BLAHNIK Family From Bohemia (Czech Republic)

(Modern coat of arms)

Czech Republic Blahnik Reunion 2012 - Kon�elsk� �enk � Doma�lice, Czech Republic

NEWS:  International Blahnik Reunion was held 8/20/2011
Blahnik Heritage Park outside of Algoma in Kewaunee County, WI.

The reunion was successful and we thank all of you who were able to attend!  We had over 275 people at Blahnik Heritage Park.  Visit Blahnik Reunion Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/122961107772742/.  Jim Blahnik has some video uploaded from our reunion that you can view in segments!

We had 8 different immigrant family descendents attend this reunion as well as a Blahnik from the Czech Republic.  At this point none of the families has a tie to each other through genealogy, but all of the Blahniks come from the SW corner of the Czech Republic (once known as the Bohemian Crown).  At this time 117 Blahnik immigrants have been located coming from 36 different identified families.  We have 11 of them traced to their town of emigration during the late 19th century.  Eight of those 11 families were represented at the reunion.  All Blahniks are related and come from SW Bohemia in the Czech Republic area of Chodsko near Klatvoy.

Here is the information for the Blahnik family.  (move under the Origins link).  This information was gathered for the International Reunion and presented below.

	Map of the Czech Republic shows the Blahnik Pocket area on the SW border by Domazlice This is where our family originated.  Many Blahniks emigrated in the late 19th century, but many Blahniks remain in the Czech Republic as well.
	This map shows a close up of the Blahnik Pocket and pins that mark the known  Blahnik family homes from 1450-1900.  Different colors represent the different families that we have not connected to the main Smrzovice branch.  This is where our Chod ancestors had lived
	A secondary  pocket developed just east of Plzen.  Often rulers would move people about in order to utilize their specific skills.  This area is just NE of the Blahnik pocket and on the way to Praha (Prague).
	This is a map of the US and Canada showing where members of the families shown in the Pockets above, settled when they immigrated to America in the late 19th century and early 1900's.

The break down for known Blahnik immigrants shown below by the State that the families settled.

Wisconsin had the most Czech immigrants in the 1860 & 1870 census records for the US.  More than half of our Blahnik families did immigrate to Wisconsin and the Midwest, but we have settlements as far away as Canada too.

REUNION:

Photos of the reunion can be found on Jim Blahnik's Facebook page for Blahnik Reunion.  -become a friend on facebook!  Some photo connections below.

-We had at least 275 people were in attendance  for the 1st International Blahnik Reunion.  People came from the Czech Republic, Canada, MN, MD, IL, KY, MI, DE, FL, SD, AZ, OR, NB, IN and of course WI where the event was held.

An aerial shot was taken of the park near the end of the program.   The plane was easily seen by those in attendance.  People came to this reunion from the Czech Republic, Oregon, Canada, Arizona, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Kentucky, Florida, Maryland and Wisconsin.  There were tents for registration, Genealogy, Music/Wisc Czech/Pastries/books and Scott Blahnik had a trailer housing the massive collection from the Algoma Blahnik family collected by his Grandfather Wenzel Blahnik.

-Jim and Blanche Blahnik were the primary organizers for this reunion.  They were able to make arrangements with the county for use of the Blahnik Heritage Park, donated by Evelyn and Paul Brookhyser.  Evelyn is the daughter of Wenzel and Dorothy Blahnik who had owned the land and conducted a massive research project for the Algoma Blahnik family  George and Katherine Blahnik settled in Ahnapee, Kewaunee County in 1856 with their sons.  Jim thanked Evelyn and Paul for their kind donation of the park land and Evelyn gave some history. 

-Jim set up a stage and Joel provided sound.  There were a few tents to provide shade for observers.  Jim also arranged to maximize parking, have transport from the reunion area by the water, rented a few outhouses and got tables and tent among other things..  We had no cost for attendance and many people offered their time and energy.  We would also like to thank those people who made contributions in the registration tent jar.   We were also looking for ideas of ways to improve the event should we put on another international reunion. 

