I am seeking any records for my family. My great grandparents, Zachary Charles and Justina (Trusz) Kurko were both born in Dąbrowica, Kuryłówka, Leżajsk, Podkarpackie, Poland (then Austria). Zachary Charles Kurko was born 06 September 1878, a son of Joannis and Eufemia "Fema" (Fedorko) Kurko. Justina Trusz was born 10 October 1886, a daughter of Dimitri and Eva (Jarosz) Trusz. Justina's birthday of 10 October is only referenced on Zachary's Naturalization Petition. Zachary and a "Hanka Trusz", who I believe to be my great grandmother Justina, immigrated to the United States in 1902 on the "Blucher" and went to Derby, Connecticut, before moving to Jefferson County, Ohio. The home they went to in Derby after arriving at Ellis Island was the home of Hanka's "uncle" per the manifest. This "uncle" was named Onufer Jarosz at 5 Prospect Street, Derby, Connecticut. This Onufer Jarosz (Onifer Yarosh) I believe to be the Onifer Yarosh who died in Orange, Connecticut in 1960. Was he truly Justina's uncle? Was he a brother to her mother, Eva (Jarosz) Trusz? Will we ever know? The manifest showed one other person directly above them from Dąbrowica.... Hryc/Kryc Kroik, who also went to 5 Prospect Street, Derby, CT to the home of Onufer Jarosz. I can't make out the handwriting on the manifest as to who Onufer was in relation to Hryc/Kryc. Maybe uncle as well?
Zachary and Justina made their way to Ohio between 1902 and 1905. They were married 22 July 1905 in the Saint Adalbert Roman Catholic Church in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio, and they later moved to Barton and Bellaire in Belmont County, Ohio, and were the parents of nine children, seven of whom reached adulthood, and are all now deceased. They lived on the same street where my mother and I have lived all of our lives in Bellaire, Ohio; moving here in 1915. Justina died 22 May 1933, and Zachary followed on 10 September 1954. As above mentioned, Justina was shown as "Hanka Trusz" on the immigration manifest; at least I am almost certain that it is my great grandmother, Justina Trusz. I do wish I knew for certain, and hope that may be possible to have proof in the near future. The 1920 Census on Rosser Avenue, Bellaire revealed Mike Kurko (age 2) and Joe Kurko (age 1) as their youngest children. Mike's 1919 live birth record revealed that he was not a twin. No birth or death record can be found for Joe Kurko, nor any other trace of his existence besides his mysterious appearance on the 1920 Census. I believe Joe Kurko is a mistake in the census and that he never truly existed. George was the youngest; his live 1921 birth record reveals he was the 9th child born of the mother (Justina), 7 of whom were living. Based on this statement, Joe never existed. George was not alive in 1920 so "Joe" could not be mistaken for George since George wasn't born yet during the 1920 Census. The two who died were clearly (proven): Steve Kurko (1908-1909) and Michael Kurko (1915-1916). Joe Kurko is just a mystery baby in the mix!
I do believe Zachary had siblings, as a researcher has found birth/baptism records in Dąbrowica of two children born in 1909. One was a child of Andrej Kurko and his wife, and another a child of Onufry Kurko and his wife. Grandparents' names were on these records. Andrej and Onufry Kurko both stated that their parents were Jan and Eufemia (Fedorko) Kurko; this causes me to believe that Andrej and Onufry Kurko were brothers to Zachary. I know nothing about Joannis and Eufemia or their ancestors. I know that Justina had brothers and sisters. Bessie, Mary, and John Trusz, who I know nothing about, were the only names that I once knew, except her sister, Tecla/Tekla Trusz who immigrated to the United States and lived in the house next door to me, but I now know just a little more about her siblings from limited records in Poland. Tecla married John Duda on 01 June 1916 in Belmont County, Ohio. John Duda was born in the nearby village of Sloboda, and was the son of Michael and Mary (Studenek) Duda. He had at least two siblings; brothers, Theodore and Zachary Duda, who also immigrated to the United States. John Duda died 19 January 1956 and Tecla followed on 17 December 1962. Justina, Tecla, Bessie, Mary, and John supposedly had at least two other siblings; brothers who were still living in the old country in 1933 according to one of Justina's 1933 obituaries, which stated this information. However, no names were given. I also know nothing about Dimitri and Eva, or any further ancestors. It is believed that Justina's sisters (Bessie and Mary) may have immigrated to the United States and lived in Pennsylvania, as I have wedding photos with their names penciled in on the photo. They were taken in Pennsylvania according to the photographer's seal in the corner. I do not know who they married. A man named John Trusz lived in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio in the 1910 Census. I am in search for his 1904 or 1905 immigration manifest. His wife Maryanna Trusz arrived in 1906, and I found her immigration manifest. The manifest said she was going to Dillonvale to Jan Trusz. They lived in Dillonvale in the 1910 Census and then moved to Chicago before 1920. The 1910 Census states John was a manager of a grocery store. Their names were listed as godparents on baptism records of a couple of Zachary and Justina's children. I would highly suggest it was them, anyway. John was born in 1876 in Dąbrowica and died in Chicago in 1951. Is he Justina's brother, or some kind of cousin? If he was her brother he would have lived in Chicago when Justina died in 1933, and none of her obituaries mentioned about any siblings living in the USA except Tecla Duda who lived in Bellaire. It said she had 2 sisters and 3 brothers in Austria who survived her. But, as we know, mistakes can always be made. Justina did have a brother Nikolai Trusz who was born 21 May 1896 in Dąbrowica. He was likely one of the 2 brothers who survived Justina upon her death in 1933 (per one of her obituaries). Nikolai married Maria Fedorko on 14 November 1920 in Dąbrowica. They had a son Iwan Trusz (1921-1922) who died young in Dąbrowica, and possibly other children (unknown at this time). I still know nothing more about Nikolai or his wife at this time. Justina also had a sister Anastasia Trusz Fedorko who married Wasyl Fedorko (a brother to Maria Fedorko Trusz who married Nikolai Trusz). Anastasia and Wasyl were married in Dąbrowica on 08 May 1919 and they had at least two children: Maria Fedorko (born in 1920) and Katarina Fedorko (1922-1922) who died young in Dąbrowica. They may have had other children. Was Anastasia also known as "Bessie" or were they sisters? More and more questions! Likewise with Nikolai and his wife, it is unknown about the fates of Anastasia and Wasyl.
As for other relations: Whether Zachary had other siblings or not remains a mystery, but he did have cousins who were almost undoubtedly brothers to one another. Zachary did know these three cousins, but it is unknown exactly how they were connected. These cousins were Peter Kurko, John/Dionizi Kurko, and Thomas Kurko, who were sons of Jurko "George" and Tekla (Motyl) Kurko. I am just assuming that Jurko was a brother to my great great grandfather Joannis Kurko, but there is no proof. Thus my assumption would be that Zachary was a first cousin to Peter, John/Dionizi, and Thomas Kurko. Peter Kurko died 10 March 1910, John/Dionizi Kurko died 22 June 1968, and Thomas Kurko died 08 June 1967. They were all married and had children. Peter married Anaztazia Szewczyk about 1900 possibly near Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. After Peter's death in 1910, Anaztazia returned to the old country for a time (there is an intriguing story here) and later returned to the United States and remarried to John Groth on 13 August 1914 in Saint Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio, and had more children. They once lived on my street in Bellaire, Belmont County, Ohio, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois where John died in 1962, and Anaztazia died in 1965. Anaztazia (Szewczyk) Kurko Groth was the daughter of Stanislaw and Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk. It is highly assumed that my great grandmother Justina and her siblings were cousins with Anaztazia, as their mother's maiden names were both Jarosz. I do not have proof exactly how they were cousins, but my assumption is that my great great grandmother, Eva (Jarosz) Trusz was a sister to Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk, making them first cousins. Thus Zachary Kurko's cousin (Peter Kurko) married Justina Trusz Kurko's cousin (Anaztazia Szewczyk Kurko Groth). Thomas Kurko also moved to Chicago, Illinois, sometime between 1911 and 1917. If this would be the case, Onifer Yarosh and his brother Philip Yarosh in Connecticut could also be siblings with Eva (Jarosz) Trusz and Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk, but there is absolutely no evidence to prove these people as siblings. Records in Poland revealed that Peter, John/Dionizi, and Thomas Kurko also had two other brothers, Konrad and Dimitri Kurko.
Zachary MAY HAVE HAD at least 3 sisters: Teodora Kurko Kaszycki (born about 1882 in Dąbrowica) who married Joannes Kaszycki on 17 February 1901 in Dąbrowica; Melania Kurko Lunoski (born about 1892 in Dąbrowica) who married Pawel Lunoski on 20 November 1911 in Dąbrowica; and lastly Maria Kurko Zarnul (born about 1899 in Dąbrowica) who married Leon Zarnul on 22 November 1925 in Dąbrowica. It is still unknown about their children and all their fates. The speculation with these three women (Teodora, Melania, and Maria) is that they list their mother as Eufemia (Kurko) Kurko and no records identify her as a Fedorko. The Russian Cyrillic also states that Eufemia was " of father Kurko" which may actually imply that they MAY NOT HAVE BEEN Zachary's sisters (although likely related to him in some unknown way) and that there was another couple out there in the past named Jan Kurko who happened to marry a Eufemia Kurko, and they were a different couple than my great great grandparents, Jan Kurko and Eufemia Fedorko. There may have also been another Andrej Kurko (who listed his parents as Jan Kurko and Eufemia Kurko) (NOT Fedorko) who married a different woman, Melania Fedorko (a sister to Wasyl and Maria who married the Trusz siblings) on 01 February 1904 in Dąbrowica and had children: Jan Kurko in 1911, and twin girls: Katarina (1922-1922) who died young, and Agafia Kurko (born in 1922), and possibly (likely) other children. It doesn't seem that it is the same Andrej Kurko mentioned further up above who married Katarina Kolodko and had at least one child; a son Michal Kurko in 1909. This Andrej would have had to have been married to both women at the same time; which I think is not the case. The marriage record for Andrej Kurko and Katarina Kolodko is still being sought, but the birth/baptism record of the son Michal in 1909 reveals Andrej's parents as Jan Kurko and Eufemia Fedorko. The Andrej that married Melania Fedorko listed his mother as Eufemia (Kurko) Kurko. The mysteries increase!
There was also a Rosa (Potornay) Nokavitska Kurko who died in Martins Ferry, Belmont County, Ohio on 14 January 1956. I have her obituary, and have searched for her tombstone. I do not think she has a tombstone. The funeral home records and her obituary both state that she was the widow of Elder Kurko who died in 1930. After a few years of searching, I learned that she was first married to a Nokavitska; although I do not know his first name or any particulars. She married second to widower John Kurko, son of Josef and Teresa (Molnar) Kurko on 02 November 1931 in Akron, Ohio. John (or possibly also known as "Elder") did not die in 1930; but in 1940.
