Hometown Edition Obituary Project

Anna Lada
Old, Mission, Grand Traverse County, Michigan

This is from my  collection of obituaries. If you wish a lookup or to purchase one please contact Brenda Maiden names are listed when known. Surnames are not included with spouses if they have the same name.Traverse Bay Eagle 15

1904

Aged Woman Was Buried This Morning

Grand Traverse Herald 1904

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Was One of a Little Band of People That

Came Here From Bohemia

Fifty Years Ago

   With the passing of Mrs. Anna Lada, widow of Joseph Lada, among the first pioneer settlers of this city, the only survival of the little bad who came from Bohemia in 1854, is gone, except Prokop Kyselka, who was a lad of ten years when he came here in [*1856] with his parents.

   Away back in the early 50's when this county was a wilderness that heard but little else than the sound of the woodsman's ax, several families in the "fatherland" determined that they would cast their fortunes in this new unknown country where fabulous tales were told of wealth and opportunities awaited all who entered the wide portals of its doors.

   Among these were Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Landa (Mrs. Anna Lada) and the parents of Prokop Kyselka with the little son at the tender age of 10 years.  When the load of human freight was rounded up on the small vessel **Gross Herrzigin, at Bremen Haven, after leaving their inland homes, there were found 121 persons, who, for fifty-two days braved the discomforts of their cramped quarters deep down in the hull of the frail ocean craft finally landing in New York harbor after untold hardships, the vessel going on her perilous route to Australia.

   Overland by train the foreign band traveled to Chicago, arriving there on Christmas day without work, money or even a language to make their wants known.

   In speaking of the winter that followed Mr. Kyselka said today that people who talk of hardships in this land of plenty know nothing about it, and suffering, want, hunger, cold all walked side by side with the humble little family groups through that long dreary winter of 1854-55.  But as nothing in this world can last, especially distress in a country of such wonderful resources, the little band took up their burdens of the day and entered Grand Traverse Bay on their second sailing expedition on the Telegraph two years after leaving their mother country.  Mr. and Mrs. Lada, with their family, took up forty acres of land on the south end of Ransom's farm.

   This morning Mrs. Anna Lada's funeral took place at St. Francis church and that chapter of pioneering is closed with but one or two remaining of that fifty-two days trip across the ocean, Prokop Kyselka, as far as known being the only one left here.

the end

The ship they arrived in America on was about the size of Columbus's ship