1995) Frequency (2003) City with highest # 1 Horváth/ Horváthová 30,429 30,813 Petržalka 2 Kováč/ Kováčová 31,066 29,079 Petržalka 3 Varga/Vargová 13,714 21,650 Komárno 4 Tóth/ Tóthová 23,353 21,604 Komárno 5 Nagy/Nagyová 20,984 19,341 Komárno 6 Baláž/ Balážová 14,785 14,114 Žilina 7 Szabó/Szabová 10,665 13,998 Kolárovo 8 Molnár/ Molnárová 13, Komárno 9 Balog/Balogová 10,165 10,872 Trebišov 10 Lukáč/ Lukáčová 10,287 9,718 Prešov As previously mentioned, in Slovakia there lived several nationalities, and their language reflects also in the present surnames. One of the best examples is the group of surnames that were created from the professions. Shown below is a table which offers a view of some professions which are used also as surnames. Slovak Hungarian Latin English Krajčír szabo sartor tailor Mlynár molnár molarius, molitor miller Mäsiar meszáros macellarius butcher Zámočník lakatos serarius locksmith Harčár keramikus figulus, ollator potter (Hrnčiar, aka Harčár) ditto ditto ditto Debnár bodnár vietor (cuparius) cooper March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 17

18 village Rajec. Rajec itself is probably derived from the word raj paradise. Ratica there are about 100 Raticas living mainly in Orava region (north Slovakia) and Prešov county. Ratica means hoof (or ungula) Rusnak - surname designating Rusyn in Slovak dialect. There are more than 3000 Rusnaks living in various areas of Slovakia Sefcovic (Slovak Šefčovič) there are about 60 Šefčovičs living mainly in Bratislava. Origin of the surname is possibly in former Yugoslavia. (typical suffix -ovič). Senko this surname can be found in more variants Senko, Šenko or Seňko it is probably derived from word seno English hay. Together there are about 500 people with this surname. Szabo this Hungarian word means tailor. One of the most common surnames in Slovakia there are about 7500 people. Sabol variant of previous surname with about 2000 Sabol around the whole country. Semancik - there are more than 400 Semanciks living mainly in the east part of Slovakia. Finally I would like to encourage you to send any questions concerning your surname to michal.razus@ gmail.com. Space permitting, we may include additional information on the author s responses to member surnames in a future issue of Naše rodina. A valuable source for finding the location of your surname and its current frequency in Slovakia is the online dictionary produced by Jazykovedný ústav Ľudovíta Štúra SAV, which can be found at: The dictionary is using the following database: Databáza priezvisk na Slovensku. P. Ďurčo a kol.: Databáza vlastných mien a názvov lokalít na Slovensku. Podklady k projektu: Copernicus Programme, project COP-58: ONOMASTICA COPERNICUS DATABASE. CD ROM. Paris: ELRA 1998 About the Author: Michal Razus majored in History and Slovak Language and Literature at the University of Prešov in In 2009 he received a teaching degree in English language and literature. Since 2006 he is a professional genealogist and has conducted family research for more than 120 clients from the USA, Canada, Slovakia, France and Australia. He also provides tour guide services in Slovakia. Michal is a member of the Slovak Genealogical-Heraldic Society (SG-HS) and the CGSI, where he serves in the capacity of Regional Representative for Slovakia. Future Themes for Naše rodina: June Glass Production Industry September Family History and Documentation December Slovak Lutherans in America March Guilds - Masters and Apprentices Your articles are welcome, although not all can be published articles or inquiries to Paul Makousky at PaulMCzech@comcast.net or send by U.S. Mail: 8582 Timberwood Rd., Woodbury, MN Page 18 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

19 Library Donations Our special thanks to the following people whose cash donations and sponsor memberships help us build for the future. Aksamit, Eugene and Marjorie Edina, MN Blecha, Henry R Ridgecrest, CA Buffington, Elizabeth L Bergenfield, NJ Chezik, John J Hopewell, VA Cook, Dennis E (Skip) Fairbanks, AK Corcoran, Carolyn Rocky River, OH Drever, Mary Jean Saint Paul, MN Dwyer, John D Camano Island, WA Ferreira, Nicole Anchorage, AK Fitzsimmons, Donna Qualicam Beach, BC Griskavich, Marcia Manning Madison, WI Hajic, Earl J Santa Barbara, CA Hamouz, William and Elaine Centennial, CO Holoubek, Joseph V St. Louis, MO Korvas, Anthony C and Cathy A Melbourne, FL Krier, Donna Fairbanks, AK Krikava, Alton and Marie Glenville, MN Licht, Edward Garfield Heights, OH Mares, Gale and Kathryn Schuyler, NE Marshall, Harold Virginia Beach, VA Matusinec, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Milwaukee, WI Mostek, Jerome Michigan City, IN Munro, Edith Windsor Heights, IA Nekoranik, Richard P Pine Bluff, AR Nelson, Jenifer M Lincoln, NE O Connell, Leo Aaron Medford Lakes, NJ Pavelka, Dr. Donald and Barbara Omaha, NE Pavlish, Bern Dickinson, ND Peters, Lewis Marquette, MI Pleticha, Mark C Moraga, CA Porth, Guy P Reedsburg, WI Roberts, Joan Klecka Richardson, TX Rudolph, Cheryl A Toledo, OH Sembach, Leon Locust Grove, VA Simecek-Ogilvie, Nancy Lindstrom, MN Smith Jr., George Anchorage, AK Soukenik III, Mr./Mrs. Joseph J Mayfield Heights, OH Tegen, Mary Ann Manitowoc, WI Versnick, Dr. Henry Anchorage, AK Vyskocil, Emil Rockville Centre, NY Winsauer, Howard Goleta, CA Nasta, Margaret Pollock, Joy Richter, Geraldine and Roy Swoboda, Dr. Joseph and Mary McKeesport, PA Rancho Cucamonga, CA LeCenter, MN Lincoln, NE In Memorium, Marcella Marcy Vasko Bigaouette, Photo from 1997 CGSI Conference. Sponsor Members Cincebeaux, Helene B Kostell, James M Lomsdal, Wendy Matusinec, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rochester, NY Forest Hills, NY Edgar Springs, MO Milwaukee, WI March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 19

20 St. Peter and St. Paul Orthodox Church in Burr Ridge, Illinois Orthodox Church in America By Church Members (written in 2007) Church History Seventy-five years ago, on July 4, 1932, St. Peter and St. Paul Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church was solemnly blessed, and the cornerstone dedicated. This was the culmination of the organizational work of the Very Rev. Peter N. Semkoff beginning on August 3, 1931, when His Eminence, The Most Reverend Theophilus, then Archbishop of Chicago, gave his archpastoral blessing for the establishment of a new parish. This parish, on the southwest side of Chicago, was composed mainly of former Greek Catholics whose origins were from the Carpathian regions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. According to one church source about 135 families from St. Mary s Greek Catholic Church formed the nucleus of the new St. Peter and St. Paul Parish. Why they left their original parish is not altogether clear; however, we do know that the infamous Papal decree Cum Data fuerit... was issued by Pope Pius IX on February 9, 1929, and later promulgated by the Greek Catholic bishop, the Most. Rev. Basil Takach. The decree forbade any importing of married priests from Europe for ten years. This document was seen as breaking the original provisions of the Union of Užhorod, which guaranteed all Greek customs remain intact. Ownership of church property and the introduction of Roman Catholic practices such as the rosary, the Stations of the Cross, three-dimensional statues and devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus were other signs of Latinization. The original reason for the split from the Catholic Church were rarely agreed upon, but church members may have perceived that naše Ruska vira, our Rusyn faith, was in danger of being lost and they were willing to sacrifice and fight to preserve it. Beginnings The inaugural membership meeting of the new parish was held on September 20, 1931, in St. Michael s Orthodox Church at 44 th Street and Paulina Avenue. In an affidavit from this meeting, the new parish adopted St. Peter and St. Paul Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church as its corporate name. The first church trustees were elected and sworn into office during the Vesper worship service. These trustees were Joseph Novak, Mitro Prokop, Peter Korinda, Ignatz Bihun, Michael Yurcisin, John Halko, Peter Spak, Andrej Bacha, Peter Dennis, John Demko, Andrew Tkach, Michael Sutko, John Bodenchak, John Krajnak, and Michael Mihalkanin. The following were elected to office: Joseph Novak, Starosta; Mitro Prokop, Assistant Starosta; Peter Spak, Treasurer; Peter Korinda, Secretary. The appointed choir director was Ignatz Bihun. Construction in progress on St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Chicago, IL in the first half of Photo courtesy of Andrea Fash Valasek of Chicago, IL. During the winter of 1931 and the spring of 1932, the newly formed church met for Sunday liturgy in a vacant A & P grocery store at 51 st Street and Rockwell Avenue. The first Easter baskets were blessed at the converted grocery/church building. Membership in St. Page 20 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

21 Peter and St. Paul Church grew as more people transferred from St. Mary s Greek Catholic Church on Seeley Avenue and St. Michael s Russian Orthodox Church. On November 5, 1931, a general church meeting set membership requirements and adopted by-laws. Each family and unmarried person over the age of 18 was assessed $1 per month, $12 annually. At Sunday liturgy, two collections were taken. The usual donation was a dime at first collection and a nickel at the second collection. In the mid-1940s, only one collection was taken with the average donation being a quarter. Early church council meetings and annual meetings were in the Rusyn language, the dialect of the first parishioners. Council members were generally elderly males, but in 1939, Dimitry Wanda, 25, was elected to the council. After 1940, more changes were enacted; council meetings were conducted in English, and other young men were elected. Building Walls On December 1, 1931, a quarter acre lot at the northwest corner of Western Avenue and 53 rd Street was purchased for $5,300 in cash from William J. Holsinger and Felix B. Janovsky. This lot would be the site for the new St. Peter and St. Paul Church. A ground breaking ceremony was held on December 26, Peter Kalinak, a general building contractor and church member, built the church at a cost of $22, Mr. Kalinak hired many unemployed parishioners as laborers while other employed parishioners volunteered their services on Saturdays. Master carpenters Mitro and Stephen Lazo built the iconostasis and assisted other carpenters with the pews and window frames. One of the most dramatic architectural features was a large choir loft across the back of the church. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Palm Sunday, April 20, First Ten Years In its first decade, the membership of St. Peter and St. Paul Church grew from 536 people in 1932 to approximately 834 people in A record book from 1936 lists 616 parishioners. During these ten years, Rev. Semkoff baptized 169 children, married 66 couples, and conducted 50 funerals. He performed the congregation s first three baptisms on July 10, The new additions to the parish were Peter Edward Bubanik, Pauline Loritha Rozdilsky and Helen Dorothy Milas. The first couple to be married was George Motel and Mary Bodenchak on June 11, The first funeral was Anna Petrigala on June 25, Burials from June 1932 to July 1935 were at Elmwood Cemetery in Elmwood Park, a northwestern suburb of Chicago. Sometime during 1935, the church obtained a section in Evergreen Cemetery at 87 th Street and Kedzie Avenue in Evergreen Park, a southwestern suburb closer to the church. The first burial in the new cemetery was Helen Kutchamar on July 2, In 1938, a stone cross marking the church s section in the cemetery was dedicated. During the spring of 1932, the first group of children received first confession and communion in the new church. Present-day member Lillian Juhas Novak was a member of this group. Church Dedication On Sunday, October 6, 1940, the church was dedicated. Divine Liturgy began at 10 a.m. and was led by His Eminence Metropolitan Theophilus, His Grace Bishop Leonty and the clergy of the Chicago diocese. Two choirs sang the liturgy responses: St. Mary s Church Choir of Gary, Indiana led by S. Nester and the St. Peter and St. Paul Choir led by I. Bihun. Sixty Years of Events In July 1932, the parish held its first Kermesh honoring the feast day of the congregation s patron saints. The feast day tradition of Kermesh continues to this day. In 1939, a crystal chandelier was hung in the church. Donations towards the cost of the chandelier were collected from various sources: parishioners, the Russian Burial Aid Society, choir members, the Windy City R Club, and local businesses. The R stands for Federated Russian Orthodox Club. On Sunday, March 2, 1941 a set of silver vestments was blessed and presented to Father Peter Semkoff after Divine Liturgy. On October 10, 1954, a set of new carillon bells was dedicated. The original church bell was given to a Russian Orthodox Church in Ohio. That year, the sanctuary vigil lamp was also donated. In 1996, it was removed from the Chicago church and in 1998 it was hung in front of the altar of the Burr Ridge church where it continues to watch over the congregation. In January, 1963, a holy water font, which a parishioner designed and constructed, was blessed. In the spring of 1972, a wooden tomb made in Greece was donated for use on Good Friday. The Russian Millennium gave church March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 21

