Family of Matthew Flajnik and Catherine Flajnik, Hrast 3, Slovenia

Family of Matthew Flajnik and Catherine Flajnik

Hrast 3, region of Vinica, Bela Krajina, Slovenia

Note: modern Slovenian orthography is used for surnames except where noted. The spelling of first names is taken, in the following order of priority:

from the baptismal record
from the marriage record
from the death / burial record
from another record for the individual
from a record of a related family member with the same name as the individual

Mate FLAJNIK ^{[ 1 ]}
(21:I:1838 - 20:IV:1916)

=
12:II:1871
Vinica, Slovenia

Catharine FLAJNIK ^{[ 2 ]}
(24:X:1845 - ca. 1885) of Perudina 11

Marija (3:III:1872 - ) ^{[ 3 ]}
= ??
Mathias (7:X:1874 - ) ^{[ 4 ]}
= unknown
? ???( - )
Catharina (9:XII:1877 - ) ^{[ 5 ]}
=??
Janez (21:XI:1880 - ca. 28:II:1971) of Hrast 3 ^{[ 6 ]}
=16:X:1912 Holy Trinity, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Elisabeta FLAJNIK (23:VI:1885 - 31:VIII:1960) of Perudina 16 « Georg & Maria PAVLEŠIČ
(female stillborn)? (4:IV:1884) ^{[ 7 ]}
Anna (ca. 1892 - ?) ^{[ 8 ]}
=ca. 1913 Pennsylvania, U.S.A.?
Michael KALCEVIČ (ca. 1892 - 1965?)

Information and notes: parents Matthew and Catherine
Family sources provided the first names of John's parents, and approximate death dates. All the information on Matthew and Catherine comes from the church records of the archdioceses of Ljubljana. They issue certified copies of baptismal and marriage certificates on request for a fee. Several family members keep copies of the records received.

Information and notes: son Matthias
According to family sources, John had an older brother named Matthew. Matthias is one form of this name in Slovenian. He is said to have lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, moved to Canada, and returned to Europe, leaving a son in Canada. (Source: Joseph, son of John Flajnik)

Matthias (son)	Sources & Notes
name	Matthias, Mathe, and Mate are common Slovenian forms of the same name, which is equivalent to Matthew in English.
immigration	A Mate Flajnik appears in the Ellis Island database in 1895, age 20. It is not known whether this is the same Matthew, but the age and name fit the family description perfectly. (Matthew's date of immigration is not given in family records, and no town is given in the Ellis Island database.)

Information and notes: daughter Katharina
Katharina is a form of Catherine. Information here comes from the church record. Nothing else is known about Catherine.

Information and notes: Janez or John

John first immigrated to the United States in 1899. It appears that he returned to Europe and again immigrated to the United States in 1904 or 1906. John knew Elizabeth back in their homeland: Hrast and Perudina are adjacent villages, and both are part of the parish of Vinica.

In the early 1930s, John was falsely accused of embezzelment which was staged by a co-worker to have been his guilt. He was told he would either go to jail or he would have to leave town. He chose the latter, which left the family in much bitterness, as well as losing contact. Family sources disagree as to his destination: one gives Lamont, Illinois; another, Chicago, Illinois. Some say he worked for a seminary, others, for a monastery.

When the smoke cleared and the truth was uncovered, there was an attempt to find John. However, he had succeeded in hiding himself too well that no one in the family was able to determine his whereabouts. It was not until his wife's death in 1960, which he found out on his own, that he was reunited with the family. However, not everyone in the family experienced this to the same degree. One granddaughter only has a vague recollection.

John went to live some time with one of his sons, and is believed to have moved to New Jersey around 1966, where John died and was buried.

John Sources & Notes

birth date This was provided by family sources, probably the children of John. The birth date on the baptismal certificate from Slovenia matches exactly. So do the first names of the parents, although only one family source had the mother's first name, and none had the mother's maiden name.

birth place All family sources gave a birthplace of Hrast or Hrost. However, locating such a village in Slovenia is another matter. There are 8 Hrastje's, 3 Hrastnik's, and at least 6 other villages or towns starting with Hrast. However, thanks to information about his wife's family, which was known to be from the same area, we knew that it was the Hrast near Vinica (in Slovenian, Hrast pri Vinici). Thus it became a simple matter to find the villages of Hrast and Perudina, the birthplaces of John and his wife, respectively, which are adjacent villages located just northwest of Vinica, within walking distance. Moreover, it is now known that this region was heavily populated by people with the last name of Flajnik, which seems to be rare or nonexistent in other parts of Slovenia.

spouse Elizabeth's name and identity were well known to family sources, including the fact that her maiden name was Flajnik, yet there was no known (close) relationship between John and Elizabeth. Elizabeth's exact birth and death dates were given by family sources. Her parents' first names were known to the family, but neither her mother's maiden name, nor the fact that she was an illegitimate child. This information was obtained from her baptismal record, which does not have the name of the father, only the mother. Thus the exact birthdate was critical to locating her baptismal record. Her parents' marriage record confirms her paternity in agreement with the family sources. Her death date is also corroborated by her death certificate, a copy of which is in the family's possession.

