Tag: Durham

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A Tough Research Question


Mon 8/24/2020 4:51 PM

John,

Yes, I agree with you. Jack knows the Durham George Elcik isn’t a cousin to his mother. I’ve at least taught him that much. I understand entirely 1st cousins, 2nd cousins, 1st cousins once removed, 2nd cousins once removed, etc.

An example in my family. My father had a 1st cousin Betty Jones. My brothers and I always called her “Aunt Betty” and believed her to be our aunt. Well, NO, she was our 1st cousin once removed. She was my father’s 1st cousin (their mothers were sisters.) Both my father and “Aunt Betty” were of the same generation. My brothers and I were of the “next” generation. That’s where the once removed come in to play. Age has NOTHING to do with it.

Another example: My mother had a 1st cousin, Alan, 22 years younger than her. My grandmother (my mom’s mom) and Alan’s mother were sisters. Alan was born when my mother was 22, BUT he was my mother’s 1st cousin. He was only a few years older than me, and people always thought he was my 1st cousin. He was my 1st cousin once removed.

Is this “clear as mud??”

Beth

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Are John and Joseph Elsik Brothers?

Life Story

Beth,

I think I have proof that John Elcik (Elsik), Sr., my great-grandfather, had a younger brother Joseph.
If so, this answers the question I put on the research agenda about siblings. There was at least one.

My evidence is in the 1910 United States Federal Census:

  • The two men (Heads of Households) are just three years apart in age. John is 42 and Joseph 39.
  • Both immigrated from Austria.
  • Both settled in Durham, Androscoggin, Maine.
  • But the clincher for me is that both men spell our surname “Elsik” for themselves while spelling their children’s names “Elcik.” This can’t be a coincidence.
  • All five of John’s and all three of Joseph’s children were born in Durham, Androscoggin, Maine.
  • Both men used the same given names for their three daughters. They must have had middle names or nicknames as they surely played together.
  • The population of Durham in 1910 was 1,625.

10 years are separating John and Joseph’s immigration to America. John immigrated in 1891 at the age of 23 and Joseph in 1901 at the age of 30.  One might reasonably speculate that the family couldn’t spare both sons in 1891.

John, IV 

[Just six weeks ago, I found this item on a genealogy site, which bolsters my argument that John and Joseph were brothers.
“In other cases, brothers who lived near each other would sometimes give their children the same first names. The cousins might have gone by nicknames or middle names to avoid confusion during their lifetimes. It becomes more difficult 100 years later for a genealogist looking to match the right people to the right spots on a family tree.”
http://livingwithbeth.com/10-rules-accepting-hints-ancestry/ – Editor]

Supporting documents for: “Are John and Joseph Elsik Brothers.”

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The Pelcarsky Puzzle Kept Me up

 
I have found three significant references to Pelcarsky in addition to Mary Pelcarsky that married my Great Grandfather.  I also reduced the number of relevant documents (unduplicated facts) to three. 

 
# 1 is your trip to Mt. Calvary Cemetary
 
Anna Pelcarsky 17 SEP 1877 – 22 MAR 1940 = Annie M.
Joseph Karkos 23 MAR 1867 – 21 JUL 1957 = Joseph Paul
Albert Karkos 01 MAR 1914 – 31 JAN 1915
 
There is a second son: Joseph Thomas Karkos who marries Mildred Aris Alexander. Mildred Aris Alexander’s parents are Edgar Butler Alexander and Mabel Palmer.
 
[Comment: If it is true that Anna Pelcarsky is our Mary’s sister then this means there are two ties between the Karkos and Elcik families (one generation apart).
 
Anna Pelcarsky (1877-1940) marries Joseph Karkos (1867-1957)
Annie Elcik (1905-1982) marries George F. Karkos (1899-1965)
 
I think this is true, but it would be good to verify with George E. Karkos.]
 
#2 is Maria Pelcarsky who is married to Paul Ilcik and has a daughter Annie Ilcik.
 
Annie marries Andrew Basala on 19 JAN 1911
Andrew Basala’s parents are John Basala and Annie Chismar.
 
[Comment: Whether Paul Ilcik is a Durham Elcik is unverified. I’m also working to find out if Maria Pelcarsky is related to our Mary Pelcarsky.]  
 
#3 is Mary Pelcarsky in the 1930 United States Census (NOT OUR MARY)
 
Mary was born in Czechoslovakia in 1901 and married Joseph Pelcarsky also born in Czechoslovakia.  
 
They have three sons: Joseph, Edward, Emil; and five daughters: Anna, Hele, Margaret, Mary Phillips, Rose
 
[Comment: There are other Pelcarsky‘s in Ohio that I stopped researching once I was sure that this was a different Mary Pelcarsky and her relatives.]
 
