Helping hands helping one another with our family history & genealogy research.
I have hit a brick wall with my Hungarian ancestors.
1. My Grandmother is Mary Harbolak. She was born in 1888 in Zemplen County. The Ellis Island site says Pelfauge. She married to a Steve Andrassy, and came to the US and settled in Hudson NY. She had two children Steve and Helen. Steven died and she returned to Hungary with her two children. Family story goes that Steven was a member of the aristocratic Andrassy Family. She came back with her grandchildren and the family disowned her. She herself was a peasent. I would like to get this story confirmed some how.
2. My Grandfather is Frank Vitus He was born in 1888 in an area that is now in the Transylvanian state of Romania. The town has a hungarian name, Szekely Udvarhely, and a Romanian name, Odorhei Secuisc. I learned the history of the area however, nothing about my grandfather. I even went to visit the city and looked. My English only backround did not serve me well since everyone spoke either hungarian, romanian or German. He came here on March 17th, 1888 through Ellis Island. Some time latter he settled in Joliet and met my Grandmother and got married. They had three more children, including my father, Frank.
Tags: Andrassy, Harbolak, Vitus

Permalink Reply by Eliz on March 15, 2012 at 7:01am yeouch.. having Hungary background I know the pit falls...so you know the history and how many times those places changed names and hands..I have found best place to start is with Religion, do you know what he practiced? if he was of the Catholic faith no doubt he was baptized and the records do still exist contrary to some reports, ...when looking for records, use the first name "Franc" Hungarian version, or Franz "German" version.,,or Franciscus, ( they used a combination of Hungarian/Roman names for batpism in all religions.
Permalink Reply by frfrankvitus on March 16, 2012 at 6:18am Yes, I am a catholic priest and I can tell you all Catholic records were written in Latin along time ago. Also with the names Franc I know is Frank but Ferenc is Francis, plus the names are inverted the surname, "Vitus" is first when the baptism name is last. When I have tried to communicate with Hungarian web sites I always list my grandfather's name as Vitus Ferenc.

Permalink Reply by Eliz on March 15, 2012 at 7:11am when did they come to US? and did they stay in NY.. what else can you tell us?

Permalink Reply by Eliz on March 16, 2012 at 8:40am Welcome to Looking for Kin Father, have you tried contacting the Church over there?
oh and your correct, Ferenc is the other Frank, I should have noted that as my GGGrandfather wasa Ferenc..
I am going to check www.familysearch.org and see if they have films for that area..my family came from Nograd and Balinka, it took me several years but I finally managed to get in contact with a cousin. as your aware having visitied most places over in Hungary are small communities, I never had any luck with the records dept in Budapest...will see if any records exist for your area at Family search.

Permalink Reply by Eliz on March 17, 2012 at 8:48pm Not sure how much these will help, but some background on Andrassy family via US newspapers:
http://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html
Document
100% New York NY Daily Graphic 1873 Mar-Aug Grayscale - 0692.pdf
...GRAPHIC, NEW YOKK, SATURDAY, JUNE 7. 1873—TRIPLE SHEET. COUNT ANDRASSY. If U n singular fact that all recent move- tiit ...
...achieved greater reputation, as orator and statesman, than Jules, Count Andrassy. Born atZemplin, March 8, 1828. he was the second *on of Charles, Count Andrassy, who died at Brussels in 1845, and who had displayed ...
...in his destiny. And none of the patrons of Count Andrassy, the music teacher, would have credited a prophecy fore- telling ...
...amnesty permitted all exiles to return to their homes. Count Andrassy at once availed himself of the privilege. After having refused ...
...til Austrian Empire and the constitution a con- COUNT JULES ANDRASSY. Hungarian Cabinet in February,"T»w" i w ! Andras>y ...
...the first acts of tin new administra- tion of Count Andrassy wire the raising of loan of twenty million'dollar- for ...
...by hint with the same success. In (Jount Andrassy accompanied the Emperor of Atu tria to Paris, on a ...
...his loyal Magyars. It was an easy matter for Count Andrassy to work hand in hand with this wise and liberal ...
...of those with whom Francis Joseph takes counsel is Count Andrassy, once a music teacher in New York, now Premier of ...
*****************************
Quite a few articles
When you purchase your subscriptions or genealogical materials through the links to the advertisers here on Looking 4 Kin, you help to offset the webmaster's time and expenses in creating and maintaining this site.
Without your click throughs Looking 4 Kin can not afford to continue operating.
Genealogy & Family History Network offering a chatroom, links & forums to aid you in tracing your genealogy, family history & local history.
© 2013 Created by Just M.