Subject
immigrants from Belcice, Strakonice District, South Bohemia
Posted In
Description
My grandmother, Marie Kocovska, immigrated to NYC in 1899 with her sister Karolina. I don't know anything about her life until she married my grandfather, an Irishman, in 1906. I would like to find out about life in Belcice, how and why people in South Bohemia immigrated, and how single Czech women immigrants like her found a job in NYC. The only thing I know is that she worked as a maid before she married.
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Comments
Dear Mary,
There were various reasons why people decided to emigrate and usually there was already somebody from the same place (or family) established in America, they would join at the start. I presume you did not attend the latest CGSI Conference which just ended on Nov 1, 2025. There were various presentations and panel discussion about the life in Bohemia, emigration patterns, and I am sure these presentations would give you some answers to your questions, although each family situation might be different as various factors played roles in the ancestors' decisions. These presentations will be posted sometime later on the CGSI website. Please, check the CGSI Digital Library and CGSI YouTube channel. The CGSI website includes many videos and presentations from previous conferences, touching many subjects. If you are not familiar with a website or want to learn more about your family situation and records availability, feel free to join us on Feb 07, 2026, at our quarterly virtual discussion meeting. These meetings are for CGSI members only. You could also contact the CGSI Librarian for our physical collection (or even visit) at the CGSI Library in Mendota Heights, MN, to find books of your interest. PS: If you have any other follow up questions, fee free to write an email to Education at CGSI dot org. Thank you. IB