Category: Slovak

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Re: Doctors Appointments

 
Wed 10/14/2020 5:13 PM
 
John, IV,
 
My doctor’s appointments went well.  I’m waiting for the hospital to schedule a stress test my cardiologist recommended.  Blood pressure, Blood work was all good, but there’s a gray area where they need to find out why I’m having shortness of breath after walking, going up a flight of stairs, etc.  We’re not sure if it’s coming from my neck or is a cardio issue.  We need to rule that out at this point.
 
I start PT tomorrow and am hoping that’ll help.  I’ve done this in the past, and it always does.  I’m anxious to get started.
 
I’m fine helping you with the eBook.  I wish we could figure out the Elcik family, especially if the Durham and Lisbon Falls Elciks are related somehow and if John and Joseph are brothers.  When I talked to Gene Elcik today, he said at the time the Slovak/Czechs began migrating to this country, Hitler was in power, and all those records were destroyed.  That’s why there aren’t any records available.  I just remembered someone else who may be able to help.  Her name is Patsy Armstrong (married name).  Her grandmother was Mary Elcik, your grandfather John’s sister.  Mary married Mike Dutko.  They had 3 children, Helen, Regina, and Mary.  Patsy’s mother was Helen.  She lives down the st from us.  I called her way back when about the Elcik family.  She may know the connection to Paul Joseph Elcik Sr, Paul Joseph Elcik Jr., and Mary A Elcik (not your grandfather’s sister Mary.)  Have I told you before that I drive myself “CRAZY” with this stuff!!!!
 
I also need to finish my Purinton/Day/Goddard family tree on Family Tree Maker.  I want to print it, but I am not totally familiar with how I want to do that.  I was working on that when we connected, and I went back to the Elcik/Byras/Gamache trees.  I had done a lot of that before we got involved, but I DO want to finish.  I get bogged down with technology, and then frustration sets in.  
 
If only I were as smart as you!!
 
Beth
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Eugene Elcik, Novelist with a Maine flavor!

Sat 10/17/2020 3:21 PM
My father, Andrew, J; my brother, Andrew W. II; his son Andrew Elciks III. (all deceased)
Keep up the SEARCH,
Gene
Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Pelcarsky Puzzle

 
Sun 10/18/2020 11:23 PM
 

The Pelcarsky Puzzle

 
We theorize that Mary and Maria are probably different people; however, Marie’s records have become intertwined with Mary’s on some public family trees. We suspect the women could be sisters born 5 years apart in 1870 and 1875, respectively.
 

They Are Not Sisters 

 
Our sister’s theory was wrong as both birth years apply only to Mary Pelcarsky.  The abt 1875 birthdate in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census was an estimate.  Her actual birthdate is 6 NOV 1870.
 

There Are Two Different Women

 
We were correct that there are two different women. Mary was born in 1870, and Maria Anna was born in 1927:
 
Mary (Pelcarsky) Elsik was born on 6 NOV 1870 in Austria (or Czechoslovakia). She married John Elsik, Sr. (1866), and they have three sons: John, Jr, Mike, and Andrew; three daughters: Mary, Annie, and Lizzie.  The source is the 1910 U.S. Census. She died 23 AUG 1936. This is my great grandparents and family.
 
Maria Anna Pelcarsky was born in 1927 as calculated from the Ohio Death Index; she died on 12 OCT 1983 according to the same Index;  Maria Pelcarsky married Paul Ilcik. They have a daughter Annie Ilcik. The source is the 19 JUN 1911 Marriage record of Annie Ilcik to Andrew Basala. Paul and Annie are what you and I are calling Durham Elcik’s.
 

The History Behind 4 Pelcarsky Marriages

 
Mary Pelcarsky (1870) married John Elcik, Sr. (1866). They both were born in Austria. They have three sons: John, Jr, Mike, and Andrew; three daughters: Mary, Annie, and Lizzie. This is my great grandfather and family. The source is the 1910 U.S. Census.  
 
Maria Pelcarsky married Paul Ilcik, and they have a daughter Annie Ilcik. The source is the 19 JUN 1911 Marriage record of Annie Ilcik to Andrew Basala.
 
Anna “Annie” Pelcarsky (1848) married Joseph Paul Karkos (1867). She was born in Austria, and her parents were born in Slavonia. The source is the 11 APR 1921 marriage of Joseph Thomas Karkos and Mildred Aris Alexander. Other sources include the 1900 and 1920 U.S. Census.  There could be two relationships between the Pelcarsky and Karkos families. A second relationship is Annie Elcik (daughter of Mary Pelcarsky) marriage to George F. Karkos on 9 FEB 1925.
 
Mary Pelcarsky (1879) married Joseph Pelcarsky (1874). Both were born in Czechoslovakia. They have two sons: Joe and Edward; three daughters: Ann, Martha, and Rose. The source is the 1940 U.S. Census. There is no known relationship between Mary and the other three. I believe them to be unrelated to us. 
 

