Readers:
We write because of speculation that someday, someone will ask about their ancestors and their family history. We wish that when they do that, there is a written record that includes not just names and dates of significant events; but also some idea of who we were both as individuals and as families.
Currently, genealogists are fond of saying that a Family Tree without sources is Mythology. True. But we argue that without stories and images to tell us the lessons learned, we gain nothing from good record keeping.
What follows is a transcript of electronic conversations with relatives as we traced our ancestor’s roots as far back as we could.
Thanks to technology, it is relatively easy to go back five generations to when our family reached the shores of America. What drove Elcik’s to make the journey? We can only guess. Our sincere hope is that someday the situation in Europe that prompted our immigration will be revealed. To identify and meet relatives from “across the pond” is something we wish for our children.
What is generally missing are life stories. We captured a few, added some images, and pray that others will pick up where we left off.
Dr. John Paul Elcik, IV
Contributor and Editor
Beth (Purinton) Gamache
Contributor