Crossing the pond—Jan and Anna Macek’s family

My decades-long search for the people of my past has often been perplexing, but at least these ancestors have been in America for centuries. My most recent European-born ancestors were three German great-great grandparents and two English great-great-great grandparents. My wife Dee’s paternal grandfather was born in Belgium and six of her eight great grandparents were Czech subjects of the Austrian monarchy. That has made for some interesting challenges.

Useful resources

My first significant foray into European records was an exploration of Dee’s Belgian ancestry. More recently, I have begun to investigate Czech ancestors including the family of her great-great grandparents Jan and Anna Macek. Unfamiliar languages and shifting national allegiances have been a greater challenge in central Europe than they were in Belgium. One advantage has been that, like Dee’s Flemish ancestors in Belgium, her Czech ancestors can be found in the extensive records of the Roman Catholic Church.

A few of the online resources that I have found useful are

• Czech Republic Genealogy in the FamilySearch Wiki
• Czech Genealogy for Beginners
• Czech-Bavarian archival resources at Porta Fontium
• Czech Regional Archives at Prague
• Czech Regional Archives at Trebon
• Czech months and dates
• Czech/American names
• Old German handwriting, especially Beispiele (Examples)
• Google Translate

Why would I be interested in old German handwriting? Because until the conclusion of World War I, the Czech lands of Bohemia and Moravia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria is Germanic. I am vaguely familiar with German, but their script has changed considerably over time. German rendering of old Czech language can be very difficult.

Knowing where to look

Dee’s grandfather Joseph Dlouhy was the youngest child of Anton Dlouhy and Barbora Macek, immigrants from Bohemia. Their families lived in Czech neighborhoods on the west side of Chicago and nearby suburbs. Shopkeepers spoke Czech and news was reported in the Denní hlasatel (Daily Herald). Dee’s mother reported that her grandparents spoke Czech in their homes and that she was able to talk with them because she gained an elementary understanding of the language.

We can fairly easily learn about these Czech-Americans in recent generations but how do we have any idea where to look for their families in the old country?

We have to start with what we know about their life in America. This will tell us who they were as immigrants and hopefully provide a few clues about where they came from. Personal accounts, naturalization records for citizenship, and ship passenger manifests might identify origins. The more we know before jumping the pond, the less likely we are to be researching the wrong family.

In this article, I am investigating the birth family of Barbora Macek, Dee’s great grandmother. Here is a notice of Barbora’s departure from this life:

This notice, probably from the Denní Hlasatel,^[1] reveals quite a few things.

• First, it tells me I had better have some translation tool at hand because I don’t know the Czech language.
• Barbora Dlouhy lived at 1429 South 58^th Court.
• She died at 5:00 in the morning on 30 November 1947.
• She was 84 years old.
• She was born in the Tábor region of Bohemia.
• She was a member of the Č.S.P.J., which I need to identify.
• Her funeral service was to be held on Wednesday, December 3 in the chapel of Urbánek and Son, 3814 W. 26^th Street, with burial in the Bohemian National Cemetery.
• She was survived by daughters Marie Macek, Bessie Chaloupka and Mildred Herbeck.
• She was preceded in death by daughter Emma Malina.
• She was survived by sons Frank, James and Joseph.
• She was survived by brother Alois and sister Antonie Chalupnícek.

Barbara Dlouhy’s death registration with the State of Illinois reported her date of birth as 4 October 1863 and identified her parents as John Macek and Anna Ratbar.^[2] As with all birth information in death records, these are important clues, but we should be mindful of the possibility that whoever provided the information was not present at her birth.

Dee’s mother Dorothy Van Zandt and her mother Rose Dlouhy were able to share personal knowledge of Barbora’s family in Chicagoland. Barbora was, of course, spelled Barbara in English-language records and accounts. One thing they couldn’t tell me, however, was where Barbora had come from in Bohemia. The death notice tells us that she was born in the Tábor region, which is more than we would otherwise know. If I could find the ship manifest for her voyage to America, that would probably be more specific.

This is where investigating collateral ancestors proved to be helpful. Dee’s grandmother Rose Dlouhy, Barbora’s daughter-in-law, told me that Barbora’s older sister Anna Juza had come to America before Barbora. The passenger list recording the Juza family’s departure from Hamburg identifies their previous home as Ponanec, Böhmen (Bohemia).^[3]

With the help of Wikipedia and Google Maps, I found Pohnánec northeast of Tábor in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. This knowledge directed me to look for Barbora Macek’s family in the Třeboň archives of South Bohemia.

