• Baptismal Records
• Birth Record Search (not found)
• Communion Record
• Grade School Record Search (not found)
• Confirmation Record
• High School Record Search (not found)
• Law School Record Search (not found)
• Marriage Records
• Military Records
• Death Records
• Obituary
• Cemetery Records
• Tombstone
• Last Will and Testament (not found)

Baptized: 21 srpen 1892 (21 August 1892)
Child's Name: Vaclav Vojtech Filipek
Birth:15 srpen 1892 (15 August 1892)
Father's Name: Vaclav Filipek
Mother's Name: Katerina Nemec
Sponsors: Vojtech Dedina and Rosalie mauz
Priest: Rev. Francis Bobal

• The first record above was transcribed from a certificate completed by Rev. John Peng in 1977. In the summer of 2001, it was possible to view the original baptismal register via microfilm. The second record was transcribed from a microfilm print of this original baptimal register.
• James Albert probably took his middle name from Vojtech Dedina. Vojtech translates to Albert.

• On the 1900 Census for Dedina, it was verified that Vojtech Dedinas wife's name was Rose
• The Dedinas were long time friends of the Filipeks and Rose may have been a help to Katherine when she came over in 1882.
• For a long time it was thought that the female sponsor was Rosalie Mauz as shown in the first record, but it was later found that "mauz" is means "wife of".

• A request was made in June, 1976 of the County Clerk of Cook County, Illinois to search for James A. Filipek's birth record.
• The June 24, 1976 response was Not Found.

• For this timeframe mandatory birth registration was not required by the State of Illinois. However, because of the Social Security Program and the need to prove your age as part of the Social Security, sometimes a delayed birth record was filed. James apparently did not do this.

Communion Date: 1904
Name: 21. Vaclav Filipek
Priest: Rev. Francis Bobal

• The information was transcribed from a microfilm copy of the original St. John Nepomucene Communion Records.
• The records provide a numerical list of names of all the children receiving their first communions for that year.

• At the top of the list of names are the Czech Words: "Ditky K. I. So.. Priqimani n roku 1904. It is not known what these words mean.
• Usually First Communions take place in the spring, thus in the spring of 1904, James would have been 11 years old. This is a bit older than nowadays which usually is about age 7. This information will help date the first communion picture we have of him.
• Other recognizable names from the 1904 list of communions are: Anna Nemec.

• Grace Vanderkloot mentioned that she went to Brenan Grade School. Thus is was presumed that James Filipek attended there also when the family returned from Pueblo in the spring of 1900.
• James probably went to 1st and 2nd grade in Pueblo.
• Approximate years of attendance in Chicago are about 1900-1906

• A search of the Public School Records in December 2001 did not find James Filipek's record at this school. However, the records are not complete and the schools were just beginning the process of keeping organized records at the turn of the century.

Confirmation Year: 1908
Name: Vaclav Filipek
Confirmation Name: Thomas
Sponsor: Albert Dedina

• The information was transcribed from a microfilm copy of the original St. John Nepomucene Communion Records.
• St. John Nepumucene Confirmation Records are for the years: 1895, 1899, 1903, 1908, and 1914.
  Before that time, they were not required to record them. Confirmations did not take place every year, and appear to be 4, 5, or 6 years apart. Most likely it depended on the number of applicants.
• Confirmations are presided over by the bishop or archbishop.
• The records provide just a numerical list of names of all the children being confirmed that year.

• Confirmations can take place in the fall or the spring. In the spring of 1908, James would have been 15 and he would have been 16 in the fall of 1908. This information will help date any confirmation pictures we have of him.
• Other recognizable names from the 1908 list of confirmed are: Anna Nemec.

Grade School: Wendell Phillips High School
Location: 39th and Praire Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Name: James or Vaclav Filipek
Years: about 1906-1911

• Jim Filipek attended Wendell Phillips High School
• His approximate years of attendance are about 1906-1911

• A call to Wendell Phillips High School in December 2001 indicated that there are no records at the school before 1960. It is not known if the records are elsewhere. There may be yearsbooks available in some libraries.

Grade School: John Marshall Law School
Location: Chicago
Name: James A. Filipek
Years: about 1914-1918, possibly early 1920s

• Jim Filipek attended John Marshall Law School at night
• His approximate years of attendance are between 1914-1918, possibly early 1920s

• No request has been made at this time.

Name: James Albert Filipek, Age: 24
Address: 7328 S. Union
Date of Birth: August 15, 1893
Can't Read Question or Answer: ???
Where were you born: Chicago, Ill.
Can't Read Question or Answer: ???
What is your trade: Ass't Law Dept.
By whom: Morris & Co.; Where employed: Union Stock Yards
Can't Read Question: No
Marital Status: Single; Race: Caucasian
Can't Read Question: No
Can't Read Question: No

• The index shows his name as James Labert Filipek
• His actual DOB was August 15, 1892 not 1893. On June 5, 1917, Jim was 24 years old as stated.

• James registered on June 5, 1917, the first of three registration dates since he was born between 1886-1896.
• The original microfilm should be found to try to find a better copy. See Roll 1503878, Draftboard 76

• James A. Filipek's Military Records - 1918 and 1919 are stored separately because of their length.

• The birth years for Jim and Grace on this application are both off by two years from when we know them. James was born August 15, 1892 not in 1894 and Grace was born August 7, 1894 not 1896.
• It is unclear why they would both make themselves two years younger. In later years, we were always told that Grandpa Jim was born in 1892. The baptismal record above confirms this. However, the 1900 Census indicates he was born in August 1894, but the 1910 census indicates it was 1892. We will continue to assume that 1892 is correct.
• Also of interest is that when their first daughter Marjorie was born a year later, James was shown as 28 which is correct and Grace as 27 which should have been 26. Thus from their marriage application James gained 3 years in one year and Grace gained 4 years in one year.

