IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MINISTER MR. DAVAKIS AND OTHER DIGNITARIES, THE INAUGURATION OF THE MAGNIFICENT PAPAGIANNAKOU SCHOOL IN AGIOS IOANNIS SPARTIS WAS HELD
(Thank you to Panorea Kostakou of Agios Ioannis, who found this newspaper article)
(Online translation by Carol Kostakos Petranek. Please excuse errors)
On the afternoon of last Sunday the inauguration of the newly built magnificent Papagiannakos School was solemnly held in Agios Ioannis of Sparta, erected with the help of the chosen son of the town and benefactor Mr. Dim. Papagiannakos, an expatriate in America.
In attendance at this glorious ceremony were the Minister of National Defense Mr. Dim. Davakis, the Governor of Laconia Mr. Chr. Kitsidis, councilmen of Lakonia Messrs. G. Roumanis and N.P. Varvitsiotis, the Inspector of Elementary Education of Lacedaemon Mr. Sot. Iliopoulos, the Senior Director of the Peloponnese, the Director of the K.E.E.M., the Director of Sparta, the Mayor of Sparta, the high school students of Sparta and many other guests as well as the residents of Agios Ioannis.
At the beginning, holy water was administered inside the school by the Reverend Agathaggelou Ivyritou and the priest Panos. Ierotheou Kyriazopoulou.
Subsequently, a student of the Agios Ioannis Primary School offered a bouquet of flowers to Mr. Papagiannakos and expressed the gratitude of his classmates.
Then they spoke in turn, extolling the importance of the work and the patriotism and philanthropy of Mr. Papagiannakos. Afterwards, the Principal of the School, Mr. Apost. Lerikos, the Reverend Mr. Agathaggelos, the Inspector Mr. Sot. Iliopoulos, the Prefect Mr. Kitsidis, the Member of Parliament Mr. N. Varvitsiotis, the Head of the Spartan High School Mr. Pan. Rozakis, the Member of Parliament Mr. Ger. Roumanis and the Minister, Mr. Dim Davakis. Also young students recited poems.
After this the officials left the school and the unveiling of the commemorative plaque on the façade of the church took place.
Then a banquet took place in the halls of the school, with sweets and refreshments being offered.
The artist photographer Mr. Nikos V. Georgiadis was going to film the ceremony, but the bad weather did not allow it.
Postcard of Dedication of the Papagiannakos School; received from Tasos PapagiannakosThe Papagiannakos School, 2023
It is the bane of every family historian: sorting out men with the same name who lived in the same location at the same time, and sometimes married women who had the same given names. For Greek researchers, this issue is exacerbated due to naming traditions which almost always ensure that several men in a village—because they are named after their grandfather–have the identical baptismal name and surname. Fortunately, our naming traditions usually provide the father’s given name as well. Examples: Nikolaos Stamatakis, of Georgios (Νικολάος Σταματάκης του Γεώργιου) and Nikolaos Stamatakis, of John (Νικολάος Σταματάκης του Ιώαννου). We now know that the father of the first Nikolaos is Georgios and the second is John.
But what happens when we are searching in records where the father’s name is not given? This usually is the case in older documents, such as 1844 or 1872 Voting Lists. One research strategy is to look at the ages of the men as a means of differentiation, but we already know that Greek ages can be notoriously inaccurate and many years off. Another strategy is to pinpoint an exact location, but what about families who moved between villages? Or the cases when a man married a woman, moved to her village and took HER surname thus losing his surname and becoming a “xxx…gamvros” (unusual, but we do see this in names like Stratigamvros). And to all this, let’s throw in the real possibility of clerical errors—or even misinformation given by the informant.
What then?
I was faced with this exact situation. My research question was: Which Nikolaos Papagiannakos in Agios Ioannis, Sparta, was the father of my great-grandfather, Panagiotis Nikolaos Papagiannakos?
