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Kubala Family

SURNAME & THEIR ORIGINS

KUBALA (Pol) kuba. Meaning: short form of first name Jakub (Pol), Jacob.

MASLAN (Pol) maslak. Meaning: kind of mushroom.

Thomas Kubala married Agnes Adamck and lived in the city of Frankstadt (Frenstat), Moravia, Austria (Czechoslovakia). Here they had two children being: Roman (1871-1957) m. Albina Maslan, & Agnes (1873).

Thomas and family left the village of Frankstadt for the city of Hamburg, Germany, where they set aboard the ship "Capella", departing on the 20th of March 1874 for London. Here the family set aboard the ship "Stonehouse", departing on the 10th of April 1874 and arriving at Lyttleton, Canterbury, New Zealand on the 29th of June of the same year. The family on board were Thomas 46, Agnes 28, Roman 3, Agnes 9mths, & Marianna Sycliga 24.

The family settled in the township of Oxford, Canterbury, where Thomas & Agnes had the remainder of their family being Therese m. Frank Sydney, Amelia m. Joseph McLauchlan, Thomas m. Ann Clearwater, & Frederick m. Margaret Hoffman. May and John died as infants at Oxford.

Roman Kubala married Albina (Nellie) Maslan (1872), the daughter of Anton Maslan & Frances Kubalova on the 28th of December 1897, at the Catholic Church, Oxford.

Anton Maslan (1830-1919), the son of Franziska Maslan married Franziska Kubalowa (1844), the daughter of Josef Kubala & Jenovefa Stefkowa on the 19th of October 1863 at Frankstadt. Here Anton & Franziska had five children being; Josefa (1865), Anton (1867), Matilda Josefa (1868), Maria Terezia (1870), & Albina (1872).

The Marschlan (Masland) family also left the city of Frankstadt for Hamburg, where they set aboard the same ships along with the Kubala family. On board were Anton 44, Franziska 27, Mathilde 16, Marianne 3, & Albine 6mths. The family also resided in the settlement of Oxford where Anton died on the 1st of June 1919.

In 1905, Roman & Nellie moved south to Charlton Upper, near Gore in the Southland district. Mrs Tilly Stewart of Gore (nee Kubala), remembers how there were dredges through the Kubala farm. Her late father, Roman Kubala, worked a shift from 4am to 12 noon, then farm work and at coal mining again from 4pm to 12midnight. Tilly added: "It was a muddy road for horse and cart past Croydon School. I left school at 14 and drove milk to Whiterig Dairy Factory."

A tug-of-war team made up of Roman Kubala and his three sons; Jack, Ted and Tony, and also Jim Mortimer, was regarded as a very strong combination. This type of competition was very popular in the early days as it was recorded in Mr Johnston's diary of 4th of September 1913; "Waimumu beaten by chaps from the Bush at tug-of-war". On occasions the Kubalas and the Hoffmans formed formidable opposition.

OBITUARY

The death occurred at Gore recently of Mr Roman Kubala, who had an association with the district of more than 50 years. He was well known to older residents as a farmer in the Charlton district and later as a carpenter at Gore. He was aged 85 years.

Born in Austria and brought to New Zealand as a child of three, he attended the Oxford School, Canterbury, and later worked in the bush. From that, he went into a partnership, which operated a sawmill. As an axeman and sawyer he had few rivals, his skill being evident at chopping and sawing competitions.

Mr Kubala married, at the age of 27, Miss Nellie Mashlan, of Oxford who died 13 years ago. Fifty-one years ago, the couple took up a block of land at Upper Charlton, then in its virgin state. It was a period of hard work, and to make a living he was forced to engage in outside tasks. He worked at a district sawmill and at the Croydon coal pit. Many years later, when the property was broken in, he transferred it to his sons and worked as a carpenter for the late Mr Owen Kelly at Gore.

Mr Kubala took a keen interest in sporting events, particularly horse racing and cricket. He was also an enthusiastic gardener.

He is survived by three sons and four daughters; Jack (Waimumu, four children), Edward (Croydon Bush, six children), Anthony (Croydon Bush, four children), Frances, the oldest of the family (Mrs Jim Mortimer, Waimumu, five children), Matilda (Mrs Archie Stewart, Pyramid, ten children), Mary (Mrs Joe Walker, Gore, one daughter), and Cecilia (Mrs Rob Taylor, Wellington, two daughters). He is also survived by two brothers - Tom (Mataura), and Fred (Gore), also a sister Theresa (Christchurch). There are 32 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren (at time of death 1957). "Mataura Ensign", February 1957.

They were all a close-knit family and worked together well - and were all very much masters in their homes. All the family farms adjoined and they shared all facilities.