Thursday, December 17, 2009

Charlie Slechta's Fishing Decoy

Charles Paul Slechta (Charlie) (1876-1958)

Carver

Charles Slechta was born in 1876 in Le Suer County of Minnesota. He worked as a mechanic for the Ford Motor Company.

(Note: Death date in article in incorrect)
Click to Enlarge

Photo provided by Lindsay (Slechta ) Nelson

Charlie started learning metal working from his father (Charles) which his father learned in Bohemia before her came to the U.S. The picture above is of one of his many decoys. His brother Thomas loved to fish and used his decoys often. Tom caught many fish with the decoys and was featured in Minnesota papers a few times with ( at the time ) a record catch. I have those articles, but not currently in a digital format.

Link to original posting

Slechta in Bohemian literature

A history of Bohemian literature

By Francis Lützow (hrabě)

Here is a link to a page on Google books. The name John Slechta is refrenced there.

Slechta: A history of Bohemian literature

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Correspondence

David Slechta December 15 at 7:27pm Report

You sent me an e-mail around the middle of the year asking about our family name. I still haven't located the information, but will pass it on to you as soon as I find it. I saved your e-mail. As I recall, my grandfather, Joseph Slechta came to the U.S. from Bohemia when he was a small child. He ended up in Peoria, Il and had four sons. If we are related I think that it would have to be further back. Sorry I haven't found anything, but my free time to look is limited.

Paul Slechta December 15 at 7:13pm

No problem. I understand the limited time all to well. I appreciate your time. I would guess we are related at some point and the Czech Republic is most likely where all the answers are. Someday I will get what I am looking for, but I know I will have to hire a genealogist from there again to get the information

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Re: word šlechta has not bohemian orgin

If you what to see the entire thread for the response below , follow this link.

http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=1861&p=localities.ceeurope.histreg.bohemia

Re: word šlechta has not bohemian orgin

TilmanB (View posts)

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 6:56AM

Classification: Query

Hi,

in order to avoid misunderstandings, I would like to add to what has been said re. the origins of "Slechta".

1. Slechta - Bohemian or not?
From how I understand it, the origins are beyond any doubt 'Bohemian' - which always includes Czech AND German. But then, etymologically the word seems to have been *connected* with the German word 'Geschlecht' (based on a single website I can see for this - but maybe there are more sources ...).

Is it a Czech word then? I would say, it IS, no doubt. Even if it was a loan word (from German), which isn't corroborated sofar.

Generally, with etymological (like with any other) research, we have to be careful not to jump to conclusions: Till now, there seems to be a Slechta-Geschlecht connection, but it's an interpretation only and an assumption to say, that Slechta was acually derived from that German word. Not by any means a solid fact, set in stone, unless somebody more knowledgeable with this can jump in and solidify the assumption.

2. Slechta and Schlechter
I didn't look up the meaning & origins of Schlechter (which could give us more solid hints). Sofar we don't have more than the soundalike relationship between the two words. Mohnbauerin is however right in stating that there *might* be a connection (which sofar is only hypothetical).

The fact, that most Schlechters of today for instance in Germany mostly live in the middle-North-West-to-West and or the Baden-Wuerttemberg area IMHO wouldn't support a connection to the Slechtas surname strongly.

Regards
Tilman

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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Slechta Inquiry

From: belohdb@alltel.net
Subject: Slechta
Date: 6 Aug 2005 11:48:26 -0600

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kNB.2ACE/208 Message Board Post: Looking for any info on Vaclav "Vac" Slechta that settled in Boyd County. I suspect he is buried in Bohemian National Cemetery. Don't know who he married, if he had kids nor who his parents were. He came to this country in 1875 with his sister Marie who was married at that time to Anton Sokol. Marie and Anton settled in Knox County. Vaclav came here from Sadska, Bohemia. Any help would be appreciated. Dennis Belohlavy

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Joseph E SOKOL married a Slechta

Joseph E SOKOL

Birth            1850            Sadska, Czechoslovakia
Sex             Male
Died            1939            Montgomery, Le Sueur County, Minnesota
Buried          Bohemian National Cemetery Montgomery, Le Sueur County, Minnesota
Person ID     I2569           William_Henry_Sanders

