Mlejneks in America

This one name study began by looking for Mlejnek families that moved to the United States in order to determine if they were possibly related.   The original assumption was that if one could trace each family's ancestry back far enough, they surely would have a common ancestor.   Of course this has been proven as a totally false assumption.

The first immediate finding was that the number of Mlejnek families in America was statistically insignificant in comparison to the Mlejnek family lines worldwide.   Most of the persons bearing the Mlejnek family surname are still within the boundaries of the Czech Republic today.   However, family lines have been located in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Australia, Canada and even Great Britain.

When searching for Mlejneks in the US, no stone has been left unturned.   Telephone directories, US Census Records, Immigration Records, LDS Family Search Records, church records, obituaries, city directories, and even newspaper stories are being constantly searched as they became available on line.   Hundreds of letters have been written and even more emails to publically known addresses.   The end result has been very discouraging.   Most 2nd and 3rd generation Americans show no concern about their ancestors and thusly, later generations have no knowledge at all!   Indeed, it is concluded that practically every immigrant family wanted to erase the past and leave no records for discovery.   They especially did not want to give any information to someone unrelated.  It is almost like an obsessive suspicion of others and a belief that what they know is worth too much to just give it to someone else.  The most common irony is that every family had some kind of "lore" that when examined thouroughly turned out to be absolutely false.

What was sought first was the name of the immigrant family and where they migrated throughout the country.   Next an attempt was made to compare occupations listed on official records and what they actually did after they arrived here.   Once on US soil, it was rare that anyone ever went back home.   Also, after the first generation past on, rarely were connections with cousins and aunts and uncles back home ever maintained.   It can be generalized that if a family member in the US wanted to make contact with a family member from their Czech home, no lasting connections were ever established.   It also works in the reverse as persons seeking family in the US run into the same reluctance to maintain family ties.   I think this generalization applies to other countries as well.   For example I have personal correspondences between families in Australia and the same family in the Czech Republic, but neither one of them can establish any kind of lasting connections.   It is strongly suspected that the differences in langauages are the biggest barrier to communication.

Finally, anyone is invited to contribute to the information on this page.  Just contact me directly at Ronald V. Mlejnek.   If for some reason, someone wants information removed, please contact me and I will try to oblige them.   I will even put links on this page to a family member if that level of participation is desired.  Be advised that only information after the identified individuals entered the USA is presented here.  Often, there is additional information about their Czech families elsewhere.  Also, there are hundreds, if not thousands of available public records on individuals named Mlejnek, but usually it contains a name, a place, a date, and some event. No other infromation is available and so those persons are not included here.

Adalbert Mlejnek of Rice Lake, Barron, WI

One of the best documented families coming to Amercia is that of Adalbert Mlejnek and his wives, Christine [maiden name unknown] and Katheřina Macková.   Adalbert arrived 31 Oct 1874 on the S.S. Donau at the port of New York.   On that manifest were listed the following:

This family moved to Rice Lake, Barron, WI.   Children moved on to Aurora, IL and Fairbault, MN.

Adalbert listed his profession as a blacksmith and his birthplace as Pisek, Bohemia.   His estimated birth would have been about 1834.

Albert Mlejnek of Jamestown, Stutsman, ND

The next family is Albert Mlejnek and his wife Johanna Kokott.   No records on their immigration have been located; but, based on the birthplaces of the children, it must have been about 1873.   They list their origins as Prussia, but no specific place in Prussia has yet been identified.   The place they settled was Jamestown, Stutsman, North Dakota.   Albert's birth is estimated to be about 1834 and his profession is listed as a blacksmith.

Ironically the above 2 families have many things in common and were at first considered the same, but the birth locations and the places settled make it impossible.

Albert Mlejnek of Chicago, Cook, IL

Another Albert appears in US records with circumstances similar to Adalbert and Albert described above.   However this person settled in the area of Chicago, IL.   As with the others, his birthdate is about 1831 and he is also a trained blacksmith according to Castle Garden Records - On Line Search of Database.   He arrived on the SS Nuernberg 4 May 1874.

