Pragr

Jan PRAGR (1776 - ?) was a tailor in Vlčeves, Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. Vlčeves s a town of about 87 people (in 2006), just 12 miles WSW of Tábor.

Flag of Vlčeves, Tabor Region, Bohemia

Jan PRAGR married Alžbĕta SRNKOVÁ. Alžbĕta was about 4 years younger than Jan, and they were both born in the small village of Vlčeves, so they must have known each other since childhood. They were my 5g-grandparents.

Jan PRAGR b: 1776 in Vlčeves

+ Alžbĕta SRNKOVÁ b: Abt. 1780 in Vlčeves

..... 2 Josef PRAGR b: 1798 in Vlceves, d: Vlčeves

..... + Katerina FUKOVA b: 1800 in Vlčeves, m: 1818 in Vlčeves, d: Vlčeves

........... 3 Barbara PRAGR b: Bet. 1820–1830 in Vlčeves, d: Aft. 1880 in IA

........... + Frank CHASKA m: Bohemia, d: Bef. 1880 in Bohemia

................. 4 Albert CHASKA b: 23 Apr 1858 in Bohemia, d: 12 Sep 1955

................. + Anna RAYMAN b: 09 Feb 1872 in Oneida, Tama, IA, m: 27 Aug 1892 in , Tama, IA, d: 14 Apr 1967

................. 4 Josephine CHASKA b: 07 Mar 1863 in Bohemia, d: 24 Mar 1936 in Rural Clutier, Tama, IA

................. + Frank Adalbert PARIZEK b: 1858 in Dobesov, Bohemia, m: 24 Jan 1883 in Tama, IA, d: 07 Jan 1925

........... 3 Mary PRAGR b: 17 Jan 1822 in Vlčeves, d: 11 Jan 1926 in Chelsea

........... + Frank HOUSKA d: Bohemia

........... + Frank STANEK b: 25 Nov 1818 in Benesov, Near Tabor, m: Aft. 1863, d: 11 Oct 1899 in IA

........... 3 Elnora PRAGR b: Mar 1828 in Vlčeves, d: 02 Feb 1906 in Tama, IA

........... + Albert Vojtech CHALOUPEK b: 1820 in Vlčeves, m: 1842 in Vlčeves, d: 1864 in Vlčeves

................. 4 Mary CHALOUPEK b: 15 Dec 1845 in Vlčeves, d: 05 Jan 1928 in Chelsea

................. + Frank J. STANEK b: 30 Oct 1844 in Benesov, Near Tabor, m: Bet. 1865–1870 in Chelsea, d: 03 Oct 1918

................. 4 Barbara CHALOUPEK b: 16 Oct 1852 in Vlčeves, Near Tabor, d: 31 Mar 1927 in Cedar Rapids, IA

................. + John PRUSHA b: May 1851 in , , Bohemia, Austria, m: 03 Apr 1877 in Toledo, IA

................. 4 John CHALOUPEK b: 24 Aug 1853 in Vlčeves, d: 16 Dec 1943 in Los Angeles, CA

................. + Barbara HADACHEK b: 07 Nov 1860 in Vratišov, South Bohemia, m: 29 Dec 1879 in Chelsea, d: 18 Jul 1917 in Iowa City, IA

................. 4 Frantisek (Frank) CHALOUPEK b: 31 Dec 1859 in Bohemia, d: 21 Nov 1939 in Marshalltown, IA

................. + Josephine SKALA b: 30 Dec 1863 in Bohemia, m: 11 Sep 1882 in Toledo, Iowa, d: 21 Nov 1929 in Salt Creek, Tama, IA

................. 4 Katerina "Kate" CHALOUPEK b: 25 Nov 1861 in Ceske'budejovice, , Bohemia, d: 24 Jul 1949 in Baudette, MN

................. + Vaclav "Vencil" STARITS b: 22 Sep 1859 in Ylubena, Bohemia, m: Jul 1880, d: 25 Jan 1932

................. 4 Anna CHALOUPEK b: 17 Jul 1848 in Vlčeves

................. + Simon HULKA b: Abt. 1811 in Bohemia, m: Abt. 21 Dec 1874 in , Tama, IA, d: 30 Jun 1885

........... 3 Katherine PRAGR b: Vlčeves, d: 1863 in Vlčeves

........... + Frank STANEK b: 25 Nov 1818 in Benesov, Near Tabor, Austria, d: 11 Oct 1899 in IA