Last Modified 09 Mar 2008

Father          Frantisek SOKOL
Mother         Anna SLECHTA
Group Sheet F882           William_Henry_Sanders

Family1       Magedelena PEHYR, b. 1856, Sadska, Czechoslovakia
Married        1881 Sadska, Czechoslovakia Children

	1. Elizabeth SOKOL, b. 16 Oct 1882, Sadska, Czechoslovakia
	2. Joseph F SOKOL, b. 17 Mar 1885, Sadska, Czechoslovakia
	3. Annie SOKOL, b. 8 Mar 1888
	4. Frank SOKOL, b. 5 Dec 1890
	5. Amalia SOKOL, b. 14 Sep 1892, Montgomery, Le Sueur County, Minnesota
	6. Augusta SOKOL, b. 22 Aug 1894
	7. Fred SOKOL, b. 16 Dec 1898, Montgomery, Le Sueur County, Minnesota
	8. A. SOKOL

Last Modified 09 Mar 2008
Group Sheet F1030 William_Henry_Sanders

Notes

Joseph E. Sokol and Magdelena Pehyr were married 1881 in Sadska, Czechoslovakia. They migrated to America in 1886. They first lived in Waterville, Minnesota. A town south of Montgomery, Minnesota. They moved from Waterville to Montgomery, where Josephopened a tailor shop. He was an apprenticed glass blower before he became a Master Tailor. His family lived over the tailor shop. He had a peg leg. He was a well educated man. He was fluent in German, Czech, and English. He was one of the founding fathers of the Bohemian National Cemetery, south of Montgomery. This is where the family is buried today.
Here is a letter that Joseph E. Sokol received dated Sep. 13, 1906 about some land that he owned in Wilber, Neb.

Jos.E. Sokol.
Be so good as to tell me what you would want for the 80 which you advertized in Oct? What kind of clay there is? How much swamp and how much money you want for the 80. What kind of payments, so if it wasn't expensive I would by it.

V.A. Pavlicek
R 4 Wilber Neb.
Saline Co.

Joseph E. Sokol is in the 1900 Census of Minnesota in Le Sueur Co. living with his family.
1900 Minnesota Le Sueur Montgomery TWP Series : T623 Roll: 773 Page: 159
Sokol Joseph E 45 M W Bohe MN Le Sueur Montgomery TWP 1900

Joseph E. Sokol head May 1855 45 years old M20
Mazdalin Sokol Wife Sep. 1856 43 years old M20
Joseph F. Sokol Son Mar 1885 15 years old
Frank Sokol Son Dec. 1891 8 years old
Emma Sokol Dau Apr 1892 7 years old
Gustave Soko Son Aug. 1894 5 years old
Fredrick Sokol Son Dec. 1898 2 years old.

Joseph E. Sokol is in t he 1910 census of Minnesota in Le Sueur Co. living with his family.
1910 Minnesota Le Sueur 1 -WD Montgomery Series: T624 Roll : 698 Page : 217
Sokol Jos E 54 M W Bohe MN La Sueur 1-WD Montgomery 1910

Joseph E. Sokol head 54 M W M29
Magdaline Sokol Wife 53 F W M29
August Sokol Son 15 M W
Freddy Sokol Son 11 M W
Joseph E. Sokol is in the 1920 census of Minnesota in Le Sueur Co living with his family.
1920 Minnesota LeSueur 1 - WD Montgomery Series: T625 Roll: 843 Page 134Sokol Joseph E 64 M W Bohe MN Le Sueur 1-WD Montgomery 1920

Joseph E. Sokol Head 64
Magdaline Sokol Wife 63
August Sokol Son 25

Marriage Certificate:
Marriage book: X a Page: 286 Country: Cechy District: Podebrady
Notation: None Name Status Occupation of Witnesses: Jan Pokorny Farmer of Sadska Vilem Richter Shoe Merchant of Sadska House # 5Age: 24 yrs. 4 mo. 10 days 30 years 8 mo. 11 days Status: Both Single Religion: Catholic
Name, Status, Occupation, Place of birth, Family name, Status Occupation, Place of birth of their Parents: Sokol Josef Master Tailor in Sadsks #49 Legitimate son of Frantisek Sokol Shoe merchant and towns Person of Sadska House #234 and his wife Anna born Slechta of Sadska House #204 area of Podebrady.
Magdalena Pehyr Legitimate daughter of Josef Pehyr Painter and Towns Person of Sadska house #293 and his wife Frantiska Snor of Hermanov Mestec House #123

