Dr. John Elcik

Posted on July 7, 2020February 20, 2021 by Dr. John P. Elcik, IV — Leave a comment

Judy Lakkis and the Spivak Family Tree

Tue 7/7/2020 1:12 PM

Judith,

First, I hope all is well with you. Distant, or not, I like to think we are family.

You have been most kind by responding to my belated outreach.

Wow! How disappointing for you to have lost the data after your hard work and the expense. I feel somewhat guilty that I was not more receptive at the time. But you are wise in realizing that interests change, and I respect that.

Interestingly, I have found that building my family tree is a real challenge. It turns out, based on Census data, that three Elcik families immigrated to the United States from Austria. I can only confirm two are directly related despite the similarity of names and country of origin. Third, if it is related, the relationship will only be discovered through research in Austria. I probably won’t have the resources to take that journey. But it would be fun. ?

Nevertheless, I am tracking what I can for the third family and have added your husband into the tree as unassigned individuals for further research, someday.

When I attempted to build your family tree, I may have found data on your husband and father. We never identified him by name. Is your husband Howard B. Spivak born 1 Mar 1949? And could his father be Thoma Spivak, who passed 5 Sept 1960 in Connecticut?

I also was interested in finding your information, but I could not identify your records without your maiden name and birthdate. Likely candidates were not born in Connecticut, which I believe you said you were. If you wish to share your information with me, I may someday surprise you with results you aren’t expecting. ? No promises, but I will try.

Also, curiosity compels me to ask. Is the user account on “Find a Grave” yours? If so, it was a wonderful thing you did for others.

Warmest regards,

John, IV

Posted on July 8, 2020March 27, 2021 by Dr. John P. Elcik, IV — Leave a comment

Find a Grave

Wed 7/8/2020 10:28 PM

Judy,

Wow! Your experiences with “Find a Grave” would have frightened any sane person. No, wonder you stopped. I am glad, however, that you had a couple of positive experiences. It was an excellent service you provided. Even more, people appreciated it, I’m sure. I’m not big on travel (I miss cruising), but when I did, I needed my GPS. Your challenge to locate the right gravesite may be as difficult, or more so than the hunt for distant relations. There would be the satisfaction of knowing you got right, which I bet for you happened frequently.

I’m struggling with a decision on which pictures to put into the Ancestry database. Based on what I think others are doing, a profile picture and the gravestone is all that most folks do. And for some, the headstone becomes the profile picture. Funny, without the examples, I don’t know if I would have thought to use images of the gravestones.

I was initially going to post many pictures, but have decided against it. The Image Gallery doesn’t function like a scrapbook. Instead, one must select a picture one-at-a-time to view them properly.

I have learned how to build websites in my retirement, and I think I will update and expand mine: www.mycousins.org. The difference between a private website and Facebook (aside from privacy) is the opportunity to curate the contents. I’m finding my Facebook contacts publish photos of fair, and only occasionally better quality.

As a photographer, you must notice this. One advantage of my newly developed web design skills is that I am becoming skilled at manipulating images to improve them. Often just cropping a photo makes it more interesting. I was a marketer before I retired, but my creativity was limited to hiring talent. Web design allows me to try my ideas. It has led me to build two websites for my wife, Pam: www.princessofcrafts.com & www.beadedneckaces.com. If you have the time, please check any of them out. Enjoy!

Thanks for sharing,

John, IV

Posted on July 10, 2020September 22, 2020 by Dr. John P. Elcik, IV — Leave a comment

Would I Research Other Surnames?

Fri 7/10/2020 5:24 PM

All,

What would it take for me to research another surname?

It helps if I had some data to work with…

I could extend the research to Del Moral, Duryea, Flickinger, Grap, McMahan, and or Portell; if I had the
names and birthdates of siblings and parents.

And yes, I know it is early, for some of you to think about this.

John

Posted on July 11, 2020September 22, 2020 by Dr. John P. Elcik, IV — Leave a comment

My Family Tree Project

Sat 7/11/2020 8:32 AM

All,

Facts are never enough. Knowing that our ancestors came here from Austria/Hungary does not definitively tell us the motivations. And changes in the spelling of surnames or given names are not necessarily done to make them fit better into their new lives in America. Sometimes, it is just a misspelling on a public document.

The motivation for immigration to America in the late 1800s is unknown. I have speculated it was both political and economic, given the timing and events in history. Census data records the early arrivals working as laborers in construction, wool, and paper mills, suggesting that economics may have been a factor. There are no first-hand accounts yet to tell us to what extent economics or politics played in immigration.

In researching the Elcik surname, I discovered that the name in official documents (Birth, Census, Marriage, and Death records) spelled “Elick” or “Elsik.” Is this a misspelling or a thoughtful name change? I don’t know. Certainly, misspellings occur. The transformation of Mary Elcik into “Marie” is the most obvious.

John

P.S. The three emails I have mailed you are published (with edits) in the family tree to document the journey.

Posted on July 11, 2020March 25, 2021 by Dr. John P. Elcik, IV — Leave a comment

The Spelling of our Last Name

Sat 7/11/2020 4:38 PM

Jim & Jeff,

I realized after the last message that there is a follow-up to the story in why today we spell our name “Elcik.”

