Grave in Humpolec
(the grave has been desecrated and vandalised in about 2016).
The following is extract from Childbirth register at catholic parish in Humpolec
Husband Josef Havelka.
Children Gustav, Marie and Otylie.
On the left she is in the Domov Důchodců in Humpolec (1971), on the right she is about 50 y.o.:
Called Julča and Julinka by her husband. In my early years she was always around, like her husband, either in person or via correspondence. Of medium height, slim, with a reputation for being tough. Heavy smoker (used to roll her own), with a smoker's raspy voice.
While her husband was away in the army (1914-1919) she ran his hairdressing shop; their children were being taken care of by the grandparents (Adolf Havelka and his wife).
Fond of knitting and embroidery; a few of her delicate items can be still seen around. A good talker, she liked to relate in a dramatic fashion stories of her everyday life. A good walker, too, she led many a mushroom and blueberry gathering family expedition to the pine forests surrounding Humpolec, mostly on and beyond the hill called Trucbába (a loose translation of this word being ‘a recalcitrant old woman’).
She visited us in Bratislava on many occasions, the last I remember being some time in 1953-4. In December, 1967, myself, Mireille and 10 months old George spent three days with her in the house at 635 Nerudova Street in Humpolec to say goodbye before leaving for Australia the following year. She was not told that it was the 'goodbye' visit. On us leaving she handed to me the viola (a Czech imitation of a Stradivari), which used to sit on the top of her wardrobe, as a present, and asked me to take any of the books she knew I always liked; to my regret now, I declined the offer at the time...
She wrote several letters to us in Australia, which are preserved in the 'heirloom' folder, one of them is shown here:
In the letter she thanks for our letter (from Australia), would love to cuddle our boys, and hopes we would be able to settle down soon. She talks about her daughter (my mother) who invites her to come to Bratislava, complains about the atmosphere in the Retired Home where she lives ("full of mad people, others without brain and old people tired of life"). She writes about the visit from her daughter Otka, her son Gusta, and how she keeps busy knitting and crocheting. Regrets again not being able to cuddle our children, and how she misses us (Inserted by myself: we miss you, too, bábo, even now, 40 years after your death!) . She was fond of cooking traditional rich Czech foods, knedloveprozelo, houbove polevky and bublaniny. Ruzen told me that when they lived in Bratislava she used to make a wiener schnitzel for her husband to take to work every morning.
With her daughter Marie, my mother, she had a bit of a turbulent relationship, and on several occasions the two were not on speaking terms; I do not remember - nor did I care at the time - the reasons.
Her daughter in law, Anna, Gustav's second wife, whom I visited in 1995 and again in 2004, in her flat in Lnárská Street, Humpolec, spoke of her as 'that gossipy woman, who never liked her only son (Anna's husband)'.
I remember her fondly as a kind, although at times strict, woman, and a pleasant grandmother.
I was privileged to know her brother Gustav Škrába, a butcher, a tallish, lean man, somewhat leathery looking, like her, who was, apparently, a good businessman, judging by the two well-run shops in Humpolec. His wife Anezka, a kindly, worried-looking woman, their daughter Otylie, to me an exceptionally beautiful woman; her husband Franta Stepek, a teacher, very upright, straight speaking man, and their two children, Lubos, about my age, and Jarka, a pretty but mentally retarded girl about 5-6 years younger than me. Lubos worked all his life as an aircraft mechanic, and we used to meet on occasions. Last time, in 2006, I visited him in his house at Slatina (near Hradec Králove), met with his family and the pleasure of that meeting I will cherish for a long time.
Also living in Humpolec was Adolf’s daughter Emily, with her husband Josef Nechanicky (originally from around Jilemnice) and with their son, Jaroslav, who was about 10-15 years older than me, and working as an eye surgeon in Most near Praha (he also spent a couple of years in Yemen (Sana'a), and Tunisia). They were excellent people, and with Emily (teta Emilka), Josef (Pepa) and Jaroslav (Jarda) I spent many a happy hour in their flat in Humpolec, their nearby garden, or gathering mushrooms in the nearby woods. Jaroslav used to come to see us in Bratislava often, and it was always a happy occasion. With his son Robert, a doctor in Semily, I am still in email contact
The following is extract from Childbirth register at catholic parish in Humpolec
Children Gustav, Marie and Otylie.