I consulted several sets of records (Mitroon Arrenon, Voter Lists, Town Registers, Marriage Records) and documented every Nikolaos Papagiannakos, giving each a unique identification number. And I paid careful attention to the names of their sons.
Preliminary Analysis of Papagiannakos Name in Agios Ioannis Records
#1783 Nikolaos, born 1789 Source: 1844 Voter List: N. Papagiannakos, age 55, native, landowner
#862 Nikolaos born 1815; his son was Panagiotis Nikolaos GIANNAKOS (as given in Sparta marriage record) b 1841. Source: 1872 & 1873 Voter List
#2798 Nikolaos born bef 1820; son was Ioannis #2797, b 1845 Source: Estimated birth year as 25 years before birth of son in 1845
#2796 Nikolaos born bef 1812; son was Ioannis #2795, b 1837 in 1872 Voter list, age 28, Source: Estimated birth year as 25 years before birth of son in 1837
#2792 Nikolaos born bef 1810; son was Ioannis #2791 b 1835 in 1872 Voter List age 37, in 1873 Voter List age 38 Source: Estimated birth year as 25 years before birth of son in 1835
#348 Nikolaos Panagiotis, b. 1872; son: Panagiotis Source: 1898 marriage record; he was age 26
#104 Nikolaos Ioannis, born 1867 Source: Male Register: Year: 1867; Line 8: Papagianakos, Nikolaos; father: Ioannis; born 1867
That’s a total of 7 Nikolaos Papagiannakos’ in Agios Ioannis born between 1789-1867:
Only two have fathers identified: line 7 has Ioannis; line 6 has Panagiotis
Lines 3, 4, 5 have sons named Ioannis
Lines 2 & 6 have sons named Panagiotis
My research question: which Nikolaos is my great-great grandfather, was answered: it is line 2, Nikolaos born 1815.
But I got caught up in the records and kept going. I suspected a possible duplication of Ioannis #2797 & Ioannis #2795 in the 1872 & 1873 Voter Lists. Both have Nikolaos as their father; however, the ages were not one year apart. I wondered whether there was a clerical or typographical error in the ages as follows:
Ioannis #2795 , worker: in year 1872 he is age 35 BUT there no Ioannis age 36 in year 1873
Ioannis #2797, farmer: in year 1873 he is age 28 BUT there is no Ioannis age 27 in year 1872
Assuming these were the same person, then Ioannis Nikolaos Papagiannakos in 1872 was either 27 or 35, and in 1873 he was either 28 or 36.
A cousin in Agios Ioannis told me that there were two Papagiannakos families, but no one knew how they were related. I wondered if this was true, and the records proved that theory to be correct. As much as I wanted to sort out the two families, I simply could not do it. I was too invested in trying to “have it all make sense” and I doubted my ability to make correct assumptions. That’s when I asked Greg Kontos to help.
In one hour, he did what I was unable to do: examine the records with a critical eye in a dispassionate manner. He created a chart and allowed the data to reveal the answers:
Gregory Kontos of Greek Ancestry.net; March 14, 2022, page 1Gregory Kontos of Greek Ancestry.net; March 14, 2022, page 2
Greg came to these conclusions (see detailed analysis below):
The two Ioannis’ above (#2795 and 2797) were the same person; therefore, their fathers were the same Nikolaos.
Thus, the Nikolaos’ on lines 1-5 above were merged appropriately, giving us two Nikolaos Papagiannakos’ living in Agios Ioannis during that earlier period, both with sons named Ioannis:
1) Nikolaos, born 1789 and died by the time the 1872-73 Voter Lists were compiled (found in the 1844 Voter List, line 1102)
2) Nikolaos, born 1815 (found in the 1872 Voter List, line 1925)
Naming patterns raise the possibility that these Nikolaos’ had the same grandfather, Ioannis, but without documentation we cannot make that assertion.
The Nikolaos’ in lines 6 and 7 above were a later generation.
