Village History & Photos With Thanks to Eric Kuns

 

Eternal_Memory...

 

Photos of Čirč Past & Present With Thanks to Tom Kovalak

 

1869_Hungarian_Census Courtesy of Dr. Mary Maddock

 

1869 Jewish Residents not included in Dr. Maddock's list (Future Update)

Eric visits his "Grandpap" Vrabel's

birthplace with "Stryko" Michal Timko.

History of the Village of Čirč, Slovakia

Čirč is a village in north eastern Slovakia. Historically, it has been almost exclusively inhabited by ethnic Rusyns, or "Little Russians." In Hungarian, the village was known as Csircs or Csercs. In 1773, Čirč was named Cziroz. By 1787, the town boasted 69 houses and 537 inhabitants. At the beginning of the 19th Century, the villages of Budzova and Garancova also belonged to Čirč. Jan Vrabel III, an inhabitant of Čirč and cousin of Eric Kuns, says that the town was once two portions to the north and the south, eventually combining in the middle in its current configuration. In 1828, 124 houses and 891 people are counted in Čirč. Throughout the Hungarian domination as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Čirč was part of the Hungarian Administrative District - Saris. In 1920, the town was given its current name - Čirč.

Sometime after the fall of the Hungarian monarchy, Čirč was designated as part of the Sabinov district in the Presov region until 1960. Afterwards, Čirč became a part of the Stara Lubovna district in the Eastern Slovakia region.

Past occupations of the inhabitants of Čirč were cattle and sheep breeding, and seasonal jobs in the forests, including charcoal manufacture. In addition, Čirč was a center of fur production for the surrounding area. During the first half of the 20th Century, cloth and linen weaving were still prominent.

Currently, many Čirč residents work in Kosice, Presov, Lipany, and other towns and villages. The cemetery, to the north and east of town, has only readable headstones for the last two or three generations. The older portion to the south once had only wooden markers, now eroded beyond reading.

Editors Note:

The Greek Catholic parish registers of baptisms, marriages and deaths (1753-1950) for Čirč, Slovakia, formerly Csircs (also spelled Csércs), Sáros, Hungary are available via the LDS (Family History Center). The film numbers are 1792024, 1792025, & 1792026.

The current Greek Catholic resident priest is Father Peter Pavol Hal'ko. The parish address is Circ c. 80, 06542, Okres Stara Lubovna. Telephone 0963/4928112.

Jewish congregational records of births, marriages and deaths (1847-1941) for Circ are included in film number 1792026.

 

Eternal Memory...

Note: For those of you who had ancestors from Circ, feel free to submit photographs and/or brief history honoring their Memory in this section.

Click to Enlarge	Description	Photograph Date & Location	Immigration	In Memory of
Click Here Submit Photo	Andrew Gernat 1886 - 1973 Donora, Washington, Pennsylvania (son of Peter Gernat & Maria Kovalyak). Married Petrinia Zidowski of Circ about 1913.		Immigration Kaiser Wilhelm II sailing from Bremen, Germany. Arrival Port of New York. Joining brother George Gernat in New Salem, Pennsylvania.	In Memory of the Andrew Gernat Family
Click Here Submit Photo	John Gernat 1880 - ? Pennsylvania (son of John Gernat & Maria Sutyak) Married Anna of Slovakia about 1900.		Immigration 1 Jul 1896 SS Illinois sailing from Belgium. Arrival Port of Philadelphia. Joining b-i-l in Reading, Pennsylvania.	In Memory of the John Gernat Family
Click Here Submit Photo	John Gernat 1885 - 1970 Charleroi, Pennsylvania (son of Elias Gernat & Eva Andrej). Married Helen Kolcun of Circ.			In Memory of the John Gernat Family
Click Here Submit Photo	John Gernat 1890 - ? Pennsylvania (son of Andrew Gernat & Suzanna Harvilla). Married Anna of Pennsylvania about 1914.		Immigration about 1907	In Memory of the John Gernat Family
Click Here Submit Photo	George Kovalyak 1879 - ? Pennsylvania (son of Michael Kovalyak & Anna Varga. Married Mary of Slovakia about 1904.		Immigration 31 May 1899 SS Bremen sailing from Bremen, Germany. Arrival Port of New York. Joining a friend in Eleanor, Pennsylvania.	In Memory of the George Kovalyak Family
Click Image to View Enlarged Photo	Nicholas Kovalak 1892 - 1977 Clifton, Passaic, New Jersey (son of Nicholas Kovalak & Helena Andrej). Married Mary from Circ about 1913. Married Mary from Hrabske, Slovakia.	1943 Passaic New Jersey Naturalization Papers	Immigration 6 Oct 1922 SS Susquehanna sailing from Bremen, Germany. Arrival Port of New York.	In Memory of the Nicholas Kovalak Family
Click Image to View Enlarged Photo	Anna Varhola Parra nee Plavcan (Plavcsan/Plavchan) 1888 - 1970 Pennsylvania. Married Andrew Varhola of Circ about 1907. Married Joseph Parra of Slovakia about 1920.	Pennsylvania	Immigration about 1906	Anna Varhola   Courtesy of Margaret Welton Hicks (granddaughter)
Click Image to View Enlarged Photo	Andrew Varhola 1888 - 1919 Pennsylvania (son of John Varhola & Maria Kovalyak). Married Anna Plavcan.	Pennsylvania		Andrew Varhola   Courtesy of Margaret Welton Hicks (granddaughter)
Click Image to View Enlarged Photo	John Varhola 1895 - ? (son of John Varhola & Maria Kovalyak). Married Mary Leckvarcik October 1918 in Pennsylvania.	October 1918 Standing L-R Unknown, Steve Hudak, wife Anna Hudak nee Bunyak, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown   Seated Anna Filitzke (Varhola relation), Groom John Varhola age 23, Bride Mary Leckvarcik age 17, Andrew Varhola (brother of groom)   Pennsylvania	Immigration about 1913	The John Varhola Family   Courtesy of Margaret Welton Hicks
Click Here Submit Photo	John Varhola 1895 - 1977 Tarentum, Allegheny, Pennsylvania (son of George Varhola & Helena Plavcsan). Married Mary Gernat of New Salem, Pennsylvania.		Immigration about 1912	In Memory of the John Varhola Family
Click Here Submit Photo	Theodore Varhola 1892 - 1972 Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania (son of George Varhola & Helena Plavcsan). Married Catherine of Slovakia about 1913.		Immigration about 1909	In Memory of the Theodore Varhola Family