Marriage announcements were held or not held: Were held Jan. 1881

Name of Priest: Ferdinand Zavicek, Chaplin
Day/Month/Year of Marriage/Church: Church of our Lord in Sadska January 18, 1881

by the signature of person below and Parish Seal:Rev. Jan Adamec Deacon Given in the Parish Office in Sadska, Day 19 January 1881

Letter from a niece in Sadska dated 11-24-1939

Our dear esteemed and loving Uncle,
Accept from us Sokol family from Sadska your birth town, many greetings. I like a youngest daughter Vera want to write you a few sentences about your birth country. Uncle first of all I want to thank you in my family's name for the calendar which we received 27 Feb. It always brings many memories of you. Are you still living in that far away country that we can only dream about? Often still comes to us often Mr. Jonak and thanks of the times you used to be together and were comrades. He is old already but healthy. My father not long ago was seventy in good health and doesn't even have one tooth out. Mother is healthy and I of all am single and at home. The other four daughter are married.
Uncle you must have read what terrible things fell upon our beautiful country which we all love and of which you think of across that ocean. Uncle it was terrible when it hung over us either war or lose part of our land rich in coal which we have to paydearly. About the 24 Sept. which is in our memory when the 23 Sept. evening when mobilization was announced. That was a terrible night, no one slept all men were to prepare for defense which is dearest to us, our freedom. That was a terrible night. How we waited what will be come of us. Everyone carried a gas mask over their shoulder. We would listen to announcements how to defend ourselves. It was determined within a week. Our dear president Dr. E. Benes was persuaded to sign an agreement and a large part of our country cech, moravian, and Slovakian was given away. The German started it all and Polish with Hungarians agreed also. Our men ground their teeth over this defeat and didn't like giving up their arms. It is a bad Uncle but take it this way or that if there was war it would be bad too and we might be defeated and they would break up our beautiful Praha. Many thousands of our business men from the Sudet which was given to Germany escaped to central Bohemia. Even today some are still not settled. They get some pay and are waiting for work. Hopefully God will see that things will work out in our small country. Not far from us Terezin and Litomerice is not ours. We are losing our world known as at Podebrady and Sadska. We have no factory so people have to look for work other places mainly Praha or on the farms. Here where stood the large sugar factory in Sadaka some influential person built himself a villa. He had a new well drilled and when they were deep a big amount of water shot out. The mineral water was very good the same vien as in Podebrad. Our water is called Sadska and is already well known in Europe as a curative water. It is very reasonable for us 11,50 H. before that it was free for us. It is very good for the stomach and from far away they come for it. Otherwise no other news are here. Worries are everywhere isn't it so but life goes on. Uncle now I end with greetings for you and yours. Be in good health and be among us many years. We will all be waiting for your loving letter greetings parents.

Sokol and Vera

From a meeting of the Bohemian National Cemetery in Montgomery MN. in 1883----1888
Lodge Edward Gregor number 72 Ceska Spolecne Podporujici Spolecnost decided to start a bohemian National Cemetery and it came to pass on Dec. 22, 1883. They bought one acre of land from Frank Houska for $75.00 for the Bohemian National cemetery. For the lack of enough members of the C.S.P.S. lodge and help at that time, they decided to sell that land to the Public for the same $75.00 and for the same reason, to make it the Bohemian National cemetery. The Public accepted this on July 8, 1885. The following officers were elected--- Mike Prochaska President, Frank Stanek Secretary, Joseph Kubat treasurer. The duty of these officers was to get a deed for this land in the name of Bohemain National Cemetery. But what happened is that the deed and all other papers in the county seat were made out the name of Edward Gregor number 72 C.S.P.S. $30.00 and the balance of $45.00 was paid by Lodge C.S.S. They took over 9 lots of land on this same cemetery for $5.00 a lot for members of Lodge 72 C.S.P.S. as there were nine members namely Joseph Dvorak, Mike Vondra, Frank Vondra, Thomas Kadlec, Frank Houska, Joseph Sokol, Joseph Havel, Joseph Batlik and Thomas Kukajzer. The above mentioned officers ran the things as they pleased from July 8, 1885 until September 15, 1888 without having meetings and without telling the Public about income and expenses. Some of the members got together and took away their powers of office and elected Mr. Joseph Sokol as temporary secretary and treasurer and gave him orders to buya ledger as the previous officers did not have any books for income and expense and no minutes of any meeting were recorded. Pro tem Secretary Joseph Sokol called a meeting October 24, 1888 at the Hall of Frank Stanek. The bills of the previous officers were on 2 pieces of paper and nobody knew how the finances of the officers were. At this meeting they elected all new officers-- Frank Sladek, president, Albert Loula, secretary, Joseph Sokol, treasurer. Treasurers bond was set at fifty #50.00. The new officers were instructed that the cemetery should be resurveyed and to make bigger lots and in between lots to have a little alleys or paths. A special meeting was called for March 28, 1889 by secretary Albert Loula. The new survey was accepted. It was voted that the owners of the lots if your wanted a contract of a lot or lots would have to pay for it themselves. Mr. Joseph Dvorak was allowed $4.00 for the survey and making #3.00 maps of the cemetery. Motion was made by Anton Rocka that the cemetery members meet at the cemetery on April 14, 1889 at nine in the morning for the purpose of planting some trees around the fence. Meeting was adjourned till the annual date in 1890.

Albert Loula Secetary

Title of land that Joseph Sokol got from Frantisek Sokol

Number 1204 District Court in Podebrady
Asked that in the land books 1898 of Sadska item 2769/2 Sadska Written: Frantisek Sokol Buther in Sadska
1. Agreement of 6 Feb. 1896 right ownership by Frantisek Sokol recorded in book 1898.
2. That 6 Feb. 1896, that 1/2 of this land belongs to Frantisek Sokol in the Village of Sadskaunder #20 for Frantisek Sokol as it lays. Notice is given to Frantisek Legal terms Sokol butcher of Sadska A.B. to Josef Sokol Tailor of America of the land of Fratisek Sokol now visiting in Sadska. belongs to Frantisek Sokol as it lays

Legalities
District Court in Podebrady
day 16 Feb. 1896
Land court

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Word šlechta has not bohemian orgin

I found the post on a message borad thread that I was involved in and thought I would post it here.

Mohnbauerin (View posts)

Posted: 24 Oct 2009 1:46PM GMT

Classification: Query

the name Slechta also can be only the czech form of the german name Schlechter. this would be more possible i think. :o)
in german and austrian dialects also the name Schlechter sounds then like Schlechta.
austrian phonebook has 515 hits: www.herold.at
german phonebook has 523 hits : http://www.dastelefonbuch.de/

the czech word šlechta for Adel is correct, but has his orgin in the german word "Geschlecht", so is not a real slavic word. in old times if was spoken or written about a nobility-family or about knights-families in the middleage, they named it as example "das Geschlecht derer von Schwarzenberg" or "das Geschlecht der Wittelsbacher" and so on. in fact it was meant then a family of nobility.
http://www.coresno.com/literatur/80-div/1957-almanach-cesky....

šlechtický rod - Adelsgeschlecht - nobility-family
Česká šlechta - Nobility of Bohemia
some nobility-families are listed:
http://historie-heraldika.cz/Bohemia_S1.html
Šlechta von Hrochov
Šlechta von Kiršfeld (german Kirschfeld = cherry-field)
Šlechta, Ritter von Sedmihorský (Ritter means knight)
Šlechta von Všehrd
Šlechta - Vlčihrdlo von Všehrd
for nobility the name must have a "von" otherwise it`s not nobility - only a normal familyname.

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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Internet Post

I tried the e-mail shown below, but is does not appear to be active. I saw the below post on the internet and was curious. My ancestors came from Sadska and the last names are similar. My last name is Slechta the Latin spelling is Schlechta. My ancestors came to the US along with Hruska's, Anton I believe. I will have to check my notes. The name Donat is mentioned in some records I have. So I would like to converse more on these name.

