Category: Slovak

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Terry L. Karkos, Maine Genealogist

 

November 19 at 1:38 PM.

[Terry L. Karkos is a former Staff writer, a photojournalist at Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine).  His genealogy website KarlosChronicles.com was one of the first Slovak websites I visited.  There I learned “that George F. Karkos was born in Lisbon Falls on September 11, 1899. He married Annie M. Elcik in Lisbon Falls on February 9, 1925. Annie, born in Durham, Maine, on April 10, 1905, to John and Mary (Pelcarsky) Elcik, died in Lisbon Falls on May 14, 1982. George died in Brunswick, Maine, on April 7, 1965.” Annie had a twin sister named
Elizabeth.” – Dr. John P. Elcik, IV – Editor]

John, IV – Do you know if there is a family relationship between Mary Pelcarsky (1875-1936) and Anna Pelcarsky Karkos (1877-1940? This would be the second relationship between Elcik and Karkos families as Annie M. Elcik (1905) married George F. Karkos in 1925.

Terry – No. I know Anna’s parents were Joseph Pelcarsky and Anna Belyan, though. Belyan was born c. 1848 and died in Lisbon Falls on March 1, 1938. Anna Pelcarsky was born 9-17-1877 in Parchovany, Slovakia. The funny thing is, Joseph K was 26 when he married 15-year-old Anna Pelcarsky. Wondering if it was an arranged marriage

John, IV – Thank you! This is the second time you have helped me. Years ago, when your website was active, I first learned about Annie Elcik from you. I hope you choose to bring your website back. It was well done. Warmest regards!

Terry – Working on bringing it back. I need to find a site to park it again. Thanks, John. Glad I could help

John, IV – I might be able to help. I have extra space on my SiteGround account. I could set up a WordPress site for you if you wish. Are you familiar with WordPress? Us Genealogists should stick together.

Terry – I have heard of WordPress. My brother in Utah sent me a site to check out. I will get my site back up. Several people have been asking about it. My wife and I moved to Holbrook, AZ, last August, after selling my house closer to my Dad and siblings and their families down in Apache Jct and Gilbert. In Utah, my brother Scott, who also does genealogy, just visited Saturday, driving my Dad (83) up here from AJ. I hope you are doing well.

John, IV – I am. My wife and I are adjusting to having adult children by adopting dogs. Getting our second next Sunday.

Terry – Oh, nice! We’ve got two adult kids, one outside of Green Bay and the other at the Cape entrance in Mass. I don’t know if they have pets, but we’ve got four grandkids, one of whom is autistic.

John, IV – Our son and daughter live close to us in Fort Myers, Florida. Michelle is a Pharmacy tech and 10 minutes away. JP is a teacher and just got married. They are about 45 minutes away. I tease that they live in Canada. ?

Terry – Lol.

John, IV – My daughter in law teaches autistic and otherwise challenged students. She has a gift.

Terry – Nice.

John – I have to help Pam, my wife, prepare for a yard sale. Please stay in touch and let me know if you want a WordPress site. I even have an extra domain name. ? It… Not as clever as your branding was… Lol… WordPress is easy and powerful…

Terry – Sorry, my wife needs me, too, lol. Have fun, be safe.

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Re: Status Updates

Sun 11/29/2020 10:03 PM
John, IV,
 
I’ll try to locate someone who may know who’s buried at St. Cyril’s.  I have a few options to investigate.  I wonder if Paul J. Elcik Sr (1896-1970) and Mary Fabian (1891-1978) are the John & Mary Elizabeth may be talking about.  I realize she said Paul was married to Marie Pelcarsky, but the gravestone picture I took of Paul J. Elcik, Sr. clearly says his wife was Mary Fabian.  Paul J. Elcik Jr. (1915-1992) married Gertrude Fournier (1918-1993), and Mary A. Elcik (1917-2008) married Joseph Kinney (1909-1989).  
 
Also, the 1920 census lists Paul J. Elcik, age 23, immigrated in 1911, his wife Mary, age 23, immigrated in 1913, their children Paul, age 4 1/2, and Mary, age 2.  This would be the Paul J. Elcik I mentioned above.  I feel this is a completely different family from our John P. Elcik Sr’s and Jr’s families.  Some of the confusion is definitely the spelling of Mary’s last name, and some of the records indicate Marie as her first name.  Since the records were all destroyed from Slovakia, we may never know Mary/Marie’s name’s original spelling.  I also think Paul John may have gone by John, NOT Paul.  Again, I’m only guessing.  Mary Fabian on the gravestone doesn’t match Mary’s last name’s different spellings, BUT the name on the gravestone says otherwise.  YES, I’m beyond confused.  Maybe she changed her last name at some point in time??????
 
I have Sandra Kinney Eck’s obituary that I got from my friend at the HS.  I believe she was Joseph Kinney’s sister, who married Mary Elcik.  It lists her children, and I think they live in Lisbon or at least in the area.  I may be able to find someone who knows them if I do some more research.  That’ll come another day, another time.  It’s a long shot, but I’m willing to try.  
 