The Preferred Spelling is Pelcarsky

  • Pelcarsky – Mothers’s maiden name, according to Annie Elcik, wife of George F. Karkos.
  • Pelcarsky – Mother’s maiden name on 19 JUN 1911 Marriage record of Annie Ilcik to Andrew Basala.

6 Alternative Spellings

The maiden name for Mary Pelcarsky is different on the following records:

  • Mary Polscoke is John Elcik’s mother on his 20 FEB 1896 birth, Maine Vital Records
  • Mary Pelchascay is John Elcik’s mother on his marriage to Mary Byrus (sic), Maine Marriage Index
  • Mary Palcsak is Mary Elcik’s mother upon her 4 OCT 1915 wedding to John Dutko, Maine Marriage Index
  • Mary Pelesaky is Michael J. Elcik’s mother on his 1 AUG 1930 marriage to Annie H. Sero, Maine Marriage Index
  • Mary Polcarski is an unknown daughter’s mother on her 29 AUG 1910 birth, Maine Vital Records

Also, there is Mary Pelchaleky (Marie Pelcarsky) married to Paul Elcik, Sr., Maine Vital Records

Postscript

 
Yes, this one baffled me for a long time.
 
John, IV
Posted on by — Leave a comment

How Many Elcik’s Are a Lot?

 

Thu 10/22/2020 1:17 PM

Beth & Eugene,

I’m beginning to question if DNA will help break the wall between our European ancestors and us.

Beth, I told Eugene that there are a lot of us, Elcik’s. I may have been optimistic, however. At the time, I perceived there was a lot based on Google searches. But what number constitutes “a lot”?

I have found a website (forebears.io) that provides a fascinating picture of the distribution of the Family surname by country.  Keep in mind that there are at least 3 viable spellings of the Elcik surname to research.  And then there is Turkey, where Elcik may be pronounced differently.  It also had a specific meaning, i.e., it translates as “zipper.”

The following four links are of interest.

  • Slovakia (14), Czechia (1), Elčík Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History: Elcik
  • U.S. (240), Hungary (120), Austria (14), Elsik Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History: Elsik
  • Czechia (192), Slovakia (155), Ilčík Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History: Ilcik
  • Turkey (1,274), Elçik Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History: Elcik

I question whether DNA databanks will have many or any of our European ancestors in them with these numbers.  Add this to Eugene’s finding that the Nazi party destroyed most of Europe’s records, and our prospects are slim. He is right. The church kept records of birth, baptism, marriage, and death. Without their records, DNA, I thought, would be the ideal choice. Ouch!

A DNA test may not help us find European “cousins.” If, however, I can get one of the descendants of John Ilick to take the test with me, other information is possible. A secondary goal of my research has always been to see if we can connect the Ilcik and Elsik families.

  • John Elsik (1866-1941) is the preferred spelling of my Great-grandfather.
  • John Ilsik (1886-1962) is the preferred spelling of John Elcik’s (Rocky Point, NY) Great-grandfather.

A Y-111 test is the best DNA test to consider. It is designed specifically to confirm Y-chromosome matching between two living men. It is $250 each, i.e., more expensive than other DNA tests, so there may not be mutual interest in taking the test. I didn’t agree to it in 2009 when Judy (my friend and DNA expert) asked me to do it.  My mistake! I will reach out to Brian, John, Robert, and Stephen on Ancestry.com’s new messenger service to see who might be interested in he is interested.  But no social pressure. Lol.

Either way, I intend to take the $99 autosomal DNA test from Ancestry.com at the end of the year when it goes on sale for 40% off. Judy, my friend with Polish ancestors, is hoping it will establish a stronger family link between her and us. She no longer has access to male DNA for testing. Her initial DNA sample came from her deceased father’s hearing aids.  It suggested a link, but a more expensive test was recommended, and I wasn’t ready.  So, this is our best chance for her and me. This is the only DNA test that Ancestry.com supports for use with its Family Tree website.

I hope this will generate some interest. Here is to hope!

Regards,

John, IV

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Re: How Many Elcik’s Are a Lot?

 
Sun 10/25/2020 5:17 PM

John, IV,

Those are questions we may never know the answers to.  I believe that many families had mass immigration to the US because of persecution and other reasons.  Immigrants founded our country.  There are many more Slovak families that settled in Lisbon Falls beside the Elciks.  

 
Beth
Posted on by — Leave a comment

What is a Durham Elcik?

 
Wed 10/28/2020 8:17 PM
 
Beth,

 
I’m going to recommend that we do not use location to describe the differences between the two Elcik families immigrated to America.
 
I started by using New York as a description for John Elcik in Rocky Point, New York, and later we both changed that to Durham Elcik’s to reflect the common origins in Maine. Because of my father and his siblings, I always self-identified with Lisbon Falls. 
 