Researching: HRUSKA, SCHLEETA, DOHAT, SPOLLSTA
Anton Hruska born Nov. 8, 1849 in Sadska, Bohemia--Father Antah Hruska, Mother Katherine Schleeta. Mary or Marie Donat born Nov. 19, 1850 in Sadska Ajchbury--Father Vaday Dohat, Mother Maria Spollsta.
email: - jolouguiliams@webtv.net - Posted 12 May 2000

Please e-mail me if this is information is familiar to you or you are the one who posted it.

Thanks Paul

~~pslechta@hotmail.com~~

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Another Link to a Slechta

http://williamhenrysanders.familytreeguide.com/register.php?personID=I2104&tree=T1&PHPSESSID=ff35ecd5576f070a82273b78e73f7fc8

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Link to Czechs in Nebraska

Here is a link to some information on Czechs in Nebraska of which the name Slechta is included. It refers to a "Vaclav Slechta, Sadska". I have a Vaclav Slechta as an ancestor who was from Sadska. I am trying to match him up with others who have a Vaclav Slechta as an ancestor.

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/topic/ethnic/czechs/cz-pg270.html

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Monday, September 7, 2009

Jarmila Slechta

I found this info today while searching for info. I am posting it since it is linked to Mary (Zumer) Slechta.

Jarmila (Slechta) Janosky, 97, Of Nashua, died July 19, 2009, at Langdon Place, Nashua.

She was predeceased by Joseph Janosky, her husband of 62 years, who died in St. Louis, MO, in 2001.

Jarmila was born September 24, 1911, in East St Louis, IL, the only daughter of the late Joseph and Anna (Susta) Slechta.

Before moving to Nashua three years ago to be near her family, Jarmila enjoyed a full life in St Louis where she was active in the Czech community. A Charter Member Of Lodge Estlian Of The Czechoslovak Society Of America, she served as secretary for many years. She also enjoyed gymnastics, bowling, crocheting, needlework, quilting, Bingo, bridge and baking pies. During their many years of travel throughout the world, Jarmila and her husband compiled an extensive photo library, and their lively slide presentations provided popular entertainment for charitable organizations in the St Louis area.

She was predeceased by her five brothers, Adolph, Charles, Joseph, Emil and Alfred.

She is survived by her son, Milt Janosky, and his wife, Joyce, of Hollis, NH; two Granddaughters, Karen Janosky Of Seattle, WA, and Kristin Hart Of Mercer Island, WA; a Grandson, Brett Janosky Of Newburyport, Ma; and four great-grandsons.

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My Recollection by Mary Slechta book review

As promised I completed reading the book by Mary Slechta called "My Recollections".

Mary takes you through her life from her childhood in Jugoslavia, her arrival in America, getting married, life in California, her world travels and her and Adolph's retirement. I'm not going to summarize the book, because it is not a very long book, but I will post names and places from the book. In doing this I hope I can provide some links for others looking for their family history.

The books starts with James Zumer in Jugoslavia. James was born in Bohemia, but his family migrated to a small village named Lipovljani in Croatia. He married Maria Paul after going to America, making some money and returning home. Mary had 3 brothers named Ernie, Joe and James. She married Adolph Slechta Oct. 28, 1926. Adolph had 5 siblings Charley, Joe, Emil, Jarmila and Alfred.

Mary's first home in America was East Saint Louis, Illinois. This is where Mary first met the Slechta family and here future husband Adolph. Adolph, his father, and brother's Joe and Charley played music in a band at the Czech activities in the community they lived in.

Papa Slechta, as referred to by Mary, came to the United States from somewhere over in the same area as the Zumer family. Mary refers to some pictures that where taken of the farm where Papa Slechta lived.

Mary and Adolph lived in Los Angeles, Corona del Mar, wintered in Rancho Mirage and retired to Leisure World in Laguna Hills.

There are other names and dates in this book, I hope someone finds this information helpful. If you do please post a response. I would be curios to know. There are photos in this book.

The book is called "My Recollections" by Mary Slechta. ISBN 0-943498-65-5

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Monday, August 24, 2009

Neat Photo ... but unknown

Here is a nice old photo, but just like the others I posted unknow.

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Unknown Photo

I have a some more photos I found that are currently unknown. I asked everyone I know if they recognize them. If any one recognizes them please let me know. A tip for anyone reading this, label the backs of your photos with full names, dates and details. To me it is sad that someone's image will remain, but nothing else may ever be known about the person.

If you look at the bottom of this photo it was taken in Bowery, New York by a Gogler Photography, I assume.