If we look at the history of usage based on United States Federal Census data, we learn:

In 1910 Sr. had his surname recorded as “Elsik” while Jr. and the rest of the family were written as “Elcik.”
In 1920 Jr’s and family had their surname recorded as “Elcih.”
In 1930 and 1940, John III’s and family had their surname recorded as Elick”. It, of course, predates our birth.
Today the surname is used as “Elcik.”

It looks like our Dad over several decades, used “Elick” as our surname, but with our generation, he and we have gone back to our roots by using “Elcik.” Recall that I said the “Elick” spelling was used for Dad’s siblings: Madelyn, Gertrude, Mary, Richard, and Elinor. I was also of interest that “Madelyn” and “Elinor” eventually become “Madeline” and “Eleanor,” respectively. When overtime names change, it becomes increasingly difficult to be sure you have been recording them right. ?

One final mystery. Until I got the dates right the John Elcik, who was born in 1886, was incorrectly finding his way onto our tree. First, we know John P. Elcik, Jr. was born in 1896. I doubt as a ten-year-old, he fathered a child. The mystery is solved with the 1910 United States Census. Both the “Elsik” and the “Elcik” spellings are used within the same household.

Finally, one other surname has been a source of frustration. John “Elsik’s” wife Mary Pelcarskey had has also been recorded as “Maria Ilcik.” Ouch!

Inquiring minds wanted to know. So, as Paul Harvey used to say, “That is the rest of the story.”

John

[All this research and I can’t answer for the way we pronounce “Elcik” as “El-check.” I do vaguely recall having uttered it “Elsick” when I was young. I also remember saying, “check, like in Czechoslovakia.” Could kids in school have been bullying us? Maybe. – Dr. John P. Elcik, IV, Editor]

Posted on July 11, 2020March 25, 2021 by Dr. John P. Elcik, IV — Leave a comment

Ancestry Software Needs Enhancements

Sat 7/11/2020 6:20 PM

Jeff,

If you or Jim decide to take on a trial of the Ancestry.com software, you might get a kick out of this listing of enhancements I will be submitting. ?

I’m a fan of the Ancestory.com product. Thank you!

As a former software analyst, I would love to submit several suggestions. Do you accept feedback? If so, where should it be sent?

The following suggestions are in order of those I think would generally help the most.

Ease-of-use and easy-to-use are not the same. Some actions require eliminating repetitive steps. The most annoying is searching for an individual. Not counting entering the name, to search for an individual takes five clicks every time I use the Leaf on the top menu. Find a Person ought to be a top-level menu option. And yes, I do realize that using the tree sometimes is more straightforward.
The five hints shown from the Leaf on the top right-hand menu is too many. Too often, and especially when you have a system message, the menu must be scrolled to show all hints and gain access to searching for an individual. Please give us a settings option to change the number of hints displayed or put the Show all Hints at the top of the list.
The List of All People is hidden. I love it now that found it. But it has shortcomings. It only sorts by name. It should also be sortable by birth-date or death-date order.
Word and PDF documents can only be downloaded, not displayed to screen. Do I take the time to create a LifeStory and delete the Word and PDF copies? Time permitting, I sometimes do. Ouch!
It is nice to view the full gallery of images and pick a type of media. But there is no way to search the media. Ouch! It would help if you could sort the full gallery like you can sort the gallery of an individual’s record. Search and sort options are needed. Sort options need to include by-event-date. An event-date sort for LifeStory documents helps establish a timeline. Also, gallery photos should display without the necessity to click on every picture to see the full image. The labels should be under a photo, not on it.
Ancestry’s HINTs is a powerful feature, but mistakes can happen. A box of explanations (similar to those offered for ignored hints) is needed when we make a manual reversal. Optionally, to do a reset on the “history” of Ancestry hints would work. Of course, In both situations, I know data must be manually corrected.
LifeStory options should display and use “when the story took place” as the default or an optional sort-by-date. The current sort-by-date-entered has value, but it shouldn’t be the only option.
A “pet” relationship would be appreciated. Pets are essential for many of us, but I don’t think we should use family relationships for them.
We need a Site profile in addition to the Personal Profile. It is a place to provide general site narratives and updates. The present limit of a couple of sentences in the Personal Profile is ok for displaying to the public. It doesn’t address the need for detailed information and summary updates for users as the site grows. One option is to place Site Profile as a top-level menu item and map it to a user-selected URL.
A font solution setup to give users overall control of website and document fonts would welcome enhancement. Some of us, not all, need larger or a more readable font.
The statistical summary should also count the number of web links. Do this if for no other reason than it acts as a friendly reminder that web links are useful. I don’t have any audio or video yet, but I think about it every time I review stats.
You have the best Reports on the Market. I love your LifeStory and Facts reports, but it took me a long time to find the Family Group Sheet. I would relocate it beside your other two World-Class reports.

Thank you for listening.

