Finding aid for the Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Families Papers


Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Families
Title: Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Families Papers
Dates: 1847-2003
Extent: 3.00 linear feet (4 containers)
Abstract: Frank Koryta, the son of Czech immigrants Josef and Barbara (Poskocil) Koryta, married Clara Stipek, descendant of Czech immigrant George Stipek. These families had settled in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1870s. Several children of George John and Katherine (Wichert) Kundemueller married into these Czech American families. The Kundemueller family had come to Cleveland, Ohio from Bavaria in 1857 and the Wichert family had come from Silesia in 1873. The collection consists of correspondence, birth, marriage and death records, certificates, deeds, diaries, indexes, legal briefs, lists, newspaper clippings, newsletters, scrapbooks, surveys, tax records, naturalization documents, passports, journals, probate documents, publications, military discharge papers, memoirs, and wills.
MS Number MS 4936
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English

History of the Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Families

The Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Families Papers (1847-2003) provide in detail the historical background for the forbearers of the Koryta and Kundmueller families in America.

Josef and Barbara (nee Poskocil) Koryta were natives of the Tresne/Zahori area of Bohemia, a part of nineteenth century Austria-Hungary. They, and all of Barbara's family, emigrated in the 1870s and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, in the East 37th Street and Broadway Avenue Bohemian enclave. George Stipek and his family emigrated in 1867 from Pilsen, Bohemia; and he and his brother Josef enlisted in the United States Band. When discharged in 1870, George settled in Cleveland, Ohio. Just before the turn of the century, the Koryta and Stipek families were merged via the marriage of Frank Koryta and Clara Stipek.

Peter and Margaret (nee Boyer) Kundmueller emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1857 from Proelsdorf, Bavaria, which was a principality of nineteenth century Germany. Eventually all of Peter's siblings and his parents, Albert and Barbara (nee Duemler), also emigrated to the Cleveland area. They settled in the Woodland Avenue and Irving Street area, adjacent to the Bohemian area. Paul and Katherine (nee Klein) Wichert arrived in 1873 from Silesia, a part of Prussia then and of Poland now. These two families merged in 1887 with the marriage of George John Kundmueller and Katherine Margaret Wichert. In the twentieth century, three of their children married into the Bohemian families discussed above.

A descendant of all five families compiled the sources and information and created five publications, one on each family. Each family book contains a narrative of travel from Europe to America, Cleveland in the 1800s and Czech or German background plus narratives on the people, charts and the database on that family.


Scope and Content

The Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Families Papers,1847-2003 and undated, consist of correspondence, birth, marriage and death records, certificates, deeds, diaries, indexes, legal briefs, lists, newspaper clippings, newsletters, scrapbooks, surveys, tax records, naturalization documents, passports, journals, probate documents, publications, military discharge papers, memoirs, wills and probate documents.

The collection is of value to researchers studying migration patterns of people from Central Europe, particularly Bohemia and Bavaria in the late nineteenth century, who settled on the near East side of Cleveland, Ohio. It is rich in documentation combining records, papers, and family memories. Of special interest is World War II correspondence, a typescript of a journal kept on a cross country trip from Cleveland, Ohio to California in the 1930s, autobiography of a family member translated from the Czech language, and the autobiography of a family member that spans the twentieth century.


Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three series.
Series I: Koryta Family Papers is arranged by family name in three sub-series.
Arrangement is with parents in the first files of each sub-series followed by members of the family in chronological order.
Daughters who married into other families in this collection will be found with their spouse's family name files.
Series II: Kundmueller Family Papers is arranged by family name in four sub-series.
Arrangement is with parents in the first files of each sub-series followed by members of the family in chronological order.
Daughters who married into other families of this collection will be found with their spouse's family name files.
Series III: Subject Files is arranged in alphabetical order by subject name, and then generally in chronological order.
Correspondence, family memorabilia, a scrapbook of family death notices and other events, financial, and legal documents are included in this series.
Oversize materials are placed at the end of the collection but are cited in their logical place within the collection.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Related Material

The researcher should also consult PG 4936 Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Family Photographs. There are also artifacts from these families in the Western Reserve Historical Society Museum; a list of these items will be found in Container 3, Folder 6 of the Subject Files.