22 members an opportunity to celebrate throughout the year. Events ranged from an exhibit of icons on the Sunday of Orthodoxy in February to a class on the art of pysanky (Ukrainian easter eggs) painting. Other Sunday displays presented traditional Easter basket foods and embroidered basket covers, Russian dolls, enamel tea holders, wooden utensils and family prayer books. Two millennium banners, A Thousand Candles and Let the Bells Ring Out, were designed by Matushka Mary Semkoff (Nicholas) and created by Sunday school students and church members. After she was elected to the church council on March 16, 1988, Susanna Michalic became the first woman church council president. She served as president until March, Clubs St. Peter and Paul O Club The Windy City R Club, Chapter 96, was founded in 1937; in the 1980s, its name was changed to the St. Peter and St. Paul O Club. It is a local chapter of the fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America (FOCA), an official organization of the Orthodox Church in America. The club s mission is to provide educational, cultural, social, and athletic activities for the people of the Orthodox faith. Ladies Club The Ladies Club was organized in 1957 by and for the women of the church. The purpose of the club was to fundraise for the church. Profits from various fundraisers and activities enabled the club to donate $1000 for the first commercial kitchen stove. The first president was Mary Pinkowski and the last president was Ella Sutko. The club disbanded in Men s Club The Men s Club was started in the early 1960s and was in existence for about six years. The club was a social organization that met once a month and also held fundraisers for various projects needed by the church. World War II Red Cross Chapter During the fall months of 1942, three members, Anne Lazo (Mrs. George), Stephanie Bregin and Ann Novak, decided to organize a Red Cross Unit. In order to be granted a Red Cross charter, an initial membership of 25 persons had to enroll. The charter was granted on November 16, The first meeting of the Russian Chapter of the American Red Cross Unit of St. Peter and St. Paul Church held was on November 28, The unit met every Monday evening in the church hall to make surgical dressings and sewing kit bags. The kit bags were then issued to the men in the Armed Forces before they were deployed overseas. At the end of September 1945, the group had rolled 65,000 bandages, and the members made 450 kit bags. Mrs. Ann Shumovsky is credited with completing 250 of those bags. The unit was also active in other war time efforts. They purchased the church service flag and a stainedglass window in honor of all servicemen and women. Members attended requiem ceremonies and sent Easter and Christmas cards to the service men and women. They also purchased funeral wreaths for deceased service men. The Unit, 38 women strong at war s end, disbanded on October 27, Sunday School During the summer of 1948, Dorothy Novak approached Father Peter Semkoff with a proposal to establish Sunday school classes for the children in the parish. The Windy City R Club agreed to adopt this as their major project. Lutheran Church literature adapted to an Orthodox lesson plan was utilized. Classes began in September of 1948 in the church hall with students in kindergarten through high school. For the next eight years, Dorothy Novak Prokop directed the Sunday school. Funding for student materials came from the church council, the Windy City R Club and the church choir. Classes began after the first service at 10 a.m. and lasted a half-hour. In 1954, Orthodox Sunday School religious materials became available for the classes. In February 1957, Matushka Mary Semkoff (Nicholas) became the director of the Sunday school. Early Priests Mitred Archpriest Rev. Peter Nicholas Semkoff Since the organizational meeting of St. Peter and St. Paul Orthodox Church, seven priests have led the worshipers of the church. The first priest was Rev. Peter N. Semkoff. He was pastor of the church for 47 years, having organized the parish on August 3, 1931, after a year as pastor of St. Michael s. Peter Semkoff was born April 23, 1895 in Prusy, Galicia, which at that time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After WWI it belonged to Poland, and currently is part of Western Ukraine. He immigrated to the United States on March 21, 1912, arriving at Philadelphia aboard the SS Frankfurt Page 22 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

23 under the name of Piotr Semkow. Peter completed his studies at the Orthodox seminary at Tenafly, NJ. He was ordained on October 11, 1916 in St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City. He received his license as a minister February 7, 1917, in Erie County, OH. Peter Semkoff married Matushka Mary Petrovna Milley (note: Matushka = Mother of the Church, and all Eastern Rite Church priests wives have this title). They were married September 23, 1916 at Kelley s Island, Ohio. In the mid-1950s Father Peter was recognized for his outstanding service to the church and awarded the honor of Mitred Archpriest. He was appointed a member of the Metropolitan Council of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America in December, He was also Dean of the Chicago and Midwest Diocese during the mid 1960s. He was again awarded the honor of Mitred Archpriest and presented a jeweled mitre in recognition of his outstanding services by the Conclave of Bishops of the Orthodox Church of America in On Sunday September 4, 1966, Father Peter and his wife, Mary celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest and their 50 th wedding anniversary. In 1977, Father Peter retired and became pastor emeritus. He performed 62 years as a priest, serving the congregation of St. Peter and St. Paul Church for the majority of those years. Father Peter died on November 18, 1978, in Oak Lawn, IL and was buried November 22 in Evergreen Cemetery. The Very Right Rev. Peter N. Semkoff and his son, The Very Right Rev. Nicholas Peter Semkoff. Photo courtesy of Andrea Fash Valasek, Chicago, IL. Very Right Rev. Nicholas Peter Semkoff Nicholas was born December 9, 1917 in Wolf Run, OH to Rev. Peter Nicholas and Mary Petrovna Milley. He graduated from Lindblom High School, received his liberal arts education at the University of Illinois and De Paul University, and studied philosophy, theology and canon law with private tutors at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. He was ordained by Archbishop Leonty in July, 1941, as deacon and assigned as choral teacher in September to St. Michael s. Father Nicholas was ordained a priest by Metropolitan Theophilus on December 20, 1942 at St. Peter and St. Paul. He served his first Liturgy on February 7, 1943 in his home parish, but was then assigned to Mishawaka and Hammond, Indiana churches. At the request of the parish council of St. Peter and St. Paul, he returned as an assistant priest and choral director in May Father Nicholas served with his father, Rev. Peter Semkoff for 33 years until his father s retirement in Among his contributions to the congregation was the introduction of new hymns and litanies by various composers into the traditional prostopinije (plain chant) sung in services. Father Nicholas also started a music library in 1945 and continually added to it throughout his time in the parish, including many new English translations of Church Slavonic compositions. Father Nicholas served his first Divine Liturgy in English in On July 16, 1967, during a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated by Archbishop John at St. Peter and Paul Church, the Council of North American Bishops conferred upon Father Nicholas a jeweled pectoral cross to honor him on the 25 th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. The parish also observed its 35 th annual feast day, or Kermesh. On January 1, 1991 Father Nicholas retired as pastor from St. Peter and St. Paul church. At his retirement dinner on February 10, 1991, Father Nicholas March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 23

24 celebrated 50 years as a priest and 47 years as an assistant pastor and pastor of the parish. He and his wife, Matushka Mary also celebrated their 50 th wedding anniversary. They moved to Michigan City, Indiana after his retirement from the church and lived there until their deaths. Matuska Mary Semkoff died September 29, Her funeral was held at St. Peter and St. Paul Church on October 3, 1992, and she was interred in Evergreen Cemetery. Father Nicholas died October 27, His funeral service was held at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago and he also was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. The Burr Ridge Church In 1992, it became evident that in order to continue growing, St. Peter and St. Paul Church had to move to a new location. This was a very emotional decision as the Chicago church was the congregation s home for 60 years. A committee was formed to search for a new property in the western suburbs. During 1994, the committee located a two-acre lot at the corner of County Line Road and Harvester Drive, just north of Interstate 55 in Burr Ridge. The committee purchased the property, and after several Burr Ridge Village Board meetings, the church building plans were approved. On July 23, 1995, a ground blessing service was held; the ground breaking and Cross planting services took place on October 15, 1995 at the new building site. By April 1996, the Chicago church was sold, and the final Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Sunday, April 6, The Carmelite Spiritual Center in Darien was the congregation s temporary home from April 13, 1996 until February 8, The Burr Ridge church incorporates modern and traditional design elements. A rectangular building, it features a cupola and three-bar cross as well as the stained-glass windows from the church on 53 rd and Western Avenue. List of Charter Members (copied from the original parish book of St. Peter and St. Paul Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church) Husband / Wife Bacha, Andro and Anna Banchak, Joe Bancak, Michael and Anna Behun, Ignaz and Anna Bilas, John and Julia Bodencak, Petro and Zuzana Bodencak, John and Maria Bodenchak, Mitro and Paraska Bodnar, Vasil and Helena Boka, Michael and Paraska Chuchta, Mrs. Anna Cuprisin, Andrew and Margita Demko, Andro and Helena Demko, John and Maria Dennis, Mitro and Maria Derbas, Michael and Paraska Dickey, Michael and Suze Dzendzel, Michael and Maria Dzupin, Andry and Anna Fedoronko, Peter and Suze Gorun, George and Anna Gorun, Michael Gula, George and Helen Halko, John and Helena Halko, Stefan and Anna Harvish, Michael and Maria Hirujak, Frank and Maria Hkorro, Bacurue and Maria Hobalik, Nikolai and Helen Hricok, Georg and Maria Hvizd, Mitro and Helen Ivancisin, John and Maria Jakochka, Michael and Anna Juhas, Sandor and Maria Kacsmar, Mihal and Helena Kalinak, Petro and Maria Kapishynsky, John Kopca, Alex Kopca, John and Helena Korinda, Peter and Anna Krapnak, John and Katheryna Kundrat, Frank and Anna Kundrat, Joseph and Maria Lazo, Mitro and Susana Lazo, Stephen and Maria Lesondak, Sam and Julia Macko, Mike and Anna Mihalkanin, Andro and Anna Mihalkanin, Mike and Maria Mihalkanin, Vasil and Julia Milas, Andros and Helena Mikulisin, George and Maria Miskiv, Peter and Helena Motel, John and Lilian Olesovich, Andrew and Paraska Page 24 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

