Looking for Pecka relatives and descendants: My name is Amy Petksa Vander Kelen (Petska is the American spelling for Pecka).
My family tree starts with Josef Pecka who was orginally from Stara Boleslav Bohemia and his wife was Katerina Surova, she was born in Zapy, Bohemia.
I only have information on one of the their children:
Matej (Mathias) Pecka who was born about 1792 around the Stara Boleslav area in Bohemia. He married on January 13, 1818 in Sudovo Hlavno, Bohemia to Katerina Nezbedova, the daughter of Vaclav Nezbeda and Anna Fialova.
They had 8 children:
1. Vaclav Pecka b. July 11, 1817 Sudovo Hlavno, Bohemia d. October 9, 1885 in Sudova Hlavno, Bohemia. Married on February 1, 1842 in Cecelice Bohemia to Ludmila Konickova.
2. Josef Pecka b. March 6, 1819 Sudovo Hlavno, Bohemia Died Young
3. Jan (John) Pecka b. May 21, 1821 Sudovo Hlavno, Bohemia d. February 26, 1880 Manitowoc Wisconsin USA
He married on November 27, 1949 Kanina, Bohemia to Anna Zajptova who was born June 21, 1823 Kanina Bohemia. She was the daughter of Katerina Zajptova (no father listed) She died before 1865. On September 18, 1865 in the township of Kossuth, Manitowoc Wisconsin Jan married again to Marie Svobodova who was born 1828 in Bohemia.
4. Anna Peckova born April 17, 1823 Sudova Hlavno, Bohemia.
5. Katerina Peckova born November 12, 1826 Sudovo Hlavno.
6. Frantisek Pecka born September 19, 1829 Sudovo Hlavno.
7. Marie Peckova born June 2, 1831 Sudovo Hlavno.
8. Josef Pecka born January 25, 1834 Sudova Hlavno.
My family line continues with Jan (John) Pecka and Anna Zajptova. According to my notes, my (many) great grandmother Anna Zajptova records were found in the Mseno Catholic Parish, she was born illegitimate. My (many) great grandfather Jan (John) was born around the Sudova Hlavno area and then moved to the Kanina area after marriage. Jan was a cottager of Kanina Hourse no. 25. Jan immigrated to the United States on July 1, 1858 through New York aboard the "VonBerg" .
Looking for any living relatives, or any information to add to my tree of my (many) great grandfather's siblings that may have stayed in Bohemia, or possibly immigrated to other parts of the United States. My family line ended up settling in the Manitowoc County area of Wisconsin.
amyjopet@new.rr.com