Separated Material

All photographs have been removed to PG4936 Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Families Photographs.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Cleveland (Ohio) -- Emigration and immigration -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Cleveland (Ohio) -- Genealogy
Cleveland (Ohio) -- Social life and customs
Czech Americans -- Ohio -- Cleveland
German Americans -- Ohio -- Cleveland
Koryta family
Koryta, Elmer
Kundmueller family
Kundmueller, Viola C.
Mayer, Alice C. Stipek
Poskocil family
Stipek family
United States -- Description and travel
United States -- Emigration and immigration -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Wichert family
Wolf, Rose C. Koryta
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4936 Koryta-Kundmueller and Related Families Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of Rose C. Koryta Wolf.

Processing Information

Processed by Patricia J. Stahley in 2005.

Detailed Description of The Collection

Series I: Koryta Family Papers 1847-2003 undated

Sub-series A: Koryta Family 1847-2002 undated

Box Folder
1 1 Sources, Koryta-Poskocil families, birth, marriage, and death records, pedigree charts, passports (including oversize material housed in Container 4, Folder 1) ship's manifest, naturalization papers, newspaper clippings, probate documents, cemetery records, deeds, census tracts, and baptismal records, (original housed in Container 4, Folder 3, Oversize Materials) 1847, 1874, 1883, 1880, 1886-1887, 1892, 1900, 1910, 1914 and 1923
1 2 Sources, Koryta-Stipek families. Birth, marriage and death records, voter registration records, probate records, census tracts, correspondence, and newspaper clippings 1874, 1876, 1898, 1907, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1927, 1941, 2002 and undated
1 3 Sources, Skala-Koryta families, Birth, marriage, and death records, newspaper clippings, census tracts and naturalization papers, includes some Smely documentation 1886-1888, 1895, 1899-1900, 1910, 1917, 1927, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1944
1 4 Sources, Smely-Koryta families, Birth, marriage and death records, ship's manifest, passport, correspondence, wills, deeds, leases, permits, transcripts, journal, naturalization papers, magazine articles, newspaper clippings 1890, 1893, 1896, 1900, 1902, 1911-1912, 1923-1924, 1927, 1930, 1932, 1934-1935, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1952, 1960, 1965, 1976-1977, 1980, 1989, 1995-1997, 1999, 2001 and undated
1 5 Sources, Koryta-Kundmueller families, Birth, marriage and death records, school records, magazine and newspaper articles, probate records, correspondence, deeds and financial documents 1900, 1904, 1917, 1923, 1929, 1932, 1939-1940, 1949, 1960, 1965, 1974, 1992, 1995, 1998 and undated
1 6 Sources, Koryta-Judd families, Birth, marriage and death records, correspondence 1914, 1936, 1908, 2001, 1944-1945, 1971, 1996, 1999-2002 and undated

