Author: Beth (Purinton) Gamache

Beth Purinton lives in Lisbon Falls, Maine with her husband Jack Gamache. They have two children Loni Beth and Derek. Beth is from South Durham, Maine. She brings her enthusiasm for ancestry research and a local, Maine perspective on each story.
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Corrections and Connections

Tue 8/11/2020 9:01 PM

John,

The information I gave you about Jane Plourde wasn’t correct. She DIDN’T drown in the Androscoggin River. She drowned in a pond near her house in Lisbon. I always thought it was the Androscoggin, but Jack corrected me. My bad.

Jack also remembers going to Durham with his father and Bob Elcik’s father, George, to Bob’s grandfather’s house, John Elcik. That’s where they learned to smoke kielbasa from Bob’s grandfather. They would do that so they could have Kielbasa for Christmas. It was a Slovak tradition.

I have yet to record Jack’s family on Ancestry. I have all the information I need, need. I also need to “fix” all my Purinton, Goddard, Day mistakes. I had day surgery last Friday and have been a little “under the weather” since then. I’m feeling better and will “get back at it” in a few days.

I’m still thinking, as I believe you are too, there’s a connection between the two Elcik families. Maybe grand or great grandfathers were brothers??? The problem is, we can’t find any records stating that. Some day, just maybe someday, we will. To be continued.

Beth

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Elcik Family Tree

Wed 8/12/2020 12:04 AM

John, IV

I thought you might get a “kick” out of the smoking story; I know I did.

I just started adding the Elcik family tree to my Gamache tree on Ancestry. I still have a ways to go but will get there. I also have lots of Byras info, all handwritten, in my notebook, which I will eventually add. I have a childhood friend, Steven Byrus (yes, he spells his last name with a U instead of an A), and he has given me lots of info on the Byras family history. I have quite a few gravestone pictures of them and will send them to you if you’re interested. Give me a day or two to do that.

I want to thank you for getting me started on the Elcik family Ancestry. It was going to be my winter project, but thanks to you, it’s done now. I honestly don’t think I would have figured out a lot of it without your help. We make a great team.

Beth

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Re: Elcik Family Tree

Life Story

Thursday, August 13, 2020, 10:46 PM

John,

I will keep up with the Ancestry progress and will stay in touch. I noticed a couple of mistakes in your Blood Relatives tree and made the corrections. It was in the Lucas family. You had Rosemary as one of the Lucas children, BUT she is Rodney’s wife. I also added John’s wife’s maiden name. She was a Grondin and is related to Jack through his father. He’s a cousin to John (he goes by Pete) AND to Lorraine.

The kielbasa recipe came from George Elcik, and the homebrew recipe came from Jack’s grandfather, Edmond.

Jack and his dad, George, and Bob, went to Durham to smoke the kielbasa because John Ilcik had a smokehouse. After John died, George asked Jack’s dad to smoke the kielbasa at his house.

Jack remembers his dad making homebrew. We used to make it too, but that was many years ago. We had the recipe, but we don’t know where it is now. Yes, it was strong, and his father loved it!!

So there ‘ya go!! Another mystery solved!!

Good news all around,

Beth

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Re: Joseph Elcik

Friday, August 14, 2020, 11:51 PM

John, IV,

Here I go again, a bit puzzled. In the 1940 census, Joseph and Rose had 2 sons, John & James. Is Joseph in this email, James’ son?? If so, then John died last year, and there was another younger brother, Richard, who died several years ago, and a sister (he didn’t mention her name just that she’s his aunt.) That would mean Richard and a sister were born after 1940. Am I right or wrong or just really messed up about this??

Beth