Pavel 'Paul F.' *Fedora Orsak, at age 24, left Nova Dedina Rosinka, Moravia, Austria now known as Novy Hrozenkov, Czech Republic, traveling to Bremen, Germany, departing 18 Nov 1873, leaving because he was a younger son and it was tradition that the eldest son would inherit the family house and land, so he came to Texas on his own. He embarked on the Steamship Strassburg** from the port of Bremen, Germany bound for New Orleans, LA, arriving 12 Dec 1873, then on to Lavaca Co. TX. His mother, Marianna 'Marie' Valigurova Orsag had died 16 Dec 1865, House #25, Nova Dedina Rosinka, Moravia from pneumonia four days after the birth of her last son Lukas Orsak, who lived one day. His father, Jan Fedora Orsak had died 15 April 1873 and Pavel had left 6 months later for America.

Pavel had four brothers & five sisters of whom three lived with his oldest brother in House #25 in Novy Hrozenkov. Pavel was the first Orsak in his family to not be born a 'Serf' or a member of the lowest feudal class, legally bound to work the estate. Serfdom was officially revoked in 1848.

The Orsak/Orsag's were the most prevalent family in and around Nova Dedina Rosinka, Moravia, which means 'new village Rosinka' in Moravian Czech or Neu Hrozenkow in German. Rosinka means 'raisin' which is named after the Vsetin Estate feudal lord's wife Rosina in about 1649, when the Orsak's and forty other settlers or colonists, separated from the town of Hovezi and founded Nova Dedina or New Village. Originally, Michal Orszagh is believed to have migrated from the area of Gyongyos, Hungary to Moravia. The second magistrate or village official of Nova Dedina Rosinka was Michal Orszagh, b. 1592, d. 1685. Ref: www.novyhrozenkov.cz

Michal owned title to one-third of the village lands and also owned the grinding mill, the sawmill & the fulling mill, and collected feudal fees for the manorial lord. His descendents cleared the land of timber then gradually used the land for raising goats and sheep until there was so many people they could not feed or support themselves, so many immigrated to America for more abundant productive land and the ability to feed their large families.

HOW PAVEL WAS KNOWN AS....Pavel Fedora Orsak. In the slavic Moravia areas such as Nova Dedina Rosinka, because there were so many Orsak/Orsag's that there was a practice of identifying large distinct branches of families by "name after cottage". In Pavel's family in about 1800, his grandfather after whom he was named, bought or inherited the Fedora House #25, in Nova Dedina Rosinka, when a believed relative remarried. "Jakub Fedor" died prior to 1796 and the Fedor or Fedora Orsag's begin using the name just after 1800. In 1900 history & census records denotes that over 2,000 poor Orsag's lived in the area of Novy Hrozenkov, CZ. Pavel Fedora 'Paul F.' Orsak used his middle name Fedora a known seven times from 1912 to 1920, primarily on Catholic & civil records.

Note: Many of Pavel's children were baptized & married with the last name *Fedora only, thus causing speculation to arise that Fedora was the original family name. The most significant early record is the 1912 death certificate, when he signed as informant of his mother in law, Marta 'Martha' Hajek Vanek-Olsovsky.

Paul *Fedora Orsak worked hard, saved his money, married Rozalia A. Vanek, 7 Jan 1879, started a family and bought his first 155 acres in Lavaca Co., TX on the border with Fayette Co. Paul F. was naturalized on 10 Sep 1906. The 1920 Census' records have Pavel as being from the village of Rosinka, Moravia. Paul farmed for 55 years in Lavaca Co. and retired moving south to Ganado, Jackson Co., TX, living with his children until his death.

Special Notes: Pavel Fedora 'Paul F.' Orsak was christened on 19 Oct 1849 at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church, Novy Hrozenkov, Moravia, and his Godparents were Jan & Apolonya Slabetz Orsak. Paul F. named his first son Charles John Orsak after his father, which often is traditional. **In 1904, passage from Bremen, Germany to New Orleans was appx. $36.00 dollars. In 1771, Nova Dedina Rosinka first numbered their houses and in 1882 they renumbered their houses and House #25 became House #140.

'Mahren' is German for Moravia. Most of the above information comes from the Opala Provincial Archives, Collection of Vital Records, Roman Catholic Parish Office for Novy Hrozenkov, CZ. They are recorded in Moravian Czech, German or Latin.

The name Pavel is primarily a slavic name form of Paul, which means "humble or small", yet possesses a strong personality, which is how my grandfather described his father Pavel. Historically, Saint Paul the apostle was an important leader of the early Christian Church, a chosen apostle and in Catholicism a name of six popes.

All the Orsak, Orsag & Orszak's that are from the village of Novy Hrozenkov, Moravia are descended from Michal Orszagh who was b. ca 1592 in Gyongyos, Hungary and migrated north settling to the east of Halenkov in the district of Vsetin. It is believed that Michal Orszagh lived in House #216, and died 20 Mar 1685. Michal & wife Anna had eight sons & one daughter. Michal was married twice and had eleven children and had at least 54 grandchildren, living to the age of 94 years.

*Fedora is the village name that designates a separate Orsak branch in the old village of Novy Hrozenkov, CZ. **In 1904, passage from Bremen, Germany to New Orleans was appx. $36.00 dollars.