-Joel Blahnik had sponsored Dr. Zdenek Blahnik to come to the US from the Czech Republic.  Zdenek has had Blahnik reunions in the Czech Republic.  Currently there are more Blahnik's living in America than in the Czech Republic.  One source says there are 519 Blahnik/Blahnikova's in Czechia and the whitepages listing for the United States (Land line listings only) says there are 821 Blahniks here as of 2011.  Most still reside in the state of Wisconsin (303).  Joel explained the modern coat of arms that he developed referring to the origin of our ancestors as border guards near Chodesko Lhota near Klatvoy and Domazlice.  Jim made some T-Shirts for the reunion with this logo and Blahnik name.  These sold out. 

- Susan and Stephanie Krubsack were in attendance from Wisconsin Czechs Inc.  They provided information about the organization, came in costume and after the program we were able to track down her Great Grandmother Blahnik and her family tree back to Novy Dvur # 5 in the 1700's.  We had already taken the group photos or she would have appeared in the Novy Dvur family group.  Jon and Cheryl Blahnik recently commissioned research into their family line in the Czech Republic.  The Researcher had provided the siblings for many of Jon's direct ancestors and that was tracked to 2 other immigrants from that 1700's family.  Susan and Stephanie found they were direct cousins with Jon Blahnik.


- Sally Teresinski, representative and founding member of the Wisconsin Czechs Inc., was also present for the event.  With the use of this database Sally's family was connected through marriage to the Joseph Blahnik (1850-1920) branch of the Algoma Blahnik family.

-Lori Dollevoet (editor of this web and daughter of Bette Blahnik from the Algoma George family) gave a brief history and introduced each of the branches for their photo with some information about their family lines.  A computer was brought with the family tree for all known Blahniks and used to update and make connections among family.  A booklet about George's immigration along with some research by Wenzel and Francis L. Blahnik was available for $5.00. These sold out.  Francis was the oldest Blahnik member we had in attendance at 92 years old.

-Joel Blahnik made a musical  presentation with Polkas (developed in Praha-Prague in the 1830's).  The dance caught on and became very popular in Europe, but it was developed by a young lady in Bohemia.  There were some musical presentations including one from Karel Waska from the Czech Republic.

-The program was closed with a mass from Father Jason Blahnik from the Algoma George Blahnik branch.  He was assisted by Jim Blahnik,  Sister Christine Wochos from the Algoma Jacob Blahnik branch and Sister Anita Smisek who taught hymns in Czech. 
 

Members from each branch came forward for photos

1-U Blahniku (Blahnik Pocket) to Canada.  Family immigrated in 1896.
2-Strasice Blahniks near Plzen (no longer called  Susice per documentation) came to France a few years before coming to St. Charles, IL.  In 2012 Jeanne Nelson found that Joseph Blahnik was born May 20, 1875 in Ledvice, Czech Rep. His wife was from Susice.   This puts him NE of Prague and out of the Blahnik Pocket during this time.
3-Volduchy, Cz  Blahniks near Plzen  came to Minnesota in 1906
4-Novy Dvur, CZ (aka KOUT) (Blahnik Pocket - Kout is more accurate per additional research) to Kewaunee Co. (1872)& Manitowoc Co, WI as well as New York (1891) changing the name to Blacknik.
5-Ashland, WI Blahniks came from the Chodesko, Lhota area (Blahnik Pocket) before 1880.  A branch of this family went to Ohio, but most are still in Wisconsin
The Starec family was broken into the youngest immigrant sons for purposes of group photos.  They all descend from George and Katherine (Blaha) Blahnik
6-Starec (Blahnik Pocket) to Algoma, WI.  George's son Mateje came with his parents in 1856.
7-Starec (Blahnik Pocket) to Algoma, WI.  George's son Jacob came with his parents in 1856.
8-Starec (Blahnik Pocket) to Algoma, WI.  George's son George came with his parents in 1856.
9-Starec (Blahnik Pocket) to Algoma, WI.  George's son Joseph came with his parents in 1856.
10-Starec (Blahnik Pocket) to Algoma, WI.  George's son John came with his parents in 1856.
11-Starec (Blahnik Pocket) to Algoma, WI.  George's son Anton
12-Trhanov, Cz in 1800's remained in Czech
13-Smrzovice (Blahnik Pocket) to MI, IL, WI and MO 1855-1913 immigration period.  This family tree goes back to the 1400's and first known Blahnik named Ondra.
14-The Appleton, WI  Blahniks from Havlovice (East of Praha) and the Blahnik Pocket were not available at the time photos were taken.