Josef Blaha (1854-1928)

born: 10 Feb 1854, Bernetzreith,Tachau District,Bohemia,Austria (now in the Czech Republic)

bapt: 10 Feb 1854, Gottschau,Roman Catholic Parish,Bruck,Bohemia, at #3

died: 24 Apr 1928, St. James,Watonwan Co.,Minnesota

bur.: St. James,Watonwan Co.,Minnesota, at Catholic Cemetery

occu: farmer

spouse: Agnes NAHRHAFT

born: 1 Mar 1857, Wiedowitz,Tachau District,Bohemia,Austria (now in the Czech Republic)

bapt: 2 Mar 1857

died: 21 Jan 1933, Madelia,Watonwan Co.,Minnesota

bur.: St. James,Watonwan Co.,Minnesota, at Catholic Cemetery

occu: washerwoman

Children:

Johann ``John'' Peter BLAHA

Margaretha Madeline BLAHA

Andreas ``Andrew'' BLAHA

Anna ``Annie'' Maria BLAHA

Maria BLAHA

                      |--------Johann Georg BLAHA (1776, Austria - 1807, Austria)
                      |
           |---------Johann BLAHA (1800, Austria - 1837, Austria)
           |          |
           |          |--------Margarete KREUZER (1777, Austria - Austria)
           |
  |------Johann Adam BLAHA (1831, Austria - 1902, Minnesota)
  |        |
  |        |          |--------Johann BENEDIKT (1759, Austria - 1837, Austria)
  |        |          |
  |        |---------Anna Barbara BENEDIKT (1800, Austria - )
  |                   |
  |                   |--------Katharina MEYER (1765, Austria - )
  |
Josef BLAHA (1854, Austria (now in the Czech Republic) - 1928, Minnesota)
  |
  |                   |--------Sebastian MEYER (1752, Austria - 1810)
  |                   |
  |        |---------Anton MEYER (1796, Austria - )
  |        |          |
  |        |          |--------Anna Maria PABL (1754 - 1835)
  |        |
  |------Maria MEYER (1834, Austria - )
           |
           |          |--------Andreas HEINZ (Austria - )
           |          |
           |---------Anna Maria HEINZ (1802, Austria - )
                      |
                      |--------Maria Anna NIESTLER ( - )

In America, Josef spelled his name Joseph. The german Josef spelling is from the Czech records of his birth and baptism.

On May 28, 1902, Josef, then age 48, his wife Agnes, and daughter Maria (spelled Marie) arrived in New York aboard the S.S. Grosser Kurfurst. The passenger log lists their race and nationality as Bohemia, and Bernetzreith as their last residence. They listed their daughter Margaret in New York City as their friend or relative at their destination. Josef and Agnes both could read and write. Josef had $1300 to show and listed his occupation as a farmer, and none of them had ever been in the US before.

In New York, Josef, Agnes, and Maria re-united with daughters Margaret and Anna (who had both immigrated a year earlier). The parents and their three daughters then made their way to the area of St. James, Minnesota where Josef's father, brothers, and sons had settled earlier.

At some point in Minnesota before 1910, Josef and Agnes separated. It isn't known if they actually divorced, but his 1910 census entry says he is divorced. In Agnes' 1910 census entry, the ``Married?'' column looks like it once had an `M' (married) written in it and was later overstruck and replaced with something else, a `D' (divorced) perhaps.

Josef was a farmer in Rosendale Township. According to his grandchildren Edith (Buschow) Luther and Ludwig A. Heger, Josef later lived in a shack by the railroad tracks in St. James and took care of the cemetery. Edith said Josef wore a big loop earring in one ear, a habit held over from the old country. According to Josef's grandson Ludwig A. Heger, among Josef's possessions at his death were some very old guns, which eventually got sold.

Sources for this individual: @S37@ @S42@ @S43@ @S39@