Sunday, July 19, 2020, 2:44 AM
John (NY),
Computers are excellent tools for Ancestry/Genealogy research. Most of what I have done on the Family Tree would not be affordable without one.
Even so, one other situation has played a significant part in the process. Family members were required every ten years to complete Federal Census forms. To date, the Federal Government has published census data for 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940. In each decade, family members did this, and I have harvested the results.
The New York Elcik’s immigrated to America later, and we may not have census data until the 1950 Census is published. I have not yet found your grandfather in the 1940 Census. I haven’t given up. Usually, the software presents census data as a Hint. It hasn’t, so I’ll try a directed search approach.
Also, I will research the passenger lists of Elcik/Ilcik individuals going through Ellis Island.
It may be true that family records are as good as the Census given the family timeline.
Where we fall short is in our ability to reach back to Austria/Hungary. I have a World Explorer Membership with Ancestry.com. It provides access to both U.S. and international records, including birth, marriage, death, and Census records.
So far, I haven’t found anything I can use. Maybe it is the inconsistency in the spelling of surnames/given names. I suspect, however, that the problem is far worse. I don’t think good records exist in Europe. For example, the best records I find are for baptisms. The Catholic church maintains these. And I do know that my grandparents were Catholics. I have yet to find data on births and marriages. I will continue to try.
Do you have any questions for me?
John, IV