Through this experience, I learned:
Follow the records and carefully evaluate every piece of evidence
Remove emotion from your analysis!
It’s okay to make educated guesses and careful assumptions, but clearly label them as such
Know when it’s time to call in the experts, then do it!
Gregory Kontos, GreekAncestry: Analysis of Nikolaos & Ioannis Nikolaos Papagiannakos Names in Agios Ioannis in 1800’s; March 14, 2022
1844 & 1873/73 Voter List Records Show:
There are two Ioannis Papagiannakos’, sons of a Nikolaos, living in Agios Ioannis in 1872 and 1873 Voter Lists.
There were 2 Nikolaos Papagiannakos’ in Agios Ioannis, both with sons named Ioannis. One Nikolaos appears in the 1844 and the other in the 1872 Voter Lists.
In the 1872/3 Voter Lists, there was only one Nikolaos Papagiannakos (birth 1815 according to Voter List) currently living in Agios Ioannis and being eligible to vote. If there had been another Nikolaos Papagiannakos, he was either:
(1) dead by 1872; or
(2) born after 1851; meaning he was too young to be recorded in the 1872 Voter List, as a man had to be 21 years old to vote in 1872.
In the 1844 Voter List, 28 years earlier, there was only one Nikolaos Papagiannakos (born abt 1789) living then in Agios Ioannis and being eligible to vote. Since he does not appear in the 1873/3 Lists, we can assume he had died by then.
Conclusion: there were 2 Nikolaos Papagiannakos branches (not more).
The 1872 & 1873 Voter Lists have 2 Ioannis Nikolaos Papagiannakos’ of Agios Ioannis but there was a typographical error:
Ioannis #2795 , worker: Yr. 1872, image 431, line 1874 is age 35 BUT no Ioannis age 36 in Yr 1873
Ioannis #2797, farmer: Yr 1873, image 481, line 2061 is age 28 BUT no Ioannis age 27 in Yr 1872
Based on the information provided, we can assume that these two men were the same person. I merged these 2 into one, #2797, and amended birth year to: between 1837 and 1845.
Supposition: the 1844 Voter List Nikolaos, #1793, born abt 1789 and died before 1872 could be the father of Ioannis #2791, b. 1835, and Konstantinos #2799, b. 1838.
Supposition: the 1872-73 Voter List Nikolaos, #862, born about 1815 could be the father of Ioannis #2797, b. 1837; Panagiotis #9, b. 1841, and Panagiota #5511, b. 1853.
CONCLUSION:
The two Nikolaos Papagiannakos’ are:
1. Nikolaos #1793, born 1789 died by 1872/3 (the one in 1844 Voter List) 2. Nikolaos #862, born 1815 (the one in 1872 Voter List)
My friend Debbie, who reads old Greek newspapers as part of her research strategy, recently sent me a gem. As she was looking at a New York City Greek-American newspaper from 1917, an article mentioning Papagiannakos from Hoboken caught her eye. Incredibly, she remembered this was my grandfather’s surname, and she sent me the following newspaper page with this message: “didn’t know if you would need this, but maybe?”
September 22, 1917; Ethniko Kirika
Maybe? Good heavens, YES! This is about my maternal grandfather, Ilias Papagiannakos.
News clipping about Ilias Papagiannakos, September 19, 1917, Ethniko Kirika
The article states that because he did not trust banks, he hid his money in an old shoe which was kept in the back of his clothes closet. A thief stole the fruits of eight years’ hard work and sacrifice, and now the money was gone.
The translation reads:
(Breaking News)
Hoboken, NJ. 19 September [1917]. The victim was a man who does not trust banks and is the owner of a restaurant, Ilias Papagiannakos from Agios Ioannis of Sparta. Mr. Papagiannakos had gathered his savings and stuffed and saved them in an old shoe in the back of a closet in a box in his room. Two days ago, his wife went out to buy some household things, but unknown people got inside in his room and took his valuable but useless shoe which held all his savings of eight years hard work. The money was $900 in cash and jewelry valued at $300. Mr. Papagiannakos called the police about this action. He supposed that the burglar was known because he knew without difficulty where to find the very well hidden shoe.
