Beth,
I think I have proof that John Elcik (Elsik), Sr., my great-grandfather, had a younger brother Joseph.
If so, this answers the question I put on the research agenda about siblings. There was at least one.
My evidence is in the 1910 United States Federal Census:
- The two men (Heads of Households) are just three years apart in age. John is 42 and Joseph 39.
- Both immigrated from Austria.
- Both settled in Durham, Androscoggin, Maine.
- But the clincher for me is that both men spell our surname “Elsik” for themselves while spelling their children’s names “Elcik.” This can’t be a coincidence.
- All five of John’s and all three of Joseph’s children were born in Durham, Androscoggin, Maine.
- Both men used the same given names for their three daughters. They must have had middle names or nicknames as they surely played together.
- The population of Durham in 1910 was 1,625.
10 years are separating John and Joseph’s immigration to America. John immigrated in 1891 at the age of 23 and Joseph in 1901 at the age of 30. One might reasonably speculate that the family couldn’t spare both sons in 1891.
John, IV
[Just six weeks ago, I found this item on a genealogy site, which bolsters my argument that John and Joseph were brothers.
“In other cases, brothers who lived near each other would sometimes give their children the same first names. The cousins might have gone by nicknames or middle names to avoid confusion during their lifetimes. It becomes more difficult 100 years later for a genealogist looking to match the right people to the right spots on a family tree.”
http://livingwithbeth.com/10-rules-accepting-hints-ancestry/ – Editor]
Supporting documents for: “Are John and Joseph Elsik Brothers.”