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Mary Slechta - My Recollections

Something interesting happened to me this weekend, well it was interesting to me anyway. Sunday morning I had a few minutes before my wife, my youngest daughter and I had to leave for my nephews college graduation party. So I decide to do a little searching for information on the Slechta name. While searching I came across this.

PW 920 SLE

Slechta, Mary. My Recollections. Santa Ana, CA: FriisPioneer

Press, 1987.

I thought interesting someone wrote a book on their life's memories. I didn't think much more about it at the time.

So we went to my nephews party. When we got there my parents had already arrived and where already inside. So we went in and said hello to everyone. It was such a nice day the we decided to go sit out on the deck and have a drink. As we were talking and enjoying our drinks my dad asked how the research was going. I said pretty good, but it has slowed a little until after my oldest daughter wedding in October. He then said, your mother and I came home the other night and found this between their door and screen door. It was a book and they had no idea who left the book, but if you have not already guessed, it was the book from above (Mary Slechta - My Recollections).

My dad is currently reading it and when he is done will pass it along to me. He said the book depicts her life from when her parents moved from Bohemia to Croatia then to the United States. Her marriage to Alfred Slechta and other parts of her childhood. It also contains a number of photos of her and Alfred's before and after they met.

I intend read the book and summarize what I read on my blog. I will also put all the publisher information here as well for anyone interested in finding and reading a copy of the book.

Paul Slechta

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Sunday, August 23, 2009

Kiron Kountry Database - Slechta's

Here is a web address the might help. I am posting it here just by chance someone may not have seen it, but if you used a search engine I am sure you would have found it.

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gwgustaf/library/Base/d707.htm

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Maurice Slechta

I posted this in an earlier blog, but I see I have been getting visits here so I am posting it again. I am looking for a Maurice Slechta. He had 2 sisters, Ruth who married a Samuel(s) and Mary who married a During. Maurice's father's name was Thomas and he was a muscian and his mother's name was Louise. Maurice died in Clarke County, Nevada and Las Vegas is listed as the city. In some searches I found that he had lived in the Reno, Nevada area. That is about all I know.

His sister Ruth had a last know address of San Francisco. Mary I don't know much at all.

Thanks Paul

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Post for another Schlechta

Chris Schlechta (Appleton, WI) wrote
at 8:54pm on July 28th, 2009

Hi! I'm working on a bit of a family mystery and hope someone might have some details that would help. My great-great-grandparents were Anton (1851-1931) & Anna (1854-1928) Slechta. They had a daughter Lucy and a son Louis (1885-1961) who married Catherine A Langer. Louis and Catherine had at least 12 children that I know of. Of those 2 were twins that died at birth, and one had left (in her late teenage/early twenties) the family and disappeared. I just reconnected with her son this past year.

Louis and Catherine may have had more children (at least one other is thought to have been adopted). Between the parents and the children the last name changed for some to Schlechta, while others may have kept the Slechta variation. Never really found out why.

Anton & Anna immigrated here from Bohemia to Milwaukee, WI where they spent the rest of their lives.

Do these dates and names ring any bells for anyone?

Chris can be found on facebook. You can also join the Slechta History group on facebook and see his post and responses to his post.

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Facebook Group

There are a couple facebook groups out there for Slechta's. I host the one called Slechta History. I use it for the same purpose as my blog, to research the Slechta name. Feel free to join the group and tell other Slechta's about it.

Thanks Paul

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Request for Information

I noticed from my visitor tracker that there are a number of visitors to my blog from the Europe area. Anyone in that area, or anywhere for that matter, who can help with information or would be willing to look at images and translate them from Czech to English I would really appreciate it. You can post a message to me here or I can be found on Facebook.

Thank you,
Paul Slechta

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Slechta's IN Iowa

I talked with the first Slechta's in Minnesota that I can not link to my Ancestral tree. This is as of yet anyway. Virginia Slechta said the her husband has relatives in the Denison, Iowa area. So if you have relatives that originated from that area let me know, maybe I can help you connect with relatives that can help with tracing your family past. I contacted her via her grandson enquiring about their family lineage. I am fairly confident that if all Slechta's trace the family lineage back far enough they will all link together somewhere in the Bohemia area of the Czech Republic.

