The Duvak - Hughes Family

The parents of Mick Charles, James John and Rosa Ann Duvak were John Andrew Duvak and Anna Emma Kormic. Most of what is known about them has been passed down through family stories.

It is believed John Andrew was born in Germany about 1852. Anna Emma was born February 2, 1866. Her birthplace is ambiguous. It is listed as Austria on some documents and on others as Belgium. According to some of her grandchildren with whom she lived at times, Anna said she was born in Austria, however she always talked a lot about Belgium. It may be that she moved to Belgium as a young child. Nothing is known about her parents or her upbringing.

It is assumed John Andrew and Anna met and married in Germany about 1883. The couple immigrated to America around 1885 or 1886. At the time, they had one child, Mick Charles, who was born September 8, 1884. One story says John Andrew (sometimes called Andy) was unable to make a living for the family. Anna's family was able pay for the passage of Andy, Anna and Mick to America, however, only Anna is listed on the passenger list for the "Hermann", which left Bremen, Germany and arrived in New York City. The family went on to Joliet, Will County, Illinois. Most likely, there were relatives or perhaps friends that caused them to settle in Joliet.

Their second child, James John Duvak, was born December 20, 1887 in Joliet. His Certificate of Baptism shows he was baptized on December 22, 1887 at St. John's Catholic Church, 404 North Hickory Street, Joliet, Illinois by Father Damian Koziolek, and signed by John Putko and Frances Bertnik as sponsors. Perhaps one or both of these may have been related in some way to either John Andrew or Anna. Some speculation is Rose Bertnik (the mother of Frances) may have been related to Anna. The third and last child of John Andrew and Anna, Rosa Ann Duvak, was born April 2, 1890 in Joliet.

Both John Andrew and Anna were listed in the Joliet, Illinois City Directories 1884-92 as laborers. The family left Joliet and moved to Oklahoma Territory sometime between 1892 and 1894. The reason for the move is not known; also unknown is their mode of transportation. They may have traveled by covered wagon but it is possible they traveled by train to Oklahoma.

On March 8, 1894, John Andrew Duvak was shot and killed by the local sheriff in the area of Tecumseh, Oklahoma. According to family stories, the sheriff approached John Andrew about some unpaid taxes. John Andrew spoke broken English and had trouble understanding the problem. A heated argument ensued. The sheriff shot and killed John Andrew, then said to Anna and four year old Rosa, "Run or I will shoot you too." John Andrew Duvak was buried in a field near Tecumseh, Oklahoma. Family members have searched for records of his burial, but nothing has been found.

With the death of her husband, Anna Duvak and her three children were in dire straits. She thought she was hiring out her nine-year-old son, Mick, as a farm worker. However, it turned out she did not understand the papers she signed gave him up for adoption to a family by the name of Hodges. It was forty years later before Mick saw his brother and sister again.

On January 26, 1898 Anna Duvak married Patrick Byron (Pottawatamie County Oklahoma Marriage Book). However, Anna is listed on the 1900 Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma census as Anna Duvak, a farmer, with children James and Annie. Patrick is not found with the family. Mick is listed on the 1900 Pottawatomie census, age 13, as a border, farm laborer, living with the Judson Hodge family.

There is no record of any of the family on the 1910 census. Pat and Annie (Bryan) are in the 1920 Bryan County Oklahoma census. On the 1930 Bryan County census they are still in Durant listed as Annie E. and Patrick A. (Bryon).

Anna Emma Kormic Duvak Byron died August 12, 1946 in Whitesboro, Texas at the home of her son James Duvak. She is buried in Durant, Bryan County, Oklahoma.

Rosa Ann Duvak (1890 -1977)

On April 19,1906, at the age of sixteen, Rosa Ann Duvak married William Jesse Akin in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. (Pottawatomie County Marriage Book 9, William Akin and Annie Byrons) He was known as Bill and was eleven years older than Rosa. He was also a widower with a five-year-old son, William Culis. His first wife was Ida Sells.

Bill and Rosa farmed in the Durant and Bennington, Oklahoma areas. Their first child, Susie Elinore was born June 22, 1907 in Warnett, Oklahoma. A second daughter, Sadie, was born a couple of years later, but died as an infant. On September 27, 1911, another daughter, Bertha Lee, was born in Bennington, Bryan County, Oklahoma. Rhudell Chester Akin, (everyone called him Check) was born April 28, 1914, also in Bennington.

