The Almasy and Kusnyir Family History and DNA Project
Welcome to the Almasy and Kusnyir Family History and DNA Project. This is a permanent website to help me locate information about my grandmother's family (her maternal and paternal lines). Until recently, I knew very little about my great-grandparents because my grandmother, Anna Kushnier, did not know much about them herself. With the help of the internet I have been able to locate more information about my family than I ever thought possible (though I would still like to discover more!) The family names are ALMASY and KUSNYIR though Kusnyir was later changed to Kushnier and Kurnes - I will use them interchangeably throughout this website. My great-grandmother on my mother's side was Sofia Almásy. Her husband was Janos (John) Kusnyir. I believe they were Carpatho-Rusyn from Zavydovo, which is now part of Ukraine in Carpathian Ruthenia. One passenger manifest from 1908 indicates they sailed from Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia) on the Carpathia and their residence was near Munkács, Hungary (now Mukachevo, Ukraine). The family is Christian and attended Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church in Philadelphia. Through my research and DNA testing, I hope to locate living relatives of my grandmother to reconnect, and to learn more about our family's unique history. This website tells everything I currently know about their stories...
OTHER POSSIBLE SPELLINGS OF THE NAMES:(there may be other variations)
A POSSIBLE FAMILY VILLAGE: ZAVIDFALVA / ZAVYDOVO
Before coming to America in the early 1900's, I believe my great-grandparents, Janos Kusnyir and Sophia Almasy, lived in a village near Mukacheve / Munkács / Мукачеве named Zavidfalva (now Zavydovo, Ukraine). At the time my great-grandparents lived in their homeland, it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary, also known as Austria-Hungary. After their departure it became part of Czechoslovakia, then the Kingdom of Hungary again. Today, both Zavydovo and Mukacheve are geographically located in Ukraine. It is part of the Zakarpattia Oblast (province) and the Mukachivskyi Raion in southwestern Ukraine. Zavydovo is approximately 10 miles southeast of Mukachevo, and should not be confused with Davydkovo (also very close to Mukacheve) or Zavidovo in Russia. Below is a map showing the location of Mukacheve and Zavydovo. The map is written in Ukrainian, but I have circled the village in red for reference. To enlarge these images, click on either of the images below.
DNA TESTING
My DNA testing results (mtDNA only) show that I belong to mtDNA Haplogroup H, specifically group H1. I had both HVR1 and HVR2 tested. This test traces my direct maternal line: my mother (Elaine Kascaturos), her mother (Anna Kushnier), her mother's mother (Sofia Almasy), etc. It does not include my grandmother's father's lines (the Kusnyir family), or any of my father's lines. I am very excited to have this tool available for my family research! I encourage everyone to have genealogical DNA testing performed at FamilyTreeDNA.com. Not only can this testing help confirm if we are genetic cousins, but you will also learn about your family's unique background. For mtDNA (female lines), I strongly suggest having at least HVR1 and HVR2 tested because this will narrow down your search to a more recent common ancestor (within the past 500 years, approximately). For Y DNA (males only) it is beneficial for family research to have both Y-DNA (paternal) and mtDNA (maternal) tested, but it is more expensive. If you are serious about finding your roots, this is the best way to go. Testing is very quick, simple & painless: just take the provided Q-tip swab to the inside of your cheek and send it back to the lab in the postage-paid envelope. Thats it! The results will be available within a few weeks and once it does you will learn a lot about your roots and potentially find new relatives around the world. Testing is confidential: you provide as little or as much information about yourself as you chose. There is no obligation to make contact with anyone you are found to be a genetic match with. If you have had DNA testing done elsewhere, I strongly suggest that you post your results to mitosearch.org (for maternal lines) or ysearch.org (for paternal lines) so you can share your results with everyone, regardless of where the testing was done. The problem is that there are so many DNA testing companies out there, but they don't share their databases. So if you test with one company, but all of your potential matches use a different company you will never know about each other. By registering through mitosearch.org or ysearch.org, you can find the people from other testing companies who match you. The best part -- using mitosearch.org and ysearch.org is free! You can view my account on mitosearch.org by referencing user number APEE5.
TRANSLATIONS
I've provided these brief translations in hopes of reaching potential relatives that live overseas. I am also trying to find someone who can help me develop a brief overview of this website in Rusyn (the language of the Carpatho-Rusyn people). If you can help me improve or expand any of these translations, please email me.
Українці / Ukrainian: Я шукаю родину Яноса Куснїра і Софія Алмасі. Вони жили в селі близко Мукачеве в України. Батько Яноса називався Васил. Батько Софія називався Андрас. Вони були христяни. Янос і Софіа приїхали до Америки в 1908. Вони жили в Філадельфії. Їхні діти були Янос, Васил, Марія, Андрас, Істван, Анна, Гелена (Олена) , і Йосиф (Осип). У них були ще діти, проте я не знаю їх імен. Вони відпливли човном з міста Fuime (Фуїм), зараз це Rijeka (Рієка) у Хорватії. Я закликаю всіх зробити тести ДНК, щоб дізнатись більше про історію своєї родини. Я тестувався на familytreedna.com. Результати мого тесту ДНК знаходяться на моєму веб-сайті. Будь-хто в цьому світі може пройти тест ДНК і знайти своїх генетичних родичів. Якщо Ви думаєте, що ми можемо бути родичами, будь ласка скористайтесь familytreedna.com щоб перекон атись у цьому. Якщо Ви зробили тест ДНК в якомусь іншому місці, розмістіть свої результати на mitosearch.org i ysearch.org.
Magyar / Hungarian: A dédszüleimről keresek bármilyen információt. A nevük: Kusnyir János és Almásy Zsófia. Nem tudom, hogy Európában pontosan hol éltek, de feltételezhetően Ukrajnában. Az 1900-as évek elején jöttek az USA-ba. Fiuméből, a mai Rijekából (Horvátország) hajóztak át. Philadelphiában telepedtek le. János és Zsófia gyerekei voltak Mary (Mária), John (János), Basil, Istvan, Andrew (András) és a nagymamám, Anna. Volt több gyerekük is, de az ő nevüket nem ismerem. Találtam néhány iratot, melyek szerint Munkácson éltek, ami akkoriban még Magyarországhoz tartozott (ma Ukrajnában van). Ez nem megerősített információ. Én biztatnék arra mindenkit, hogy csináltasson DNS-tesztet, hogy többet megtudjon a családja történetéről (31,112 forint). Én a familytreedna.com on csináltattam meg a sajátomat. Az én DNS-eredményeim megtalálhatóak a weboldalamon. A világon mindenki megcsináltathatja ezt a tesztet, hogy ráleljen a genetikai rokonaira. Ha úgy gondolod, hogy rokonok lehetünk, kérlek használd a familytreedna.com ot, hogy meggyőződhess erről. Ha bárhol másutt már csináltattál DNS-tesztet, küldd el a teszt-eredményeidet a mitosearch.org-on keresztül.
Slovenčina / Slovak: Hľadáme príbuzných rodiny Jána Kuníra (Kusnyír János) a Sófie Almásy. Narodili sa v polovici devätnásteho storočia na Slovensku alebo v Maďarsku. Bývali aj v Mukačeve na Podkarpatskej Rusi (teraz Ukrajina). Ich deti boli Anna, Mária (Mary), Vasil (Basil), Andrej (András), tefan (István, Steven) a Ján (János). Odili do Ameriky v prvých rokoch dvadsiateho storočia. ili vo Philadelphii (Pennsylvania, USA). Sófiin brat Martin (Márton) Almásy tie priiel do Philadephie. Ak sa domnievate, e by sme mohli byť príbuzní, prosím napíte mi na emailovú adresu almasykusnyir@hotmail.com. Odporucan vsetkym aby si urobily DNA test cez familytreeDNA.com. Nielen tento test moze vyskitnut ci ja a ti sme rodina, ale dozvies sa aj vela o tvojej rodine. My nepouzivame krv - len nechaj trochu sliny na tomto spacku a posly ho adresu. Vysledky budes mat behom par tyzdnov. Keby si uz tento test mal, familytreeDNA.com by mohol pouzit vysledok. Mnoho concurentov odmietaju pozit tento test spraveny niekde inde, familytreedna.com povoluje toto pouzitie a prirovnava ho druhim uzitelom na familytreeDNA.com database.
