Surname Saturday: Danchak and Dushek

On my father's side our heritage is Dutch and Czechoslovakian.  I've already written about the Dutch ancestry (Rosa), so that leaves the Czech: Danchak and Dushek.

 From left to right: John Roy, John, Gardina, Lydia and Bessie

My grandmother, Gardina (Gardie) Matilda Danchak was one of five children born to John Danchak and Lydia Dushek. Her oldest sister Ella (born Sept. 12, 1898) died in October of 1902.  Next was Bessie (July 20, 1899 - Nov. 1982), then my grandmother (March 13, 1902 to July 15, 1979).  She had two younger brothers, John Roy (July 3, 1904 - Feb. 18, 1978) and Allen Edward (Feb. 16, 1911 - Oct. 29, 1942).

John Danchak (originally Dancak) was born Dec. 2, 1868 in Przno, Moravia, Austria in what later became Czechoslovakia.  He died in Port Lavaca, Texas, on Oct. 11, 1922.  He was one of several children born to John Danchak (1839 - 1925) and Rosalie Adamek (1841 - 1903).

Lydia Mary Dushek (originally Dusek) was born May 30, 1875 in Brenham, Texas and died Nov. 6, 1956 in Colton, California.  She was one of eight children born to Jan Dushek (b. 1847 in Cermna, Bohemia/Czechoslovakia, d. 1908 in Caldwell, Texas) and Terezie Janke/Janku/Janak (1848 - 1903).

Thanks to a kind soul I met on the TexasCzech group, I have more information on the Dushek line (Thanks, Mike!), but I'm still having a heck of a time researching the Danchak's.  If you're part of the Danchak line, please contact me!

Wordless Wednesday: Vote for me!

I guess I come from a long line of uppity women: before women even had the right to vote, my great-grandmother ran for office!

Wordless Wednesday: My Grandmother

Gardina Matilda Danchak

b. 13 March 1902 in Lyons, Texas

d. 15 July, 1979 in Colton, California

Tombstone Tuesday: the Mystery of the Clark Sisters

Ruby B Henson              Mary L Graves                 Ethel D Goddard

       Oct 18, 1901                   Apr 25, 1887                    Aug 9, 1899         

Meet the Clark sisters.  Ruby, Mary Lou & Ethel (and Niviae) were the daughters of Louis Sampson Clark and Francis (Fanny) S. Doran.  The dates listed on the above gravestone are their birthdates, not the dates they died.  There appears to be room for deathdates below their births.  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  For a husband or wife, yes, but sisters?  And Mary remarried after Ben Graves died, so she would have been a McDaniel at the time of her death.  Are they even buried here? (Hopedale Cemetery in Ozark, Christian Co., Missouri.)  If anyone has any information on these three ladies, I'd sure appreciate it!

Surname Saturday: Doran

My Doran line is from my mother's side of the family, so I'll start with her.  She's the daughter of Chester Joseph Doran (b. 29 Jun 1906, d. 17 Sep 1972) and Alice Wilda McLaughlin (b. 28 Feb 1913, d. 25 Sep 1967).

Grandpa Chet was one of four children born to Alexander Judd Doran and Lillian Francis Stroud (whom I've written about previously, refer to my posts of October 9 and 10, 2009).

A.J. Doran was one of nine children born to Hamilton Green Doran (b. 20 Oct 1839, d. 12 Feb 1905) and Charlotte Belinda McCroskey (b. 19 Mar 1847, d. 15 Feb 1883).  I've written about Hamilton too, please refer to my post of December 24th.

H. G. Doran was one of twelve children (five boys, seven girls) born to Alexander Doran and Delpha Marilla Judd.  Delpha (or Delphia) was born 22 Mar 1822 in Reddies River, Wilkes Co., North Carolina and died in 1865 in Christian Co., Missouri.  Alexander was born 29 Apr 1815 in Johnson Co., Tennessee and died in Aug of 1896. 

The Doran family ~ Alexander and Delphia

Alexander was the oldest son of Robert Lowry Doran and Elizabeth Lowry.  Betsy was born 13 Aug 1790 in Virginia.  She was the daughter of James Lowry and Jane McCaleb.  Robert was born 19 Jul 1786 in Abingdon, Washington Co., Virginia.  They were married 19 May 1812 and had ten children.

Robert's parents were Alexander Doran (b. 2 Jun 1760, d. 7 Jan 1814) and Elizabeth Lowry (1757 - 1800).  This Elizabeth was the daughter of John Lowry and Elizabeth Moore.  Alexander faught in the Battle of Kings Mountain and (along with his father) in the Revolutionary War.

Alexander was the son of James Doran (b. abt. 1730, Ireland, d. Nov 1799) and Margaret Gordon (1732 - 1799).  According to family lore Margaret's father was opposed to the marriage of his daughter to James Doran, but her mother consented and they were married twelve months before her father knew it.