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Topic: Josef Ošanec/Joseph Oschanetz
Conf: Wilson County Queries, Msg: 84394
From: Deleted User
Date: 3/26/2005 06:12 PM

Could anybody help me with my research?

My great-great-grandfather was born 8 November 1821 in VELKÉ ALBRECHRICE (in German, GROSS OLBERSDORF) #121. He married 20 October 1851 in BŘEZOVÁ (BRIESAU) to Mariana/Marianna GERICHOVÁ. He was a bricklayer and lived with his family in his cottage in LESNÍ ALBRECHTICE (WALD OLBERSDORF) #36 between 1851-1866 at least. His wife Mariana, who issued from the village (#35), died 26 October 1866 in LESNÍ ALBRECHTICE #36. They had six children. Became a widower Josef married again but I did not find the marriage so far. Also I do not know if he had more children with his second wife who was Jenovefa it seems. It looks no.

Before November 1882 he left for the U.S.A. On 4 November 1882 he signed (“Josef Oschanetz”) before the Clerck of the District Court of the 14th Judicial District of the State of Kansas, ELLSWORTH County the Declaration of intention to become a U.S. citizen (I have a copy). On 23 November 1888 he signed (“Joseph Oschanetz”) at the same place the Petition for admission to U.S. citizenship and he became the U.S. citizen (again, I have a copy of the document). Both the documents were found in the District Court in ELLSWORTH. Any marriage license of him was not found there between the dates 1874-1922. They were not look for immigration records regarding the Josef Ošanec family it seems.

Some “Geneva Osanec” was recorded in the Death records of the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in WILSON, Kansas. She died 25 April 1910 in age of 77 (born about 1833) and was buried two days later (I have a copy of the death record printed on a writing machine). According to the Burial records of Nesmith and Roderick Morticians, WILSON, Kansas (I have a typed copy of it) she was buried 27 April 1910 in the WILSON Catholic Cemetery. Her name was spelled “Jenofa Oschenetz” this time. I have a copy of her obituary published in an unknown WILSON newspaper. It says that “Jenovefa Osanec” died at the ripe age of 80 years (born about 1830) at the home of Mrs. Marie Ptacek in WILSON where she lived over 9 years. “She had come here to stay when unfortunately 10 years ago, she was financially broken and had no place but the poor house to look for. … Having no children of her own to raise, she raised a large family of step children, of which Mrs. Frank Habbart, of WILSON, is the only step daughter living here.”

An American journalist Dennis Farney who worked in the Wall Street Journal, issued from the Ptacek (in Czech, Ptáček) family in WILSON. He sent me a photo where the widow of my great-great grandfather is with members of Dennis’s family as likely as not. He wrote: “The photo was taken sometime after 1900 in front of the rough stone house the Anton Ptacek built after coming to the plains of Kansas, near WILSON, Kansas.”

The Mrs. Frank Habbart mentioned in the obituary was Aloisie/Aloisia (in America “Alosia”) née Ošanec/Oschanetz, a daughter of my great-great-grandfather and a sister of my great-grandfather. She left for America with her father. She was born 23 February 1857 in LESNÍ ALBRECHTICE #36, died 16 June 1939 in ELLSWORTH Hospital and was buried in WILSON. About 1880 she married Frank HABBART in ELLSWORTH. I have not the marriage record. According to the book “Bohemians in Central Kansas” by Francis J. Swehla, Frank (in Czech, František) “HABART” came to WILSON on 1 September 1876 from CHICAGO (p. 14). The HABART/HABBARTs lived in BLACK WOLF at first, later they moved to “a homestead six miles northeast of WILSON”. Before her death Aloisia lived in WILSON. I have a contact with some of her descendants.

According to Aloisia’s obituary from a local newspaper (I have a poor copy) she came to the U.S.A. in 1879 with her father, step-mother, and two sisters! They made ELLSWORTH their home! The sisters could be Terezie/Theresia, born 19 October 1852 or Amálie/Amalia, born 27 October 1861 or Kamila, born 12 August 1864, all in LESNÍ ALBRECHTICE #36. I do not have any information about them! They could die single or were married in America perhaps. According to the obituary, one brother remained in Austria-Hungary. He was my great-grandfather. His brothers Vilém and František died in infancy in the old country.

In our family there is a story that Josef Ošanec emigrated with two daughters only. Name of the second one would be Marie/Maria but I did not find similar name among his children born in LESNÍ ALBRECHTICE! According to a family chronicle he became a farmer in the U.S.A. But he was not too successful it seems. He had to live in surroundings of ELLSWORTH or WILSON. He is supposed to have died in 1897 but his both death and burial records were not found so far. His grave was not located in the PALACKY Cemetery south of WILSON but I was told some of the oldest gravestones are illegible. He could be buried in ELLSWORTH, too. Also Josef and his family were not found in any passenger list. It is possible they went through GALVESTON where the records from 1800’s (1872-1892) were destroyed by a hurricane in 1900. He and his family would be listed in 1880 Census perhaps. But it is not quite sure. 1890 Census does not exist if I am right. Maybe there are also some land records etc. in the ELLSWORTH County.

It is interesting, Jan/Johann (in English, John) OŠANEC/OSCHANETZ, born 13 May 1840 in BŘEZOVÁ #35, younger brother of my great-great-grandfather left for America too it seems. I found his request for passport from 15 March 1881. He could emigrate after this date perhaps with his wife Josefa HOFFMANN and four children (Edmund, Robert, Aloisia and Emma). Similar request of my ancestor does not exist it seems. I have no information about this family in America. They could live close to the Josef Ošanec family.

According to James Emmerich who helps me with the research, the Habbarts were listed in 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 Census. Some ”Josephine Osanec” was living with them in 1900. “Josephine” could be misspelled “Jenovefa”.