Hang in there; I may solve this crazy puzzle, MAYBE, just MAYBE!!!
 
Beth 
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Re: Status Updates

Fri 12/4/2020 1:19 PM

Beth,
 
First, I hope you and Jack are doing well and preparing to enjoy the holidays.  We are doing that here. In fact, my delay in responding to your email results from the holiday’s “honey-do this” list. Lol.
 
Thank you very much for being willing to follow-up on the possibility of John, Sr. being buried in St. Cyril’s.   
 
Mostly we agree on the contents of your message (see below), but I am underlining text where I think you may need to make changes in the tree.
 
To clarify the discussion about Michael Joseph Elcik (1897–1980). My records show BIRTH 16 JUL 1897 • Lisbon Falls, Androscoggin, Maine, USA; DEATH 22 JUN 1980 • Toms River, Ocean, New Jersey, USA. He is my great-uncle.
 
I agree with you that Paul Joseph Elcik Sr. (1896–1970) BIRTH 15 FEB 1896 • Czechoslovakia; DEATH 23 DEC 1970 • Lisbon Falls, Androscoggin, Maine, USA husband of great-aunt is married to Mary A Fabian (1891–1978) BIRTH 8 OCT 1891 • the Czech Republic; DEATH 23 NOV 1978 • Lisbon Falls, Androscoggin County, Maine, USA. Mary A. Fabian is my great-aunt.  Thankfully, this is “set in stone” (Lol) as per your photo of the gravesite.
 
Maria Pelcarsky, who is presenting a mystery for us, was married to a different Paul Elcik (an Ilcik Elcik). At least, that is my working theory.  It is unsubstantiated as I don’t have supporting dates of birth or the marriage. This collaborates with your feeling that we are talking about different families. We are—the all too familiar Elsik vs. Ilcik conundrum.
 
I also agree that Paul J. Elcik, Jr. (1915-1992 married Gertrude Fournier.  We agree that Gertrude was born in 1918., but your date of death is presumably a mistake (typo?).  According to the US Social Security Death Index, Gertrude Fournier died on 19 JAN 1983 (not 1993).
 
I agree that Mary A. Elcik (1917-2008) married Josepf Kinney (1909-1989). Sandra D. Eck was born June 12, 1942, in Lewiston, a daughter [Not a sister] of the late Joseph A. & Mary A. (Elcik) Kinney. A lifelong resident of Lisbon Falls, she attended local area schools and graduated from Lisbon High School.  I got this from the obituary.
 
Again, thanks for everything you do!
 
John, IV
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European Locations for Elcik Ancestors

Mon 12/7/2020 7:09 AM

Beth,

Using Pinterest, I just stumbled upon an interesting website that identifies a presumptive geographical location for various Slavic surnames. And for the first time, I found Elcik and, as a bonus, Elsik.
 
 
Ancestral Surname/Villiage & COUNTY
  • Elcik/ Kolonica ZEMPLIN
  • Elsik/ Pravotice TRENCIN
Using this information, I looked up both locations on Wikipedia.
 
Elcik Kolonica ZEMPLIN
Kolonica is a village and municipality in the Snina District of the Prešov Region of north-eastern Slovakia. It has a population of about 600 people. Kolonica is around 80 km east of Košice, lies at the height of 360 meters, and covers 27.181 km². Just east of the village is a Soviet-manufactured one-meter telescope, the biggest telescope in Slovakia, used for observing variable stars.
 
Elsik Pravotice TRENCIN
Pravotice (Hungarian: Peres) is a village and municipality in Bánovce nad Bebravou District in the Trenčín Region of north-western Slovakia. The municipality lies at an altitude of 243 meters and covers an area of 6.048 km². It has a population of about 285 people.
 
The site offers a newsletter, and I will reach out to the publisher.
 
These locations may not be the answer we are looking for, but it certainly is worth more research.  What my next step is, I’m not sure.    
 
John, IV
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Cyril and Methodius Church in Lisbon Falls

