Bea and Carol flew to Prague to visit the village of Hlavno Kostelni where Bea’s grandparents, Frank and Maria Lunak, were born. The two visitors were placed in contact with Bozena Bohocova, 84, who remembered the grandfather. The lady referred to Frank Lunak as a modest man, working as a shoemaker and holding some prominence in the village.

She said Frank would come into a tavern at noon, drink one beer, and leave. He apparently loved children at the time. Children would be waiting for him, holding out their hands and shouting for coins. He always gave them money. The tavern later closed. The building became a bakery and last an office building, still very rustic looking and unique in appearance.

The mayor, Miloslav Curda, greeted the visitors and gave them a walking tour of the village, which had around 300 inhabitants.

The translated meaning of the village of Hlavno Kostelni is "Head Church." The visit included seeing the last former Lunak house, which was, referred to as "beautiful and well cared for." Next to it was an old schoolhouse where probably everybody living in the village attended. A key was received from the Priest’s home to see the village church. It proved to be very old with a weathered tile roof and cracks in the outside walls, which appeared to be stucco.

Frank and Maria Lunak had nine children. Maria Lunak died in 1910 before the children and their father immigrated to America in the months that followed. According to family stories, Frank was anxious to move the family to the USA. After all remaining family members reached America’s shores, Frank settled on farmland east of Geddes, SD.

In an application for citizenship in 1917, Frank’s birthdate was listed as Dec. 3 1860. Eventually, it was evident that America was not for Frank Lunak. Leaving the children behind, Frank returned to Hlavno Kostelni in approximately 1920 and died there 16 years later.

Observations by Fred Masek: Later information clarifies and sheds new light regarding the immigration to America of the Lunak family. We had originally thought that Mary Lunak was the first to arrive in the U.S. and the remainder of the family came later. Actually, four older children came first. The movement to the U.S. was in this order: First, Mary; second, Frank Jr. and Jim; third, Ann; and fourth, the father and the rest of the family. (Ed Patocka, Armour, son of Ann, is the source for the order of arrival.) There was a thought that the Dad wanted to get the sons out of Europe quickly because of the fear of World War I developing and the possibility of them being conscripted for military service. Actually, Frank Jr. served America in the Navy during World War I and Joe was in the Army during World War II. Tony and Jim did not serve in the military.

Opinions by Fred Masek: It must have been a real challenge to feed a wife and nine children on a shoemaker’s income. Ed Patocka said he learned that the father and some of the children also worked in an orchard. Grandfather Frank Lunak must have been a person harboring extreme complexities. He was willing to give coins to begging youngsters. Yet, it appears that he became at odds with some of his own children.

While he was anxious to leave his homeland to seek a better life in America he eventually made a decision to leave his family and return to the Czech Republic. Apparently, only one daughter, Ann, was able to maintain a correspondence with him. Frank Lunak died in his homeland in 1936.