After 35+ years of searching today I found out that my paternal great grandmother's maiden name was Zupinchak. The search for the name goes no further but it's more than I have ever known. I have found out so much about my family in such a short period of time.

Chimney sweep came out today. He was covered with the traditional soot and had the big brush. He was really nice, actually. He said that we had a chimney fire at some point. Hmmmm...I wonder if it had something to do the the whiskey we throw on the fire during rituals? Ahem. I didn't ask ( Read more... )

OMFREAKINGG!

Re: My last post about ancestry:

The city's German name, Iglau, is derived from the German word for hedgehog, Igel, hence the hedgehog on the coat of arms.

My freaking grandfather was born in a place where the hedgehog was on the coat of arms?

This is too damned funny!

I always wondered where a branch of my family (my father’s side) came from exactly in what is now the Czech Republic. I visited Prague a couple of years ago and I adored it ( Read more... )