2006 Events

November 18, 2006

Members of the Southside Virginia Czech/Slovak Heritage Society joined with the St. John Lutheran Church Ladies League in Emporia to bake Slovak kolacky (pecan filled cookies) for the church's holiday bake sale.  The church was founded by Slovak immigrant farmers who settled in northern Greensville County in the early 1900's.  The annual sale was held on Saturday, November 18th from 9-11 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church, Emporia, Virginia.   It always draws a big crowd, so it's important to arrive early.  For instance, approx. 200 hundred dozen kolacky's sold out in 30 minutes this year!  Luckily, there were other delicious bake sale items for the disappointed late arrivals.  Pictured above, preparing kolacky for the sale, are Jeannette Bishai, Marie Pearson, Betty Ann Barrett, Irene Shimko and Barbara Suessmann.

Look what we made for the sale!

November 12, 2006

Presentation to the Dinwiddie Historical Society

"Haying" in Gernik Romania July 2006

On Sunday, November 12, 2006, twenty people braved the flooding rains and came to the historic Dinwiddie Courthouse for our presentation to the Dinwiddie Historical Society about our trips to Gernik.   We were focusing on the group of Czechs from Gernik who settled in Dinwiddie County between 1888 and 1905 and the families in Gernik that still bear the same last names.  Marie showed scenes of the 2005 trip and Joyce coverd the conference and return to Gernik in 2006.  We were pleased to have in the audience a number of travelers from both trips, who added their memories to the presentation.   Of special interest to the historical society was the 1853 Gernik census that has in it the names of many Virginia and Dinwiddie families.  These include:

Blaha, Bouda, Bradacs, Fiala, Glasser, Hanslicsek, Houska, Janouschek, Kohout, Krzepelka, Kuska, Maschek, Merhaut, Missera, Nedwed, Nejedly, Nemetcsek, Noventy, Peschat, Prochaska, Reichter, Roth, Stehlig, Swobda, Uzel, Wesely, Winsh, Zimburek, Zissler

Note: the names above are as they are spelled on the 1853 Gernik census.  Some spellings have changed -- for instance Missera became Mizera or Mezera in Virginia; Zimburek became Cimburek, etc.  Also, although many  families in Southside Virginia have confirmed their roots in Gernik, not every family name on this list may be one that emigrated from Gernik to Virginia.  Individual Czech/Slovak families are confirming their European roots via family documents.  This census is just one more helpful hint.

25 June - 2 July, 2006.

A delegation from Virginia traveled to the Czech Republic to attend the SVU World Congress, sponsored by the Czechoslovak Society of Art and Sciences, which was opened by the President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus.

The Virginia delegation meets the American Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. 

See Radio Prague coverage of the congress at:  http://www.radio.cz/en/article/80659

The following papers were presented at the conference:  

Symposium Title:   Czech Migrations to Romania and Virginia, then Returning Again

Moderator:     Dr. Zdenek Uherek, Director, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

1.  Daniel Mair, University College London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, London, UK  “Kde domov mùj? Relations between the Czech ‘Homeland’ and the Banat Czech Community of Romania with Special Emphasis on Re-emigration” Adobe Document Format

2.  Zdenek Uherek, ASCR and Charles University, Prague, CR “Czech Migrations to the Balkans” Adobe Document Format

3. Marie Pearson, Southside Virginia Czech/Slovak Heritage Society

Exploring Czech families of immigrants 100 years later: Those who remained in their "Old World" ancestral villages and those who were raised in the "New World," America. Adobe Document Format

4.  Joyce Pritchard, Southside Virginia Czech/Slovak Heritage Society, Richmond, Virginia Czechs in Southside Virginia.  An International Search of the Landscape and the Literature Adobe Document Format

5.  Mary Vinsh Blazek, Jenny Blaha Jones and Joseph Vinsh, Jr., Sacred Heart Church, New Bohemia, Virginia Vinsh Family History. A Study in Discovering the Czech Romanian Origins of a Virginia Family Adobe Document Format

Sunday May 7, 2006. Concert by Slovak vocalist, Jozef Ivaska

Jozef Ivaska

Eighty Czech/Slovak enthusiasts attended the concert of sacred and secular music presented by Jozef Ivaska on Sunday, May 7 at 3:00 p.m. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 505 Cedar Lane, in Hopewell.  Ivaska presented a program in a variety of languages and styles -- from "Ave Maria" to secular "pop" music.  We were honored to have two "elders" of the Czech/Slovak community in the audience -- one was 102 years "young" and the other was 98 years!  Our Slovak friends came from Emporia, bringing their special brand of kolaches and a group traveled from North Carolina to attend.  Thanks to all who brought kolache -- we had a true feast of sweets at the reception following! 

Jozef is an energetic performer who involves the audience!

Ivaska Program of Songs

April 29, 2006.  NATOfest at the Norfolk Azalea Festival: Southside Virginia Czech/Slovak Heritage Society displayed Slovak artifacts and information about Virginia Czech/Slovaks at the Slovakia tent at "Visit 26 Countries in a Day" as guests of Roman Adamka, NATO liaison from the Slovak Republic.  The event was a fabulous extravaganza of ethnic food, costume, entertainment (folk dancing) and handouts (hats, pins, flags, maps, travel brochures, etc.) from each of the 26 NATO countries.  Anyone with children or grandchildren must NOT miss this event in 2007!  Children were given a "passport" book that they got stamped at each tent.  Besides having lots of fun going from tent to tent, then they were eligible for the grand prize -- a bicycle.  See website at http://www.azaleafestival.org for information.

Items displayed at the Slovakia tent - NATOfest 2006

April 1, 2006 -- Slide Show of Trip to Romania:   A good crowd was on hand as Ben Uzel  presented his slides of Prague, Gernik and his trip to other family villages in the Czech Republic at St. John's Church, Dinwiddie.  Members in the audience enjoyed seeing pictures of their possible "cousins" (having the same last name) in Gernik.  A delicious pot-luck supper was shared by all, featuring several pots of stuffed cabbage -- made with sauerkraut! 

(Mike and Ben Uzel presentation of trip to Czech Republic at Sacred Heart 100 year founding celebration - January 28, 2006)

Ben Uzel Trip Presentations -- Colonial Heights Historical Society (11/30/2005 & 1/24/2006)

(source: Progress-Index newspaper, Petersburg, Virginia, November 30, 2005)

Prince George Historical Society Trip Presentation - January 17, 2006

(source: Hopewell News, Virginia, January 20, 2006)