FRANTISEK CHLASTAK 1858 - 1907

By Mary Owens Little on

June 29, 2022

Today my maternal 2nd great-grandfather, František Chlastak, would have been 164 years old.

Note about this time period. Not sure how many of you have watched 1883. We just started watching it and are about four episodes in. Wow, I’m not sure how authentic it is but if you are interested in ancestry, and you must be if you are reading this blog, I recommend giving 1883 a watch. It really opens your eyes to what our ancestors went through to get where they settled. 

Another note about František Chlastak. There are several photos that I have that I have no clue who they are. I think I may have a photo of him but wanted to identify the photo first. I wished I had my grandmother write who the people were in the photos before she passed away.

František “Frank/Franz” Chlastak was born on June 29, 1858, in Libin, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic to Vaclav, age 20 and his mother, Marie Kundrlikova, age 13. He was the oldest of two children. 


1874 - Birth of brother, Vaclav Joseph [Moravia, Czech Republic].


30 SEP 1885 - Arrived in Galveston, TX on the Weser. This is the first ancestor I’m posting about who immigrated to the United States.



Weser was built as yard number 137 by Caird & Company of Greenock, Scotland for North German Lloyd.[1] She entered service on the Bremen-Southampton-New York-Baltimore route on 1 June 1867.[citation needed] On 7 August 1870, she ran aground in the Solent at the entrance to the Southampton Water. She was on a voyage from Bremen to New York, United States. She was refloated with assistance from the paddle tug Camel.[2] In 1881, her engine was compounded.[1] On 13 June 1895, she was transferred to the Bremen-South America service for two roundtrip voyages. She was sold to an Italian company in June 1896. She was renamed Seravalle. The ship was scrapped in August 1896 in Genoa, Italy.[citation needed]


I think this is a photo of the ship.


Lemke-118-5.jpg


https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Lemke-118-5


25 JAN 1887 - Married Marie Skilecky in Columbus, Colorado, TX when he was 28 and she was 21.



1887 - Birth of daughter, Mary [TX].


4 APR 1891 - Birth of son, Rudolph “Rudy” Frank [Shiner, Lavaca, TX]. This is my maternal great-grandfather.


31 OCT 1893 - House caught fire. Mentioned in Shiner Gazette on 9 NOV 1893.



15 OCT 1894 - Birth of daughter, Annie Minnie [Shiner, Lavaca, TX].


3 APR 1898 - Birth of daughter, Julia Florence [Shiner, Lavaca, TX].


10 AUG 1904 - Birth of son, Joseph Francis [Shiner, Lavaca, TX].


21 DEC 1904 - Death of wife, Marie, in Shiner, Lavaca, TX at the age of 38. They had been married 17 years.


As I alluded to back in my second blog, Marie’s death was suspicious. Area newspapers reported the following tragic circumstances:


Shiner Gazette, Vol 12, No. 22, Ed. 1, Wednesday, November 23, 1904 Page 5 of 8.



19 SEP 1906 - The Shiner Gazette reported that Frank had been charged with assault and attempted murder.

Habermacher, J. C. Shiner Gazette. (Shiner, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 10, Ed. 1, Wednesday, September 19, 1906, newspaper, September 19, 1906; Shiner, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth111690/m1/5/?q=%22Chlastak%22: accessed June 8, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .


25 OCT 1907 - Was found on a roadside with three bullets in his body.


31 OCT 1907 - The Hallettsville Herald reported Frank’s death.


Halletsville Herald. (Hallettsville, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 31, 1907 Page: 3 of 14


Here is my transcription as it is hard to read.


Foully Murdered


Frank Chlastak, a Bohemian, Assassinated Near Shiner


Information was received here last Saturday that Frank Chlastak, a Bohemian farmer living on the Woods place three miles from Shiner, had been found by the roadside a mile east from town, with three bullet holes in his body. Lying near by was a 38-cailbre double action revolver.


At first it was thought the man had committed suicide but an examination of the wounds dispelled this theory. One bullet had entered his breast passing entirely through the body, another entered the left eye passing into the brain, and a third was lodged in his left shoulder.


Chlastak had been in Shiner Friday and left for home during the night. When found he had some change in his pockets compelling another _____ that _____ _____ had been the motive of the crime.


A thorough examination into the matter will made by the _____ though they _____ _____ no clues _____ crime.


Burial - Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Cemetery, Shiner, Lavaca, TX. Plot 1-B - 165 - 3


Since Frank had charges brought against him, my theory is that someone in Marie’s family thought Frank killed her so they may have taken revenge. 



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