Category: Slovak

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Are You an Author?

Tue 9/15/2020 9:31 PM

John,

I believe you’re an author even if you haven’t “published” any books. I talked to Eugene Elcik on the phone about his family, and his father is Andrew Elcik, your grandfather, John P Elcik’s brother. (I’m thinking you know that.) When I talked to him, he told me he’s currently writing a second book on Shiloh. I read the first one very interesting. I plan to call him again and ask him if he remembers the Durham Elciks.

I’m still working on the identity of the Karkos photo you sent me. I sent it to Pam Karkos Lizotte, and she’ll show it to her father, George Karkos. I haven’t heard back from her. I have a neighbor I talked to about the picture, hoping he may know some of them. I also gave two copies of the image to a friend of ours, John Piela, who owns Lisbon Fuel. He’s 82, still working, and came to our house to service our oil tank. We were making the Loksa, and he said his mother used to make it, and he ate it as fast as she could make it. He started talking in Slovak and didn’t think anyone knew how to make Loksa anymore. I told him I learned how to make it from Jack’s mom (which is true), and she was Slovak. He said his family would put sugar on it or maple syrup. We gave him a piece, and he loved it!!

If you and Bill Cizmar became friends, I know you’d have lots in common. He loves Ancestry and spends most of his time doing all kinds of research there. He knows way more about it than I do and is one of my good friends at the Historical Society. He lives in CA with his wife. Bill is from Lisbon and knows lots of Lisbon history. If you’ve ever seen Lisbon Maine Ancestors in the HINTS, that’s him. He researched all the people born in Lisbon and created that site. He and his wife (a Durham native) come to Maine every summer, and he comes to the Historical Society every Thursday, which is the only day we’re open. I’ve mentioned your name to him in our emails about our working on Ancestry together—just a little history.

I’ll keep working on the identity of the people in the Karkos picture. Nothing yet, but I’m curious.

Beth

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LinkedIn Chat – Joseph Elcik and John Elcik

September 20, 2020, 11:47 AM

Joseph – As my father is James Elcik and was the middle child, Jack (John) passed away last year, and his younger brother Richard passed several years ago. Mother was Rose, and Father was Joseph Elcik. Unusual for myself, my mother is Slovakian and even more remarkable, my wife is 3/4 Slovakian. Somewhere with either my father or aunt is an Elcik family tree book. I have only seen it once. If I do come across, perhaps I can copy and send out.

John – I just researched James and his brother John for my only other New York Contact.

Joseph – James is my father, and John (Jack) was my uncle. Joseph Elcik was my grandfather..from Maine by way of Brooklyn.

John – John J. Elcik (1931) was getting confused with John J. Elcik (1943). John J. of Rocky Point, who recently passed.

Joseph – Sorry, do have to run to a meeting. I do have your email and will try to get you the family tree.

Joseph – John J. was a retired police officer if my memory serves.

John – May I have your email address?

Joseph – Yes, for personal use… kikjo@aol.com.

John – Wonderful

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Joseph Elcik Joins Our Ancestry Group

September 20, 2020, at 7:07 PM

Joseph – John, are your relatives from Lisbon Falls? There are not that many Elcik’s.

John – Yes. Joseph, if you are interested, I can share my research into our Elcik surname. I’ve been researching connections between two waves of immigrants in the 1880s. The families share a common heritage (Austria/Hungary/Slovakia), surname, and given names, specifically Andrew, George, James, John, Joseph, and Michael. We all settled initially in Lisbon Falls or Durham, Maine. It may not be possible to link the families with U.S. data alone, so I have expanded my search to European sources. Information is scarce, and I’m handicapped, not knowing the Slovak language. Nevertheless, I have discovered a lot and am willing to share it.

Joseph – As my father is James Elcik and was the middle child, Jack (John) passed away last year, and his younger brother Richard passed several years ago. Mother was Rose, and Father was Joseph Elcik. Unusual for myself, my mother is Slovakian and even more unique; my wife is 3/4 Slovakian. Somewhere with either my father or aunt is an Elcik family tree book. I have only seen it once. If I do come across it, perhaps I can copy and send it out.

John – Wow.

Joseph – Joseph Elcik was my grandfather..from Maine by way of Brooklyn.

John – I just researched James and his brother John for my only other New York Contact.

Joseph – James is my father, and John (Jack) was my uncle.

John – Your John J Elcik (1931)  was getting confused with John J. Elcik (194?).  John J. of Rocky Point, who recently passed.

Joseph – John J. was a retired police officer, if my memory serves.

John – Wonderful.

Joseph – Sorry, I do have to run to a meeting. I do have your email and will try to get you the family tree.

John –  May I have your email address?
Joseph – Yes, for personal use, it’s kikjo@aol.com. My phone is a little screwy today.

John – Just as well, I’m getting adjusting to new hearing aids. 🙂

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John Ilcik Obituary

Sun 9/20/2020 7:54 PM

John,

While you’ve been busy and focused on a special project, I’ve been in contact with another friend at the Historical Society. He has found an obituary for John Ilcik. I’ll forward the email to you.

I talked to a cousin of Jack’s who speaks Slovak and can interpret the meanings of the Slovak words on the gravestones. He also grew up in the neighborhood with some Karkos families.

I know you’re not on Ancestry but I am and will continue to do so. I’m trying to fill in some of the”holes” we have in the Elcik and Karkos family trees.

We’re moving on,

Beth

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Slovak Translations

Monday, September 21, 2020, 10:02 PM

John, IV,

I’m exchanging text messages with a cousin of Jack’s, Dan Gamache. He speaks Slovak and has interpreted some of the Slovak words on gravestones. He also knows a couple of people in the John Stephen Karkos photo. Joseph is the father of my good friend in high school, Pat Karkos. I knew him but didn’t recognize him in the picture because he was younger then. Also, two other men in the picture, Stephan and Andrew, were the fathers of two other Karkos families in Lisbon Falls. Stephan’s son was Steve Karkos, and I went to school with him, and Andrew’s son was Norm Karkos, and Jack went to school with him. Dan Gamache lived on the same street as all three Karkos families.

On the Ilcik gravestone, Rod is an abbreviation for born, Zom means died, Jeho Jenna means wife. Those words are on other gravestones as well. I always wondered what they meant, and now I know, and you do too.

Beth

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Mission Impossible

Wed Sep 23, 2020, 04:03 AM

Beth,

Your mission, Beth, should you choose/decide to accept it is to transcribe and translate a Slovak Nursery Rhyme. As always, should you or any of your Impossible Mission (IM) Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This email will self-destruct in five/ten seconds.
Seriously, Beth, the attached image is of the 1st page of Wanda’s letter to Becky. It is in bad shape but has more than sentimental value. In the letter, my Dad writes the words to the Slovak nursery rhyme that he and Uncle Richard sang at your house.
Once again, we (I) need your contacts in high places.

John, IV

P.S. Years ago, the television show Mission Impossible always began with a scene in which the team leader, Mr. Phelps, would receive a tape describing his next mission. The tape invariably began, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”