Death of William Jesse Akin

The family was doing very well farming, then Bill began having problems with his lungs and breathing. It was said to be caused from breathing in the dust and chaff from working in the fields; it was possibly tuberculosis. The doctor said his health might improve in a drier climate. The family packed up and started out west in a covered wagon. They may have been headed toward New Mexico. However, when they got to Vernon, Wilbarger County, Texas, Bill was so bad they pulled into a wagon yard to spend a few days, hoping he would get better. Rosa gave twelve-year-old Culis all the money they had to buy some food for the family and feed for the horses. Culis didn't return, leaving the family with no money. Bill continued to worsen and eventually died in July 1915. Culis did not know his father had died until two years later when he returned to the family in Oklahoma.

Rosa was destitute, with three children. Other people in the wagon yard took up a collection for Rosa. She was able to bury Bill and somehow got word to Bill's father, Sidney Akin, who lived in Oklahoma. Sidney was eighty years old; however, he on horseback he rode to Vernon, Texas and helped Rose drive the family back to Oklahoma. Sidney lived with Rosa and the children for awhile to help her out.

Rosa and Monroe David Hughes

The only way of life Rosa knew was farming. In order to make a living for the family she leased a farm and hired a widowed neighbor farmer to help her. His name was Monroe David Hughes; he also had three children, Bill, Myrtle and Virgil.

In 1917 Rosa and Monroe David married, combining their family of six children. Times were tough, making a living was hard, but Rosa was always a good manager. In time Rosa and Monroe David had eight more children, Ernest (delivered by Monroe David), Ruby, R. C. and R. T. twins, Alvie Dale (Shorty), Tillman Roy (Bud), Oneta (Neta) and Jewel. Rosa was a busy woman, working in the fields and caring for a large brood of children. She was also very strict and didn't hesitate to use a belt to whip anyone who misbehaved.

The Depression Years, California, and World War II

In the 1930s a long drought in the Oklahoma area made it impossible to raise crops. It was also the time of the Great Depression. Many Oklahoma farmers, unable to make a living, immigrated to California to work in the fields and orchards. These folks were called "Okies."

At this time, Rosa and Monroe David were working a farm they had leased from a Mr. Nash, in the Bennington, Oklahoma area. They didn't have the money to pay Mr. Nash for the lease. The family picked up and moved to California. In order to make it difficult for Mr. Nash to find them to collect the $900 he owed for the farm lease, Monroe David Hughes changed his name to Robert Alva Hughes, a name he went by the rest of his life. Mr. Nash eventually found them and the $900 dollars was paid.

The six older children were grown and on their own; only the eight younger children were still with the family. Rosa's Social Security application in June 30, 1941 shows she was living in Kelseyville, California working as a farm hand. Susie, with her husband Freeman Owens and their children, also made the move to California and worked in the fields. This was just before the United States became involved with World War II.

It was about the beginning of World War II when the Hughes family moved to San Diego. Monroe David got a job as a maintenance and grounds worker on one of the military bases. The family lived in government housing in Linda Vista, a suburb of San Diego. Four of the boys joined the military. Ernest, R.C. and R.T. were in the army and Alvie Dale was in the Air Force. Fortunately all of them returned safely.

Because of the war, there were plentiful aircraft jobs available in California. Eventually, Myrtle, Bertha and Check, with their families, moved to San Diego also in the Linda Vista area where they worked either in aircraft or government jobs.

Later Years

After the war, Monroe David and Rosa moved to the Visalia, California area. Their children were grown. They worked in the fields for a few years, but eventually retired. In the winter months after their retirement, Rosa made quilts to pass the time. The quilts were hand-pieced and hand-quilted; often Monroe David helped her with the quilting. Rosa made a quilt for most of her granddaughters. Usually every summer many of the children and grandchildren visited at the same time. It was always a fun time. Visalia is an area where many fruits and vegetables are grown. Everyone enjoyed the grapes, plums, apricots and other good things that were so available.

Monroe David Hughes, died May 17, 1960 in Visalia. Rosa Ann (Duvak) (Akin) Hughes died January 13, 1977, also in Visalia. Theirs was a life of hard work, with a true pioneer spirit.