[This document was prepared by Laurene Kubin Yowell in the 1980's, based partly on earlier text prepared by her sister Elsie Kubin Nelson. Laurene did some additional research and even travelled to Bohemia. Information in parentheses appears when Laurene found alternative spellings in the records or additional information. In the year 2000 I had the original work scanned in to the computer. The only changes I made were to separate some of the text into paragraphs for easier reading, and to label who is speaking next for easier reading]. - Teresa Clark Gallagher, Shelton, CT]

THE KUBIN FAMILY TREE

[FROM ELSIE KUBIN NELSON:]

I started this family tree in March 1935. The first information was written by Uncle Joseph Kubin for his son Jeff, and was passed on to me by Jeff's wife Helen.

[FROM JOE KUBIN, SON OF MATHIAS KUBIN:]

"Family Tree of Kubins had its origin in the county of Tabor in Bohemia in village of Vyskytna. One of its members named Joseph (Vaclav) moved to another small village name Bransov (Branisov), short distance to south about the year 1760 and settled on a small farm (Chalupa).

He married Catherine Horky (Alzbeta Horka) and there was born three(4) children, oldest being a boy named Joseph (Josef), who was my grandfather. (Records from the archives show that a baby girl, Anna, died in infancy and two girls were born after Joseph).

When Grandfather was about six years old his father died and the widow then sold the small farm and gave the money to her brother, Joseph Horky (Josef Horka) a farmer in the village of Strmecky, whose farm consisted of about 50 acres and Joseph (Josef) was living with his uncle there was no children in his uncle's family and Joseph being a good worker and of good disposition was considered as their son. When Joseph (Josef) was about 17 years old the Napolianic War was raging and Joseph (Josef) was ordered with a team and wagon to haul provision for the army which lasted nearly a month, before he got back again. At this time people was living under feudal sistem and the nobility was the roolers of common people.

There was a Manor about 3 mil. north of our village and a road along Horky's (Horka's) farm leading to the estates was often traveled by an officer, the people called him "director." This man seeing Joseph (Josef) working took a likeness to him--sometimes he would stop and talk a few words to Joseph (Josef) asking about his uncle who was not feeling well, a.c.t. Not long after this he stoped and asked Joseph (Josef) whether his uncle ever mention who would get the farm after he be dead. Joseph (Josef) of course didn't know as his uncle never mentioned anything like that.

Not long after his uncle received a notice to appire a certain day at the director's office-"I like to know what he wanted with me", uncle was saying. So when that time arrived Joseph (Josef) saddled the horse and helped his uncle in the saddle and took the shortest way across the country, Joseph (Josef) leading the horse as uncle was not feeling well. What happened in the director's office uncle never said but Joseph after he put the horse in the nobility barn which was free for the fanners horses, went to the office of the director and standing in the hall, director was talking to uncle saying-"then write your name here."

About six months after this, uncle died and there was to be a settlement made of the estate. All the people interested was notified to be present. Mother of Joseph (Josef) was not interested any other way only she wanted to get her money she gave to her brother-and there was no note or nothing to prove the money was loaned to him. The clerk took some papers and started to read: The estate of Joseph Horky (Josef Horka) is to be settled at this moment. As there is no will and no indebtedness the property is to go to his widow.

While this was going on the director was walking back and forth then stop before the clerk and said: "Wait little bit, so we will not skin a billy goat" (common expression in the Boh. language) and took from the pigeon hole a paper and give it to the c1erk--the reading as follows--"After I am dead, all my property war willed to my nephew, Joseph (Josef) Kubin." Signed Joseph Horky (Josef Horka) and two witnesses.

The widow now jumped up from her seat and the officer was asking her what she wanted to get from the estate for her endowment. She said she wanted all the property for herself and nothing less-the officer told her she be entitled to certain percent of the valuation according to law. So she got so much grain, one cow, 2 sheep, money, chickens and also one pear tree in the orchard and of course one room and the board. But as she refused to live with her nephew a new contract was made for her endowment and Joseph (Josef) in order to start farming was looking for a wife.

It was not much trouble to find one-the Napoleonic Wars took many men in the army, they never returned and there was a surplus of girls and young widows. A widow a little older than Joseph (Josef) was a daughter of a farmer named Truka (Trnk) in Stremecky was married about 4 years ago. They was living hardly one year together when her husband was taken in the army where he lost his life so she was living with her father and stepmother when my Grandfather offered to marry her.

A neighbor woman hearing the news told the young widow that if she marry Jos. Kubin whe will never have bread enough as the field back of the house is the poorest field in the whole village. This field was about 10 ac. and considered a big one in that country but on one side of it was a high ground and a road running alongside of it, it was a field with snow every winter and in the spring when the snow was melting the water was spreading all over the field and it was unproductive on that account.

Grandfather know if a ditch was made along the road and the field the water would run both ways-south and north. So he was asking the director permission to make the ditch he can't give the consent himself but will try what he could do. The permit was granted and after the ditch was made the field was producing fine crops.

The feudal sistem was abolished in 1848 in the revolution of that time. My father was married in 1847 and I being the first born was 1850. When about 6 or 7 years old I remember Grandfather got notice to appear in a courtroom such hour and day. He was wondering what they wanted with him so when he got to town there was 2 more old fellows like Grandfather and also was wondering what are they called for.

When finally the door opened and was before the officer was asked whether in such and such year and time was haul ing provisions for the army. Grandfather was the first one asked. Grandfather told the officer that he was hauling bread, the officers looking in the paper while questioning-what become of bread? The answer was that he was eating it himself-at times he was feeding it to his horses, some was stolen by the soldiers and finally some was rotted. All the officer said-the other fellows was not interrogated.

In the year 1858 my father wanted to sell his farm and go to America-but Grandfather objected so father put it off his mind. Grandfather died in 1863. He was a strong robust man. It was in Aug. 1862 coming home to dinner from the fields and being hot, he past a little pond being fed by spring took his shoes off and was bathing his feet in cold water. From that day he started to feel bad and one year later was dead.

The year of 1868 father made his mind to go to America. The main reason was that we boys, that is Bro. Mat and myself soon be called to the military service. The war of 1864 Prussians and Austrian took Sleswick and Holstrie from the Danes, in that war some of the soldiers from our neighborhood was killed and the war Austria and Prussia in 1866 made the parents uneasy about the boys. So father sold his farm and on the 3rd day of May 1868 we boarded a sailing vessel in Toreman and got to New York on the 3rd day of July 1868." - Joe Kubin

[FROM ELSI KUBIN NELSON, 1935:]

"I have written the above as much like Uncle Joe wrote it as was possible. I'm not sure I have the names of the villages spelled correctly but that really makes little difference. The following pages I have assembled and they are as accurate as possible." - Elsi Kubin Nelson.

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1980 - Laurene Kubin Yowell:

Following taken from material of Jeff Kubin, given to me by Marale Straka Kubin:

[FROM JEFF KUBIN:]

"In 1858 Mathias Kubin wanted to sell his farm, of about 50 acres, and move his family to America. His father, Josef, did not want him to do this so he decided to stay on his farm. In 1863 Josef died and the dream of going to America again came to mind. In 1868 Mathias sold his farm and the family prepared for the move to America.

Several factors enterd into the decision to leave Bohemia. Mathias had friends who had earlier moved to Wisconsin, and they wrote glorying reports of the new land to which they had come, and of the opportunities it promised for the future. A second factor that influenced him greatly was the future of his family. Mathias and his wife, Katarina, had at that time a family of three boys and five girls and to think of a future of any kind for a family of that size in a crowded community, such as Bohemia, was discouraging. The older boys were approaching an age when it could be expected that before long they would be leaving home to establish homes of their own, and certainly a new country such as American had things to offer beyond anything Bohemia. There were requirements and restrictions in the home country that troubled the Kubins. They were not in sympathy with the military that was so much in control at this time. They knew that if they were to remain in Bohemia each of their sons would be required to spend at least four years in the army, thus giving up that much of their life to a cause in which they did not believe. They were a deeply religious people, firm in the faith of the Orthodox Evangelical Reform Church and they did not appreciate the State Church to which they knew that they would have to conform were they to remian in Bohemia. Taking all these things into consideration it is not surprising that they should decide to make the move.