25 Parlishinitz, Mapiel and Mary Patrick, Johan and Anna Petrigalla, Mike and Maria Pilip, Peter and Anna Pitlivka, Andro and Helen Plachek, John and Anna Polacek, Andro and Mary Polacek, George and Maria Polacek, Peter and Anna Pragit, John and Maria Prihar, John and Helena Prihara, Peter and Maria Prokop, Mitro and Anna Prokop, John and Anna Prokop, Mike and Maria Rozdilsky, Andrew and Eva Rozdilsky, Peter and Anna Saroinsky, John and Paraska Savcak, Andro and Anna Spak, Peter and Ellene Stefaniko, Vasil and Paraska Surdenik, Peter and Suzanna Sutko, Michael and Anna Tkach, Andrew and Julia Vanko, John and Helen Volcko, George and Anna Volk, Mitro and Anna Wanska, John and Helen Warilenko, Peter and Maria Wolk, John and Paraska Yurcisin, Josef and Maria Yurcisin, Michael and Maria Yurcisin, Petro Zoscak, Andrew and Anna Zovoda, Peter and Maria These families and single people are listed as original charter members in the membership book. The names are spelled as written by Rev. Peter Semkoff. Most of the parishioners had their roots in Šariš county, Slovakia. Many of the families originated from the villages of Dubová, Hrabovčík, Kečkovce, Mlynárovce, Nižný Orlík, Rovné, Roztoky, Vyšný Mirošov, and Vyšný Orlík. Over the winter and spring of 1932 more families joined St. Peter and St. Paul Church, transferring from St. Mary s Greek Catholic Church, South Seeley Avenue in Chicago, IL. The family names were provided on three typed pages by Arlene Dremak Gardiner of Racine, WI. If you have roots in this church and would like to contact Arlene her is: a-gardiner@sbcglobal.net Another contact with knowledge on this parish is Andrea Fash Valasek of Chicago, granddaughter to Rev. Peter Semkoff. Her is: aav1247@aol.com Nearly completed St. Peter and St. Paul Church of Chicago, IL in about July Photo courtesy of Andrea Fash Valasek of Chicago, IL. March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 25

26 The Name Game: Five Tips for Researching Slovak Surnames By Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. One of the key steps to success when tracing your Slovak roots is to identify the immigrant s correct surname. It sounds like a pretty simple task, but many times the surname can be a stumbling block if your ancestors don t turn up in searches of online databases or indexes, or are spelled differently from source to source. For this issue s Genealogy360 column, I m providing five tips for researching Slovak surnames. 1. Check Home and Family Sources. Turn first to your family members for clues to surnames and supporting documents such as a family bible, diaries, photographs, or letters/envelopes from the old country. It is important to identify your ancestor s name both pre- and post-immigration. Be careful not to base your research solely on the way your name is spelled or because a family member insists that a surname has always been spelled that way. Surname spellings often vary in grammatical context, depending on the area. You can find general information at Behind the Name <www. behindthename.com>, and The Foreigner s Guide to Slovakia < com/2007/11/23/slovak-surnames>, or check Ancestry.com s Learning Center <www. ancestry.com/learn>. Click Get Started, and Find Family Facts. Enter the surname from the drop-down menu, then choose Name Meanings. It s also important to remember that even official documents can contain errors and names can be listed differently from one document to the next. Image below: Documents found in the closets or attics of family members can provide valuable information about surnames. But even official documents can contain errors or inconsistencies. Shown here are two pages from the passport belonging to the author s grandmother. Notice the differences in the spellings of the first and last names. One reads Veron Straka and the other Verona Sztraka. Page 26 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

27 2. Go to Google. Simply searching for your surname on Google < may turn up some interesting results. Remember when using search engines, or any online database for that matter, always search on both the traditional and Americanized spellings. The first names and given names you find in North American records may be altered versions of their traditional European equivalents, or even altogether different. Many immigrants Americanized their names upon arrival. Some adopted the English equivalent, while others made the spelling appear more American, or chose a similarsounding name. Some immigrants even had bosses or teachers assign names that were easier to spell or say. Consult The Mutilation of Eastern European Names <www. pgsa.org/notebooks/fred_notebook.php> by William F. Hoffman for more in-depth information on East European naming practices and changes. Just don t buy into family folklore that Ellis Island immigration officials changed peoples names. This was not the case. Learn more at < shtm>. You may also want to search for females on the commonly added suffix ova (e.g. Fencakova), when using online databases and search engines. As this tombstone shows, women s surnames can include the suffix ova. 3. Check Surname Websites. Surname sites often contain pedigree charts, photographs, or other information, or connect with others researching the same name. Submit your surnames to Helene Cincebeaux s Slovak Pride Database < slovakpride.homestead.com/>. The Slovak Pride Database is sponsored by the Slovak Heritage & Folklore Society International, and currently has more than 28,000 surnames and villages. Visitors to the site browse surnames from Slovakia and neighboring countries, as well as add their names to the list, and request a free sample copy of the SH&FSI Slovakia newsletter - a 12 page quarterly published by the Slovak Heritage & Folklore Society International, and edited by Helene. You can also try Cyndi s List < com/surnames.htm> or RootsWeb s Surname Resources Page < surnames> to find others who share your name. 4. Utilize Message Boards. Post a query about your surname to the CGSI website/message board (you ll need to be a member) < research/queries>. Also, check out the Slovak- Roots group on Yahoo! < com/group/slovak-roots>: For genealogy research, queries and assistance in locating information on ancestors who were from areas of the former Austria-Hungary Empire and/or the former Czechoslovakia (you ll need to register as a member to post items). Find other groups and message boards on GenDir (Genealogy Directory & Message Board) < categories/24>. 5. Search Slovak Telephone Directories. There s a good chance you could have relatives still living in Slovakia. Try searching the Slovak Telephone March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 27

28 Partial screen print of CGSI member queries on website, Directory (Telefonny Zoznam Slovenskej Republiky) < Just be aware that the site is in Slovak (there used to be an English tab you could click on but it is no longer there). You can also try checking foreign telephone directories such as Infobel < Numberway < or the European Address/Telephone Directories from the Library of Congress (some are in print; a few are digitized) < rr/european/tel.html> for surnames to determine if you still have living kin in your ancestral town or village. When searching for Slovak surnames don t let the name game become an obstacle to discovering your past. By getting the name right at the start you can hopefully avoid repeated fruitless searches, and perhaps some of the frustrations that often lead to larger brick walls. In William Shakespeare s Romeo & Juliet, Juliet asks the question, What s in a name? Well, when it comes to Slovak genealogy the answer is: Everything! About the Author: Lisa A. Alzo is the author of nine books, including Finding Your Slovak Ancestors and Writing Your Family History Book (both by Heritage Productions), Three Slovak Women, Baba s Kitchen: Slovak & Rusyn Family Recipes and Traditions (both Gateway Press), Pittsburgh s Immigrants, Slovak Pittsburgh, and Sports Memories of Western Pennsylvania (for Arcadia Publishing), and numerous magazine articles.. Lisa serves on the CGSI Board of Directors, and teaches online genealogy courses for The National Institute for Genealogical Studies < Her two most recent books include Cleveland Czechs and Cleveland Slovaks (Arcadia Publishing), were coauthored with Cleveland Native and fellow CGSI board member, John Sabol. Lisa can be reached via her web site < Page 28 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

29 Recording Voices and Documenting Memories of Czech and Slovak Americans By Rosie Johnston Hundreds of thousands of Czechs and Slovaks fled their homeland during the communist era, many risking their lives in the process. Their stories are sometimes dramatic, sometimes tragic, and essential to our understanding of the events that shaped the 20 th Century. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is launching a major new project to try and capture some of these stories. Over the next 18 months, the NCSML will interview over 150 Cold War-era Czech and Slovak émigrés about why and how they left their homeland, and why they made America their new home. In the first phase of a project which the museum hopes will span the nation, the NCSML is focusing on émigrés who settled in Chicago, Cleveland and Washington DC. takeover in 1948 and those who fled as a result of the Soviet-led invasion in Through assembling these first-hand accounts, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library will foster a better understanding of the conditions under which life was lived behind the Iron Curtain, as well as why some American cities became centers of Czech and Slovak migration. And you can help! If you know someone with a story to tell, or if you have any information that could help with our research, then please contact us. You can Project Coordinator Rosie Johnston at rjohnston@ncsml.org or send a letter to: National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 87 Sixteenth Ave SW, Cedar Rapids IA None of this would be possible without the generous support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The NCSML would also like to thank the Office of Slovaks Living Abroad for additional funding for this project. Interviewees came originally from the whole of the former Czechoslovakia. What s more, they emigrated to the United States at different times. In particular, the NCSML is focusing on those who left Czechoslovakia following the Communist March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 29