HOLY GHOST BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church is located at 2310 South 24th Street in Philadelphia. My grandmother and her family attended this church. On June 8, 2008 I visited the church (see photo), however, the doors were locked so I did not go inside. There was a sign on the cornerstone of the building in what appears to be written in Rusyn (very loosely, a dialect of Ukrainian). The sign reads 'Greek-Catholic Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit'. The church itself appears to be in good condition outside, but the grounds are in less than ideal condition. There are bars covering the massive stained glass windows. Unfortunately, the surounding area is very poor and run down. It is sad to see the church and community that my family attended in less than ideal condition. I recently sent a letter to the church office regarding old family records. The church responded requesting the names and types of information I am looking for. From there, the church will research my request (though they noted it could take some time since only one person is responsible for this). I would love to be able to photograph the inside of the church as well - however - to do so I would need to attend during a service. It will be very interesting to see what it's like inside. I will keep you posted...
My grandmother, Anna Kushnier, was baptized and confirmed on February 2, 1913 at this church. The copy of the certificate is notarized with a raised seal from the church, and reads:
Certificate of Baptism
Church of Holy Ghost Eastern Rite Catholic Church
This is to Certify
That Anna Kushnier
Child of John Kushnier/Kusnir and Sofia Almashi born on the
22nd day of January 1913 was Baptized and Confirmed
on the 2nd day of February 1913
According to the Rite of the Roman Catholic Church of Eastern (Byzantine) Rite
by the Rev. Vladimir Dohovycz
the Sponsors beings John Zyzak
and Helena Varchola as appears from
the Baptismal Register of this Church.
Dated Sept. 8, 1945
Rev. John Pavlick, Pastor
The document states that Anna is the "child of John Kushnier/Kusnir and Sophia Almashi". Sophias maiden name was written on later using blue ink in my grandmother's handwriting (I recognize the handwriting!). The Almasy name is also misspelled to the way my grandmother would pronounce it, and is presumably incorrect. The certificate states that Anna Kushnier was baptized and confirmed by Rev. Vladimir Dohovycz with John Zyzak and Helena Varchola as the sponsors. The notarized copy of the certificate is signed by Rev. John Pavlick and dated September 8, 1945. Coincidentally, Elaine Kascaturos, the daughter of Anna Kushnier and Evangelos Kascaturos (my mother) was born on November 10, 1945 just two months after this certificate was obtained. This certificate may have been requested in order to allow Annas baby (Elaine - my mother) to be baptized and confirmed officially in the Greek Orthodox Church, which has strict requirements in order to receive official church sacraments.
LOCATION: Holy Cross Cemetery is located at MacDade Boulevard and Baily Road in Yeadon, PA.
Holy Cross Cemetery
626 Baily Rd
Yeadon, PA 19050
USA
The office telephone number is 610-626-2206 (the office is closed on Sundays)
LIST OF KNOWN NAMES
These are the only names I currently know and will add more names as I find them. The names are listed alphabetically by last name then by first name. People with the same name have been given a special code after their name. For example Anna Almasy (A) and Anna Almasy (B). If you have a name to add to the list, a photo of a person on this list, or any corrections, please email me. ALMASY - Алмасі ANDRAS ALMASY Born: 1850 approx Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Andras Almasy is the presumed name of the father of Sophia Almasy (later Kusnyir) - though this has not yet been confirmed. This assumption is based on traditional Carpatho-Rusyn naming patterns (their third son was named Andras). Based on Sophia's year of birth, Andras' estimated year of birth is approximately 1850. The location of his birth, marriage and death are currently unknown. The name of his wife (Sophia's mother) is unknown.
