Hello Scott,

I would like to flesh out some information to the photos. They were taken in the village of Skuhrov. The distance between Olešná and Skuhrov is very short. Both villages are supposed to be very old (probably from the end of the 12th or the beginning of the 13th cent.) because of their position at the crossroad of two former provincial trade pathways.

The name Olešná (or Volešná) and its meaning dates back to this age too. The Church of St. Nicholas in Skuhrov dates back to the first half of the 14th century, then it was rebuilt for several times. It has been a very important place for Roman Catholics from time immemorial. The presbytery was founded in 1728. The number of villages administered by the parish in Skuhrov is roughly the same as in the past( about 5 villages). The graveyard was kept on an original place in the initial centre of the village. It is small and the paths among graves are very narrow.

The local school is worthy of mention too. The school and the presbytery are adjacent buildings to the church. The school was set up in 1738. In the past it was a basic school for children from 6 to 15 years, now it is a primary school attended by pupils from 6 to 11. All the Karas family ancestors attended this school.

The graveyard

There are five graves, where the ancestors of the Karas family were burried.

Karas family (Rodina Karasova)
* Matej Karas Sr., Marie Karasová (Kolárová), their daughter Marie, their son Václav Karas Sr., his wife Anastázie Karasová (Janáková) and Josef Karas (Václav Karas Jr.´s son).
* It is our family grave now. Josef was my brother, he was born in 1958. He died of road accident consequences in 1975.

Dundácek family(Rodina Dundáckova)
* Marie Dundácková (Karasová)- a daughter of Václav Karas Sr.

Karas and Doležal family(Rodina Karasova a Doležalova)
* Josef Karas (Matej Karas Sr.´s son), his wife Marie Karasová(Kubícková), their daughter Anna Doležalová(Karasová) and her husband Jan Doležal

Štefánek family(Rodina Štefánkova)
* Anna Štefánková(Karasová) – a daughter of Václav Karas Sr.
* The grave is on the opposite side of the graveyard.

Antonín Karas Jr.´s grave
* the son of Antonín Karas Sr.
* The grave has no gravestone, there is no one to care.
* The place is behind the grave of the Karas and Doležal family.

Antonín Karas Jr. died before the rest of the family moved to Sudetenland. They came to Trávník near Cvikov (the north of our republic, the district Ceská Lípa). The reason to leave Olešná was simple.

After the Second World War Germen were deported and forced to leave the bulk of their property (fully furnished houses, fields…) in our republic.
Then the state provided derelict houses to our citizens.The Czech found work there too. The Karases got work at a glass factory in Nový Bor. Later they moved to this town.

Their family-Antonín Karas and his wife Marie
-their children- Antonín Karas, Karel Karas, Marie Karasová (later Bártová), Božena Karasová(later Cechová).

Have a good time.

Petra D.