How I Met My Aunt Anastasia, Part 2

For the background on this post, be sure to read Part 1.

So far, I have found three census records (1910, 1920 and 1930) for a Brokenicky family in Dodge County, Nebraska. I believe the wife, Anna, is my great-grandmother’s sister, Anastasia Kovarik, but I’m trying to make the connection that confirms this.

Going with the immigration date of 1904 from the 1910 census, I decided to look for a passenger list. For this, I went to EllisIsland.org. Well, the 1910 census was off by a year, but I found John and Anna with their first two children, in a passenger list for the Kaiser Wilhelm II, which arrived at Ellis Island on November 10, 1903. Františka Kovarik was also traveling with them.

Click to enlarge; see lines 1-6

This is all interesting information, but how can I be sure this is my family?

After looking at the passenger list a little more closely, I noticed that there was also a 15 year old girl named Marie Bičakova traveling with the Brokenicky/Kovarik family. Her occupation is listed as “servant” and there is a note saying she is the niece of Františka. In the column asking for the name of a relative in the United States, Marie’s record shows, “Uncle, Joe Hromada, Chicago, Trumbull Ave, 1399, near 28th St.”

Well, there’s my confirmation! Joe Hromada would be my great-grandfather and the Trumbull Avenue address matches the address I found in a Chicago city directory for him and his wife in 1901. If Marie Bičakova was really Františka’s niece, as the passenger list says, she wouldn’t be Josef’s niece as well; she would be his wife’s cousin. But, that seems like a minor error. Perhaps because of their age difference, he was more of an uncle to her anyway.

Okay, now I’m convinced this is my family.

So, here is my theory based on what I have found:

• Anastasia came to the US with her sister, Marie in 1893.
• At some point between 1893 and 1898 (the year of her marriage), she returned to her home country, got married and had two children. Maybe she decided to go back when her father died, or maybe she just missed her mother. There could be several reasons.
• In 1904, Anastasia came back to the US with her husband, children and mother. This time, the family eventually settled in Nebraska. Maybe John had family there. I know there were a lot of Czechs immigrating to Nebraska at that time, but they certainly would have stayed in Chicago with Josef and Marie unless there was other family out in Nebraska.

I know a lot more now, but I still have questions:

• What happened to Marie Bičakova? It’s possible that Josef and Marie found her a job, which would explain her occupation on the passenger list. Or, maybe she moved in with them. According to census records, she was not living with the Hromadas or the Brokenickys in 1910. Maybe she got married, or maybe she was working somewhere as a live-in servant. That could be hard to find out.
• I’d also like to find John and Anastasia’s three children in later years. Maybe they have some descendants who have information about the Kovarik family. I know very little about them.

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