Mon 12/7/2020 3:08 PM

Beth,

Pam and I tried to call the phone number, but it no longer works. Just so you can see where I got it from, the link is at the bottom of this email.  I guess information never dies on the Internet. Lol.
I then tried to do some research on the Church and its cemetery (mostly using Wikipedia).
We will need access to the HS document to figure this out. The Church was founded just 17 years before John, Sr.’s death and internment.  Without access to property records, ownership of the Church building and the cemetery is unknown.  The story is fascinating so let me share it.
Cyril & Methodius Church in Lisbon Falls (founded in 1923) and Holy Family Church in Lisbon Falls (founded in 1888) joined together to form a new parish. Our Lady of the Rosary Parish was established in 1975 after the Dominicans, who cared for a mission church in Sabattus from 1905 to 1975, transferred it to Portland’s Diocese.
The former St. Cyril and St. Methodius Church is located in Lisbon Falls, at the southeast corner of Maine State Route 125 and High Street. It is a large rectangular brick building with a gabled roof. Squat square towers flank the front facade with buttress-style projecting pilasters at the corners. The facade center has a large Gothic arch, in which there are two entrances, each also set-in arches, with a circle-in-cross design above. Atop the large arch is a wagon-wheel rose window, and a cross crests the gable above.
St. Cyril and St. Methodius Church was designed in 1923 by Lewiston architects Gibbs & Pulsifer and are an imposing example of a neo-Gothic architecture for a relatively small community. The structure is one-storied of brick with a slate-covered gable roof. Square two-story towers flank the entrance. The main facade is dominated by a huge Gothic arch outlined in stone, which encloses double doors. It is also the only known church in Maine with an association to the Slovak immigrant community. It was dedicated in 1926 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is presently home to the Maine Art Glass Studio.
The Slovak community in Lisbon Falls was formed in the 1890s when a group migrated from New Jersey searching for work at the Worumbo Mill and formed a tightly knit social group. Alienated from other well-established cultural groups, they formed their own Catholic organization and raised funds to build this church, completed in 1923. It was formally accepted into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in 1936. The building now houses a studio of glass artists.
I will have to be patient.
John, IV
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Re: Summary of Research Findings

Sun 12/13/2020 12:39 PM

Joseph [Elcik], 
As you know, I’m working on genealogy brick wall scenarios related to the Elcik surname.
 
You could be of great help in two ways. 
 
First, by any chance, were you able to find a copy of the family tree, and could you share it? I’m writing an eBook (My Cousins) with Beth Gamache about genealogy research, and it would be wonderful if I could get access before that happens. Our target to publish is May 3rd, my birthday.
 
Second, it would be helpful to consider or get a close male relative to consider taking a DNA test and sharing the results. There are sales on DNA testing kits by Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com during the holiday season.  I have taken both tests myself with the hope of using DNA to establish the link between our two families. 
 
The following describes in more detail where I am with the research. 
 
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, and Jon Ilcik is part of your bloodline.  
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.  
I am hopeful that the inexpensive (less than $100) testing will work. Ancestry.com is currently offering a 40% discount on its $99 test, and MyHeritage has a similar price for their DNA test. I have been budgeting for the best option. When you seek a match between two living men, that is a Y-111 test. Admittedly, this is expensive at $250 for each participant. But I think we can avoid that. 
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. ?
John
P.S. I know for sure that there is one connection between the two Elcik families. George Elcik (in the 1920 Census) married my Uncle’s sister Anna Gamache.  I this there is more to find. 
Warmest regards,
John
John Paul Elcik, IV
Fort Myers, Florida
johnelcik@msn.com
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Outreach

Thu 12/17/2020 11:50 AM

Beth,

I text messaged this to several people. I included modified versions for Bill Cizmar and Robert Elcik.
John, IV
————-

I have just discovered the messaging feature here at Ancestry.com.  Imagine my delight that 14 people have connections of potential interest regarding my great-grandfather John Paul Elcik. I am John Paul Elcik, IV and I have a son who also bears this name whom we call “JP.”

My research shows two different families from Europe settled in the late 1800s in Androscoggin County, Maine. Both are Slovak with a Catholic heritage, and both initially settled in Durham, Maine.  I am sharing the following with everyone as I believe a lot of confusion exists regarding the surname Elcik.
The “Elsik” family which I am descended begins with John Paul Elcik (Elsik), and the first documented reference is the United States Federal Census 1910.  I have a cherished photo of the family from that time period I would be happy to share.
  • John Elsik (1866-1941) was married to Mary Pelcarsky (1875-1936). John immigrated to America in 1891, and Mary immigrated in 1896. I have some evidence that he had a brother, Joseph.
My grandfather in the 1910 census spells his, and only his surname as Elsik. Everyone else uses Elcik spelling.
The Ilcik family, which is a different family, maybe related, but the proof of that does not yet exist.  When they arrived in America at Ellis Island, their surname was changed from Ilcik to Elcik. There is a family relationship to us through marriage, but it is not a bloodline relationship.
  • 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 have written several documents on the Elcik family explaining all this in some detail.  I address the issues of spelling: Elcik, Ilcik, Elcik, Elick. These documents and the 1910 family photo are available to all who express interest.  Please email me with your request.
I also have a list of inquiries that are ongoing related to the Elsik and Ilcik families.  Those questions also will be shared. Will you be the one with answers?
Have I have provided enough detail that you want to share information?  I hope so. I am currently writing an eBook called MyCousins with Beth Gamache. Beth is the wife of my 1st Cousin, Jack.  They live in Lisbon Falls, Maine, which I have always viewed as my “home” town without ever having lived there. Auntie Gertrude and Uncle Norman lived at 45 Davis Street, and it is where my family always returned to after living in Guam, Japan, and the Philippines. If you guessed my brothers and I lived in a military family, you would have been right; Dad was in the U.S. Navy.
Warmest regards,
John, IV
Dr. John P. Elcik, Ed.D.
15117 Cloverdale Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33919
Email: johnelcik@msn.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jelcik
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnelcik/