Back to My Roots

Early in this trip abroad, I was in contact with a relative who had visited the Czech Republic several years ago. My great aunt Janice visited a small village called Opatov where my ancestors were born and lived there until they eventually moved to the United States. After hearing about how she got to explore the place where my family began, I wanted to do the same so she directed me towards a more distant relative who had done the same thing two years ago. When she and her husband were there, she stayed with a woman who did research on families who had moved to America from the small towns in the Czech Republic. Because she knew about my family line, she agreed to let me stay with her for a weekend and show me around the town. Jaroslava Palusova is a middle schoool teacher and does research about history in her free time. She has wrote many books about the small villages in her area and the people who come from those villages. On my last weekend in the Czech Republic I was able to stay with her to learn more about my family history.

On Saturday morning, I took a bus to Jihlava where Jaroslava and her grandson Michael picked me up to take me to their home. The first night I found out I would be staying with Jaroslava's daughter and her family in Ducheov. Her oldest son was visiting the US at the time, so they had an open room for me to stay in. When I arrived to their house, they had lunch waiting for me. After lunch we went into the town of Opatov which was  nearby. In Opatov, there was a celebration for the local fire department which had been established 150 years ago. there, they had food, beer, music and a contest for the different branches of the fire departments. There were about 6 teams of man and 6 teams of women and they raced to see who could put out a fire the fastest. The whole town and surrounding villages were present at this day long event. I met many people at this celebration, but only a few spoke English. When Jaroslava would introduce me, she would tell them my family line and explain that I was a student in Olomouc and that I had been there for 3 months studying and traveling around Europe.

After the celebration, we walked to the Evangelical church where my great, great, great, grandparents Frantisek and Anna Duba got married. They lived in Opatov house #27 where they had children, and then moved into house #9 until they emigrated to America with their 3 children. Jaroslava showed me both of these houses and the cemetery of the Evangelical church. I met the family that currently lives in #27. The house isn't in my family anymore, so I wasn't related to them, but they were very nice and they let me come in and take pictures. We also went to an old mill on the outskirts of Opatov. From the top of the hill, you could see the whole village.

When we got back to the house, Jaroslava took me to the neighbors house where he was outisde cutting wood. I found out that he is a distant relative  of mine and his name is also Frantisek Homolka. He has tow granddaughters around my age who study in Prague. He asked me all about my family and where I come from in the US. He didn't speak any English so Jaroslava had to translate for me. That night, Michael and his girlfriend Kristina went on a walk around Dusheov with their dog, Moxie and then we sat in the garden for a glass (or two) of wine. They fed me a small dinner and then we went off to bed. The next morning, I woke up to a nice breakfast and got ready for church. We went to the Evangelical church service in Opatov. It was a very short service with only a few people. the sermon was in Czech so it was translated to me later, but the pastor talked about a man who came to Jesus and asked him how he could make his life better so Jesus told him to follow Him and he would show him. After church, i took a picture with the whole congregation. They told Jaroslava that they were very glad to have me there and that they wished me safe travels for the rest of the trip.

After church, we visited the town of Novy Richnov where Frantisek Homolka grew up with his family in house #101. When we arrived into town, we saw the Catholic church and Jaroslava gave me a small tour of the town. To get to #101, we went out of the town about 5 miles where there was a farm with 3 houses. This whole farm used to belong to the Homolka family. The first house we came upon, there was a family cutting wood and their kids were playing in the yard. Jaroslava explained why we were there and asked if we could take a look around. They kindly said yes because they knew that it used to belong to my family. Walking further into the farm, Jaroslava told me that #101 had been destroyed but she showed me the remains of the house which is now a garden. The family from the first house invited us to their patio for mushroom soup and beer. They asked about my family and about my studies in the Czech Republic. They also showed me a photo album of them renovating their house which they bought from a Homolka family who moved to the US. This family was very welcoming and loved that I came to visit. Shortly after, we went to another cemetery where one of my relatives was buried.

Next, we came across a carnival where there were rides similar to what we would see at a County fiar in Nebraska. I rode on some rides with Kristina and we got shaved ice and then went to a castle nearby where there was another celebration. We toured the church and the outside of the castle and the Michael, Kristina and I climbed to the top of a lookout tower. I think it said there were about 200 steps to the top. At the top, we could see all of the small villages in the distance and the beautiful countryside of Bohemia. The climb tot he top was very tiring and made my legs sore, but it was worth it.

After the long couple of days we had, we went back to Jaroslava's house where she lives with her son and his family. There are 3 separate houses on this property and they raise chickens, rabbits and have a large garden and even some kittens. Jaroslava fixed us some tea and we reflected on everything from the weekend. She showed me the books she had written and picked out the part about my family line and translated it in English for me and she also printed me out a copy so I could take it home to show my family. She also included some pictures and maps of the towns. To further her research, she asked me to gibe her the names of my family tree and wanted to know more about my life back in Nebraska. After a small dinner, I went to bed on her couch so I could get up at 7 AM to catch my bus to Prague where I would spend my last days abroad.

I am very grateful that Jaroslava and her family took me into their homes and fed me (lots of food) for my last weekend. They were very welcoming and patient with me since I didn't speak any Czech. After being in the small villages where my family came from, I feel more connected with my past and my Czech heritage. Coming into this program, this was something that I had been dreaming of doing. It wasn't quite like I expected but it is something that I will hold near and dear to my heart for a lifetime. I am hoping to stay in touch with Jaroslava for years to come. I even plan to send her some Loper gear and some pictures of my family.