It was no small task to get ready to leave an old home and move to a new land. The first task was to dispose of hte farm and other holdings and to get the assets into a form that could be carried to the new country. A total of some $7,000.00 was received from the sale of the holdings, which was a considerable sum of money for that time. How to get it to America was the real problem. International matters were far different than they are today. Banks were not trusted, whether this distrust was based on a justifiable fear we do not know. Gold by express or some other method seemed equally hazardous, so how could this transfer be made? It was decided that the safest way would be to divide it into a number of small packages and hide these in and among the boxes, chests and clothing that they were taking with them on the boat. One amusing story told in the family to do with Josie, who was only two years old, her mother, Katarina, had made her a special pair of panties in which she had sewn a large pocket-like pouch, and in this they placed $1,000.00 in gold. The gold arrived in America safely and for many years thereafter, Josie was known as "The girl with gold in her pants."

It was well understood that a hard long journey was before them, (true to what might be expected) the journey proved to be not only longer and more difficult, for it was not until July 3rd that they landed in New York. A ticket to cross the Atlantic included transportation and little else. Food was provided for the journey but it was of such a poor quality and amount that many who were not in good health could be expected to survive the entire journey. The Kubins were very conscious of all this and had provided what seemed adequate food for the trip. Due to stormy weather and other difficulties the trip was lengthened by several days and before landing they were forced to live on the food provided by the ship company. They arrived at New York exhausted, after 9 weeks at sea, but all survived in reasonably good health.

After reaching America, no time was wasted in trying to get to their destination, which was Wisconsin. Several relatives and friends had already made the trip to this same locality, and Mathias knew that the sooner they could reach this point the better it would be for all of them. Their journey's end was near the small town of Blue River in Grant County which si well to the southwest corner of the state. They were pleased with what they found; crops had certainly been good the year before as everyone seemed to have an abundance of food, and already vegetation had started to grow, yet the days were still cool. The land was quite level, and while some of it was covered with hard-wood timber much was rich grass land that provided much pasture. One feature that they had not been accustomed to in the homeland was that this land had been covered by glaciers in an earlier period and these glaciers had left many boulders, some rather large, but many small ones that had to be cleared before farming could be done.

Mathias purchased a 200 acre tract of this virgin land, and proceeded at once to clear and make ready as much of this land as possible before it became to late for the spring planting. There was no shortage of work to be done, for any time that work could not be found on their own farm either Mathias or his boys, their neighbors were anxious to employ them.

There were three great loyalities that were possessed by the Kubin family of great worth to a pioneer community: First was loyality to the family, and that meant a closely knit group, which was needed if they were not to lose their courage and faith in a new land. Second was that a deep religious conviction that kept the members of the family looking forward to something better, with a determination to do their best. Third was that the Kubins believed in hard work; to be idle when there was work that could be done was to them a sin.

Things were going well in the new land and the Kubins were finding themselves prosperous, but glowing reports of a part of the country some 800 miles to the west and south sounded even more challenging. The country they had been hearing about was Kansas, a vast area of open plains to which not many people had as yet gone. This new country offered not only land upon which there were no trees and rocks to trouble the farmer, but also free land: to country where there was still 160 acres awaiting any man over 21 who would make application for it and promise to make it his home.

The challenge was too great, so by the close of their second year in America we find Mathias offering his Wisconsin farm for sale at a handsome profit and he and his family moved to Kansas. They did not know too much about the place but were attracted to the central part area.

The trip to Kansas was far less exciting than the one to Wisconsin had been yet when thought of in terms of the mid-twentieth century it was far from easy. On Sept. 15, 1871 the Kubins left their home in Wisconsin by horse-drawn wagon for Dubuque, Iowa where Mathias and Katarina, with their younger children were to board a boat for Hannibal, Missouri while Joseph and Mat and their two older sisters Mary and Anna were to continue their journey to Topeka, Kansas by covered wagon. Those going to Hannibal were to continue on to Topeka bytrain, where the two groups were to again meet Van Kuchera (Later known as Van Goodsheller), a neighbor friend of the Kubins, who had gone to Topeka earlier where he was able to find work as a gardner, and in anticipation of the coming of hte Kubin Family had rented a house in which they could live until such time as a more suitable home could be found. The family upon arrival moved into the rented house, and the two older girls began to look for work at once so they be of assistance in supporting the family while Mathias and the older boys would go on farther west in search of alocation to live.

