Fellow Subscribers, Now that I'm 60ish I find it interesting to see how great a difference a few fast passing years make in a person's understanding of their heritage. I was born in Chicago in 1944, the son of a Yankee/Irish/American father and a Bohemian/American mother whose parents both came from Bohemia. My mother's family called themselves Bohemian. They said that this foreign tongue they were speaking was a slavic language called Bohemian or Czech. In those days they told us that Bohemia was a part of a country called Czechoslovakia but that it had once been a part of the Austrian Empire. They also said that even though some parts of the family called themselves Austrian they were still proud of their Bohemian heritage. Above all we were of Bohemian descent. I traveled to the Czech Republic with my wife and children in 2004. We drove north from Hungary through Slovakia to Bohemia. Czechoslovakia no longer existed because times had changed. But, Bohemia remained in place with Prague as its centerpiece. We were very fortunate, with the help of the Czech list, to have connected with cousins in Prague where we were invited guests in their home. To facilitate communication they hired a translator who spent her days with us as we traveled around. During conversations, I noticed that every time I mentioned the word "Bohemian" or "Bohemia" she translated it to something that sounded like "chechy". Rightly or wrongly I assumed that is where the Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia got the name. Looking back to the growing up years I consider myself fortunate in having had that direct contact with those Bohemian immigrants I called grandparents. I feel happy to know beyond any doubt that whatever they may call the nation containing Bohemia, my children and I are of Bohemian descent on my mother's side. After everything I've told and showed my children I wonder what they will say to their children about our heritage. My best wishes to all of you in your research. Bob Waterous About the Bohs http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/spirit/chap2.htm