What a Heritage Guide Can Do for You

Most of us are familiar with tours and tour guides. Tours come in large and small sizes. I saw many while traveling in Europe this September. The hallmark of each was an energetic person holding an umbrella/flag high in the air, striding in front of a group of tourists.

David Vignoni,  Icon from
 Nuvola icon theme for KDE 3.x., Wikimedia.

I worried that if I ever was on such a tour, what would happen if I couldn’t keep up with the flying umbrella/flag? It wasn’t until planning this European genealogy trip that I learned about a different kind of tour guide – the ancestral or heritage guide.

The fact that I don’t speak Czech was the main impetus for my thinking about getting some help for my visit to the Czech Republic to find my grandfather’s ancestral home.

In my post from September 1, 2013, I wrote about how I found my personal guide to the Czech Republic, Ms. Marie Zahn of P.A.T.H. Finders International. Now let me describe our trip.

On Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 9:30 a.m., Marie picked up me and my husband, Bert, at the Best Western Kinsky Garden, our hotel in Prague. The Kinsky Hotel was a great choice for location, service and price, and we found it through Delta Vacations. Marie is a great guide to have in Prague as she is a native and very knowledgeable. 

Honza Groh, 7. 05. 2008, Memorial
of seven czech paratroupers…., Wikimedia.

As she drove us out of the city, Marie pointed out two of the main attractions we happened to drive by. The first was the Heydrich Terror Memorial, a tribute to two Czech heroes who assassinated a high-ranking Nazi in Prague. The second was “The Dancing House”, a building designed by two avant-garde architects, Vlado Milunić, a Croatian-Czech and Frank Gehry,  a Canadian-American, in 1992. The style is unusual in a city awash in medieval, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture.

Maros M r a z, August 2004 Dancing House, Wikimedia.

After we left Prague, we soon were in the countryside. We saw large, cultivated fields interspersed with forested areas.

ŠJů,  31 August 2012, Nihošovice, Strakonice District, 
South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic, Wikimedia.

We asked Marie about the huge farms; she explained that after the fall of Communism, many farmers whose lands had been collectivized, regained their land. But as in America, it’s difficult nowadays for small farmers to make a living. Many sold their land to developers, and the result is that large, corporate farms abound where most people in agriculture now work.

We saw cars parked in the forest areas and Marie explained the Czech national pastime – mushroom picking.

Karelj, October 2008, Boletus badius, 
Czech Republic, Wikimedia.

It seems that Czechs of all ages love to go to the woods and search for mushrooms. And Marie told us a joke: on a mushroom hunt, a non-Czech asks, “Are any of these mushrooms poisonous?” The answer is: “All mushrooms are edible, but some only once.” I’m glad we were ancestor-hunting.

When we reached Naceradec, we first stopped at the Administrative Town Office

Pat in Naceradec in front of
Town Office and Church

Book by Eva Prochazkova

where we met Mrs. Svecova with whom Marie had set up this meeting prior to the trip. Mrs. Svecova presented me with  a book on the history of Naceradec. It has many beautiful photographs from different eras in the town’s life. And best of all, there is a summary in the back that is in English!

Our first stop was the Catholic church of Naceradec which Mrs. Svecova unlocked for us. My heart was filled with emotion as I stood before the very same building where my grandfather was baptized and attended services.

Entrance to Naceradec
Catholic Church, Sept 2013

Altar Naceradec Catholic Church,
Sept 2013

Although I have toured many churches in different countries, I felt very different being in the church of my ancestors.
 While to most people, the altar and the decorated ceiling would be the sights to see in this church, to me, the baptismal fount where my grandfather was baptized was place that drew me.

Baptismal Fount Naceradec
Catholic Church, Sept 2013

Our second stop was the World War I memorial

WW I Memorial Naceradec Town
Square, Sept 2013

in the town square. This is a familiar site in many European towns but again, this was special to me as two people with my grandfather’s surname were etched onto the monument: Josef Holub and his son Rudolf. I don’t yet know how these Holub men are related to me, so I will be doing some research.

Close-up WWI Memorial Naceradec
Town Square, Sept 2013

The next to last stop was the town cemetery. We weren’t sure what we would find there except Mrs. Svecova had told Marie the number of the one Holub grave. Before we left for Europe, I had asked Marie if Czech cemeteries followed the same practice as some other European countries of only leasing graves for a certain period so that they can be used again. Marie responded that this is indeed the case in the Czech Republic as well.

