Fourth Generation

12. József OSZTRÓVSZKY^78,79,80 was born on 31 December 1785 in Vittencz, Nyitra m, HUN.⁸¹ His gravestone indicates he was born in 1786. His father was identified as a butcher and farmer (Lanis et Colonus). His godparents were János Reder and his wife Katalin Miskei. At the time of the baptism, the family were living at Vittencz house #16.

He died on 30 July 1854 at the age of 68 in Szeged, Csongrád m, HUN.⁸² He was buried on July 1, his age at death was given as 72 in the church register, but we believe he was only 68.

He apparently fathered a child out of wedlock with Julianna Gál. The boy, Antal, was born on 21 Oct 1810. The fate of this child is unknown.

He was a prosperous butcher and meat dealer, when he met István Széchenyi in 1833. He was so influenced by this liberal leader and dynamo of Hungarian progress that he dedicated his later life to broad civic and business interests. He was a founder of the Szeged savings bank, a board member of the Szeged Casino*, and managing superintendent of the Szeged hospital. Politically, he was a city elector with a seat on the city council and served as a city inspector. Though a wholesale butcher with little formal education, in addition to Hungarian he spoke German, Slovak, Serb, and even understood Romanian. He was an excellent example of the middle-class burghers who, though few in numbers, were so important in helping move Hungary toward becoming a modern nation during the first half of the 19th century. He resided at house number 1010 in Szeged Felsöváros (upper town).

* Note: Széchenyi founded the "National Casino" in Budapest in 1827 to bring together the liberal nobility and the now-flourishing middle-class to lead economic and social development in Hungary. During the next few years similar casinos were established in the major provincial cities throughout Hungary. They were a hotbed of social activism and liberal politics, as well as social clubs, coffee houses, and youth recreation centers. Our Osztróvszky and Heszlényi ancestors were leaders for decades in the Szeged Casino.
Terézia Erzsébet HOCHENEKKER and József OSZTRÓVSZKY were married about 1807.

13. Terézia Erzsébet HOCHENEKKER^55,83 was born on 21 October 1777 in Sopron, Sopron m, HUN.⁸⁴ Her godparents were Mathias Schenvetter and his wife Elisabeth. She died on 20 June 1842 at the age of 64 in Szeged, Csongrád m, HUN.⁸⁵ Her age at death is given as 63 years, though her gravestone gives her birth correctly as 1777. The tablet on the gravestone was replaced in 1935 upon the death of her granddaughter Vilhelmine. She came to live in Szeged with her aunt who was the wife of a wealthy butcher named Hacker, probably after the death of her mother. In all probability, her husband József Osztróvszky, inherited or bought the business from Hacker ... since by the 1820s he was a wealthy butcher and leading citizen of Szeged.

Children were: