Cernosek Family Reunion Celebrates Heritage, History in Ammannsville
It was a beautiful sunny spring day, April 18, at the KJT Hall in Ammannsville where the Cernosek Reunion was hosted by the Frank Cernosek Family. This was a time of reuniting for the relatives of lgnac and Maria Cernoch of Frenstat, Moravia. Five of their eight children migrated to America, arriving in the port of Galveston and settling in Bluff, Texas, now known as Hostyn.
Frank and John Cernoch were the first to arrive in 1873. The story passed down to me goes as follows: An observation made by the immigration officer in charge was that one group of Cernochs were tall in stature and Frank and John were significantly shorter. The man in charge apparently had command of the Czech language and he commented to the clerk, “These are Cernoseks” and it was recorded as their name. These two advised the other children planning to come that they need to identify themselves by the new name to be accepted in the new community of Bluff.
The other Cernoseks followed. Amalia arrived in 1877, Anton in 1880 and Joseph in 1882. They all settled in the Bluff area, weavers by trade, but all purchased small farms when they settled here and given the rich land were able not only to survive, but found it more profitable than their former trade.
The families present were reminded about “reunions” being commanded in the Bible, Deut 32:7, “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask your father and he will show you; ask the older folks and they will tell you.” There were 120 in attendance from ages 2 to 94. The Bible quotation is a command, not a suggestion. The young generation is instructed to ask and seek out the previous generations and receive the aged wisdom only available through those experiencing life as it was in years past.
The day was fun-filled with a delicious meal served by Koopman Catering, along with a silent auction displaying many attractive items. Background music and a PA System was provided by Randy Cernosek of LaPorte. The KJT Hall has been repainted inside and truly presents a wonderful and comfortable setting for everyone. The outside ground facilities provided room for the children, a dozen plus, to play games and challenging activities.
To stay connected, Stanley Cernosek serves as our Family Historian, keeping the genealogy accurate and complete, and needs to hear from all relatives. Submit information by email to sfcernosek@me.com.