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Re: Status Updates

Sun 12/6/2020 3:55 AM

 
What is that old saying? “From your lips to God’s ear.”  I really do hope that that the two Elcik families are connected, and we find proof. 
 
I have two game plans:  
  • The DNA option is in play as I have submitted the Ancestry DNA kit for analysis. Ancestry.com’s tools for working with our family tree made it the best choice.  However, I also have recently purchased the MyHeritage DNA kit because of its uniquely large European database. It would help if I could get “Ilcik” DNA, but I will be patient. Sooner, or later one of the Ilick’s will share our interest in solving this mystery.
  • I also maintain the FamilySearch Tree because of its broad reach. Someday, I think that another tree will connect to ours, and it will have European ancestors that answer our questions.
To add another quote, “hope is not a strategy,” so I am taking all the action steps I can.  Do you remember the old joke about the individual complaining to God about his not winning the lottery?  He prays that he is a good person, a faithful person, etc.  The story goes on to have God respond, “you need to meet me halfway and purchase a ticket.” I’m buying tickets. Lol. 
 
My next action step will be to investigate immigration records.  Ancestry.com hasn’t been helpful with this part, so I need to try something else. 
 
John, IV 
 
P.S. I have also started writing a “Reader’s Digest” condensed version of the Elcik family history.  I’m about 12 pages into it, and because I want to keep it short, it is about done. Maybe. Maybe not. ? 
  
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DNA Coaching

Wed 1/6/2021 3:02 PM
Judy and Beth,

My Genealogy Coaches

I’m writing to both of you as you both are my coaches.  To introduce you to each other:
  • Judy has been my DNA information source, and we hope to solidify the link between our families through DNA after her father’s DNA linked us.
  • Beth is my co-author of the MyCousins eBook.  Beth is also married to John Gamache (Jack), my 1rst cousin.

DNA Data Processed

My DNA kit from Ancestry.com has been processed.  It may take a couple of days for search engines to access as I just today made the MyCousins Family Tree public. This was necessary to enable search engines.  Public access still protects the privacy of living individuals.
I don’t think this solves my two brick walls. At least not yet. DNA can’t clarify the family relationship between Judy and myself or between John Elsik and John Ilcik. Not yet. I plan to download the raw data and submit it to other sites to improve my chances of doing both.
I also will be getting data from MyHeritage for comparison.
Todate, 6 People with DNA matches are on the Family Tree.
  • John Gamache (my paternal 1st cousin); Ancestry says 1st–2nd Cousin; Shared DNA: 1,099 cm across 30 segments.
  • Cheryl (Heath) Elcik (my paternal 1st cousin); Ancestry says 1st–2nd Cousin; Shared DNA: 790 cm across 31 segments.
  • Constance (Akerley) Lewis (my paternal 1st cousin); Ancestry says 1st–2nd Cousin; Shared DNA: 787 cm across 28 segments.
  • Scott Gebro (my 1st cousin, 1x removed); Ancestry says 1st–2nd Cousin; Shared DNA: 365 cm across 17 segments.
  • Heather Adams (my 2nd cousin); Ancestry says 2nd–3rd Cousin; Shared DNA: 238 cm across 12 segments.
  • Sue Elcik (my 2nd cousin); Ancestry says 2nd–3rd Cousin; Shared DNA: 232 cm across 11 segments.

This data is not as helpful as it could be as the Trees and the DNA test have not been linked by their owners.  This includes you, Beth. Lol.

Ethnicity Estimates

Meanwhile, this is what Ancestry.com gives as an Ethnicity Estimate.
  • Eastern Europe & Russia: 43%
  • England & Northwestern Europe: 20%
  • France: 18%
  • Scotland: 12%
  • Baltics: 6%
  • Ireland: 1%
  • Additional Communities: Southeastern Quebec French Settlers
Eastern Europe and Russia cover a lot of territories. Two subgroups actually:
  • Poland, Slovakia, Hungary & Romania
  • Eastern Hungary, Eastern Slovakia, Northwest Romania & Western Ukraine
My Great-grandfather’s birthplace on US Census records was Austria. This changes to Czechoslovakia in his obituary. The reason for this change is in the history of Europe, which I am researching.
Bottom line, this is all I know at the moment. I’ll keep you posted.
John, IV
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Re: One More Thing

Sat 1/30/2021 7:05 PM
Earl,
Thank you for sharing the surname and location; both will be helpful.
Based on “Fantastic Four” discoveries, the Elcik/Elsik/Ilcik surname I’m looking for in Europe is spelled Ilycsik. You are one of the ALL-STAR team that for me includes Beth Gamache, Charles “Charlie” Hall, and William “Bill” Cizmar.  You rock.
Eventually, we will pin down the individuals connecting us. I have a good feeling about this getting done.
John, IV
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Re: Ouch!

