Family members immigrating from Bereska

Looking for information on immigrants to the USA around 1890-1920 from the Breseka, Austria (Galacia)

Please, be exact when referring to geographical names.
Bereska or Berezka - not Breseka
English Galicia; German Galizien; Polish Galicja - not Galacia
See also this message #16 in another thread, where three villages of the same name Berezka/Bereska, in the same province, are clearly identified. You have to be very specific which Berezka you have in mind.

Yes, I did mid-spell. The spelling we have known is Bereska. Which one of the three in your link is unknown. Ancestors surname were Korolewiat and Shaffron.

John Shafron was born in Breska and was Catherine's brother. Petro Shafron ( brother) also lived with him. My husband ( Tom) lived next to tthe Coreys in Derry on Owens ave.

Do you know where the Catholic Baptismal records for the Szafran's are located?

That is a good question. Good guesses are New Florence, Pa, or if born in Derry they would have gone to St. Mary's Byzantine catholic in Bradenville, Pa or after 1910 the Ukrainians built St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Latrobe, Pa. Most from Bereska moved to the Ukrainian church but some stayed at the Byzantine church. I would guess that if born after 1910 they are at the Ukrainian church

Arrivals at Ellis Island:
Korolewiat Jan 17 years old in 1913
Korolewit Kaszka 18 years in 1889
Both were from Berezka a village wich is a part of the commune Solina.

Merged: Family members immigrating from Bereska

OK:
I have read most of the posts. I have hit a brick wall. I have a number of family members that have immigrated to the US (mid to late1800s) from the town of Bereska. This Bereska is the one near Lesko. I know this because my Grandfather's immigration record indicates Beresko/lesko. Family names are Madejczyk, Barron, and Duda. Where do I go to find more information about these families? I have done extensive searches of Ellis Island records. It seems there is nothing on line that I am able to search that is within Poland/Austria. HELP...

Thanks, Mike

MADEJCZYK: Probably dervied from pet names for Amadeusz such as Madej, Maduś, Madek; the patronymic ending -czyk suggests that it probably emerged to indicate "Maddy's kid". Around 1,000 users in Poland, one-third in Upper Silesia, the principal bastion.

DUDA. primitive, goatskin bapgpipe; probably originated to identify a home-spun rural musician. The major stronghold is again Górny Śląsk.

Hi Polonius:
Good info. My grandfather's name was Tymko Madejczyk. That's the way it is spelled in the Ellis Island record. He immigrated to the US in 1903 from Bereska. His Uncle, Michal Duda, also came to the United states in 1910 from the town of Bereska. In his record it indicates he was visiting his nephew Tymko Madej.

Is there anywhere I can research these names in Poland (Bereska). I have used Familysearch.org and EllisIsland.org. Familysearch has the church records around Krakow, Poland but does not seem to cover the area near Bereska. Any help would be great.

Thanks, Mike

Tymko is a pet for of Tymoteusz (Timothy). I was surprised to find a handful of people in Poland surnamed Barron. Doule consonants are quite rare in Polish names.

I actually could not find and record in Ellis Island where the Barron family immigrated. His name was Dmitro Barron born around 1846. His wife's name was Catherine Hrickowian b1858. They were married in Bereska. Prior to comming to the US, They had 5 children. In order Julia, George, Catherine, Joseph, and Mary. 6 more were born in the US, Eva, Anna, Anastasia, Rosella John and Peter. They immigrated to Derry Pennsylvania. Eva is my grandmother.

Mike

BARRON: altrnative spelling of Baron which means baron, a minor noblemen. (In Poland gentry titles of count and baron emerged only under the occupying partitioners in the 19th century.) Only a handful use the Barron spelling in Poland but many spell it Baron. Perops the double vowel occurred in the New World.

My ancestors are from Bereska/Berezka; and both of my parents were born there too.
I have some old records and believe the surname Korolewiat is listed.
Would be happy to share with you.

Anything you could supply would be very much appreciated

KOZEMCZAK
An researching Anton (Anthony, Toney, Tony) Kozemczak. Cannot find him in any immigration records. He married in 1910 in Ramey, Clearfield, PA to Paulina Yaletchko (Jaleczko), her family was from Olchowce, Galicia. His parents were Michael and Julia Kozemczak. According to his WWI registration he was from Bereska, Lisko, Austria. He was a coal miner who lived in the 1920's in Staunton, Illinois. His neighbor was George Kozemczak. I am trying to connect Anton and George to a large group of Kozemczaks in western PA....so far no luck. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

My grandparents were Kozemczaks, also spelled Kuzemczaks. We are from Derry, PA, in western PA. In fact I had a great uncle George. He was the son of an Andrew and Anna Kuzemczak. Andrew always said he was born in Bereska, Austria (sp??) in 1898 I think. I'd be glad to share what I know as well as learn.

