By David Taylor
Managing Editor
It was early, long before the people began arriving for the presentation, but Randy Kubin was doing some reminiscing. On the speaker, connected by Bluetooth technology, Kubin was blaring the 1980 Neil Diamond hit song, America.
“We’ve been traveling far, without a home, but not without a star, free. Only want to be free, we huddle close, hang on to a dream, on the boats and on the planes, they’re coming to America. Never looking back again, they’re coming to America,” the lyrics read.
Diamond said in an interview with Gary Marlowe, “It’s the story of my grandparents escaping Jewish oppression in Russia and coming to America for their freedom in the steerage section of a Holland-America ship.”
The words could have easily been exchanged for Czechs who came to America, looking for the same values and opportunities. Kubin led a presentation to the community on the Czech immigrants that settled in the Crosby area to a crowd of 100-plus friends last Saturday at the Crosby Brethren Church, Nov. 16.
Every quarter, the very active Crosby Historical Society makes presentations that both reflect the past and the future of Crosby. Earlier in the year, their presentation on what’s coming to Crosby drew a record crowd, Ronnie Davenport made a presentation on the history of Crosby football’s 100th year of competition and Kubin finished the year with the history of Czechs in Crosby.
The presence of Czechs is obvious in the community with the number of streets that bear their name—Holy Road, Janacek, Wolcik, Adlong, Bohemian Hall, Stroker (Strokas), Sralla, Krenek, Marek and even Kubin.
The idea for a Czech program came from Crosby Historical Society president Donna Davenport in a board meeting about a year ago.
“She asked me to do it, and I was a little bit shy about it at first, but took on the challenge,” Kubin said.
He spent more than 40-50 hours preparing for the program.
“My first stop was at the Czech Center Museum Houston, where I met Johana (Dickerson) and invited her out to speak the first 30 minutes of the program,” Kubin said.
But as he began to delve into a book he borrowed from the museum, he discovered more about his own Czech heritage and stories from his parents and siblings.
“My grandmother crossed the Atlantic at least eight times,” he said, shocked by the revelation.
Dickerson, the executive director for the Czech Center Museum Houston, presented some background of the political climate and changes in the country that came all the way up to 1983.
“Don’t call them Czechoslovakians,” she said. Between 1918 to 1992 that was their name, but in 1993 is when the Czech Republic was established. “That’s officially when the Czechs and Slovaks separated,” she said.
Kubin took over and led the discussion, and then he invited several members of Czech families to come up and talk briefly about their own families and their voyage to America.
After all the work he’s done on the presentation, Kubin said he had a greater appreciation for his Czech heritage.
“I had no idea how rich it was,” he said.
He pointed out that many Protestants believe the Reformation began with Luther, but it was really proceeded by a Czech theologian and philosopher. Iohannes Hus or Jan Hus, who was born in Husinec, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) was recognized as one of the critical leaders in the 15th century between the medieval and Reformation periods a century before the Luther-led change.
The Society also sponsored a kolache contest with a number of participants.
Gianna Kocurek Morris won the kolache competition and dedicated hers “In loving memory of my granny.”
“There was never a family recipe when my grandmother made them. Everything was off the cuff,” Morris said.
Her parents figured out a way to get the recipe committed to paper.
“When I was eight, they sent me to spend the week with my grandmom with the instructions to write down everything and measure everything and that’s exactly what I did,” she laughed. Every cup, every spoonful.
“My family immigrated to the Frydek area in Sealy. My parents moved to Crosby in 1978,” she said to buy land, and they loved the Catholic church.
She makes the Czech delicacies about three times a year, and it takes between six to eight hours.
“I got worried last night because it got cooler and they really do better in warm weather,” she said.
There were several tables filled with historical information, photos, and artifacts.
“People still yearn to be free, and America is still that shining city on a hill as Reagan called it,” Kubin said. “People will move mountains to get here. They went through hell and high water to get here,” he reminded everyone.
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