Mon 2/1/2021 12:31 AM
Beth,
As for figuring this all out, I have a plan.
First, I am grabbing every document that potentially could be helpful on Ancestry.com and MyHeritage so I can transition away from “collecting hints” on those two platforms.  The number of documents I already have means I’m making good progress. I think I shared some summary numbers with you.  I’m almost done with this part of the plan.
Second, the Fantastic Four have given me what I need to take the project to a new level.  I needed the right surnames and specific geographical locations. Your network of friends has provided both. Thank you!
Third, some books and courses will teach me how to access the online databases in the Czech Republic and Europe. The answer exists, and I’m determined to find it.
I was briefly disappointed because I thought we were closer than we are.  What we have found is extraordinary and will make for a great story to tell.
As to the workload, I’m overwhelmed myself.  I forgot to mention the photo and document scanning project. That will be huge also. I think you can better understand now why I cried, “Uncle.”  I really needed to reset the publication date. My mental and physical health were in jeopardy. Lol.
More importantly to me is the desire to keep this fun. The November 3rd date will help me tremendously.
I may take a sabbatical. A week, not a month, not a year. 🙂
John, IV
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DNA Tests Status Report

Sun 1/10/2021 1:20 PM
Beth,
I’m still reviewing DNA results.  First, some statistics:
There were:
  • 27,890 matches
  • 25,890 distant matches
  • 1,999 close matches (4th cousin or closer
More significantly, my Ancestry.com test found 47 matches where I share a “common ancestor.”   This standard menu option filters DNA tests for those that link the DNA test with their family tree.
Did you notice when you filter by Common Ancestor that in the 3rd column, there is a HINT leaf next to the words Common Ancestor? The leaf icon is below the family tree icon that identifies the number of people in the selected individual’s tree.  Clicking on the icon has provided the extra help that I needed to identify more individuals.  It isn’t always easy as privacy still protects living people.
Also, it would be helpful if you would link Jack’s DNA to your tree. Even better yet, I would love for you to connect your DNA to your tree.  The latter might allow us to discover the additional theoretical link between Purrington’s in the Skillin family tree and Purinton’s in your family tree.
Yesterday, I received the results from a second DNA test I took with MyHeritage.  My ethnicity results are different enough that I need to do more research to understand them.
  • Europe: Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, 40.9%
  • East European, 30.0%
  • Balkan, 17.9%
  • Ashkenazi Jewish, 8.0%
  • Iberian, 3.2%

GENETIC GROUPS

  • French Canadians in Canada (Quebec) and the USA (Maine)
  • French settlers in Canada (Quebec) and the USA (New England)
  • USA (New England) and Eastern Canada

The increase in Irish, Scottish, and Welsh percentage is surprising.  Also, mentioning French Canadians for the second time is a surprise. I need to compare these results with my brother Jeff’s 23andMe test.

MyHeritage came up with 4,625 DNA Matches.  Only one close match and two extended family matches. I have yet to compare this with Ancestries results, but I will.

CLOSE MATCHES
Estimated relationships: Grandparent or grandchild, half-sibling, uncle/aunt or nephew/niece
[Sam is my nephew, the son of Jeffrey Lee Elcik and Suzy McMahon.]
DNA Match quality: 24.4% (1,727.0‎ cm
Shared DNA: 44
Shared segments, 139‎ cm
EXTENDED FAMILY
Estimated relationships: 2nd cousin – 2nd cousin once removed
DNA Match quality: 2.5% (174.8‎ cm)
Shared DNA: 9
Shared segments: 57.5‎ cm, Largest segment
Ginette Harber, Age: 60’s, From: Canada
DNA Match quality: 1.2% (85.2‎ cm)
Shared DNA: 6 Shared segments, 28‎ cm largest segment

My preliminary conclusion is that the Ancestry test is proving more straightforward to use and likely will be more useful. It will be interesting to see if I still feel this way after a couple of weeks of analyzing the results.

John, IV

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MyCousins – We Have Traveled Far

Elcik family in 1910 - We Have Traveled Far

 “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ― Benjamin Franklin.

Ancestry research is rewarding and fun. There is both the joy of learning and the satisfaction of solving puzzles. Ancestry research benefits come with involvement. If anything, this book seeks to involve you and others in the same journey Beth and I have taken.

What have we learned?

The parents of John P. Elcik, Sr.  were John P. Elcik (obituary reference) and the mysterious Elizabeth Baron.

John P. Elcik, Sr. had three previously unknown to us siblings:

  • George Elcik, born 1866 in Parchovany, Slovakia
  • Anna Elcik, born 1870 in Parchovany, Slovakia
  • Joseph P. Elcik, born 1875 in Parchovany, Slovakia

Historical

  • Joseph, the youngest brother, would have been too young to make the initial journey to America but immigrated 10 years later. He is part of the chain migration that gets talked about in history books. He would join John working as a washer in a local woolen mill.
  • We can tie the journey to America to both political and economic unrest. Austria-Hungary, as an Empire, was broken up into smaller countries, including the Czech Republic. Our relatives gave only general references to their place of origin as Austria-Hungary in official government documents like the U.S. Federal Census.  Both John Elcik, III, and John J. Elcik contributed to the oral record with Czechoslovakia references.
  • The Elcik’s began life in America as day laborers and demonstrated a strong work ethic of which we should be proud. By working hard, they experienced homeownership when few did.  Elcik’s participated in Androscoggin County‘s growth by working in the woolen and paper mills that fueled Maine’s early growth. Throughout the 1900s, male and female Elcik’s worked in the Woolen Mills. The Worumbo Mill was a historic mill on the Androscoggin Riverbank in Lisbon Falls, Maine. Founded in 1864, it was at one point the community’s largest employer. John P. Elcik, Sr. was a boss at the mill for 3o years. John P. Elcik, Jr. and other male ancestors worked at the Pejepscot Paper Company.  Today, it is a historic mill building located off U.S. 201 in Topsham, Maine, on the Androscoggin River banks, across from Brunswick.
  • The Elcik family, along with our adopted country, values education. Education was not easy to come by in the 1900s, but the Elcik’s benefited from what was available. Today, there are many college graduates in the family. Our careers include professions like teaching and medicine.
  • Our European ancestry is unlikely to be tied to the surname Elcik. Neither is it likely to be Elsik and Ilcik as we originally thought. Instead, based on Catholic church baptism records, we need to look for “Ilycsik” and “Ilcsik.” As for locations, the most likely place to look is Parchovany, Slovakia.

Puzzles Solved

  • We now know that John P. Elcik, Sr. and Mary Pelcarsky are buried in St. Cyril Cemetry, Lisbon Falls. There are a dozen other family members also buried in the same cemetery.  We also know that John’s obituary names John P. Elcik as his father.  Could the naming of all the John Elcik’s be off by a generation? Unthinkable.  Another obituary had  Joseph Elcik’s daughters misidentified as siblings. Fortunately, Charlie Hall caught the error.
  • Mary Pelcarsky is our textbook example of the spelling problems that plagued our research. There are multiple alternative spellings of Mary’s maiden surname: Mary Polscoke is John Elcik’s mother on his 20 FEB 1896 birth, Maine Vital Records; Mary Pelchascay is John Elcik’s mother on his marriage to Mary Byrus (sic), Maine Marriage Index; Mary Palcsak is Mary Elcik’s mother upon her 4 OCT 1915 wedding to John Dutko, Maine Marriage Index; Mary Pelesaky is Michael J. Elcik’s mother on his 1 AUG 1930 marriage to Annie H. Sero, Maine Marriage Index to name a few. George F. Karkos says Annie spelled her mother’s name as Pelcarsky. We give her the last word.
  • John Elcik, Jr. married twice and most likely left an inheritance when he sold his house and married the second time. A surviving letter by Auntie Gertrude hints at this, but details are lost.
  • Annie Elcik (1905-1982), shown in the 1910 photo at the age of 5, grows up and marries George F. Karkos (1899-1965). We first learned of this in Karkos Kronicles, a website created by Terry L. Karkos, a former reporter and photojournalist at Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine). We recently confirmed a second connection between the Elcik and Karkos families. We have Maria Anna Pelcarsky’s obituary (my Great-grandmother), and she DID have a sister: Anna (Pelcarsky) Karkos. Terry tells us that Anna’s parents were Joseph K. Pelcarsky and Anna Belyan. Belyan was born c. 1848 and died in Lisbon Falls on March 1, 1938. Anna Pelcarsky was born 9-17-1877 in Parchovany, Slovakia. He goes on to note that Joseph K. was 26 when he married 15-year-old Anna Pelcarsky.
  • A 2nd connection between the Purinton and Elcik families is found. The Elcik family tree has 15 Purington, and 27 Purrington currently on it. And since we both know neither family can spell it stands to reason Beth and I are related beyond her marriage to my 1st cousin Jack. We put the question to resident expert Charlie Hall who concludes, “we have to go back to the first American born generation for the common ancestor: John Purington, 1635 – 1692. Not sure how many DNA elements would be found, fewer than between John IV and Jack most certainly.”
  • John Elcik of Rocky Point, New York, is related both by marriage and by blood. His cousin, George Elcik, married Anna Gamache. George was called cousin by my Auntie Gertrude, but there is no blood relationship. By marrying Anna, Uncle Norman’s sister, a marital relationship exists between what we mistakenly called the Lisbon Falls and The Durham Elcik’s. Both family’s ties to America begin in Durham, Maine. The blood relation is revealed by DNA testing.  Both John P. Elcik, IV and John J. Elcik’s DNA are on file at Ancestry.com.
  • DNA also identifies four “new to us” cousins:
            • Judy Lakkis, a retired Xray Technician. Her father is John Chester Spivak, his father was Timothy Spivak, and his mother was Tessie Spivak. They are originally from Poland.
            • Zlatica Beca, “born under Czechoslovakia’s flag in eastern Slovakia further East of Parchovany in Vinne.”
            • Earl Williams, a Lisbon Historical Society member and part of our “Fabulous Seven” research team.
            • An as-yet-unnamed Turkish cousin.

Family Celebrity

  • Elizabeth Mabie Elcik, a noteworthy Fashion illustrator according to Marquis’s “Who’s Who in American Women,” “Who’s Who in America,” and “Who’s Who in the World.” From fads such as the early ’90s safari-look to timeless pantsuits for the modern businesswoman, she has practically drawn them all.
  • Eugene Elcik, a Maine native who writes with a New England flavor. Eugene “Gene” Elcik’s novels are: “Challenges,” “Desperation of Souls,” “The Lobsterman of Deep Cove, Maine,”; “Shiloh, the Deception of a Cult, (1861- 1951)”; “The Confessional, the Sins Within;” and “Beyond the Snows of Maine.”

Check out the In the News feature on MyCousins for other family members who’s activities made the Internet.

Contributions

The Elcik Family Tree on Ancestry.com has grown substantially and covers much more than the Elcik’s.  It has 5,217 people, 3,271 photos, 428 life stories, and 6,051 records. Even so, Ancestry HINTs still offer 3,189 people and 26,535 records to explore. It is the addition of priceless pictures and life stories that have seen the most exciting changes.

  • There is a 1951 photo of John Elcik, Jr., thanks to Jeff, Jack, and Nancy.
  • A wedding photo of John Elcik, Jr., and Mary Byrus, thanks to Mark.
  • The naturalization document for Andrew Byras, thanks to Nancy.
  • A wedding photo of Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Norman, thanks to Becky.
  • Quality photos of family gravesites, thanks to Beth
  • Wanda’s letter with the words to the Slovak nursery song from Becky.
  • Becky’s Moulton family stories.
  • Beth’s Puddington family history.
  • Thanks to Janet, we have Chapman Cottage pictures, the B&B, which was once the Lucas home.
  • And numerous photos and letters that came from John Elcik III through Jeff.

Still to Do

  • Two family recipes are missing: a kielbasa recipe from George Elcik and a homebrew recipe from Jack’s grandfather, Edmond. Jack and his dad, George, and Bob, went to Durham to smoke the kielbasa because John Ilcik had a smokehouse. After John died, George asked Jack’s dad to smoke the kielbasa at his house. John, IV remembers the smokehouse and the dark beer though he would have been too young to drink the latter.
  • Nancy (Gamache) Kaskmer has the naturalization papers for Andrew Byras (1865-1945), and they indicate Kisfalucsko, Hungary, is another place where the Byras family came from. We want to research this in more detail. Our first pass suggests that the town may no longer exist. Also, can we locate the naturalization papers for others?
  • Will DNA or other records help us identify and meet European relations?
  • Our ongoing research interests are posted both with John’s Ancestry profile and on Ancestry’s Message Boards.

Final Observations

Our reference to a World Tree in the introduction to “My Cousins” has merit. There already are several. The FamilySearch Family Tree at FamilySearch.org is the world’s largest online family tree. We have entered name and date data hoping that our European cousins will do the same. If so, it could be the vehicle to knock down the brick wall that has hampered locating families in Europe.

The distinction between a family tree and family history is a point we wish to make. By adding life stories and photos to the Ancestry.com site, we transition from just a family tree to recording family history.  If sources separate a family tree from mythology, our life stories and photos provide actual life lessons. Isn’t this the true purpose and value of history?

The time to write stories and collect photos is now. We have traveled far. Will you join us?

Dr. John P. Elcik, IV           Beth (Purinton) Gamache

john@mycousins.org      beth@mycousins.org

P.S. Remember the baby lullabies that John III and Uncle Richard would sing.  We have the words, and they are men’s drinking songs. Did they know?

What can I do with these women, we went to bar they came after us, we ordered, they drank and when came to pay they hid. – Zlatica Beca

2nd song says something like 2 guys were walking to church but they stopped at the Halley (Hall or club) and got pianni (drunk). Then they went to church and prayed that their wives would let them in the house! – Dan Gamache