I am praying that I can find any information from the old country. To date, I have very few documents from the old country. I am seeking birth/baptism, marriage, and death records for anyone. ....Joannis and Eufemia "Fema" Fidurko Kurko, Dimitri and Eva Jarosz Trusz, Michael and Mary Studenek Duda, Jurko and Tekla Motyl Kurko, Stanislaw and Julana Jarosz Szewczyk... anyone! I have heard there was a fire in Dąbrowica after World War II and that we may never be able to learn about my family!
Thanks so much if anyone knows anything! I was named after my great grandfather, Zachary Charles Kurko (1878-1954).
Zachary and Justina made their way to Ohio between 1902 and 1905. They were married 22 July 1905 in the Saint Adalbert Roman Catholic Church in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio, and they later moved to Barton and Bellaire in Belmont County, Ohio, and were the parents of nine children, seven of whom reached adulthood, and are all now deceased. They lived on the same street where my mother and I have lived all of our lives in Bellaire, Ohio; moving here in 1915. Justina died 22 May 1933, and Zachary followed on 10 September 1954. As above mentioned, Justina was shown as "Hanka Trusz" on the immigration manifest; at least I am almost certain that it is my great grandmother, Justina Trusz. I do wish I knew for certain, and hope that may be possible to have proof in the near future. The 1920 Census on Rosser Avenue, Bellaire revealed Mike Kurko (age 2) and Joe Kurko (age 1) as their youngest children. Mike's 1919 live birth record revealed that he was not a twin. No birth or death record can be found for Joe Kurko, nor any other trace of his existence besides his mysterious appearance on the 1920 Census. I believe Joe Kurko is a mistake in the census and that he never truly existed. George was the youngest; his live 1921 birth record reveals he was the 9th child born of the mother (Justina), 7 of whom were living. Based on this statement, Joe never existed. George was not alive in 1920 so "Joe" could not be mistaken for George since George wasn't born yet during the 1920 Census. The two who died were clearly (proven): Steve Kurko (1908-1909) and Michael Kurko (1915-1916). Joe Kurko is just a mystery baby in the mix!
I do believe Zachary had siblings, as a researcher has found birth/baptism records in Dąbrowica of two children born in 1909. One was a child of Andrej Kurko and his wife, and another a child of Onufry Kurko and his wife. Grandparents' names were on these records. Andrej and Onufry Kurko both stated that their parents were Jan and Eufemia (Fedorko) Kurko; this causes me to believe that Andrej and Onufry Kurko were brothers to Zachary. I know nothing about Joannis and Eufemia or their ancestors. I know that Justina had brothers and sisters. Bessie, Mary, and John Trusz, who I know nothing about, were the only names that I once knew, except her sister, Tecla/Tekla Trusz who immigrated to the United States and lived in the house next door to me, but I now know just a little more about her siblings from limited records in Poland. Tecla married John Duda on 01 June 1916 in Belmont County, Ohio. John Duda was born in the nearby village of Sloboda, and was the son of Michael and Mary (Studenek) Duda. He had at least two siblings; brothers, Theodore and Zachary Duda, who also immigrated to the United States. John Duda died 19 January 1956 and Tecla followed on 17 December 1962. Justina, Tecla, Bessie, Mary, and John supposedly had at least two other siblings; brothers who were still living in the old country in 1933 according to one of Justina's 1933 obituaries, which stated this information. However, no names were given. I also know nothing about Dimitri and Eva, or any further ancestors. It is believed that Justina's sisters (Bessie and Mary) may have immigrated to the United States and lived in Pennsylvania, as I have wedding photos with their names penciled in on the photo. They were taken in Pennsylvania according to the photographer's seal in the corner. I do not know who they married. A man named John Trusz lived in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio in the 1910 Census. I am in search for his 1904 or 1905 immigration manifest. His wife Maryanna Trusz arrived in 1906, and I found her immigration manifest. The manifest said she was going to Dillonvale to Jan Trusz. They lived in Dillonvale in the 1910 Census and then moved to Chicago before 1920. The 1910 Census states John was a manager of a grocery store. Their names were listed as godparents on baptism records of a couple of Zachary and Justina's children. I would highly suggest it was them, anyway. John was born in 1876 in Dąbrowica and died in Chicago in 1951. Is he Justina's brother, or some kind of cousin? If he was her brother he would have lived in Chicago when Justina died in 1933, and none of her obituaries mentioned about any siblings living in the USA except Tecla Duda who lived in Bellaire. It said she had 2 sisters and 3 brothers in Austria who survived her. But, as we know, mistakes can always be made. Justina did have a brother Nikolai Trusz who was born 21 May 1896 in Dąbrowica. He was likely one of the 2 brothers who survived Justina upon her death in 1933 (per one of her obituaries). Nikolai married Maria Fedorko on 14 November 1920 in Dąbrowica. They had a son Iwan Trusz (1921-1922) who died young in Dąbrowica, and possibly other children (unknown at this time). I still know nothing more about Nikolai or his wife at this time. Justina also had a sister Anastasia Trusz Fedorko who married Wasyl Fedorko (a brother to Maria Fedorko Trusz who married Nikolai Trusz). Anastasia and Wasyl were married in Dąbrowica on 08 May 1919 and they had at least two children: Maria Fedorko (born in 1920) and Katarina Fedorko (1922-1922) who died young in Dąbrowica. They may have had other children. Was Anastasia also known as "Bessie" or were they sisters? More and more questions! Likewise with Nikolai and his wife, it is unknown about the fates of Anastasia and Wasyl.
