Manzell Family History (by Robert Manzell)

Our family connections began in a part of Austria-Hungary (now known as Slovakia) with Andrew Rakovan and Catherine Sevabek. They had six children: Veronica, Anna, John, Joseph, Frank and Andrew Jr. who died at the age of four. All the children were born at the old homestead (a log cabin that Andrew built on his land for his bride), which was built on a steep hill off the main road. Later, Andrew built another home higher up the hill. Andrew Rakovan worked as a road supervisor/builder and home builder. The position of road builder was handed down from one generation to the next. Andrew acquired quite a bit of land so they had several tenant families. The family grew potatoes and cabbage as the main items. They had horses for plowing and used them for travel to town and church. They raised cows for milk, butter, and cheese, hogs for meat, chickens for eggs and meat, sheep for wool, geese for feathers, and raised flax and spun their own flax for clothing, (mostly linen) which was taken to a tailor for clothing. They took animal hides to the cobbler for shoes. The feathers from the geese were made into pillows and quilts, not as we know them, but as a large pillow (bag of feathers called a pedina) that covered the whole bed. The family also had berries and fruit trees. Frank was born in Krasno, Austria-Hungary in 1882. He married Judith Ann Kulton in 1905 at Holylitza, Austria-Hungary with a dowry of money (amount unknown) and two cows. Frank and Judith Ann only met once briefly before their marriage. Apparently there was a George involved, but the family would not accept the dowry. Frank and Judith moved into the old family homestead with the mother as was the custom. Agnes was born there. Frank used the dowry to pay his passage to America. All three Rakovan brothers came to America. John Rakovan left in 1891 at the age of sixteen with family approval. Joe Rakovan served as a sergeant in the bodyguard of Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria prior to leaving. Frank's only notable job as the youngest son was tending a flock of geese prior to his marriage. Joseph Kulton and Katherine Carnecky (parents of Judith Ann) had waited six years after their first born before the families granted them permission for marriage. Joseph Kulton worked as railroad station master.

Frank (born as Francisek J.) arrived in America in August 1905, with no knowledge of the English language. He found employment as a coal miner in central Pennsylvania. He sent for Judith Ann (born as Julianna) and their first born child, Agnes, and both arrived in December, 1909. The family followed the coal mining operations and lived in Carthers, Hamiliton, Glen Hope, Kellytown (Olanta) and finally Seminole. They purchased a home in Seminole and added adjacent two acre and four acre farming lands. A large garden, some cows, pigs and chickens provided the additional means for raising the large family. Frank sold his beloved horse Penny when the family moved to Seminole. The horse had been used to work the garden. Frank never owned an automobile, but did acquire a knowledge of English so that he could talk to the grandchildren. However, the primary language within the family was Slovak. The grandchildren were not taught the Slovak language partly because it was so convenient for the aunts to talk to each other when children were present. The uncles did help to compile a mini Slovak dictionary of useful phases and words. This dictionary is attached. Frank had a formal education and very elegant handwriting. He was taught by his uncle who was a professor. The uncle was from the other branch of the family with whom there was a dispute over a saw mill. Frank had fourteen children: Agnes, Frank, Joseph, Marie, Elizabeth, Judith, Veronica, Anna, Andrew, Helen, Margaret, Michael, Martin and John. Twin sons (Peter and Paul) died of diphtheria at one year of age in Hamiliton and an infant Steve was born dead in Kellytown. Of course with such a large family discipline had to be maintained. This was done with the Kor-bach. The Kor-bach had a fourteen inch long, one inch round wood handle with about twelve inches of leather attached to one end. The leather was cut into shoelace size strips (a smaller version of what was used in the movies to flog sailors). However, there is some dispute about how fairly the punishment was administered. The Aunts report equal harsh punishment and the Uncles report that the girls only received love taps. Tales are also told about how the Kor-bach would sometimes wonder off and get lost and could not be found at critical moments. There has been some speculation as to what future archeologists might deduce if they should excavate the old out house and find a large number of entombed Kor-baches. John Rakovan settled in Snowshoe, Pennsylvania. He had twelve children: Rose, John, Andrew, Mary, Pauline, Anna, Peter, Helen, Catherine, Veronica, Margaret and Martin. Joseph Rakovan settled in Curwenville, Pennsylvania. He had five children: Anthony, Agnes, Mary, Anna and Rose. Judith Ann Kulton Rakovan had a first cousin who came to America: Sophia Kutch. She and her husband Adam settled in West Kittanning, Pennsylvania. They had eleven children: Anna, Frank, Mary, Katryn, Julia, John, Adam, Stephen, Paul, Joseph, and Vincent.

Agnes Rakovan (daughter of Frank and Judith Ann) and her girl friend ran away from home for a better life in the big city. She came to Cleveland, Ohio, in the roaring twenties and found employment as a factory worker. Agnes Rakovan and Charles Manzel met at a dance on Quail Street in Lakewood, Ohio. They were married on June 14, 1926 in Lakewood, Ohio. Charles was employed by the Eveready Company. The relocation of Agnes brought three families (Rakovan, Manzel and Kreicher) into the Lakewood connection. The bird street area of Lakewood (streets named after birds) had a mainly Catholic religion and a Slavonic language and became home for our family. Frank A. Rakovan also left home unannounced and went to Lakewood to stay with Agnes and Charles Manzel. Charles was able to get Frank a job with the Eveready Company. Judith Ellen Rakovan (age 11 1/2) came to Lakewood to stay with Agnes when she was having health problems. Judith attended school in Lakewood and became friends with Dorothy Manzel. After 1 1/2 years, Judith returned to Seminole and completed her schooling. Later, Marie, Betty and Judith Rakovan shared an upstairs apartment owned by Viola Kreicher Noll and David Noll on Madison Street, Lakewood, Ohio in 1935. This was the Kreicher's family home which the Nolls had purchased from Emelia Kreicher after Rudolph Kreicher's death.

The Manzel family originated in Austria-Hungary (now known as the Czech Republic) with John Manzel and Caroline Kolinsky. They settled in Velka Ludina, Austria-Hungary (present day Slovenia) where John was employed in farming. They had five children: Emil, Frank, Charles, Lil and Maria. John had one sister, Tonka and one brother, Louis. Tonka Manzel and Louis Manzel came to America and settled in Ohio. Tonka owned a bar in East Cleveland and Louis settled in Geauga Lake, Ohio on a dairy farm. Louis and Fanny Manzel had four children: Joe, Louis, Barbara and Mamie. Tony Kolinsky (brother of Caroline) also came to America. Tony and Molly Kolinsky settled on a farm in Geauga Lake, Ohio next to Louis and Fanny Manzel. Josef Babika and Barbara Kolinsky (sister of Caroline) were married in Kmava, Austria-Hungary in June, 1893. Josef and Barbara Babika departed from Rotterdam, Holland aboard the S. Rotterdam and arrived in New York on August 5, 1913 with their four children: Joseph, Rose, Mary and Lil. The Babika's settled in Lakewood, Ohio. Josef and Barbara Babika and their children were born in Kmava, Austria-Hungary which no longer exists. However, there was a Lt. Babika that served in the Czechoslovakia Army during the Persian Gulf War. Molly and Tony Kolinsky and Barbara and Josef Babika were aunts and uncles to Emil, Frank, Charles, Lil and Maria Manzel. Emil Manzel was born in 1888 in Velka Ludina, Austria-Hungary. Emil worked on the family farm and later found employment as a butler before coming to America. Emil Manzel was christened Emanuel Kolinsky (born three years prior to his parent's marriage). The Manzel brothers (Emil and Frank) came to America prior to the start of World War 1. Emil departed from Breman, Germany aboard the Kaiser Wilhelm II and arrived in New York on May 2, 1907 with his friend John Spacil. Frank (born as Franz) also departed from Bremen, Germany but on board the Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm and arrived in New York on September 16, 1912. Both brothers listed their occupations as molders. Charles Manzel (born as Dragutin) departed from Triasta, Italy aboard the SS Argentina and arrived in New York on January 24, 1921. Charles listed his occupation as laborer, but he also had a picture in a military uniform which indicated military service for Austria-Hungary. Emil Manzel and Theresa Kreicher were married on June 13, 1910 in Lakewood, Ohio. They made their home in Lakewood and raised three children: Victoria, Irving and Dorothy. Victoria changed the spelling of the family name in school by adding an extra "L". In Slovak the name is pronounced "majewel" so it appears that "man-zell" is closer to the Slovak pronunciation than "man-zul". It also Americanized the name. Emil Manzel was employed as a molder and was an accordion player. Frank Manzel settled in Cleveland, Ohio and Charles Manzel settled in Lakewood, Ohio. Emil Manzel, Charles Manzel, Victor Potchatek and Tony Kolinsky were members of the Ceska Sin Sokol Lodge. This was a bohemian gymnastics club located in Cleveland, Ohio. A Rakovan/Manzell family meal for Easter and Christmas Eve was held for many years. The Easter brunch consisted of the following: sliced cold ham, hard boiled eggs sliced about 1/4 inch thick, sliced white onions, sweet bread, pastry, orange juice and coffee. A Christmas Eve meal was served in the following order: host with honey on top (females dab a bit of honey on each male forehead to make them sweet for the coming year), sweet red wine (with toast), unsalted peas and whole cooked prunes, sauerkraut juice and cubed potato soup, barley and mushrooms, prune and potato perogi, sweet bread and butter. This meal was meatless to comply with fasting before Christmas.

