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Julie Rosa Kun was born April 10th, 1847, daughter of Karolina Opocensky and Rev. Vilem Kun, in Nosislav, Moravia south of Brno. Her father died when she was two, and she was taken in by her aunt and uncle, Rev. Benjamin Opocensky and his wife in Zadverice.
Julie's aunt, Mrs Opocensky, was a very well educated woman, a good mother to Julie, and valuable in her upbringing. Julie stayed at the Opocensky's until she was 18. When she was young, she stayed in various places attending schools and institutes. |
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It was for this purpose that she stayed at Rev. Karel Opocensky's in Vsetin. Later on during her youth, she stayed at the Surun?? Institute in Vienna and an institute in Brno. She received her musical education along with valuable literary education in Vienna. Her Uncle Kun from Vienna was a well to do manufacturer of raw silk and paid all of her expenses. The raw silk came from Italy and was made into fabrics in his factory.
Julie's mother, Karolina Opocensky Kun, remarried two years after the death of Rev. Vilem Kun, to Rev. Jan Benes. He was pastor at Nosislav, then Vanovice, when he became Superintendent of the Church in Moravia., where he was awarded a cross for services rendered, by Kaiser Frantz Joseph.
Around the age of 18, Julie Kun returned to her mother and stepfather in Vanovice, and after a brief stay at home, married Rev. Adolph Chlumsky. They were married in Vanovice, and the services performed by Rev. Jan Chlumsky, the father of Rev. Adolph Chlumsky.
Julie had two brothers, a stepbrother and stepsister. Her brother Vilem Kun became a pastor in Liptal, and Joseph became a doctor of medicine, composer and director in Brno who composed church music, as well as classical music.
From the Benes side, her half sister married Rev. Bohumil Mares, writer of spiritual compositions, and he died in Vysokem Myte. Julie's half brother Karl died as a company major in the army in Olomouc (in east Moravia).
Julie's cousin Frank Kun immigrated to Ely, Iowa (USA) and was a professor of classical languages in college in Iowa.
Julie and Rev. Adolph Chlumsky lived in Velka Lhota until 1872, then moved to Krabcice, Bohemia, just north of Prague. They immigrated to America, arriving on September 5th, 1889, and obtained a farm in Brenham, Texas, north of Houston.
She became a widow in February, 1919, and lived with her daughter, Hermina, who never married. She suffered from shortness of breath, hardening of the arteries, a weak heart, and finally an attack of paralyses (stroke?). She died August 7, 1924 and is buried alongside her husband, Rev. Adolph Chlumsky, in Granger, Texas. The birthdate of the headstone is wrong (says 1848 instead of 1847), and is a common error found on headstones.
Her grandfather, Rev. Alexander Kun was one of the first protestant pastors in Moravia, after the Edict of Toleration in 1781. He came from Keckemet, Hungary, as their were no native protestant pastors at that time.
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