Category: Slovak

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Elcik New York History


Sat 7/18/2020 12:58 PM

Hello John,

My grandfather Andrew Elcik was born here in Lisbon Falls, Maine in 1911 ( died 1995 on Long Island ), and it was my great grandfather John Ilcik who came here thru Ellis Island in the early 1900s (don’t have an exact date but early 1900’s NOT 1940’s or 50’s. All they know is it was spelled “Ilcik” in Europe (Austria-Hungarian empire what is now the Czech Republic). It was changed by mistake at Ellis Island when they just put it down wrong (not on Purpose). We are Slovak and Not Czech, and my grandfather Andrew and Great grandfather spoke the language.

As I shared with you on Facebook, my father is John Elcik, born in 1943 in Queens, NY, and died in 2018. You have the correct year of 1962, when I believe my great grandfather died. If you did not see it on Facebook, my grandfather Andrew Elcik came to NYC between 1929 ā€“ 1932 because he could not find work at the paper mill anymore due to the great depression. He ended up working for Bryers Ice cream for 40 years. He married Jeannie Pascarella around 1939 and had two sons Andrew Elcik born in 1941, and my dad John Elcik born in 1943.

My uncle is still alive but hazy about the family’s past. I wish my dad John Elcik was alive because he could help solve this mystery. My uncle Andrew Elcik had three children Christine born 1965, Andrew born 1967, and Jaqueline, born 1970 or 71. We have pictures of my great grandparents and grandfather from Lisbon Falls, which I will eventually scan to you. We will eventually figure out the direct link.

More to come.

John Elcik (NY)

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My DNA Story

DNA


Mon 7/20/2020 2:40 PM

John NY,

In June 2011, Judy Lakkis reached out to me, asking if I would take a DNA test to confirm if her father was related to my family. She was very nice about it. She had DNA results that suggested a match but needed more DNA markers, to be sure. The DNA test she wanted would not work with her DNA.

Some ancestry tests use male Y-DNA to trace paternal ancestry and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to trace maternal ancestry. While both men and women inherit mtDNA from their mother, only those born males inherit Y-DNA from their father. Men can easily trace their maternal and paternal ancestry using their DNA. Females need a male paternal relative to take a male haplogroup test on their behalf. Source: DNA Testing Choice

I wasn’t interested even when she offered to pay for the test. She understood the timing was not right for me.

Recently (9 years later), I reached out to her and asked if she was still interested? I was ready and willing to take and pay for my test. Here is her response.

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FTDNA states that they don’t have a record of my father’s Y DNA, so I tried to search my old files ( copies), and I must have disposed of them as FTDNA did. (see attachment).

My father passed in 2009, so I used his hearing aids to get the DNA. FTDNA wanted more money, so they deleted what I DID have. Too much!!!!!!!

Ten years ago, I was very interested, but now I have lost interest.

I checked my autosomal DNA, and your name did not appear, so I guess we are in a very distant relationship.

Have fun now that you have the time.

DNA is fascinating

Best Wishes

Judy

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Judy’s DNA interests led to her using her photography skills to take photos of graves for the website FIND A GRAVE. Her stories about this were fascinating. I commend her efforts. I’m also disappointed that I didn’t help when I could.

Before contacting her again, I researched the firms that do DNA research. All the big ones are good. The determining factor is probably which firm has the largest Slovak data pool and which test focuses on finding matches. That appears to be Family Tree, the same firm Judy used. Believe it, or not some tests are more geared towards ethnicity or predicting health issues.

Yes, I’m willing to do this, but NO social pressure from me. I already think of us as an extended family.

John, IV

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Background Information

July 21, 2020

Beth,

My site combines all the trees. Your practice of smaller trees makes better sense. The Skillin (Mom’s side) just blew mine up. Somehow I got a lot of ancient records. I’m investigating. šŸ™‚

You show the father of John P. Elcik, Jr. (married to Mary Byras) to be Andrew Walker Elcik (1925-2000). Working off the 1910 Census, I concluded that John, Jr.’s father to be John Elsik (1866-1941) Sr. What do you think? The spouse for John, Sr. is giving me a headache. Two names: Mary Jonek and Mary Helen Parcheky, are candidates, but dates are part of the problem. Still researching. Several Stories show my journey that can be found in the Gallery on my record.

My current operating theory is that there have been at least three waves of immigrants arriving in America with the same or similar surnames.

  1. John Elcik (1886-1982) married to Mary Jeho Zena Jonek (1887-1951). John immigrated in 1905, and Mary immigrated a year later in 1906.) Ancestry says John is the husband of a great-aunt.
  2. John Elsik (1866-1941) married Mary Helen Parcheky (1875-1936) through whom I, Dad, and John, Jr. are descended. In the 1910 Census, he changed the name from Elsik to Elcik for everyone but himself. John Immigrated in 1891 and Mary in 1896. 2 sources verify both immigrations. Ancestry says John is my great-grandfather.
  3. Andrew J. Elcik (1911-1995) married Jeannie Pascarella through whom many of the New York Elcik’s are descended. He came to America through Elis Island in the late ’30s or early ’40s, and the name was changed to Elcik from Ilcik. Ancestry has found no family links. He could be “stepson of a great-aunt,” I am still researching.

Confused yet? I believe all three families will be shown as related, if and when we “jump the pond” to Europe. We all come from Europe (Austria/Hungry), spoke Slovak, and had a Catholic upbringing.

Another item of interest. The name was spelled Elcik in the 1910 Census but was spelled Elick in the 1930 and 1940 Censuses. The 1950 Census has yet to be published. I need to change them to Elcik as the preferred spelling, but several records may still show Elick. I plan on leaving Elcik, Sr. as Elsik as it is the spelling that I hope to get results with outside the U.S.

I’m showing Andrew W. Elcik, Jr. (1953-2016) as my 2nd Cousin and Andrew John Elcik (1911-1951) as the stepson of a great-aunt. This is an ideal example to show the difficulties that similar names cause us. Andrew J. Elcik (18 Nov 1911-16 MAR 1995) and Andrew John Elcik (26 OCT 1911-04 APR 1951) is an actual research problem for me. Andrew J. is the grandfather of my Elcik contact in New York, while Andrew John Elcik is a known relative. Thus, I have just told the New York John Elcik that I can’t show a family connection, yet. But I am having fun.

I sent you two pictures and 3 documents through the mail. I don’t think documents can be exchanged within Ancestry’s new Messenger service.

John, IV

P.S. Someday, ask me about my DNA story.

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DNA Testing

DNA


Tue, Jul 21, 2020, at 8:29 PM

Judy,

Ouch! I feel your pain.

Educate me. Which test do you want to do?

I had been looking at the Family Tree tests until you had such a bad experience. They also had been at the top of my list as they appear to have more Slovak DNA than the other big names. Relatively, few Europeans take DNA tests with our American companies. Or so Iā€™m told.

Does Ancestry offer one test, or do they have options?

How is the new test different? What results are you looking for?

Warmest regards,

John

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Our Ties to Western Europe

Wed 7/22/2020 12:02 PM

All.

The Elcik’s in our Family tree can be said to originate from Western Europe. Their individual responses in Census reports, etc. may be due as much to economics and politics as to specific geography. How they identified is as follows:

  • Czech Republic (14)
  • Austria (13)
  • Austria-Hungary (4)
  • Hungary (4)
  • Slovakia (4)
  • Austria-Slovakia (3)

John, IV

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Re: The Elcik Family Tree

July 24, 2020, 02:27 PM

Beth,

First, I think you are awesome. What you have done is incredible. Your work ethic in getting so much done is incredible. It, too, must be DNA. šŸ™‚ I had a Facebook conversation with Janet (Lucas) about her parents and how I remember them as hard working. It is nice to know our children are inheriting these genes.

Karkos is a name I know from my research. I will eMail you something about him as soon as I find it. šŸ™‚ Please let me know when you get the email. I tried adding a picture at the last minute. Its file is larger than some eMail program support. šŸ™‚ 

One more question? Can you find out if Annie’s parents came from Parhovjani S, Czechoslovakia? What can she or Terry tell us about how the name would have been spelled in Europe? Elsik? Or something else? You have access to a goldmine of information. Awesome! You are making my day, week, month, year… and more!

Beth, I love the information about our family that we find out in our research. But truthfully, without the software tools, this would have been too much for me to handle. You are the real expert. Interviewing to collect data. That is over the moon. I’m taking a bulldozer approach with software tools, and I feel like the proverbial bull in a china shop. I hope not to break anything.

I’m coming to a “radical” opinion about some of this. I’m beginning to see what we do as a project to PRESERVE FAMILY HISTORY first, and as an ancestry research project second, if at all. Could this shift in goal get us more support? I’m giving thought to ways we can collaborate more. I’m getting so much from this. THANK YOU!

I’m willing to bet that Terry would love to have a copy of Annie’s photo. She is about 5 years old. šŸ™‚

John, IV