30 Recipe for Finding a Cousin: How a 3 x 5 Card Helped Me to Find a Relative at the 2009 CGSI Conference By Annette K. Thompson Usually 3 x 5 cards are used for recipes, but a posting of a 3 x 5 card on the information board at the October 2009 CGSI Conference in Cleveland was a recipe for finding a third cousin I did not know about and continuing my family genealogy! While thoughts of my grandparents and their background had percolated in my mind for years, it was only when I retired that I started to get serious about researching my Slovak ancestry. The past seven years, I concentrated on researching my grandfather, Stephen Trop, who was born in Lapsanka, Spiš County, Slovakia (now a part of Poland) and migrated to the village of Ľubica, Slovakia before emigrating to Western Pennsylvania. From his obituary, I knew he was one of seven children. My goal was simple---to find the names of his siblings. Never did I think that I would wind up going to Slovakia and Poland in 2005 and again in 2009 and discover so much more. With the help of Vlado Flak, a genealogist in Slovakia who helped me by researching my European Slovak family and the assistance of Karen Melis, Group administrator of the Zamagurie Region Dual Geographic DNA project, and my own passion to learn more, I not only located both my grandmother s and grandfather s roots but met second cousins and added many branches to the family tree. During my tour of the region, I trod the same area that they walked and visited the churches they were baptized in and attended as children prior to emigrating to the USA in the early 1900s. My initial goal was more than attained; it was exceeded beyond my wildest expectations! Finding the names as well as the dates of births, marriage and death for my maternal grandparents was just the beginning. I was curious about the region and history where my ancestors were from, the possible reasons why they came to the coal mines of Pennsylvania, and why others remained behind. A chance meeting with a 78-year-old second cousin in Ľubica this summer provided critical clues from his recollections of attending a funeral when he was only three. Following his clues, I located the death and burial records for my great-grandparents, Thomas Trop and Maria Budz Trop. When I learned that the CGSI Conference was going to be within 400 miles of my home, I joined the organization and attended my first conference in October. I wanted to learn more from the speakers and their outlined sessions. Perhaps I could learn something about the Austrian military records which would lead me to my grandfather? Maybe I could gather some tips about writing my family history for my siblings and their children. There were so many topics of interest. Thursday evening at the conference, I located the information board. Here, people posted 3 x 5 cards with their surnames of interest, villages being researched, and contact information. I was astounded to see a 3 x 5 card tacked on it with surnames similar to those on my family tree, though they spelled them Bucs and Pavylik but we spelled them Budz and Pavlik. The village listed was Vyšní Lapse which had to be Wysne Lapsze, the village next to Lapsanka where many of my earlier ancestors were recorded! Coincidental? I scribbled my room number on the note, hoping that the person, who had only given an address, would contact me while at the conference. I checked in with the Conference registration desk to see if they could provide a list of attendees with contact information to compare against the address on the index card. After hearing the reason, they provided the name of the person who had posted the 3 x 5 card - Carol B.! And so the search to locate Carol began on Thursday. During Friday and Saturday s sessions, I went back to the information board hoping to see a message from Carol and checked the registration table, just in case she had left a message there. Nothing! So I kept scanning peoples name tags, hoping to see a Carol. Nothing! I added a cell phone number to the card, hoping to hear back from Carol. Heading to the last lecture on Saturday morning, the cell phone rang! It was Carol calling from about 50 feet away. What a first meeting. We started to discuss similarities and surnames. When I mentioned the surname Trop, she exclaimed, I know that name. It is related to us. Carol s relatives were also from the Connellsville Page 30 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

31 area where my relatives settled. Some of our relatives were buried in the same cemetery. Our mothers were born in the same tiny coal-mining town in Pennsylvania. The connections multiplied. Not only were we related but my friend, Karen Melis, had her computer and genealogy database which showed just HOW we were related. Seated in the main lobby, Carol and I both began calling relatives to confirm the connections and stories. Carol called her mother and learned that her mother s godmother was my grandfather Trop s brother s wife! I called my mom s 85 year-old cousin in Texas and asked him about the Kovalchik surname and learned Mrs. Kovalchik used to take him to St. Polycarp Church in West Leisenring on Sundays. No one really knew how they were related back then but they knew they were related somehow as cousins. Continuing to compare notes, we soon discovered that my great-grandmother, Maria Budz Trop, and Carol s great-grandfather, Bartholomew Budz, were siblings, two of three children that I knew were on my family tree! Again, from the database, we made the connection. Carol and I were third cousins--cousins who had both traveled to their first CGSI conference to learn more about family history and found FAMILY!!! Working together, we could continue to build on the shared branches of our family tree. I could provide photos and information from the trip to the villages this past summer and Carol could share photos of the Fayette County area church and information about reunions held in the area every couple of years. Also, we have more common Budz descendants to be traced both here and overseas. We have even extended this effort by participating in a DNA project focused on the very geographic regions where our shared ancestry is from ( NAProject/). The project goals include collecting samples here and overseas for surnames specifically linked to the Zamagurie Region (former Spiš/Spisz County) in Southern Poland and Eastern Slovakia. The DNA sampling along with the corresponding pedigrees generated by conventional genealogy are a powerful tool to finding genetic cousins). So, by attending the CGSI Conference in Cleveland this year and discovering a simple 3 x 5 card with the Budz and Pavlik surnames from the village of Vyšní Lapse not only brought third cousins together but also transcended generations of a common past. Carol and I eagerly anticipate completing more branches on our shared family tree!! Hopefully other attendees at upcoming conferences will post their family names on the information board and be just as lucky. Serendipitous things can and do occur in genealogy! About the Author: Annette K. Thompson is a retired educator. She has a B.S. in English Education from Edinboro University in PA, a Master s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Millersville University in PA, and post-graduate credits from Queen s University in Belfast, Millersville University and Marywood College. She was also the recipient of a U. S. State and Education Department s Fulbright Exchange Grant to Northern Ireland. Since retirement after 34 years working in high school education, she spends her free time involved with the genealogy of her Slovak family and her husband s family and is involved with Life Long Learning, an educational speaker series held in Pennsylvania. If there are CGSI members who might have the names Budz, Trop, Trope, Tropp, Trzop or Wagner and Kalafut from the Rudnany area in their family lines, please contact her at annettekt@comcast.net New CGSI Telephone Voic Number Effective March 15 th the CGSI will have a new telephone number where members can leave messages if they do not have internet access. The new number is (651) Phone messages are checked on an irregular basis by a volunteer. Your message may be routed to another volunteer depending on the subject of the message. Please be patient, someone will return your call. If you do have access, an is preferable, and the information will be easier to decipher than most phone messages. If you have a question about a specific topic you now can select the appropriate contact from the CGSI website by clicking on contact us in the upper right hand menu bar. For instance you can contact someone about research, membership, publications, sales, treasurer, library, lending library, publicity, conference chair, symposium chair, and president. March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 31

32 Tips for Searching the New CGSI Databases By Al Kranz With the launch of the new CGSI website in November, 2009 two new searchable databases were made available; Leo Baca s Czech Immigration Passenger Lists and Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis MN Church Records. These databases are designed to help members quickly locate ancestors. This article should help you to get the most out of your searches and minimize the chances of missing important data. The databases can be accessed from the Member Home Page under the Member Features column. Clicking on either of the database selections will take you to an introduction screen that provides information about that database, brief instructions, and, most important, a listing of what is currently contained within the database. Eventually, all nine volumes of Leo Baca s Czech Immigration Passenger Lists will be available; at present Volume IX for Baltimore is available. Approximately half of all baptismal, marriage, and death records for Czech and Slovak churches within the St. Paul Archdiocese are now available. These records cover the period from the beginning of the church books up to and including 1934 (deaths may go beyond). We recommend that you print (or screen capture) the instruction page so you know what was available when you did your initial search. When ready to search, click on Search the database near the top of the instruction page. This will take you to a search screen where you are ready to enter your search parameters. TIP 1: Entry of a surname is required in either database with a minimum of 3 characters of the name. You will notice that the drop-down box above the surname box is defaulted to Starts with. Due to spelling variations it is recommended that you nearly always use this search option or the Contains option. For example, in researching families with the rather common surname, Dvorak, the author found an astounding 43 variations in spelling. The records in these databases use the spelling exactly as shown in the passenger lists volumes and the way the priests entered them in the church books. Using Dvorak as an example; you would likely start with a search of Dvo and then Dwo. Do both searches to find all possibilities. When doing a search of a surname which is consistent in the middle or the end of the name, you should try the Contains option. The Sounds like option may work well in some cases or as a third option, but when dealing with foreign names and wide variations in names you could be missing pertinent records. TIP 2: Entry of a CAPTCHA code from a human readable image was necessary to prevent mining of data and malicious use by individuals or entities. Note that numbers and only upper case letters are presently used. If you misinterpret the code, just try again. TIP 3: Do not enter additional criteria for your initial search. The more parameters you enter, the narrower the search results. You may miss pertinent records and initially you will likely want to know what is out there. If the search locates more than 200 records it will indicate such and you can then add more criteria in a second search. Depending upon what you know about your ancestor, you may then want to narrow the search to an Arrival port or Arrival date between for passenger lists and to a Church name or Record Year between in the church record database. Also, be aware that only the head of the family or primary family member s complete name is searchable in the passenger lists database. Those travelling with the primary person are listed in a separate column, Other Family Members. TIP 4: Search results are returned to you in a column and row format. You may sort all of the rows by clicking on any column heading that is underlined (also color different than black). Clicking on that column heading again, reverses that sort. When you locate a person of interest (in a given row) click on their surname. This will give you another page that shows all data for that individual, including any notes that could not be displayed in the list. These notes may show such critical items as maiden names, age at death, spelling variations of names (see also ----), or the parish/diocese overseas where an individual was baptized. TIP 5: In the passenger lists database when viewing the page that shows all data for an individual (see TIP 4 above) an option is provided within this page to View ALL passengers that arrived on this specific ship. Selecting this returns a report in column and row format enabling you to search for other family members or friends/neighbors travelling with your family of interest. TIP 6: Keep in mind that for further analysis you may print each of the search result pages at the various levels using your browser s print function. We hope that these tips have helped you get the most out of your search for ancestors. Keep in mind that these databases will be expanded as new data is extracted or formatted for addition to these databases. Page 32 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

33 You may still purchase the actual volumes of passenger lists by sending a check for $19.95 to Leo Baca at 1707 Woodcreek, Richardson TX For church records, the actual images may be viewed on microfilm available at the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) Library in South St. Paul (no charge to CGSI members). The actual image will show all information for that record. Copies of the individual record images may also be obtained by sending your request to Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, P.O. Box 16225, St. Paul, MN Our standard CGSI Library Research Policy and charges will apply. Another upcoming project for this website is the addition of a searchable Surname database, along similar lines, enabling members with common surnames or ancestors to network. In preparation for this new capability, members may currently enter their surname data by going to My Surnames on the Member Home Page and following the instructions. We invite your feedback for improvements to these databases via to our webmaster at info@cgsi.org. Also, we would be willing to work with anyone interested in starting an extraction project for other Czech/ Slovak parishes, archdiocese, or denominations. Again, please our webmaster and a starter kit and instructions will be provided. Good luck in your ancestor search! Membership Form On the back page of this issue, your membership number and expiration date is printed on the top of the address label. If your membership is due within the next three months, fill out the following form and return to CGSI. Renewal New Membership No. (on top of mailing label) Name Circle Choice: Address City/State Zip Code* Telephone ( ) *Please add your nine-digit zip code. If you don t know it, look for it on a piece of junk mail. Make checks payable to and mail to: CGSI, P.O. Box St. Paul, MN Term Individual Household Sponsor 1 Year $25.00 $30.00 $ Year $45.00 $55.00 $ Year $65.00 $75.00 $ Membership Fee $ First Class Postage $ Library Donation $ Total Payment $ USA Funds Only Foreign and 1 st Class Add $10 for 1 year; Add $20 for 2 years; Add $30 for 3 years Except for Canada - Copy this form as necessary - March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 33

34 Bostonians Finally Succeed in Discovering Their Czech Roots By Stephen Hrones My sisters and I have for several years been searching to discover where our Hrones relatives came from in Bohemia. All we knew was that the marriage and death records of our great-great-grandfather and his children only indicated Bohemia. They arrived in New York about 1870 and settled in the Lower East Side where they both lived and worked as cigar makers in the same tenement. Eventually, three of the brothers went to the Dakotas, one to Boston, and the other remained in New York. One problem that made our search seem futile was that each parish in Bohemia kept their own records (which were eventually sent to one of the five State Regional archives 1, including Prague), thus there was no way to obtain any information from that source as we didn t know the parish or even if they came from Praha. For years we pulled up most of the marriage, birth, and death certificates here in the U.S. of our ancestors only to have them list the place of birth as Bohemia. The big break came when my sister googled 2 my great-great-grandfather s first name spelled slightly different, Josef rather than Joseph, and it revealed a Czech address of his. He came to the states from the small town of Dobřichovice, some 20 minutes west of Prague and slightly east of Karlštejn 3. With that information I retained one of the genealogists who advertised in Naše rodina to trace our family tree. She could now do so with the name of the town of origin. As a result we discovered our family went back to 1600 in the small village called Srbsko, which is west of Karlštejn and about 9 kilometers or 5.5 miles from Dobřichovice. While teaching at the law school in Olomouc 4, in the eastern Czech Republic, (which is a beautiful historic town with a huge square, the 5 th largest in the Czech Republic) as a visiting professor I used the opportunity to visit the small town of Dobřichovice. With the help of a citizen of the town, who had been referred to me by an American-Czech who had been there earlier, I traced the various addresses where the family and in-laws had lived. Most of the original houses, with the exception of one with the portion of the old house intact, had been replaced with relatively modern homes. We could find no evidence of a Hrones family in the town or anyone who remembered them (they had left about 1870). However, I decided to make one last effort to find someone who knew of the Hrones or at least find house #4 in Srbsko. During the period of 19 th century emigration there were no street names, instead each house in the village was numbered in the order by which it had been built. One of my law students at Olomouc Law School volunteered to take me to Srbsko in her own car. On arriving in the village, we inquired of the location of house number 4. The mother of the family giving directions said her beautiful 11 year old daughter would show us the way. We have kept up a friendship with this family via the internet. My sister followed up a few months later with a visit there also. The Hrones house was still standing. We met the owner who told us the interior had been radically changed but not the exterior. He related the history of the house including the fact it had once been a bar. When we inquired as to whether anyone recognized the name Hrones a next door neighbor remarked that his father had done some research as to the prior ownership of the property. He thought the name Hrones sounded familiar and went to his house and returned with a packet of documents. Lo and behold there was the name Hrones transferring property at house number 4 to another party around All our work had been rewarded. We had found not only the village from whence our relatives came, but also the very house my ancestors had resided. We still have been unable to discover when and on what ship they arrived. The search continues! What fun? It is almost as if the search is as exciting as finally reaching the goal. Tracing my ancestors on my paternal grandmother s side was much easier as the name of the small village she came from was listed on my great-grandfather s citizenship papers. What a break! They came from Štolmíř which is just north of Český Brod and about 20 miles to the east of Prague. A Czech friend who was a professor at Harvard Law School, after being forced to leave Prague with the otherthrow of Alexander Dubček, volunteered to help search our past. He wrote the archive in Prague requesting a search. The archive performed a complete one going back to the 1600s. The charge was ten dollars (in 1972). This research performed in the archive revealed large families of ten or so with several dying near birth. On occasions when a child died young, a child born later was given the same name. We were initially stumped by the fact that the children were born in dif- Page 34 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

35 ferent homes, numbers 11, 7 and 17. It seemed strange they changed houses so often until we realized they were serfs who lived in very modest circumstances on the land behind the house of the particular land owner. He hired them for that season, thus, explaining the different addresses. We received a tour with the kind invitation of the owner of one of the houses where our great-grandfather was born. The town had changed little in 200 years. The original old church (no longer in use) was still there as well as the original houses. The family left Bohemia about 1850 and settled in Vienna where there were many Czechs and still are today. Great-grandfather became a tailor and eventually arrived in this country around 1900 and settled in Boston where there were very few Czechs and still few today. About the Author: Stephen Hrones is a Massachusetts criminal attorney and partner in the law firm Hrones and Garrity LLP with offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Londonderry, New Hampshire. Endnotes provided by Paul Makousky, Editor of Naše rodina 1. The five State Regional Archives located within the former province of Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic are Třeboň (south), Plzeň (west), Praha (central), Litoměřice (north), and Zámrsk (east). For further information on Archives of the Czech and Slovak Republics go to under Using Archives. 2. Googled is a verb meaning to perform a google search on the internet at When you type the aforementioned you get a screen with two choices, Google Search and I m Feeling Lucky. If you type the name Josef Hrones and click on I m Feeling Lucky your browser will immediately take you to a list called International Genealogical Index or IGI. This is an on-line card catalog of family names with birth dates, etc. entered by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (i.e. LDS). Try your own family name(s). 3. Karlštejn is a town known for the Karlštejn Castle founded by Karel IV (Charles), Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. It is about 30 kilometers southwest of Prague. It is one of the top tourist stops in the Czech Republic with frequent tours leaving from Prague. 4. Olomouc was formerly the capital of Moravia prior to the Swedish capture of the city during the period of The institution of higher education in Olomouc is called Palacký University after the famed Czech historian František Palacký. The Hrones family emigrated from the central Bohemian village of Dobřichovice located at the end of this black arrow. Map by Velký Autoatlas Československa 1:200,000. Vydal, zpracoval a vytiski Geodetický a kartografický podnik Praha, ISBN , page 13. March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 35

36 The Surprise of Genealogy by Kristine Kadlec As a self-taught genealogist for about the past twenty years, I have been a member of various genealogy organizations. While a member of the Oconto County Genealogical Society (OCGS) which is based in Wisconsin, I ordered a copy of a past issue of their newsletter and was pleasantly surprised to find a one-page biography about my great-grandfather Joseph Kadlec. The biography had been written by Ray Kadlec, a former president of OCGS. In the same newsletter, Ray Kadlec requested a copy of the postmark from the village of Kadlec, Wisconsin from 1905 or I had no idea that a city or village existed in Wisconsin with my last name! I decided to write to the Wisconsin Historical Society located at 816 State Street, Madison, Wisconsin to inquire if they had a copy of the Kadlec city postmark. They sent me a copy of a page from their publication, Wisconsin: Its Territorial and Statehood Post Offices. The information indicated that there was a Kadlec Post Office established June 2, 1905 and discontinued October 15, 1906 with Antone Tony F. Kadlec (b d. 1955) its only postmaster. Tony Kadlec was my great-uncle! In the immortal words of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - Surprise, surprise, surprise!. Tony Kadlec was a multi-talented man. With his father Joseph Kadlec, he operated a sawmill business, farm and dance hall/tavern. For eleven years, he served as a supervisor for Spruce, Wisconsin and was Antone Tony F. Kadlec ( ) in background, and his son, Alfred Kadlec ( ), foreground. Both are standing in front of Kadlec s Tavern in Spruce, WI. Date of photo: unknown. also secretary for the United Dairy Cheese Factory for twenty-four years. He helped in the operation of Kadlec Park (now known as Blazek Park) which was the site of the annual Bohemian Day celebration. He created and played violins and also produced snowshoes. He married Rose Kalchik and together they raised five children: Earl, Leo, Allen, Alfred and Gladys. The Wisconsin Historical Society also suggested that I contact the Wisconsin Postal History Society for further information. They sent me the name, address, and for Frank Moerti, President of the Society, along with information about the free United States Postal Service publication, The United States Postal Service: An American History A free copy can be obtained by writing to Megaera Ausman, Postal Service Historian, USPS Headquarters, 475 L Enfant Plaza S.W., Washington, D.C I contacted Frank Moerti who was kind enough to suggest that I attend stamp shows in my area and hunt for Wisconsin postmarks. While perusing my copy of the publication The United States Postal Service: An American History , I came across the following website: com/postmasterfinder. It is an online list of former postmasters but does not appear to be complete at this time as I did not find any information regarding the Kadlec post office. I also came across a listing of publications housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. including Publication M841,Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-September 30, I visited their website at www. archives.gov and found information regarding Publication M841 which is actually 145 rolls of microfilm Page 36 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

37 containing records of appointments of postmasters. I located Roll 143 indicating that it contained information for Wisconsin counties from Green to Pierce Counties which is the one I needed since Kadlec, Wisconsin was located in Oconto County. I found their website rather confusing when it came to the cost of getting a copy of this information so I called them at (866) and was told that each page would cost $2.90. I decided to put my request in writing and mail it to the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD I included all the information I had so far including the publication number, the microfilm number, the name of the former post office and the county in which it had been located. I also included the exact wording contained in the page from the Wisconsin Historical Society publication. I mailed my request on February 14, They sent me back a pre-printed form Quotation for Reproduction Services which showed the copies I was requesting and also asking that I return the form along with a check in the amount of $ I did so on February 27, By April 13, 2009, I had not yet received any information from the National Archives and decided to make a follow-up phone call. I found out they had installed new check scanning equipment and were having trouble processing my personal check. I was told my request and check would be processed as soon as possible. On April 23 rd, I received three pieces of information. The first was the Location Paper from the Office of the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General, Division of Appointments dated April 18, 1905 and completed and signed by my great-uncle Tony Kadlec. The second was the proposed diagram for the Kadlec, Wisconsin Post Office also completed by Tony Kadlec. And the third appears to be a copy of a large ledger page listing several post offices and their respective postmasters including Kadlec, Wisconsin and Antone F. Kadlec. The forms did not really provide any further information than I already had obtained. I was hoping to find out how much money my great-uncle was paid as a postmaster. But it was somehow comforting holding a copy of the same document signed by my great-uncle over one hundred years ago! I started out this search looking for a Kadlec, Wisconsin postmark and found so much more - such is the surprise of genealogy! About the Author: Kristine is a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, a former resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and now lives in Los Angeles, CA. She has studied art, fashion and accessories design at Pasadena City College, Otis Parsons, UCLA and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Kadlec has won numerous awards for her fiber art and also designs and creates furniture collage and wearable art garments. She honors her deceased ancestors by naming some of her artwork after her female Czech relatives. Kristine has spent the past several years doing genealogical research and has discovered that her Kadlec surname means weaver. Further information about the author can be found on her website: www. kristinekadlec.com or Queries Abbreviations Used in Queries aft after d died, death m married aka also known as dau daughter m1 married 1 anc ancestor(s) desc descendant(s) m2 married 2 arr arrived div divorced mo mother bap baptized d/o daughter of par parents bef before emigr emigrate from poss possibly btwn between exch exchange prob probably bro brother fa father res resided bur buried fam family set settled cem cemetery g grand sis sister(s) ca circa gg great/grand s/o son of ch child/children ggg great/great/gd twp township Co County immigr immigrate to unk unknown corres correspond info information Roots in Southeast Jones County, IA? Small Towns website has had a facelift! Welcome to this website for genealogists and historians of the small towns in SE Jones County in eastern Iowa. Czech it out at: or JudyNelson@tampabay.rr.com Looking for More Queries? The CGSI website, has a permanent listing of member queries. So, if you either want to post a query to find something on a family or a town, or to help answer a query give it a look. Village of Mestecko History book The CGSI library has a copy of the book Mestecko, Okres Rakovnik (Frgn Cze 982 Koc) in the Czech language. We would like to have the book translated by pooling funds from people who have relatives from this town. Contact: Diann Biltz diannbiltz@charter.net or Rosie Bodien rosie@bodien.org March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 37

38 Czech Name Days Calendar January (Leden) 1. Nový rok (New Year s Day) 2. Karina 3. Radmila 4. Diana 5. Dalimil 6. Tři králové (The Three Kings) 7. Vilma 8. Čestmír 9. Vladan 10. Břetislav 11. Bohdana 12. Pravoslav 13. Edita 14. Radovan 15. Alice 16. Ctirad 17. Drahoslav 18. Vladislav 19. Doubravka 20. Ilona 21. Běla 22. Slavomír 23. Zdeněk 24. Milena 25. Miloš 26. Zora 27. Ingrid 28. Otýlie 29. Zdislava 30. Robin 31. Marika February (Únor) 1. Hynek 2. Nela, Hromnice 3. Blažej 4. Jarmila 5. Dobromila 6. Vanda 7. Veronika 8. Milada 9. Apolena 10. Mojmír 11. Božena 12. Slavěna 13. Věnceslav 14. Valentýn 15. Jiřina 16. Ljuba 17. Miloslava 18. Gizela 19. Patrik 20. Oldřich 21. Lenka 22. Petr 23. Svatopluk 24. Matěj 25. Liliana 26. Dorota 27. Alexandr 28. Lumír March (Březen) 1. Bedřich 2. Anežka 3. Kamil 4. Stela 5. Kazimír 6. Miroslav 7. Tomáš 8. Gabriela 9. Františka 10. Viktorie 11. Anděla 12. Řehoř 13. Růžena 14. Rút/Matylda 15. Ida 16. Elena/Herbert 17. Vlastimil 18. Eduard 19. Josef 20. Světlana 21. Radek 22. Leona 23. Ivona 24. Gabriel 25. Marián 26. Emanuel 27. Dita 28. Soňa 29. Taťána 30. Arnošt 31. Kvido April (Duben) 1. Hugo 2. Erika 3. Richard 4. Ivana 5. Miroslava 6. Vendula 7. Herman/Hermína 8. Ema 9. Dušan 10. Darja 11. Izabela 12. Julius 13. Aleš 14. Vincenc 15. Anastázie 16. Irena 17. Rudolf 18. Valérie 19. Rostislav 20. Marcela 21. Alexandra 22. Evženie 23. Vojtěch 24. Jiří 25. Marek 26. Oto 27. Jaroslav 28. Vlastislav 29. Robert 30. Blahoslav May (Květen) 1. Svátek práce (Labor Day) 2. Zikmund 3. Alexej 4. Květoslav 5. Květnové povstání českého lidu, 1945 (The Prague Uprising, 1945) Klaudie 6. Radoslav 7. Stanislav 8. Státní svátek: Den osvobození od fašismu, 1945 (National holiday: Liberation from fascism, 1945) 9. Ctibor 10. Blažena Page 38 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

39 11. Svatava Den matek (Mothers Day) 12. Pankrác 13. Servác 14. Bonifác 15. Žofie 16. Přemysl 17. Aneta 18. Nataša 19. Ivo 20. Zbyšek 21. Monika 22. Emil 23. Vladimír 24. Jana 25. Viola 26. Filip 27. Valdemar 28. Vilém 29. Maxmilián 30. Ferdinand 31. Kamila June (Červen) 1. Laura 2. Jarmil 3. Tamara 4. Dalibor 5. Dobroslav 6. Norbert 7. Iveta 8. Medard 9. Stanislava 10. Gita 11. Bruno 12. Antonie 13. Antonín 14. Roland 15. Vít 16. Zbyněk 17. Adolf 18. Milan 19. Leoš 20. Květa 21. Alois 22. Pavla 23. Zdeňka 24. Jan 25. Ivan 26. Adriana 27. Ladislav 28. Lubomír 29. Petr a Pavel 30. Šárka July (Červenec) 1. Jaroslava 2. Patricie 3. Radomír 4. Prokop 5. Státní svátek: Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje (National holiday: Introduction of Christianity by Slavonic Missionaries, Cyril and Methodius) 6. Státní svátek: mistr Jan Hus, 1415 (National holiday: John Hus, 1415) 7. Bohuslava 8. Nora 9. Drahoslava 10. Libuše/Amálie 11. Olga 12. Borek 13. Markéta 14. Karolína 15. Jindřich 16. Luboš 17. Martina 18. Drahomíra 19. Čeněk 20. Ilja 21. Vítězslav 22. Magdaléna 23. Libor 24. Kristýna 25. Jakub 26. Anna 27. Věroslav 28. Viktor 29. Marta 30. Bořivoj 31. Ignác August (Srpen) 1. Oskar 2. Gustav 3. Miluše 4. Dominik 5. Kristián 6. Oldřiška 7. Lada 8. Soběslav 9. Roman 10. Vavřinec 11. Zuzana 12. Klára 13. Alena 14. Alan 15. Hana 16. Jáchym 17. Petra 18. Helena 19. Ludvík 20. Bernard 21. Johana 22. Bohuslav 23. Sandra 24. Bartoloměj 25. Radim 26. Luděk 27. Otakar 28. Augustýn 29. Evelína 30. Vladěna 31. Pavlína September (Září) 1. Linda/Samuel 2. Adéla 3. Bronislav 4. Jindřiška 5. Boris 6. Boleslav 7. Regína 8. Mariana 9. Daniela 10. Irma 11. Denisa 12. Marie 13. Lubor 14. Radka 15. Jolana 16. Ludmila 17. Naděžda 18. Kryštof 19. Zita 20. Oleg 21. Matouš 22. Darina 23. Berta 24. Jaromír 25. Zlata March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 39

40 26. Andrea 27. Jonáš 28. Václav 29. Michal 30. Jeroným October (Říjen) 1. Igor 2. Olívie/Oliver 3. Bohumil 4. František 5. Eliška 6. Hanuš 7. Justýna 8. Věra 9. Štefan/Sára 10. Marina 11. Andrej 12. Marcel 13. Renáta 14. Agáta 15. Tereza 16. Havel 17. Hedvika 18. Lukáš 19. Michaela 20. Vendelín 21. Brigita 22. Sabina 23. Teodor 24. Nina 25. Beáta 26. Erik 27. Šarlota/Zoe 28. Státní svátek: Den vzniku samostatného československého státu, 1918 (National holiday: Origin of the Independent Czechoslovak State, 1918) 29. Silvie 30. Tadeáš 31. Štěpánka November (Listopad) 1. Felix 2. Památka zesnulých (All Souls Day) 3. Hubert 4. Karel 5. Miriam 6. Liběna 7. Saskie 8. Bohumír 9. Bohdan 10. Evžen 11. Martin 12. Benedikt 13. Tibor 14. Sáva 15. Leopold 16. Otmar 17. Den boje studentů za svobodu a demokracii, 1989 (Students Fight for Freedom and Democracy, 1989) Mahulena 18. Romana 19. Alžběta 20. Nikola 21. Albert 22. Cecílie 23. Klement 24. Emílie 25. Kateřina 26. Artur 27. Xenie 28. René 29. Zina 30. Ondřej December (Prosinec) 1. Iva 2. Blanka 3. Svatoslav 4. Barbora 5. Jitka 6. Mikuláš 7. Ambrož 8. Květoslava 9. Vratislav 10. Julie 11. Dana 12. Simona 13. Lucie 14. Lýdie 15. Radana 16. Albína 17. Daniel 18. Miloslav 19. Ester 20. Dagmar 21. Natálie 22. Šimon 23. Vlasta 24. Štědrý den (Christmas Eve) Adam a Eva svátek vánoční (1st Christmas Holiday) Boží hod vánoční (Christmas Day) svátek vánoční (2nd Christmas Holiday) Štěpán 27. Žaneta 28. Bohumila 29. Judita 30. David 31. Silvestr To find out the English equivalent of the Czech male and female names you can visit the website: While on the main page go to the left hand side and Culture link. There you will find the link to Czech Name Days. Click on the Czech Name Days hyperlink and beneath the Monthly List and Alphabetical List of Name Days you will find English and Czech name equivalents hyperlink. Svaty Mikuláš (St. Nicholas) at Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota, December Page 40 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

41 Coming to Lincoln, Nebraska April 30-May 1, 2010: They Came to the Heartland, CGSI s 2010 symposium City Campus Union, University of Nebraska Day 1, Friday April 30, Research or Tour, a choice: CGSI Traveling Library experienced volunteers will be available to help participants explore a wide variety of CGSI s most useful resource materials, Nebraska State Historical Society Library located next door to the Union, this newly remodeled research library offers a wide variety of Nebraska materials, Back to One s Roots Our Ancestors Everyday Lives Shown in Archival Documents, the exhibit from the Czech National Archive will be open, its first viewing outside Minnesota. OR The Czech Spirit Survives in Saline County, Nebraska, an all-day tour (includes kolač break and Czech-style lunch) led by historian and Czech heritage enthusiast, Janet Jeffries. The tour will visit a historic Sokol Hall, Czech cemetery, museum, a library s heritage room and other historic sites in Saline County and the Czech capital of the US, Wilber, Nebraska. Social Mixer event at the Union is included for all symposium registrants. CGSI Sales Table featuring unique Czech maps and books will be available both days. Day 2, Saturday, May 1, Lecture Sessions Czech Immigration Passenger Lists, Leo Baca; Czech Language for Genealogists, Dr. Mila Saskova- Pierce; Czech-American Freethinkers, Dr. Bruce Garver; Homestead Records as a Genealogical Source, Jason Jurgena, Homestead historian; Using the Internet for Genealogical Research, Tom McFarland; Czechs in Kansas, Steve Parke; Czechs in Iowa, Mike Prohaska; DNA and Genealogy, Leo Baca; Traditions and Customs in Czech Rural Life, Dr. Mila Saskova-Pierce; Searching for Your Czech Ancestors -Emphasis on Nebraska Czechs, Margie Sobotka. Also available on Saturday: CGSI Traveling Library and Prague Archive exhibit. Saturday Evening Dinner and Entertainment: A pork dinner with an ethnic twist (optional) will be served at the Nebraska Union with entertainment provided by The Kramer Sisters, who have a Czech repertoire including singing and various folk instruments. Hotel Accommodations: A block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Downtown (historic Haymarket District) has been reserved for symposium attendees. Call early to reserve at a special CGSI rate of $104 per night. CGSI will provide a shuttle from the hotel to the Union (7 blocks away) on Saturday. Registration: Registration form and packet are available at or by request to Wayne Sisel (sisel001@umn.edu), or by mail c/o CGSI, PO Box 16225, St. Paul, MN AND THERE S A Day 3! On Sunday, May 2, although not part of the Symposium, the Nebraska Czechs of Lincoln will hold their 41 st annual festival at the Moose Lodge Center, 4901 N 56 th Street, Lincoln. It s open to the public, admission is free and there will be Czech food, demonstrations, exhibits, and music. March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 41

