Prokop Surname

[ktomaszek]

What a Wonderful Web Site. I have enjoyed reading all posts and am delighted i found this!

I have been researching my family genealogy for the past several years and have totally smacked - slamed - hit that brick wall hard!
My great grandpa Peter Prokopiw came from Ukraine. I have found the town Bibrka written on his death certificate. He died in 1953 and did not have a ssn #. why i dont know... In his obituary it says he is left be a 1/2 brother Alexander Kitt, cleveland and a nephew. No living relatives have any idea of Alexander - they only know he was a 1/2 brother. Also, I have never found ggpa or bro on Ellis Island although this is absolutely where he arrived through. I have checked alternate spellings etc... I have ordered Bibrka (Bobrka) micro films and have not found the family names on any of them. Any ideas??? I have sent letters to everyone and called so many people/relatives - Ive posted this information on almost every web site I've found. Thanks for the info if ya got any ideas, if not thanks for reading my post and have a great day!

[Hannia]

Which Bibrka records did you view? Most church records thru LDS predate 1870's.

It is possible that you hit a wall, because you are searching in the wrong country?
If your GGrandfather was from Galicia/Austro-Hungarian Empire, he wasn't necessarily from the now Ukraine side of the border. That does not change his ethnic background in any way. He would still have been Ruthenian/Ukrainian.

What was GGrandfather's religion? Was he Christian Orthodox, Greek Catholic or Roman Catholic? What was the time frame of immigration? Any idea how old he might have been when emigrating? Where was GGrandfather heading upon immigration? Where did he settle? Was he married in States or did he bring his wife over? What was GGrandmother's given name? By some chance do you know her maiden name?

Alexander (Aleksej) Kit/or some variation of is a popular Lemko name. Bear in mind that both Petro and Aleksij were not necessarily born in the same village. Immigration records most times list place of birth as place coming from. These people didn't travel w/passports. They only had their Baptismal/Birth Certificate and a Gmina/District Permission Paper to Travel.

Why did you list Prokop and Prokopiw/v as surnames?

Could it also be that GGrandfather lived in a Bibrka that didn't have it's own church, so he was baptized in another village church? Or could he have lived in another village and was christened in Bibrka?

Beside the obit, what actual documentation do you have for GGrandfather? Have you also documented Grandfather? Grandfather's Baptismal records might be enlightening. Have you done a census search?

You are convinced that both Petro and Aleksej came thru Ellis Island. How do you know this?
Many immigrants used Canadian ports of entry, then took a train to a border crossing, like St. Alban's, and entered US there. Many of those came to NYC first, before heading to whatever their actual destination was.

Confusing, isn't it? Answer my questions and I'll give it my best shot at seeing whether I could unconfuse at least some things.













[Edited by Hannia on 15th February 2002 at 20:17]

[ktomaszek]

So happy for a response! Thank you. Okay, Gpa name was Petro Prokopiw - the story is he jumped ship from the army and came to the US. He dropped the (iw) thinking it would be harder for people to find him. He married 1909 in NYC - found my ggpa in 1920 census in NYC. They bought property and moved to CT in 1922. I have gotten copies of his original marriage cert. he states he was 24 years old - so birth year would be 1885 - I have 1920 census he says he is 30 years old leaving birth year as 1890 I have death cert saying birth year as 1891 etc..... He has 1 one still living who is 90 years old - he remembers his father saying he came through Ellis Island and talking about it. We also have another close friend who is 96 and saying Ellis Island too. Yes, I do know it is Ukraine now. Yes, he was Ruthenian/Ukrainian. ggpa attended Ukrainian Church in Colchester, Ct. I have called the Church and they stated all older records have been lost. I have gotten a copy of his will - nothing of interest on it. As for time frame, we have assumed 1905-1908 as the years he immigrated. I have found ggma on ellis island her name was Mary Powaleny. Her record is Maryn Powalona, she arrived in 1908. The story is heard 2 ways - ggpa father died, mom remarried and had Alexander. But, through the years, the opposite has also been heard, ggpa was born KITT, Kitt father died, mom remarried a Prokopiw had Alexander and my ggpa took his new dads name. Confusing, Yes! Thanks for your time.

[Hannia]

Need to really mull all this over.

Right now all I can say is that KIT/T, Variation KITYK, KOTYK is a common Lemko surname.

Fact: Turn of century Lemko's did not intermarry, because of language and culture. They spoke a Rusyn (pronounced RUE-SEEN, not Russian) dialect. Had their own distinctive customs. Liked sticking very closely with Lemko tradition.

Fact: The Austrian military conscripted Ruthenians/Rusyns for foot and horse soldiering only! Petro might have deserted the Austrian army and then jumped the steamer coming into NYC? Certainly would explain why he doesn't appear in records and did not apply for social security. Family oral history is not necessarily most accurate.

PolishRoots: Austrian Military recruitment districts within Galicia
http://www.polishroots.com/austrian_recruit.asp


The reason I brought up the possibility of Petro being from the now Polish side of former Galicia, is because I found a Bobrka/Bibrka in Krosno District, a Lemko village w/Kitt's/Kotyk's/Kityk's going back to early 18th century. There were Prokopiw's living in villages in the immediate area. Polyana is one of those villages. The Greek Catholic and Orthodox records for these villages were kept in the Premysl, Poland Archives. Unfortunately not available thru LDS.

The Bibrka that you researched, what raion/district and oblast was it in?

Was the film part of the Greko Katolitska Konsistoria Metropoliche m. Lviv Records?

PS>Why is it that GGrandmothers and Grandmothers are so much easier to document? The original manifest shows Maryn/a Powalona/Powaleny immigrating w/her sister Anna from Dzwinograd, Austria leaving Father Fedko Pawaleny behind. LOL



[Edited by Hannia on 16th February 2002 at 10:15]

[forest]

There is a bibrika near Lviv a suburb. Also I met someone with that name PROKOPIV in a town called BRODY- LVIVSKA OBLAST. My name also starts Prokop. one of the reasons Ilooked at your posting

[Hannia]

Bib means bean and Bib/Bobrka is the name of at least two dozen villages in both Ukraine and Poland! The key to locating the right village is knowing district/raion and oblast/region and possibly names of nearby villages.

[ktomaszek]

Hello,
Well, it's been a while - how are you. I've always assumed it was Bibrka, Ukraine. Now, I am hoping I am right. I know assumptions are not good when researching genealogy. Petro was Russian Orthodox. I just recently found this out. Also, found out it is very possibly he was in Pennsylvania first. Luckily, I grew up on the same road where they lived - so it was VERY EASY for me to find his 1930 census. Under Citizenship it says:
Year of Immigration: 1907
Naturalized or Alien: PA
So, do you think I am correct when saying he naturalized in Pennsylvania? I have re-ordered the Bibrka/Bobrka films - they should be in any day now. I am hoping to see something I might have missed. Question: When you typed Prokopiw/v - Is the letter V used in Ukraine for the letter w? Also, because there is no one for me to ask how Prokopiw is pronounced - I always sound it out like _ PRO - COP - U. Is that how it would be pronounced? Thanks, will let ya know If I find anything on the films. Bye for now, Karen