Antonín Miloslav Mlejnek of Napa, CA

Antonín Miloslav Mlejnek came from Prosec Bohemia and went the San Francisco Bay area of California after arriving in 1909.  His place of birth is listed as Prosec, but unfortunately there are numerous places with that name.   He married Jennie R. Speol, a native of California.   A baker by trade, he worked in the Napa State Hospital.   Antonin Miloslav might be related to Josef F. Mlejnek (See Josef Mlejnek of Racine, WI below), but relationship is unknown.

George W. Mlejnek of Washington, Clermont, OH

The only information about this individual comes from the 1870 US Census Records.  It is estimated that he was born about 1825.   His wife's name was Phebie J. and he had 6 children by that time as follows:

1. Thomas W. Mlejnek b. about 1854
2. Edward B. Mlejnek b. about 1856
3. Alvin B. Mlejnek b. about 1859
4. Josef G. Mlejnek b. about 1861
5. Charles W. Mlejnek b. about 1868
6. William F. Mlejnek b. about 1869

All of the known children were born in Washington, Clermont, OH.  Ironically, after having at least six sons with the Mlejnek surname, no other records have been discovered on any member of this family.

James F. Mlejnek of Forman, Sargent, ND

Very little substative information on this individual and could very easiliy be a branch from the family of Albert Mlejnek of Jamestown, Stutsman, North Dakota.  James was born on 20 Nov 1906 (birthplace unknown) and his wife's name was Marie Blazek and she passed away in Lidgerwood, Richland, ND.  James is frequently a name substituted for a Czech given name for which there is no English equivalent.

Johann Mlejnek of Chicago, Cook, IL

Practically nothing is known about this individual except what can be found in US Census Records.  His wife's name was Antonia Jedlicka and he was a carpenter born about 1868 and living in Chicago, Cook, IL.  His children, all born in Chicago, are as follows:

1. John Mlejnek b. 17 Jan 1897
2. James Mlejnek b. Abt. 1900
3. Mary Mlejnek b. Abt. 1900
4. Rose Mlejnek b. Abt. 1901

Josef Mlejnek of Manitowoc, Gibson, WI

The only record known for this individual is the 1900 United States Census.  He was born about Nov. 1855 and he declared he was from Bohemia (Note: Usually this is very unreliable).  His wife's name was Anna and they had four children by 1900:

1. Joseph Mlejnek b. July 1884
2. Stephan Mlejnek b. April 1886
3. Anna Mlejnek b. March 1891
4. Antone Mlejnek b. June 1893

All of the above listed children were born in Wisconsin.  As with many other Mlejnek families, this is the only record located so far.

Josef Mlejnek of Racine WI

Josef arrived in the US about 1888.  He supposedly is from Prosec too (see Antonín Miloslav Mlejnek above) and is trained as a carpenter.   His wife's name was Frances Podzimek and they spent their entire life in Racine, Wisconsin where they raised 3 children.

Much has been written about his son, Josef F. Mlejnek in the History of Solano and Napa Counties in California, 1926.   He was the chief baker at the Napa State Hospital

Karl George Mlejnek of Centerline, Macomb, MI

Karl George Mlejnek immigrated from Vienna, Austria to the region of Detroit Michigan.  He had two wives named Hilda Priska and Rebecca Alesher Weber.   All of the children were with Hilda Priska and were born in Centerline, Macomb, MI.   Karl worked as a tool and die maker.   Efforts to locate his immigration records and birth records have been unsuccessful thus far.   He is purported to have been in Vienna Austria in 1898.

Wenzel Mleynek of Jackson County, IA

Wenzel Mleynek came to the US from Morasice, County of Litomysl, Bohemia in 1860 and settled in Jackson County, IA.   From there the family moved to Guthrie County, IA in 1872.   According to family lore, the family name of Mlejnek was changed to Mleynek for religious reasons, but that has never been substantiated.   Wenzel and his wife, Helna Macek had at least 9 children of which 5 were born in Bohemia and the rest in the US.

An interesting side note is that Fred Mleynek, one of the grandsons of Wenzel and Helna, lived in Omaha, NE.  That is the same place where the family of Bedřich (Fred Mlejnek) of Ratiškovice, Moravia also lived.   Fred Mleynek worked as a Chemist for the UPRR and Bedřich’s oldest son, Victor, also worked for the UPRR.   Fred and Victor were aquainted and knew one another, but the question was never raised whether the two families might be related until this study was begun.  As it turns out, there are no known connections between these two families.