42 The Librarian s Shelf By Suzette Steppe Theme of This Issue: Czech and Slovak Surnames. Books: There are only a few books in the CGSI library that deal with Surnames. m Frgn Cze 031 Hor Surname Location Reference Booklet: Surnames of Immigrants to North America and their Roots Location as per Slovakia Presently. Compiled by Joseph J. Hornack. No publisher m Frgn Cze 56 Vols. 1-9 Czechoslovak Surname Index. Compiled by Paul Makousky, Joyce Fagerness and other volunteers. Published by Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, St. Paul, MN, These volumes contain the surnames that are being researched by CGSI members. m Frgn Cze 199 Kop Čtenío Jménech. By František Kopečný. Published by Okresní kulturní středisko, Prostějov, This book lists the common Czech given names with various names derived from them. It also lists surnames that were derived from given names. In Czech. m Frgn Cze 378 Mol 1.1 Naše Příjmení / Our Surnames. By Dobrava Moldanová. Published by Agentura Pankrác, s.r.o., Praha, This is an update of the author s 1984 book, which gives an alphabetized list of Czech surnames and their derivation. There is a table of the most common Czech names as of 2002 and their relative frequency given in percentages, and a list of abbreviations and lesser known terms. In Czech. m Frgn Cze 800 V.1 and V.1 Ben Německá Příjmení U Čechů. By Josef Beneš. Published by Univerzita J. E. Purkyně, Ústí nad Labem, This book contains extensive discussions about the derivation of Czech surnames from German. It includes notations of the earliest usage. Other Books that can assist you in your research or contain surnames: m Ref 038 All First Steps in Genealogy, A Beginner s Guide to Researching Your Family History. By Desmond Walls Allen. Published by Betterway Books, Cincinnati, OH,1998. A good basic overview of getting started, this book has an appendix that includes a guide for source citations, and a list of resources. m Frgn Cze 022 Sch A Handbook of Czechoslovak Genealogical Research. By Daniel M. Schlyter. Published by Genun Publishers, Buffalo Grove, IL. Third Printing This book focuses on researching immigrants from the Czechoslovak lands. There are chapters on history, immigration, places, records and sources, Czech, Slovak, German, Latin, and Hungarian word lists. Many useful keyed maps are included, depicting political, provincial and archival districts. m Frgn Cze 073 Mil Genealogical Research for Czech and Slovak Americans. (vol. 2). By Olga K. Miller. Gale Research Company, Detroit, Although some information may be out-dated, there is still some good basic information for the beginning genealogist. m Frgn Cze Hab History of Czechs in America. By Jan Habenicht, translated by Miroslav Koudelka. Published by the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, The author describes the historical development of Czech settlements on a state-by-state basis, includes numerous photographs and illustrations. Maps of states settled by Czech immigrants, showing counties, are included in the appendix. Also included are a listing of Czech-American organizations, surname and geographical indexes. m Frgn Cze 533 Var (Multiple volumes) Soupis poddaných podle víry z roku Published by Státní ústřední archiv, Praha. Register of serfs according to faiths from Towns in each region are listed with names of inhabitants, their relation to each other, marital status, ages, and whether Catholic or non-catholic. In German and Czech. m Frgn Cze Hor Ancestral Tree, Slovakia Roots. By Joseph J. Hornack. No publisher, Surname Location Reference Project. m Frgn Cze Hor Ancestral Tree, Slovakia Roots. By Joseph J. Hornack. No publisher, Surname Location Reference Project. Page 42 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

43 m Frgn Cze 659 Slo Slovak Pride. Compiled by The Slovak Heritage and Folklore Society International. November,1996. This publication contains a list of family names and ancestral villages. m Frgn Cze 694 Sob Index of Names found in the periodical Hospodář (Farmer) (February issues only). Abstracted and compiled by Margie Sobotka, Elkhorn, NE, The index is in three sections: (1) articles, (2) photos, (3) names, location of residence and year. The abstractions were from the February issues only, where most of the personal articles were found. m Frgn Cze 715 Cze Obtaining Genealogical Information From the Czech and Slovak Republic Archives. Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, m Frgn Cze 880 Ben Legionari a československá obec legionarská na Králové hradecku: Bibliografie / Legionnaires and Czechoslovak legionnaires of Hradec Králové: Bibliography. By Jarmila Benyšková, and Jana Šaurová. Published by Okresní knihovna v Hradci Králové, Hradec Králové, This is a bibliography containing 1,968 entries pertaining to legionnaires, and, in particular, the legionnaires of Hradec Králové. In Czech. m Frgn Cze 881 Juz Československý legionari okresu Rychnov nad Kněžnou, / Czechoslovak legionnaires from the region of Rychnov nad Kněžnou, By Josef Juza. Published by Okresní úřad Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, In Czech. Vol 1: general chronology 12 May 1914 through May of Historical data of Russian, Serbian, French and Italian legions including, maps. Register of names of legionnaires with date of birth arranged according to places they served. Vol 2: biographies of legionnaires, listed alphabetically, A to L. Vol 3: biographies of legionnaires, listed alphabetically, M to Z. m Frgn Cze 882 Bra Husitská tradice a československé legie / The Hussite Tradition and the Czechoslovak Legion By Petr Bratka. Published by Husitské muzeum Tábor, A brief history of the Czechoslovak Legion, written in Czech, followed by a register, by towns, of legionnaires from the region of Tábor. Following that is an alphabetical list of legionnaires by name. m Frgn Cze 883 Pos Českoslovenstí legionari z okresu Hradec Králové / Czechoslovak legionnaires from the region of Hradec Králové. By Jaroslava Pospišilová. Published by Muzeum východnich Čech v Hradci Králové, Hradec Králové, The book opens with a brief history of the Czechoslovak Legion, interspersed with photographs and a few personal recollections. Then there is a register, by towns, of legionnaires from the region of Hradec Králové. Following that is a register of legionnaires by name. In Czech m Frgn Cze 906 Top Legionari Berounska / Legionnaires of Beroun By Jiří Topinka and Martin Hampl. Published by Státní okresní archiv Beroun, This is the history of the organizing of legionnaires from the Beroun area. There are a few recollections of veterans, and lists of legionnaires which give name, occupation, date of birth, date they joined, name of legion. There is also a list of men killed with date and place of death. In Czech. m Frgn Cze 987 V. 1 and 2 Terezínská Pamětní Kniha. By Miroslav Karný. Published by Melantrich, Praha, These are memorial volumes of the Jews who were deported to Terezín from Bohemia and Moravia. Volume 2 contains an alphabetical index of the prisoners. m Frgn Cze 1035 Cer V. 1 and 2 Berni Rula Index (Vol. I A-L, Vol. II M-Z). Compiled by Václav Červený & Jarmila Červená. Published by Libri, Praha, These volumes will help ease the genealogist s search in the Berni Rula microfiche files for surnames in Bohemia (Moravia is not included) in the mid-17 th century. The Berni Rula of 1654 was a census of land parcels, farmsteads that paid taxes, or contributions and serfs. Data that was recorded: all farmsteads, town homes, furnishings, land under crops, farm animals, and occupations of those who maintained them, recorded by region, sovereignty, and locality. There s a wealth of other information and statistics in tables, explanations, footnotes that is all in Czech. m Frgn Cze 1194 Alz Finding your Slovak Ancestors. By Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. Published by Heritage Productions, Toronto, CA, This new book fills a real need for those that are looking for assistance on how to research Slovak ancestors. It answers the basic question of where to begin and then leads the reader to the many sources to be found in the U.S., Canada and March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 43

44 Slovakia. Internet research is included as well as a listing of related websites. The LDS continues to microfilm Slovak vital records and this book describes how to access those records. Reflecting the author s personal approach, the book also emphasizes networking and finding Slovak Cluster Communities. m Frgn Cze 1260 V. 1-4 TCG Czech Family Histories. This four volume set contains stories about Czech family genealogy, biographies and memories of early Czech life in the United States, Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Indexed by surname and village. Includes photos. Published by Texas Czech Genealogical Society. m Frgn Cze 1267 Cul History of Slovaks in America. By Konštantín Čulen, translated by Daniel Nečas, edited by Dr. Michael J. Kopanic, Jr and Steven Potach. Published by Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, Konštantín Čulen paints a vivid portrait of early Slovak life in the U.S. He records in detail the experiences of Slovak-Americans, their struggles and triumphs, their strengths and failings, their passions and prejudices, and their fight to achieve unity and justice for the Slovak nation, both in America and in their oppressed homeland. Through his rich an extensive use of early newspaper accounts, letters, eyewitness narratives and other original source materials, Čulen enables us to hear the voice of the Slovak immigrant generation. The result is an absorbing and often dramatic chronicle of the Slovak-American experience. This book provides an indispensable resource for understanding the foundations of Slovak life in America. All surnames and place names are fully-indexed. m Frgn Cze Var Soupis židovských rodin v Čechách z roku 1793; Vols. 1 VI. Published by the Státní ústřední archiv, Prague, Czech Republic, The seven books (volume VI is two books) contain the 1793 census of Jewish names. Each volume is organized by specific kraj s and within each kraj by village. Each Jewish family is listed, the names of head of household, wife and children, whether the family owned any property and occupation. In Czech and German. Are You a Weekend Genealogist? Are you only able to work on your family history on the weekends? Are you frustrated that you are unable to visit the CGSI Library nights on the 2nd Thursday? Good news, CGSI has added a Saturday afternoon library shift for those who are unable to visit the library during the week. Now on the 1st Saturday afternoon of each month, 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m., there will be members of CGSI available at the MGS (Minnesota Genealogical Society) Library to assist you. This gives you the opportunity to check out all of the resources of the Library, ask questions, and get help with your research. Remember the 1st Saturday afternoon of each month we hope to see you at the library! CGSI Lending Library A list of the available books along with a printable Patron Request / Agreement Form is available on the CGSI website ( and in the March 2007 issue of Naše rodina. The list and form will be mailed, upon request to members, who may not have internet access. Patrons may borrow a maximum of 4 books at one time for a period of 3 weeks and will pay all postage, handling and return charges. The lending library is staffed by volunteer, Linda Berney of Grand Island, NE. Lending instructions, policies and other information is posted on the website, or will be mailed to members upon request. Library Volunteers Needed There are many opportunities to volunteer and no experience is required, library training will be provided. This is a great opportunity to become familiar with all of the resources available in the library and to assist other members with their research. There are many great programs that the CGSI and MGS volunteers are responsible for putting together for their members and the Genealogical Library is the largest of these programs. As such it requires a number of people who can donate their time to keep the library maintained and open to its members. You can volunteer as often as you like, once a week or once a month, day or evening shifts. For further information please contact MNGSVolunteers@comcast. net or CGSILibrary@aol.com Periodicals We have issues of various periodicals that have been donated but are not on the shelves due to space limitations. These are stored in the CGSI office and if you have an interest in examining them, please contact Suzette Steppe. The periodicals include Hospodář, Ženské Listy, Jednota, Hlás Národa, Česká Žena and Přítel. Page 44 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

