Several sources have referenced John Francis as Franz or Francis Sr. Tim Striplin
suggests that Franz was the first Marak to immigrate (along with his wife and children).Other Marak family member referenced in the records of Marilyn <Cord1@juno.com>
based on the Brown Co., KS. cemetery records, but not placed herein include: Jacob Jr.
(1872-1944), Margaret (1880-1947), Thomas (1862-1870), Aloysius D. (1892-1892 as son
of Peter and Frances), Rosina (1832-1899), John (1828-1903), Maria (1852-1870), Stepan
(1870-?), Auyustin (1863-1870), Karel (1865-1869), John J. (1859-1938), Annie
(1869-1939) and three infant children of Jacob and Magdalen Marak.
Jacob arrived in the United States in 1857 when he was thirteen years old, after a six
week voyage across the north Atlantic with his parent's and brother Joseph. Prior to
coming to the area of Everest, Kansas; the brothers spent some time in the area of
Quincy, Illinois. By tradition, the brothers purchased an ox team in Quincy and traveled
west.They arrived in the area of northwest of Everest, Kansas several months later. For
several years, Jacob operated a farm in the area NE of Everest. The Marak Post office
was established on 3 August 1870 and continued operations until 5 October 1882. In 1880,
Jacob and his brother started a store near the Marak Post Office. Before unification of
the local school districts, sections 5, 7, 18 and two thirds of 19 in Washington Township of
Brown County, Kansas were known as the Marak school district number nine. For
several years, Jacob operated a general mercandise store near Marak. In 1882, Jacob
moved from Marak and his farm, into Everest where he continued to operate a
merchancise store until 1885. That year, the general mercandise store burned to the
ground. In 1885, he started the operation of a drug store wwhich included a barber shop in
Everest. He served at various times as township clerk, postmaster and mayor of Everest,
Kansas by 1895. In addition to these various activities, Jacob was also a farmer in the
Brown County area near Everest. He was listed as a delegate from Washington
Township, Brown County Kansas to the Democratic County Conventions held on 16
August 1884, 10 April 1892 and 5 August 1893 [Ref. Annuals of Brown County, Kansas
p. 292]. Franz was Postmaster of Marak in 1870Jacob is referenced as a 'pioneer citizen' of the Everest community. Jacob died in his
sleep about six o'clock Tuesday evening, 17 September 1935. His funeral was conducted
at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Everest. The settlement of Jacob's estate was
determined on 17 December 1936. Marilyn at <cord1@juno.com> suggests that there
may have been three infant children of Jacob and Magdalena who died as infants based
on information from the Brown Co., KS. cemetery records.The following was taken from an article written by Mr. L. A. IRSIK, telling
about the founding of the little town of MARAK, in the 28 Apr 1927 issue of
the EVEREST ENTERPRISE:Seventy years before, several families in the town of Swadnunm (Sviadnov),
Moravia, in the Austrian Empire (present day Czech Republic), decided to
leave the crowded home country and seek their fortune in America. Starting
on the long journey were Francis MARAK, his wife and five children, Stephen
J. IRSIK and his family of seven children; John MARAK and wife and Fred
CHARBULCK and family.They sailed from Breman Haven (Bremerhaven) and after several weeks sailing
they arrived in New York, where they bought some tickets on the train to
Saint Joseph, Missouri. However, a few miles out of Palmyra, Missouri, they
found the railroad went no further. The MARAK family decided to buy a team
of oxen and a wagon and go on; the other two families remained in Palmyra.After a trying five weeks journey across the Missouri country the Maraks
crossed the Missouri River on a ferry and proceded on to Brown County,
Kansas where they found the John Bunck family located on a fine farm. The
Maraks located just north of the Bunck farm.During the proceeding year 1855 or 1856, a few other families had located in
the vicinity - John Page, Kimberlin Quinn, Joseph Armstrong and J. Carr. A
few years later several more Moravian families arrived. Pete Marak, A.