spouse's marriage The marriage date was given by family sources. The town of marriage was given by a granddaughter, and information about the parishes of the town, their ethnicity and dates of establishment, were used to deduce the parish at which the marriage would have taken place. An attempt was made to obtain a copy of the marriage record from the parish, but it was denied.

immigration According to family sources, John came to the United States in 1906. A son of John found a record of a John Flajnik immigrating from Hrast to the United States, 19 years old, in 1899; and I also found a Ianez, 25 years old, in 1904. It was assumed that both of these records referred to John at the time, but my experience with U.S. civil records makes me doubt both. On locating John Flajnik in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. censuses, his first immigration to the United States in 1899 was confirmed. It is not unlikely that he returned to Europe and came back later, but one may question whether the Ianez of 1904 is indeed him or some other Flajnik, since several immigrated, and John / Janez is quite a common name.

residence Family sources did not provide any information on John's whereabouts in his first years in the United States (possibly corresponding to his first immigration). One might say it was sheer luck that I found him in the 1900 U.S. Census, with his name given as John Flannik. Naturally, the identity of this John Flannik in the census is questionable, given the commonness of the name in the general region, and the fact that the birth month and year in the 1900 Census are totally off target (although the age is correct). However, I have found other cases in which birth month are year are precisely but inaccurately given in the 1900 Census; also, the quality of census-taking of boarders is notoriously poor. However, a copy of the ship's manifest from John's immigration in 1899 confirms that he went to live with his brother Matthew in the neighborhood in which he is found in the 1900 Census. I searched the entire neighborhood in the 1900 U.S. Census and did not find any other Flajniks, nor a similarly spelled or pronounced name. Thus, the identity of this John Flannik is fairly conclusive.
In the later years (possibly corresponding to the second immigration), John is living, in agreement with the family sources, in Fallston, Pennsylvania. In the 1910 U.S. Census, he is boarding with a George Mravinc who appears to be closely tied to the family and who also immigrated in 1906 (John's year of immigration according to family sources). George has a farm at Brady's Run, near the brick yard. In the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Censuses, John and his family are living where the family sources indicate.

death and burial Until recently, family sources indicated John's death as 1971 or 1972. A grandson provided the date of 28 February 1971, and the burial location as Camden, New Jersey. The grandson has personally visited the grave in Camden, New Jersey and believes he can find it again. There is a John Flajnik in the Social Security death index with the correct birth date but a birth year of 1888, whose last residence was Camden county, New Jersey, whose Social Security was issued in Illinois; the death date is given as February 1971. The only reason to doubt that this is the same John Flajnik is that there are several Flajniks with issuance in Illinois, suggesting that a whole clan settled there. It is likely that several were named John and possible that one had the same birthdate. (This may sound very unlikely, but it is not as ridiculous as it sounds.) However, it is known that John Flajnik went to Illinois shortly after 1930, which is before the issuance of Social Security cards, so he would be otherwise indistinguishable from the Illinois Flajniks. It would help if family sources could confirm that John Flajnik did indeed go to New Jersey, and they visited him there.

John	Sources & Notes
birth date	This was provided by family sources, probably the children of John. The birth date on the baptismal certificate from Slovenia matches exactly. So do the first names of the parents, although only one family source had the mother's first name, and none had the mother's maiden name.
birth place	All family sources gave a birthplace of Hrast or Hrost. However, locating such a village in Slovenia is another matter. There are 8 Hrastje's, 3 Hrastnik's, and at least 6 other villages or towns starting with Hrast. However, thanks to information about his wife's family, which was known to be from the same area, we knew that it was the Hrast near Vinica (in Slovenian, Hrast pri Vinici). Thus it became a simple matter to find the villages of Hrast and Perudina, the birthplaces of John and his wife, respectively, which are adjacent villages located just northwest of Vinica, within walking distance. Moreover, it is now known that this region was heavily populated by people with the last name of Flajnik, which seems to be rare or nonexistent in other parts of Slovenia.
spouse	Elizabeth's name and identity were well known to family sources, including the fact that her maiden name was Flajnik, yet there was no known (close) relationship between John and Elizabeth. Elizabeth's exact birth and death dates were given by family sources. Her parents' first names were known to the family, but neither her mother's maiden name, nor the fact that she was an illegitimate child. This information was obtained from her baptismal record, which does not have the name of the father, only the mother. Thus the exact birthdate was critical to locating her baptismal record. Her parents' marriage record confirms her paternity in agreement with the family sources. Her death date is also corroborated by her death certificate, a copy of which is in the family's possession.
spouse's marriage	The marriage date was given by family sources. The town of marriage was given by a granddaughter, and information about the parishes of the town, their ethnicity and dates of establishment, were used to deduce the parish at which the marriage would have taken place. An attempt was made to obtain a copy of the marriage record from the parish, but it was denied.
immigration	According to family sources, John came to the United States in 1906. A son of John found a record of a John Flajnik immigrating from Hrast to the United States, 19 years old, in 1899; and I also found a Ianez, 25 years old, in 1904. It was assumed that both of these records referred to John at the time, but my experience with U.S. civil records makes me doubt both. On locating John Flajnik in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. censuses, his first immigration to the United States in 1899 was confirmed. It is not unlikely that he returned to Europe and came back later, but one may question whether the Ianez of 1904 is indeed him or some other Flajnik, since several immigrated, and John / Janez is quite a common name.
residence	Family sources did not provide any information on John's whereabouts in his first years in the United States (possibly corresponding to his first immigration). One might say it was sheer luck that I found him in the 1900 U.S. Census, with his name given as John Flannik. Naturally, the identity of this John Flannik in the census is questionable, given the commonness of the name in the general region, and the fact that the birth month and year in the 1900 Census are totally off target (although the age is correct). However, I have found other cases in which birth month are year are precisely but inaccurately given in the 1900 Census; also, the quality of census-taking of boarders is notoriously poor. However, a copy of the ship's manifest from John's immigration in 1899 confirms that he went to live with his brother Matthew in the neighborhood in which he is found in the 1900 Census. I searched the entire neighborhood in the 1900 U.S. Census and did not find any other Flajniks, nor a similarly spelled or pronounced name. Thus, the identity of this John Flannik is fairly conclusive. In the later years (possibly corresponding to the second immigration), John is living, in agreement with the family sources, in Fallston, Pennsylvania. In the 1910 U.S. Census, he is boarding with a George Mravinc who appears to be closely tied to the family and who also immigrated in 1906 (John's year of immigration according to family sources). George has a farm at Brady's Run, near the brick yard. In the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Censuses, John and his family are living where the family sources indicate.
death and burial	Until recently, family sources indicated John's death as 1971 or 1972. A grandson provided the date of 28 February 1971, and the burial location as Camden, New Jersey. The grandson has personally visited the grave in Camden, New Jersey and believes he can find it again. There is a John Flajnik in the Social Security death index with the correct birth date but a birth year of 1888, whose last residence was Camden county, New Jersey, whose Social Security was issued in Illinois; the death date is given as February 1971. The only reason to doubt that this is the same John Flajnik is that there are several Flajniks with issuance in Illinois, suggesting that a whole clan settled there. It is likely that several were named John and possible that one had the same birthdate. (This may sound very unlikely, but it is not as ridiculous as it sounds.) However, it is known that John Flajnik went to Illinois shortly after 1930, which is before the issuance of Social Security cards, so he would be otherwise indistinguishable from the Illinois Flajniks. It would help if family sources could confirm that John Flajnik did indeed go to New Jersey, and they visited him there.

Information and notes: female stillborn
The identity of the female stillborn and the death of Catherine are a little uncertain. The death record received for Catherine has a date of 1892:III:2 and the correct age. However, the address does not match and is moreover unusually high (Hrast 44). There are not that many houses in Hrast according to my detailed maps from circa 1900. Another possibility is that the address has been mis-transcribed or perhaps signifies something special (like a primitive medical facility or perhaps an area of quarantine?). One must consider it is possible that there was more than one Catherine Flajnik of this age living in the region of Vinica at the time. If the identity of the death record is positive, though, it would help to explain the stillborn birth of 1884 also at Hrast 44.

Information and notes: Anna
One family source indicated that John had at least one sister. Another family source specifies that John had a sister named Anna who married a Kalsevic (phonetic spelling). It is somewhat difficult to elucidate the connection here. Anna's birthdate appears to be coincidental with the death date of John's mother, who died from Typhus. Perhaps Anna is a half-sister?

Anna	Sources & Notes
spouse	family sources indicated that Anna married a man whose name was written down by another family member as Kalsevic. (Source: Joseph, son of John Flajnik) After some guessing and searching, I concluded that Kalcevič was the correct spelling for the name. An important part of this was the finding of Kalcevic in the surname index of the Beaver County Historical and Genealogical Society. The identity of the family was further confirmed by an obituary of a son in the family, which gave the parents as "Michael Kalcevic and Anna Flajnik" and a reasonable birthplace. When I then found this family living adjacent to the family of John Flajnik, above, in the 1920 U.S. Census, I concluded that all of these pieces fit together correctly.
maternity	Matthew (father)'s first wife Catherine was said to have died circa 1885 and a death record of 1892:III:2 suggests she may have died then. A request for a search of all children of this couple did not produce Anna's birth record. This makes it difficult to determine Anna's mother. Perhaps she was only a half-sister, descended from a second marriage of Matthew.
birth dates	The birth dates of both Anna and her husband are estimates from the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Censuses, which are in agreement with each other. The marriage date is based on the "age at first marriage" information provided in the 1930 U.S. Census. Although the accuracy of the U.S. Census leaves much to be desired, this information is reasonable. The only problem with this birth date is that her father's wife died in this year from Typhus, at the age of 46, so it is very difficult to have a child born in this family in 1892.