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Surfing for Slovak Ancestors, Part I
by Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A.
Today nearly two million Americans claim Slovak ancestry. This vast number is not surprising since some 620,000 Slovaks came to America during the years of mass migration (1875-1914), making them one of the largest groups to come to our shores. With so many of us having Slovak roots, it is no wonder that the interest in Slovak genealogy has greatly increased over the past several years. While this article focuses on examples from my Slovak research, the resources listed can be helpful with other ethnicities as well.
It used to be that if you were searching for ancestors from the "Heart of Europe" you could count on a long, arduous process, limited or highly restricted access to records, and other obstacles. When I began my own research some fifteen years ago, sites such as Google, Ancestry.com, and the Ellis Island Database did not exist, and online catalogs for the Family History Library (FHL) and the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) were not available. The field of genealogy has certainly come a long way since then. It is also no coincidence that the Internet has opened the doors for many Slovak genealogists.
While it may be tempting to begin your research with records located in the ancestral homeland, a better strategy is to begin on this side of the Atlantic, where records are typically more easily accessible. And with so much data available online, it is quite easy to start "surfing for Slovak ancestors." Part 1 of this two-part article will focus on using the available databases at ancestry.com to begin your research. In a future article, I will cover some additional useful websites specific to Slovak genealogy.
Ancestry.com Databases
While conducting research on my maternal side of the family for my first book, Three Slovak Women, I spent long hours in courthouses, Family History Centers, and libraries extracting data from microfilm and books, and waited for weeks for photocopies of passenger lists to arrive from the NARA. No wonder it took me six years! Now don't misunderstand, I am not knocking these more traditional methods of the research process, but it is much more convenient to access certain records online via my Ancestry.com subscription.
U.S. Census Images and Indexes
Before Ancestry added the "every name index" search feature, I had no luck locating my mother's family in the 1930 Census. Until the index, I was forced to conduct manual searches, looking at the individual pages for "Duquesne PA" and not finding any results. I was basing my search on my mother's recollections many years earlier that the family was living in Duquesne. Thanks to the index, I could type in the name "Figlar" and First Name "John" and use "Pennsylvania" for a broader search on the state. The second result on the page showed a John Figlar (head), age 34, coal miner, living in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, PA, with his wife, Veronica, daughter Anna (my mother), and sons, John, Jr. and Joseph.
Immigration Collection
I spent a year searching for my grandmother's sister, Mary Fenchak. I exhausted my search of the Ellis Island Database (www.ellisisland.org) even with the Steve Morse Search Tool (www.stevemorse.org). Thus, I concluded she must have used another port of entry. One evening last December, at random, I decided to search Ancestry's Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1892-1948. I typed in Mary Fenchak, selected the Soundex search option and finally struck gold! From family information, I knew I had the right person.
Name: Maria Fenisak
Arrival Date: Feb 1909
Age: 18 years
0 months
Estimated Birth Year: 1891
Gender: Female
Race: Slovak
Port of Departure: Bremen, Germany
Ship Name: Rhein
Port of Arrival: Baltimore, Maryland
Friend's Name: Jabel Kirsner
Last Residence: Hungary
Message Boards
I often scour Ancestry.com/RootsWeb.com's free Message Boards (www.ancestry.com/share), as well as those on, Genealogy.com (http://genforum.genealogy.com). Each site has a board for Slovakia, and you may even find boards that are dedicated to your surname, or your ancestor's town or village.
Social Security Death Index
Ancestry.com's Social Security Death Index (SSDI) lists over 72 million names dating from as early as the 1930s and is a good starting point for those beginning their genealogy. Researchers should keep in mind that the SSDI does not list every person who received Social Security Benefits. This index only lists deaths that were actually reported to the Social Security Administration.
Once you've found the name of a relative, you can request a copy of the full Social Security report from the Social Security Administration. Simply click on "Order Original Application" to generate and print a pre-formatted letter. The cost is $27 if you can provide the SS#, otherwise it is $29. I've used the information I located using this index to obtain birth, death, and employment records for several family members.
Military Records: World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
In 1917 and 1918, approximately 24 million men living in the United States completed a World War I draft registration card. The WWI draft registration cards database can be an extremely useful resource because it covers a significant portion of the U.S. male population in the early twentieth-century. In addition, these cards contain significant genealogical information such as birthplace, citizenship status, and information on the individual's nearest relative. This database helped me to locate the record of one of the most "elusive" ancestors in my family tree, my grandfather's brother, Samuel (Simeon) Figlar/Figler. Sam was a confirmed bachelor who froze to death by the side of the road after passing out from drinking too much alcohol. His body was buried in a pauper's grave.
Unfortunately, family stories have not provided many specific facts about his life. Using Ancestry.com, I found Samuel's WWI Draft Registration Card. He was living in Pennsylvania and working as a laborer for the Equitable Coke Company in Harwick, and part of the little finger on his right hand was missing. I can now use details listed in this record to continue my search.
Historical Newspapers
Newspapers and periodicals have been described as "the diaries of local communities." They are excellent sources of family history details that may not be recorded elsewhere. By searching the historical newspapers collection on Ancestry.com, I've found obituaries, marriages, legal notices, that mention a number of my relatives and ancestors, as well as fascinating stories about the communities in which they lived.
Online Classes
Classes are another great way to connect with fellow researchers. The Basic and Intermediate Slovak Research classes I teach are the perfect venue for students to exchange information on surnames and villages through interaction on the course site and weekly class chats.
With all of these great resources available at Ancestry.com alone, researching Slovak roots is no longer so daunting a task. And with new databases being added every day, you never know where your ancestors may be hiding. Whether you have been tracing your family tree for two months or twenty years, there has never been a better time to be a Slovak genealogist. Why not give it a try?
Lisa Alzo is the author of Three Slovak Women, Baba's Kitchen: Slovak & Rusyn Family Recipes and Traditions (Gateway Press), and the recently published Finding Your Slovak Ancestors (Heritage Books), as well as numerous articles for genealogy magazines. She is an instructor of Eastern European, Slovak and Great Lakes Region genealogy classes for Myfamily.com, and is a frequent speaker at national conferences, genealogical and historical societies.
Check out Lisa's Upcoming Classes at Ancestry.com
Upcoming Event Where Lisa Will Be Speaking:
- University of Pittsburgh Slovak Festival
(November 6, 2005, Pittsburgh, PA)
Details and links to upcoming events at www.lisaalzo.com
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