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TATRA AREA RESEARCH GROUP
_______________________________© TARG All rights reserved.
Newsletter for July 2003
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Greetings to all TARG members. An especially warm welcome to the many
new folks that have found us in the last month!
I will keep this newsletter short and perhaps send out another one
either before I go next week or from the Tatra Area while I'm over there in
August. I'm still very busy preparing for the Goral Homecoming Trip, but
should be ready to go soon. Cousin Lucjan says it has been very warm and
very rainy over there in July -- with thunderstorms off the mountains nearly
every afternoon. (I've been reading that there has been record heat in other
parts of Europe, but not the rain.)
If you'd like to see one of the latest photos he's sent us, please visit
the TARG website at www.mytarg.net or http://mytarg.net. It's at the bottom
of the home page. Thanks, Lucjan!
-- Paul K. Bingham
TARG FounderTARG MEMBER'S LETTERS_________
~~~Dear Paul, I am interested in obtaining information on my family from
Orava, Slovakia. I am trying to find original Slovak documents from
Alsolipnica (I believe this is Lipnica Wielka in Poland today). Thank you. -
Stacey Wood
***Hello Stacey, "Also Lipnicz" was the Hungarian name for Velka Lipnica,
the Slovak village that became part of Poland when the border changed there
in 1920. Since then it has been known as Lipnica Wielka, Poland. The parish
records have not been microfilmed, so they are not available through the
conventional LDS library system in the USA. Copies of the records are also
not in the Krakow archives because this was a Slovak village before 1920.
There are copies spanning from 1820 or so until 1900 in the Roman Catholic
archives in Spisska Kapitula, Slovakia. I have been to that archive, but the
records are organized by year and not by village. You have to know which
year you need, or trudge through each years' volumes looking for the entries
from the village you are interested in. That method is very time consuming.
The only real way to do research is in the village parish itself. What is it
in particular you are trying to find? Is it an ancestor's record or are you
wanting to search an entire line? I think the records in the parish go back
to the mid 1700's. - Paul
~~~Hello, Paul. Initially, I would just like records for my
great-grandparents, but finding their location in Slovakia has been
difficult. After pinpointing them, eventually I would like to go back as far
as possible. I found my great-grandfather Andras Garaj's ship records, which
state "Alsolipnica" or "Getocko Scout Hicklos". My great-grandmother Anna
Gelusiak Garay was listed as arriving from Haliovka (I think it might be
Habovka, translated incorrectly, if there is such a place). My grandmother
says only that her mother was from Orava. I have obtained their marriage
record, but there is no indication of origin. U.S. Census only indicates
Hungary or Czechoslovakia as their birthplace, no town of course. Any
suggestions? Maybe check the death records? Thanks again. - Stacey Wood
***Hi Stacey, Since "Haliovka" doesn't exist, I would expect it is in fact
Habovka. Habovka is in Orava county and not too far from Lipnica Wielka.
Unlike Lipnica, it is still inside Slovakia to this day. And that is good
news, because the Orava county church records have all been microfilmed and
are available for research in the U.S. through the LDS library system. I
wouldn't put too much hope on death records for origin information, as these
are usually filled out quickly by talking with younger relatives at the time
of death. Historically these folks do not know all of the details of where
the older person was from. I've seen lots of errors in death records. Ship
records are much more reliable because they were from information given by
the individual themselves to authorities. Another suggestion, if you can
find their "Declaration of Intention" to become U.S. citizens it will be
useful. Having said that, the citizenship certificate itself (if one was
awarded) will be of little use in finding their origin, however. Did any of
them receive Social Security? Copies of the forms for that are mostly still
available in national archive centers and will have the town of origin
information for you, too. You could get this by using the Freedom of
Information Act and paying $20 or so. - Paul
~~~Hello Paul, Thanks for the information regarding Habovka. That was
valuable beyond all belief. I found the local LDS center, and the Habovka
records file, and am planning on going down there this week to try and find
some more information. Thanks!! I don't believe my great-grandparents
received Social Security as they died in the 30's and 40's and are not
listed in the death index. I appreciate your correspondence very much. You
have been a wealth of information for me. Thanks again, Stacey Wood
***Hello Stacey, I did not find any of your surnames in Lipnica Wielka,
Poland or in Habovka, Slovakia, but I did find three individuals named GARAJ
listed as living in nearby Podbiel and two more in Nizna. Since maybe only 1
in 4 Slovaks in these parts has a phone, you can extrapolate that there may
be as many as 20 GARAJ families living there presently. I also found one
GELUSIAK listed just south of Habovka in Liptovsy Mikulas and two more west
of there in Ruzomberok! - Paul
~~~Dear Paul, Was wondering if someone would be able to point me in the
right direction. I am looking for a census in Poland for about 1875-1910
for Debica, Kolaczyce and Szaflary. If anyone would be able to give me any
guidance I would very much appreciate it. Thank you. - Joyce Jaster
***Hi Joyce, This is a question I have put to various Polish researchers and
have never gotten a decent answer. The Hungarians did a number of census
gatherings between 1710 and 1869, but it appears the Austrians did not, at
least not in our TARG neck of the woods. If someone knows more on this
subject I would love to be proven wrong!. - Paul
~~~Dear Paul: Thank you very much for adding my name to the TARG newsletter. I look forward to reading through all the past issues. Already, my readings have prompted three immediate questions: A) How do I get copies (and
hopefully translations to English) of the 1869 Hungarian census for Tvarozna
(formerly Durelsdorf/Durand)? B) How do I find out which specific "second
writings" of RC parish records for Tvarozna and for which specific time
periods exist in the Spisska Kapitula Slovakia Archives? C) Who among your
members can translate two websites (in Hungarian) for me? One contains a
title of a book and the other is a one-page site. Many, many thanks for an
exciting website. - Wayne Huss
***Hi Wayne, and thanks for the kind words. As to your questions: A) The LDS
have microfilmed all of the 1869 Hungarian census now. Just contact your
nearest Family History Center Library to order the roll(s) you need. As I
remember, there is a limited English guide to reading them at the start of
some rolls. However, there was a couple named Conner who translated them
also. I've lost track of their website address, but a search on Google using
"Conner" and "1869 Hungarian Census" should bring it up. B) The RC Archives
in Krakow have second writings that date back to 1800. I believe the Slovak
Archive start about the same time...maybe some as late as 1820. C) Doug
Holmes wife does Hungarian translation. Try his website at:
http://www.dholmes.com/rm-book.html or this Hungarian Genealogy website:
http://www.talmamedia.com/geneal/go.htm. - PaulRESEARCH & PHOTOGRAPHY REQUESTS______
A number of you have contacted me requesting that while I am in the old
counrty in August that I go to their ancestral villages and shoot video tape
or still photos or even do extensive research for them. I do have a little
time left within the ten days I'll be researching at the Roman Catholic
archives in Krakow and also in a number of places around the Tatras.
However, I am limiting myself to certain areas because of time. If you have
such a request at this late date I will consider it, but you must contact me
immediately. If your request is feasible, I will e-mail you and we will
discuss it further.SPECIAL ISSUE FOR TARG MEMBERS_______
I've completed editing a huge "double issue" of the CSGSA Journal "Vcera a
dnes" and it is now back from the printer ready to mail out. Older TARG
members know that I edit this quarterly and often put TARG articles and
photos in it.
A lot of work has gone into this latest issue and it is full of great
information about travel and research in the old country. This jumbo issue
of the Vcera a dnes Journal goes into great detail on how to plan and
execute a successful research trip to Slovakia and/or Poland. Annual
membership to the CSGSA (so you can receive the Journal) is $20, but if you
would specifically like just a copy of this "keeper" issue, you can send for one from their Treasurer. The cost is $5, which includes first class postage. Don't send this to me or TARG, but rather to the CSGSA, care of Celeste Sampson, Treasurer, 7311 North 69th Drive, Glendale, AZ 85303. Please indicate that you want the special "Travel Issue " of the journal and that you are a TARG member. (This offer is only valid through August!)CONTACTING TARG_____________________
To contact TARG the e-mail address is: TARG_NET@hotmail.com. Our mailing
address is: TARG, P.O. Box 3533, Escondido, CA 92033. Our new website is at: www.mytarg.net or also http://mytarg.net.
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