Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2022

Anna Kubatová Kubat was born In Pušperk, Plzeň, Czech Republic Jan. 21, 1841. Her parents were Johann Kubatová and Josefa Matka.

Anna came from a large family in Bohemia. In June 1862 Anna, along with her parents and some members of her family headed to America on the ship Geestemunde, and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland before heading to New Prague, Minnesota. In the story handed down by the Kubat family, Johann Kubatová raised his voice and named the place after Prague in his fatherland.

Anna married Mathias A. Deutsch, Jr. Mathias came in 1855 with his parents, brothers and sisters. Mathias was a farmer, but also a shoemaker. He was born Aug. 24, 1832, in Besch, Landkreis Merzig-Wadern, Saarland, Germany and died Jan. 27, 1915, in Sand Creek, Minnesota. Mathias was the son of Mathias Deutsch and Anna Spandel.

Mathias was an upright, honorable God-fearing man who had earned the respect of his neighbors.

Mathias, like his family, spoke German. In fact, Mathias’s parents not only spoke German, they insisted that their son marry someone who also was German and spoke the German language.

Anna spoke Czech. The Czech language, formerly known as Bohemian, is a Slavic language. It is sometimes mistaken for Russian, Polish, and Slovakian. There are many similarities between Czech and Slovakian language since the two countries used to be one country (Czechoslovakia) until their peaceful split in 1993.

So, Mathias did what every other son did. He married Anna, even though Mathias only spoke German, and Anna only spoke Czech. They married on Jan. 27, 1863, during the Civil War. Though they both couldn’t speak each other’s language, they must have been doing okay, as they ended up having nine children: Bill, Joe, Frank, Sophia, Anna, Mary, Henry, Matt, and John.

When Anna was 72 years old, Anna and Mathias had their golden anniversary on Jan. 27, 1917, in Helena.

Two years later, Mathias died Jan. 27, 1915, at age 82. He was the first of many family members buried in the family plot at the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Sand Creek.

Anna lived to be ninety years old when she died March 8, 1931. In fact, Anna lived for 68 years on the same family farm in Sand Creek.