Sub-series B: Stipek Family 1867-2002 undated

Box Folder
1 7 Publication, The Stipek Family (Descendants of Antonin and Katerina Stipek) by Rose C. Koryta Wolf 2001
1 8 Sources, Stipek-Novak families, Birth, marriage and death records, voter registration records, probate records, census tracts, correspondence, newspaper clippings, rosters, family trees, ship's manifest, pension application and supporting documentation 1867, 1874, 1876, 1880, 1883, 1898, 1900, 1907, 1910, 1920, 1927, 1931, 1933, 1937, 1939, 1941, 2002 and undated
1 9 Sources, Novak families, marriage and death records, census tracts, rosters and newspaper clippings 1870, 1880, 1888, 1911, 1914 and undated
1 10 Sources, Delmonte-Stipek families, marriage and death records, baptismal record 1877, 1922, 1941, 1946 and undated
1 11 Sources, Stipek-Berringer families, Birth, marriage and death records, military discharge, pension application and supporting documentation, probate documents, correspondence, biographical notes, naturalization papers, census tracts, correspondence, journal 1879, 1885, 1891, 1899-1900, 1903, 1905, 1908, 1910-1912, 1914, 1917-1918, 1920, 1926, 1932, 1936, 1941, 1924, 1971, 1994, 1999, 2001-2002 and undated
1 12 Sources, Stipek-Krejci families, Birth, marriage and death records, cemetery records, census tract, correspondence, newspaper clippings 1885, 1909-1910, 1950, 1953, 1965, 1992, 1993 and undated
1 13 Sources, Wellner-Stipek families, Birth, marriage and death records, naturalization papers, newspaper clippings, cemetery records, census tract 1887, 1901, 1910, 1943, 1959 and undated
1 14 Sources, Stipek-Haskovec-Sebuk families, baptismal certificate, marriage and death records, cemetery records 1890, 1910, 1919, 1958 and undated

Sub-series C: Poskocil Family 1850-2003 undated

Box Folder
1 15 Sources, Poskocil-Matejka families, birth, marriage and death records, baptismal certificate, pedigree charts, family history research report, maps, correspondence, census tracts (including material housed in Container 4, Folder 5, Oversized Materials) 1880, 1882, 1892, 1900, 1902, 1909-1910, 1912, 1990, 1992, 1997-2000 and undated
1 16 Sources, Mares-Poskocil families, birth, marriage and death records, newspaper clippings, biography (translated from Czech language), correspondence, rosters, census tracts, military service records and magazine articles 1850-1871, 1880, 1900, 1903, 1905, 1908-1910, 1920, 1925, 1931, 1939, 1936, 1941, 1946, 1963-1968, 1970, 1975, 1981, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1998, 2001-2002 and undated
1 17 Sources, Lechnir-Poskocil families, Birth, marriage and death records, census tracts, newspaper clippings 1897, 1900, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1930, 1932, 1937, 1939, 1952, 1960-1961, 1964-1965, 1967, 1971, 1979, 1987-1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 and undated
1 18 Sources, Novak-Poskocil families, birth, marriage and death records, naturalization papers, newspaper clippings, census tracts and correspondence 1873, 1876, 1880, 1882, 1898, 1909-1910, 1912, 1917, 1920, 1922, 1944, 1946-1947, 1950, 1955, 1961-1963, 1967-1970, 1972-1973, 1976, 1981, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1999, 2001 and undated
1 19 Sources, Kuberna-Poskocil families, Birth, marriage and death records, naturalization papers, newspaper clippings 1871, 1876, 1880-1882, 1884, 1895-1896, 1898, 1900, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1920, 1935-1936, 1940, 1981, 1989 and undated
1 20 Sources, Humpal-Poskocil families, Birth, marriage and death records, magazine and newspaper clippings, Social Security Death Index, correspondence, census tracts 1874-1882, 1894, 1896, 1900-1908, 1914, 1919, 1924, 1927, 1930-1938, 1940-1947, 1950-1959, 1964, 1966, 1968-1971, 1974, 1977-1978, 1987, 1992-2002 and undated
1 21 Sources, Poskocil-Vavruska families, Birth, marriage and death records, naturalization papers, census tracts, journal articles, newspaper clippings, family group sheets and descendant reports and correspondence 1873, 1880, 1882, 1889, 1893, 1900, 1902, 1909-1910, 1920, 1929, 1943, 1946, 1961, 2000-2002 and undated
1 22 Sources, Svab-Vondrasek-Poskocil families, Birth, marriage and death records, city directory excerpts, correspondence, census tracts 1882, 1886, 1901, 1916, 1926, 1929, 1933, 1937-1939, 1940, 1944-1945, 1948, 1959, 1963, 1970, 1974, 1989, 1998, 2003 and undated
1 23 Sources, Poskocil-Sterba families, Birth, marriage and death records, correspondence, rosters, Social Security Death Index, cemetery records, newspaper clippings 1896-1897, 1899-1900, 1903, 1907, 1910, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1926-1927, 1942, 1946, 1948, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985-1986, 1992-1993, 1998-2001 and undated
1 24 Sources, Poskocil families, ancestor charts, and family group sheets from Carl F. Karasek ca. 1995
1 25 Sources, Poskocil families, correspondence of Carl F. Karasek regarding family genealogy 1992-1993 and undated
1 26 Sources, Poskocil families, correspondence of Carl F. Karasek 1994-1997 and undated

