---My name is Caroline Gayk and I'm involved in a search for ancestors, descendants and relatives of my parents, Dagobert Gayk and Helena Seibert (who was previously married to Ignatz Kapp).

---If you had the birth surname of Gayk, Seibert, Szeibert, Realich, Bergman, Bergmann, Schnittger, Rockwell, Kapp, Kap or Crowley, please contact me via e-mail and we can compare notes and share information.

---Locations of family residences included Essen, Germany; Gakovo, Austria-Hungary; Ruegebeith, Germany; Brestovitz, Austria-Hungary; Backi Brestovac, the Federated People's Republic of Yugoslavia; New York City, White, Flushing, Bronx and Sea Cliff (Long Island) New York; and Indiana, Pennsylvania.

---My father, Dagobert "Bert" Gayk (b. 12-23-1907; d. 7-10-1954), immigrated from Germany through Ellis Island, to New York, when he was a young man. Born out of wedlock in Essen, Germany to Charlotte Gayk (b. 2-15-1885; d. 5-1971) Essen, and Carl Realich, of Ruegebeith, he was an only child. He was raised as a Lutheran. He had a half-uncle, Stanley Rockwell (b. 6-12-1882; d. 5-17-1959) and an uncle, William Gayk (b. 4-7-1875; d. 1-9-1947) who both immigrated to the United States and resided in Pennsylvania. William was married to Dorothea (b. 2-12-1865; d. 1-28-1943). Bert's maternal grandmother's name was Karoline, my namesake.

---My mother, Helena Seibert (Magyar:Szeibert) (b. 5-20-1907; d. 2-28-1988) was born a Roman Catholic in Gakova, or Gakovo, in the Federative People's Republic of Yugoslavia, (Austria Hungary) (the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Banovina Dunavska). She married a farmer there, Ignatz Kapp, of Backi Brestovac (Brestovitz), and they immigrated to New York City with her parents, Matthias Seibert and Catherine Bergmann Seibert. For a complete genealogical history of Ignatz Kapp's ancestors, please visit "A Tribute In Honor of The People of Backi Brestovac" Use the back button on your browser to return you to this site. Try it!

---Helena had two brothers and a sister who also migrated with the family; Martin, Tom, and Katherine (b. 8-27-1897; d. 1-1975) who later married Fred (Fritz) Schnittger. After the move to New York, Helena and Ignatz had two children, John Joseph Kapp (b. 5-19-1924; d. 1-8-1995) and Mary Katherine Kapp (b. 1-12-23). In 1928 or so, when his son John was about 5 years old, Ignatz returned to Brestovitz with John to visit his parents. John stayed in Brestovitz with his father and paternal grandparents until late 1929 when he sailed back to New York City on the steamship "Bremen" alone. Due to the unrest in Austria-Hungary (now Yugoslavia) Ignatz was refused passage back to the United States and died on January 23rd, 1934, never to see his wife and children again. Matthias Seibert's mother's name may have been Helen also. Catherine Bergmann Seibert's parents were named Margaret and Thomas.

---Helena Seibert obtained her United States Certificate of Citizenship as widow Helen Kapp on December 11, 1939. At that time she lived in Bronx, N.Y.. Dagobert married Helen in 1942 and had three children, Caroline Gayk (b. 1-19-1943) Charlotte Gayk (b. 5-17-1946) and Helen Gayk (b. 12-27-1947).

---When all of the research is completed, it would be a pleasure to have all of the descendants come together for a family reunion. As this idea progresses into a reality, I'll keep you updated on this web page.

---To view past newsletters, click on the "Next" button below to go to page #2. You'll also find links to personal/genealogy websites of friends and relatives. If you would like to have your page listed there, send me the URL and let's reciprocate. Also, please sign the guest book and/or send me an e-mail with your comments/suggestions. Your input is always appreciated.