Chomyszak family

[AmyNxDx]

Hello Everyone! I'm new here, so please be gental!

My father's side is from Kiev. My aunt said that our last name, Chomyszak, is a very common in Ukraine. I guess I'm here to find out more about our family and Ukraine in general. I haven't ever been there, but we are planning a trip for next summer.

My grandparents escaped concentration camps came to NY. My grandmother passed away a few years ago, my grandfather doesn't like to talk about the past too much, my father passed away when I was 5, and my aunt doesn't know all the details.

Also, what can you tell me about this photo? It's from the back of my father's headstone at the cemetary.



Sorry to sound so naive!

Thanks ahead of time!

Amy

[Hannia]

Chomyszak/ Khomyshak (as per tombstone, I think this may be the closer transliteration/sounds like) is a common surname in Ukraine, but it is most common to WESTERN Ukraine, specifically the region called HALYCHYNA.

Ukrainian Transliteration Table
http://pages.prodigy.net/l.hodges/translit.htm

Genealogy of Halychyna and Eastern Galicia
http://www.halgal.com/

What do you know of Grandparents' German experience?

Were both Grandparents OSTARBEITER?

Ostarbeiter is the official term introduced in Nazi Germany to denote people of non-German nationality, most of whom were native inhabitants of the eastern lands conquered by Nazi Germany, and were used by the Nazis as a source of slave labor. After the WW2, a significant number of them were held in camps for displaced people in the Western occupation zones of the postwar Germany.

In order to view entire site, scroll to very bottom and click HOME.
DP Camps Migration
http://www.dpcamps.org/migration.html

excerpt:

The Einwanderungszentrale of Nazi Germany had the complete vital statistics of every foreigner entering into Germany (name, age, place of original, date of entry and two photos (full face and profile). Using these files, the UNNRA and IRO (replacement organization for the UNNRA) categorized, provided medical exams, X-rays, TB and VD, mental and educational exams to determine who was eligible for immigration to the US and distant ports. Genealogist should get freedom of information form G639 from the U.S. Citizenship & Nationalization Services for their records. This agency will tell you what camp your Grandparents were in.

Amy, a copy of Grandmother's death certificate is all you need to get all info re Grandmother. Intl Privacy Laws apply to Grandfather as long as he is alive. Engage him in conversation and tell him that you would like to learn more about your Ukrainian heritage. It is critical to find out the EXACT PLACE OF BIRTH for Deedo/Grandfather and Babucia/Grandmother. Chances are good that there is still surviving family in Ukraine.

BRAMA - Gateway Ukraine
http://brama.com/

InfoUkes: Ukrainian Culture
http://www.infoukes.com/culture/

[Serhii]

Hi form Ukraine Amy,

I live in Central Ukraine ( = the same cultural region with Kiev ) , but I have never heard such surname . Theoretically it is possible , but I wouldn't call it common .

Х О М И Ш А К ? The first part of it XOMИ is clear and comes form the name THOMAS ( Хома in Ukrainian ) But the suffix is very strange . Traditional surmanes with ХОМА+suffix are :

Х О М Е Н К О
Х О М И Ш И Н
Х О М И Ш А Н

Хомиша К looks like a nickname (maybe it was originally ). If your grandfather is alive - ask him more and show all variants. Maybe they changed only one letter in the end - it was a common practice at that terrible war and post war time .

Good luck and welcome to Ukraine !

[Unbreakable]

Originally Posted by Serhii

...Theoretically it is possible...

It▓s possible even practically √ I▓ve found two names :"Khomyshak" (Хомишак) in Lviv▓s phone book

[Hannia]

Viktor & Serhij,

Aunt provided Kiev as place of origin???

Grandfather's surname is native to Halychyna, especially along current Ukrainian-Polish border. During Soviet times, most Americans frequently referred to Ukraine as Russia. It is possible that Grandfather was providing his children w/geographical reference point???

The surname could also be Lemko??? Were there any Lemkos deported to Kiev Region?

Could Grandmother's place of origin be Kiev Region? I know of several couples that married in Germany, where wife was Eastern Ukrainian and husband was Western Ukrainian.
____________________________________________________________

Amy,

Was your father born in USA? If so, his baptismal certificate/metryka should provide you w/exact details re Grandparents' origins. Where did Grandparents settle upon immigration?

[Serhii]

Originally Posted by Unbreakable

It’s possible even practically – I’ve found two names :"Khomyshak" (Хомишак) in Lviv’s phone book

I suppose only two names for all L'viv indicate it isn't a common one. And I

wrote about my region , because Amy mentioned it. It is nice such surnames

exist in Ukraine , but their origin is a little bit strange. At least for me.

[Serhii]

Originally Posted by Hannia

Aunt provided Kiev as place of origin??? .....

Hannia, as always deep professional approach. So many difficult questions in a single name . It seems it comes from a region close to Ukr - Pol border indeed (Polish transliteration proves it partly ) . What happened futher - complete darkness.

People remembered their roots - I am pleased to see the name in perfect Ukrainian ( and only in it ) on a tombstone. God bless their soles !

I'a sure you'll help Amy fo learn everything.