My first reaction was shock, then sadness. An inflation calculator estimates that in today’s dollars, the sum of my grandfather’s loss would be $25,502.48, a significant amount of money! Ilias immigrated at age 15-17 under an alias to avoid conscription into the Greek army. He had no money and worked hard to accumulate enough funds to purchase a small restaurant in Hoboken. To save $1200 after eight years’ labor was quite a feat.
At first I wondered why my mother (Catherine) and her sister (Bertha) never told me this story; then I realized that they may not have ever known this happened. My mother, the oldest living child, was 6 months old in September 1917. When my grandmother went shopping on the day of the robbery, she would have taken my infamt mother with her. Many years later when my mother was an adult, they may have forgotten or chosen not to mention this unfortunate event.
There are many questions that will forever remain unanswered. Who could possibly have known where my grandparents stashed their money? If it was someone close to them, how could he/she have perpetrated such a breach of trust? How did my grandparents cope with the loss of their savings? My grandmother had $300 worth of jewelry — that is significant for immigrants! Were they wedding gifts?
I am so grateful to Debbie for finding and sending this article, which gives me insight into a difficult event in the lives of my grandparents. It is said that we can gain strength from learning how our ancestors met and overcame challenges. Knowing that yiayia and papou weathered this setback and continued on to financial freedom is encouraging and inspiring to me.
There’s nothing that compares to a Brooklyn, New York gala — live band, gourmet food, beautiful venue — everything needed for a first-class celebration. On December 2, my cousin, The Very Reverend Father Eugene Pappas, Archimandrite, was honored at an elaborate and festive gala held in commemoration of his 50 years of service as a Greek Orthodox priest, and 35 years as priest at Three Hierarchs Church in Brooklyn. To say that I was delighted to be there is an understatement; this was an event to be long-remembered and I was thrilled to be part of it.
Father Eugene Pappas
Nicholas Leon Pappas (Father Eugene) is the son of Pauline Drivas and Leon Pappas (Papagiannakos). He and his siblings, Konstandinos and Georgeanne, were born and raised in the Sheepshead Bay area of Brooklyn, in the center of a thriving Greek-American community. Although he studied law, Father Eugene had deep desires to become a priest. The family name “Papagiannakos” indicates that in the past, a man in the Giannakos family became a priest (παππάς – papa) — thus, forever changing the surname to indicate this honor. Father Eugene told me that he felt, from childhood, that he was destined to be a priest and to carry on the tradition initiated by our ancestor. He was ordained into the priesthood in 1965.
Father Eugene began his ministry in South Korea as the First Foreign Missionary of the Holy Archdiocese of Archbishop Iakovos. In 1969, he opened an orphanage and worked in a boys’ home. His service in South Korea helped pave the way for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center of the USA. Along with South Korea, Father Eugene served in many foreign posts including Japan, the Philippines, Switzerland and Greece. Upon returning to the United States, he became pastor in the faith community where he was baptized, raised and educated.
Father Eugene preaching the gospel at Three Hierarchs Church, Brooklyn, NY
Father Eugene’s service is not confined to either religious causes or his parish. He is a renowned civic activist and public speaker and is esteemed by civic and faith leaders of all political affiliations and religions. As scholar educator, he has taught Orthodox Theology in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens, and a special commemoration was held for him by the Catholic community. He is lauded for his leadership and participation in public causes and numerous community initiatives. The walls of his office are lined with plaques, degrees, and honorary citations.
As a man of the times, Father Eugene uses today’s media to exhort and educate audiences far beyond Brooklyn. For the past 18 years, he has hosted a radio program, “Matters of Conscience” on COSMOS FM every Saturday from 1 to 2 P.M.
