Prokop/Prokopiv, Popik genealogy

[crs175]

I have been researching (for the past two years) my great-grandparents.

I have found that my great-grandmother's name was Anna Prokop (sometimes written Prokopiv (once as Prokopiu). She married a man who later called himself Michael Popik, but has been also written as Majik Popik. At the Ellis Island site, I think I have found Anna under her married name with her first son (whom she calls Jenko on this ship register but, assumming this is the right family, is later called James). This site lists Anna as Ruthenian from a town named Berezowka, "Austria." It also lists Anna as having a brother(I write "Austria" because they emmigrated in 1913 when Austria was the Austrian empire) Pauko (the transcription is very hard to read for his first name) Prokop. There are two towns in Central/Eastern Europe that still have this name (exact spelling). One is in Poland, just west of Brest and one is in Belarus. I do not know if either of these places were home to Ruthenians.

Anna eventually had several sons: James (AKA Jenko), Metro, Steve, and Louis Popick as well as two daughters with another husband: Katryna Krawiec (later written Catherine Crouse) and Helen Krawiec (later written Helen Crouse). There is also a son listed in his brother's obituary named Basil...but I have been unable to find him at all.

Does this family sound familiar to anyone? I have hit a rigid brick wall with them. They changed the spelling of their name so many times! I have been unable to find them on the 1920 census...I have tried every different spelling I can think of.

To make it interesting, on the 1930 census, my ggmother is listed as a Russian speaker from Austria. She never learned a word of English, even though she lived in the US for over 20 years. She was also listed as an Alien on the 1930 census.

I see religion on the postings as something that can be used as an aid to finding information. However, my ggrandmother died when my grandmother was a toddler. In addition, the area that this family grew up in did not have any churches besides Roman Catholic within walking distance from their farm. They were quite poor, so I do not believe they were able to drive to the nearest Eastern/Byzantine/Greek Church as it was a 20-25 miles away. Also, my grandmother is under the impression she is Ukrainian.

Any help would be greatly appreciated...my area of expertise in genealogy is French-Canadian research...I am having a hard time with the eastern and central European search.

Thanks!

Christine

[Hannia]

I used Austro-Hungarian borders to eliminate superfluous Berezivkas, and have it down to three possibilities.

selo/village, Berezovka/today BEREZIVKA

Use Shtetlseeker coordinates.
Berezovka (49.31 22.54) in Lviv Oblast/Region
Berezovka (49.05 24.11) in Ternopil Oblast (looks like)
Berezovka (50.16 24.55) in Radykhiv District of Lviv Oblast (looks like)

My guess is that it's one of the first two. The nickname Janko might be a Boyko (micro ethnic Ruthenian group) nickname??? And that most likely puts the family in the Berezivka near Starij Sambir, the first one listed.

Right now above paragraph is all conjecture. Nothing is written in stone. Need a little reconnoitering time.

[millgirl]

Greetings: My GGM's name was Constantia Prokop. Her father was Lucas Prokop and her mother was Montronae Fedyk. She married a man by the name of Nikolai Leninski and they lived in Starjy Sambir. I do not believe the Prokop family was from Starjy Sambir as the surname does not show up in any LDS films, Roman Catholic or Greek Catholic records. They may have been from a village near there but did not attend church in Starjy Sambir. Constantia was Greek Catholic.
I would be very interested in knowing where you eventually locate the family. Have patience with Hannia, she is VERY good at what she does but it takes time.
Also, if the first village she listed turns out to be the right one, then hopefully the LDS have microfilmed any records from there.
Good luck! I will be watching this thread this great interest.

[crs175]

Thank you for any information that you can give me. I greatly appreciate it!

Christine

[josephfl]

Dr. Magocsi lists only 1 Carpatho-Rusyn (Ruthenian) Settlement on his map (for villages at the outset of the 20th century) with a similar spelling--Berezoka. His map is rather comprehensive, and he has attempted to catalog and map all Carpatho-Rusyn settlements at that time. The map index redirects to (see Brezovka), a village which is located in northern Slovakia, approximately 10 kilometers east-southeast of Bardejov, in Saros/Starys county. Brezovka also appears on my modern roadmap of Slovakia. Magocsi does not depict any Ruthenian settlements with a similar spelling anywhere in Ukraine.

joe

[Hannia]

Christine,

I saw your post in another forum, where you say you are searching for Berezovka in Ternopil Region? Have you found some additional information?

[crs175]

I have received my great uncle's Petition for Naturalization. He is the only relative that I have a direct link to that was born in Europe that filed for Naturalization. I have found that he changed his name from Eugenius Popak to James Popick in the US Army during WWII. The town listed as his birthplace is Nosow, Austria. He lists his nationality as Austrian.

I have been told that Eugenius is a Polish name (or at least the Polish spelling of the name). When I looked through the ShtetlSeeker, I found a few towns with the name (Nosow), or ones that are similar. A few were near Krakow, Poland, a few in present day Ukraine. He (I know this is a bit of a rehash, emigrated from "Austria" in 1912 with his parents. And I know that his youngest sister was raised Catholic. I also know that Eugenius' mother (Anna (poss. Olena) Prokop(iw)) married a man who is described as Russian. On the 1930 census, Eugenius' mother is listed as speaking "Russian." Any help would be greatly, greatly appreciated.

I apologize if my previous information caused anyone to look up information that is now not useful. I now believe that the information I found at the Ellis Island site, may, in fact, not be my family. That is, unless Jenko is a nickname for Eugenius?

Christine

PS Hannia, I had posted that inquiry you found prior to receiving the information in your posting. I apologize for the confusion and appreciate (greatly) your posts to help me find my way!