This exchange documents the first time primary-source Slovak parish records were explicitly mapped to known Elcik individuals in the United States. Deeb, contacted through Charile Hall at the Lisbon Historical Society, provided baptismal evidence from Parchovany that directly linked Magyar spellings to Slovak originals and to verified deaths in Maine. This correspondence converted long-standing theory into documentary proof.
At a Glance
- First Contact: January 21, 2021
- Primary Surname: Ilčík
- Medium: Email
- Role in Project: Primary-source researcher; parish record interpreter
Correspondence Log
Contact #1 — January 21, 2021, 9:18 PM — Email
Charlie Hall:
Dear Deeb,
Please pardon the intrusion. I obtained your address from Earl Williams at the Lisbon Historical Society. I am working on the Elcik family genealogy. Earl thinks you might be able to help. Thank you.
Contact #2 — January 25, 2021, 1:56 PM — Email
Deeb:
Slovakia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but Hungary administered it. The Ilčík family was from Parchovany, Slovakia. In the latter part of the 19th century, the priests in Parchovany kept Hungarian sacramental records. In Hungarian, the surname came before the personal name.
Deeb:
I found baptismal records for the following children of Ilycsik Pál (Pavol Ilčík in Slovak) and Pelcsarszki Mária (Mária Pelčarská in Slovak):
- Ilycsik János (Ján Ilčík in Slovak), baptized March 10, 1885; as John P. Elcik died September 5, 1962, in Lewiston
- Ilycsik Mária (Mária Ilčík in Slovak), baptized May 18, 1889
- Ilycsik Anna (Anna Ilčík in Slovak), baptized September 22, 1891
Deeb:
The Parchovany baptismal records are digitized up to 1895, but Pavol Ilčík was another child, as confirmed by his obituary, which gives his date of birth as February 15, 1896. As Paul Elcik, he died December 23, 1970, in Lewiston.
Deeb:
I also found the following baptismal records in Parchovany for the children of Ilscik János (Ján Ilčík in Slovak) and Erzsébet Bárán (Alžbeta Baran in Slovak):
- Ilcsik György (Juraj Ilčík in Slovak), baptized April 20, 1866
- Ilcsik János (Ján Ilčík in Slovak), baptized December 28, 1867; as John P. Elcik died May 24, 1941, at Lisbon Falls
- Ilcsik Anna (Anna Ilčík in Slovak), baptized January 31, 1870
- Ilcskik József (Jozef Ilčík in Slovak), baptized November 26, 1873; as Joseph P. Elcik died May 31, 1938
Deeb:
I hope this helps.
Why This Contact Mattered
This correspondence supplied the first clear, sourced bridge between Slovak parish records and confirmed Elcik deaths in Maine. By aligning Hungarian spellings, Slovak originals, baptismal dates, and American identities, it resolved multiple generational uncertainties and anchored the family’s European origins in verifiable church records.