Barbora Macek’s birth in Bohemia

Investigation of digitized parish records of the Roman Catholic Church in the Třeboň archives revealed a list of registers for the Pohnání parish, which includes records for Pohnánec. These registers looked like a good place to start searching for Barbora and her family. An index of births, marriages and deaths is available here to assist in finding records. This index states that Barbora Macek was born on 3 October 1863 and tells me that her record is on page 118 of register VIII, which I correctly guessed to be the register of births for 1854-1885. Image 118 shows page 116 of this register; image 120 reveals Barbora’s birth record.^[4]

As I have already stated, I don’t know modern Czech, let alone the language of the mid-1800s. There is information in Barbora’s birth registration that I have not been able to make sense of with Google Translate, but there is much to learn from the record:

• Barbora was born 3 October 1863 
• She was baptized 4 October 1863 by Frantisek Kweton.
• She was Catholic, female, and a product of marriage.
• Barbora’s father was Jan Macek.
• Jan seems to have held a position of authority at Polánka. Google Translate suggested some sort of nobility, but I was skeptical of that translation of an obsolete term. I asked for assistance interpreting his occupation (vrchnostenský poklásný) on the Facebook page for the Czech & Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois. A research angel named Irena explained that poklasný (with short a) used to supervise work on the farm, in the fields (operations, production); vrchnostenský implies that he worked for the vrchnost, meaning nobility, owners of the estate.
• Jan’s father was Matej Macek: ‘syn Mateje Macka’ means son of Matej Macek.
• The ‘+’ sign before Matej’s name indicates that he was deceased.
• Matej had been a poklasný from Dobronich.
• Jan’s mother was Marie, also deceased.
• Marie was the daughter of Jan Zoubek, deceased, from Krěčeč or someplace of similar name.
• Jan Zoubek was a peasant farmer (sedlak).
• Barbora’s mother was Anna, daughter of Josef Rotpaur: ‘dcera Josefa Rotpaura’ means daughter of Josef Rotpaur.
• Josef might have been a gamekeeper.
• Josef was from Kladrub in the district of Tábor.
• Anna’s mother Barbora was a daughter of Vojtech Bednár, deceased.
• Vojtech was from Kladrub.
• Barbora was born at Ovčin Polánka house 25.
• Barbora’s godparents appear to have been Jozef Rotpaur and his sister Maria.
• The midwife was Barbora Slivka of Pohnaní.

Jan and Anna’s beginnings

Information from Barbora Macek’s birth registration helped me find records of her parents’ births and marriage:

• Jan Macek was born 7 July 1814 in Dobronic. His birth was recorded as the last entry on page 74 of Chýnov births, 1807-1819.^[5] This record is written in the old German Fraktur script.

• Anna Rotbauer was born 24 October 1831 in Kladerub. Her birth was recorded on page 197 of Chýnov births, 1819-1841.^[6]

• Jan Macek and Anna Rothbauer were married 5 October 1858 at Ovčin Polánka, as recorded on page 35 of Pohnáni marriages, 1847-1879.^[7] Jan was 44 years old and Anna was 27.

As with Barbora’s birth registration, additional information and spelling variations can be found in these records. Anna’s paternal surname looks Germanic to me rather than Slavic. Further research might reveal the origins of the Rothbauer family.

Jan and Anna’s children

I have found evidence of several children born to Jan and Anna:

• Maria Macek was born 25 March 1850 in Kladerub as recorded on page 11 of Chýnov births, 1834-1898.^[8] Maria married Matej Kulweit 22 August 1871 as recorded on page 68 of Chýnov marriages, 1847-1878.^[9]
• Josef Macek was born 3 April 1854 in Kladerub as recorded on page 16 of Chýnov births, 1834-1898.^[10] I have not yet found further record of Josef’s life. I wonder if he might have followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps to work elsewhere on another estate. Josef might have been the father of Richard Macek who married Barbora Macek’s daughter Mary Dlouhy. Dorothy Van Zandt thought that Richard was Barbora’s nephew. Richard and Mary’s marriage record identified his father as Joseph Macek.^[11] Richard’s passenger list entry in 1906 reveals that his ticket was purchased by an uncle and that he was traveling to the home of his uncle Alois Macek in Chicago.^[12]