Father Eugene broadcasting at Cosmos-FM studios. His radio program, Matters of Conscience, has aired for 18 years.
He also has a presence on YouTube. This interview gives a brief perspective of his influence in the community:
Despite a schedule that would wilt an ordinary man his age, Father Eugene takes time for the individual. During a recent visit to his office, he paused our discussion to minister to a stranger who walked in off the street and asked for a blessing. His love of family has broadened to a passion for learning about his family history. We have shared many stories, photos, and discussions of our ancestry–much to our mutual delight.
This Saturday, I will be Father Eugene’s guest on Cosmos FM, and we will be discussing Hellenic genealogy–the rewards, the challenges, and how to get started. The radio show will be broadcast at this link, beginning at 1:10 PM Eastern time: http://www.cosmosfm.org/podcast/.
Along with the many religious and civic dignitaries who have honored this man, I add my voice–thank you, Father, for your faith, your service, and the honor you have brought to our Papagiannakos/Pappas family.
A few photos from Father Eugene’s 50th Gala Celebration.
Father Eugene and his family, Brooklyn, NY, December 2, 2016
Georgeanne Conis, Carol Kostakos Petranek, Father Eugene Pappas; Brooklyn, NY, December 2, 2016
Father Eugene and his siblings: Konstandinos (Dino) and Georgeanne Pappas Conis; Brooklyn, NY, December 2, 2016
Father Eugene receives a gift from the parishioners of Three Hierarchs Church — a trip to anyplace in the world he wants to go! Brooklyn, NY, December 2, 2016
This is the sixth post in a series about my trip to Greece, June 30-July 20, 2016 — an amazing journey of history, family and discovery. Previous posts can be found here.
Open arms with tight hugs. Kisses on both cheeks. Happy smiles and joyful reunions. This is how my family greets me when I return to Sparta. There are so many places to explore and discover; but for me this is the bottom line: it’s all about family. Prior to my visits to Greece, the names and places on my pedigree chart were simply long names and dots on a map. Now, they are attached to real people who have become a vibrant and important part of my extended family.
Joy is sharing what you love with whom you love. For me, joy is introducing my family to their roots — touring our villages and meeting our relatives. Kathy’s paternal grandparents are Kallianes from Kastania (now Kastoreion) and Linardakis from Vordonia. Although we don’t know of family now living there, we so enjoyed exploring the towns, peering into shops, watching chickens, dogs and cats roam their yards, and looking at stone and stucco houses that have sheltered countless families through countless years.
Kastoreion, Laconia. ancestral village of the Kallianes family, July 2016
Andrew, Ben and Kathy at the Linardakis village of Vordonia, Laconia, July 2016
I love the monuments erected in every town that memorialize those who died in military service. My heart skips whenever I find an ancestral name etched in marble. Even if I cannot connect that individual to my line, I know that in these small villages, people with the same surname are almost certain to be related. While driving in Vordonia, we turned into a back street and unexpectedly were confronted by the village monument. stopping to examine it, I became emotional when I showed Ben and Andrew several men with the Linardakis surname.
Finding the Linardakis surname; Vordonia, July 2016
Visiting our Aridas and Kostakos familes in Agios Ioannis has endeared my grandchildren to their Spartan relatives and grounded them to the land of their ancestors. Bridging the Atlantic and meeting kin has widened their concept of family. Eating a meal in a house built by their ancestor in the mid-1800’s has brought them a sense of “rootedness” that is unparalleled. And best of all, they were warmly embraced and loved immediately by all who met them.
These are photos of my Kostakos and Aridas family in Agios Ioannis, Sparta. They are on my father’s side — my grandparents were John Andrew (Ioannis Andreas) Kostakos and Hariklia Aridas, both born in Agios Ioannis. On the Kostakos side, our common ancestor is Andreas Kostakos who was married twice: first to Anastasia, then to Poletimi Christakos. These two Kostakos families are descended from Andreas and Anastasia; I am descended from Andreas and Poletimi. On the Aridas line, our common ancestor is Michail Aridas and his wife, Stamatina.
