Here are some genealogy notes that I have assembled over the years with my mother’s (Violet or Wasylena) help and with some information directly from Geedo: Nickolas Luchak and Baba: Maria (Kusek) Luchak. I so wish that I had been more consistent and persistent in my passion for this information and wish I had archived more details. John Webster gave me a suitcase of Geedo’s papers and I will double check these dates where possible.
Many of these names have various spellings. They were original Ukrainian language names converted to English names, etc. Peter, your hypothesis about a preference for certain family names, somewhat dependent on birth order, is verified in several instances below.
Nickoli, Nicholai, Nickolas Luchak was born March 1, 1892 (registered as March 1 in the Julian calendar; used March 14, 1892 in the Gregorian calendar as his official birth date). He was born in Chernovitz, Bukovina, Austria. At age 19, he married Mary, Maria Kusek, Kycek, on February 1, 1912 at the Shandro Church in Hamlin, Alberta. They had 8 children. He died on February 25, 1989 at age 96 and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Nicholas’ paternal grandparents:
Paternal Grandparents: Mike Luchak (Mike was a mayor in Bukovina, Austria for 20 years). He was married to Paraska, Pareska (surname unknown). They had three children: Odokia (Doris), another female, and Wasyl
Nicholas’ maternal grandparents:
Maternal Grandparents: Surname Goruk or Goruik (first names unknown). I have a death date for the maternal grandmother, name unknown, as April 29, 1919. They had 7 children: Steve, Yarena (Irene), Nastasia, Annie, Eli, Helen, Doris
Nicholas’ parents:
Wasyl Luchak and Nastasia Goruk or Goruik. I have a death date for Wasyl Luchak of September 22, 1930 (70 years old, buried in Hamlin, Alberta). I have a death date for Nastasia Goriuk of February 11, 1949 (92 years old, buried in Hamlin, Alberta). Wasyl was a farmer. They had 9 children: Alexa (Alex), Gorge (George), Wasylena , (Violet), Nickoli (Nicholas), Paraska (Pearl), Michalo (Michael), Petro (Peter), Ellana (Helen), Anetza (Annie). I have some dates of death and spouses names for these children. (These descendants of Wasyl and Nastasia or Anastasia Luchak were the families that gathered in Alberta at the original homestead for an extended Luchak family on July 1, 1984. I have some photos and printed material from this reunion that my mother helped to organize.)
In 1903, both Nicholas’ parents and Maria’s parents immigrated to Canada together in a group of 17 families. Nicholas was 11 years old and Maria was 5 years old.