My STEIF family ancestors came >from Stropkov, Zemplen, Slovakia. Wolf
STEIF, my grandfather, arrived in NYC in 1880 and moved to Chicago 17
years later. He died in 1914. His father Hirsch STEIF also emigrated
in 1880 along with his wife Rosie and son, Eddie, and moved to Chicago
at some point. Hirsch left Chicago to die in Palestine, while Rosie,
Wolf, and Eddie remained in Chicago. Hirsch?s brother, Moses STEIF,
later known as Moses STEIF JACOBS, had arrived in the US in 1870, and
then moved to Arkansas, Missouri, Washington, Oregon and California.
I have found Hirsch, Rosie, and Wolf in the 1869 Hungarian census,
along with a sister, Anna, who died in childhood.

The All Hungary database has birth records for six children of Hirsch
and Rosie: Jakob, Wolf, Rezi (Anna), Aron, Ascher (Eddie), and Chaim.
Rezi and Chaim, died in childhood, and had death records are in the
database. Two others, Jakob (born in 1860) and Aron (born in 1870),
have birth records, but no death records. I am wondering if they
stayed behind when their parents left Stropkov for NY. It is unlikely
that Aron stayed behind, since he was so young. I assume that he too
must have died in childhood. However Jakob would have been old enough
to have stayed by himself. He is not, however, listed in the 1869
census. I am wondering if he, too, had died before the family left
Stropkov. If not, he may have descendants. How would I get access to
other Stropkov death records of the period as well as earlier birth
records?

My next question is whether my STEIFs are related to other STEIFs in
the region. The name in that spelling is unusual. The other STEIFs
in the birth records are the children of Simon STEIF and Hani
Rosenberg. They were >from Eperjes, but Simon was originally from
Nagymihaly (Michalovce). I am wondering if there is a connection
between these STEIFs and my STEIFs. The distance between Stropkov and
Nagymihaly does not seem to be that great.

I would appreciate any feedback I can get on these questions.

Thank you.

Ann L. Fuller
Oberlin, OH USA

The vital records in the AHD generally only go up until 1895, although there
are sporadic exceptions. If Jakob and Aron died in Hungary after 1895, their
death records would be in the civil registration records used after 1895.
These are located at
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlehitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&keyword=hungarian+civil+registration+records&prekeyword=hungarian+civil+registration+records

But there are 1900 films of civil registrations. You would need to look
through the catalog to see if any exist for Stropkov, assuming they died
there.

I'm not sure there are birth records for Stropkov earlier than what is in
the AHD.

To connect your STEIF's with the others is more problematic. All the records
in the AHD give the source, which is the LDS film number and volume on that
film. The Page-row number refers to the physical page >from the begiining of
that volume. Record 47-3, for example, is the 3rd record on the 47th page

from the beginning of the volume.

I would suggest you need to check the source records and see if you can find
any witnesses to a birth, marriage or death also with the name of STEIF.
They may be >from the other STEIF clan and would help establish a probable
connection.

Good hunting.

Sam Schleman
Project Coordinator
Hungarian Vital Records Project



My STEIF family ancestors came >from Stropkov, Zemplen, Slovakia. Wolf
STEIF, my grandfather, arrived in NYC in 1880 and moved to Chicago 17
years later. He died in 1914. His father Hirsch STEIF also emigrated
in 1880 along with his wife Rosie and son, Eddie, and moved to Chicago
at some point. Hirsch left Chicago to die in Palestine, while Rosie,
Wolf, and Eddie remained in Chicago. Hirsch?s brother, Moses STEIF,
later known as Moses STEIF JACOBS, had arrived in the US in 1870, and
then moved to Arkansas, Missouri, Washington, Oregon and California.
I have found Hirsch, Rosie, and Wolf in the 1869 Hungarian census,
along with a sister, Anna, who died in childhood.

The All Hungary database has birth records for six children of Hirsch
and Rosie: Jakob, Wolf, Rezi (Anna), Aron, Ascher (Eddie), and Chaim.
Rezi and Chaim, died in childhood, and had death records are in the
database. Two others, Jakob (born in 1860) and Aron (born in 1870),
have birth records, but no death records. I am wondering if they
stayed behind when their parents left Stropkov for NY. It is unlikely
that Aron stayed behind, since he was so young. I assume that he too
must have died in childhood. However Jakob would have been old enough
to have stayed by himself. He is not, however, listed in the 1869
census. I am wondering if he, too, had died before the family left
Stropkov. If not, he may have descendants. How would I get access to
other Stropkov death records of the period as well as earlier birth
records?

My next question is whether my STEIFs are related to other STEIFs in
the region. The name in that spelling is unusual. The other STEIFs
in the birth records are the children of Simon STEIF and Hani
Rosenberg. They were >from Eperjes, but Simon was originally from
Nagymihaly (Michalovce). I am wondering if there is a connection
between these STEIFs and my STEIFs. The distance between Stropkov and
Nagymihaly does not seem to be that great.

I would appreciate any feedback I can get on these questions.

Thank you.

Ann L. Fuller
Oberlin, OH USA