................. 4 Mary STANEK b: Bohemia

................. + Albert PRUSHA m: Bohemia

................. + Frank M. STANEK

................. 4 Frank J. STANEK b: 30 Oct 1844 in Benesov, Near Tabor, d: 03 Oct 1918

................. + Mary CHALOUPEK b: 15 Dec 1845 in Vlčeves, m: Bet. 1865–1870 in Chelsea, d: 05 Jan 1928 in Chelsea

................. 4 Joseph STANEK b: Bohemia

................. 4 Katharine STANEK b: Bohemia, d: 21 Jul 1907

................. + James Vaclav HUSAK b: 12 Sep 1851 in Bohemia, m: 16 Jul 1873

................. 4 Terezie STANEK b: Bohemia, d: Bet. 1880–1881

................. 4 John STANEK b: Abt. 1846 in Bohemia, d: IA

................. + Anna VISTINE b: 1856 in Bohemia, m: Chicago, Ill, d: IA

Jan and Alžbĕta had at least one child, Josef PRAGR (1798 - ?), who became a weaver. Josef married Katerina FUKOVA (1800 - ?), daughter of Vojtech FUK and Dorota KUDZERKOVA, in 1818. I don't have any more dates on any of these PRAGRs and FUKs, or any other information, except that they all were born and died in Vlčeves.

PRAGR, or PRAGER, just means "from Prague," so I suppose it is a fairly common name. I hesitate to guess how to pronounce FUK!

Or how to pronounce Vlčeves, for that matter. If you want to see what the countryside around modern Vlčeves looks like, check out this "sustainability project" called Nový Mlýn. They have some nice pictures on their Facebook page. Also take a look at modern Tábor.

In this 1720 map, Vlčeves is the red dot in the center, labeled Wlczowes. Czernowitz is now Černovice, and Cheynow has become Chýnov. Chauftnik is modern Choustník, and Hradenin is Radenin. Dobeschow is Dobesov, birthplace of Frank Adalbert PARIZEK. Many of these old villages are no longer inhabited. The walled city of Tabor is out of the picture, to the left.

Josef and Katerina had at least 4 children:

Barbara PRAGR (b. 1820-1830 - d. aft. 1880)

Mary PRAGR (17 Jan 1822 - 11 Jan 1926)

Elnora PRAGR (Mar 1828 - 2 Feb 1906)

Katherine PRAGR (? - 8 Oct 1863)

All these girls except Katherine immigrated to Chelsea, Iowa, USA. Perhaps Katherine would have come too, had she not died in childbirth. Their names should probably be spelled PRAGROVA, the feminine form of PRAGR.

Next I will tell about these 4 PRAGR girls and their families. It gets a little complicated! In a nutshell: Katherine's son married Elnora's daughter, and they immigrated to Chelsea, Iowa. Katherine died in Vlčeves, her husband married her sister Mary, and they went to Chelsea, with Frank's children. Elnora and Barbara both had husbands who died in Vlčeves, and they both took all their children to Chelsea.

Katherine (PRAGR) STANEK

Katherine PRAGR married Frank STANEK (25 Nov 1818 - 11 Oct 1899), from Benesov, a town about 30 miles north of Tabor. I've traced the Stanek line back 4 more generations. See the STANEK page for this.

They must have lived in Vlčeves. They had 6 children:

Mary STANEK (1840 - Aft. 1920)

Frank J. STANEK (30 Oct 1844 - 3 Oct 1918)

Joseph STANEK

Katharine STANEK (Oct 1854 - 21 Jul 1907)

Terezie STANEK (8 Oct 1863 - 16 Nov 1890)

John STANEK (Abt. 1846 - 29 Dec 1901)

The dates are sketchy, and I can't be sure of the birth order. Mary was probably the oldest, and Terezie was the youngest, as her mother died giving birth to her. I think that all 6 were born in Vlčeves.

John Stanek was my gg-grandfather, the grandfather of my grandfather, Milo William POSEKANY. John STANEK married Anna VISTINE, born in Bohemia, 1856, and they had at least 12 children. They were married in Chicago.

Frank J. STANEK married his first cousin, Mary CHALOUPEK (see below). Mary was the daughter of Vojtech "Albert" CHALOUPEK and Elnora (PRAGR) CHALOUPEK. Some time around 1865, Frank and Mary immigrated to Chelsea, Iowa, where they had 7 children. See the STANEK page for more about them.