Series II: Kundmueller Family Papers 1859-2003 undated

Sub-series A: Albert Kundmueller Family 1861-2003 undated

Box Folder
1 27 Publication, Kundmueller Family: Descendants of Georg and Katharina Kundmueller Volume I, by Rose C. Koryta Wolf (a narrative history of the Kundmueller family). 2003
1 28 Publication, Kundmueller Family: Descendawnts of Georg and Katharina Kundmueller, Volume II, database created by Rose C. Wolf 2003
Box Folder
2 1 Sources, Kundmueller-Duemler families, correspondence, voter registration index, death notices, and maps 1887, 1897, 1907 and 2001
2 2 Sources, Kundmueller-Cristen families, marriage, birth and death records, correspondence, ship's manifest, baptismal registration, census tracts 1871, 1880, 1882, 1888-1900, 1906, 1910-1911, 1914, 1917, 1919-1920, 1929-1930, 1947, 1952, 1956-1957, 1962, 1965, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1989, 1990, 1996 and undated
2 3 Sources, Phillips-Kundmueller families, correspondence, ship's manifest, birth, marriage and death records, newspaper clippings 1861, 1863, 1870, 1880, 1888, 1890-1893, 1897, 1899-1900, 1903, 1908, 1910, 1913, 1920, 1922, 1929, 1938, 1943, 1948-1949, 1951, 1954, 1957 and undated
2 4 Sources, Kundmueller-Cristel families, correspondence, census tracts, birth, marriage and death records, Social Security Death Index, eulogy, newspaper clippings 1885, 1903, 1920, 1922, 1930, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1940-1941, 1946, 1949, 1952-1953, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1968, 1978, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997-1998, 2002 and undated
2 5 Sources, Wernsdorfer-Kundmueller families, correspondence, naturalization papers, birth, marriage and death records, census tracts, voter registration index, Social Security Death Index, newspaper clippings 1872, 1874, 1880, 1896, 1898, 1900, 1910, 1912-1913, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1944-1946, 1958, 1965, 1969-1970, 1972, 1976, 1987-1990, 1997-1998 and undated
2 6 Sources, Kundmueller-Murfed-Fetterson families, correspondence, birth, marriage and death records, ship's manifest, naturalization papers, Social Security Death Index, census tracts, rosters, family histories, newspaper clippings 1871-1879, 1881-1888, 1890-1891, 1902, 1905-1906, 1911, 1913-1914, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1926-1927, 1935-1939, 1940-1941, 1943, 1946, 1949-1951, 1963-1968, 1972, 1976, 1980-1981, 1999, 2003 and undated
2 7 Sources,Schlund-Kundmueller families, correspondence, birth, marriage and death records, ship's manifest, census tracts, voter registration index, newspaper clippings 1866, 1871, 1879-1880, 1884, 1887, 1889, 1891, 1893, 1900, 1906-1908, 1910, 1920, 1934, 1936, 1941, 1945, 1949, 1952-1955, 1957, 1962-1963, 1974, 2002 and undated
2 8 Sources,Kundmueller-Lemmermeier families, correspondences, birth, marriage and death records, naturalization papers, newspaper clippings 1869, 1875, 1880, 1882, 1884, 1886, 1900-1901, 1903, 1906, 1909-1910, 1917, 1920, 1928, 1930, 1935, 1937, 1942-1943, 1948, 1951-1952, 1954, 1960, 1964, 1985-1986, 1994 and undated

