Hi! I'm looking for information on my family in and around Zadverice, Moravia. My grandmother (Frances) came to America between 1903 and 1907. Her father was Thomas Mensik. Her maternal grandparents were John and Rosy Gabrish or Gabrys. The Mensik's were Catholic and the Gabrish's were Protestant. Frances was born in May 1893. If anyone knows any history of these families, please let me know. Thanks in advance, Angel
I found my grandmother's baptismal certificate or "Krestni list". I have posted photos of it at http://photos.yahoo.com/gwatts1013@sbcglobal.net. If anyone can translate this, please let me know. I am especially interested in the column "matka" and "Kmotrove". Thanks in advance...Angela
I can't read some of the writing in the pictures as the resolution is too low. The translation is in quotations. When I am unable to read something, I'll put what I think it is in triangle brackets, "<>", or else leave empty brackets. Top Left Země ("Region"): <name> Okřes ("District"): Holešov Top Right Superintendenci ("Bishop?"): <name> Seniorát ("parish?"): východní "eastern" Top Center Krestni List "Baptismal Certificate" Vytah z knihy krestni evang. reform. sboru v Zádveřicich u <Vixovic> "Excerpt from the baptismal book of the Reformed Evangelical Church in Zádveřice u <Vixovic>." Tom ("Book"): <number>, Vol. ("Volume"): 226, Čis. ("Number"): 14 1ST ROW 1st column Jméno křticího "Name of baptizer": Benjamin <Okocčuský?>, farář v Zádveřicích "Benjamin <Okocčuský?>, pastor in Zádveřice" 2nd column Rok, měsíc, den "Year, month, day" 1st part narození "of birth": Tisíc osm set devadesát tři: 1893 čtvrty květen "4th of May" (same in numeric form) 2nd part křtu "[Year, month, day of birth] of baptism": 6 květen "6th of May" 3rd column Místo "Place" 1st part narození "[Place] of birth": Zádveřice č. 147 "Zádveřice Number 147" 2nd part křtu "[Place] of baptism": Chrám Páně v Zádveřicích "The Church of our Lord in Zádveřice" 2ND ROW Jméno pokřtěného "Name of the baptized": Františka (Gabryš) nemanž. dcera evang. reform. "Františka (Gabryš), unmarried daugher, reformed evangelic" 3RD ROW Rodiče pokřtěného "Parents of the baptized": 1st column Otec "Father" [blank] 2nd column Matka "Mother" Františka, manž. dcera <země.?> Jana Gabryše chalupníka v Zádveřicích č. 147 a jeho manž. Rokiny roz. Ševčákovy ze Zádveřic, evg. reform. "Franiška, wife (e.g. mother) is daughter <of the farmer?> Jan Gabryš, cottage owner at Zádveřice No. 147, and his wife Rokina, born Ševčákova of Zádveřice, reformed evangelic" 3rd column Kmotrové <"godparents"> Jan Nedbálek <> v Zádveřicích č. 42 Anna Nedbálkova, jehož manželka "Jan Nedbálek <residing?> at Zádveřice No. 42 [and] Anna Nedbálkova, his wife" Bába (Grandma): Rozina Gabryšova ze Zádveřic (<>)"Rozina Gabryšova of Zádveřice (<>)" Bottom of page Důkaz toho uřední stvrzení "Proof of this official validation" Farní úřad evang. reform. sboru v Zádveřicích u Vixovic, dne 3i. ledna 1905. "Parish office of the Reformed Evangelical Church in Zádveřice u Vixovic, on the day of January 3, 1905." [Signed] Farář ("Pastor"): František Pokora
Thank you, Sova. I appreciate your time. I know the resolution isn't too good. I don't have a scanner, so I took digital pictures of the document and uploaded them.
Bába means an obstetrix in such documents (nezkouš. = uncertified), in this case coincidentally she was the child's grandmother (Rozina Gabryšová). Mother: Františka, manž. dcera zemř. Jana Gabryše, chalupníka ... = legitimate daughter of defunct Jan Gabryš ... and Rozina Gabryšová, née Ševčáková ... Godfather: Jan Nedbálek, rolník (a farmer)... Země: Morava Pastor's name: B. Opočenský The abbr. nemanž. means rather illegitimate (fatherless) than unmarried.
From what my family has told me, her father was Thomas Mensik, a Catholic. I don't have any proof of Thomas...just family say-so. From what I have been told, Catholics and Protestants didn't recognize "mixed" marriages. I don't know for certain her parents were actually married or not. Family stories say they were married, but neither side acknowleged the marriage. So, my grandmother is listed as illegitimate on this certificate. That's one of the questions I am trying to answer in my research. I am hoping that Jan and Rozina may have had other children besides Frantiska (mother). I have never heard mention of any. Maybe someone related to them will read my posts and can clear up my questions. Since Frantiska (mother) died shortly after Frantiska (daughter) was born, or so says family legend, Jan and Rozina were taking care of the child. After Jan died, Rozina couldn't take care of the child alone, and the Mensik family didn't want anything to do with her, so she came to America about age 9 or 10 (somewhere around 1905) with an Uncle Stefka (I can't find any information on him, either. No one seems to know his last name or anything about him). I have searched the Ellis Island and Galveston, TX, immigration lists, but have come up empty-handed.
Thanks, szarkafarka, for filling in some of the blanks and correcting some of the more obscure (at least to me) abbreviations.
Of course, you are right, Jana. I was wondering why there would be an "x" in a Czech place name, but it didn't occur to me at the time that it might be a "z." I've noticed that I often have trouble with handwritten Czech z's.
Found new information... My grandmother, Frantiska Gabrys, her mother Frantiska Gabrys, maternal grandparents Jan and Rozina Gabrys. My grandmother had many aunts and uncles, children of Jan and Rozina. They are: Marianna b.1868 d.1891, Jan b.1871 d.1873, Rozina b. 1876, Jan b. 1879, Anna b. 1881, Josef b. 1886 d. 1888. Jan and Rozina were married in 1868. Rozina's maiden name was Sevcak. Jan was born in Jablunka in 1844. Rozina was born in Zadverice in 1847. Jan's parents were Jan Gabrys and Katerina Janis. Rozina's parents were Frantisek Sevcak and Marianna Mikeska. If anyone can give me more info, please contact me at gwatts1013@sbcglobal.net .