Panek, Mrs. Hrenchir and family, Jacob Wolney, and Joseph Jesch. The Irsik
family came to the area from Missouri in 1862. Finally about eighty
families inhabited the community. Mr. Bunck donated ten acres of land for a
church and a cemetery. About the year 1866 a Post Office was established
and Francis Marak Jr. was appointed Postmaster. The Marak Brothers opened a
general store and Mr. Preble came from Seneca, Missouri and opened a
blacksmith shop. At one time there were two General Stores, two Blacksmith
Shops, and a Shoemaker. Theodore Schecher was Legal and Medical Advisor.Then the Missouri Pacific Railway was built to the east of Marak and the
town of Everest, Kansas began to grow. The stores moved to Everest and one
by one the other buildings disappeared and the Church and Parish House were
sold. Now nothing remains of the once lively village but the silent
cemetery.This is from another source:
In 1859 the IRSIK family drifted down the Mississippi river to St. Louis,
and a year later moved to the Marak settlement northwest of Everest. They
came as far as St. Joseph on boat and the rest of the way with an ox team.
Later they moved to Nemeha County, but returned to Brown County in 1870 and
settled on a farm one mile west of Everest.Peter Marak was born in Marak, Brown County, Kansas on 18 Jan 1886. He died
4 Oct 1941 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Both he and Frances are buried in the
Calvary Cemetery, in Shawnee.This was sent to me my Louis Marak, apparently from another newspaper
article:Marak Family Move to Oklahoma
In the early part of 1894 Mr. Marak decided to make a move to Oklahoma. He
took his family consisting then of sons Leo, Joseph, Stephen and Pete and
their household goods (furniture), got on the train and started out. The
landed at Guthrie, Oklahoma long about April.After they had located a house for his family to live in, Mr. Marak and his
friend Matt Votava who came along with them from Kansas, took out to look
for a place to live. They went to Shawnee, Oklahoma but were not satisfied
there, went on north to where the present town of Meeker, Oklahoma is
located. Getting acquainted with the Curran family there decided to stake
out a claim on some land.After four or five months time spent in building a house he returned to
Guthrie to get his family. They lived on the farm until the fall of 1898
when he took his family to Shawnee where the boys could go to the Sisters
School. Later on he came to Shawnee where they lived until sometime in 1901
when they all returned to the farm at Meeker. here he raised his family and
1917 sold out and moved to Shawnee where he retired and spent the remainder
of his life.birth may be 6/26/1819
called Wilfrid
Wilfrid and Louise Marak will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a come-and-go reception 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the church hall of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Prague.They also will reaffirm their wedding vows during a 6 p.m. mass at the church.
The Maraks were married Nov. 10, 1948, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Ponca City.
A native of Meeker, Marak was the son of Joseph and Mary Marak. He was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served for four years, two months. He worked at Jonco Aircraft before becoming a full-time dairy farmer. He is retired.
Mrs. Marak is the daughter of Joe and Lucia Schiltz of Ponca City. She graduated from St. Joseph's Ponca City School of Nursing in 1948. She worked as a registered nurse for 12 years at Prague Municipal Hospital and is retired.
The Maraks have lived in Meeker since their marriage and have six daughters and five sons-in-law, Janice and Dale Broudrick of Meeker, Catherine and Dana Roberts of Prague, Margaret Seymour of Meeker, Carolyn and Darrell Sims of Meeker, Joan and Tommy Walters of Prague and Karen and Donnie Wallis of Enid, and two sons and a daughter-in-law, Steve and Robbie Marak of Meeker and Jim Marak of Meeker.
They also have 18 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Meeker -- James Milfrid Marak, 88, retired farmer, died Thursday. Wake 6:30 p.m. Sunday and service 10:30 a.m. Monday, both at St. Michael's Catholic Church. Parks Brothers, Prague.
Louise C. (Schiltz) Marak
Louise C. (Schiltz) Marak, 74, of Meeker died Wednesday at a local hospital.She was born July 21, 1927, in Ponca City to Joe and Lucia Schiltz.
She graduated from St. Mary in Ponca City.
She was a 1948 graduate of the school of nursing at St. Joseph Hospital in Ponca City. She worked as a registered nurse 12 years at Prague Municipal Hospital.
She married Wilfrid Marak Nov. 10, 1948, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Ponca City.
She was member of the St. Michael Catholic Church in Meeker, a member of the Altar Society, Busy Bee Homemakers, the Oklahoma Nursing Association and was a church organist. She also worked for the election board.