45 Library Collection Research Policy CGSI will do research on selected books and reference material in our library collection. Mostly, these are books with name indexes or are indexes themselves, such as Leo Baca s Czech Passenger Arrival Lists, the ZČBJ (Fraternal Herald) Death Index, the Nebraska/ Kansas Czech Settlers book, and the telephone directories of the Czech and Slovak Republics. A nearly complete list of the CGSI s book, microfilm/fiche, and map collection is available on the website, The collection is searchable by part or all of the title by using any of the following parameters: Is equal to, Contains, Starts with, and Ends with. The books can also be sorted by title and author. Another feature of the on-line library collection is the special notation of those searchable for a fee under the research policy (discussed later). The notation is identified with a capital letter S in the far right margin of the book record. Books may also be searched according to the following categories: Any, Family History, Foreign, Maps and Atlases, Microfilm/Microfiche, Minnesota and United States, Tapes, and Telephone Directories. We cannot accept open-ended research requests such as tell me what you have on the Jan Dvořák family of Minnetonka, Minnesota. When making a research request you must specify which book you want researched and what family, castle, town, etc, for which you want information. The fees for various research are as follows: Telephone Directories of Czech and Slovak Republics - $5.00 for each surname provided (per directory) per member, or $10 for each surname provided (per directory) per non-member, plus 25 cents for each address we find and extract from the book. Other Sources/Books - $5.00 per half hour of research for members or $10.00 per half hour of research for non-members. Expenses for photocopies and additional postage will be billed. The minimum charge of $5.00/member or $10.00/non-member must accompany the request for information. Research is conducted by CGSI volunteers. They will not be able to interpret any information for you that is found in a foreign language. CGSI Library The CGSI Library holdings are housed within the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) Library which is located at 1185 Concord St N, Suite 218 in South St. Paul, MN* (Across the Street from the Marathon Gas Station). Parking is available in lots on the north or south end of the building and on the east side of Concord St. MGS Library telephone number: (651) MGS Library hours: Wed, Thurs, Sat 10:00 A.M. 4:00 P.M. Tue, Thurs 6:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M. The second Thursday night of each month is Czech and Slovak night. The first Saturday afternoon of the month has been recently added as Czech and Slovak day. During these hours, the library is staffed by CGSI volunteers who are there to assist you in locating the resources you need in your research. *Please do not send mail to this address, instead continue to send it to the P.O. Box. Remember to visit us the 1 st Saturday of each month at our new location! 1:00-4:00 p.m. Advertising Rates We will accept limited advertising. We generally do not accept ads for products, only services. The rates for the following approximate ad sizes are: full page (7 x 9 ) - $150; one-half page (7 x 4½ ) - $90; one-half column (3a x 4½ ) - $50; and column width (3a x 2 ) - $35. Prices are per issue. All submitted advertisements must be camera-ready. Queries are free to members. Ads must be approved by newsletter committee March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 45

46 Sales Order Form (All Items Include Shipping Costs) NEW! 1 Czech Dictionary and Phrasebook $ by M. Burilkova, 223 pages 2 Beginners Czech by Iva Cerna & $ Johann Machalek, 167 pgs 3 Czech/Eng & Eng/Czech Dictionary $ by Nina Trnka, 594 pgs 4 Czech/English & English/Czech Dictionary $ by FIN, Olomouc, CR 1102 pp, hardcover 5 Czech Phrasze Book by Nina Trnka, $ ideal for tourists, 149 pgs 6 My Slovakia: An American s View $ by Lil Junas, hardcover, 56 pages 7 Map of Czech Grammar, 8 pages showing $ 5.00 nouns, verbs, cases, etc 8 Children s Illustrated Czech Dictionary, $ pages 9 Beginners Slovak by Elena Letnanova, $ pgs 10 Slovak-English & English/Slovak Dictionary and $ Phrasebook by S. & J. Lorinc, 155 pgs 11 Slovak/Eng & Eng/Slovak Dictionary $ by Nina Trnka, 359 pgs 12 Česká Republika Auto map, $ : scale 13 Czech Republic Hiking maps $ 7.00 (97 maps in series) 1:50000 scale 14 Czech Republic Tourist maps $ 7.00 (46 maps in series) 1: scale 15 Czech Republic Auto Atlas, 1: scale $ Slovak-American Touches by Toni Brendel $ Slovak recipes, dance groups, etc. 192 pgs. 17 Album of Bohemian Songs $ Slovak Republic Hiking maps $ 7.00 (58 in series) 1:50000 scale 19 Slovak Republic Tourist maps $ 7.00 (29 in series) 1: scale 20 Slovak Republic Auto Atlas, $ : scale w/postal codes, 176 pp. 21 History of Czechs in America $ by Jan Habenicht, 595 pgs Item No. Qty. Each Price Totals Total Amount Paid Name Address City St Zip Make check payable to CGSI, and mail to Czechoslovak Genealogical Society Int l., P.O. Box 16225, St. Paul, MN Prices subject to change without notice. Items may not always be available on demand. Refunds will be made for items which are not available. Note: Depending on weight, postage outside of the U.S. will generally be higher. We will bill for any difference in costs. 3/10 22 To Reap a Bountiful Harvest (Czech $ Immigration Beyond the Mississippi, 1850 to 1900) by Stepanka Korytova-Magstadt 23 Czechoslovakia: A Short Chronicle of $ ,094 Days by Miroslav Koudelka, 20 pgs 24 Brief History of the Czech Lands $ in English 25 Tales of the Czechs $ 8.00 History and Legends of Czech people 26 Gateway to a New World Czech/Slovak $ community in St. Paul, Minnesota s West End district 27 New Prague, Minnesota Cemetery inventory, $ over 200 pgs 28 Pioneer Stories of Minnesota Czech $ Residents ( ) 29 Czech Heritage Coloring Book $ 6.00 by NE Czechs of Wilber 30 History of Slovakia A Struggle for $ Survival by Kirschbaum 31 History of the Slovaks of Cleveland and $ Lakewood, OH, 301 pgs 32 Slovakia in Pictures, $ Lerner Publications, 64 pgs 33 Slovakia The Heart of Europe, $ pgs hardcover 34 Visiting Slovakia Tatras by Jan Lacika, $ pgs 35 Slovak Recipes $ 7.25 By Sidonka Wadina and Toni Brendel 36 Bohemian-American Cookbook $ by Marie Rosicky in Cherished Czech Recipes $ 7.25 by Pat Martin, 143 pgs 38 Czech and Slovak Touches by Pat Martin $ Czech and Slovak Folk Costumes by Jitka Stan- $ kova and Ludvik Baran. In Czech with English summary. 152 pgs w/ color photos. 40 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 1, $ 6.00 May 1989 (946 surnames) 41 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 2 $ 6.00 Feb 1990 (1250 surnames) 42 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 3 $ 6.00 June 1992 (1719 surnames) 43 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 4 $ 6.00 Feb 1993 (1700 surnames) 44 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 5 $ 6.00 May 1994 (1509 surnames) 45 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 6 $ 6.00 March 1995 (1745 surnames) 46 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 7 $ 6.00 Jan 1999 (1520 surnames) 47 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 8 $ 6.00 Sept 2002 (1423 surnames) 48 Czechoslovak Surname Index Vol 9 $ 6.00 March 2006 (1451 surnames) 49 Finding Your Slovak Ancestors $ by Lisa Alzo, 385 pgs. 50 Czechs in Chicagoland by Malynne Sternstein, $ pages 51 History of Slovaks in America $ by Konstantin Culen, 411 pgs. To see photos of these items and some additional information please visit our website: < NEW! NEW! NEW! Page 46 Naše rodina March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1

47 Calendar of Events -Mark Yours If you have a question write the webmaster at info@cgsi.org or call our number (651) to leave a voice mail message. Your call will be returned. June 2009 June 2010 Treasures from the National Collection Folk Costumes, ornate crystal, porcelain, etc. Where: Cedar Rapids Museum of Art rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA Further info: March 27, 2010 (Saturday) 12:30 4:00 CGSI Quarterly Membership Meeting Becoming an American: Immigration The process, the law and the records. Our immigrant ancestors became Americans somehow. Learn where to find these records and what they can tell us about our family history. Lecture by Thomas K. Rice, CG 1185 Concord St N, South St. Paul, MN Further info: March 27, 2010 (Saturday) 11 am 8 pm Annual Czech Festival American Czech Educational Center 4690 Lansdowne, St. Louis, MO Further info: (314) or April 7 10, 2010 (Wednesday Saturday) Czech and Slovak Americans: International Perspectives from the Great Plains Center for Great Plains Studies University of Nebraska Lincoln Further info: cgps@unl.edu April 11, 2010 (Sunday) hours 11-4 Omaha Czech/Slovak Folklore Festival Omaha Sokol Hall, 21 st & U Sts Sponsor: Omaha Czech Cultural Club Info: April 30 May 1, 2010 (Friday, Saturday) CGSI Lincoln Symposium City Campus Union at University of NE Lincoln More details on Page 41 in this issue Registration form on website: Further info Wayne Sisel: sisel001@umn.edu May 2, 2010 (Sunday) Nebraska Czechs of Lincoln Festival Moose Lodge Family Center 4901 N 56th St, Lincoln, Nebraska Further info: Deb (402) CGSI will have a sales table here! June 11-13, 2010 (Friday Sunday) Czechoslovakian Collectors Association Annual Convention and Auction Hilton North, Castleton, Indiana Special Guest: Jiri Harcuba, Czech Glass engraver, demo and lecture. Further info: June 17-19, 2010 (Thursday Saturday) Tabor, South Dakota Czech Festival 62 nd Annual Czech Days Celebration Info: Tabor, SD Chamber of Commerce Telephone: (605) Further info: June 19-20, 2010 (Saturday, Sunday) 27th Annual Czech-Slovak Community Festival Phillips, Wisconsin Phillips High School, 990 Flambeau Ave CGSI will have a Sales table here! Further info: September 4-5, 2010 (Saturday, Sunday) 150th Anniversary of St. Wenceslaus Church Spillville, Iowa Community Celebration CGSI will have Traveling Library on Saturday CGSI sales material will also be available Info: Eileen Tlusty: elt52154@hotmail.com October 26-29, 2011 (Wednesday Saturday) CGSI s 13th Genealogical/Cultural Conference Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel, St. Louis, MO Call for Papers due on April 30, 2010 For more info on the Call for Papers visit the CGSI website at: or contact, Paul Makousky, 2011 Conference Chair at: PaulMCzech@comcast.net March 2010 Vol. 22 No. 1 Naše rodina Page 47

48 Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International P.O. Box St. Paul, MN Address Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO ST. PAUL, MN ISSN Coming In The June 2010 Issue - Glass Production at Slovglass Poltar, s.r.o. History of Bohemian Glassmaking Made in Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Perfumes 101 Five Strategies for Finding Female Ancestors Hennepin County, Minnesota Marriage Records Don t Forget to Register for the 2010 Lincoln Symposium! A great educational and networking opportunity. Further information is shown on page 41. Display window near the front entrance to Beranek Glassworks in Škrdlovice, the Czech-Moravian Highlands in Czech Republic. Photo courtesy of Paul Makousky, CGSI website: