I thought I had completed family sketches back through my 2X great grandparents, but recently realized that was because I did a series on my female ancestors from the point of view of their own lives.

That meant that, somehow, I’ve overlooked several male ancestors whose own life stories need to be shared so they are not forgotten.

It so happens that the six missing sketches are from families that came from Canada into the U.S. or Denmark to the U.S. or never came to America. They are all more recently connected to other countries than most of my maternal colonial American ancestral line.

Today’s sketch is that of John Scerbak, one of my Carpatho-Rusyn 2X great grandparents who never came to America.

John Scerbak was baptized on 19 November 1836 in the small village of Ujak (today Udol) Slovakia. Rusyn infant mortality rates were extremely high and it is doubtful that John was more than a few days old when he was baptized.

He was the fourth of five children, and the second son, born to Michael Scerbak and Helena Murcko.

Church records at St. Dimitry’s Greek Catholic Church in Udol don’t begin until late 1827. Therefore, there are no birth/baptismal records for Michael or Helena and they married long before 1828 as their eldest surviving child (Michael) was born c1820.

There is an eleven year gap between Michael, born c1820 and his sister, Maria, baptized in February 1831. That gap hides the terribly high childhood mortality rate in the village.

John’s younger sister, Helena, baptized on 6 June 1843, also died young, but his other siblings – Michael and sisters Maria and Anna – married and had families.

John Scerbak married Maria Patorai on 11 February 1861, also in Udol.

Life in Carpatho-Rus has always been difficult, but it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that village Rusyns were no longer serfs working for the local nobles.

That life meant farming tiny lots of poor land and having to share a portion of meager crops with the nobleman AND having to labor so many hours per week all year long for the manor house.

Jobs might include carpentry tasks, serving the family in the manor home, shepherding the manor house animals or hunting in the mountains.

After the many hours of working for the lord of the manor, villagers had to then figure out how to obtain food and other goods for their own families.

Little, if any, money changed hands. Wages were usually goods in kind – trading foods, helping neighbors repair the shacks in which they lived, midwifery help at births and so on.

John’s death record gives his occupation as “Zseller,” which was a landless peasant who worked for the lord. John was just one of all the villagers who had the same social and economic status. The lone exception would be the village priest.

John and Maria were the parents of eight children, but their births and deaths again demonstrate the poor life conditions into which they were born. All the children were born in Udol.

Children: (Scerbak)

1. John, born 18 July 1862; died 28 February 1938, Garfield, Bergen, New Jersey; married Catherine Dzuriczki, c1886, probably in Pennsylvania.
2. Maria, born 17 April 1865; died 1 April 1872
3. Michael, born 17 February 1868; died 16 March 1932, Udol, Slovakia; married Anna Murcko, 22 October 1892, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey
4. Anna, born 11 June 1870; died 22 December 1855, Slovakia; married Michael Zavaczki, 16 July 1894, Udol, Slovakia
5. Stephen, born 3 January 1875; died 2 November 1876, Udol, Slovakia
6. Suzanna, born 28 June 1878; died 11 January 1879, Udol, Slovakia
7. Maria, born 19 September 1881; died 28 December 1882, Udol, Slovakia
8. Stephen, born 10 December 1883; died 1 April 1884, Udol, Slovakia

John and Maria had the heartbreaking task of burying five of their eight children who were still babies. That was not unusual for the village families.

John’s children led the way to America, searching for a better life. Most young men and women (yes, single women emigrated, too) intended to work for a while, save money and return home to live.

That was not how life often turned out, though. Some, like John’s eldest son, left for America in the 1880s, came home for a few years in the mid-1890s and then returned to America for good, never to see his parents again.

Michael, the second son, is my great grandfather. He settled in New jersey, planning to remain there to live and work. However, Anna, his wife and my great grandmother, thought the air was bad (true – they lived next to the mills that were belching pollution and spreading TB) so they returned to Udol and lived out their lives in the village.

Their only surviving sister, Anna, as far as I know, never left the village. She gave birth to four children, but only one son, Joseph, survived, married and had a family. He, too, remained in Udol until he died.

John Scerbak lived a long life compared to many friends and relatives. He died on 22 February 1916 and was buried in the church cemetery. His wife, Maria, predeceased him, passing away on 27 January 1912.

John and Maria had no expectations for a better life than that of their parents. Udol had no school until the 1890s, no doctor or medical care apart from what the villagers could provide for each other and death came early and often.

Udol didn’t even have electricity until the 1960s!

Looking at the circumstances of their lives makes clear the “push” factors that lead to mass emigration to America beginning in the 1880s. For some, life in America wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and those who were homesick went back to the old country, albeit with a lot more money than they left with. American dollars did provide them with a more comfortable lifestyle as they were able to purchase and own small pieces of land by the early 1900s.

Time hasn’t been kind to Udol, though. Back then, its population was roughly 800 people. Today, only about 300 live full time in the village.

Today, we’ll look at the great grandchildren of Michael Scerbak and Helena Murczko of Udol, Slovakia. although many grandchildren were born to Michael’s and Helena’s children, only nine of them survived to adulthood.

Generation 3

Here are the nine surviving grandchildren. All vital events were in Udol, Slovakia unless otherwise noted:

1. Maria Scerbak, daughter of Michael Scerbak and Maria Fecsisin,  was baptized 12 June 1845; died 05 February 1892.  She married (1) Michael Vansco, son of Michael Vansco and Maria Knap, 22 November 1868.  He was born c1845; died 08 December 1881.  She married (2) John Glucs, 16 May 1886.  He was born c1846.

Children of Maria Scerbak and Michael Vansco:       

i.   Maria Vansco, born 31 August 1869; died 13 October 1869
ii.   Michael Vansco, born 14 October 1870; died 13 August 1871
iii.  Nicholas Vansco, born 14 September 1872; died 4 February 1881
iv.   Maria Vansco, born 25 October 1875; no further record
v.   Michael Vansco, born 17 February 1880; died 12 May 1882

Child of Maria Scerbak and John Glucs is:

i.    John Glucs, born 30 April 1888; no further record

Maria (Scerbak) (Vancso) Glucs had a lot of heartache in her life, burying one husband and at least four young children. No further record has been found for her daughter Maria Vancso or her son, John Glucs, so it is possible that she has descendants.

2. Anna Scerbak, daughter of Michael Scerbak and Maria Fecsisin, was baptized 20 December 1852; died 22 April 1914.  She married Michael Hnat alias Danyko, 22 November 1868. He was born c1845 in Maly Lipnik, Slovakia; died 11 July 1915.

Children of Anna Scerbak and Michael Hnat are:

i.    Anna Hnat, born 07 February 1870; died 28 June 1931 in Alpha, Warren, New Jersey; married Michael Holodnak, 3 November 1891, Shamokin, Northumberland, Pennsylvania.   They were the parents of nine children.
ii.    Maria Hnat, born 12 September 1873 ; married Paul Szadloch, 13 February 1911.
iii.    Michael Hnat, born 18 January 1877; died 30 November 1878.
iv.    Michael Hnat, born 16 September 1879; married Susan Hryniak, c1907
v.    John Hnat, born 28 October 1883; died 02 December 1884.
vi.    Stephen Hnat, born 28 November 1885; died 1 January 1952 in Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey; married Susannah Havran, 25 July 1908, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey. They were the parents of four children.
vii.  John Hnat, born 28 November 1885; no further record
viii.  Joseph Hnat, born 09 May 1889; died 1 April 1890.
ix.  Peter Hnat, born 02 June 1892; no further record
x.  Nicholas Hnat, born 08 April 1898; no further record

There are quite a few descendants of Michael Hnat and Anna Scerbak through daughter Anna and son Stephen with more possible descendants through daughter Maria and son Michael.

3. Maria Hrinya, daughter of Michael Hrinya and Maria Scerbak, was baptized 1 September 1850; married Michael Fengya, 26 January 1874.