John, IV

Maria Pelcarsky in the entry for Andrew Basala and Annie Ilcik, _Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921_ — FamilySearch.org.pdf

Mary Pelcarsky in the household of Joseph Pelcarsky, _United States Census, 1930_ — FamilySearch.org.pdf

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If it makes you feel any better…


Mon 9/7/2020 4:38 PM

I went to 2 more cemeteries in Durham today. Jack was with me and even helped me search for my Day relatives!! It was a Quaker cemetery, and I found what I was looking for. It was my great grandfather’s Day.

My father’s mother’s maiden name was Day. So much history on the Durham Day family I never knew.

We also went to the Shiloh Cemetery in Durham, where my grandmother and grandfather Day is buried. Just “down the road,” where I grew up on Day Rd. Who knew!!! I sure didn’t!!

I LOVE ANCESTRY!!

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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Are You an Author?

Tue 9/15/2020 9:31 PM

John,

I believe you’re an author even if you haven’t “published” any books. I talked to Eugene Elcik on the phone about his family, and his father is Andrew Elcik, your grandfather, John P Elcik’s brother. (I’m thinking you know that.) When I talked to him, he told me he’s currently writing a second book on Shiloh. I read the first one very interesting. I plan to call him again and ask him if he remembers the Durham Elciks.

I’m still working on the identity of the Karkos photo you sent me. I sent it to Pam Karkos Lizotte, and she’ll show it to her father, George Karkos. I haven’t heard back from her. I have a neighbor I talked to about the picture, hoping he may know some of them. I also gave two copies of the image to a friend of ours, John Piela, who owns Lisbon Fuel. He’s 82, still working, and came to our house to service our oil tank. We were making the Loksa, and he said his mother used to make it, and he ate it as fast as she could make it. He started talking in Slovak and didn’t think anyone knew how to make Loksa anymore. I told him I learned how to make it from Jack’s mom (which is true), and she was Slovak. He said his family would put sugar on it or maple syrup. We gave him a piece, and he loved it!!

If you and Bill Cizmar became friends, I know you’d have lots in common. He loves Ancestry and spends most of his time doing all kinds of research there. He knows way more about it than I do and is one of my good friends at the Historical Society. He lives in CA with his wife. Bill is from Lisbon and knows lots of Lisbon history. If you’ve ever seen Lisbon Maine Ancestors in the HINTS, that’s him. He researched all the people born in Lisbon and created that site. He and his wife (a Durham native) come to Maine every summer, and he comes to the Historical Society every Thursday, which is the only day we’re open. I’ve mentioned your name to him in our emails about our working on Ancestry together—just a little history.

I’ll keep working on the identity of the people in the Karkos picture. Nothing yet, but I’m curious.

Beth

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Karkos Kronicles

Wed 9/16/2020 1:14 PM

John,

I talked with Pam, and she hasn’t shown the picture to her father yet. He’s homebound because of his recent surgery. She told me to call him between 5&7 p.m., which I’ll try to do today.

I also was very good friends with Pat Karkos in high school, and our son Derek was good friends with her son Tony. Pat passed away many years ago, but she has a sister Terry who’s still living. I’m friends with Tony’s wife on FB and will reach out to her to get Terry’s phone #, etc. Pat’s father’s name was Joe Karkos, and I have a feeling there’s a connection. I hadn’t thought about any of this before now.

Another little tidbit you will LOVE!! My friend Pat Karkos married a man from Durham, Peter Austin. Their son Tony Austin which I mentioned above, and his wife, Tracy Austin, own a restaurant on Maine St. in Lisbon Falls called Frank’s. Back in the day, the original building/business was called Kennebec’s Fruit Company. Their claim to fame was selling Moxie. Frank Annicetti Sr owned it. After he passed, his son Frank Annicetti Jr. ran the business and eventually sold the business to Tony & his wife, Tracy. Jack and many local kids would buy penny candy and then go to the Met Theater across the street to watch movies. I, being from Durham, never had the opportunity to do that because I lived too far away.

The building was getting very run down, and when Tony and Tracy bought it, they renovated it. They kept as much of the original building, inside and out, including the wood floors, metal ceiling (which is beautiful). They also kept the counter where he sold his famous Moxie, root beer floats, penny candy, etc. They painted the outside of the building and kept all the original colors. Frank’s (Tony & Tracy named the restaurant after Frank Annicett) has become the “go-to place” to go for dinner from people all over the surrounding area. Because of COVID, they were closed for a few months. The town of Lisbon agreed to “block off” a section of Maine St. for the summer and now have ten sizeable wooden picnic tables with large tents over them. People have filled the tables every day they’re open for outside dining. We’ve been there several times, and it’s wonderful.

You may remember Kennebec’s when you came to Lisbon Falls with your parents. Lisbon has a Moxie Festival every summer during a weekend in July and has done so for many years. People come from all over the country to attend. It was canceled this year because of COVID. You can Google Moxie Festival, Frank’s restaurant, and Frank Annicetti and find out more information.

I also went to Durham Elementary School with Stephen King. That’s another story for another day, and I’ll start a new email for that one if you’re interested.

My point to this whole story is: There’s a Karkos family who may now be famous living in Lisbon, except the last name is Austin.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it,

Beth