We came upon the Holub grave

Grave Naceradec, Josef Hrolicka
 and Rudolf Holub

and I immediately noticed two things. First, two different families were buried in the plot and second, the plot looked somewhat neglected. The grave marker was made of glass and very hard to read in the sunlight with the reflection factor, but it looked like a Rudolf Holub was buried on one side. Now there were two Rudolf Holubs to investigate: one who died in WWI and one who was buried here in 1977.

Our last stop in Naceradec was the house where my grandfather was born. A Holub family lived there and was waiting to welcome us. The house was the last one in a small lane. We parked in front and Mrs. Holub (I have not used first names for privacy) came out to greet us with a warm smile. They had just returned from their daily visit to the hospital where Mr. Holub was under treatment. As I walked through the front door, I felt very emotional as this was the same threshold my grandfather and his family crossed in their daily lives so many years ago. We followed Mrs. Holub into the kitchen where Mr. Holub, despite his ill health, stood beaming. He offered us all a warm handshake and gestured towards the chairs around the kitchen table.

Mrs. Holub had graciously prepared a delicious Czech luncheon. First we had coffee and pastries.

Jonathunder,  29 November 2010, Home made poppy seed
 kolaches on a plate, Wikimedia.

My childhood memory of “kolache”, pastry filled with prune/apple/poppy seed, was reawakened – there were several on the dessert plate! Then we were presented with ham and cheese sandwiches, and each time one of our plates was empty, another sandwich appeared!

Makovec, 26 December 2012,
Cuisine of the Czech Republic, Wikimedia.

We spent the next few hours looking at photos from Mr. Holub’s life, and we saw his birth certificate. Marie translated as Mr. Holub told us the details of his birth. His mother, Antonie Holubuva, lived in Naceradec when she was pregnant with him. She did not marry his father but married another man from the town of Louny and moved there with him. Mr. Holub was actually born in Louny. Because he grew up in Louny, Mr. Holub unfortunately never met any of the Naceradec Holubs. 

Mr. Holub came to live in Naceradec in 1977 when a relative left him this house and he has been here ever since. He said that Holubs have always lived in this house. It will take some more research to find how we are related.

We noticed that Mr. Holub was looking tired so reluctantly we said our goodbyes and headed back to our hotel in Prague.

As I planned this post, I wondered what other companies might offer heritage tours in other European countries besides the Czech Republic. I did a quick search on google and found a few entries for heritage guides, mainly for non-English speaking countries. Please note that I have no experience with any company other than P.A.T.H. Finders International. FamilyTree Tours is the company of an American and a German and although the company “specializes in heritage tours to German-speaking countries, they are able to design and assist in trips to other European nations." (from FamilyTreeTours website.) Ancestral Attic offers heritage tours in Poland and other Eastern European countries while Polish Origins has services for Poland and the Ukraine.

Hiring Ms. Marie Zahn, of P.A.T.H. Finders International, turned out to be the best decision I made in planning this trip back to my Czech homeland. If you are planning a trip to Europe to learn more about your ancestors, I recommend that you consider hiring a guide to make your heritage tour the best it can be.

Categories: genealogy professional

Checking out the Czechs – with a Personal Guide

My husband, Bert, and I have been planning a trip to Europe for about a year. One of the most indispensable tools in planning our trip has been Europe Through the Back Door 2013 by Rick Steves.

Used by permission of author

 Rick has guided us through packing light

and finding the best phone for use in Europe to how to make friends with local people and identifying the memorable sights to visit, and so much more. And all of this must-have information is written in an entertaining, easy-to-follow style. 

Earlier this year, my sister, Monique, made a fantastic discovery through lots of good research techniques. She located our maternal grandfather’s (Frank Holub) baptism certificate from the Czech Republic (see post of April 22, 2013 for more details.) This document provided us with a wealth of detail, including the place, Naceradec, Czech Republic,

Načeradec, Central Bohemian Region, the Czech Republic, 3 May 2009, cs:ŠJů, Wikimedia. 

where Frank and his family were living at his birth in 1903. The country was then known as Bohemia.

 Bert and I decided to begin our European trip by flying into Prague

View over Prague Old Town, Czech Republic, 15 May 2008, Petritap, Wikimedia.

as Naceradec is just 39 miles or 64 kilometers  from the capital city. To help prepare for the visit, we checked out Rick Steves’ book, Eastern Europe.

