Josefa Zak and Josef Handlír

My great-great-grandmother, Josefa Zak, was born in Kucer, Bohemia, probably in February 1858. Kucer is a small village near Pisek, about 40 miles south of Prague. Travelling alone at age 22, she arrived¹ in Baltimore on 02 Nov 1880 aboard the North German Lloyd steamer S.S. Hermann from Bremen, Germany. On 30 July 1883, she married Adalbert Dusck at St. Wenceslaus Church in Baltimore. Adalbert died by 1887, with no known children.

Jan and Anna Zak, Josefa's parents, immigrated to the U.S. sometime around 1886. Josephine's younger brothers, James, 11, and Joseph, 6, accompanied them. Another brother, Frank Zak, 32, arrived in Baltimore on 14 April 1891 aboard the S.S. Gera from Bremen, with his wife Annie, 29, and one-month-old son, Jan. By 1900, the Zak families were all living in the 900 block of North Chapel Street in Baltimore. Anna Zak died on 11 January 1917. Jan Zak died six months later on 20 July 1917. They are both buried in Holy Redeemer Cemetery.

Josef Handlir was born about May 1853 in Ronov, Bohemia. The village may also have been called Wronov or Chronov. Josef arrived¹ in Baltimore on 07 Oct 1880 aboard the German steamer S.S. Köln from Bremen, Germany. He was travelling with his second wife, Josefa Nemec, and his six-year-old son Rudolf by a previous marriage. Josefa was pregnant during the trip; she gave birth to a son, Joseph Stefan Handlir on 20 Dec 1880. She gave birth to a daughter, Maria Handlir, on 26 Aug 1882, but the little girl died just before her first birthday. Another son, John J. Handlir, was born on 26 Jun 1885 and grew up to raise a family of his own.

Josefa may also have been married once before; her name is given as Josefa Sepcikowa on Maria's baptismal record. Josefa Nemec Handlir died on 16 Jan 1887. Just five months later, Josef married Josefa (Zak) Dusckova on 05 June 1887 at St. Wenceslaus. Josef and Josefa had five children: Charles Joseph (Jul 1888), Caroline Alice (Oct 1890), Anna Maria (April 1893), Francis/"Frank" (April 1895), and Anthony Charles "Andy" (Oct 1897).

These photos were probably taken around 1915, shortly before Joseph Handlir passed away. The Handlirs are presumably posing in front of their house at 930 North Chapel Street in Baltimore.
Josef Handlír	Josefa Zak Josephine Dusckova Handlír

Josef Handlir died at age 66 on 31 Jan 1919 at his home on North Chapel Street. Josefa died at age 76 on 18 Oct 1934 at the home of her daughter Anna Rutkowski at 622 N. Belnord Avenue. They are buried together in Holy Redeemer Cemetery, with Rudolf Handlir (01 Oct 1874 - 12 May 1946) and Anthony's first wife Julia (Lisy) Handlir (10 Mar 1900 -26 Oct 1928). The Handlir name went through several variations during their lives. The 1900 U.S. Census lists them as Joseph and Sophia Handleis. In 1910, they were Joseph and Sophia Handlir. In 1920, she was listed as Josephine Hanzlik. Eventually, they settled on the original spelling of Handlir.

You may go back to the Boia Family Tree.

¹ NARA Microfilm Publication M255, Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Baltimore, MD, 1820-1891, Roll 32.

Last updated August 17, 2004.