The Roots Search

The earliest Hajostek/Hayostek family record found so far is a marriage in Ruzbach in 1675. I have no doubt that the family goes back much further than that. At present, it appears that records may be available back into the 1500's.

Probably the best way to start to understand the history of a family is to start gathering information in the living family. My father told me that grandpa came from Laskowa. The only places I have found with such a town name are Lackovo in Poland and Lackova in Slovakia. LDS church records show no Hajosteks in Poland, but in Slovakia numerous Hajosteks were born and lived (all the way back to 1675). By using the search feature available for immigration records on ancestry.com and ellisislandrecords.org the last residences can be found. Common last residences were Ruzbach, Lackova (Laczkowa), Saros (County), Locse, Pal(y)in, Spiska (County), Saris (Stara Lubovna) and Podolin. All of these origins are within a fourty mile diameter circle. See notes, below. The earliest records should indicate the family origin and this appears to be Lower Ruzbach (Also Ruzbach, today Nizne Ruzbachy). To be sure that the family did not start in another location at the same time, church records in the 1800-1840 were examined. No Hajostek births were found in the Levoca (Palin, Locse) and Stara Lubovna (Saris) towns. Strangely, no Hajostek births were found in Hniezdne either (only four miles from Ruzbach). Using the Six Mile Rule (hard to ride a horse more than six miles out and six miles back without getting a sore posterior), most of the births should have been close to Ruzbach. Today, there are still Hajosteks living in Ruzbach. The cemetery in Lackova has examples of Hajostek gravestones.

Another piece of family info that was known in my family was the common greeting "ako sa mas, pani?" In Slovak this means "how is it going, lady?". My own hardy manhood withstanding, if I had known what I was being asked, I would have hit him/her with my hustle (Slovak, violin).

Note; The following immigration records were found on ellisislandrecords.org (1892-1913 and later); Name; Hajostek- 5 records, Name; Hajosztek- 15 records, Name; Hayostek- 0 records. Note; The following immigration records were found on ancestry.com (back to early 1800"s); Hajostek- 2 records, Hajosztek- 3 records. Hayostek- 3 records (all three records are mis-transcriptions, actual name is Hajostek).

Immigrant ancesters on board ship of the times. The food was not great. The accomodations in steerage were not wonderful. They came with all the hope in the future. All ages. All shapes. All clans. Notice; the ethnic dress of the girl, third from end on right, they all look cold, the heels of the shoes of the two on the left, how very young the second on the left looks, all the girls have babushkas. Notice; the man in the background appears to be smoking a cigarette.