Tag Archives: Slovak genealogy

Keeping track of the Sabols of Raritan, N.J.

Posted on November 9, 2014 by johnkowal

My grandmother Anna Sabol was the second-born child of Andrej (Andrew) Sabol and Maria (Mary) Daniel, immigrant parents of Slovak descent. I always assumed that the other members of the Sabol family stayed behind in the old country and that … Continue reading →

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Andrew Sabol’s final chapter

Posted on April 19, 2014 by johnkowal

Tracing the life story of my great-grandfather Andrej (Andrew) Sabol has been a painstaking effort. But now I can write the final chapter. I first found Andrew (he used his English name after he emigrated) on ancestry.com, in U.S. census records for … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Line - Sabol, New Jersey, New York City | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

A visit to ancestral hometowns in Slovakia: Obišovce and Žehňa

Posted on April 12, 2014 by johnkowal

In an earlier post, I wrote about my visit to a cluster of small villages in eastern Slovakia where my Slovak ancestors – the forebears of my maternal grandmother Anna Sabol – once lived. On a beautiful fall day I set out … Continue reading →

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A visit to ancestral hometowns in Slovakia: Trebejov and Kysak

Posted on January 26, 2014 by johnkowal

When I started researching my family history, I couldn’t tell you where any of my immigrant ancestors came from. Now, after a whole lot of sleuthing, I have many of my ancestral hometowns nailed down. I know exactly where my … Continue reading →

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Finding missing pieces of the puzzle at the Košice state archives

Posted on December 27, 2013 by johnkowal

I recently traveled to Slovakia to research family history records not available in the United States. The records were part of a set supposedly available online. But due to a frustrating bureaucratic snafu, I have not been allowed to view … Continue reading →

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Preparing to visit ancestral hometowns in Slovakia

Posted on October 6, 2013 by johnkowal

In a few days, I will be heading for eastern Slovakia. I have two goals for the trip: track down some elusive vital records at an archive in Košice (Slovakia’s second largest city); and pay a visit to the villages … Continue reading →

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A snapshot of Kysak from the 1869 Magyar Census

Posted on December 16, 2012 by johnkowal

In January 1870, a census taker named Kalmány arrived in the small rural village of Kysak in the region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire known as Upper Hungary (present day Slovakia). He was hired to collect information for the 1869 Magyar Census, … Continue reading →

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Answers to old questions at the New Cemetery

Posted on October 7, 2012 by johnkowal

In earlier posts, I have written about how hard it has been to learn very much about the lives of my four great-grandparents on my mother’s side – the New Jersey side – of the family. I know that my … Continue reading →

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Andrej Daniel, rolling stone

Posted on June 3, 2012 by johnkowal

Life wasn’t always easy for Andrej Daniel, one of my four Slovak great-great-grandparents. Born in relative comfort, Andrej lost his father when he was a young boy. For the rest of his life, he moved from town to town, living … Continue reading →

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Reflections on a year of family history blogging

Posted on March 13, 2012 by johnkowal

It’s already been a year since I started to blog about my efforts to trace my ancestry through four family lines – the Kowals, Bosakowskis, Agins and Sabols. I had a few, modest goals. I wanted to organize my research … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Line - Agin, Family Line - Bosakowski, Family Line - Kowal, Family Line - Sabol | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments