Family Cemeteries

Cernik Family Section at Saint Wenceslaus Cemetery

Jan and Rosalie Černík (VESELÁ), our 2nd-great-grandparents, brought their eight — at the time — children from Moravia to America, in 1875. They are the Patriarch and Matriarch of the Černík side of our family.

Matěj "Mike" Černík, our great-grandfather. One of 8 Černík children that came to America in 1875. Settled in Saunders County Nebraska. Father of Frank Mathew.

Marie Černík (VYBÍRAL), our great-grandmother. One of 5 Vybíral children that came to America in 1882. Settled in Saunders County Nebraska. Mother of Frank Mathew Černík.

Marie Simodynes (ČERNÍK), our great-grandaunt, was the oldest of the Černík children of Jan and Rosalie. She was 17 years of age when the crossed the Atlantic on their journey to America. I imagine that there was a lot of pressure on her to watch over her younger siblings on the crossing. She married Frantisek Joseph Simodynes when she was 21 years of age and had been in America for two years. Frantisek was 13 years older and they would have three children.

Frantisek Černík, our great-granduncle, was the oldest son of Jan and Rosalie Černík. He was 11 years of age when the immigrated to America. He would marry Frantiska "Frances" Tomsicek in 1887 and they would have five children.

Frantiska "Frances" Černík (TOMSICEK) was the wife of František Černík, a brother of Matěj.

Anna Josephine Benal (ČERNÍK), our great-grandaunt, was one of Matěj’s sisters and married John Joseph Benal in 1897 and they had four children.

Antonia Meduna (ČERNÍK), our great-grandaunt, was one of Matěj’s sisters and married Anton Meduna in 1899 and they had four children. Antonia, at the age of only 3 months, was the youngest member of the Černík family on the voyage to America in 1875.

Peter Paul Černík, our great-granduncle, was the youngest son of Jan and Rosalie Černík. He was one of two Černík children born in America. He would marry Mary A. Tesinova in 1905 and they would have three children. This marriage was one of two between the Černík family and the Tesina family. Two brothers of one family married two sisters from another family. In this case, the weddings were nine years apart, so no double wedding here.

Sometime after 1920 and before 1925, this branch of the Černík family would move the Grafton, North Dakota. In 2020 I contacted several of their direct ancestors and we exchanged a bunch of emails and photos. I located some of them via LinkedIn, which is not usually used as a genealogy research tool, but it worked.

Marie A. Černík (TESINOVA) was the wife of Peter Paul Černík. She was the second Tesina daughter to marry a Černík son. With her husband and children, she moved to Grafton, North Dakota.

Johann "John" F. Černík, our great-granduncle, was one of the middle children of Jan and Rosalie Černík. He was eight years of age when the immigrated to America. He would marry Frantiska "Frances" Tesinova in 1896 and they would have two children. This was one of the Černík son marries a Tesina daughter unions. Tragically, his second son Jan would die at the age of 10.

This is the actual grave of Johann "John" F. Černík, next to his family marker. It is unclear why there was not a more substantial marker or tombstone.

Frantiska "Frances" Černík (TESINOVA) was the wife of Johann "John" F. Černík. Her son, Jan, died at the age of ten. The other son, Bede, would become a Catholic Priest and moved to teach at St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois. After Frances' husband John F. died, Frances would move up to Lisle, Illinois to be near her only remaining son. She would live 36 years as a widow.

Our uncle Ray told me that he remembers Frances who wore Czech style clothing around town and lived in a little white house by the ball park in Wahoo.

Jan Černík Jr. was the son of Johann "John" F. and Frantiska "Frances" Černík (TESINOVA). He only lived to the age of 9+ years. He was our 1st cousin 2x removed.

Jan Černík Jr. had this second — more substantial — tombstone added at his grave site. Below is the translation.

HERE RESTS OUR BELOVED SON JAN CERNIK

BORN DEC 22, 1899

DIED MARCH 6, 1909

DREAM OF PEACE

Parade Cavalry Spurs used in the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

A Civil War Union cartridge box and sling was essential equipment, typically a leather box holding paper cartridges in wooden blocks for rifled muskets, with a shoulder sling used to carry it, often featuring buckles and loops for adjustment and attachment to a waist belt.

The sling threaded through loops on the box and attached to the belt, sometimes with an eagle breastplate for Union soldiers, allowing soldiers to carry ammo across the body.

Božena “Bessie” Rose Černík (ZIMOLA) — Ray, Frank and Marie's mom — our grandmother. She immigrated in 1904 with her parents, Josef and Antonína "Antonia" Zimola (FILOVÁ) and her older sister Mary Zimola. Antonia also brought along her parents Josef and Františka Fila (KOURKOVÁ). Making the trip with them was Antonia's sister and husband, Frank J. and Marie Vlcek (FILOVÁ).

US Union Army belt buckles were primarily functional, used to secure waist belts holding essential gear like cartridge boxes, bayonets, and cap pouches, not just pants (which suspenders held up).

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

Civil War Dagger made of Bone and Silver with "LIBERTY AND UNION" on the cross guard, and bearing a liberty cap, eagle, and shield on the pommel. Signed by English maker HENRY & Co.

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

Quaterplate thermoplastic case made and marked on the interior paper by Scovill. This one was for a Union soldier, usually used for photos and important papers.

Quaterplate thermoplastic case made and marked on the interior paper by Scovill. This one was for a Union soldier, usually used for photos and important papers.

Quaterplate thermoplastic case made and marked on the interior paper by Scovill. This one was for a Union soldier, usually used for photos and important papers.

Quaterplate thermoplastic case made and marked on the interior paper by Scovill. This one was for a Union soldier, usually used for photos and important papers.

Quaterplate thermoplastic case made and marked on the interior paper by Scovill. This one was for a Union soldier, usually used for photos and important papers.

Many untrained cavalry buglers lost their front teeth if they hadn't learned the secret of riding and bugling at the same time. Thumb on your chin and hold the bugle to the side to avoid the horse's head.

I learned this from a Civil War Bugler reenactor at the 150th anniversary of the Battle at Gettysburg.

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

Civil War Fife. It served as a high-pitched, loud instrument to communicate officers' orders.

Original brass buttons from a Confederate cavalry uniform, featuring the Virginia state seal with eagle design, with the soldier with a Lance atop his enemy.

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

The reverse side of my General Philip Sheridan portrait with his signature and rank. The inscription reads "Phil. H. Sheridan Maj. Genl. U.S.A."

Virginia Cavalry Belt Buckle with the State Seal. Soldier atop his enemy.