TOMBSTONE TUESDAY - JAN PARENICA (1855-1938)

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY - JAN PARENICA (1855-1938)

What began as the story of an immigrant family seeking a place to call home would become a remarkable Calhoun County legacy. After settling in the county in 1894, the Parenicas established a farm, raised their children, and became part of the growing Bohemian community around Six Mile. In the generations that followed, their descendants would build on the foundation Jan and Terezie created—through farming, livestock, education, teaching, and agricultural research. Their story is one of sacrifice, determination, and the extraordinary ways a family's decision to begin again can shape a community for generations.

Jan Parenica was born July 18, 1855 in Vizovich, Moravia. He was the son of a wealthy miller and heir to the family estate; however, he fell in love with Terezie Jancik, the daughter of a peasant. Against his parent’s objections, Jan and Terezie married in 1878 and Jan was disinherited, losing his place in the family hierarchy. The couple had two children: son, John J. in 1879 and daughter Kristina in 1881.  The family situation was unbearable so the couple emigrated to America in March 1883 with their two small children. They would become John and Theresa Parenica.

The family first settled in Austin and Burleson Counties before moving to Calhoun County in 1894. By that time, the family had grown to include five additional children: Mary born in 1886, Charlie born in 1887, Annie born in 1889, Frances born in 1892 and Frank born in 1893. Several families moved to Calhoun County at the same time with the women and children riding the train. The household goods and small equipment were transported by wagons while the livestock was driven to the new community as a herd. The Parenica’s purchased a farm in an area of Calhoun County which later became part of the Plainview Community and bordered Westerlund Road.

John and his family appear for the first time in the 1910 Federal Census. John was 56 and Theresa was 54. They had four children still living at home: Mary, Annie, Frances and Frank. Both Frances and Frank were school age but neither were attending school. Frank was working for his father as a farm laborer. By the 1920 census, John Jr and Mary were living at home. John Sr was still running the family farm. The family was last seen in the 1930 census. The only child still at home was Mary who was 49 and listed as divorced. Despite being 75 at the time, John was still operating the family farm. 

Neither John or Theresa would appear in another census as Theresa passed away on May 1, 1932 and John passed away on March 13, 1938. They were both buried in Six Mile Cemetery under adjacent tombstones shaped like monoliths with their native language inscribing the stone.

Their son Charlie, who was seven years old when they moved to Calhoun County, would marry Mary Kovar on January 21, 1908. Mary’s family had come to the county in the same group of Bohemians that brought the Parenica’s to town.  The couple farmed on rented land until they bought their own farm in 1919. Charlie was talented in handling livestock. With no veterinarians in the area, he often served as one in a practical capacity. Charlie would vaccinate all the work stock in both Lake Placedo and Six Mile communities during an outbreak of anthrax in the mid-1920s. He became active in the cattle business and his KP brand was well known.

The couple would have five children. Vlasta born in 1908, Albina born in 1911, Charlie born in 1913 and Willie Mae born in 1915. One daughter, born in 1910, was stillborn. Charlie and Mary were strong believers in education and made sure their children had education opportunities they did not have. Due to their efforts, all four of their children graduated from college. 

Charlie passed away on August 20, 1969 and Mary passed on July 24, 1976. Both are buried at Six Mile Cemetery.

Their son Charlie was born on October 26, 1913 and began his education in a three room school in the Six Mile Community. He graduated valedictorian from Port Lavaca High School in 1931. He would earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A & M in 1934. After a few years teaching, he started an over forty year career in research and control of cotton insects supporting cotton farmers across the state. He would author or co-author 75 publications on the topic and earned the nickname “Mr. Cotton Insect Control.” He was active in the Entomological Society of America, Sigma Xi and the Presbyterian Church. Charlie would pass away on July 8, 1988. He is buried at Six Mile Cemetery.

Daughter Vlasta graduated from Port Lavaca High School in 1927 after also attending Six Mile school. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1938 and Master of Arts in 1948 from Southwest Texas State University. She taught during the school year and continued earning her degree during the summers. In her 44 year teaching career, Vlasta taught in Port Lavaca, Nelsonville and Vanderbilt. She was active in Delta Kappa Gamma, Retired Teacher Association and the Presbyterian Church. She passed away March 6, 1996 and was buried in Six Mile Cemetery.

From a disinherited young man in Moravia to generations of farmers, educators, and agricultural professionals in Calhoun County, the Parenica story demonstrates that a family's legacy is not always measured by what is inherited. Sometimes it is measured by what is built, what is sacrificed, and what is passed forward. Jan and Terezie may have left their family's estate behind, but they created something that would prove far more enduring—a family legacy rooted in hard work, education, service, and a new home in Calhoun County.

Researched and written by Jennifer Shafer Wyatt

Shifting Sands of Calhoun County