On the left she is in the Domov Důchodců in Humpolec (1971), on the right she is about 50 y.o.:
Above, she is sitting on the left with her daughter Marie (my mother). Taken about 1971 in the garden of Domov Důchodců in Humpolec. She can also be found in the group photographs in Adolf and Josef Havelka entries. A few family pictures featuring her (except for the first):
Top picture l-r: Frantisek Hatvani, Marie nee Havelková, Krasava Nedvedová, Josef Havelka.
Middle: Julie Havelková, Krasava Nedvedová, Josef Havelka, Marie, Josef Nechanicky.
Bottom:Marie, Rozália Hatvaniová (Ruzen), Josef Havelka, Krasava Nedvedová, Karol Hatvani, Julie Havelková, Otka Nedvedová (nee Havelková). Top 2 pictures taken in Humpolec, the bottom one in Bratislava.
Middle: Julie Havelková, Krasava Nedvedová, Josef Havelka, Marie, Josef Nechanicky.
Bottom:Marie, Rozália Hatvaniová (Ruzen), Josef Havelka, Krasava Nedvedová, Karol Hatvani, Julie Havelková, Otka Nedvedová (nee Havelková). Top 2 pictures taken in Humpolec, the bottom one in Bratislava.
Called Julča and Julinka by her husband. In my early years she was always around, like her husband, either in person or via correspondence. Of medium height, slim, with a reputation for being tough. Heavy smoker (used to roll her own), with a smoker's raspy voice.
While her husband was away in the army (1914-1919) she ran his hairdressing shop; their children were being taken care of by the grandparents (Adolf Havelka and his wife).
Fond of knitting and embroidery; a few of her delicate items can be still seen around. A good talker, she liked to relate in a dramatic fashion stories of her everyday life. A good walker, too, she led many a mushroom and blueberry gathering family expedition to the pine forests surrounding Humpolec, mostly on and beyond the hill called Trucbába (a loose translation of this word being ‘a recalcitrant old woman’).
She visited us in Bratislava on many occasions, the last I remember being some time in 1953-4. In December, 1967, myself, Mireille and 10 months old George spent three days with her in the house at 635 Nerudova Street in Humpolec to say goodbye before leaving for Australia the following year. She was not told that it was the 'goodbye' visit. On us leaving she handed to me the viola (a Czech imitation of a Stradivari), which used to sit on the top of her wardrobe, as a present, and asked me to take any of the books she knew I always liked; to my regret now, I declined the offer at the time...
She wrote several letters to us in Australia, which are preserved in the 'heirloom' folder, one of them is shown here:
With her daughter Marie, my mother, she had a bit of a turbulent relationship, and on several occasions the two were not on speaking terms; I do not remember - nor did I care at the time - the reasons.
Her daughter in law, Anna, Gustav's second wife, whom I visited in 1995 and again in 2004, in her flat in Lnárská Street, Humpolec, spoke of her as 'that gossipy woman, who never liked her only son (Anna's husband)'.
I remember her fondly as a kind, although at times strict, woman, and a pleasant grandmother.
I was privileged to know her brother Gustav Škrába, a butcher, a tallish, lean man, somewhat leathery looking, like her, who was, apparently, a good businessman, judging by the two well-run shops in Humpolec. His wife Anezka, a kindly, worried-looking woman, their daughter Otylie, to me an exceptionally beautiful woman; her husband Franta Stepek, a teacher, very upright, straight speaking man, and their two children, Lubos, about my age, and Jarka, a pretty but mentally retarded girl about 5-6 years younger than me. Lubos worked all his life as an aircraft mechanic, and we used to meet on occasions. Last time, in 2006, I visited him in his house at Slatina (near Hradec Králove), met with his family and the pleasure of that meeting I will cherish for a long time.
Also living in Humpolec was Adolf’s daughter Emily, with her husband Josef Nechanicky (originally from around Jilemnice) and with their son, Jaroslav, who was about 10-15 years older than me, and working as an eye surgeon in Most near Praha (he also spent a couple of years in Yemen (Sana'a), and Tunisia). They were excellent people, and with Emily (teta Emilka), Josef (Pepa) and Jaroslav (Jarda) I spent many a happy hour in their flat in Humpolec, their nearby garden, or gathering mushrooms in the nearby woods. Jaroslav used to come to see us in Bratislava often, and it was always a happy occasion. With his son Robert, a doctor in Semily, I am still in email contact
1 comment:
F off.
Post a Comment