• Anna Macek was born 20 June 1856 in Kladerub as recorded on page 18 of Chýnov births, 1834-1898.^[13] Anna married Karel Juza 21 March 1883 in Pohnánec as recorded on page 18 of Pohnání marriages, 1879-1926.^[14] Karel and Anna emigrated to the United States where they settled in Barron County, Wisconsin.
• Josefa Macek was born 18 March 1859 at Ovčin Polánka as recorded on page 67 of Pohnání births, 1854-1885.^[15] Josefa married Vaclav Halama 12 Nov 1883 in Pohnání as recorded on page 20 of Pohnání marriages, 1879-1926.^[16] Vaclav and Josefa emigrated to the United States, where he was known as James, and settled in Chicago.
• Kristina Macek was born 11 July 1861 at Ovčin Polánka as recorded on page 90 of Pohnání births, 1854-1885.^[17] Kristina married Jan Herout 13 November 1882 in Pohnání as recorded on page 15 of Pohnání marriages, 1879-1926.^[18]
• As previously noted, Barbora Macek was born 3 October 1863 at Ovćin Polánka. Her birth was recorded on page 118 of Pohnání births, 1854-1885.^[19] Barbora married Anton Dlouhy 9 February 1889 in Cook County, Illinois. Their marriage record is indexed here on FamilySearch.^[20]
• Jan Macek was born 13 April 1866 at Ovčin Polánka as recorded on page 151 of Pohnání births, 1854-1885.^[21] I haven’t found any further record of son Jan.
• Frantisek Macek was born 13 March 1869 in Dobronice as recorded on page 43 of Chýnov births, 1835-1894.^[22] Frantisek married Jozefa Zoubek 24 November 1896 in Pohnání as recorded on page 62 of Pohnání marriages, 1879-1926.^[23]
• Alois Macek was born 14 October 1871 in Dobronice as recorded on page 48 of Chýnov births, 1835-1894.^[24] Alois married Antonina Lukes 8 November 1903 in Chicago. Their marriage record is indexed here.^[25] Alois and Antonina lived in Chicago before moving to Van Buren County, Michigan.
• Antonin Macek was born 10 March 1874 in Dobronice as recorded on page 53 of Chýnov births, 1835-1894.^[26] I haven’t found any further record of Antonin but I suspect that he died young.
• Antonie Macek was born 10 November 1877 in Pohnání as recorded on page 264 of Pohnání births, 1854-1885.^[27] Antonie married Frank Chalupnicek 9 April 1902 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Their marriage record is indexed here.^[28]

Where did Jan and Anna live?

We know from their birth records that Jan Macek was born in Dobronice and presumably grew up there. Likewise, Anna Rothbauer was born and probably raised in Kladerub. Both were in the area northeast of Tábor.

We can get a good idea where they lived for part of their adult lives by noting locations in birth records for their children.

When Maria, Josef and Anna were born in 1850, 1854 and 1856, Anna lived at Kladerub and Jan was at Polánka. Statek Polánka today is located at Na Polánce, 391 43 Ratibořské Hory, Czechia. This farm estate is the site of a livestock breeder. In the mid-nineteenth century it was known as Ovćin Polánka, an estate that was a sheepfold (ovćin). Jan was apparently a supervisor for the noble estate owner. Jan and Anna were married at Polánka in 1858.

When Josefa, Kristina, Barbora and Jan were born in 1859, 1861, 1863 and 1866, Jan and Anna lived at Polánka.

When Frantisek, Alois and Antonin were born in 1869, 1871 and 1874, Jan and Anna lived in Dobronice.

A census was taken in 1869 but I have not found enumerations for either Polánka or Dobronice.

When Antonie was born in 1877, Jan and Anna lived in Pohnání.

Jan and Anna were recorded in an 1880 census enumeration, living in Pohnání.^[29] Anna was incorrectly reported as Jan’s daughter. Josefa, Krystina, Barbora, Frantisek, Alois and Antonie were listed on the next page. Note that sons Jan and Antonin were not in the household. Jan, if still living, might have been working elsewhere as a farmhand or apprentice. Antonin’s absence almost certainly indicates an early death.

Jan and Anna’s endings

Jan Macek died 30 November 1889 in Pohnánec as recorded on page 109 of Pohnání deaths, 1876-1897.^[30] He was buried in Pohnaní, probably in the church burial ground.

Anna was enumerated with Antonie in Pohnání for the 1890 census.^[31] Frantisek and Alois were also recorded in the household but later crossed out.

In 1900 Anna was recorded in her son Frantisek’s household in Pohnánec.^[32]

An Anna Macek died 1 January 1901 in Chicago, Illinois, but I am doubtful that this was Jan’s wife and Barbora’s mother. This Anna was reportedly born in 1837 and is buried with Alois Macek, born in 1835, according to their gravestones in the Bohemian National Cemetery.^[33]

An Anna Macek was listed in 1910 as the mother-in-law in the household of Jan Vandrovec. This Anna was born in Blanice in 1860.^[34]

Jan and Kristina Herout were listed in Pohnánec for the 1910 census with a daughter and two sons.^[35] I haven’t found any other members of Jan and Anna Macek’s family in either Pohnánec or Pohnání in 1910.

I don’t yet know what became of our Anna Macek at the end of her life. Did she die in Bohemia or emigrate to America with some of her offspring? In researching family history, there is always more to learn about known and unknown ancestors. It has been stated that genealogy might be the only endeavor where every mystery solved introduces two new challenges as we look for the parents of newly discovered ancestors.