ANNA ALMASY (A)[evidence suggests relation] Born: 1893 approx Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: View Photograph of This Person
Based on discussions with Anna's grandson, Steve Jurbala, it is very likely that Anna was a first cousin of Sofia Almasy (my great-grandmother). This has not yet been confirmed by mtDNA testing. It is believed that Anna Almásy (A) emigrated to the US in 1908. In the 1920 census she was 27 years old, giving her a birth date of approximately 1893. Her grandson reports that she wrote to a sister or close relative in Europe with a last name of 'Kotuba'. She also had an "Uncle" John Lutzo who is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Belle Vernon, PA. She was married at the St. John the Baptist Church in Pottstown, PA. She is associated with the village Beregszasz.
ANNA ALMASY (B) Born: 1880 approx Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Anna Almasy (B) is a presumed sister or first cousin of Sofia Almasy. She sailed to America in April 1905 on the Pannonia with her sister (presumably) Maria Almasy (21 years/single) and brother (presumably) Mihály Almasy (27 years/married). Upon arrival at Ellis Island, Anna reported that she was 24 years old and single.
JOZSEF ALMASY Born: 1850 approx Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
József Almasy is an unconfirmed male relative - possibly a brother or cousin of Sofia Almasy. József was on the same 1901 sailing of the Oldenburg as Marton Almasy. József stated he was 33 and married when he came through Ellis Island.
MARIA ALMASY Born: 1850 approx Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Maria Almasy is a presumed sister or cousin of Sofia Almasy. She sailed to America in April 1905 on the Pannonia with her sister (presumably) Anna Almasy (24 years/single) and brother (presumably) Mihály Almasy (27 years/married). Upon arrival at Ellis Island, Maria reported that she was 21 years old and single.
MARISKA ALMASY Born: 1904 approx Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Mariska Almasy is the daughter of Mihalyne Almasy and presumably Mihály Almasy. Mihalyne Almasy (27 years/married) came through Ellis Island on 23 October 1906 with Mariska, who was 1 year 6 months old at the time. They sailed on the Pannonia from Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia).
MARTON ALMASY Born: 1870 approx Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Márton Almasy is a possible brother or other relative of Sofia Almasy. Márton arrived in America from Hungary (or what was Hungary at the time) on 16 February 1901. He settled in Philadelphia, even if only temporarily. He sailed on the ship named Oldenburg from Bremen, Germany. In 1901 he was approximately 33 years old and married. Márton is also potentially related to József Almasy who was on the same sailing of the Oldenburg as Marton. Also another possible brother named Mihály (Michael), and possible sisters named Anna and Maria.
MIHALY ALMASY (MICHAEL) Born: 1880 approx. Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Mihály Almasy is a presumed brother of Sofia Almasy and Marton Almasy. He sailed to America in April 1905 on the Pannonia with his two sisters (presumably) Anna Almasy (24 years/single) and Maria Almasy 21 years/single). Upon arrival at Ellis Island, he reported that he was 27 years old and married. It is possible that his wife is Mihalyne Almasy (27 years/married) who came through Ellis Island on 23 October 1906 with a 1 year 6 month old baby girl named Mariska Almasy. They also sailed on the Pannonia, but on a different voyage.
MIHALYNE ALMASY Born: 1880 approx. Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Mihalyne Almasy (her actual first name is currently unknown) is the unconfirmed wife of Mihály Almasy. Mihalyne Almasy (27 years/married) came through Ellis Island on 23 October 1906 with a 1 year 6 month old baby girl named Mariska Almasy. They sailed on the Pannonia from Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia).
KUSNYIR / KUSHNIERALFRED KUSHNIER Born: 1914 Died: 1983 Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Alfred Kushnier is a possible nephew or other relative of Janos Kusnyir. Alfred was born in April 1914 in Philadelphia, PA. According to the Social Security Death Index, he died in Philadelphia in October 1983. A copy of his Social Security application indicates his mother's surname was Gurak, and that his family was from Russia.
ANDRAS KUSNYIR (ANDREW KUSHNIER) [confirmed relative] Born: Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
András Kusnyir is the son of Janos Kusnyir (Kushnier) and Sofia Almasy. There is a passenger manifest showing András came to America in 1912 with his mother, Sofia, and siblings after a visit to family abroad. András is the brother of Mary, Anna, Steven, John, Helen, Joseph and Basil Kushnier.
ANNA KUSNYIR DZUBAK Born: 1879 Died: 1910 Photo of This Person: View Photograph of This Person
Anna Kusnyir Dzubak is a possible sister or sister-in-law of Janos Kusnyir (A). She was born in 1879 and died in 1910 at age 31. She is bured in Corpus Christi Cemetery in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Currently I have no further information about her, other than a grave photo (see above link).
ANNA KUSHNIER [confirmed relative] Born: 1913 Died: 1999 Photo of This Person: View Photograph of This Person
Anna Kusnyir (Kushnier) Kascaturos (born 1913) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. She is the daughter of Janos Kusnyir (Kushnier) and Sofia Almasy. Anna is the sister of Mary, Joseph, Andras, Basil, Helen and John Kushnier, and possibly Steven Kushnier. Anna was baptized in February 1913 at the Holy Ghost Eastern Rite Catholic Church in Philadelphia. Anna married Evangelos Kascaturos on 11 September 1933 in Camden, New Jersey. They later had one daughter, Elaine Kascaturos. Together, Anna and Evangelos ran a successful restaurant in Camden, New Jersey called Everybody's Luncheonette. Anna died in November 1999 and is buried in Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, NJ.
BASIL KUSNYIR Born: 1845 approx. Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Basil Kusnyir (possibly Kusnirova) is the presumed name of the father of Janos Kusnyir (John Kushnier). This assumption is based on traditional Carpatho-Rusyn naming patterns (their second son was named Basil). John Kushnier's death certificate lists his father's name as John, though this has not been confirmed. Based on Janos' year of birth, Basil's estimated year of birth is approximately 1845. The location of his birth, marriage and death are currently unknown. The name of his wife is unknown.
BASIL KUSNYIR (BASIL KUSHNIER) [confirmed relative] Born: 1904 approx. Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Basil Kusnyir (B)is a possible son of Janos Kusnyir (Kushnier) and Sofia Almasy. There is a passenger manifest showing Basil came to America in 1912 at age 8 with his mother, Sofia, and siblings after a visit to family abroad. Basil is the presumed brother of Mary Kushnier, Anna Kushnier, Steven Kushnier, John Kushnier, and András Kushnier.
HELEN KUSHNIER[evidence suggests relation] Born: 1920 Died: 1921 Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Helen Kushner was born in Philadelphia in 1920, and died in 1921 (baby). She is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, PA (just outside of Philadelphia). I am currently investigating if this baby could have been another child of John & Sophia Kushner. If so, she would have been my grandmother's sister. I have sent a request to the Division of Vital Records for a copy of her death record - I am just waiting for the copy to arrive in the mail. I vaguely remember my grandmother mentioning a story about her mother being 'haunted' by the death of a baby. Perhaps this is her... My grandmother, Anna Kushnier, would have been about 8 when the baby died. In 1945 my grandmother named her daughter Elaine (Helen). Perhaps this is no coincidence? I am also further convinced that this was the third daughter of Janos and Sophia because according to Carpatho-Rusyn naming traditions, the third daughter was named 'Helen'. This works out perfectly with Mary Kushnier being the first born daughter, and Anna Kushnier being the second born.
ISTVAN KUSNYIR (STEVEN KUSHNIER) [confirmed relative] Born: Died: Unknown Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Steven Kusnyir (Kushnier) is a possible son of Janos Kusnyir (Kushnier) and Sofia Almasy.
Steven is the presumed brother of Mary Kushnier, Anna Kushnier, John Kushnier, András Kushnier, and Basil Kushnier. Assuming he is actually related, this is believed to be the grave of Steven Kushner/Kurnes, located in Holy Cross Cemetery.
JANOS KUSNYIR [confirmed relative] * * * EARLIEST CONFIRMED MALE ANCESTOR * * * Born: 1874 Died: 1949 Photo of This Person: Photograph of This Person
Janos Kusnyir (John Kushnier) was born in 1874 in or near Zavidfalva, Bereg Country (now Zavydove, Ukraine). Based on traditional Carpatho-Rusyn naming patterns, his father was likely named Basil Kusnyir. He was the husband of Sofia Almasy (b. 1876). Sofia & Janos came to America on the Carpathia permanently by 1908, after Sofia & 1 child were detained in the hospital. Janos was the father of Mary, Anna, John and Joseph Kushnier. He may have also been the father of Steven/Istvan, Basil, András/Andrew and Helen Kushner. There is always the possibility that there were other children I dont know of. I currently do not know the names of Janos parents, or any of his brothers or sisters names. My grandmother always remembers hearing that her father worked in "the Black Forest", but no evidence has been located to support this claim. John died in November 1949 at Philadelphia City Hospital of "chronic myocarditis due to arteriosclerosis" (view death certificate). He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, PA. (view grave)
JANOS KUSNYIR (JOHN KUSHNIER / KURNES) [confirmed relative] Born: 1902 Died: 1978 Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
John Kusnyir (B) is the son of Janos Kusnyir (Kushnier) and Sofia Almasy. He was born on May 4, 1902. There is a passenger manifest showing John came to America in 1912 (age 9) with his mother, Sofia, and siblings. John is the brother of Mary, Anna, András, Helen, Basiand Joseph Kushnier. According to his US Social Security Application, John worked as a longshoreman at Pier 78-South in Philadelphia for McCarthy Stevedorina Corporation. At some point, John altered the lastname from Kusnyir/Kushnier to Kurnes. John married Stella Kurnes. They had a son named John (Johnny) Kurnes. Johnny has a daughter named Janet Kurnes. Janet & her husband, Paul Milano, live in the Philadelphia area. They have a son named Christopher Milano. John died in 1978 in Philadelphia.
JOSEPH KUSNYIR (KUSHNIER / KURNES) [confirmed relative] Born: 1920 approx Died: 1939 Photo of This Person: None Currently Available
Joseph Kushner/Kurnes was the son of John Kushner and Sophia Almasy. I currently have some conflicting data about him. Basically, I have two possible Joseph's but I'm not sure which one is actually the son of Janos & Sophia... The first Joseph I found was born in approximately 1920 and died at an early age in 1939 (view grave located in Holy Cross Cemetery). However, in July 2008 I obtained a copy of Sophia Kusnhier's death certificate from 1941 which has his family member reporting as "Joseph Kushnier". According to the grave referenced above, Joseph should have been dead already by 1941. So now I am not sure which is the actual son. My research will continue. Also, there are some reports from family members that Joseph was involved in an incident with police. They suspected him of a robbery which he said he did not commit, and ended up shot dead by the police. I am currently researching this story to see if I can find any newspaper articles or police reports about the topic. My research continues...
MARY KUSNYIR (ARSENIS) [confirmed relative] Born: 1906 approx Died: 1991 Photo of This Person: View Photograph of This Person
Mary Kushnier (born approx. 1906) was the daughter of Janos Kusnyir and Sofia Almasy. It appears that Mary arrived in America on the Carpathia in 1908 after Mary and her mother, Sophia, were detained in the hospital for an unknown reason. Mary is the sister of Anna, Joseph, Andras, Helen, Basil, John and Steven Kushnier. Mary's children are Billy, Nicki and Olga. During the last years of her life, Mary lived in Greece with her daughter, Olga Veneris, and family in Athens. She died in 1991 in Greece and is buried in Greece.