The key contact dates, discoveries, and collaborations that shaped the MyCousins project.
Phase I — The First Signals (2011–2019)
The earliest signal that MyCousins would become something larger than a personal research project came quietly.
On June 17, 2011, Judy Lakkis contacted John, IV regarding a 12–12 DNA match. At the time,
life and career limited further exploration, and the connection remained dormant.
Years later, on March 15, 2019, John, IV reached out to another Elcik researcher,
John Elcik of Rocky Point, New York, via Facebook. The two began regular correspondence,
working together to build a family tree that hinted at deeper connections yet to be uncovered.
Phase II — Reawakening the Search (Summer 2020)
Retirement created space for curiosity to return. On July 1, 2020, nine years after the original
outreach, John, IV reconnected with Judy Lakkis to see whether she was still interested in exploring their DNA link.
Remarkably, she was.
Momentum accelerated quickly. On July 17, 2020, Jack Gamache responded to a Facebook post with a friendly
greeting and an offer of help. What began as a casual exchange quietly introduced Beth Gamache into the project.
Jack, unknowingly, volunteered Beth’s research talents for life—a decision that would prove transformational.
Beth soon spoke multiple times with Eugene Elcik and his wife Lorraine, who generously shared family memories.
Eugene recalled John III, Jack’s mother, their siblings, and the Elcik relatives who relocated to New York.
During this same period, Nancy Gamache exchanged emails with John, IV, while John reached out to Mark Elcik via Facebook.
Photographs were exchanged, adding faces to names and stories.
On August 6, 2020, Rebecca Kashmer Davis and John, IV began corresponding.
Rebecca would later contribute original Moulton family stories that enriched the project’s narrative depth.
Beth also connected with Pam Lizotte, daughter of George Karkos.
Pam shared invaluable information regarding the births and deaths of Annie Elcik’s siblings
and revealed that her grandfather had purchased 30 plots at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
Phase III — The Breakthrough Network (Fall 2020)
On August 14, 2020, Joseph Elcik contacted John, IV through LinkedIn,
searching for a long-lost family tree and offering to share his copy.
Beth reached out to Bill Cizmar of the Lisbon Historical Society, who helped identify Bob,
son of George Elcik of Durham. Bill famously remarked that
“the Elciks are the most unfiguroutable family in Lisbon Falls.”
Beth and Jack later spoke with Bob and Peggy Elcik in Pennsylvania, exchanging stories and details—
including memories of family trips to Durham to make kielbasa.
Additional inquiries followed. Brian C. Elcik emailed asking a simple question:
“Are we related?” Meanwhile, Bill Cizmar uncovered new information on John Elcik
and shared it with the project.
On September 19, 2020, Beth shared a Karkos family photo with multiple members of the Historical Society.
Charlie Hall responded, identifying an important connection between Beth’s Purinton family
and John’s family tree through marriage rather than blood.
On September 20, 2020, Earl Williams located obituaries for the Elcik and Ilcik families—
treasured discoveries that became foundational to the written family history.
John, IV contacted Terry L. Karkos to share photos and discuss the now-confirmed
dual connections between the Elcik and Karkos families.
Beth independently reached out to Marilyn Keamy (née Karkos),
who shared stories of the ten Karkos siblings.
Beth also contacted Dan Gamache in hopes of translating Slovak nursery rhymes.
While early attempts failed, later video recordings allowed partial success.
Phase IV — Confirmation, Artifacts, and Launch (2021)
On October 8, 2020, Elizabeth (Adams) Chute assisted with identifying a photograph
and shared the meticulous genealogy records of her sister, Sally (Adams) Wentworth.
These records would later help locate the gravesite of John P. Elcik, Sr. and Mary Pelcarsky.
DNA confirmations continued. Jessica Elcik planned a DNA test,
while John, IV received new inquiries from Eugene Elcik.
A Facebook post even revealed distant Turkish cousins following a 23andMe test.
A major breakthrough came on January 11, 2021,
when Beth Gamache and Earl Williams located the gravesite of John P. Elcik, Sr.
at Saint Cyril Cemetery—engraved unmistakably with the spelling “ILCIK.”
This discovery became one of the most significant confirmations in the project.
Additional DNA matches followed. Earl Williams and John, IV discovered they were DNA cousins.
Charlie Hall identified a critical tree error, while Zlatica Becca—quickly nicknamed “Goldie”—
emerged as another confirmed DNA cousin.
In March 2021, Elizabeth Chute mailed personal artifacts belonging to
Charlotte (Skillin, Wentworth) Adams.
Rebecca Davis contributed two original Moulton family stories and historic images.
By March 19, 2021, the MyCousins project stood six weeks from launching its eBook,
supported by a growing research community and an expanding network of collaborators.
The Fabulous Seven
Several individuals played outsized roles in bringing focus, accuracy, and momentum to the project.
Members of this informal group—affectionately known as the “Fabulous Seven”—
include dedicated genealogists, historians, and DNA collaborators whose collective efforts
transformed scattered clues into a coherent family narrative.