Dr. John P. Elcik, IV
Retired Systems Analyst

https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Providing-Feedback-About-Ancestry

Posted on July 15, 2020March 28, 2021 by Dr. John P. Elcik, IV — Leave a comment

Facebook Chat – John Elcik (Florida) and John Elcik (New York)

July 15, 2020, through July 19, 2020

July 15, 2020, 7:20 AM

John Elcik (Florida) – Would you or a member of the family be interested in some ancestry research I’m doing? I have a real mystery to solve and could use another person’s opinion. It could be fun. I can provide additional details, and there is no obligation after you see the question and analysis I have done. Warmest regards, John P.S. if you prefer email for this, my address is johnelcik@msn.com

July 16, 2020, 1:42 PM

John Elcik (New York) – Hi John. I would be interested! I know there must be some relation between us since the last name Elcik is not common and our relatives came from Lisbon Falls. If there’s anything I can do to help with the research or anything you want to show me, probably the best way to reach me is at my work email since I am always at work, my email at work is John.Elcik@dfa.state.ny.us. Also, I don’t mind you using the instant messenger on Facebook.

July 18, 2020, 7:32 AM

My grandfather Andrew Elcik was born in Lisbon Falls on a farm in 1911. He eventually settled in New York City and raised his family in Queens, New York. My father just recently passed away, was also named John Elcik. My father’s brother Andrew Elcik is still alive and lives in Plainview. I know there is a very direct relationship here.

John Elcik (Florida) – I’m going to use the email address as I don’t know how to attach documents to the messenger. ? I’m sending two emails initially, but please don’t feel you need to respond right away other than a short note to say you get them. I agree we are related, but I’ve been years in coming up with my theory on why it has been so difficult to prove. The first email will have five documents. It would be beneficial to read them in the order I created them, so I have given each a number. The second email will be an invitation to access the Family Tree on Ancestory.com. They offer free 15-day trials. I’m looking forward to this. Enjoy!

John Elcik (New York) – Great, sounds good, John ?

John Elcik (Florida) – Can you read your work email from home? If not, I sent a new update that may invalidate much of my work, depending on whether it was your grandfather or an older relative that went through Ellis Island. If it was your grandfather, It may invalidate my theory that your grandparents arrived here in the early 1900s. Your grandfather would have come sometime in the 1940-50s. My hope will then ride on a Europen connection between the families. More difficult to prove but just as real to me. ?

Having read more about the economic and political turmoil in Europe, it makes sense if family ties were forged before we got here. There probably were a dozen or more “waves” of immigration over a hundred years. I got caught up in the close timing between two of the arrivals, just 15 years apart. And there is also the Lisbon Falls connection.

John Elcik (New York) – My great grandparents arrived in the early 1900s. I know that for fact and then settled in Lisbon Falls, Maine. John, according to the tree, you are confusing my dad as my grandfather! My father is John Elcik, and he was born in 1943 died in 2018 my grandfather was Andrew Elcik, born in Lisbon Falls, Maine 1911, died in 1995. I was born in 1965, and I am also John Elcik, as you know! Since you are in your 60’s, your generation is somewhere between my dad and me!

John Elcik (Florida) – I have a lot more info to send you, But I have to get organized, and I will forward it to you. I have access to my work email at home, but I’m not going to be home much this weekend. I may not get to look at it until Monday! There are a lot of things you had correct. My great grandfather John Elcik did die in 1962, so you have that right!

John Elcik (New York) – Because of a lack of work up in Maine during the Great Depression, my grandfather Andrew Elcik came to NYC in about 1932. He settled in Queens, NY! He married an Italian American, Jeannie Pascarella! My grandparents had two children (my dad) John Elcik, born in 1943, and my uncle Andrew Elcik born in 1941. Both my dad and uncle settled on Long Island, where we remain! I have a sister Karen (Elcik) McDonald, born in 1968! My uncle Andrew had three children; Christine was born in 1965, Andrew born in 1967, and Jacqueline was born in 1970.

July 19, 2020, 3:05 AM

John Elcik (Florida) – Curiosity killed the cat; satisfaction brought it back. Can you point me to a relatively current picture? Who is Nicholas?

John Elcik (New York) – Nicholas is my son born in 2001, and Katherine is my daughter born in 2005. I have two children, and my wife is Deborah Elcik (Polak ) Born 1968! Whose recent picture would you like me to send to you ???

John Elcik (Florida) – I think I have been confusing Nicholas and you. Silly, I know. The pictures of John J. got me confused. I believe now you are the guy with glasses, and you have Nicolas’s image on the cover of Facebook? If so, I think you are about 15 years my junior? I was born in 1952.

John Elcik (New York) – I am the older guy with glasses. My son Nick is young, only 19! More confusing is I am John Elcik, and my dad was John J Elcik. No Sr. or Jr. stuff to worry about.

John Elcik (Florida) – My son is the V. Tremendous social pressure! J.P., as we call him, is getting married this year. Talk about pressure. ?

John Elcik (New York) – Wow, congrats I got married older, so my kids are still pretty young.

John Elcik (Florida) – This explains the reaction to my brother’s picture. I thought I was talking to glasses until I saw the cover photo. ? I’ve got to go. Pam is calling. Talk another time again. Have a great day!