Children of Michael Fengya and Maria Hrinya:

i.  George Fengya, born c1872; married Helen Petrisin, born 3 August 1879, daughter of John & Anna Leskoszifa, 21 February 1897. They were the parents of seven children.
ii.  Maria Fengya, born 11 August 1874; married Michael Mikulik alias Kacsmar, born c1863, widower, 25 October 1896. they were the parents of four children, all of whom died in infancy.
iii.  Anna, born 4 January 1877; died 5 May 1877, aged 4 months
iv.  Michael Fengya, born 16 February 1878; died 9 December 1880, aged 3 years
v.  John Fengya, born 24 April 1880; died 7 January 1881, aged ¾ year
vi.  Anna Fengya, born 1 January 1882; died 1 January 1893, aged 10 years
vii. Michael Fengya, born 20 July 1884; died 5 August 1898, aged 14 years
viii. John Fengya, born 6 December 1886; died 3 April 1891, aged 5 years
ix.  Stephen Fengya, born 20 May 1889; died 6 July 1889, aged 2 months

The high mortality rate in the village is very evident in the family of Michael Fengya and Maria Hrinya. Only two of their children survived childhood and one of those two children buried all four of their own children in infancy.

Michael Fengya and Maria Hrinya may have descendants through their son, George, who married Helen Petrisin.

4. Susanna Hrinya, born 14 August 1856, daughter of Michael Hrinya and Maria Scerbak; died after 1893; married Nicholas Hrinya, 9 February 1880. He was born 19 October 1857; died after 1893.

Children of Nicholas Hrinya and Susanna Hrinya:

1. John, born 29 May 1882; died 31 August, buried 2 September 1883, aged 1 year, 3 months
2. Nicholas, born 27 November 1884; died 18 July 1963, Clifton, Passaic, New Jersey; married Helena (aka Julia) Drabisin, 1907, in New Jersey. The family spelled their surname as Hreno. Julia was born 25 January 1890; died 2 May 1981, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey. They were the parents of seven children.
3. Maria, born 30 October 1887. There is a 17 year old Maria Hrinya from Udol, likely this Maria, arriving in New York on 26 August 1904 with three other Udol girls. She was going to Passaic, New Jersey to Stephen Sklepko’s home (who was her uncle). She may well be the Mary Hrinya who married Michael Kundrat, 1914, in New Jersey.
4. Michael, born 29 November 1893; died 12 August 1954, Youngstown, Mahoning, Ohio; married Anna Patoray, 1916, New Jersey. They were the parents of five children, all born in Ohio. Anna was born 1898; died 1940.

Nicholas and Susanna Hrinya have descendants through at least two of their children and possibly three if Maria married Michael Kundrat.

5. John Hrinya, born 9 July 1861, son of Michael Hrinya and Maria Scerbak married Maria Hrinya (10 November 1866; died after 1904) on 15 February 1886.

Children of John Hrinya and Maria Hrinya:

1. Maria, born 29 November 1886. She may be the 18 year old Maria Hrinia who traveled to New York in 1904 with the 17 year old Maria Hrinya, above.
2. John, born 3 October 1889
3. Michael, born 15 June 1892; died 24 February 1893, aged 8 months
4. Anna, born 13 April 1894
5. Helen, born 4 July 1897; died 13 March 1898, aged 9 months
6. Michael, born 14 June 1899; died 16 August 1900, aged 1 year, 2 months
7. Michael, born 31 December 1904

6. Helena Hrinya (c1869-26 July 1923, in New Jersey), daughter of Nicholas Hrinya & Maria Patorai married Stephen Szklepko(19 April 1863-29 May 1925), son of Peter Szklepko & Maria Havran, on 30 January 1888. In 1900, Julia reported having given birth to 7 children, with 3 surviving. In 1910, Helen (aka Julia) reported giving birth to 11 children, with six surviving. The eldest child at home was Anna, born 1893, in New Jersey. No baptisms or burials are recorded in Udol for their children.