Used by permission of author

 Although Steves does give some information about Prague in Europe Through the Back Door, we wanted a more in-depth picture.

I was excited about visiting Naceradec but had some concerns about not knowing the language. I was hoping to find a cemetery that might have some Holub graves and maybe the church where Frank Holub was baptized. But our time was limited and I didn’t know how much I could accomplish. Then, as sometimes happens in life and genealogy, what I needed appeared!! As I was reading Eastern Europe, I came across a section on p. 70 called “Tours in Prague.” You can imagine my joy when I read this passage:

“To get beyond the sights listed in most guidebooks, call Tom and Marie Zahn from P.A.T.H. Finders International. Tom is American, Marie is Czech….Their specialty is Personal Ancestral Tours & History (P.A.T.H.) – with sufficient notice, they can help Czech descendants find their ancestral homes, perhaps even a long-lost relative.” (p. 71)

In Steves’ book, you will find Tom’s and Marie’s web site: www.pathfinders.cz and an e-mail address: info@pathfinders.cz. I immediately sent a message:

Hello Tom and Marie,

My husband, Bert Schuster, and I are traveling to Europe this year. I am a family historian and very interested in visiting Naceradec where my grandfather, Frantisek (Frank) Holub was born 20 April 1903. I attached a copy of Frank's baptism that my sister received from a relative here in the US. This is a recent discovery and was very exciting.

The Holub family lived at house # XXX (not listed for privacy) in Naceradec at the time of Frank's birth. 

I am hoping to visit the cottage and to see if any Holubs are currently living in the area. 

We are interested in having you be our guides.

Pat

Here is Marie’s first response:

Dear Pat,

Thank you for contacting us.

We would be happy to help you visit Naceradec, try to identify the house No. XXX where Frantisek was born, visit the parish church he was baptized in and try to locate living relatives in the area....Thank you for sending the copy. Please let us know what date would you like to travel to Naceradec and how many people will be joining you. We will send you our proposal when we hear back from you. You can visit our site at www.pathfinders.cz for more information about our services. You can also visit www.pathways.cz for more travel information.
Do not hesitate to ask questions. We will reply as soon as possible.
Best regards from Prague
Marie

From there, we discussed fees and payment and arranged for us to send a deposit. Now the fun  part began. We waited to see what Marie was able to find.
And soon came Marie’s first report:

Pat,

The community your grandfather Frantisek was born does have its own parish church and it is the church where the child was baptized. Parishes also have cemeteries and therefore in Naceradec, it will also be possible to visit the cemetery. 

Part of making the local contacts is arranging for the church to be opened during your visit. We will try to arrange this so that you can see the church inside as well. 
I will be your guide - driver on Sept. 5th and I will come to your hotel at 9 AM to pick you up. Please let me know if this time meets with your approval. 
As for your question about the cemetery in Naceradec, burial traditions in the Czech Lands are similar to those of all parts of Central Europe. The lack of land available formed the burial traditions and cemeteries could stay relatively small. It is good to visit the cemeteries though since we can find a forgotten grave site. It would not be the first time it happened.
Best regards from Prague
Marie

In short order this amazing message came from Marie:

Dear Pat,
We are sending the results of the Local contacts in Naceradec.

We contacted the local office in Naceradec and spoke to Mrs. Svecova. She was very helpful and identified the house No. XXX in the present town. The house is still standing, did not change so much in past years and still is owned by family Holub. The present owner is Mr. XXX Holub who was born in 1934. I am trying to determine now, what is the relation between your and his ancestors…I hope a visit will be possible.
We have arranged for the church to be opened during your visit. Mrs. Svecova also asked that we stop at the local office before you leave the town.

Best regards from Prague
Marie

None of this information would have been easy to find on my own. The language barrier, time constraints and lack of local contacts would have made it unlikely for me to have found this wonderful news on my own. Again, I recommend working with genealogy professionals, (see post of November 5, 2011 for more details) such as Marie Zahn. I will report back in this blog on our trip with Marie to Naceradec.

Checking Out the Czechs

Did you know that the regional archives in the Czech Republic

are in the process of digitizing their records? More about this later in this post.

The theme of this post is two-fold. First, I want to reiterate once more that a genealogist never knows where precious information may come from. No matter how distant, we should never overlook any possible source.

Two heads, 1830, A.H.Maurer ,public domain, wikimedia

 And second, two heads collaborating on a research question are so much better than one.

