The 26th Dobecka Pratka Family Reunion

The beginnings of the Dobecka family in Texas started when Joseph Dobecka married Theresia Wick in Fayette County, Texas, on October 19, 1875, according to records in the District Clerk's Office of Fayette County. It is assumed that they were married in Dubina, a Czech community near Schulenburg, Texas. A record of their marriage is also found in the Praha Church records; during this time the priest from Praha attended to the needs of the citizens of Dubina.

Joseph Dobecka was born October 15, 1843, in Lichnov, Moravia, which at that time was under the rule of the Austrian Empire. Joseph was the second son born to Josef Dobecka and Veronika Jaluvkova. An older brother, Frantisek, was born on May 21, 1837; a sister Rozina on April 23, 1851; a brother Ignac on December 12, 1852; and a sister Veronika on July 28, 1855. Joseph requested to immigrate to America after completing his military service and was given permission on September 19, 1873. He arrived in Texas on or about November 5, 1873, and it is believed that he then traveled by train to Weimar, Texas, and then on to Dubina. Many of the earlier Czech immigrants were from the same region of Moravia that Joseph came from, which seems the most logical reason for his settling in Dubina.

For many years the only information on Theresia was her birthdate noted on her tombstone as March 7, 1847. We had no information on her birthplace or her relationship to other Wicks in Texas until after the 2011 reunion, when we received information from Bruce Berger, a descendant of the Franz Wick family of High Hill, which immigrated to Texas in 1860. He stated that Theresia was a niece of Franz Wick. We were able to research church records from Neudek, Moravia, to obtain the birth and baptismal records for Theresia. Neudek, now called Nejnek, is a small town about 24 miles west of Lichnov, the birthplace of Joseph Dobecka. The records noted that Theresia was born on March 7, 1847, the same date as on her tombstone in Dubina. Theresia's parents were Andreas Wick and Agnes Herzig of House #19 in Neudek. Theresia had brothers named Ferdinand (b. 1844), Johann (b. 1849) and Anton (b. 1851), and a sister Magdalena (b. 1853).

According to naturalization papers found in Texas, Anton Wick noted that he arrived in Texas in December 1873. It is assumed that Theresia and Magdalena came with him at that time. Anton married Maria Grones, and Magdalena married Joseph Konecny after arriving in Texas, per marriage records found in Fayette County. More research is being done to connect the many Wicks in Texas.

The Dobecka children

From the marriage of Joseph and Theresia, six children were born:

• Frank, born July 14, 1876
• Mary, born February 15, 1878
• Agnes, born August 22, 1879
• Annie, born April 28, 1881
• Joe, born January 3, 1883
• John, born March 13, 1885

Baptism records were found in the Dubina church records for all these children except Mary. No records have been found that Joseph ever owned any land, but according to the Agriculture Census taken in 1880, Joseph was renting and farming 20 acres of land in or near Dubina. Joseph died on April 5, 1887, from stomach or intestinal problems. This illness was noted in a letter sent back to his family in Moravia by Theresia in 1887. The letter was kept by the family of Frantisek, Joseph's older brother, all these years and was revealed to us within the last few years.

The Pratka children

Theresia then married Joseph Pratka on August 22, 1887, and they had three children:

• Louis, born February 15, 1888
• Emil, born February 18, 1890
• Theresa, born February 8, 1892, who died at 16 months of age

Theresia died on June 20, 1910, but no records have been found on the death of Joseph Pratka. Joseph Dobecka and Theresia Dobecka Pratka are both buried in the Dubina Cemetery, along with 16-month-old Theresa Pratka (d. 6/04/1893).

The eight branches

Frank P. Dobecka, the oldest child of Joseph and Theresia Dobecka, left Dubina in the mid-1890s and settled in Granger, Texas, another Czech community about 100 miles north of Dubina. There he married Mary Naizer on February 20, 1900. Frank and Mary had eleven children. Three (Agnes, Louis and Louise) were born in Granger. Three more (Mary, Frank and Raymond) were born in Sagerton, Haskell County, Texas, where the family lived and farmed from 1906 to 1911. The five youngest (Steve, Cecil, John, Julianna and Anton) were born in Carrollton, Dallas County, then a small town in the northwest part of the county. Raymond and Julianna both died as children. Frank P. farmed there until his death on April 25, 1944. Most of Frank and Mary's descendants still live in or around Dallas. Mary Naizer (b. 5/30/1879, d. 9/25/1967).

Mary Dobecka, the oldest daughter, married Joseph H. Kubesch on November 16, 1898, in Dubina. Mary and Joe remained in or near Dubina and raised six children: Angeline, Raymond F., Emil F., Joe W., Lewis R. and Martha. Their descendants live across Texas and the USA. Mary (d. 5/09/1948). Joseph (b. 10/12/1876, d. 7/23/1941).

Agnes Dobecka married Rudolph Hollek on October 16, 1900, in Dubina, and they had five children: Henry J., Edward R., Adolph L., Martha M. and Joseph M. Their descendants mostly live in the southern part of Texas. Agnes (d. 11/13/1954). Rudolph (b. 4/09/1875, d. 3/11/1949).

Annie Dobecka married Cyril Sassin on November 28, 1906, in Dubina, and they had four children: George, Vlasta, Robert and Della. Their descendants also mostly live in the southern part of Texas.

Joe Dobecka married Antonia Peter on January 31, 1911, in Dubina, and they had two children, Marcella and Annie. After Antonia died, Joe married Anna Pokulda on June 26, 1923, and they had three children: Viola, Edwin and Clarence. Their descendants live in different areas of Texas. Joe (d. 2/23/1970). Antonia (b. 9/04/1888, d. 3/02/1920). Anna (b. 1896, d. 1941).

John Dobecka, the youngest child, married Albina Bartosh on October 27, 1915, and they had five children: Edna, Lillian, Henry, Victor and Olga. Their descendants live mostly across the southern part of Texas. John (d. 1930). Albina (b. 2/28/1895, d. 9/17/1988).

Louis Pratka married Adela Marak.

Emil Pratka married Angline Parma on July 18, 1911. The descendants of these families are also mostly living in the southern part of Texas. Emil (d. 3/25/1970). Angline (b. 12/15/1890, d. 1/1/1968).

The names and dates above may or may not be accurate. We are always in the process of validating this information and welcome any help in confirming or adding to it. Send a correction or addition.