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Monday, May 11, 2009

Some Slechta's related to Obama

This is some very interesting information about some Slechta's. I want to thank Brain Valco for the information and I am posting what he sent me. I seems he had some trouble posting and/or contacting me through my blog. If anyone else has any issue you can find me on facebook. Please let me know if you have issues I would like to resolve them if I can.

Hi,

How's it going?

I was reading your blog and trying to reach you there but it wasn't working.

http://slechtahistory.blogspot.com

Turns out one branch is related to Pres. Obama through his mother. Josephine Childress married Ernest Edward Slechta on May 13, 1908 in Deloit, Iowa and their marriage had issue.

Josephine Slechta was a first cousin of Harry E. Armour, a plumber in El Dorado, Kansas as well as Pres. Obama's great-great grandfather.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=34342517
http://iagenweb.org/crawford/marriagenotice4.html
http://virts.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gwgustaf/library/Base/d169.htm#P32967
http://www.geocities.com/momdit2/childress.html
http://www.childers-childress.com/spanningpart3.html

That's sort of neat, right?

Cheers,
Brain

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Census Information

I took a class recently at the Minnesota Historical Society on maps and understanding census information. This class explained the information that can be found on a census and why I was unable to find some of the censuses. First on the the missing censuses, it turned out that the missing censuses where destroyed by fire. After that happened copies of a census where sent to multiple locations to prevent loss of this type again. Now back to the information on the the census. What needs to be understood about a census is that there is a census date and an enumeration date. The census date is the actual date the census is accounting for. The enumeration date is the date the information was recorded. Mistakes could be made based on that. When recording information on the census the census taker needed to clarify that he needed to know who was living in the household on the census date, not the enumeration date. For example if the census date is June 1 then no matter if someone living on that date died before the enumeration date, they need to be recorded. That also goes for births, if someone was born after the census date and before the enumeration date they should not be recorded.

What I also found out, that created a surprise for me, is that on the left side of the census they put a number next to the head of the household. This number indicated when a new household started. What I found on a census of my great great grandfather when I learned this was a surprise. My ggreat grandfather and ggreat grandmother had adopted a son before they had any children. The adopted a son named Charles Mika. This information helped me match up people in an old photo that my great grandfather was in. The picture was taken in Ortonville, MN and for the longest time I was trying figure what he would be doing there. Well it turned out the Charles Mika was a contract plumber in Ortonville and my grandfather learned plumbing in the Ortonville area. So either he learned from Charles or they both went to learn plumbing together.

I was able to track down Charles Mika's descendants using the census information. At some point Charles Mika moved his family to Washington and his descendants live there today.

There is a lot more information that can be gleaned from a census and I would advise anyone doing research to take a short course on reading a census.

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Saturday, March 14, 2009

Slechta in Sadska

I found a website of Martin Šulc who had information about Sadská. I e-mailed him and was able to gain some interesting information. He told me that archives in Prague had a lot of information and materials for Sadska, a very old and once important town dating back to the 10^th century.

He said all registers of Sadská are kept in the Prague archive, he believes they are from 1670s. Other materials (land registers, people count, city books etc.) are stored in Lysa nad Labem a town (east of Prague).

He also said that you need to be careful tracing a person's ancestry. It is best if you find the records in the archives that directly link you (birth, death, marriage records etc..). He showed me some images from a book that has Slechta names in it. He said even though they show the same house, they may not be related.

He said the book was made by someone centuries later and it is just the list of house owners concerning a particular house. He said the list is chronological, but one must be careful, as this does not mean, they are related! He stated the following example.

For example, he said, you have a Slechta in 1780, then you see Slechta here in the list from 1670, but he may not be your ancestor. Even though it is the same house number, it may only be that someone died and a new incomer came and took the name after the house. Sometimes we have had surprises during our research. He the Slechta's listed here could be related, I would just need to link them together with records.

He also gave me another interesting detail of Sadská. During 1780s it is believed, W.A.Mozart visited Sadská (probably the spa) and later his children repeatedly went there.

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Friday, February 13, 2009

Slechtova

I found out recently that the feminine form of Slechta is Slechtova.

SLECHTOVA = wife or daughter of SLECHTA

I found some records that had Slechtova on them. I thought is was just another Czech name.

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