The Ilcik mystery needed a human face, so I reached out to John Elcik of Rocky Point, New York. He is one of what I came to call the “New York Ilciks,” and the great-grandson of John Ilcik (1886–1982). John agreed that there must be a relationship between our families, but at the time had no information that definitively solved the mystery.
After months of research, a distant connection emerged. George Michael Ilcik married Anna Eva Gamache. Anna’s brother was Norman Philip Gamache, who married Gertrude Dorothy Elcik.
Purists may argue that this connection does not constitute a blood relationship. As a result, research into the Ilcik and Elsik families continued. I also communicated with two other Ilcik men, Joseph Elcik and Brian C. Elcik. Despite our combined efforts, we still could not identify a direct ancestral link.
Members of both Elcik families—Elsik and Ilcik—believe we are related. The similarities are too numerous to dismiss. We all trace our roots to Western Europe (Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia), spoke Slovak, and shared a Catholic heritage. Both families initially settled in Durham, Maine. In addition, both sets of grandparents lived and died in Lewiston, Maine. These patterns suggest more than coincidence.
I have often referred to the Elsik family as being from Lisbon Falls, Maine, and the Ilcik family as being from New York or Durham. In truth, neither description is entirely accurate. Both families initially settled in Durham. Our strong ties to Lisbon Falls were personal, formed through visits with Uncle Norman and Auntie Gertrude.
For our family, “home” was always 45 Davis Street in Lisbon Falls, Maine. After overseas assignments—including Guam, the Philippines, and Japan—we returned there. My father served in the U.S. Navy, and we traveled as his dependents. Lisbon Falls became our anchor, even as our family story stretched across oceans and generations.