In the 1905 New Jersey census, Stephen reported that he had been in the U.S. for 18 years and was naturalized. If he had been in the country for 18 years, than he and Helen came as newlyweds.

Children of Stephen Szklepko and Helena Hrinya:

i. Julia, born May 1888; New Jersey; died after 1900 when she was at home in Passaic, New Jersey
ii. Michael Sklepko, born August 1889; died 10 March 1891, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey [Parents not named on death certificate, but likely belongs in this family.]
iii. Anna Szklepko, born November 1892, New Jersey; died 22 December 1967; married Nils Wallin, 1915. They were the parents of at least two children.
iv. Peter Szklepko, born 1898; New Jersey; died 1911, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey
v. Stephen Szklepko, born 28 September 1904, New jersey; died 19 March 1971, New Jersey; married Anna Malicka (29 November 1907-1 October 1978). They were the parents of at least three children.
vi. Paul Szklepko, born 1 October 1907; died 14 November 1967; married Mary Dolack. They were the parents of at least two children.

Stephen and Helen (Hrinya) Szklepko have descendants today.

7. John Scerbak  was born 18 July 1862, the son of John Scerbak and Maria Patorai and died 22 February 1938 in Garfield, Bergen, New Jersey.  He married Catherine Dzuriczki, c1886, probably in Pennsylvania.  She was born 9 March 1865, Spissky Hrhov, Slovakia, and died 1949 in New Jersey.

Children of John Scerbak and Catherine Dzuriczki are:

i.    John Scerbak, born 22 February 1890 in Moosic, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania; died 20 June 1966, Garfield, Bergen County, New Jersey; married Jennie Sokol, 1911, New Jersey. They were the parents of at least two children.
ii.    Michael Scerbak, born c1892, probably Pennsylvania; died 2 March 1894 in Udol, Slovakia.
iii.    Maria Scerbak, born 17 August 1894 in Udol, Slovakia; died after 1910.
iv.    Julia Scerbak, born September 1899, New Jersey; died 1928, New Jersey.  She married Henry Titscherlein, 1918, New Jersey. It appears that Henry never remarried and they had no children.
v.    Michael Scerbak, born 1905 in New Jersey; died 25 November 1987, Bergen County, New Jersey; married Anna Maydak (c1905-16 May 1984). They were the parents of two children.

John Scerbak and Catherine Dzuriczki have descendants today through sons John and Michael.

8. Michael Scerbak, son of John Scerbak and Maria Patorai, was born 17 February 1868; died 16 March 1932. He married Anna Murczko,  daughter of John Murczko and Maria Szova, on 22 October 1892 in Passaic, Passaic County, New Jersey, .  She was born 23 March 1872; died 28 June 1967.

This family settled in Passaic, but ultimately decided to return home to Udol. However, Julia, Peter and Maria eventually settled in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Children of Michael Scerbak and Anna Murczko:

i.    Helena (Julia) Anna Scerbak, born 17 August 1893, Passaic, New Jersey; died 29 May 1985, Saddle Brook, Bergen, New Jersey: married George Kucharik (aka Sabo), 6 September 1915. They had one child.
ii.    Michael Scerbak, born 30 January 1895, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey; died 13 October 1895, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey.
iii.    Peter Scerbak, born 25 December 1896, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey; died 09 April 1971, Clifton, Passaic County, New Jersey; married Maria Sedlak, 10 June 1918. she was born 10 June 1900; died 8 December 1982, Clifton, Passaic, New Jersey. They were the parents of five children.
iv.    Maria Scerbak, born 5 June 1899, Hajtovka, Czechoslovakia; died 6 May 1926, Leroy, Bradford, Pennsylvania; married Stephen Tidik, 2 September 1917. They were the parents of two children.
v.    Michael Scerbak, born 07 June 1906 in Ujak, Czechoslovakia; died 6 March 1957, Russia; married Maria Hrinya, c1930. They were the parents of three children.
vi.    Stephen Scerbak, born 28 October 1917; died 28 April 1996, Udol, Slovakia; married Helena Murczko, c1948. She was born 22 July 1939; died 7 May 2010. They were the parents of six children.

Michael Scerbak and Anna Murcko have many descendants today, both in America and Slovakia.

9. Anna³ Scerbak, daughter of John Scerbak and Maria Patorai, was born 11 June 1870; died 22 December 1955.  She married Michael Zavaczki, 16 July 1894.  He was born 1855, and died 1 January 1933 in Czechoslovakia.

Children of Anna Scerbak and Michael Zavaczki are:

i.    Maria Zavaczki, born 02 April 1896; died 11 September 1900.
ii.    Anna Zavaczki, born 10 December 1900; died 25 January 1905.
iii.    Stephen Zavaczki, born 31 January 1903; died 09 February 1905.
iv.    Joseph Zavaczki, born 14 March 1907; died 8 August 1999; married Helena Liscinska. She was born 24 April 1912; died 15 April 1959in Slovakia. They were the parents of five children.

Here ends the sketches of the great grandchildren of Michael Scerbak and Helena Murczko. This was a lot of work, given that this family made multiple trips across the ocean from Udol to New Jersey, Pennsylvnia and Ohio. Multiple cousins with the same names who were also close in age added to the headaches.

The family groups certainly make it plain that the childhood mortality rate was extremely high, but those who lived to adulthood left the couple many descendants.

I am still in the process of cleaning up my RootsMagic database and realized that I’ve never shared the earliest generations of the Scerbak family of Udol, Slovakia.

My paternal grandmother, Nana, was Helena Scerbak (1893-1985), the eldest daughter of Michael Scerbak and Anna Murczko.

The earliest ancestor in the Scerbak line is Michael Scerbak who married Helena Murczko. I’ve estimated that they were born about 1795 and 1798, respectively, given that their oldes known child, Michael was born about 1820.

Right off the bat, I need to address the baptismal name of this man. Every other online source I’ve viewed names him as “Mikulas, ” but that is a mistake, based on the priest’s entry, in scribbly cursive, that names him “Mich” in the marriage record of his son.

I wrote a post last year sharing images of the priest’s handwriting, other samples of “Mich” and “Michael” and the clearly different cursive K that the priest wrote.

There is not a single doubt in my mind that this man was named Michael!

No burial records have been found for either Michael or his wife, Helena. Both Michael and Helena were alive on 6 June 1843, when their youngest child was baptized. The priest would have noted if either were deceased.

Neither Michael nor Helena are found in the 1869 census, so they probably died before that time.

Michael Scerbak (c1795-1842+) married  Helena Murczko (c1798-1843+), c1818, probably in Udol, Slovakia.

Extant church records indicate that the Scerbaks lived in Udol and the Murczkos lived about one mile away in Hajtovka. Both villages attended the Greek Catholic church in Udol. Therefore, it is likely that Michael was born in Udol, while Helena was born in Hajtovka.

Michael and Helena were the parents of at least four children and possibly several more. With church records beginning in 1827 and the gap in birth years between Michael and Helena, there is enough time for Helena to have given birth to as many as five other children.

No further clues have been found as to possible children, but the mortality rate was extremely high for infants as well as everyone else, so it’s possible that none of these unknown possible children survived childhood.

Based on my abstractions of Udol church records, I also believe that the priest or his scribe omitted a number of burials, in particular, through the years. Errors were also found in baptismal names and given names of brides.

Unless noted otherwise, all life events took place in Udol, Slovakia.

Children of Michael Scerbak and Helena Murczko:

1. Michael (Misko), born c1820; died 27 August 1878; married Maria Fecsisin, 7 January 1842.
2. Maria, born c1827; died 15 April 1877; married Michael Hrinya, 24 October 1848.
3. Anna, baptized 11 July 1833; no further record
4. John, baptized 19 November 1836; died 22 February 1916; married Maria Patorai, 11 February 1861
5. Helena, baptized 6 June 1843; no further record

Therefore, of these five children, only Michael, Maria and John have known descendants.

Generation 2

1. MICHAEL Scerbak was born c1820, and died 27 August 1878.  He married Maria Feccisin, daughter of Peter Fecsisin and Maria Hnat, on 7 January 1842.  She was born c1822, and died 7 April 1890.

They were the parents of three children, but only Maria and Anna appear to have survived to adulthood. It is possible that John also survived, but married and then lived in another village:

1. John, baptized 27 February 1843; no further record. He is not in the 1869 census of Udol.
2. Maria, baptized 12 June 1845; died 5 February 1892; married Michael Vancso, 22 November 1868. He was born c1845; died 8 December 1881.
3. Anna, baptized 20 December 1852; died 22 April 1914; married Michael Hnat, 22 November 1868. He was born c1839 in Maly Lipnik; died 11 July 1915. [Five couples were married on 22 November 1868, including sisters Maria and Anna Scerbak.

2. MARIA Scerbak, born c1829; died 15 April 1877, aged 48 years; married Michael Hrinya, 24 October 1848. He was born c1825 and died 18 November 1887. Michael, 50, widower, married Helen Kundrat, widow, born Hnat, of Ujak 72, 4 March 1880. Helen, widow of Michael, born Hnat, died 7 November, buried 9 November 1897, aged 70 years.

They were the parents of nine children:

1. Maria, baptized 1 September 1850; married Michael Fengya, baptized 30 September 1851, son of John Fengya/Ilyasa & Maria Fecsisin, 26 January 1874
2. Michael, born c1852; buried 10 May 1854, aged 2 years
3. Anna, baptized 29 January 1854; no further record.
4. Susanna, baptized 17 August 1856; married Nicholas Hrinya, baptized 25 October 1857, son of Elias Hrinya & Anna Fedorko, 9 February 1880
5. John Michael, baptized 29 December 1858; died 7 March, buried 9 March 1859, aged 4 months
6. John, baptized 14 July 1861; married Maria Hrinya, baptized 11 November 1866, daughter of Peter Hrinya alias Bacso & Helen Miklus, 15 February 1886
7. Peter, baptized 9 March 1864; no further record
8. Helena, born c1869; married Stephen Szklepko, baptized23 March 1873, son of Peter Szklepko & Maria Havran, 30 January 1888
9. Stephen, born 9 March 1873; died 17 December, buried 19 December 1878, aged 5 years

4. JOHN Scerbak,  baptized 19 November 1836; died 22 February 1916; married Maria Patorai , daughter of John Patorai and Anna Szurgent, 11 February 1861.  She was born 5 March 1839; died 27 January 1912.

They were the parents of eight children, but only John, Michael and Anna survived to adulthood:

1. John, born 18 July 1862; died 28 February 1938, Garfield, Bergen, New Jersey; married Catherine Dzuriczki, c1886, possibly in Pennsylvania. She was born 9 March 1865, Spissky Hrhov, Slovakia; died 1949 in New Jersey. They were the parents of six children.
2. Maria, born 17 April 1865; died 01 April 1872.
3. Michael, born 17 February 1868; died 16 March 1932; married Anna Murczko, 22 October 1892, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey.  She was born 23 May 1872; died 28 June 1967. This family lived in Passaic in the 1890s, but returned permanently to Udol before 1898.
4. Anna, born 11 June 1870; died 22 December 1955; married Michael Zavaczki, 16 July 1894. He was born c1855; died 1 January 1933.
5. Stephen, born 03 January 1875; died 2 November 1876
6. Susanna, born 28 June 1878; died 11 January 1879.
7. Maria, born 19 September 1881; died 28 December 1882.
8. Stephen, born 10 December 1883; died 1 April 1884.

Michael Scerbak and Helena Murczko had nine grandchildren who lived to adulthood and gave them more descendants. However, they didn’t live to see the day when some of those grandchildren and many of their great grandchildren left the village for a new life in America.

The next post will take a look at those great grandchildren.