Kostakos in the 1940 Census

The release of the 1940 U.S. Census yesterday is a huge boost for genealogy research. I am very excited to be able to learn more about my family by finding my grandparents and extended family members. Over the years, I’ve heard my parents talk about cousins, aunts and uncles with whom they had lost touch and whom I never had the opportunity to meet. I know that I as I find them in the census, I will come to love them and feel the special ties that they had with my parents. This the joy of genealogy research — an extension of love and family.

Because there is no name index for this census yet, I cannot go to a website, type in a name, and have my ancestors’ names pop up. In a few months, I will be able to do so. But for now, I need to have an Enumeration District (ED) number, which I obtained by getting my family’s address on April 1, 1940, then using an online tool developed by Steve Morse (found here) to obtain the ED.

Dad had told me that his parents lived 292 Broadway, Brooklyn, New York. I found Papou’s World War II Draft Registration card which verified that was his address.

John Kostakos, World War II Draft Registration Card

Using Steve Morse’s tool, I learned that the ED for yiayia and papou’s address was 24-551. I then went to http://1940census.archives.gov, looked up the ED and found their census record:

1940 US Census, John Kostakos & Family

My grandparents are found on lines 65-71, and on line 72 is my grandfather’s brother, Bill, whom Dad fondly called “Uncle Bill.” Living two houses away on lines 56-57 is the Semetis family. Aspasia, wife of Peter, is my grandmother’s sister. If you look at the very bottom of the census page, you will see that Dad’s sister, Pauline, answered some additional questions as did her cousin, Harry Semetis.

As I look through more census records in the weeks ahead, I will use the 1940 New York Telephone Directory to help me locate specific addresses. I was elated to see this link on a blogpost today.

Wishing you much success as you hunt for your family treasure in the 1940 Census!

Greek Genealogy Toolkit

I’m delighted that Family Tree Magazine will be publishing an article on Greek Genealogy, written by Thomas MacEntee, in its forthcoming April/May issue. They have released a section of that article, labeled the “Toolkit,” which provides links to some important resources for Greek research:

Web Sites

• Cyndi’s List—Greece
• D’Addezio.com Greek Genealogy
• FamilySearch Research Wiki: Greece
• Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies Greek Genealogy Resources
• Filoglossia: Learning Greek as a Foreign Language
• Genforum Greece Genealogy Forum
• Greece White Pages (in English)
• GreeceGenWeb
• Greek-English/English-Greek Dictionary
• Greek maps
• Greek Name Days
• Greek Names
• Greek Surnames
• GreekGenealogy.org
• Hellenic Academic Libraries
• Hellenic Genealogy Geek
• Hellenic Genealogy Resources Facebook group
• Hellenistic Resources Network
• Kefalonian Roots
• Lexicon of Greek Personal Names
• Name Changes of Settlements in Greece
• National Library of Greece: Digitized Newspapers
• OpenArchives.gr (click the British flag for English)
• RootsWeb Greece Message Boards
• Spartan Roots
• Visit Greece
• Wikipedia: List of municipalities and communities of Greece by prefecture

Books

• Carved in Stone: The Greek Heritage by Basil S. Douros (Five and Dot Corp)
• Family History Research in Greece by Lica Catsakis (self-published, www.licacatsakis.com)
• The Genealogy of Greek Mythology by Vanessa James (Penguin)
• The Greek Americans (Immigrant Experience) by Dimitris Monos (Chelsea House Publications)
• Greek Gazetteer, 2 volumes, by Lica Catsakis (self-published, www.licacatsakis.com)
• The Greeks in the United States by Theodore Saloutos (Harvard University Press)
• A Guide to Greek Traditions and Customs in America by Marilyn Rouvelas (Nea Attiki Press, www.greektraditions.org)
• A History of the Greeks in the Americas, 1453-1938 by Paul Koken (First Page Publications)
• The Muslim and Christian Calendars : being tables for the conversion of Muslim and Christian dates from the Hijra to the year A.D. 2000, Part 2000, by Freeman-Grenville, GSP (Bellew Publishing Co Ltd)
• Studies in Greek Genealogy by Molly Broadbent (E.J. Brill)
• Tracing Your Greek Ancestry by Antonia S. Mattheou (self-published)

Organizations

American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
1909 Q St. NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 232-6300

Church of Greece
Aghias Filotheis 21
10566 Athens, Greece

Embassy of Greece
2221 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 939-1300

General State Archives of Greece
Theatrou 6
10552 Athens, Greece

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
8 East 79th St.
New York, NY 10075

(212) 570-3500

Hellenic Historical and Genealogical Association 
Box 710
Rye Beach, NH 03871
(603) 379-8140

The Hellenic Literary and Historical Archive
Aghiou Andreou 5
10556 Athens, Greece

Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center
801 W. Adams
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 665-1234

Historical Archives of Crete
I. Sfakianaki 20
73134 Chania, Crete

+30 28 210 52606

National Hellenic Museum
333 South Halsted St.
Chicago IL, 60661

(312) 655-1234

National Hellenic Research Foundation
48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave.
11635 Athens, Greece
+30 21 0 727 3700

National Statistical Service
Evaggelistrias 2
10563 Athens, Greece

Easter in Heaven

I came across this photo last weekend as I was scanning  pictures from my mother’s album. It was Easter, 1981, and our extended family had congregated at my parents’ home for a traditional Greek Easter dinner.

l-r: Uncle Nick Pouletsos, Uncle Peter Connell, Aunt Pauline Connell, Aunt Frieda Stakis

This photo has unleashed a plethora of memories for me — a lifetime of family gatherings and activities. While my Easter table will be bereft of these and other elders, my grandparents’ will now be complete; brothers and sisters reunited; cousins together. A loving family on earth now together in heaven.

It is tempting to speculate on how my parents and relatives will celebrate Easter in heaven. One thing I believe is that they will:  “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” (Romans 6:8)

As I prepare for this most holy of holidays, I cling to familial and cultural patterns as my anchor of tradition, and to the Savior as my anchor of faith.

Our traditional Easter dinner of roast lamb symbolizes the Lamb of God, our Redeemer.

• Our recitation of “Christos Anesti,” (Christ has Risen) attests to the reality of the resurrection.
• Bright red eggs “kokkina avga” on the table symbolize the blood of Christ that was shed for each of us.
• The breaking of eggs symbolizes Christ breaking the bands of death and coming forth from the tomb. Each person takes a red egg and cracks the ends with another person. This proceeds around the table until one individual is left with an unbroken egg, and he/she can expect to have good luck throughout the year.
• Partaking of the “tsoureki,” or Easter bread, reminds us that Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. (John 6:48: “I am that bread of life.”)

On Easter Sunday, my husband and I will travel to our son’s home to celebrate with his family. On Greek Easter, which falls the following weekend, we will travel to my cousin’s home to celebrate again — this time, with our extended family. As my parents and their siblings traveled to be together on holidays, now it is my turn to visit my cousins and continue the good traditions which have united our family for generations.

As I read the words of the Apostle Paul this Easter season, I truly believe my family in heaven will unite with me in rejoicing: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten to us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3).

Christos Anesti to you and your family!

(this article was published in Meridian Magazine, March 16, 2012; a link can also be found here on my blog)

Aridas or Mihalakakos?

My paternal grandmother, Hariklia Aridas (Χαρικλεια Αριδας), was born in the village of Agios Ioannis (St. Johns), just outside Sparta. As I began my research, people would comment that Aridas was an unusual Greek name — one they had not come across in the past. My curiosity was raised, especially when I received a Town Register from St. Johns that listed an Aridas family and saw that one of the names in this family was Konstandinos Mihalakakos (see below). I just assumed that Konstandinos was a relative who was living with the family.

Until… sometime later, I connected online with another Aridas descendant who sent me an email with the following: ”As for Kosta Mihalakakos, that is Kosta Aridas. My uncle wrote my mother back in the late 940′s that he had uncovered the real name for Aridas as Mihalakakos. He said that one of the ancestors had long legs (αριβας) which is what Aridas translates to from arida (leg). It was a nickname that stuck.”

Well, that is fascinating information but now I’m really stumped. Who knows how far back the name was changed, and in which village the family was living when it was changed? Did all of the family change their name, or only the descendants of the “ancestor with the long legs?”

So, where do I go from here? Do I look for both Mihalakakos and Aridas names? I think that’s a good start. There are few digitized online records through the Greek Archives (http://arxeiomnimon.gak.gr/index.html). I looked at the 1872 Electoral Rolls from Agios Ioannis, and there is no Aridas or Mihalakakos listed. Not a good sign. For now, I’m stumped. Stay tuned…

Resources

I had the opportunity to assist Thomas MacEntee, a blogger, writer and educator, in compiling resources for an article on Greek Genealogy which he wrote for Family Tree Magazine’s  upcoming May/June 2012 issue. In the process, I contacted several Greek genealogy friends and we worked together to assemble a list of websites, blogs, Facebook pages, books and other resources. I’ve put our compiled list under my Resources tab. Please take a look – there should be something there that will help you. Also, be sure to follow the Hellenic Genealogy Geek blog, which is a fabulous resource that is continuously being updated by Georgia Keilman.

1872 Electoral Rolls from Sparta

1872 Electoral Rolls, Agios Ioannis, Panagiotis Papagiannakos, line 1975

I have spent this weekend reading the 1872 Electoral Rolls from Sparta. I was very excited to find my great-grandfather, Panagiotis Papagiannakos listed with his father, Nikolaos, in their home village of Agios Ioannis (St. Johns) (line 1975)!  This particular set of records have been typed, which is a huge blessing for me, as I can read some Greek. I keep a list of surnames of my immediate and collateral lines, and when I find a name, I enter it and the pertinent data into an Excel spreadsheet. I then type these names into my RootsMagic Greek Research database.

I print out the Greek records and the spreadsheets, then put these into my research notebook. That way, I have the original record and my transcription — invaluable when I’m trying to find a specific record weeks or months after transcribing it.

These 1872 Electoral Rolls are digitized and online at the website of the Greek Archives.

My Grandparents

I have added Family Group Sheets and basic information about my grandparents and their children under the heading, “My Grandparents.” I am truly blessed to have been able to know each of them, except for my maternal grandfather, Louis Pappas, who died before my mother was married. I have fond memories of happy times in the home of Yiayia and Papou Kostakos in Brooklyn. It was a large, sunny home on a lovely double-lot in Brooklyn,with many nooks and crannies for my cousins and me to explore. In her later years, my maternal grandmother, Angelia Eftaxias Pappas, divided her time between my parents’ in home in Kensington, Maryland, and my Aunt Bertha & Uncle Nick Pouletsos’ home in Pt. Jefferson Station, Long Island, New York. I am looking forward to adding family stories, histories and photos of these wonderful people whom I love dearly.