Michael Zrelak
Michal Zreľák – Mihály Zrelyak
25 September 1888 – 10 January 1971
Michael Zrelak is the beginning of my Zrelak line in the United States. He arrived on 4 March 1907 aboard the Rhein at age 18. He landed at Ellis Island with two other men from his village, Furko Buchalla and Andras Leschkowssky.
According to his Arrival Manifest, he was headed to Steuben Ct. in Bridgeport, Connecticut and on the 1910 census there are 2 boarders at 4 Steuben Ct.: Andrew Cunock and Michal Zerella – I believe this is Michael Zrelak and his traveling companion. His occupation is listed as something like “tar fitter” at Tar Co.
Michael was born in Ľubotín Slovakia to Imre Zreľák and Zsuzsuana Knapik and he was their first child.
He married Anna Theresa Mayernik at St. John Nepomucene’s Slovak Roman Catholic Church in Bridgeport on 1 February 1912. (This church is at Jane & Broad Streets but is now closed. See pictures below) Over the years, they would have 9 surviving children: John, Stephen, Frank, Mary, Margaret, William, Roseann, Albert, and George.
Michael was not the only nor the first Zreľák to come to the United States. His father Imré came in 1901 to Pennsylvania. He likely worked in the coal mines as did many Slovak immigrants. He returned to Ľubotín by 1905 and used the money he’d earned to buy land. His family still owns this land and his granddaughter Anna lives in the original family home next to that land.
Imré had another son, George, immigrate to the US. George also settled in Bridgeport and raised a family there. George maintained contact with the family back in Slovakia and sent letters and gifts to them over the years. His nieces alive today still remember receiving them.
See the History section below for explanation on the languages used, but here are the spellings for the Zrelak names:
| English | Slovak | Hungarian |
| Zrelak | Zreľák | Zrelyak |
| Michael | Michal | Mihály |
| Emery | Imrich | Imré |
| Susanna | Zuzana, Zuza, Zuzanka, Zuzka | Zsuzsana |
| Andrew | A/Ondrej | András |
City Directories & Historical Maps & Images
| 1911 City Directory Bridgeport | 4 Steuben Ct. map (upper left) |
Slovak History & Language
A brief and simplified history of Slovakia principally as it pertains to our family genealogy, the spelling of names and places, and the birth country recorded on U.S. censuses. Our ancestors’ nationality or ethnicity is Slovak.
U.S. Census birth country instructions
1920
1930
1940
History
Slovakia was part of the Austrian Empire, aka Habsburg Empire, from 1804 to 1867. In 1867 the Austro-Hungarian Empire was formed and during this time, Hungary forced everything (first names, surnames, village names) to be renamed using the Hungarian, or Magyar, language; but in 1910, the government began a new program and many names were restored to their original Slovak. Additionally, Latin was utilized in Catholic church records.
Fall 1918 (end of WWI) – The Czechoslovak Republic was officially formed and recognized by the U.S.
Fall 1938 – The Nazis invaded
March 1939 – Slovakia became a German Protectorate
Aug-Oct 1944 – The Slovak National Uprising occurs but is crushed by the Germans and they dissolve the nation of Slovakia
April 1945 (end of WWII) – Czechoslovakia is formed and Germans and Magyars are expelled
Jan 1993 – Czechoslovakia is dissolved and the Slovak Republic is formed
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, 1/3 of Slovaks emigrated, principally to North America. One-third of those would later return to Slovakia with the money they earned overseas to purchase land and re-establish their lives. This large percentage of population puts the Slovak diaspora second only to the Irish for European emigrants.
According to www.cisarik.com:
– names used for Michael’s village are:
1773 Lubotiny, Lubotina
1786 Lubotiny
1808 Lubotin, Lubotina
1863–1902 Lubotin (the spelling used on his Arrival Manifest filed at Ellis Island)
1907–1913 Lubotény
1920 Lubotiňa, Lubotýn
1927 Ľubotín
– similar surnames in the village in 2005 included: Zreľák, Zrelak, Zrelyak, Zsrelak, Zsrelak, Zrelakova, Zsrelakova
– names on the 1715 census were: Francsicus Komloczky, Andreas Kalinka Barcsicska, Petrus Svecz, Petrus Chromisen, Ladislaus Gyarava, Michael Szopko
