Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Taking a New Approach: Working With Our Local Red Cross

I've hit a wall on my goal of finding out what happened to Grandfather John's parents and siblings.  The good news is - since I now have exact names, dates, birthplaces, locations - my search is no longer considered simple "genealogy" research.  Instead, I am attempting to find and re-connect with a defined group of family members.

Previously, the International Red Cross could only be helpful in determining where in the Ukraine my grandfather was born and lived since I had no other names or proof that anyone truly existed.  Now I do.  And so, tomorrow I will meet with Ms. Blount, the international case worker at the Kansas City chapter of the Red Cross.  I'll hand her the print outs of every official piece of paperwork that I have obtained through my years of research.  It will take a long time to achieve results, I'm told.  Our family here in the United States has waited nearly 100 years to find out what happened to our family in the Ukraine.  We'll be happy to wait just a bit longer to finally have our answers.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Continuing the Research

After so much progress in the previous years, my investigation came to a standstill when my Ukrainian researcher was unable to find information about Grandfather's family in the Ukraine after 1917 when the Russian Revolution began.  Also, I tried to contact the Czech researcher to go back even further than the amazing 4 generations he found in the Czech Republic, but he did not respond.  Probably busy.

But -- GOOD NEWS!!  Now that I am retired, I will have much more time to follow up on these things.  And, as we've learned, technology is advancing in ways that make me hopeful to someday find out what happened to John Zvolanek's parents and siblings.  My ultimate goal is to find answers, living relatives in Eastern Europe, and mend the lost connection.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

One Last Surprise in 2011

On the last day of 2011, a letter arrived from Nove Ransko, Czech Republic.  It was from the clockmaker, Josef Stastny.  We had visited with him during our research trip in May while searching for the Briza family in Nove Ransko.  Mr. Stastny lives down the street from the former Briza house -  the return address on several letters written to John Zvolanek.
Above:  Records we found in Nove Ransko City Hall, May 2010 regarding the Briza's address.
This record led us to confer with the neighbor, Mr. Stastny, pictured below.


The letter contained original photographs of the Briza girls mentioned in letters to Grandfather, an old photo of the street where they lived, a photo of Antonie Briza as an old woman, standing in front of the Briza house,  and a newer photo of a child standing in front of the house.
Frantiska, Antonie and Ruzena Briznova
Above:  The old photo I received from Antonie's daughter, Ms. Lipova.
Blue "X" indicates the Briza house, recently demolished.
Below:  The photo I took in May 2010.


Antonie Briznova Smelcova
A child in front of the Briza house before it was demolished.

I still do not know exactly what John's connection was to the Briza family.  I suspect it was more than friendship, possibly they were related in some way.  I would love to follow up with Mrs. Marie (Smelcova) Lipova, Antonie's daughter, if she responds to my recent letter thanking her for the photos.