Last Will and Testament for Jan Wondra

Thank you other researchers I have some pictures of Marie Bares the sister of Rosalie (Bares) Wondra/Vondra.  Marie married a man named Leopold Svikhart.  She had a daughter Anna that was so close to my grandmother Mildred (Vondra) Cervenka.  Anna was born in 1897.  The 5th child of Marie Svoboda Wondra was born in 1883.

 This would be my grandmother's aunt, either full or step depending on who was her real mother Marie (Svoboda) Wondra or Rozalie (Bares) Wondra/Vndra.  

When Anna Barres was older her daughter Marie and her husband Leopold Svikhart.came to live wih her.

Paulina Swoboda or Svoboda: This was Marie (Svoboda) Wondra's sister. They lived close in the Chicago area for a number of years.  Some of her family is buried in the same cemetery as Jan Wondra, Chicago, IL By the age of 66 she was a widow. She was renting a small place April 15, 1930 491 15th Ave., Newark, Jew Jersey.  10 people were living in that home. She was a renter. Her daughter Edna (age 27) and her husband Aaron Henderson (age 26) lived with her.  Edna was born in New Jersey.

Paulina came to America in 1885.  Her daughter works in the area of clerical and is working for a bakery. Aaron works as a laborer on electrical appliances. In the 1910 census she states she came to America in 1880.  She states she is from Austria Bohemia. People were hesitant to call them self Bohemian. They were living at: 1606 South Homan Ave., Chicago City, IL.  They were living with their daughter Adelaide age 20.

1893 Paulina's sister Marie (Savboda) Wondra died.

For Jan Wondra in 1880 he is living with his wife and 4 children. the youngest 2 yrs old was born in Illinois the others Bohemia. one boy Joseph age 16 was in the hospital when the census was taken.  If this give us some indication that they arrived before 1878 so the last baby would be born in Illinois.

In 1880 the last name was taken wrong: Woundrach.  So you can see how hearing a name and writing it down can create a different name.  John identifies himself as a blacksmith. His daughter Mary age 13 works in a tailor shop. Josephine is 7 and at school.  they lived at 171 Wright Street.  no specific as to north or south

When the 1900 census was taken the age for Mary (Wondra) was transcribed wrong.  The census does say 27 years old but the transcriber has her at 5.  Then in 1910 we have a record of her marriage Korinek and age 38. Remember the age is to be given at the time the census was taken.  She had a 3 yr old  Jarmila. living at 223 California Ave., Chicago,  Census taken in May 1910.  We see Mary/Marie states she came here in 1874.  Mary indicates she has had 2 children but only 1 living.  They have been married 6 years. They married 1904.

California Avenue, Chicago, IL

Hope this information has given you something to think about.  You don't really know where you are going until you know where you came from.

1916 Last Will and Testament for Rosalie (Bares) Vondra/Wondra

I found the recorded document that so many family members have spoken about but until yesterday I have never seen.  Oh by the way notice the County Clerk John A. Cervenka - Yes we are related to him.  He is the brother of our Great Grandfather Frank Cervenka.

Notice on the above document that I have underlined in green the names of the children that Rosalie acknowledges.  She does say that three were step children and two were full.  Grandma must have cared so much for Miles to connect with Rosalie and bond with her little brother Miles.

Yes this will was contested in court and the three half siblings lost.  Their attorney charged $100 per person to take the action to court.  Grandma would tell me this story with a smile on her face. 

Welcome Back New Findings Bares Family

 This is Mildred (Vondra) Cervenka's favorite cousin.  For so many years I could not find the DNA connection for Anna Mildred Svikhart to my grandmother Mildred Vondra.  Well last night the connection came to life.  First Rozălie (Bares) Wondra/Vondra's mother Anna Bares did not die on the voyage to America.  The 0-2 in the column under death and cause in the ship's log had nothing to do with her dying.

Come to fine out, after many years of investigation, that a number of ships at that time used the death column to count the passengers.  0-2 meant 0/men and 2/females for the group of people that were coming to America.  So that would be persons coming from Czechoslovakia on that ship. They traveled in the Steerage section of the ship.  Yes I know I am drifting off the point but stay with me.

Anna Bares, Rozălie's mother had another daughter that came to America.  Her name was Marie (Mary Bares) Svikhart.  She married a man named Leopold Svikhart.  Marie was born 6 Feb 1860 in Pisek, Europe.  She died 11 Jul 1932 Chicago, Cook Co,.IL.  She had a total of 12 children but only 6 were living by the census date I found.  She had a daughter Mildred Anna, son Miloslav (Miles) Leopold and daughter Anna Mildred (grandma's closest cousin).  This picture to the left looks like 8th grade graduation.  The one below is a close-up.  I have one that looks like she is in her late teens.  There is another daughter of Mary (Bares) Svikhart and her name is Ladimil born 1887.  The names I am finding for the Czech families are very similar.  Another child Bohumil.  I will be checking the address of where all the families lived and working on a location map.  My parents lived for a short time in Downer Grove.  Finding out some of the cousins were also living in that town.   

A note to remember when you see the last name written Baresova that means it is a girl from the Bares family.

Census records indicate that Rozălie claimed she was the mother of all 5 children that were living there on 1050 S. Washtenaw Ave.  that was not true.  Anna, Jan Wondra's/Vondra's second wife was the mother of 5 children.  The last was my grandmother.  Rozălie only had one child Milos (Miles) Vondra.  I found the Last Will and Testament for both John (Jan) and Rozălie.

Jan is clear the property that he is now giving to Rozălie. Now I found the Last Will and Testament that  Rozălie had recorded.  In this document we see that she states there are 3 step-children from Jan and she has 2 full children (Mildred my grandmother and Miles her brother and youngest of children that Jan fathered)

You will need to keep in mind the many spellings I have found for Jan and Rozălie. There a some documents that have different birthdays and death days.  Remember how the women often times did not tell their correct birthday.  Sometimes people even claimed different marital status when coming to America so as to allow them-self entry.

   Here is the detail from 1910 census.  You see how Rosie is operating a boarding house there on 1050 Washtenaw Ave.  Mildred was older than stated in this census.  Remember she really was the daughter of Marie (Savboda) Wondra.  I have done a number of searches of the Chicago and IL records and there is no girl born of Rosie, Rose etc. Vondra or Wondra during the years grandma says she was born.

Any comments, corrections, or  additions please send them in.   Also thank you to our cousin Rita who is working on the Denver, CO connection of Vondra and the Nebraska group.