About Our Speakers

Leo Baca

     Leo Baca is a fourth generation Czech Texan whose primary interest lies in documenting the arrival of Czech immigrants to America.  Leo's other interests include researching Valachian history and the application of genetics to traditional genealogical research.  Leo has conducted Czech genealogical research for over thirty years.  He has published the nine volume series - Czech Immigration Passenger Lists, Volumes I-IX and a translation entitled- Moravian Wallachia: Its Origin and Development. From time to time he has published articles and presented seminars on Czech genealogy, history, and genetics. At the present time, he is conducting a genetics study of Czech Americans. He is a founding member of the Czech Heritage Society of Texas and the Texas Czech Genealogical Society. He is a member and supporter of numerous Czech organizations. 

Carroll Scogin - Brincefield

     Carroll Scogin-Brincefield was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her family came to Texas in the early 1800’s, settling in DeWitt and Lavaca County. As an adult, Ms. Brincefield traveled extensively throughout America and the world, living in Greece, England and Germany. She can trace her family history back to one of the first settlers of Jamestown and on to the first settlers of Texas. She received her Bachelor of Science in History and Anthropology and her Masters of Arts in History at Central Missouri State University. She continued her studies at Texas State University taking a second discipline of Geography/GIS. She was an instructor of World History, World Geography, and American Government and Economics for Corpus Christi Independent School District and a sponsor of The Government and Youth Club in conjunction with the Corpus Christi YMCA and CCISD. She is employed by San Patricio County and is now working on a photo book history of San Patricio County. She lectures throughout Texas on numerous historical topics, is the director of the Oral History program in Lavaca County, and is doing numerous workshops with that program. Ms. Brincefield is the coordinator of the RIP program for the county of Lavaca, where she is currently working on cemetery restoration projects for Lavaca, DeWitt, and San Patricio Counties. She develops educational programs and curriculum on local histories for local historical commissions and for the Texas State Historical Association on local histories. 

     Her published works include a wide range of topics from Native American history and culture to women and children of the Civil War. Her most recent publications and research have brought her into the 20^th century with studies focusing on the military. Her research and knowledge on Internment & P.O.W. Camps in Texas has received national notoriety with interviews on Weekend America, (a public radio-broadcasting network) based out of California. Her publications that are in process are Children of Texas; Home Front during the Civil War in Texas, The History of DeWitt County. Mapping a Ghost Town.,   Skeletons of the Home Front World War II; German Internment Camps in Texas, Un-American Activities on the Texas Gulf Coast; 1930’s., African American Women in South Texas1910-1945, Reconstruction in South Texas - The WPA in Texas, New Deal Programs in the Grand State of Texas., and San Patricio County Early Texas History and Families.   

     She was an adjunct professor with Central Missouri State University and Kansas City Community Colleges before moving back to her home state of Texas, where she was an adjunct instructor for Blinn Community College and director of the Lavaca Historical Museum.     She is an active member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Daughters of the American Revolution, Lavaca County Historical Commission, The Texas State Historical Commission, Texas State Archeology Association, Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum, East Texas Historical Association, South Texas Historical Association, Texas State Historical Association and The American Anthropological Association.

Shon Edwards

     Shon R. Edwards is a professional Cataloguer, Linguist, and Genealogist, and also works as a Collection Manager of Czech and Slovak materials at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He received his B.A. from Brigham Young University in 1990 in German, with minors in French and Computational Linguistics.  He earned his Master of Arts degree in Computational Linuistics at the same school and graduated in 1994.  He has 21 years of genealogical research experience, including travel to many countries, and has done research in countries, including Great Briatain, Eastern Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, the Scandinavian countries, and the United States.  He is an accredited professional genealogical researcher through ICAPGen in Salt Lake City.  Shon's 50-page Czech Research Outline appeared in the Federation of East European Family History Societies Journal several years ago and is online at http://www.shon.150m.com/czechhtm.htm.  He is married to Roya M. Farvid and is the father of five wonderful children.

John R. Gantt

John R. Gantt, Jr. presently lives in Bryan, Texas, and is a charter member of the Texas Czech Genealogical Society.  He was born January 31, 1935, in Dime Box, Lee County, Texas, the son of John R. and Carrie Wilburn Gantt.  He was educated in the public schools of Dime Box, graduating from Dime Box High School (Class of 1953).  He received the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, in 1960, and the degrees of Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth, in 1963 and 1973, respectively.  He was ordained as a minister of the Gospel on May 24, 1963, and has served as pastor of several churches over a period of some 46 years.  He has traveled extensively, and has done research on the life and ministry of the Czech reformer, Jan Hus.  He presently serves as Chaplain of the Texas Czech Genealogical Society.

     John is married to the former Mary Ann Kulhanek, of Snook, Burleson County, Texas.  They have one son and daughter-in-law, Joseph John and Amy Farris Gantt, of Lubbock, Texas, and one grandson, Jonathan Michael Gantt, also of Lubbock.

Charlene Hurta

     Charlene Hurta is a member of numerous genealogical societies not only in the United States, but in Europe as well.  Performing research in libraries, courthouses and museums in a number of states and crossing the ocean to the archives in the Czech Republic began some twenty plus years ago.  Two areas of genealogy hold her particular interest:  beginner’s genealogy and cemetery research. Helping people begin their genealogical journey on the right foot is a most important step. Charlene has taught Genealogy 101 classes in Texas and Michigan.  Cemetery research consists not only of information found on the tombstone itself but photos of each headstone along with other information pertaining to the particular cemetery.   She is co-founder and charter member of the Texas Czech Genealogical Society and has served as it's president since 2004. having chaired it's conferences and workshops since inception. She also serves as editor of the Ceske Stopy, their quarterly publication, and is a member of the book team. 

     Current personal projects in progress include:  English translation of the Pamatnik book; Czechs of Brazoria County; They Gave Their Best-Now They Rest in St. Cyril and Methodius Cemetery, Damon, Texas; They Gave Their Best-Now They Rest in Guy, Fort Bend County, Cemetery; They Gave Their Best-Now They Rest in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Ellis County, in Ennis, Texas; and Czech Memorials.

Patrick Janis

     Patrick J. Janis began studying his family tree at age thirteen, in 1982, after his grandfather's funeral.  He was curious and wanted to find out why there were people conversing in a strange language (Czech) with his relatives.  Thirteen years later he found himself standing in the living room of his long lost cousin in eastern Moravia, with a database of more than 13,000 relatives.  He has conducted extensive parish register research in the Czech Republic, has visited more than one hundred courthouses and libraries in 26 states, and has lectured at more than two dozen genealogical conferences and meetings.  In 2001 he became one of the founders of the Texas Czech Genealogical Society, serving as its first president and he currently serves as it's co-president.  His popular lectures include:  Finding Your Czech Ancestor's Village of Origin, Czechs in the Republic of Texas, and Organizing Your Genealogical Material.  Professionally, Patrick is an ordained deacon, a licensed minister, licensed master plumber, and a Certified Utility Safety Administrator.  Currently he serves as Vice President and CFO of Calhoun Plumbing, Inc. and resides in Bryan, Texas with his wife, Candace, and their four children.

Dalibor Jerabek

Ted Kaspar

     Ted Kaspar is a first generation Texas Czech. My father and grandparents came to Texas in 1905 from Hovezi, Moravia, Czechoslovakia. My dad was three years old. I first visited in Hovezi in 1995 and found relatives and the home that my father was born. This set a fire in me to research my family tree and get interested in genealogy. I have since been back to Czech Republic several times  to do research, tracing my Kaspar family to mid 1600s and my wife's Janak family in Trojanovice.  I am a member of CHS of Texas ,CHS of Fort Bend County, Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center, Texas Czech Genealogy Society. TOCA, CEFT, CGSI, Moravian Heritage Society, KJT. I have done genealogy research in several states and have assisted many people in their research. I published a book on my Kaspar family history two years ago & am working on a book on my maternal family and my wife's family roots.

Doug Kubicek

     Doug Kubicek, a native Texian born and was raised in Shiner, Texas. He graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville with a degree in U. S. History and Cultural Geography.  He is a 40 year member of the Texas Historical Commission and Lavaca County Historical Commission and currently is serving as chairperson and Archeological Steward. He is a charter member of the Texas Czech Genealogical Society and The Czech Heritage Society of Texas.

     Specializing in Lavaca County History and Cultural Geography, his publications include Grand, Complete and Perfect: The Lavaca County Courthouse 1897 – 1899, and has had articles printed in various genealogical publications.

     Most recently, in March 2009, at the 113^th Annual Meeting of the Texas State Historical Association, Doug presented a paper entitled An Uncompromising Line Between Yankee Rule and Rebel Rowdies, Reconstruction in Lavaca County.

     His current projects include research on: Reconstruction in Lavaca County 1865 – 1875, The Personal Papers of Captain Charles Welhausen; Welhausen’s Battery, C.S.A. and The Petition Papers From Lavaca County 1846 - 1926.

     On the back burner: Black Land Farmers; Lavaca County in World War I and One of FDR’s Ugly Ducklings; The Story of the USS Lavaca in World War II.

Helen Jane Kopecky Wilson

    I am a true mongrel—half Czech and half Anglo.    I was born and raised in Corpus Christi TX – in the city.  My father was raised in a farm area near Penelope, Hill, TX.  My mother met him while teaching in rural schools in Hill and McLennan counties and rooming with Czech families.  As a child, I had little contact with Czech relatives, but had contact with a Czech population about half of which were rural farmers.

    I am a retired high school mathematics instructor.  I have given programs and served on the board of Dallas Genealogical Society for over ten years.  I currently live in far east Dallas county on Lake Ray Hubbard with my second husband.

     I began doing active research in 1994, unfortunately after most of the older generations were deceased.  I gained ground quickly with my mother’s ancestry—three to four generations I had previously had little information on.  My father’s Czech ancestry lines were not so swift in the recovery of information.  Even now, many things are still lacking.

   I finally hit upon a scheme that brought me more and more Czech information.  I uploaded a database to http://rootsweb.com.  Almost as soon as it was uploaded I began to receive both questions and information from Czech researchers.  I later added a separate database that I researched on people I had known as a child.  It continues to grow rapidly.

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