Extended families

Families lived and intermarried within their communities. If you have been observant in examining records referenced in this article, you will have noted some family links. Among the families found in these registers with ties to each other are Bednar, Hrbek, Juza, Macek, Pospichal, Prochaska, Rothbauer and Zoubek.

Many family relationships can be found by noting witnesses, parents, dwelling numbers and references to other communities, then looking in relevant registers. Watching for given names that run in families can be helpful, but remember that therefor the right name doesn’t mean the right person. If you have the patience, discoveries can be made by reading registers page by page. Do you remember cranking reels of microfilm? Exploring old registers often requires thought and perseverance but can be very rewarding.

Notes

^[1] Obituary Dates from the Denni Hlasatel, 1940-1949, published by the Chicago Genealogical Society, lists an obituary for Barbora Dlouhy in the 1 Dec 1947 issue.

^[2] “Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3ZM-ZHF : 8 March 2018), Barbara Dlouhy, 30 Nov 1947; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,991,968.

^[3] Staatsarchiv Hamburg; Hamburg, Deutschland; Hamburger Passagierlisten; Volume: 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 049 B; Page: 1349; Microfilm No.: K_1730; Original data: Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Bestand: 373-7 I, VIII (Auswanderungsamt I). Mikrofilmrollen K 1701 – K 2008, S 17363 – S 17383, 13116 – 13183; accessed at Ancestry.com, Staatsarchiv Hamburg. Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008.

^[4] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, births 1854-1885, page 118; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6536/120.

^[5] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, births 1807-1819, page 74; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4224/72.

^[6] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, births 1819-1841, page 197; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4225/197.

^[7] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, marriages 1847-1879, page 35; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6539/33.

^[8] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, births 1834-1898, page 11; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4229/14.

^[9] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, marriages 1847-1878, page 68; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4236/69.

^[10] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, births 1834-1898, page 16; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4229/19.

^[11] “Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N327-3GV : 2 April 2020), Richard Macek and Mary Dlouhy, 22 Jan 1910; citing Marriage, St Joseph, Berrien, Michigan, , Citing Secretary of State, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 4209131.

^[12] Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715, 8892 rolls. NAI: 300346. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives at Washington, D.C., Year: 1906; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 26; Page Number: 142; accessed at Ancestry.com, New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

^[13] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, births 1834-1898, page 18; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4229/21.

^[14] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, marriages 1879-1926, page 18; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6540/25.

^[15] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, births 1854-1885, page 67; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6536/69.

^[16] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, marriages 1879-1926, page 20; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6540/27.

^[17] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, births 1854-1885, page 90; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6536/92.

^[18] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, marriages 1879-1926, page 15; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6540/18.

^[19] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, births 1854-1885, page 118; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6536/120.

^[20] “Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7D2-VTT : 10 March 2018), Anton Dlouhy and Barbara Mackova, 09 Feb 1889.

^[21] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, births 1854-1885, page 151; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6536/153.

^[22] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, births 1835-1894, page 43; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4228/44.

^[23] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, marriages 1879-1926, page 62; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6540/69.

^[24] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, births 1835-1894, page 48; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4228/49.

^[25] “Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N74D-WXD : 10 March 2018), Alois Macek and Antonina Lukes, 08 Nov 1903.

^[26] Roman Catholic Church registers, Chýnov parish, Chýnov, births 1835-1894, page 53; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/4228/54.

^[27] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, births 1854-1885, page 264; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6536/266.

^[28] “Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N74Q-128 : 10 March 2018), Frank Chalupnicek and Antonia Macek, 09 Apr 1902.

^[29] South Bohemian Census, State District Archives Tábor, Mladá Vožice judicial district, Pohnání, 1880; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/631436/2.

^[30] Roman Catholic Church registers, Pohnání parish, Ratibořské Hory, deaths, 1876-1897, page 109; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/6543/110.

^[31] South Bohemian Census, State District Archives Tábor, Mladá Vožice judicial district, Pohnánec, 1890; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/631691/13.

^[32] South Bohemian Census, State District Archives Tábor, Mladá Vožice judicial district, Pohnánec, 1900; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/632423/5.

^[33] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139246050/anna-macek : accessed 26 September 2020), memorial page for Anna Macek (1837–1901), Find a Grave Memorial no. 139246050, citing Bohemian National Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by Grave Recorder (contributor 47359603) .

^[34] South Bohemian Census, State District Archives Tábor, Mladá Vožice judicial district, Pohnánec, 1910; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/632661/17.

^[35] South Bohemian Census, State District Archives Tábor, Mladá Vožice judicial district, Pohnánec, 1910; online at Digital Archives of State Regional Archives Třeboň: https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/632661/35.