…and all I got were these lousy T-shirts. (Actually, these T-shirts are awesome!)
My sister, Karen, recently returned from 10 days in Prague, Vienna and Tábor (Czech Republic), where our great-grandfather was born.
Karen is our family’s official genealogist. So while her vacation was a fun and relaxing one, it also was a visit to our homeland and the source of much of her family research.
Let me tell you a little bit about the Czech side of our family. My great-grandfather Josef Hromada was born in Tábor (Czech Republic) on Aug. 23, 1871. He was a tailor and lived in Vienna for his apprenticeship. He immigrated to the United States and arrived at Ellis Island on Jan. 25, 1893. His future wife, Mary Kovarik, arrived on the same day at Ellis Island. They traveled on the same ship from Europe! Mary and Josef didn’t meet each other on the ship but got acquainted in the Czech area of Chicago where they both settled after arriving to the States. Mary was born in Čáslav (Czech Republic) on June 18, 1873. Mary and Josef were married on Dec. 29, 1895, in Chicago. And they both became naturalized citizens in 1914. (My grandfather Joseph was born to Mary and Josef in November 1906.)
Funny side note: My great-grandparents were named Mary and Josef, and my grandparents also were named Mary and Joseph!
Karen got to see a lot of historical places in Prague, Vienna in Tábor. Unfortunately, she didn’t locate any homes or buildings that belonged to our ancestors. And she didn’t find any Hromada relatives in the area! But it’s still neat to think that she walked the same streets that our great-grandfather did more than 100 years ago.
She loved this trip of a lifetime and says she’d really like to go back. But she said I’m supposed to accompany her next time!
Thanks for the post. 🙂