Andera, Frantisek 1804 - 1886

ANDREA, VESELY, CEKAL, SAKULINA, BALOUNOVA, ZAK, POSHUSTA

Posted By: Bill Waters (email)
Date: 5/7/2015 at 21:14:23

Frantisek Andera was born 26 Nov 1804 in house #12 in Hrobska Zahradka, County Tabor, Bohemia to Vaclav and Mary (Vesely)Andera. Vaclav was the son of Vaclav, who was the son of Vaclav, who was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Martin, who was the son of Ondrej Andera. Ondrej, who died at the age 60 on 18 Jan 1719, was a subject of Hroby manor, a feudal estate of just five villages. At death he was the mayor of his native Kozmice.

It is not known if Ondrej, the Czech form of Andrew acquired his surname from his father or, as was then the custom, from the farm he occupied. Andera, also a form of Andrew, is an uncommon Czech name of foreign origin. Legend in one branch of the family points to a Danish solder (Anders?) who was left behind after being wounded during the Thirty Years' War and then married a Czech woman. The earliest record of the Andera farm indicates that in 1654 it was owned by Pavel Andera. He may or may not have been the Dane in question; Ordrej may or may not have been his son. The records note that after Pavel in desperation had abondoned his decrepit farm in 1680, the magistrates turned it over to a gamekeeper, very probably Ondrej, who in 1703 was identified as gamekeeper or mayor.

Katerine Cekal was born 3 Apr 1818 (or 8 Apr 1819
archive reports are in conflict)in house #12, Velka Rovna, County Tabor, Bohemia to Vaclav and Katerine (Sakulina) Cekal. Katerina and Frantisek were married 4 Sep 1849 after the death 22 Jun 1849 of his first wife, Anna Balounova, born 22 Jun 1912 in Zahradka, house #4, to Jacob and Mary (Zak)Baloun.

In 1862, after a 9 week voyage, Frantisek and Katerina brought their family to Toronto, Canada. A short time later they moved to Winneshiek Co, IA. Young Frantisek, who had found work in a furniture factory, remained behind. On 9 Jul 1863 Frantisek, Sr bought an acreage west of Spillville adjacent to the Haug Cemetery.

Frantisek and Anna's children were: Frantisek (b. 12 Aug 1831 - d. 10 Oct 1831); Vaclav (b. 30 Aug 1832 - d. 8 Mar 1835); John (b. 4 Jan 1835). On 2 Nov 1856 John married Barbara Cekal, born 19 Sep 1830. She was John's step-mother's sister. John died 12 Feb 1857. Their child Marie was born 10 Sep 1857. Barbara, John's widow, who also came to Iowa, married Leopold Poshusta, a widower. Frantisek (b. 9 Apr 1837) married Mary Jencil in 1861, in Bohemia. After 3 years in Toronto he farmed near Roseville, Floyd Co., IA then in 1880 moved to Red Lake, Brule Co, SD where in Mar 1931 he died. Frantisek was the father of 13 children. Vaclav (aka Wencil) (b. 10 Oct 1839) on 14 Jun 1868 in Roseville he married Katerina Schon. In 1882 he moved to Ola Twp., Brule Co. where on 15 Mar 1912 he died. Vaclav had 8 children. Marie (b. 6 Mar 1842 - d. 2 Sep 1842); Marie (b. 27 Feb 1846) married John Paul Gaertner on 18 Aug 1864 in Fayette Co., IA where they lived for a short period before moving to Floyd Co., IA. Marie died there in 1870 leaving 3 children. Josef ( b. 14 Oct 1848 - d. 6 Dec 1848).

Frantisek and Katerina's children were: Josef (b. 1 Aug 1850) married Mary Kovarik on 10 Jun 1873 in Spillville. He farmed with his parents until their death and then moved to Chickasaw Co., IA. Josef and Mary had 8 children. And Karel (b. 3 Sep 1851) married Barbara Dostal on 19 Jan 1875 in Spillville. (See Karel Andera's family history)

Winneshiek County, Iowa
Biographies - 1996

Submitted by Darla Doyle

St. Wenceslaus Cemetery gravestone
 

Winneshiek Biographies maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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