Mathias and his two older sons and Van Kuchera were soon on their way to Kansas. They reached Salina and from there were directed to a small town called Lindsborg. Lindsborg was located some 20 miles to the south. A cowboy who directed them had spent some months hording cattle on the plains; south of Lindsborg. The description that was given to them of the country made it more certain to Mathias that they should investigate the area. A few days later they started south to the town of Lindsborg, only to find out later that the town of Lindsborg consisted of only one house with no direct roads to it. Spending most of the day always traveling south and whenever possible following wagon trails that had been made by earlier travelers they met another traveler who seemed to know a bit more about the country and was able to point out to them in the distance a single house, which he said was lindsborg. It was near dusk and the stranger advised them to go on into Lindsborg for the night as there was no suitable place for camping between where they were and Lindsborg. When they arrived at Lindsborg they were welcomed and assigned a place on the campsite where they could put up for the night, rest and feed their horses.

The following morning they were advised that a few families living south of the river had settled on or near Sharp's Creek but there was no place in the immediate location where they could cross the river, and they would have to follow the river some four miles west where they would come to a ford and would be able to cross. The ford that they were directed to was later known as Shield's Ford and was much used for the next few years. After crossing to the south side of the river, they soon found themselves in the valley of what they were certain must be Sharp's Creek, and they followed it to the south and west. It was evening when they came in sight of a small house and in the yard near the creek they saw a man drawing water from a well for his cattle. The man was Philip Kumli, a recent immigrant from Germany, who had taken claim to the quarter section upon which he was living. Mathias was able to make known to Kumlii thir mission, and that he was a recent immigrant from Bohemia. Kumli was quick to respond that his wife was a Bohemian and that she had not met anyone from her home country for some time. Imagine the chatter that took place upon the meeting of the Bohemians. Van Kuchera, who was more of a linguist than were either the Kubins or the Kumlies, proved of great help in the conversations that followed. It was getting late so the party accepted the invitation of the Kumlies to spend the night with them.

Mathias was greatly impressed by what they had seen; the flat plains, the luscious grass and the apparent uniform deep soil. Added to that the land could still be secured at virtually no cost if they acted quickly. They had heard that a village of considerable size had been established some six miles to the south and east of the present cite of McPherson known as King City. Early the following morning they started in the direction of King City. There they found out that the County Surveyor (as he is now called) lived in the vicinity of Gypsum Creed and as this county had already been surveyed they had to talk to him if they were to be at all certain of the exact location of the tracts they hoped to homestead. They were convinced that the part of the county they were interested in was known as Jackson Township. With the help of the surveyor they were able to find stakes that located the corners of the various sections and from these they could definitely describe the land upon which they wanted to make claim. It was now nearly dark so they decided to go to the Kumli home and return to the plains the following morning. Unfortunately there came a seven inch snow that night and in the morning the land that had looked so familiar to them the day before had changed its appearance and the result was they chose land for their claims exactly one mile west and closer to the Big Basin than they had intended. They did not discover their error until too late to make a change.

A very close friendship developed between the Kumli and the Kubin party in the few days that they were together. To the Kumlies the possibility of getting new neighbors who had so recently come from Europe was a dream almost too good to be true. The Kumlies were very reluctant to see the party leave, fearing something might come in the way of their returning the following spring. It was certainly too late in the autumn to think of building a house on one of the claims in which the family could spend the winter, so what could be done to guarantee that they would be there when spring arrived. After considerable thought Kumli made the following proposition to Mathias: "We have a house as you can see, and we propose to let you and your family shre the house with us for the winter. We will take the lower floor and you and your family may have the upstairs." This would indeed seem to be fair, but when you remember that the upstairs had only one room and it was not finished, the proposition looked less inviting. There was no permanent floor or ceiling in the upper room, and the idea of 10 people living an entire winter in one room seemed a near impossibility. The house was what is known as a dug-out, built on the side of a hill, with part of the first story below the ground level. Close beside the house was a second building built in much the same manner, but with the walls that were above ground made of sod from an adjoining hillside, and here came part of the solution, as this building would afford sleeping quarters for the older boys. Before time to depart Mathias decided that they would accept Kumli's offer. Joseph was sent to Salina for a load of lumber to finish the second floor of the Kumli home while Mathias and the others made ready for the move into their new home.

Another factor that may have had some influence on the Kumlies being so generous with their home was that they were expecting the birth of their first child sometime in the spring. Katarina, Mathias's wife was and experienced midwife and her presence might mean a lot to the young Kumlies in the birth of their first child. Had this fact been revealed it is doubtful if it would have changed things very much for the Kubins were also expecting another child in the spring. In late October returning with the lumber from Salina Joseph encountered a cold rain that turned into ice and snow. He came upon a shack of a Swede by the name of Olson. Olson could speak no English and Joseph could not speak Swedish but they soon were able to understand each other. Olson invited Joseph to spent the night in the shack but he preferred testable his horses on the side of a windbreak, sheltered from the storm, and he on the wagon with the load of lumber. Joseph awakened in the night covered with ice and snow and very cold. He returned to the shack and spent the rest of the night on the floor beside the kitchen stove. By mid-morning the next day the storm had subsided and Joseph continued on.