She is survived by her husband, Wilfrid Marak of the home; eight children and spouses, Janice and Dale Broudrick, Steve and Robbie Marak, Jim Marak, Margaret Seymour, Carolyn and Darrell Sims, all of Meeker; Catherine and Dana Roberts, Karen and Donnie Wallis, all of Prague; and Karen and Donnie Wallis, Glenpool, Okla.; 18 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; three brothers and sisters-in-law, Joe and Pat Schiltz, Ray and Donna Schiltz and Don and Colleen Schiltz, all of Ponca City; three brothers-in-law and spouses, Edward and Rita Marak, Joe and Louise Marak, and Louis and Philomene Marak.
Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Michael Catholic Church with the Rev. Adrian Vorderlandweher, O.S.B., officiating. Burial will follow in Sunnyside Cemetery, Meeker, under the direction of Roesch-Walker Funeral Chapel. A prayer service will be 6 p.m. Friday at St. Michael Church, Meeker.
gencircles has one f b 8/6/1956 in Shawnee Ok
Lucia M. Schiltz
Lucia M. Schiltz, longtime Kay County resident, died Saturday morning, Dec. 5, 1998, at her home. She was 99.A vigil service will be held 6 p.m. Tuesday in the chapel of Trout Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with the Rev. John J. Michalicka, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery under the direction of Trout Funeral Home. Casket bearers will be Steve Marak, Jim Marak, Raymond Schiltz, Patrick Schiltz, Joe Schiltz, Paul Schiltz, Dennis Schiltz, Leo Schiltz and John Schiltz.
Lucia was born Sept. 13, 1899, in St. Marks, Kan., to Johann Joseph and Katherine (Thimmesch) Girrens. She attended St. Marks (Kansas) Catholic School and later worked as a secretary at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. On Jan. 15, 1924, in St. Marks, she married Joseph N. Schiltz, and the couple then moved to the Round Grove community southwest of Ponca City.
She was an active member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, honorary member of the Round Grove Home Extension Club (FCE), Farmers Union, Ranch Drive Farmers Coop and the American Legion Auxiliary in Tonkawa. Her hobbies included gardening and spending time with her grandchildren.
Survivors include three sons, Joseph Schiltz and his wife Patricia, Ray Schiltz and his wife Donna, Donald Schiltz and his wife Colleen, all of Ponca City; one daughter, Louise Marak and her husband J. Wilfrid of Meeker; 26 grandchildren; 49 great-grandchildren; 12 great-great-grandchildren; one brother, John M. Girrens; and one sister, Sister Mary Catherine Girrens ASC.
She was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers, five sisters, and one grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Mary’s Catholic School Foundation, 415 South 7th, Ponca City, OK 74601, or to the Opportunity Center Foundation, 2225 North Union, Ponca City, OK 74601.
Mary Josephine Marak Mathews
A memorial service for Mary Josephine Marak Mathews, 64, will be held 11 a.m. today at St. Michael's
Catholic Church in Meeker.She died Sept. 1, in a Charleston, S.C., hospital at the age of 64.
Mrs. Mathews was born June 4, 1936, in Meeker to Joseph Theodore Marak and Mary Katherine
Petricek. She graduated from Meeker High School, received her bachelor of science degree in biology
from St. Mary's College, in Levenworth, Kan. and her master's degree in nursing from Vanderbilt
University in Tennessee.Mrs. Mathews was formerly a captain in the U.S. Air Force Nurses Corp. and was an instructor with the
adult nurse practitioner program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She was a former
member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Landsdale, Pa., where she was a eucharist minister and
active in H.O.P.E., Pro Life and the Wellness Center for cancer victims.
She was a retired family nurse practitioner and wife of Dr. Robert A. Mathews of Kiawah Island, S.C.Survivors include her husband, of Landsdale; a daughter, Jeanne Marie Mathews, also of Landsdale;
four brothers, Edmund F. Marak and J. Wilfrid Marak, both of Meeker; Joseph P. Marak of Norman and
Louis D. Marak of Kansas City, Mo.Services were held Sept. 5 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Pittsburgh, Pa. Rite of committal was held at John A. Freyvogel Funeral Home on Sept. 4.