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What Became of John Schiltz?

  John N. Schiltz, a third great-granduncle, was a bit of a "man of mystery" to my cousin Mary Ann, who I met last year on a research trip to New York and Canada. (Mary Ann and I share 4th great-grandparents, Peter Schiltz and Anna Marie Cailteux; John was their son.)  Mary Ann knew that John had served in the Civil War, and wondered what transpired in his life afterwards. Never one to shrink from a mystery, I researched John after I returned from my trip and uncovered his Civil War service as well as his life after the war.  I wrote about John for Historical Wyoming , the quarterly of the Office of the Wyoming County Historian  in New York. The article was just published in their Spring issue. Thanks to Wyoming County Historian Kevin Proper, who graciously permitted me to reprint "What Became of John Schiltz," here. If you are a Schiltz relation and have anything to add to this story, do reach out at ngcintx@gmail.com.   Note : Historical Wyoming's style does...
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FRANJO NOVOSELEC KOZLINA


Present day church of Sveti Martin pod Okićem, where Franjo Novoselec Kozlina was baptized and married.1


31 Days of Writing Family History Challenge

January 30, 2022:  Maternal Great, Great Grandfather #1 - Franjo Novoselec Kozlina (1855--??)


by Nancy Gilbride Casey

For the final time in this challenge, we shift back to maternal ancestors: today's focus is on my second great grandfather, Franjo Novoselec Kozlina—Grandpa Kozlina's grandfather. 

Many Croatian church records are available online, and so some details about his life are known through those records—though some details will remain a mystery to be unearthed in future research.

Franjo had a unique feature in his name. One might think that "Novoselec" is his middle name, but it is rather a type of nickname known in Croatia as a "nadimak." These names were given to families to distinguish one from the other in a town when there numerous unrelated families with the same surname. Over time, these names may have disappeared from use, though at the time, they were a legitimate part of the person's name.2

Detail of Franjo Novoselec Kozlina's baptismal record from 1855.3
 

Franjo Novoselec Kozlina was born to Franjo Orgular Kozlina and Bara Soić on 11 April 1855 in Drežnik Podokićki , Samobor, in Zagreb county, Croatia. The couple had him baptized at the Church of Sv. Martin pod Okićem, about 4 miles from their home.4

Modern map of Croatia. Drežnik Podokićki lies west of Zagreb.

Franjo married Mara Stunja on 24 November 1880. Mara was from the town of Petkov Breg, not far away from Drežnik. The couple's marriage record notes that at the time, Franjo was age 26, but Mara was age 37. According to these ages, and Mara's age at the time of her children's births, she would have been about 51 when her last child was born in 1894. While not impossible for this to be true, it is also possible that Mara was either younger than the marriage record states, or she could have been a widow and her marriage to Franjo was her second marriage. Future research will hopefully sort out these details.5

Drežnik Podokićk was the birthplace of Franjo Novaselec Kozlina, while his wife Mara Stunja was born in nearby Petkov Breg. Sveti Martin pod Okićem was the location of the church where they were baptized and married. 
 

Franjo and Mara had at least six known children, two sons—Franjo (Frank - our great grandfather), and Tomo (Thomas)—and four daughters—Bara (Barbara), Jaga (Agnes), Paulina and Anna. Of their children, at least four emigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania: Franjo, Tomo, Barbara, and Anna. 

At present Franjo's occupation is unknown, as is his death and burial information. Still, it is fascinating to learn even a few life details of such a long-ago ancestor who lived in such a faraway land.


NOTES

1 Milan Kušnjačić, "Crkva sv. Martin, kapela sv. Nikole, groblje, Sveti Martin pod Okićem" 4 July 2017; image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/crkvaSv.martin_kapela_sv.nikola_Sv.martinPodOkicem7.4.2017/058crkva_sv.martin-sv.martin_pod_okicem7.4.2017.JPG : accessed 30 January 2022). Licensed under Creative Commons license Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0.

2 Robert Jerin. "Searching for Your Croatian Roots: A Handbook." (Self Published : Shaker Heights, 2018), p. 52-53.

3 Roman Catholic Church of Sv. Martin pod Okićem, Births (Rođeni) 1790-1857, p. 66, Franjo Kozlina, 11 April 1855; database and images "Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99C-59NQ-V : accessed 30 January 2022); FHL film 5482630, image 534; citing Arhiva Hrvatske u Zagrebu (Croatia State Archives), Zagreb. Note that Franjo's father too had a nadimak "Orgular."

4 Ibid.

5 Roman Catholic Church of Sv. Martin pod Okićem, Marriages (Vjenčani) 1858-1904 Deaths (Umrli) 1877-1894, p. 9, #42, Franjo Kozlina and Mara Stunja, 24 November 1880; database with images, "Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99X-6J8G : 30 January 2022); FHL film 005693949, image 146; citing Arhiva Hrvatske u Zagrebu (Croatia State Archives), Zagreb.

 


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