Family of Ioanna Kostakos of Agios Ioannis. With Ben Soper, Andrew Soper, Kathy Lynard, Carol Kostakos Petranek, Peggy and Vassilis Vachaviolis, and Ioanna Kostakos, July 2016
Family of Eleni Kostakos of Agios Ioannis. Natasa, Panos, Eleni, Eleni, Panorea, Carol Kostakos Petranek, July 2016
Family of George Aridas, Agios Ioannis. George, Roula, Adamandia Aridas; George’s sister, Afroditi. July 2016
This is the Chelidonis Family of Athens. Nikos is my second cousin on my mother’s line. His mother was Tasia Eftaxia from Mystras; our common ancestor is Ioannis Eftaxias, born 1809. My grandmother, Angelina Eftaxias Papagiannakos, was Tasia’s aunt. Panagiotis found me on Facebook three years ago, and we met in person during my trip in 2014. We were so excited to connect our families, as neither of us knew that the other existed!
Family if Nikos Chelidonis, Athens. Viki, Nikos, Panagiotis. July 2016
The Eftaxias family of Mystras has long roots in Mystras. My grandmother, Angelina Eftaxias is the aunt of Andreas (photo on left). Andreas’ son, Lewnidas, is a master stone mason and works on churches and other buildings throughout southern Laconia.
Andreas Eftaxias, his son. Lewnidas ad Afroditi. Mystras, July 2016
Lewnidas and Andreas told me that our first Eftaxias ancestor escaped from Constantinople during the Ottoman conquest in 1453! He and three friends fled together and settled in Mystras. Lewnidas showed me a bronze medallion that was brought by this ancestor and kept by the family for generations. I posted this photo on our HellenicGenealogyGeek Facebook page and knowledgeable friends there described the medallion: l-r: Christ on the cross; Byzantine cross with words, ” Ιησούς Χριστός Νικά”; the Holy Mother, Mary; and the Holy Trinity, possibly based on Rublev‘s painting of the same name.
Medallion dating to 1453, belonging to Eftaxias family; Mystras, July 2016
I was so thrilled to extend my family further on this trip. My new-found cousin, Dimitrios Papagiannakos, and his wife, Georgia, own a beautiful home goods store in Sparta which sells a myriad of items from cooking utensils to beautiful crystal. I think I gave Dimitrios quite a shock when I walked into his store and introduced myself as his cousin from America! I had brought photos of his Pappas family in the U.S., including a group shot taken at our Pappas Cousin’s Reunion. Working around his customers, we managed to have a spirited and lovely conversation about our families. My only regret was that his parents were out of town and I was unable to meet them. Next trip!
Dimitrios and Georgia Papagiannakos in their lovely home goods store, Sparta, July 2016
I also traveled to Markopoulos, northeast of Athens, to meet Vassilis Papagiannakos, owner of the Papagiannakos Winery. The winery was started by his grandfather, also named Vassilis, in 1919. Now managed by the 3rd generation of Papagiannakos’, Vassilis and his wife, Antonia, have expanded the business, developed new and award-winning wines, and constructed a beautiful edifice where business events, weddings and other activities are held. Although Vassilis and I do not know how–or if– we are related, we are looking to explore our family roots together.
Vassilis and Antonia Papagiannakos and their daughter, Aggeliki. Papagiannakos Winery, Markopoulos, July 2016
Every trip to Greece strengthens my family ties. I love these cousins. They set an example of hard work, honesty and devotion to our family and our heritage. I am ever-grateful to have the means and the opportunity to introduce them to my own descendants. Together, we carry on traditions and relationships that honor our ancestors.
Spartan Roots (Σπαρτιατικές Ρίζες) 