As of October, 2024

Kleisner Genealogy

Ježovy, a tiny hamlet in southwestern Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), was the home of Laurel and Lowell's Klaisner / Kleisner ancestors. Václav James Kleisner, their grandfather, grew up there before he emigrated to the US in 1891 and changed the spelling of his surname to Klaisner. Explore the page below to learn more the early Kleisner family.

Kleisner Ancestry

The following chart shows what we have verified so far about Laurel and Lowell’s direct Bohemian Kleisner ancestors, starting with Václav and going back six more generations to their 6th great-grandparents.

Vital Records

Václav Kleisner birth - 1843 Parish record

With the help of free digitized records on the Portafontium.eu website, more could be done. Below are examples of vital and census records found there that were used to learn more about the birth of Václav Kleisner in 1843, his marriage to Magdalena Koptík in 1867, and their family unit in 1869 and 1880.

Here is the parish record of Laurel and Lowell's great-grandfather Václav Kleisner, born to Joseph Kleisner and Anna Hasenöhrl on 9 January 1843 in Ježovy 48. Note that Václav is called "Wenzl", for Wenceslaus, another name for Václav.

Source: http://www.portafontium.eu/iipimage/30070326/vreskovice-18, Roman Catholic Register Vřeskovice 18 (1829-1904),
image 22 of 275 : downloaded 9 Dec 2016. Translation by Jan Ebert, http://www.czechancestors.com/.

Václav Kleisner birth - 1843 Birth Certificate

We are fortunate to have a copy of Václav’s birth certificate, which was passed down in the family. Note that it was made in 1940, to help prove that, leading up to the German occupation, that Václav was not of Jewish descent.

Source: family copy : obtained 7 Sep 2023.

Václav Kleisner marriage to Magdalena Koptík - 1867 Parish record

Here is the parish record for the marriage of Laurel and Lowell's great-grandparents, Václav Kleisner and Magdalena Koptík, on 12 Feb 1867 in Ježovy 17 (home of the bride's parents). Note the two sections, on the left for the groom and on the right for the bride.

Source: http://www.portafontium.eu/iipimage/30070326/vreskovice-18, Roman Catholic Register Vřeskovice 18 (1829-1904),
image 124 of 275 : downloaded 8 Oct 2016. Translation by Jan Ebert, http://www.czechancestors.com/.

Václav Kleisner family - 1880 Census record

Here is an 1880 Census Record from Ježovy, listing the family of Václav Kleisner (b. 1843), his wife Magdalena, and the rest of his children, including Laurel and Lowell's grandfather Vaclav (b. 1872). The homestead at Nr. 31 was originally owned by the Königsmarks, and was purchased from them in 1870.

Source: https://www.portafontium.eu/census/soap-pj/1880/jezovy, Census 1880 Ježovy, house Nr. 31,
image 1 of 3 : downloaded 7 Sep 2016. Translation by Jan Ebert, http://www.czechancestors.com/.

Václav Kleisner family - 1869 Census record

Here is an 1869 Census Record from Ježovy, listing the family of Václav Kleisner (b. 1843), his wife, his one daughter, his parents Josef and Anna Kleisner, and his brothers and sisters. The homestead at Nr. 48 was originally owned by the parents Josef and Anna. Václav and Magdalena purchased it from them in 1867.

Source: https://www.portafontium.eu/census/soap-pj/1869/jezovy, Census 1869 Ježovy, house Nr. 48,
image 2 of 4 : downloaded 7 Sep 2016. Translation by Jan Ebert, http://www.czechancestors.com/.

Václav Kleisner - Magdalena Koptík marriage certificate

We are fortunate to have a copy of Václav and Magdalena’s marriage certificate, which was passed down in the family. Note that it was made in 1940, to help prove that, leading up to the German occupation, that Václav was not of Jewish descent.

Source: family copy : obtained 7 Sep 2023.