Joseph Liska - Czech Butcher 3
From the beginning of his involvement with the Chicago Butchers Packing Company, until his death in 1926, the other officials Joseph Liska most often worked with were: Frank Zahorbsky as President, Anton Camsky as Treasurer and P. (Prokop) J. Smidl as General Manager.
While researching Joseph Liska and the CBPC, this is a summary of information we found on those three other officials.
Frank Zahrobsky (President CBPC) was born on August 7, 1868 at Kladruby #14, Hřešihlavy, Rokycany. (1) (View Birth Record) According to his passport application information, he departed Hamburg and arrived in the USA in April of 1886. (2) (View Passport Picture) Frank married Mary Simandl in Chicago on September 10, 1892.
Over the course of time, at least two of Frank's siblings also reached the Chicago area. John, born June 11, 1864 (Find A Grave 139095378) and Kristina Zahrobsky Brabec born September 28, 1860 (Find A Grave 146291972) are his siblings.
In 1900 Frank and Mary, along with their children and six boarders (which include Joseph and John Simandl) are living at 1137 South Hoyne. Frank, and three of those boarders, are listed as butchers. (3) In 1910 Frank and Mary, with six children, and four boarders (one servant, and those working in the grocery store) are living at 2344 South Hoyne. Frank is listed as the owner of a grocery store. (4)
The ads for the Chicago Butchers Packing Company, from 1918 to 1936, list Frank either as President or another official. In 1930 Frank is listed as treasurer of the Southwest Meat Dealers Association Of Chicago.
In the 1920 census, Frank, his wife Marie, and six children are still living at 2344 South Hoyne. Frank is now listed as a butcher store owner. (5)
Frank's wife, Marie, died on January 1, 1930. She is buried in Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago. (Find A Grave #211708343). The 1930 census lists Frank as living at 334 Lawton Avenue, with several of his children. Frank is listed as president of a wholesale meat house. (6)
Several of Frank and Marie's children, would marry, live their lives, and also be buried in the same cemetery. One child, Frank, would follow in his father's footsteps, founding the Edgar Packing Company. (7) He and his brother, George, both died in 1991, and both are in Bohemian National Cemetery, Chicago.
Frank married Hermina Birt, (previously married), but no date has been found yet.
Frank died December 27, 1936. (Find A Grave #211708275)
Frank Zahrobsky, beloved husband of Hermina, fond father of Frank B. Jr., George J., Dr. William J., Robert F., Mamie Illich and Midlred B. Zahrobsky. At rest Chapel 6905 Roosevelt road, Berwyn, until Wednesday, 10 a.m. Funeral Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 1:30 p.m at Sokol Slavsky hall, Lombard avenue and Cermak road, Cicero. Interment Bohemian National Cemetery. (8)
Anton Camsky (Treasuer CBPC) was born May 11, 1866 at Obecinice #124. (View Birth Record) On September 9, 1855 Anton departed Port Hamburg aboard the ship Suevia. He arrived at Port New York city on September 24, 1885. (9)
Anton married Barbara Cervenka on April 20, 1890 in Chicago. The Cervenka family, Father, Joseph ( Find A Grave #120086951), age 32, Mother, Mary (Find A Grave #120086942), age 33, Barbara, age 4, and Josef 12 months, arrived from Port Bremen to Port Baltimore on June 12, 1881 aboard the ship Leipzig. (Listed under name Corwenka.) (10) (View Record)
1900 Illinois Cook Chicago Ward 9 D0245 Page 1 693 Throop
Anton Camsky 39, Barbara 28, Otto 6, Agnes 1
Joseph Cervenka 73
Anton and Joseph are both listed as butchers. (11)
1910 Illinois Cook Chicago Ward 10 D0540 Page 71 1924 Throop
Anton Camsky 42, Barbara 37, Otto 16, George 9
Mary Cervenka 60, Edward Cervenka 20
Anton is listed as a retail merchant in a meat market (12)
1920 Illinois Cook Chicago Ward 10 D0626 Page 26 1924 Throop
Anton Camsky 52, Barbara 40, George 18
Anton is listed as a proprietor of a meat market. (13) (Image Left 1924 S. Throop - Google Maps)
1930 Illinois Cook Berwyn D2002 page 2 1942 Ridgeland
Anton Camsky 63, Barbara 59, George F. 29, Wife Othella 27
Anton is listed as retired. (14)
Anton Camsky, 71, 1942 South Ridgeland avenue, a resident of Berwyn for the past 16 years, died last Saturday at home of a weakened heart aggravated by anemia. Funeral services for the retired butcher will be held this morning from the chapel at 6229 West Cermak road and at Our Lady of the Holy Mount church. Burial will be ' in St. Adalberts cemetery. Camsky is survived by his widow, Barbara, and two sons, Otto W. and George F. Camsky.
CAMSKY Anton Camsky, Nov. 6, late of 1942 S. Ridgeland avenue, Berwyn: dearly beloved husband of Barbara, nee Cervenka, devoted father of Otto W. and George F. Funeral Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 9 a. m., from chapel, 6239 W. Cermak road, Berwyn, to Our Lady of the Holy Mount church. Interment at St. Adalbert's.
Anton and Barbara are buried in Barbara's parents grave site at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery.