I am researching KUZEMCHAK (Kosiemczik-the spelling utilized in the Ellis Island records). Both he (Jurko / George) and his future wife (Maria / Mary) were from Bereska arriving in the US circa 1904. My grandfather and his cousin Wasko were headed to Latrobe. Looking for answers and will share what I have found thus far.

An old forum, but maybe someone will see this. I don't know why I haven't found this form before. Here's what I have. My great grandmother, Annie Michalenko (born in Syracuse NY). Her parents were Jurko/George Michalenko and Marya Korolewiat. Marya immigrated abt 1904. I can't find her immigration records, sadly, but her sister (Magdalena) came to visit her and her immigration record states she was from Zernika. Their parents were Basil/William & Tekla Lucziw Korolewiat. It looks like William came to PA multiple times, from Zernika. The immigration record I can find states he was going to a "friend" Filip Korolewyak in Latrobe. I wonder if Filip is the same as his step-son below...

I believe his older children came from Bereska, though I can't find their immigration records either. His older children were Philip and Mike. Philip was (I believe) technically a Washnock. their mother was Teodosia Freda Szafran. They settled in Unity/Latrobe area. Mike changed the last name to Corey.

I was told that my great grandmother had an uncle in Pennsylvania who was a priest, if that rings any bells, too.

Philip was my grandfather Michael Nicholas Korolewiat's (Corey) half brother, as far as I know. He died in 1961 and all of his 10 children are also dead. I only know that he was married to Pearl Hrivna, who died in 1964.

Hi. Its been a while since I have viewed this thread. I am also interested in relatives that immigrated from Bereska (Bereska is the one near Lesko). My great grand parents came from this town. Dmitro Barron born around 1846, His wife's name was Catherine Hrickowian b1858. Does anyone have any info on these people? Is there a way to search the church records from this area?

On my goodness I just stumbled on this post and I'm hoping someone is still answering. My father was John Washnock Jr and my grandfather is John Washnock Sr, brother/half brother of Philip and Mike Washnock Korolewiat/Korelovich. I would love information on how the different last names? Was William Korolewiat the step-father to all/some of the three? Where did the Washnock name come from? Some information seems to imply Ukranian roots as well? I would love any information, where to find church (marriage, baptism, death, etc) records for any in that line.

Hello MacGrammie7,
I haven't looked at this for awhile either. I was looking through old funeral cards. My grandfather Michael Korolewiat died in 1961. His half-brother Philip Washnock still has descendants in Whitney, PA. I visited with some of them in 1992 when my Dad Nicholas Corey, died. Maybe they would know something. There was also a sister, Mrs.Margaret Yanchick of St. Claire, PA. I would be interested if you find out anything. I am at jmbaker11@att.net.

Hi everyone. I have located data for the town of Bereska in the archives in Poland. Please see the attached file for a complete explanation.

• Attached file: BereskaData.doc 🔗
  

Hi MacGrammie and Jean. Here's what I know:

Teodosia Freda SZAFRAN married (1) Nicholas M WASHNOCK in abt 1870. She and Nicholas had 2 children (best I can determine): John and Phillip. My assumption is that Nicholas died, and Teodosia then married (2) William/Wasily KOROLEWIAT in abt 1879. I'd guess that Phillip was so small when the 2nd marriage happened that he felt like a Korolewiat/Corey, so he went by that name rather than Washnock.

Wasily & Teodosia had one child: Michael born November 1880

Teodosia then died, and Wasily then married (2) Tekla LUCZKOW on 24 May 1885 in Zernica Wyzna.They had 3 children: Maria (my great-great grandmother), Magdalena, and a child whose name I couldn't read between Mar 1886 and Apr 1893. I believe Magdalena became Margaret and married Paul Yanchuk(sp).

Shelby,

Thanks so much for the info. Here is some of the info I have. I glanced through the Bereska database and saw the Korolewiat name, even back in the 1700's. I can muddle through the Latin, but the handwriting will have to be for a good day.

1. Philip's gravestone says Korelovich. He is buried with his second wife, Mary. She was a widow who had kids from a previous marriage. There is an obit attached to findagrave.com. You seem to have been doing this for awhile, so you already know about all that.

2. His first wife was Martha Houck (1881-1929). She and Philip had a bunch of kids. Looks like she is buried with her daughter. There is another database with Ella Pundai on ancestry. She was Martha's daughter.

3. John Washnock married Augusta Houck (1883-1982). She was Martha's sister. They had 12 kids.

4. Lots of Washnocks and Coreys still in the Latrobe/Whitney/Derry, Pa area!

I am trying to find relatives of my father, Josef Lachman,. He is from Bereska, Galicia. He returned to the US in 1914. His mother's name Zosia Lachman. He was

going to New Florence PA. His uncle's name is Ignacy Syrnyk. My father said he was born in 1898 in Jeannette Pa. His mother remarried, had a daughter Julie and the family returned to Ukraine when he was 2 or 3. My father always said he was Ukrainian. He said his town was often occupied by Poland. Any information you provide will be appreciated.

Marie Veal Fultz mveal16@gmail.com