After a closer look, it would appear that both Elcik families immigrated to Durham, Maine, and are Durham Elcik’s.  John Elsik immigrated in 1891 and Mary Pelcarsky in 1896. John Ilcik immigrated in 1905 and Mary Maria Yonek a year later in 1906. Durham was a relatively small community of 1,625 people in 1910 and, by 1920, the population had shrunk to 1,144 people.
 
John Elsik, Sr. (1866-1941), and Mary Pelcarsky (1870-1936) were born in Austria and died in Lewiston, Maine. At least six of their seven children were born in Durham, Maine.
  • 1886 John Elcik, Jr.
  • 1897 Michael Joseph Elcik
  • 1899 Mary Anna Elcik
  • 1901 Andrew John Elcik
  • 1905 Annie Elcik
  • 1905 Elizabeth Elcik
  • 1910 Susan M. Elcik (location unknown)
John Ilcik (1886-1962) and Mary Maria Jonek (1887-1951) were born in Slovakia and Austria.  Both died in Lewiston, Maine. All five of their children were born in Durhan, Maine.
  • 1907 Joseph Elcik
  • 1908 John Ilcik, Jr.
  • 1911 Andrew John Elcik
  • 1915 George Michael Elcik
  • 1919 Marie E. Elcik
Both men and their wives died in Lewiston, Maine.
 
Subsequently, both families’ paths would take them in different geographic directions.
 
The offspring of John Elsik would have their children in Libson Falls, Maine. John Elcik, Jr.’s wife and all six of their children would be born in Lisbon Falls.
 
The offspring of John Ilcik would have their children in New York. The first in 1931 is John Joseph Elcik, the son of Joseph Elcik.
 
John Ilcik’s brother Paul Joseph Ilcik, Sr. (1896-1970) and his wife Mary A. Fabian (1891-1978) would have two children
  • 1915 Paul Joseph Elcik, Jr. (Durham)
  • 1917 Mary A. Elcik (Lisbon Falls)
Based on this new information, I find it less confusing if I refer to each family as the descendants of John Elsik or John Ilcik. John Elsik was the family that relocated to Lisbon Falls and John Ilcik, the family that relocated to New York. 
 
Both families would move on to other locations. At one point, we each had family in Butler County, Ohio. Pam and I lived in Fairfield, Ohio; simultaneously, Jacqueline Elcik lived close by. A piece of mail belonging to Jacqueline was delivered to my house by mistake when my mother, formerly Jacqueline Elcik, now Jacqueline Skillin, lived with us. It was a check which we deposited by honest mistake. Ouch!
 
That was easy, wasn’t it? Lol.
 
John Elcik, IV
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ancestry.com’s Messaging Platform

 
Tue 11/10/2020 12:54 PM
 
Beth,
 
I think 3 Ilcik-Elcik’s males are on Ancestry.com’s messaging platform: Brian, John, Robert, and Stephen.  
 
I’m reaching out to them to share what I am doing to encourage interest in the Elcik family history.
 
The following text is generically what each received with some personalization added to each message.
 
———–
Greetings,
 

I’m working on Genealogy brick wall scenarios related to the Elcik surname.

Two families came to America in the late 1888s or early 1900s. Today both families share the Elcik surname, Slovak heritage, and a Catholic background. Back then, the surnames were Elsik and Ilcik.
 
⦁ John Elsik (1866-1941) was married to Mary Pelcarsky (1875-1936). John immigrated to America in 1891, and Mary immigrated in 1896.
⦁ John Ilcik (1886-1982) was married to Mary Jeho Zena Jonek (1887-1951). John immigrated to America in 1905, and Mary immigrated a year later in 1906
 
I believe that there is a family relationship linking John Elsik to John Ilcik.
Finding the link has proven difficult as the church records in Europe most likely were destroyed in World War II.  
 
John Elsik (1866-1941) is my Great Grandfather.  
 
One possibility for finding the link between the two families is through a DNA test between two males, one from each family.
 
I’m looking to identify someone from the Ilick family who has or is willing to take a DNA test and share data.  There are two options: Ancestry.com is currently offering a 40% discount on its $99 test. It might be helpful. The better option when you seek a match between two living men is a Y-111 test. Admittedly, this is expensive at $250 for each participant.  
 
This is a chance to make history within the Elcik family. If you know someone who might be interested, please contact me. I’m looking for a hero. ?
 
Also, let me know if you want to be kept informed about the Elcik Family Tree. It is called My Cousins and includes data for both families. The tree has 2,650 people, 1,399 Photos, and 140 LifeStories. Access is by invitation only.  I’ll send one upon request.
 
Warmest regards,
Dr. John Paul Elcik, IV
Fort Myers, Florida
johnelcik@msn.com

————————–

I will send a shorter but similar outreach message to the females on the Messaging service: Christine, Janie, Jessica, Kaitlyn, Kathryn, Marcie, Nancy. Primary, I’m limiting outreach to those spelling our surname Elcik. As you might expect, none are using the Ilcik spelling. 
I hope to gain additional interest in our family history. Here’s to hope!
 
John, IV