Sub-series B: Peter Kundmueller Family 1860-2003 undated

Box Folder
2 9 Sources, Kundmueller-Boyer families, research, including census tracts, death certificates, wills, marriage license applications, naturalization papers, probate documents 1860-1861, 1863, 1900, 1907, 1910, 1919, 1920 and undated
2 10 Sources, Kundmueller-Lammermeier families, including birth, baptismal and death certificates, census tracts, marriage certificates, newspaper clippings, correspondence 1882-1883, 1890, 1905, 1923, 1925, 1928, 1943, 1951, 1954, 1960, 1963, 1971, 1976, 1980, 1986, 1999, 2001
2 11 Sources, Kundmueller-Lammermeier families, correspondence, newspaper clippings, memorial cards, census tracts, autobiography and family history, family trees 1900, 1910, 1918, 1984, 1970, 1993, 1997-1999, 2000-2001, 2003 and undated
2 12 Sources, Kundmueller-Weidman families, birth, marriage and death certificates, census tracts, correspondence 1885, 1892, 1900, 1905, 1918-1920 and undated
2 13 Sources, Bosch-Kundmueller families, marriage, birth and death certificates, census tracts, correspondence 1885, 1892, 1900, 1905, 1918-1920 and undated
2 14 Sources, Fuerst-Kundmueller families, birth, marriage and death certificates, census tracts, correspondence, memorial cards, newspaper clippings, programs 1891, 1900, 1917, 1927, 1931, 1935, 1947, 1957, 1960-1961, 1968-1969, 1979, 1987, 1999-2000
2 15 Sources, Kundmueller-Nieser families, correspondence, birth, marriage and death certificates, census tracts, city directory listings, rosters, newspaper clippings 1896, 1900, 1920, 1949, 1952, 1958, 1978, 1985, 1994, 2000 and undated

Sub-series C: George John Kundmueller Family 1887-2003 undated

Box Folder
2 16 Sources, Kundmueller-Wichert families, correspondence, birth, marriage and death certificates, census tracts, correspondence, family tree, baptismal records, newspaper clippings, voter registration, wills, deeds 1932, 1895, 1903, 1891, 1894, 1887, 1905, 1943, 1936, 1904
2 17 Sources, Kundmueller-Tishel families, correspondence, voter registration records, birth and death certificates, census tracts, mortgage deeds, wills, marriage licenses, newspaper clippings, World War I battles 1887, 1890, 1895, 1900, 1903, 1904, 1907, 1910, 1913, 1915, 1920, 1932, 1936, 1943, 2002 and undated
2 18 Sources, Regner-Kundmueller families, correspondence, wills, birth and death records, cemetery records, military records, baptismal certificates, death notices, rosters, newspaper clippings, marriage certificates (including original materials housed in Container 4, Folders 2 and 4) 1889, 1917-1919, 1945-1946, 1951, 1956, 1962, 1993, 1996-2002 and undated
2 19 Sources, Kundmueller-Cabalek families, correspondence, marriage licenses, birth registrations, death memorials, death notices, military records, newsletters, rosters, census tracts, family history records 1896, 1920, 1942, 1944-1945, 1948, 1962, 1967, 1973, 1977, 1991, 2002-2003 and undated
2 20 Sources, Kundmueller-Feltheim-Lucas families, correspondence, family history records, death notices, birth registration, marriage certificates, newspaper clippings 1897, 1923, 1924, 1948-1949, 1951, 1955, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985-1986, 1989-1990, 1994, 2001-2002 and undated
2 21 Sources, Kundmueller-Koryta families, birth, death and marriage certificates, baptismal records, newsletters, biographical sketches, correspondence, deeds, invitations, graduation announcements, newspaper clippings 1899, 1905, 1932, 1939, 1966, 1968, 1984, 1986, 1997, 1999-2002 and undated
2 22 Sources, Lisy-Kundmueller families, correspondence, birth, death and marriage certificates, eulogy, graduation announcements, wedding invitations, census tract, diploma, newspaper clippings (including originals housed in Container 4, Folder 6 Oversize Material) 1900-1901, 1921, 1936, 1941, 1944, 1952, 1956, 1968, 1970-1971, 1973, 1976, 1982, 1995, 2000-2001 and undated