As for other relations: Whether Zachary had other siblings or not remains a mystery, but he did have cousins who were almost undoubtedly brothers to one another. Zachary did know these three cousins, but it is unknown exactly how they were connected. These cousins were Peter Kurko, John/Dionizi Kurko, and Thomas Kurko, who were sons of Jurko "George" and Tekla (Motyl) Kurko. I am just assuming that Jurko was a brother to my great great grandfather Joannis Kurko, but there is no proof. Thus my assumption would be that Zachary was a first cousin to Peter, John/Dionizi, and Thomas Kurko. Peter Kurko died 10 March 1910, John/Dionizi Kurko died 22 June 1968, and Thomas Kurko died 08 June 1967. They were all married and had children. Peter married Anaztazia Szewczyk about 1900 possibly near Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. After Peter's death in 1910, Anaztazia returned to the old country for a time (there is an intriguing story here) and later returned to the United States and remarried to John Groth on 13 August 1914 in Saint Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio, and had more children. They once lived on my street in Bellaire, Belmont County, Ohio, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois where John died in 1962, and Anaztazia died in 1965. Anaztazia (Szewczyk) Kurko Groth was the daughter of Stanislaw and Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk. It is highly assumed that my great grandmother Justina and her siblings were cousins with Anaztazia, as their mother's maiden names were both Jarosz. I do not have proof exactly how they were cousins, but my assumption is that my great great grandmother, Eva (Jarosz) Trusz was a sister to Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk, making them first cousins. Thus Zachary Kurko's cousin (Peter Kurko) married Justina Trusz Kurko's cousin (Anaztazia Szewczyk Kurko Groth). Thomas Kurko also moved to Chicago, Illinois, sometime between 1911 and 1917. If this would be the case, Onifer Yarosh and his brother Philip Yarosh in Connecticut could also be siblings with Eva (Jarosz) Trusz and Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk, but there is absolutely no evidence to prove these people as siblings. Records in Poland revealed that Peter, John/Dionizi, and Thomas Kurko also had two other brothers, Konrad and Dimitri Kurko.
Zachary MAY HAVE HAD at least 3 sisters: Teodora Kurko Kaszycki (born about 1882 in Dąbrowica) who married Joannes Kaszycki on 17 February 1901 in Dąbrowica; Melania Kurko Lunoski (born about 1892 in Dąbrowica) who married Pawel Lunoski on 20 November 1911 in Dąbrowica; and lastly Maria Kurko Zarnul (born about 1899 in Dąbrowica) who married Leon Zarnul on 22 November 1925 in Dąbrowica. It is still unknown about their children and all their fates. The speculation with these three women (Teodora, Melania, and Maria) is that they list their mother as Eufemia (Kurko) Kurko and no records identify her as a Fedorko. The Russian Cyrillic also states that Eufemia was " of father Kurko" which may actually imply that they MAY NOT HAVE BEEN Zachary's sisters (although likely related to him in some unknown way) and that there was another couple out there in the past named Jan Kurko who happened to marry a Eufemia Kurko, and they were a different couple than my great great grandparents, Jan Kurko and Eufemia Fedorko. There may have also been another Andrej Kurko (who listed his parents as Jan Kurko and Eufemia Kurko) (NOT Fedorko) who married a different woman, Melania Fedorko (a sister to Wasyl and Maria who married the Trusz siblings) on 01 February 1904 in Dąbrowica and had children: Jan Kurko in 1911, and twin girls: Katarina (1922-1922) who died young, and Agafia Kurko (born in 1922), and possibly (likely) other children. It doesn't seem that it is the same Andrej Kurko mentioned further up above who married Katarina Kolodko and had at least one child; a son Michal Kurko in 1909. This Andrej would have had to have been married to both women at the same time; which I think is not the case. The marriage record for Andrej Kurko and Katarina Kolodko is still being sought, but the birth/baptism record of the son Michal in 1909 reveals Andrej's parents as Jan Kurko and Eufemia Fedorko. The Andrej that married Melania Fedorko listed his mother as Eufemia (Kurko) Kurko. The mysteries increase!
There was also a Rosa (Potornay) Nokavitska Kurko who died in Martins Ferry, Belmont County, Ohio on 14 January 1956. I have her obituary, and have searched for her tombstone. I do not think she has a tombstone. The funeral home records and her obituary both state that she was the widow of Elder Kurko who died in 1930. After a few years of searching, I learned that she was first married to a Nokavitska; although I do not know his first name or any particulars. She married second to widower John Kurko, son of Josef and Teresa (Molnar) Kurko on 02 November 1931 in Akron, Ohio. John (or possibly also known as "Elder") did not die in 1930; but in 1940.
I am praying that I can find any information from the old country. To date, I have very few documents from the old country. I am seeking birth/baptism, marriage, and death records for anyone. ....Joannis and Eufemia "Fema" Fidurko Kurko, Dimitri and Eva Jarosz Trusz, Michael and Mary Studenek Duda, Jurko and Tekla Motyl Kurko, Stanislaw and Julana Jarosz Szewczyk... anyone! I have heard there was a fire in Dąbrowica after World War II and that we may never be able to learn about my family!
Thanks so much if anyone knows anything! I was named after my great grandfather, Zachary Charles Kurko (1878-1954).