Frank J. STANEK, Mary (CHALOUPEK) STANEK, and 7 children

Frank Stanek

The "History of Chelsea, Iowa, 1869-1969", p. 250

Frank Stanek was born at Benesov, near Tabor, Bohemia, October 30, 1844. Not wishing to serve in the Austrian Army under the Emperor Franz Joseph, he came to America in 1862 and settled in Iowa City with relatives. There he helped in their nursery business learning to graft apple trees and grapes. After two years, he came to Tama County and settled on a farm two miles south of Chelsea. His father, stepmother, brothers, sisters and fiance, Mary Chaloupek, arrived in Chelsea in 1865. Shortly after their arrival, Mary and Frank were married." "In addition to farming, Frank Stanek worked on the Chicago and North Western Railroad when it was being built across Iowa. After 26 years on the farm, he bought Chelsea Roller Mill and moved to town.

Katherine (PRAGR) STANEK died in childbirth, in 1863. Frank STANEK then married Katherine's sister Mary (see below). In 1865 Frank and Mary and 5 children (Frank Jr had already immigrated, with his wife Mary), moved to America. They first came to Chicago, and some time between 1865 and 1875, they settled on a farm near Chelsea, Iowa.

Different documents give different dates for the immigration of the STANEKs. It all seems to have happened between 1863 and 1868. Frank Jr either came to Iowa first and married Mary when she came over with his family, or else they were married in Bohemia and came over together, before his family. This was a time of mass exodus from Bohemia - see the Immigration page. Of course, it was also a difficult time for the US. I'm sure every aspect of life was affected by the ongoing or recently concluded American Civil War!

FRANK STANEK AND THE CHELSEA MILL

From THE TAMA COUNTY HISTORY, Union Publishing Co., 1883:

G. W. Gower built a steam flouring mill at Chelsea in 1873. It is a three story building, 30 x 60 feet, with two run of stone for grinding wheat, and all necessary machinery for making first class flour. Anthony Wilkinson and J. A. Willy succeeded Gower as proprietors of the mill. The mill was closed for a short time, then A. Palmer purchased an interest, and the business was again started for a short time. In 1881, Prusha and Slama purchased the mill. .

In 1890 Frank Stanek bought the Chelsea mill which at that time ground rye only. He later installed machinery for grinding wheat which the farmers raised and hauled to the mill in wagons . They exchanged it for flour which was sold under the name of May Flower.

The Stanek family was connected with the mill for thirty years. Mr. Stanek, his son-in-law, Albert Polka, his sons, Frank J. Stanek and John W. Stanek, and Fred J. Prusha all were active in the business. In later years, Mr. Stanek retired.

Frank Stanek came from Bohemia in 1867. At Chelsea he married Mary Chaloupek who was also born in Bohemia. He worked on the Chicago & North Western railroad when it was being built across Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Stanek were the parents of seven children, only three of whom are still living: John W., Mrs. Fr. J. Parizek, and Mrs. Perry Boyer. Mr. Stanek died in 1917 at the age of 78 and Mrs. Stanek in January, 1928, at the age of 88.

I don't have any dates or information about Joseph STANEK, and I can't even be sure he came to Iowa with the rest of the family.

There were a few other STANEK families in Iowa in the 19th century. They were all Catholic, and most named their children Joseph, Mary, Frank, Barbara, John and Katherine. It was a lot of fun to sort all that out!

Elnora (Pragr) Chaloupek

Elnora PRAGR married Vojtech "Albert" CHALOUPEK (1820 - 1864). Apparently, Albert is the English translation of Vojtech. They had 6 children:

Mary CHALOUPEK (15 Dec 1845 - 5 Jan 1928)

Anna CHALOUPEK (17 Jul 1848 - ?)

Barbara CHALOUPEK (16 Oct 1852 - 31 Mar 1927)

John CHALOUPEK (24 Aug 1853 - 16 Dec 1943)

Frantisek "Frank" CHALOUPEK (31 Dec 1859 - 21 Nov 1939)

Katerina "Kate" CHALOUPEK (25 Nov 1861 - 24 Jul 1949)

Four generations in one picture! Seated is Elnora (PRAGR) CHALOUPEK, and behind her is her daughter, Mary (CHALOUPEK) STANEK, and on the right is Mary's daughter, Mary (STANEK) POLKA, whose daughter Lanore (POLKA) DVORAK is on the left, in the white dress.

