Tag: cancer

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Re: Family Tree Delay

Sat 8/22/2020 2:24 PM

John, IV,

Yes, absolutely, your need to help your son. I’ve been so busy the last few days and haven’t had a chance to look at email and am just now trying to catch up.

I do have some good news. I was able to find out where Bob Elcik, George’s son, is living. He and his wife Peggy are living in PA. They’ve moved a few times over the last several years but are back in PA now. If you remember, Bob’s father, George, married Jack’s father’s sister Anna Gamache.

I was able to get his phone# and email address. Jack called him yesterday, and we talked to them for about 1 1/2 hours They were so happy to hear from Jack, and we plan to stay in touch. That’s good news. The bad news, he doesn’t know anything about his grandfather’s family, which is the Durham John P. Elcik, or Ilick if you will. He does remember going to Durham with his dad and Jack and his dad to make Kielbasa.

PLEASE tell Pam how much I appreciate the card she sent me. It means a lot to me. I’m feeling much better now, especially knowing there’s no cancer.

I’m sure you’ll be a BIG help to JP. I will now proceed to catch up on the last 2 days of emails.

Beth

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Are You an Author?

Sun 9/13/2020 3:27 AM

Beth,

I don’t recall getting a friend request from Bill Cizmar, but if I do, I will accept it.

An interesting question. Am I an author?

Technically, I suppose I could be. I have written hundreds of articles posted on the Internet. The Internet has referred to me as the author of Bloodrelatives.org. It is a website I created then taken down in favor of Ancestry.com. I have written articles for blogs, Career Education Review, identityXperts (website), LinkedIn, MosacHUB (now business.com), Pragmatic Web Designer (website), etc. My dissertation for my doctorate in education is technically a “book,” though most people, myself included, would not count it as such.

I write. I write a lot. But my definition of an author would probably not include myself. At least, not yet. The question of authorship needs to involve getting published where they have editorial standards. ?

I have claimed a desire to become a published author, and I have floated several ideas over the years. “Procrastination,” not Paul, has become my middle name. 🙂 My favorite idea is “Piglet-to-Bacon – A History of the Male Chauvinist Pig.”

Piglet-to-Bacon
Who in the history of humanity has done more to advance women’s rights: radical feminists or male chauvinists? Piglet-to-Bacon, A History of the Male Chauvinist Pig. I’ve been writing this book for decades, still on chapter 1. still on page 1. still on paragraph one. Hey, I have a title and the artwork. I work slow!

Interestingly, what writing I have done has gotten some attention from the vanity press. Both ghostwriters and freelancers have contacted me. The first offer to help with my procrastination, and the second seek to deliver me publicity.

“We think you’re eligible for a Wikipedia profile.! You have great milestones, and online publications are speaking about you. You deserve to be on Wikipedia, and we are here to deliver that for you.”

Beth, there is another in the family, that you know, who we both would be more inclined to call the author.

Eugene Elcik, a Maine native, writes with a New England flavor. His genre includes historical/fiction, adventure, crimes, romance, and drama. After graduating from the University of Southern Maine, he taught part-time as an instructor at a community college. After battling cancer, he specialized in writing fiction. His affection for Maine helped bring his story to life. Gene has been married for 59 years to the same wonderful woman, Lorraine. She has seen him toll over the keyboard and provided him with the encouragement to continue to write a variety of genres with his vivid imagination. His next adventure is on his drawing board, coming soon, “Beyond the Snows of Maine.” – Amazon.com Editorial Review ?

Catherine Elcik | Narrative Magazinewww.narrativemagazine.com, Catherine Elcik earned a BA in journalism from Northeastern University and an MA in fiction from Boston University, where she also taught creative writing. Catherine is what you and I call a Durham Elcik. ?

Jack Elcik, author of “The Baby Boomers Guide to Coping with Middle Age. James J. Rush and Jack Elcik on Amazon.com. I don’t know if Jack is related to us or not. He is one of the targets I have for research. ?

John, IV

 

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Pete Lucas

Mon 11/16/2020 9:04 PM
John, IV
I can open the eBook, but when I click on My Cousins, it says no content available.  Not sure what you or I need to do to fix it.
 
Also, Nancy called us yesterday and told us Pete Lucas isn’t doing well.  He has prostate cancer and has decided not to do any treatment.  Hospice is coming to the house to help them out.  Christine and her husband Bryant Currier moved to FL a couple of years ago, but Christine is in Maine to help out.  If the Christine you reached out to is the same Christine, I’m sure she won’t respond.  
 
