This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: DVORAK, NOVAK, STERNHAGEN Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/lRC.2ACE/248.694 Message Board Post: Hi Nancy, My husband's great great grandmother was Catherine DVORAK, born 18 April 1834 in Tesinov, Ceske Budejovice region of the Czech Republic. She was married to a Mr. NOVAK (possibly Martin Novak) sometime before 1858. It is believed he was killed in the Civil War. They had a son, Frank, born on 5 August 1858 at Fort Atkinson, Winneshiek County, Iowa. Sometime before 1863 Catherine marries Frederick "Fritz" STERNHAGEN. Their first child, Catherine STERNHAGEN, is born in August 1863 in Winnesheik County, Iowa. I have a copy of the baptism record for their son, Frederick (Bedrich, or Fritz) STERNHAGEN. His sponsors were Mathias DVORAK & Anna, his wife. I am assuming Mathias DVORAK is a relative - maybe a brother. Maybe this is information you already have. I can not take credit for most of the information -- other people have done a lot of research on this family. Let me know if this is the same person as your Catherine Dvorak. Thanks. Kathy Vacek