Anton Camsky (Find A Grave #204728596)
Barbara Cervenka Camsky (Find A Grave #118929152)
Prokop Julius Smidl was born in 1864 in Cernikovice. Unfortunately Czech Archive records for that village end in 1862, so his brother, Vaclav, born then is the last of his family records available online. (Image of Prokop courtesy of Smidl family historian, Nancy Brake)
The oldest record found, so far, for the family in Chicago is the 1880 Census. (Smedl) It lists James 50, Josephine 50, Josephine 24, Joseph 20, Julias (Prokop) 16 and James 7. (15) Almost all census records for Bohemia born family members lists 1867 as the arrival date in the USA. (Parents Vaclav "James" Find A Grave 147669833 and Josephine Sekrya Find A Grave 147670067 are buried in Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago, with many children linked there.)
Prokop married Anna Skupa on January 3, 1891.
By the 1900 Census, Prokop, his wife, and 4 children are living at 714 West 13th. Prokop appears to already be in a business, listed as a "Provision Dealer". The 1900 City of Chicago Directory lists Prokop as being at a meat market at 714 W. 18th Street. He is also listed in the business directory at the same address. (16)
Working in the meat industry became a family venture. The 1910 Census, listing Prokop, his wife Anna, and five children are living at 1876 S. Kedzie. Children, George C. and Ella A. are listed as working as bookkeepers for the meat packing company. (17)
The 1920 Census lists Prokop and his family as living at 1876 S. Kedzie, and confirms he is a manager at the CBPC. (18)
The 1923 Chicago Directory lists Prokop (1876 S. Kedzie) as the manager of the Chicago Butchers Packing Company and his son George (1981 South 57th Avenue, Cicero) as the office manager of the Chicago Butchers and Packing Company.
By 1930, Prokop had retired from the business world. He and his wife, Anna, were living at 1928 Elmwood Avenue in Berwyn. Living at the same address, his son, George, now married was still working as office manager at CBPC. His unmarried daughter, Ella, was now a bookkeeper for a shoe company. (19)
Prokop Julius Smidl died in 1937 (Find A Grave 147605166) and is buried in Bohemian National Cemetery, where his parents and several siblings are also interred. Wife, Anna Skupa Smidl, died in 1952 (Find A Grave 147605307).
"Anna M. Smldl. 5233 W. 35th street, Cicero, beloved wife of the late Prokop, fond mother of Ella, Henry. Charles, Joseph, and the late George, grandmother of seven, great-grandmother of ode. Services Tuesday, March 25, st 1:30 p. m at funeral home, 6901-03 W. Roosevelt road, corner Kenilworth avenue. Interment Bohemian National cemetery. Member of Bohemia chapter. No. 763, 0. S. S.: Cicero Rebekah lodge. No. 44, 1. O. O. F.; Sokol Chicago, Ladles auxiliary, and Southwest Retail Meat Dealer association." (20)
Obituary Prokop Smidl - Cicero Life (Cicero, Illinois) · 11 July 1937, Sunday · Page 5
Article Prokop Smidl and the Chicago Butchers Packing Company
The Chicago Live Stock World Newspaper November 12, 1914, Thursday, Page 5, Chicago, Illinois
Obit Prokop Smidl - Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · 10 July 1937, Saturday · Page 12
Resources:
(1) http://www.portafontium.eu/iipimage/30062598/hresihlavy-07_1330-n?x=71&y=227&w=797&h=361
(2) National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 1863; Volume #: Roll 1863 - Certificates: 129976-130349, 20 Mar 1922-20 Mar 1922
(3) Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 10, Cook, Illinois; Page: 14; Enumeration District: 0291; FHL microfilm: 1240256
(4) Year: 1910; Census Place: Chicago Ward 12, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T624_254; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 0615; FHL microfilm: 1374267
(5) Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 11, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_320; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 673
(6) Year: 1930; Census Place: Riverside, Cook, Illinois; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 2176; FHL microfilm: 2340237
(7) Obituary for Frank B. Zahrobsky, Wasau Daily Herald, Wasau, Wisconsin, Sunday, February 17, 1991, Page 19.
(8) Obituary for Frank Zahrobsky, The Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, December 29, 1936, Page 10
(9) Staatsarchiv Hamburg; Hamburg, Deutschland; Hamburger Passagierlisten; Volume: 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 055 B; Page: 1272; Microfilm No.: K_1734
(10) The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Records of the US Customs Service, RG36; NAI Number: 2655153; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85
(11) Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 9, Cook, Illinois; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0245; FHL microfilm: 1240254
(12) Year: 1910; Census Place: Chicago Ward 10, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T624_251; Page: 36B; Enumeration District: 0540; FHL microfilm: 1374264
(13) Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 10, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_319; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 626
(14) Year: 1930; Census Place: Berwyn, Cook, Illinois; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 2002; FHL microfilm: 2340149
(15) Year: 1880; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 191; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 086
(16) Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 9, Cook, Illinois; Page: 10; Enumeration District: 0226; FHL microfilm: 1240253
(17) Year: 1910; Census Place: Chicago Ward 12, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T624_253; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0595; FHL microfilm: 1374266
(18) Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 34, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_355; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 2207
(19) Year: 1930; Census Place: Berwyn, Cook, Illinois; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 2002; FHL microfilm: 2340149
(20) Obituary Anna Smidl - The Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, Monday, March 24, 1952, Page 62.