By Susan Rektorik Henley

The highest estimate for the number of Nueces County residents of Czech ancestry is 6,962 based on information collected during the 2000 National Census. This number is startlingly low when compared to the number of Nueces County residents who listed their ancestry to be German. Based on the same Census, it is estimated that there are at least 35, 697 residents of German ancestry in the county. The descendants of the Czech-Moravian settlers in Nueces County have long taken pride in being Texans and Americans. This standard may be, at least in part, responsible for the low number of Nueces County residents who reported their ancestry to be Czech. Although, it does seem there has been some resurgence in ethnic awareness as the 1980 Census reported that that there were only 4, 103 persons of Czech ancestry in the county.

Czech immigration to the county was pioneered by Stanley L. Kostoryz. He purchased two large tracts of ranchland located to the south of Corpus Christi which he divided into eighty-acre farms. This community became known as the Bohemian Colony. Kostoryz, born in Prague, emigrated to the United Sates and settled in Nebraska where he was a newspaper publisher and a teacher prior to coming to Texas in 1904. The first wave of settlers arrived at the Bohemian Colony in 1906. In a local newspaper article it was written that the first five families to buy land were Frank Kocurek, Ferdinand Polacek, George Zezula, and John Brandesky. Other Czech communities would also be established. The Czech settlement in the area around what would become Robstown began soon after the land was opened for development in 1907. Most of the settlers came from other established Czech communities in Texas. Among the first to arrive were the families of Tom Mrazek of Williamson County, Frank and Stanislav Prochaska of Fayette County, and John and Louis Rektorik of Lavaca County. In the 1920’s, Czechs also settled in the area of Aqua Dulce. Early settlers were J. C. Mrazek, Bartholomew Zurevec and sons, Stanislav Prochaska, and Karel Spicak.

Over sixty surnames with ties back to the Czech lands can be found in the current telephone book for Robstown. This number supports the contention that a much larger population of Czech-Moravians still resides in Nueces County. Some of the Czech-Moravian names are: Baca; Balusek; Bartosh; Berger, Bezdek; Blahuta; Bovolik; Bravenec; Charba; Cocek; Dornak; Gajdos; Gallia; Hajek; Hasek; Henske; Hlavac; Horak; Hosek; Jalufka; Janik; Jurecek; Kalenda; Klepac; Knesek; Kanak; Kocurek; Liptak; Macek Malek; Malik; Marek; Maresh; Mata; Mrazek; Nemec; Novak; Otahal; Pavelka; Pavlacek; Pesek; Picha; Poncik; Prochaska; Prochazka; Raska; Rektorik; Repka; Rychetsky; Schornak; Sherek; Skoruppa; Sodek; Spicak; Strmiska; Swetlick; Sykora; Tajchman; Tichadek; Torok; Tymrak; Urbis; Vatslavick; Vrana; Wentrck; and, Zapalac.

The Census statistics for Nueces County also seems unusual given the state and national information collected during the last Census. According to data from the 2000 Census, there are 170,217 people living in Texas who attest to being of Czech descent (experts surmise that the actual Czech Texan population is closer to 400,000). This number is more than twelve percent of the national total. Total Czech descent claims have decreased in the United States twenty-three percent since 1990, while the decline in Texas was only eleven percent.

Results released in 1998 show that Czech Americans, when compared to the whole U.S. population, can be found working more often in managerial and farming professions than in service jobs and factories. The percentage of Czech Americans employed in agricultural work is nearly twice the percentage of the entire population. This illustrates that while the number of Czechs still working in the fields has dwindled greatly, the farm remains an important part of life for the descendants of Czech immigrants. Other ancestry groups show larger populations than the Czech Texans do; but, these groups moved directly into urban areas and quickly assimilated into city life. Many Czech immigrants moved to farming communities initially and, thereby, maintaining their cultural identity and individuality. Since so much of Nueces County is rural and still in agricultural production, one would expect to find a significant number of residents list their ancestry as Czech.

Many ethnic groups have discovered that they can successfully combine being an American with the traditions, culture, and language of their "mother country." Many Texans of Czech-Moravian decent have done just that. Due to the hard work and commitment of many Texas Czechs, the month of October has been designated "Czech Heritage Month." And, the Saint Thomas, the Apostle, Catholic Church, on State Highway 624, will be holding their twenty-first Czech Fest on Saturday, October 5th, and Sunday, October 6th. In addition, for over twenty years, organizations such as the Czech Heritage Society of Texas have provided avenues for the Texas Czechs-Moravians to reattach to their ethnic identity by providing genealogy research material, language classes, ethnic festivals, and much more.

Additional opportunities are coming for the Czech-Moravians of Nueces County. There will be a “Czech Out Your Roots” Booth at the Saint Thomas Czech Fest next month with resource and genealogy books available for research purposes. Also, the Czech Heritage Society of Texas and the Czech Heritage Society of South Texas will co-host a Czech-Moravian Family History and Genealogy Conference in Corpus Christi, Texas, next year. And, to help with the family-history research in Nueces County and to establish a record for future generations, a Registry of Czech-Moravian Surnames in Nueces County, Texas is being initiated. The family history booth and the surname registry are the projects of Susan Rektorik Henley, the Texas Czech Storyteller. She is a descendent of both Tom Mrazek and Louis Rektorik, early Czech settlers of Robstown. She is also the Editor of the Cesky hlas/Czech Voice, the newsletter of the Czech Heritage Society of Texas, and the Webmaster for the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange, Texas.

The Surname Registry will not only record the names of those Czech who reside and have roots deep in Nueces County but will serve as a research tool for those who are interested in learning more about family histories and connections. Individuals are also encouraged to come by and add their family names to the Surname Registry at the “Czech Out Your Roots” family history and genealogy booth at the Saint Thomas Czech Fest. Many families have compiled their own Family History books, Ms. Rektorik Henley is also very interested in determining how many such books exist for Czech-Moravian families in Nueces County. Those who have such books are strongly encouraged to contact Ms. Rektorik Henley. Anyone interested in assisting in these project or wanting more information may contact Susan Rektorik Henley at 387-3291 or by e-mail at Czech-Moravians in Nueces County Project .

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