Any Czechs out there?

[jarcoo0153]

I am of czech decent, and am just enthralled with the czech culture, language, and traditional music. My great great grandfather Josef Gajdosik came over in 1890 and settled in Needville texas. He married my great great grandmother Marie Kulcak and had nine children, she died from a brain aneurysm and then he married Josefine and had nine more children. Josef and Marie's daughter Annie, married my great grandfather Pete Matak, a Czech immigrant himself, he came over with his dad when he was just sixteen years old, right before WWI broke out. They were trying to get settled so that his father could go back to get the rest of the family. His father went back but because of the war they never made it back to America. Pete and Annie got married and had nine children, The moved to a small Czech town called Bennview, today know as La Salle Texas,( It is just miles away from where LaSalle settled near Garcitas Creek) They farmed about 30 acres during the great depression. The also raised Cows, Pigs, Chickens, Ducks, Turkeys, ect. That is what they ate, because they didn't have much money to buy things. They were all hard workers and very determined people. I am very proud of my Czech Heritage, I would love to hear other people's family stories even if your not Czech. As a nation of Immigrants, I feel that it is important that we keep these stories alive!

 

[Me and my two Chicks]

I'm Czech but I dont know much about my heritage. I know my great grand parents came to NY and ran a farm but thats it. My grandfather past away in 1990 and he didnt have any family left. I wish I knew more and more about the culture

 

[jarcoo0153]

I am just thrilled that someone responded to this topic! Around west texas, there isn't many czechs out here, I can count them one one hand! I have had to do a LOT of research to find all of this out. At first my grandpa and his brothers and sisters didn't really talk about the past much, but I started finding things online and other cousins began researching and it was like pulling teeth, but we finally got them to start talking about the past and what they remembered. I still can't find any info about his father's side. I found out a lot of information at www.familysearch.org. If you know some of your relatives' names and some dates, you might find something out.
Good luck!

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

Another full blooded Czech here....my mother's family is Slovak and dad's was from Bohemia....my grandmother came thru Ellis island in 1913, grandfather sometime a little earlier than that thru Canada. Lived a couple miles apart is Czechoslovakia....she is Hrushovem, he in Lubina...but did not meet till they both immigrated to St. Louis and were married there in 1915. I don't know when my fathers family came here from Bohemia, but am led to believe it was many years earlier than that. We recently had a family reunion on my mother's side and pulled out all the Czech things we own and now my grandmother's great great granddaughters have worn her costume! Knee's won't let me polka anymore, miss that terrible, my father was my favorite dance partner! Still make nut roll's, kolacky, kielbasa, etc. Nice to see another person of like heritage...good luck in your search!

 

[jarcoo0153]

Your family has such a neat story too! Well, I am not full blooded czech, but I am 1/3rd, but I have been listening to czech polka music and singing it in czech since I was about 4 or 5 yrs old ( I still do not know what I am saying, just a few words here and there.), now I am 21. I tried making Poppyseed Kolaches last year, but they didn't rise.

So I guess I will try again ! My grandpa , now 83 and I still make Moravian sausage, we still use the same recipie that his grandpa brought over in 1890. Some of us grandsons make it and the girls get involved too. We give a few rings to friends, and they ask us what brand it is and they are shocked to find out that we make it ourselves. I'm gald that you posted!

 

[ultasol]

My paternal grandfather was from the former Yugoslavia. He died when I was in my mid teens, and I wish I had asked him what part of Yugoslavia he was from. He worked as a coal miner in PA and ended up with black lung and emphysema.

 

[jarcoo0153]

That is sad that he had to suffer like that!

 

[PipiOli]

Hi everyone

I am full 100% Czech. I love all your stories. Unfortunately mine is not at all so colorful. I moved to Bay Area, Ca 7 years ago and I am the only one who ever left Czech. All my family is back in Czech. I come from Moravian part of Czech. But my grandmother was Slovakian. So I have big family in Slovakia too. And I was born in Czechoslovakia.
I am married now to american husband, two dogs and my 5 hens. But since I realized that America is my new home forever I am desperate to save my heritage and my origins. I try to teach my family about the big Eastern celebrations and traditions. And We celebrate Christmas on 24th eve and 25th morning (to keep american traditions).
I love all zech and always ask my mom to send me old traditional czech items to keep in my collection.
I would love to purchase old Slovakian folk costume.
There are quite fer Czechs in Bay Area. I know few. But I do not have any tight circle of them around me.

I became very traditional and patriotic since i left Czech.

So interesting to find this article here on backyardchickens.
I actually have 5 hen in my backyard...
But my beautiful hen Katerina died on Saturday night...

click to see bigger picture...

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

You might enjoy receiving emails from [email protected] he provides a lot of information and the website is nice too. Another site is slovakic.com it is for the Slovak Import Company and he carries traditional items and has access to costumes. He also sends out an email that is helpful. Glad to meet you!!

 

[Okie Amazon]

My heritage is Bohemian. My family originally was from the village of Domazlice . All these years later I find out that that was one of the locations of three German Shepherd breeding/training facilities. Sure would like to know if my ancestors were involved with the kennel, since I raise and train German Shepherds.