I am seeking any records for my family. My great grandparents, Zachary Charles and Justina (Trusz) Kurko were both born in Dąbrowica, Kuryłówka, Leżajsk, Podkarpackie, Poland (then Austria). Zachary Charles Kurko was born 06 September 1878, a son of Joannis and Eufemia "Fema" (Fedorko) Kurko. Justina Trusz was born 10 October 1886, a daughter of Dimitri and Eva (Jarosz) Trusz. Justina's birthday of 10 October is only referenced on Zachary's Naturalization Petition. Zachary and a "Hanka Trusz", who I believe to be my great grandmother Justina, immigrated to the United States in 1902 on the "Blucher" and went to Derby, Connecticut, before moving to Jefferson County, Ohio. The home they went to in Derby after arriving at Ellis Island was the home of Hanka's "uncle" per the manifest. This "uncle" was named Onufer Jarosz at 5 Prospect Street, Derby, Connecticut. This Onufer Jarosz (Onifer Yarosh) I believe to be the Onifer Yarosh who died in Orange, Connecticut in 1960. Was he truly Justina's uncle? Was he a brother to her mother, Eva (Jarosz) Trusz? Will we ever know? The manifest showed one other person directly above them from Dąbrowica.... Hryc/Kryc Kroik, who also went to 5 Prospect Street, Derby, CT to the home of Onufer Jarosz. I can't make out the handwriting on the manifest as to who Onufer was in relation to Hryc/Kryc. Maybe uncle as well?
Zachary and Justina made their way to Ohio between 1902 and 1905. They were married 22 July 1905 in the Saint Adalbert Roman Catholic Church in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio, and they later moved to Barton and Bellaire in Belmont County, Ohio, and were the parents of nine children, seven of whom reached adulthood, and are all now deceased. They lived on the same street where my mother and I have lived all of our lives in Bellaire, Ohio; moving here in 1915. Justina died 22 May 1933, and Zachary followed on 10 September 1954. As above mentioned, Justina was shown as "Hanka Trusz" on the immigration manifest; at least I am almost certain that it is my great grandmother, Justina Trusz. I do wish I knew for certain, and hope that may be possible to have proof in the near future. The 1920 Census on Rosser Avenue, Bellaire revealed Mike Kurko (age 2) and Joe Kurko (age 1) as their youngest children. Mike's 1919 live birth record revealed that he was not a twin. No birth or death record can be found for Joe Kurko, nor any other trace of his existence besides his mysterious appearance on the 1920 Census. I believe Joe Kurko is a mistake in the census and that he never truly existed. George was the youngest; his live 1921 birth record reveals he was the 9th child born of the mother (Justina), 7 of whom were living. Based on this statement, Joe never existed. George was not alive in 1920 so "Joe" could not be mistaken for George since George wasn't born yet during the 1920 Census. The two who died were clearly (proven): Steve Kurko (1908-1909) and Michael Kurko (1915-1916). Joe Kurko is just a mystery baby in the mix!
I do believe Zachary had siblings, as a researcher has found birth/baptism records in Dąbrowica of two children born in 1909. One was a child of Andrej Kurko and his wife, and another a child of Onufry Kurko and his wife. Grandparents' names were on these records. Andrej and Onufry Kurko both stated that their parents were Jan and Eufemia (Fedorko) Kurko; this causes me to believe that Andrej and Onufry Kurko were brothers to Zachary. I know nothing about Joannis and Eufemia or their ancestors. I know that Justina had brothers and sisters. Bessie, Mary, and John Trusz, who I know nothing about, were the only names that I once knew, except her sister, Tecla/Tekla Trusz who immigrated to the United States and lived in the house next door to me, but I now know just a little more about her siblings from limited records in Poland. Tecla married John Duda on 01 June 1916 in Belmont County, Ohio. John Duda was born in the nearby village of Sloboda, and was the son of Michael and Mary (Studenek) Duda. He had at least two siblings; brothers, Theodore and Zachary Duda, who also immigrated to the United States. John Duda died 19 January 1956 and Tecla followed on 17 December 1962. Justina, Tecla, Bessie, Mary, and John supposedly had at least two other siblings; brothers who were still living in the old country in 1933 according to one of Justina's 1933 obituaries, which stated this information. However, no names were given. I also know nothing about Dimitri and Eva, or any further ancestors. It is believed that Justina's sisters (Bessie and Mary) may have immigrated to the United States and lived in Pennsylvania, as I have wedding photos with their names penciled in on the photo. They were taken in Pennsylvania according to the photographer's seal in the corner. I do not know who they married. A man named John Trusz lived in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio in the 1910 Census. I am in search for his 1904 or 1905 immigration manifest. His wife Maryanna Trusz arrived in 1906, and I found her immigration manifest. The manifest said she was going to Dillonvale to Jan Trusz. They lived in Dillonvale in the 1910 Census and then moved to Chicago before 1920. The 1910 Census states John was a manager of a grocery store. Their names were listed as godparents on baptism records of a couple of Zachary and Justina's children. I would highly suggest it was them, anyway. John was born in 1876 in Dąbrowica and died in Chicago in 1951. Is he Justina's brother, or some kind of cousin? If he was her brother he would have lived in Chicago when Justina died in 1933, and none of her obituaries mentioned about any siblings living in the USA except Tecla Duda who lived in Bellaire. It said she had 2 sisters and 3 brothers in Austria who survived her. But, as we know, mistakes can always be made. Justina did have a brother Nikolai Trusz who was born 21 May 1896 in Dąbrowica. He was likely one of the 2 brothers who survived Justina upon her death in 1933 (per one of her obituaries). Nikolai married Maria Fedorko on 14 November 1920 in Dąbrowica. They had a son Iwan Trusz (1921-1922) who died young in Dąbrowica, and possibly other children (unknown at this time). I still know nothing more about Nikolai or his wife at this time. Justina also had a sister Anastasia Trusz Fedorko who married Wasyl Fedorko (a brother to Maria Fedorko Trusz who married Nikolai Trusz). Anastasia and Wasyl were married in Dąbrowica on 08 May 1919 and they had at least two children: Maria Fedorko (born in 1920) and Katarina Fedorko (1922-1922) who died young in Dąbrowica. They may have had other children. Was Anastasia also known as "Bessie" or were they sisters? More and more questions! Likewise with Nikolai and his wife, it is unknown about the fates of Anastasia and Wasyl.
As for other relations: Whether Zachary had other siblings or not remains a mystery, but he did have cousins who were almost undoubtedly brothers to one another. Zachary did know these three cousins, but it is unknown exactly how they were connected. These cousins were Peter Kurko, John/Dionizi Kurko, and Thomas Kurko, who were sons of Jurko "George" and Tekla (Motyl) Kurko. I am just assuming that Jurko was a brother to my great great grandfather Joannis Kurko, but there is no proof. Thus my assumption would be that Zachary was a first cousin to Peter, John/Dionizi, and Thomas Kurko. Peter Kurko died 10 March 1910, John/Dionizi Kurko died 22 June 1968, and Thomas Kurko died 08 June 1967. They were all married and had children. Peter married Anaztazia Szewczyk about 1900 possibly near Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. After Peter's death in 1910, Anaztazia returned to the old country for a time (there is an intriguing story here) and later returned to the United States and remarried to John Groth on 13 August 1914 in Saint Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio, and had more children. They once lived on my street in Bellaire, Belmont County, Ohio, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois where John died in 1962, and Anaztazia died in 1965. Anaztazia (Szewczyk) Kurko Groth was the daughter of Stanislaw and Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk. It is highly assumed that my great grandmother Justina and her siblings were cousins with Anaztazia, as their mother's maiden names were both Jarosz. I do not have proof exactly how they were cousins, but my assumption is that my great great grandmother, Eva (Jarosz) Trusz was a sister to Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk, making them first cousins. Thus Zachary Kurko's cousin (Peter Kurko) married Justina Trusz Kurko's cousin (Anaztazia Szewczyk Kurko Groth). Thomas Kurko also moved to Chicago, Illinois, sometime between 1911 and 1917. If this would be the case, Onifer Yarosh and his brother Philip Yarosh in Connecticut could also be siblings with Eva (Jarosz) Trusz and Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk, but there is absolutely no evidence to prove these people as siblings. Records in Poland revealed that Peter, John/Dionizi, and Thomas Kurko also had two other brothers, Konrad and Dimitri Kurko.
Zachary MAY HAVE HAD at least 3 sisters: Teodora Kurko Kaszycki (born about 1882 in Dąbrowica) who married Joannes Kaszycki on 17 February 1901 in Dąbrowica; Melania Kurko Lunoski (born about 1892 in Dąbrowica) who married Pawel Lunoski on 20 November 1911 in Dąbrowica; and lastly Maria Kurko Zarnul (born about 1899 in Dąbrowica) who married Leon Zarnul on 22 November 1925 in Dąbrowica. It is still unknown about their children and all their fates. The speculation with these three women (Teodora, Melania, and Maria) is that they list their mother as Eufemia (Kurko) Kurko and no records identify her as a Fedorko. The Russian Cyrillic also states that Eufemia was " of father Kurko" which may actually imply that they MAY NOT HAVE BEEN Zachary's sisters (although likely related to him in some unknown way) and that there was another couple out there in the past named Jan Kurko who happened to marry a Eufemia Kurko, and they were a different couple than my great great grandparents, Jan Kurko and Eufemia Fedorko. There may have also been another Andrej Kurko (who listed his parents as Jan Kurko and Eufemia Kurko) (NOT Fedorko) who married a different woman, Melania Fedorko (a sister to Wasyl and Maria who married the Trusz siblings) on 01 February 1904 in Dąbrowica and had children: Jan Kurko in 1911, and twin girls: Katarina (1922-1922) who died young, and Agafia Kurko (born in 1922), and possibly (likely) other children. It doesn't seem that it is the same Andrej Kurko mentioned further up above who married Katarina Kolodko and had at least one child; a son Michal Kurko in 1909. This Andrej would have had to have been married to both women at the same time; which I think is not the case. The marriage record for Andrej Kurko and Katarina Kolodko is still being sought, but the birth/baptism record of the son Michal in 1909 reveals Andrej's parents as Jan Kurko and Eufemia Fedorko. The Andrej that married Melania Fedorko listed his mother as Eufemia (Kurko) Kurko. The mysteries increase!
There was also a Rosa (Potornay) Nokavitska Kurko who died in Martins Ferry, Belmont County, Ohio on 14 January 1956. I have her obituary, and have searched for her tombstone. I do not think she has a tombstone. The funeral home records and her obituary both state that she was the widow of Elder Kurko who died in 1930. After a few years of searching, I learned that she was first married to a Nokavitska; although I do not know his first name or any particulars. She married second to widower John Kurko, son of Josef and Teresa (Molnar) Kurko on 02 November 1931 in Akron, Ohio. John (or possibly also known as "Elder") did not die in 1930; but in 1940.
I am praying that I can find any information from the old country. To date, I have very few documents from the old country. I am seeking birth/baptism, marriage, and death records for anyone. ....Joannis and Eufemia "Fema" Fidurko Kurko, Dimitri and Eva Jarosz Trusz, Michael and Mary Studenek Duda, Jurko and Tekla Motyl Kurko, Stanislaw and Julana Jarosz Szewczyk... anyone! I have heard there was a fire in Dąbrowica after World War II and that we may never be able to learn about my family!
Thanks so much if anyone knows anything! I was named after my great grandfather, Zachary Charles Kurko (1878-1954).
Zachary and Justina made their way to Ohio between 1902 and 1905. They were married 22 July 1905 in the Saint Adalbert Roman Catholic Church in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio, and they later moved to Barton and Bellaire in Belmont County, Ohio, and were the parents of nine children, seven of whom reached adulthood, and are all now deceased. They lived on the same street where my mother and I have lived all of our lives in Bellaire, Ohio; moving here in 1915. Justina died 22 May 1933, and Zachary followed on 10 September 1954. As above mentioned, Justina was shown as "Hanka Trusz" on the immigration manifest; at least I am almost certain that it is my great grandmother, Justina Trusz. I do wish I knew for certain, and hope that may be possible to have proof in the near future. The 1920 Census on Rosser Avenue, Bellaire revealed Mike Kurko (age 2) and Joe Kurko (age 1) as their youngest children. Mike's 1919 live birth record revealed that he was not a twin. No birth or death record can be found for Joe Kurko, nor any other trace of his existence besides his mysterious appearance on the 1920 Census. I believe Joe Kurko is a mistake in the census and that he never truly existed. George was the youngest; his live 1921 birth record reveals he was the 9th child born of the mother (Justina), 7 of whom were living. Based on this statement, Joe never existed. George was not alive in 1920 so "Joe" could not be mistaken for George since George wasn't born yet during the 1920 Census. The two who died were clearly (proven): Steve Kurko (1908-1909) and Michael Kurko (1915-1916). Joe Kurko is just a mystery baby in the mix!
I do believe Zachary had siblings, as a researcher has found birth/baptism records in Dąbrowica of two children born in 1909. One was a child of Andrej Kurko and his wife, and another a child of Onufry Kurko and his wife. Grandparents' names were on these records. Andrej and Onufry Kurko both stated that their parents were Jan and Eufemia (Fedorko) Kurko; this causes me to believe that Andrej and Onufry Kurko were brothers to Zachary. I know nothing about Joannis and Eufemia or their ancestors. I know that Justina had brothers and sisters. Bessie, Mary, and John Trusz, who I know nothing about, were the only names that I once knew, except her sister, Tecla/Tekla Trusz who immigrated to the United States and lived in the house next door to me, but I now know just a little more about her siblings from limited records in Poland. Tecla married John Duda on 01 June 1916 in Belmont County, Ohio. John Duda was born in the nearby village of Sloboda, and was the son of Michael and Mary (Studenek) Duda. He had at least two siblings; brothers, Theodore and Zachary Duda, who also immigrated to the United States. John Duda died 19 January 1956 and Tecla followed on 17 December 1962. Justina, Tecla, Bessie, Mary, and John supposedly had at least two other siblings; brothers who were still living in the old country in 1933 according to one of Justina's 1933 obituaries, which stated this information. However, no names were given. I also know nothing about Dimitri and Eva, or any further ancestors. It is believed that Justina's sisters (Bessie and Mary) may have immigrated to the United States and lived in Pennsylvania, as I have wedding photos with their names penciled in on the photo. They were taken in Pennsylvania according to the photographer's seal in the corner. I do not know who they married. A man named John Trusz lived in Dillonvale, Jefferson County, Ohio in the 1910 Census. I am in search for his 1904 or 1905 immigration manifest. His wife Maryanna Trusz arrived in 1906, and I found her immigration manifest. The manifest said she was going to Dillonvale to Jan Trusz. They lived in Dillonvale in the 1910 Census and then moved to Chicago before 1920. The 1910 Census states John was a manager of a grocery store. Their names were listed as godparents on baptism records of a couple of Zachary and Justina's children. I would highly suggest it was them, anyway. John was born in 1876 in Dąbrowica and died in Chicago in 1951. Is he Justina's brother, or some kind of cousin? If he was her brother he would have lived in Chicago when Justina died in 1933, and none of her obituaries mentioned about any siblings living in the USA except Tecla Duda who lived in Bellaire. It said she had 2 sisters and 3 brothers in Austria who survived her. But, as we know, mistakes can always be made. Justina did have a brother Nikolai Trusz who was born 21 May 1896 in Dąbrowica. He was likely one of the 2 brothers who survived Justina upon her death in 1933 (per one of her obituaries). Nikolai married Maria Fedorko on 14 November 1920 in Dąbrowica. They had a son Iwan Trusz (1921-1922) who died young in Dąbrowica, and possibly other children (unknown at this time). I still know nothing more about Nikolai or his wife at this time. Justina also had a sister Anastasia Trusz Fedorko who married Wasyl Fedorko (a brother to Maria Fedorko Trusz who married Nikolai Trusz). Anastasia and Wasyl were married in Dąbrowica on 08 May 1919 and they had at least two children: Maria Fedorko (born in 1920) and Katarina Fedorko (1922-1922) who died young in Dąbrowica. They may have had other children. Was Anastasia also known as "Bessie" or were they sisters? More and more questions! Likewise with Nikolai and his wife, it is unknown about the fates of Anastasia and Wasyl.
As for other relations: Whether Zachary had other siblings or not remains a mystery, but he did have cousins who were almost undoubtedly brothers to one another. Zachary did know these three cousins, but it is unknown exactly how they were connected. These cousins were Peter Kurko, John/Dionizi Kurko, and Thomas Kurko, who were sons of Jurko "George" and Tekla (Motyl) Kurko. I am just assuming that Jurko was a brother to my great great grandfather Joannis Kurko, but there is no proof. Thus my assumption would be that Zachary was a first cousin to Peter, John/Dionizi, and Thomas Kurko. Peter Kurko died 10 March 1910, John/Dionizi Kurko died 22 June 1968, and Thomas Kurko died 08 June 1967. They were all married and had children. Peter married Anaztazia Szewczyk about 1900 possibly near Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. After Peter's death in 1910, Anaztazia returned to the old country for a time (there is an intriguing story here) and later returned to the United States and remarried to John Groth on 13 August 1914 in Saint Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio, and had more children. They once lived on my street in Bellaire, Belmont County, Ohio, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois where John died in 1962, and Anaztazia died in 1965. Anaztazia (Szewczyk) Kurko Groth was the daughter of Stanislaw and Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk. It is highly assumed that my great grandmother Justina and her siblings were cousins with Anaztazia, as their mother's maiden names were both Jarosz. I do not have proof exactly how they were cousins, but my assumption is that my great great grandmother, Eva (Jarosz) Trusz was a sister to Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk, making them first cousins. Thus Zachary Kurko's cousin (Peter Kurko) married Justina Trusz Kurko's cousin (Anaztazia Szewczyk Kurko Groth). Thomas Kurko also moved to Chicago, Illinois, sometime between 1911 and 1917. If this would be the case, Onifer Yarosh and his brother Philip Yarosh in Connecticut could also be siblings with Eva (Jarosz) Trusz and Julana (Jarosz) Szewczyk, but there is absolutely no evidence to prove these people as siblings. Records in Poland revealed that Peter, John/Dionizi, and Thomas Kurko also had two other brothers, Konrad and Dimitri Kurko.
Zachary MAY HAVE HAD at least 3 sisters: Teodora Kurko Kaszycki (born about 1882 in Dąbrowica) who married Joannes Kaszycki on 17 February 1901 in Dąbrowica; Melania Kurko Lunoski (born about 1892 in Dąbrowica) who married Pawel Lunoski on 20 November 1911 in Dąbrowica; and lastly Maria Kurko Zarnul (born about 1899 in Dąbrowica) who married Leon Zarnul on 22 November 1925 in Dąbrowica. It is still unknown about their children and all their fates. The speculation with these three women (Teodora, Melania, and Maria) is that they list their mother as Eufemia (Kurko) Kurko and no records identify her as a Fedorko. The Russian Cyrillic also states that Eufemia was " of father Kurko" which may actually imply that they MAY NOT HAVE BEEN Zachary's sisters (although likely related to him in some unknown way) and that there was another couple out there in the past named Jan Kurko who happened to marry a Eufemia Kurko, and they were a different couple than my great great grandparents, Jan Kurko and Eufemia Fedorko. There may have also been another Andrej Kurko (who listed his parents as Jan Kurko and Eufemia Kurko) (NOT Fedorko) who married a different woman, Melania Fedorko (a sister to Wasyl and Maria who married the Trusz siblings) on 01 February 1904 in Dąbrowica and had children: Jan Kurko in 1911, and twin girls: Katarina (1922-1922) who died young, and Agafia Kurko (born in 1922), and possibly (likely) other children. It doesn't seem that it is the same Andrej Kurko mentioned further up above who married Katarina Kolodko and had at least one child; a son Michal Kurko in 1909. This Andrej would have had to have been married to both women at the same time; which I think is not the case. The marriage record for Andrej Kurko and Katarina Kolodko is still being sought, but the birth/baptism record of the son Michal in 1909 reveals Andrej's parents as Jan Kurko and Eufemia Fedorko. The Andrej that married Melania Fedorko listed his mother as Eufemia (Kurko) Kurko. The mysteries increase!
There was also a Rosa (Potornay) Nokavitska Kurko who died in Martins Ferry, Belmont County, Ohio on 14 January 1956. I have her obituary, and have searched for her tombstone. I do not think she has a tombstone. The funeral home records and her obituary both state that she was the widow of Elder Kurko who died in 1930. After a few years of searching, I learned that she was first married to a Nokavitska; although I do not know his first name or any particulars. She married second to widower John Kurko, son of Josef and Teresa (Molnar) Kurko on 02 November 1931 in Akron, Ohio. John (or possibly also known as "Elder") did not die in 1930; but in 1940.
I am praying that I can find any information from the old country. To date, I have very few documents from the old country. I am seeking birth/baptism, marriage, and death records for anyone. ....Joannis and Eufemia "Fema" Fidurko Kurko, Dimitri and Eva Jarosz Trusz, Michael and Mary Studenek Duda, Jurko and Tekla Motyl Kurko, Stanislaw and Julana Jarosz Szewczyk... anyone! I have heard there was a fire in Dąbrowica after World War II and that we may never be able to learn about my family!
Thanks so much if anyone knows anything! I was named after my great grandfather, Zachary Charles Kurko (1878-1954).
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