"My Spring 1996 Research Trip
- a Family Re-united -"
by Duncan B. Gardiner, Ph.D., C.G.
© copyright 1996 by Duncan Gardiner, C.G. and FEEFHS; all rights
reserved
Latest Update: 25 August 1996
In April 1996, for Linda Gallick, a client from Alexandria, Virginia, I visited two villages
near Bardejov, Slovakia. My client wanted me to take photographs of the church, the main
street, and any other sights of possible interest. She wanted to see what her immigrant
grandfather's home village looked like. The parish register research, at the Presov archive,
had revealed the house number in the village of Rokytov, so if the numbers had not changed,
I was prepared to photograph the ancestral home.
The first two weeks of April in northern Slovakia were still snowy - like the United States,
Slovakia (and Europe
in general) has had quite late spring seasons lately. With snow flakes gently falling I
photographed Rokytov's
church, main street, and the ancestral home. A small village, neat and clean,
prosperous-looking and comfortable,
with stuccoed beige houses along the road, obviously a farming community.
We asked several people whether anyone with the Gallik surname still lived in Rokytov. Oh,
yes, they did, try
the house over there. We knocked and asked: Yes, the lady's maiden name was Gallik - from
America? As so
often, that was a magic entree .... We sat down at the table in the parlor.
The lady's parents lived with them and the father's name was Adam Galyik. He remembered
there was a cousin
in America who lived in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. What was his father's name? Jan. His
grandfather? (That was
the key question, because I knew what the answer should be if he was a relative of my
client.) Adam could not
remember - if he ever knew. His grandfather had died before he was born. He did remember
that his
grandfather was a carter, driving a horse-drawn wagon.
At that point I knew we had a contact point, because my client's great grandfather was
recorded in parish
registers as a carter. Adam had his daughter bring out his box of papers, his birth certificate,
a document from
the notary's office showing the name of my client's father as one of the siblings who
transferred his share of the
family property and house to Adam's father.
For a short toast, they brought out a bottle of vodka (obligatory as hospitality in Slovakia). I
took photos of the
documents and the family, gave the family my client's name and address and, after a lovely
chat, drove off. It
was not until July that I wrote my report, made a list of the photographs, and sent it off. By
return mail, I
received the following note:
"I am delighted with the research you did for me while in Rokytov and Tarnov, Slovakia. The
photographs of
my relatives are especially appreciated.
"My cousin, Maria ..., wrote to me in June and included in her letter several photographs
which were in her
father's family album. Three of the photos were of my father and his two older brothers when
they were just
young boys. We have looked among our family photos, but could not find those particular
ones.
"There was also a group photo of my parents and my father's side of the family which was
taken on September
26, 1940 -- the day my parents were married. It's hard to believe that Adam had that photo all
these years.
"Maria said in her letter that you visited her family on April 13. Adam celebrated his 80th
birthday 10 days
later, on April 23. He passed away on April 25. During the 12 days after your visit, he went
through their
photo album and selected the photos I mentioned above. He wanted to send them to me, but
unfortunately was
unable to do so. Maria fulfilled his wishes. Thank you so much for taking the photos of
Adam and his
family!
".... Again, thank you for helping me to locate relatives I never realized I had.
Sincerely, Linda Gallick"
Not all my photographing and family-locating expeditions turn out so well, but when they do,
they are big events
for the families involved. Each time it happens I am reminded of what a privilege it is to be
involved in this
profession and, in a small way, in my clients' lives.
Duncan Gardiner, Certified Genealogist
12961 Lake Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107-1533
eMail address: ff164@cleveland.freenet.edu
Specializing in Slovak, Czech, and German ancestries.
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