• Late in 1924, their daughter Jeanne was born. At that time James is shown as 32 which is correct and Grace is shown as 31 which should be 30. So James is back on track with an August 1892 date, but Grace keeps coming up as 1893. We don't have a baptismal record for Grace, but the 1900 Census shows August 1894 which is the earliest record we have and agrees with what she and her family believed was the correct date in the 1960s.
• Also of interest in this record is the address at 3001 Emerald. The Chicago Directories had placed James, his mother, and his brother John at 7328 S. Union from about 1916 to about 1917. It had been presumed that after James Filipeks death in 1914 that they had sold the grocery store and lived elsewhere. This seems to imply that they either moved back or still maintained some presence at the 3001 S. Emerald from 1914 until the 1920s.

• There is a discrepancy in the year of the license between the top half of the form which indicates the information was witnessed on April 14, 1920 and the bottom half of the license which indicates the marriage taking place on April 15, 1919. In the bottom half, though, the form was pre-printed with the year as 191_. The minister filled in a 9 for 1919. It is presumed he should have crossed it out or overwritten it as was done for the top half of the the license.
• It will be presumed that James and Grace were married on April 15, 1920, one day after the Marriage Application and License. In fact his U. S. Army Records show he was still in Europe with the Army of Occupation and did not return until August 28, 1919 so we can be pretty confident that he married in 1920 and not 1919.
• There are other discrepancies over the month and day though. Before these records were found, their daughter, Jeanne, always thought the marriage date was May 14, 1920. Usually children remember their parents wedding anniversary so we cannot resolve this unless they were re-married in a different church later.

• Jeanne also thought they might have been married in a Baptist Church and the minister might have been the groom's cousin which would have been a cousin of James.
• From the 1923 Chicago Directory, the Rev Johnston Myers is shown as pastor of the Immanuel (also spelled Emmanuel) Baptist Church at 2320 S. Michigan. Thus the Directory listing confirms that Rev Johnston Myers was a Baptist pastor and the address matches that on the Marriage License. How he could be a cousin to James is unclear since we have a pretty good feel for all James' relatives. Perhaps it was on Grace's side.
• By the way, the story goes that Jim and Grace met on the tennis court in the old neighborhood although we don't know the year. It was likely before when James went in the Army in 1918. Grace used to go to the Filipek grocery store as she also only lived a few blocks away at 811 W. 27th from 1914 to 1920 and at 2851 Emerald in the early 1900s. There are some old letters from Grace's mother from 1920 that we will add shortly that briefly mention James and Grace.

• It's interesting to note that Grace spelled Katherine's surname name as Nemetz instead of Nemec.

Filipek
James A. Filipek, suddenly, beloved husband of Grace, nee Vander Kloot, fond father of Marjorie F. O'Dette and Jeanne C. Jordan; grandfather of six, dear brother of John J. of Sarasota, Fla., and the late Mary Barrett. Resting at Beukema Funeral Home 10456 S. Western avenue, where services will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. Interment Chapel Hill Gardens South. Member of American Bar association. Visitation after 7 p.m. Monday.

1. Name: James A. Filipek
2. born: August 15, 1892
3. died: Ded 3, 1961
4. place of birth: Chicago, Ill
5. wife: Grace Vanderkloot Filipek
6. address: 7047 South Ada Chicago, ILL.
7. father: James Filipek
8. mother: Kathryn Nemetz
9. Veteran: WW I

Name: James A. Filipek Age: 69 Sex: M, U.S. War Veteran: Y
Place of Death: 7047 S. Ada Chicago County of Cook
Date of Death: 12-3-61 Cause of Death: Cor Occl

No. 2972
Date: December 4th, 1961
To: Chapel Hill Gardens

You are authorized and instructed, subject to rules and regulations, to inter the remains of James A. Filipek
Formerly residing at: 7047 S. Ada St. Chicago 36, ILL.

In grave #2 lot 123-B section 9
Garden of Last Supper
In a #28 Wilbert vault furnished by American Wilbert Vault Co.

Funeral Director: Beukema Funeral Home
Address: 10456 S. Western Ave., Chicago, ILL.
Time of funeral: 10:00 A.M. - 10:45 A.M. Place: CHAPEL
Day: Wednesday Date: 12-6-61

I hereby certify that I am Wife of the decedent; that the above lot or plot is recorded upon your records in the name of Grace Filipek

Opening and Closing Charges: $120

• Initially there was a tombstone for James made of metal provided by the U. S. Army. Later this was removed and a new tombstone was put down for both James and Grace.

• As of 2001, The U. S. Army tombstone is in the shed in back of Jeanne Jordans. The inscription was not copied exactly, but it says something like: James A. Filipek, Company C 4.
• It is believed that James was a Corporal in Company C, 4th Infantry, 3rd Division. He trained at Fort Benning, Georgia and went overseas and was part of the Army of Occupation.

• A request was made on January 21, 1978 of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate Division for Cook County, Illinois to search for the last will and testament, distribution of estate and inventory list for James Filipek who died on December 3, 1962.

• The response was "We are unable to find any record of probate on the estate of the person named herein, in the Probate Court of Cook County, Illinois". They wrote "1962-63-64, No Est."

• Go to the James and Grace Filipek Initial Page
• Go to the James and Grace Filipek Family Chart
• Go to the Filipek Genealogy Source Records Page
• Go to the Vanderkloot Genealogy Source Records Page