The winter passed. The two families, Kubins with eight children and the Kumlies, living in a small two room house, each room 12' by 16' was not easy, but they survived. During the winter Mathias and the boys spent their time cutting timber and sawing it into posts and firewood along the creeks to be used on their claims. They also worked for other settlers herding cattle and other chores.

In the spring Mathias started to dig a well. Water had been hauled from wells along the Sharp's Creek for household use and the livestock. To dig a well with no power equipment for lifting of the dirt from the deepening we'll was not easy work. When reaching a depth of fifty feet they encountered a sand layer which caved into the well. This well was abandoned and a new one started. They devised a method to hold the sand from caving in and reached clear water at sixty feet. They did not know it at the time but they had dug into the Equeus Beds that later became famous for the abundant supply of fresh water.

That spring Mathias had almost completed the house on his claim. It was a large two-story house 16' by 24' with 12' ceiling. If records are correct it was the first dwelling built in McPherson County that had a shingled roof.

The rains came and the Big Basin that appeared as only a vast flat was filled with water and became a lake of several thousand acres. Water fowls by the thousands came to the lake and provided quantities of food for the newcomers in the form of saled and dried water fowl.

Now it was time to break the tough prairie sod to get it ready for planting the spring crops. Mathias had bought several pairs of oxen to use for this work and it proceeded with remarkable speed. Soon he had several acres ready for planting. To plant the seed on the newly plowed ground was not a difficult task being few weeds to contend with the first year. To plant corn and similar crops they would take a spade or an axe split open the sod and drop the seeds in the opening. No further work was done with the crop until harvest. The process was as follows: an adult or older child would go first and drop seeds, one for the furrow, one for the devil and one to grow. The first year crop was a good one and almosteveryone had plenty of corn, potatoes, melons, pumpkins, squash, beans, etc. They had found a land of abundance and were pleased with Kansas. When Mathias and sons were not busy on their claims they worked for others. The standard wage at this time was $20.00 a month. Indians were sometimes a nuisance but almost 100% friendly; what they usually wanted was food and were satisfied if they could leave with a loaf of bread or a piece of meat of very inferior quality.

Some may criticize the Kubins for relinquishing the language of the Old Country and many of its customs. The language is almost completely lost. Contributing to this rapid change was first the Bohemians were a small minority group in Kansas, with the English language being used 100% in all their contacts and taught in the schools. Some of the older generation made an honest effort to preserve at least a reading knowledge of the language among their children but this was a losing battle. Secondly they came to America with the purpose of becoming a part of the new country." - Jeff Kubin.

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[LAURINE KUBIN YOWELL:]

"Many times when I looked at the Original Family Tree, that my sister Elsie compiled, the urge to update it was very real. It was not until 1980 when my brother Milford Kubin went to Czechoslovakia and found the Mathias Kubin farm in Strmecky and the home in Branisov that I really became interested. I had worked on it some but really started on it in earnest after that and the more I worked the more fascinated I became. In 1985 my brother Milford asked me to go to Czechoslovakia with his daughter Nancy Kubin Martin. It was a dream come true. After a year of planning Nancy and I left New York on a German 737 jet on July 21, 1986 returning to New York on a German 747 jet August 10, 1986.

While in Czechoslovakia we were able to find records of our family dating back to 1719. Franticek Kubin was married in 1739, he was probably 18 or early 20's when he married so the years of his birth 1719 may vary a few years. This material has been added to the original family tree that Elsie had along with other material that has come to me while working on this update. In the original history of the family I have made corrections of names and places in parenthesis as we found them in the old records. You will note in the original family tree the spelling of the names Mathais and Katerine. Records show that they were spelled Mates and Katerina, however on the deed, when they sold the Wisconsin farm, they were spelled Matias and Katarina. We found no record when Matias was changed to Mathias.

I have tried to make the update as accurate as possible. When, over the coming years, changes take place in each family if you will let me know I will try to include all changes as I receive them." -- Laurene Kubin Yowell