Histories

Frank B. Maresh / Mares / Maresh came to Texas through Galveston in 1881 from Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. He settled in Austin County, Texas. He arrived as Frank B. Maresch and was naturalized on 10 Oct 1891 as Frank B. Maresch in Austin County, Texas. On 10 Oct 1897, he married Annie Tilajka as F. B. Mares in Austin County, Texas. Tilajka had arrived through the Port of Galveston, Texas in 1895 from Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. 

Frank and Tilajka settled in the Oak Hill community between Bellville and Nelsonville, Austin County, Texas. On 18 Oct 1909 as Frank B. Mares he purchased 125 acres out of the S. F. Austin four league grant in Austin County, Texas. Located in the aforementioned Oak Hill community, this land became the family farm. A part is still owned by one of his grandsons. Frank and one of his son's worked the farm until his death on 05 Jan 1948. He died and is buried as Frank B. Maresh in National Cemetery in Nelsonville, Austin County, Texas. Many times as his grandchildren were growing up, Frank's sons and daughters told that when they were in school, the teachers said that their name "Mares" was not spelled correctly and the teachers added the "H" to the end of the name, thus, we became "Maresh."

One grandson proudly displays Grandfather Maresch's original Naturalization Certificate on his living room wall. Another proudly display his mother's original U.S. Evangelical Lutheran Church Baptism Certificate written in German on his living room wall.

As mentioned earlier Frank's surname was spelled multiple ways (Maresch, Mares, Maresh). At the National Cemetery at Nelsonville, Austin County, Texas there is a headstone stone with the surname of "Mares." No relationship between that family and Frank's has been found, but the search goes on.

E598-Final Naturalization documents list arrival date as 01 Nov 1881 at Galveston, Texas (Frank B. Marech).

1900 US census, Austin County, Texas, Frank B Maresh.

Austin County Texas, Marriage License (no certificate number). See Austin County, Texas Marriage records for 1897, page 289, FamilySearch Digital Folder Number 04539479; FB Mares and Annie Tilajka.

Austin County, Texas, Deeds 36:458, Frank B. Mares, 18 Oct 1909, land purchase.

1910 US census, Austin County, Texas, Annie Tilajka immigration (1895) and birth year (1877).

Texas Death Certificate no. 006-0-1 008-0-1. 

Headstones, National Cemetery, Nelsonville, Austin County, Texas, Frank B. Maresh andAnnie Tilajka Maresh.

Texas Death Certificate no. 231 / 54495, Annie Maresh.