The Kreicher family also originated in Austria-Hungary. Rudolph Kreicher was born in Vienna in 1872. He came to America thru Ellis Island where his name was changed from Krajcir to Kreicher. Krajcir translates to Taylor in the native language. It seems one of the ancestors way back somewhere was a tailor to a King. Rudolph Kreicher and Emilia Sibal (of Bohemian/Slovak descent) married in 1892 in Gernersha, Austria-Hungary (near Budapest). Emilia was born in Turchok, Austria-Hungary and went to Budapest to learn baking at fourteen years of age. Four children were born in Gemersha: Theresa, Rudolph II, Victor and Mildred. Rudolph, Emilia, Theresa and Mildred came to America in 1905 and first settled in Cleveland, Ohio and then moved to Lakewood, Ohio. Rudolph 11, Victor and grandma Sibal came to America in 1906. The last four children (Irene, Viola, Louis and Frank) were born in Ohio. One child died after being born alive prior to 1905, and Viola's twin also died shortly after birth in 1908. Rudolph Kreicher worked in the steel mills as a molder. After Rudolph Sr's death in 1918, Emilia Kreicher married John Spacil. They had one child, Rose, who married Andy Zamborsky. Andy would bring movies to our family gatherings and the cousins always looked forward to this treat (before the days of TV). However, I have always wondered what we missed when the cousins would have to leave the room when the main features were shown for the adults. Were they R- rated?? John Spacil was employed as a utility digger prior to his military service in World War 1 in France. The family moved to a small dairy farm in Orwell, Ohio. Frank Manzel later purchased an adjacent farm to the Kreicher/Spacil farm. Frank used the farm for hunting and his brother-in-law Jake Kocab operated the farm.

The Eveready Company connection would grow to include the following: Charles Manzel, Joe Losh, Frank A. Rakovan, Frank Kreicher, Andy Rakovan, Ann Rakovan. Betty Rakovan, Marge Rakovan, Helen Rakovan, Vivian Padd, Mary Rakovan and Paul Baronak. Paul Baronak also came from Pennsylvania. Paul Baronak, Frank A. Rakovan, Joe Losh, John Potchatek and Irving Manzell were close friends and this brought the Losh family into the family activities. Victor and Ann Potchatek (John Potchatek's parents) were Irving Manzell's godparents. Marriage of the following couples completes the interfamily ties: Irving Manzell to Judith Rakovan, Joe Losh to Marie Rakovan, Frank Kreicher to Vern Rakovan and Steve Losh to Ann Rakovan.

Michael Losh (of German/Polish descent) and Helen (of Russian/Ukrainian descent) were born and married in Poland. Michael served as a captain in the Polish Army and played the violin prior to coming to America. They came to America sometime after the birth of their son Joe in February 1908. Michael worked as a coal miner in Pennsylvania and followed the coal mining operations as they moved across the state. The other children (Julia, Katherine, Mary and Stephen) were born in Pennsylvania. The Rakovan and Losh children met in Boardman, (near Kellytown) Pennsylvania. Ann Rakovan and Mary Losh attended first communion classes together. Neighbors of the Losh family moved from Boardman to Lakewood, Ohio and their four children were able to obtain employment. They wrote and Joe Losh left for Lakewood about 1930 and found employment with the Eveready Company. The rest of the Losh family moved from Pennsylvania and settled in Lakewood, Ohio about a year later. Michael Losh became sick with Black Lung disease before the family moved and was no longer able to work. The Losh and Rakovan families became reacquainted when the Rakovan children relocated to the Lakewood area in search of jobs.

Family hunting started in Pennsylvania in 1952. Operating out of Frank Rakovan's home in Seminole, hunting was limited to state game lands. Camp Hootin Hollow was purchased in 1958 by Frank Rakovan Jr, Andy Rakovan, Martin Rakovan and Irving Manzell. Family hunting continues at this time at the Fisher, Pennsylvania camp. Members are as follows: Frank Rakovan, Frank A. Rakovan, Fred Rakovan, Earl Gordon, Jack Rusnak, Andrew Rakovan, Allen Rakovan, David Rakovan, Martin Rakovan, Marty Rakovan, Mark Rakovan, Michael Rakovan, Joshua Rakovan, John Rakovan, Mike Rakovan, Irving Manzell, Robert Manzell, Thomas E. Manzell, Thomas I. Manzell, Matthew Manzell, Joe Hlavin, Donald Losh, Steve Losh II, Brian Lancaster and Glen Misheck.