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Steve Sr.

Joined: 09 Mar 2025
Replies: 12
Location: Illinois, U.S.A.
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2025 5:15 pm Post subject: Kuchmuk from Russia/Ukraine

Hello everyone!

Not sure if this is the correct forum to post this. I've been researching my maternal grandfather for some time now but hit a brick wall when attempting to learn more about his parents.

His name was Alexander Kuchmuk, born 12 Feb 1895. According to a journal written by my late Aunt:
“He was born in Michno Village, Volenska Gubernia, 300 miles from Kiev, Ukraine”. (Russia?)

All I've been able to learn is that his father's name may have been Volac (or Volak) and his mother Helen Volechuk. I've always been unsure of the spelling of “Michno”.

I get totally lost when trying to find the correct records to search on Ancestry.

Thank you!
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Researching my family roots since 2008.

Sophia
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Joined: 05 Oct 2014
Replies: 1270

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Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2025 10:34 am Post subject: Re: Kuchmuk from Russia/Ukraine

Steve Sr. wrote:

Hi Steve,

Some guesses. Your Kuchmuk may possibly be Kuźmuk or Kuźmiuk. Your Michno may possibly be Mychnów which was in the parish of Zaslaw, in the dekanat of Zaslawl, according to this:

https://www.szlachta.com.pl/obszar-poszukiwan/gubernia-wolynska/

When you follow that link, the page has a very nice map of Gubernia Wolynska, and if you click on the map it opens as a pdf and is clearer to see. You can see Zaslaw on the map but it is not detailed enough to show the village of Mychnow.

Good luck,
Sophia

Steve Sr.

Joined: 09 Mar 2025
Replies: 12
Location: Illinois, U.S.A.
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Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2025 12:25 pm Post subject:

Hi Sophia!

Your feedback is much appreciated. I'm aware of various spellings of our relatives last names. If I'm correct, many changed the spelling of their last names once they arrived in America only because the original spelling (or pronunciation) might be too difficult or just sounds too strange.

As a matter of fact, when my grandfather came to America he changed the “C” to an “S”. Apparently too many were pronouncing it “cuck-muk” as in Cuck-oo (Clock).

I also thank you for clarifying Mychnów which was in the parish of Zaslaw, in the dekanat of Zaslawl. Information that gets passed down from family members can be easily misspelled. The map and PDF is very interesting.

I'm going to “tap the brakes” researching my grandfather for the time being as I'm still working on the Moroniak family. I've come to the conclusion that there were way too many Moroniak surnames in Poland at one time, not to mention so many with the same given name.

One branch of the tree at a time!

Steve
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Researching my family roots since 2008.

Sophia
PO Top Contributor

Joined: 05 Oct 2014
Replies: 1270

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Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2025 6:09 am Post subject:

Steve Sr. wrote:

Hi Steve,

Absolutely, research one branch at a time. As you go along, you will pick up techniques and resources that you can then use when researching the next branch of your family.

I just want to emphasize that my suggestion of Mychnów is a guess. As you can read on the link that I provided about the Wolynska Gubernia, there were almost 10,000 villages and I do not have access to a full list of them. I was able to find the name of one town that comes close to the spelling provided by your late aunt, so that is what I gave you, but until you dig into it you will not know for sure. You have to start somewhere, and this seems like as good a starting point as any.

What could be useful, in your future research on this part of the family, is to know the source of your aunt's information. She might have had access to an old document of Alexander's that gave that town name, or she might have had a box of old letters he received from relatives, or she might have researched a bit and found people with your surname who came from that place and just assumed you were related. If I were you, I would place a different "weight" on the accuracy of what she wrote, depending on her source.

Best of luck in your continued search,
Sophia

Steve Sr.

Joined: 09 Mar 2025
Replies: 12
Location: Illinois, U.S.A.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2025 11:37 am Post subject:

Sophia,

Thanks to contributors such as yourself tracing family roots is getting (somewhat) easier day by day.

Have a wonderful day.

Steve Very Happy

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Researching my family roots since 2008.

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