Albert died in 1864, and some time between 1864 and 1870, Elnora and her children immigrated to Iowa (except Mary, who had immigrated earlier, with her husband). In 1874 she married Simon HULKA (1811 - 30 Jun 1885), who had been born in Bohemia, but had come to Iowa before 1856, making him one of the first European immigrants in Tama County .

This is not the same branch of CHALOUPEKs that the HALOUPEK side of my tree comes from. I actually have more CHALOUPEKs on the POSEKANY side than on the CHALOUPEK side! I don't know the parents of Vojtech CHALOUPEK, but he and Elnora sure had a lot of descendants.

Mary CHALOUPEK married her first cousin, Frank J. STANEK. Frank was the son of Mary's Aunt Katherine.

John CHALOUPEK (left) and his son Edward, holding grandson Arthur.

John Chaloupek

From the "History of Chelsea, Iowa, 1989-1964", pp. 144-145:

John Chaloupek came from Bohemia in 1870 with his widowed mother & brother & sisters. The family landed in Baltimore, MD & came directly to Chelsea. There were five children: John, Frank, Mrs. John Prusha, Mrs. Frank Stanek, & Mrs. Starits.

He married Barbara Hadachek & they were the parents of four children. This family was one of those who took refuge in the Chelsea Mill during the flood of 1881.

Mr. Chaloupek first entered business as a shoemaker & was noted for the excellent quality of the boots & shoes he made. After a few years, he started a general merchandise shop. This prospered to such an extent that about 1895 he discontinued shoemaking & devoted all his time to merchandising. His store, on the west side of Station St. near the corner of First St. which leads to the school, came to be a great attraction for school children. Here they bought school supplies and, more frequently, spent their pennies for candy & trinkets. The brisk trade in licorice, jawbreakers, marshmallow "fried eggs", all-day suckers, candy hearts, & other one or two for a cent delights gave the store the name (affectionately bestowed) of "Penny Heaven". To the child, debating the expenditure of one or two pennies it was indeed a tantalizing paradise.

Mr. Chaloupek was later assisted in the business by his son, Edward, who took over the management of the store. During the 1930's the store closed. The building, with its attached dwelling, is now occupied by Anthony W. Sheda & family.

Mr. Chaloupek passed away at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Anna Kosta, in Los Angeles, Calif. in Dec. 1943. He was 90 yrs old.

Barbara CHALOUPEK married John PRUSHA, who had been born in Bohemia, around 1854, and had immigrated to Iowa along with his parents. In Bohemia, their name had been VOSTRICKA.

Barbara CHALOUPEK

John PRUSHA and family. Back row: Fredrick J, Emma, John Jr - Front: John Sr (holding Josef), Barbara (Chaloupek), Frank in front, and Elnora (Pragrova) Chaloupek.

Katerina CHALOUPEK married Vlacav "Vencil" STARITS, who had immigrated from Ylubena, Bohemia. They lived in Chelsea and had 6 children.

Katerina (CHALOUPEK) STARITS

The STARITS family. Katerina on the left, Vaclav on the right. Circa 1892.

Barabara (PRAGR) CHASKA

Barbara PRAGR married Frank CHASKA (? - d. bef. 1880) who died in Bohemia. In 1880, after Frank's death, Barbara and 2 children came to Chelsea, and stayed with her sister Elnora. The 2 children were:

Albert (23 Apr 1858 - 12 Sep 1955)

Josephine (7 Mar 1863 - 24 Mar 1936)

Mary (PRAGR) STANEK

Mary PRAGR never had any children of her own, but she married Frank STANEK, her sister's widower, and helped raise his children. After Frank died in 1899, she married Frank HOUSKA. She outlived this Frank also, and went to live with her step-son, Frank. She died just before her 104th birthday.

What a family!

Sources:

"The History of Chelsea, Iowa, 1869-1969"

"The History of Tama Co. Iowa", 1987

"Chelsea Centennial Book"

"1989 Chelsea History"

Also, there is a very large book called "CZECH-ing IN/The CHALOUPEK-STARITS-KUCERA Family Record" by Mary C. (KUCERA) LeCLERC, written in 1997, which has data on the Vlčeves branch of CHALOUPEKs. Mary passed away in 2016.) I think I got one of the last paper copies, and the book doesn't exist in electronic form, so good luck finding a copy!

Last updated 17 Apr 2021 by William Haloupek. Contact haloupek at gmail dot com.

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