In my blog post of September 19, 2011, I wrote about the pleasures of working with another person to tackle genealogical research. I have been very fortunate to be partnering with my sister, Monique Whitman, to ferret out the details of our Czechoslovakian Holub ancestors’ lives.


It’s amazing how much more two can unearth than one!

Monique asked our mother’s advice on whom she might contact in order to find out more information on our maternal grandfather,  Frank (Frantisek in Czech) Holub. Well, our mother recalled that Frank had remarried when she was about twelve. Monique did some serious sleuthing and found that Frank’s second wife was Angeline (Ann) Oslakovic Holub, they married in 1939, and the marriage lasted the rest of Frank’s life.

During her research, Monique discovered a relative of Ann’s who is still alive! When she contacted him, he not only remembered Frank Holub, but he had Frank’s baptism record from

CIA Czech Republic map in public domain, wikimedia

Czechoslovakia (The Czech Republic.) Who knows why or how he had this document. But it just goes to prove that we genealogists never know where our next record will be. Here is the baptism certificate:

As you can see, the document is in Czech. Monique used some on-line translation sites, such as Google translate to figure out the headings on the left side of the certificate. Here is what she came up with:

Politicky okres = political district

Soudni okres = judicial district

Misto narozeni cis domu = birthplace

Krestni List. = baptismal certificate

Den, medic, a rook = day, month, year

Narozeni = date of birth

Krtu = baptism

Dubna - April

devatenact set tri = nineteen hundred and three

Jmeno ditete = name

Nabozenstvi = religion

Rimsko katolicke = Roman Catholic

Loze = box, bed, club, society

Otec = father

Matka = mother

Praze = Prague

Knez = priest

Kmotr a svedek = Godfather and witness

Porodni baba = midwife

Now we had a structure to begin to understand the document. But the need to know more was too great for me. What I needed was a human translator! I decided to check out the new Czech society I recently joined, the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, to see if they might have a listing of translators. And yes, right on the first page, left column was the link I was looking for: Translators. When I clicked on the link, I found an alphabetical list, read the descriptions of people’s research expertise, and chose Judy Nelson. I e-mailed Judy to discuss her services and was amazed and delighted when she sent me this translation the next day:

(upper left - ) Czechoslovakia, district Benesov, county Vlasim, town born Naceradec no. 139.

(upper right-) book 8, page 208

Baptismal Certificate

Born 20 April 1903, nineteen hundred and three

Baptized 26 April, 1903

Name of child Frantisek (Frank, Franz)

Religion  Roman Catholic

Legitimacy - Legitimate

Father Josef (Joseph) Holub, born at Volesne, Benesov, a cottager at Naceradci no. 139, legitimate son of Jan (John,Johann) Holub, worker at Volesne and Antonie (Antonia) born Zemanove (Zeman) at Dolni Lhoty (Lhota), Ledec.

Mother Marie, born at Prague, book 2, page 441, illegitimate daughter of Marie Lojinove, legitimate daughter of Vaclav (Wenceslaus,Wenzl) Lojina, worker at Bukove, Pribram and Barbora (Barbara) born Krasu (or Krasn) at Rosovic, Pribram.

Priest - Antonin Filip, priest at Naceradci.

Godparents Frantisek Hausner, shoemaker at Horni Lhota no. 7 and Barbora, wife of Antonin Kroupa, farmer at Lhota 4.

Midwife - Terezie Doubkova, examined (like licensed) at Naceradci no. __.

At administrative office at Naceradci.  the 7th February 1924.  Alois (Louis) Strnad _____ (his title, illegible)

From this document, we finally found out the name of Frank’s mother – Marie Lojinove born in Prague. Oh, what joy! None of the American records that Monique and I had found mentioned Frank’s mother.

Načeradec, the Czech Republic, 2009 by cs:ŠJů, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

We also saw that our identification of Frank’s father as Josef (Joseph) Holub living in Naceradec was corroborated by this record.

In addition to translating the baptism record, Judy alerted me to the fact that the Czech Regional Archives are digitizing their records. Now Monique and I can search for the records of Frank Holub’s parents and grandparents and even further back.

Teamwork pays off in many ways in life, but in genealogy the rewards can be amazing. If you want to move forward in your research, it is to your advantage to find others with similar interests. Joining genealogical societies, like the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, is one way to find communities of people to work with.

And looking closer to home, you might find siblings and cousins who are eager to join you in unlocking family history.






Categories: genealogy groups