Tag Archives: Family History

Introducing G(r)eek Talk: The Premier Vidcast for Greek Genealogy Enthusiasts!

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First broadcast: Wednesday, February 14 at 12:00 noon Eastern Time (9AM PT)

Greek Ancestry founder, Gregory Kontos, unveils an exciting new venture for the Greek genealogy community – G(r)eek Talk. This biweekly vidcast (video podcast) will be a dynamic and relevant platform for all things related to Greek family history research. It will offer insightful discussions, featured guests, and the latest news pertinent to the community.

G(r)eek Talk will be hosted by Gregory Kontos and cohosted by Georgia Stryker Keilman of the Hellenic Genealogy Geek website and Facebook group, and Carol Kostakos Petranek of the Spartan Roots website. Each episode will kick off with updates in the field, then move on to spotlight a specific theme. The group will dive into topics ranging from tracing ancestral roots to delving into less known aspects of Greek history and archival heritage. Guest speakers will bring viewers a wealth of varied perspectives and insights, expanding their knowledge and broadening their understanding of the lives and times of their ancestors.

Gregory Kontos expresses his excitement about the launch, stating, “Through our vidcast discussions, Carol, Georgia and I are looking forward to sharing knowledge, opinions and questions about all things Greek genealogy and family history, enhancing our field like never before and strengthening our community bonds.”

The inaugural episode of G(r)eek Talk will air on Wednesday, February 14 at 12:00 noon Eastern Time (9AM PT). Each episode will be live-streamed and recorded on the Greek Ancestry YouTube channel; and available for viewing on demand. The schedule for the first three vidcasts is:

2/14: “Greek Document and Photo Treasures for Sale Online”
2/28: “The Diary of Pantelis Karatasakis” (guest: Alec P. Karys)
3/13: “Memorable Ancestral Research Trips”

Tune in to G(r)eek Talk to join us, and other Greek genealogy enthusiasts, as we take this next step together in learning about our Greek ancestry!

Papa Georgiou’s Family Tree

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I always enjoy talking with the priests who pop in and out of the room where I am working. Many are young and will spend a couple of years at the Sparta Mitropolis before they are assigned to a church. Others may spend a lifetime in service there. One of the longest serving priests in the Mitropolis is Papa Georgiou. For 50 years, he has daily and faithfully fulfilled his responsibilities and served five different Bishops. His eyes are kind, he is gentle, and he has maintained the Orthodox tradition of not cutting his hair or beard after being ordained a priest (today, priests can choose whether or not to follow this pattern).

One day when Papa Georgiou stopped by to say hello, we talked (using lots of hand gestures due to my broken Greek) about the importance of the digitization project — to preserve marriage records and eventually make them available to researchers around the world. Amazingly, my message was understood and his eyes lit up. With much enthusiasm, he began talking rapidly about his family and the research he had done. I had a hard time following him and must have looked a bit confused. He said he had something to show me.

He left the room, and returned with a scroll. As he began to unroll it, I could see he needed help. I held one end and continued to move backwards until it was fully unwound. I was truly speechless when I realized the scroll documented his family history research, and it stretched about 20 feet!

Papa Georgiou unrolls his family tree scroll, June 2018

Papa Georgiou has worked on his family history throughout his life. Yet, even though he has access to any and all records that are available in Sparta, he could go back no further than his great-grandfather, Konstandinos Blathras born 1790, died 1881. That’s about the time frame where most of us are brick-walled as well.

Papa Georgiou did not limit his research to Greece. He has family in America and traveled there many times to visit and gather the names of his kin. I was surprised to see that the data was typed in English. He explained that his nephew in America entered all his research into a computer and had the scroll printed. A perfect blend of old and new (a pattern I see everywhere around me in Greece).

To say that Papa Georgiou is proud of his family history research is an understatement. This is one of his crowning achievements. Just look at the joy in his face! My goal is to follow his example and leave such a legacy for my posterity.

Family history brings us joy!

Getting Started

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This is the home village of three of my grandparents.

This is my first post on my new blog! My name is Carol Harriet Kostakos Petranek, and I am of Greek-American ancestry. I was baptized Hariklia Kostakou (Χαρικλια Κοστακου) after the traditional Greek naming patterns: as the first child, I named after my father’s mother, Hariklia (Aridas) Kostakos. Although Hariklia is a beautiful Greek name, my mother was not enamoured of its English translation, Harriet. I had the good fortune of being born on Christmas Eve which gave my mother the opportunity to name me Carol. However, my dear grandparents called me Hariklia until the day they died.

I was born in Brooklyn, New York, and lived in a predominantly Greek neighborhood. My grandparents and other family members were within walking distance, and my earliest years were spent surrounded by family. When I was five, we moved to a small town in New Jersey and when I was 13, we moved to a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. I have always felt a strong love for family and this has manifested in a passion for genealogical research.

My purpose in writing this blog is to preserve a path of my Greek genealogical research, and to share what I have learned with others. This is not an easy road to follow. Records are not readily available and the Greek language can be a barrier to many people. However, we can keep learning and progressing, one step at a time, in reaching a worthy goal — to discover, preserve and share our family history with others.

Please join me on this exciting journey! And don’t hesitate to contact me at anytime. I’m looking forward to making many new friends, and — hopefully — finding many new family members!