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Message to Davidh...
Hey, Davidh, I saw that a while ago you were giving the meaning of a few last names. If it's not too much trouble, could you see if you can figure out the meaning of mine? It's Duchek. Pronounced like the words Do and check. I do know that it used to be Dubchek, but when my gg grandpa come to America from Czecholslavakia (sp?) he dropped the b so that we wouldn't be associated with Alexander Dubchek. Anyone else that can help is welcome to, as well. Thanks!!!Sarahjeanne
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Hey SJ,I was gonna be stubborn and wait til you spelled my name right, but decided I probably won't live that long *grins*.Actually, your surname in either spelling is tough. I've checked all around the 'Net but no luck. Maybe someone with better up-to-date Slavic connections can help. ANYBODY OUT THERE FROM CLEVELAND?Is "Duchek" a real surname spelling (Slovak?) or just something your gggrandpa synthesized to rid himself of "Dubchek" (was it that spelling or Dubcek?)?I don't want to sound really really old, but was your ggg something like 70 or 75 when he arrived here? Dubcek only rose to prominence in the late-mid-60s, and the famous reform period of The Prague Spring was in '68. This was not exactly the Napoleonic era; a few of us are still alive who remember it distinctly.And I'm curious why your ggg would want to disassociate himself from Alexander Dubcek. The guy was a Commie turned good and was bringing some really open democratic reforms to the country until the Warsaw Pact rumbled the T-55s into town and spoiled the party. Twenty more years of bread lines and potato vodka followed...Guess I'm sayin if my last name was Dubcek back then I would've been proud of it. But maybe Gramps had his own reasons. Go figure.Later,Da.
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I left out the "i". I'm sorry. I have none of the answers to any of your questions. :) I just remember my grandpa telling me something about it when I was little. I'll ask him again and let you know. Thanks for checking it out, though. Very cool of you. :)SJ
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