The Matejkas

Jerry and Elizabeth Matejka met on a boat traveling from Bohemia, now known as the Czech Republic, to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1907. To pursue their dreams in America, Jerry and Elizabeth traveled halfway around the world and joined the ranks of the idealistic, hardworking immigrants flocking to the United States in the early twentieth century. Strangers at the beginning of the voyage, the two young lovers were inseparable upon arrival in America, and they married soon after their boat docked in the Maryland harbor. The Matejkas is the remarkable true story of these two determined pioneers and their life together as they started a business and raised a family in their new homeland. Told from the loving perspective of their daughter Slava Matejka Mowll, The Matejkas is a compelling family biography brought alive by vivid narrative and the imagery of beautifully preserved family photographs. From the Matejkas’ early days in Baltimore to the intense drama of the Second World War, the author’s memoir is a fascinating view of the life experiences of first-generation Americans.