Sub-series D: Wichert Family 1859-2002 undated

Box Folder
2 23 Sources, Wichert-Klein families, correspondence, census tracts, birth, marriage and death records, passport, maps, wills, naturalization papers, family histories, cemetery records 1873, 1882, 1879-1880, 1900-1910 and undated
2 24 Sources, Baumgartner-Wichert families, Birth, marriage and death records, cemetery records, invitations, naturalization papers, correspondence, rosters, newspaper clippings 1859-1860, 1880, 1888, 1900-1901, 1904-1905, 1908, 1911, 1914, 1941, 1947, 1952, 1954, 1972, 1982, 1988, 2000-2002
2 25 Sources, Wichert-Hart families, birth, marriage and death records, census tracts, family group sheets 1874, 1896, 1900, 1909, 1919, 1923-1924, 2001-2002
2 26 Sources, Wichert-Kebrdle families, birth, marriage and death records, census tracts, draft registration cards, correspondence, newspaper clippings, family group sheets 1886, 1915, 1918, 1926, 1938, 1942, 1945, 1951, 1996, 2001

Series III: Subject Files 1922-2001 undated

Box Folder
2 27 Koryta, Elmer, V-Mail, letters written from Europe during World War II 1944-1945
2 28 Kundmueller, Viola C. award, Palmer Method of Business Writing, Notre Dame Academy, Grammar Department award, (originals housed in Container 4, Folder 7 Oversize Materials) memorabilia from Girls Catholic High School including graduation program, typing proficiency certificate, diploma, and marriage certificate (original housed in Container 4 Folder 7, Oversize Materials) 1917, 1919, 1922-1923 and 1959, October 1927
2 29 Mayer, Alice C., nee Stipek, law suit, Pahel vs. Mayer, correspondence 1994-1997
2 30 Mayer, Alice C., executrix, estate of Marie A. Novak, correspondence, wills, codicils, deeds, and memoranda 1950-1993
2 31 Mayer, Alice C., real estate, 7208 Union Avenue, mortgage papers, and correspondence related to mortgage, roof repairs, and other maintenance 1998-1999
2 32 Mayer, Alice C. guardianship of, Rose C. Koryta Wolf guardian, correspondence, wills, probate documents, financial data, and memoranda 1998-2001
Box Folder
3 1 Scrapbook, death notices, newspaper clippings, family and friends, prayer cards, and memorials, compiled by Viola Kundmueller Koryta 1927, 1935, 1941, 1943-1949, 1951-1954, 1956-1992, and undated
3 2 Wolf, Rose C. Koryta, school memorabilia, including report cards, correspondence, and newsletters, Warner Road School 1939-1945
3 3 Wolf, Rose C. Koryta, A. B. Hart Junior High School 1946-1947
3 4 Wolf, Rose C. Koryta, South High School, Cleveland, Ohio, including school newsletter and graduation memorabilia January 1950
3 5 Wolf, Rose C. Koryta, South High School Yearbook January 1950
3 6 Artifacts of the Koryta-Kundmueller Family in the WRHS Museum .
Box Folder
4 1 Oversize Materials-Materials described in Container 1, Folder 1 above .
4 2 Oversize Materials-Materials described in Container 2, Folder 18 above .
4 3 Oversize Materials-Materials described in Container 1, Folder 1 above .
4 4 Oversize Materials-Materials described in Container 2, Folder 18 above .
4 5 Oversize Materials-Materials described in Container 1, Folder 15 above .
4 6 Oversize Materials-Materials described in Container 2 Folder 22 above .
4 7 Oversize Materials-Materials described in Container 2, Folder 28 above .