I thought you’d want to know about Pete.
 
Beth
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A Couple Things

Tue 11/17/2020 10:51 AM
Beth,
Gaining strength is good, whereas doing more may be a mixed blessing.  Please be sure not to overdo it.
Rather than troubleshoot the old credentials, I created new ones and tested them.  This will get you back in:
  • User name:    XXXXXXX
  • Password:      XXXXXXX
The news about Pete is sad.  Amidst so much optimism and progress in the last 10 years, I know that prostate cancer is scary. If he is declining treatment, it must be serious for him.  I’m glad he has Christine helping. Pete and his support group will be in my prayers for sure.
All the people I reached out to through Ancestry.com messenger have the Elcik surname. I did that because the message was about getting one of the Ilcik Elcik’s to do DNA testing with me. Christine Elcik, in this case, is one of the Ilcik Elcik’s.
Thank you for sharing about Pete.
John, IV
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Re: The MyCousins Project

Fri 1/15/2021 10:49 PM
John, IV
I think people have lost interest and don’t share the enthusiasm you and I have.  No matter the reasons, you’ve worked hard on the project, and I’ve done what I can on my end.

I have to tell you; I went to St Cyril cemetery today because I couldn’t wait until Spring to find your great grandfather’s/grandmother’s gravestone.  Their last name is definitely spelled Ilcik because I traced it with my finger.  I did the same with their names and dates.  It says he was born in 1867, and we’ve been putting 1866 as his dob.  I took 2 pictures and will send them to you when I download them to my computer.  I’ll do that tomorrow as I’m tired tonight.  
 
I didn’t sleep well last night because this has been on my mind, plus I’m adding names to the Byras family tree.  Something I hadn’t mentioned to you before now….as you know, I grew up in Durham, and a good friend of mine and close neighbor was Stephen Byrus.  His father and mother were Joseph Byrus and Marie Yvette Pelletier Byrus (she used her middle name Yvette), and his grandfather and grandmother were Joseph Byrus and Louise Crowley Byrus.  Our parents were very good friends and spent a lot of time together.  Stephen was an only child; his dad had cancer and died young at 43.  It upset my parents greatly, especially my dad because he lost a great friend.  Yvette worked in a bank in Lisbon Falls, and she and my mom remained friends until her retirement, and she moved to Camden, ME., where she died.   Yvette would visit once in a while, and they often exchanged letters. 
 
The point of this story is… Stephen stopped at our house a few years ago with lots of information about the Byras family.  The Byras family had a family reunion in Bowdoin every year, and we always went when Gert was alive.  After she died, Jack lost interest in going, and so did his dad.  Stephen went every year and knew all the Byras family.  He also knew I had joined Ancestry and wanted to know the Byras family history.  He told me all the family members, and thankfully, I wrote it all down.  I hadn’t done much on the Byras family until a couple of days ago, and now I’m obsessed with completing that tree.  I’m not done yet, but I’m close.  I can only work for a few hours and don’t always get back to it until the next day.  
 
Another bit of information… Joe, Yvette, and Stephen Byrus spell their last name Byrus, and the rest of the family spells it Byras.  I don’t know if you had noticed that.  I asked Stephen why one time, and he said he didn’t know, but his family always spelled it that way.  
 
I’ve rambled enough for now, but I thought you’d be interested to know my connection to the Byras family.  Little did I know when I was growing up, I’d marry Jack and become involved with his family history as much as I have.  I couldn’t wait to get to the cemetery today to find the Elcik/Ilcik gravestone.  I even saw Earl’s footprints in the snow!!!!
 
I’m shutting down for now.  I’ll send the pictures tomorrow.
 
Beth
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George Evanisko and Anna Elcik

Tue 2/16/2021 2:55 PM
John,
I’ve done some more research about George Evanisko and Anna Elcik.  My best friend in high school, Barb, has a connection to the Evanisko family.  Her husband’s brother is married to Mildred Evanisko.  Her sister-in-law has written an Evanisko family history; her name is Pat Evanisko.  Pat married Mildred’s brother, Marvin, who passed away a few years ago from cancer.
 
Moving on, Pat has seen the gravestone at St. Cyril cemetery and doesn’t know who George is and can’t find any connection to the Evanisko family.  She said it’s a dead end.  A survivor of George is Sgt. Michael Evanisko and my friend said Mildred’s either father’s or grandfather’s name was Michael.  She’ll talk to Mildred again and get back to me with any more information she may find.
 
Beth