Regarding posting of Velky Kazimir as possible Rusyn town. According to my Carpatho-Rusyn Settlement map, Kazimir in 1806 was a village with significant carpatho-rusyn settlement.

Sharon

Sharon Jarrow wrote:

Thank you for your post. I will see what I can find out about the village you mentioned. As to the religions, those of Slovak background tended to be RC and  those Rusyn of the Greek Catholic or Orthodox faith. 

Sharon

Thank you!  I did a little investigating in a Slovak forum on Facebook.  I discovered that while the family attended a RC church in Velky Kazimir, it turned out that they were living in what is now Széphalom, Hungary, probably only a few miles away from where my great-grandfather grew up!  I wonder if he had ever met his wife before they immigrated?

I also managed to do a little more digging and found them in the 1869 census.  The Geffert side was RC (surnames of Geffert/Gefferth and Skirsti - which I've never even heard of!  Interesting name!).  The Kiszely side was GC -- Kiszely and Pestovits/Pestovich (I have some Pestovich genetic matches through Ancestry).  So I am now suspecting that this great-grandmother's mother was possibly Rusyn but her father was probably Slovak.  At least that is my theory.

My great-grandfather, on the other hand, was much easier to determine -- all fully Rusyn! :)

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Anonymous wrote:

According to my grandfather's immigration paper, he entered the country under the of Alexander Pohanich, aka Alex Brendzovich.  However, his naturalization paper, specifically oath of allegiance he signed it as Alex Brenzovich, and his order of court admitting petition he officially changed his name fro Alexander Pohanich to Alek Brandzovich.  In my search there are several theories 1) He was evading the Austro-Hungarian government, 2) on one trip to the homeland, I was told that there were so many Brenzovich's in the village that he used Pohanich-Brenzovich to distinguish himself from the rest.  3) On another trip, I was told he used the name Pohanich because it was the name of the land owner on which he lived.  Not sure will ever know the real true story.  Just wanted to share using this new feature of the C-RS website.

Re: your theory 1: My great uncle Prokop Klepacz left Maciejowa, Nowy Sacz, Galicia for the US in 1912 to avoid having to serve his time in the Austrian army. His older brother, Dimitri, had served so Prokop knew how bad it would be. The night he left, the family covered all the windows so no one could see the lights and know that something was up. A very interesting book on the horrible situations in the Austrian army in that period of time leading up to WWI is The Winter Soldier.

I know that my great-grandfather was Rusyn.  He was born in Alsoregmec, and his mother was born in Mikohaza, Hungary.  His father was born in Cel'ovce, and his grandmother was born in Lastovce.

However, I do not know much about my great-grandmother (his wife).  I was able to find her parents' names and her baptismal information.  She was born in Velky Kazimir (now in Slovakia) in 1884.  I'm not as certain that she is also Rusyn as her father was Roman Catholic but mother, Greek Orthodox.  Does anyone know how many Rusyns may have lived in Velky Kazimir during that time period?  Is it possible that she may also be Rusyn?