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This can be a long story so I'll be as brief as possible. I have a biological Great Grandfather I'm looking for. Our documentation shows his signature as B.V. Popovich and Vaso Popovich. I do not know what the B stands for but am working diligently on finding that out. His birth date is noted as August 15th on a picture and the year is estimated in 1899 (due to proximity of age to my Great Grandmother). He worked in the iron mines in Minnesota for a time but didn't like the work. He wound up working as a maintenance person at a hotel, where he met my Great Grandmother. He told her he wanted to be a Doctor but I have no proof of any studies that have taken place. He sent a card to her saying he was returning to Europe after finding work on a steamship. That was May of 1927. I estimate he came to the U.S. between 1918 and 1924 but that is hard to determine without knowing what the B stands for.
Someone found me through a post on Genealogy.com who has a family member named Vaso Popovich, he was her Uncle. Their informatin is very similar but there are some differences. I would like to confirm whether he is the same person I'm looking for.
Their Vaso was born in 1896, January I believe. He arrived in the U.S. in 1913 with who I'm assuming are a Grandfather (Petar), Father (Marko) and a brother (Janko). Their mother remained in Biskupija and her name was Milica. Their destination was Ohio. I did find a WWI draft card for Vaso too.
There is so much more I've learned about the cutlure of naming children, what social norms existed and still exist today, some differences between Roman Catholics and the Serbian Orthodox religion. I just can't seem to get to any detail that will help me find anything more useful. I've even learned the Cyrillic alphabet and translated some birth records I found on Familysearch.org but none appear to be what I'm looking for. I'm losing hope that I'll ever find this information. Can someone help me? Yugaya has already been wonderful but I hate to monopolize her time or irritate her with frequent email. Thank you.
Posted : 11/07/2012 8:14 pm
First letter usually is first letter of the personal name, second letter is the first letter of the father's name, and Popovich (Поповић/Popović) is family name.
Family name Popovich is very often family name for ethnic Serbian origin. The same situation is with first name Vaso/Vasa.
Very often several people have the same name first and family name.In that case you have to go to father name and put the first letter of his name (in your case it is V), in case that father name for all/or some of them, started with the same letter you have to go to another letter of the father's name )for eg B. VA. Popovich) , in case that the father name is the same you have to go to grandfather ... and the apply the same rule as in his father's name ...
Summary , the person which uncle is Vaso Popovich is not B.V. Popovich. Vaso Popovich may or may not be cousin of your Freat grandfather (for eg. B.V.Popovich and Vaso popovich can be sons from two brothers). Tradition of the Serbs - parents gave children the names of uncles, aunts ...
Posted : 11/07/2012 10:24 pm
Topic starter
I had read that about the naming tradition regarding first and second names on this site but forgot about it until you responded Jasminka. I'm familiar with how common the Popovich name is. Unfortunately, it makes my search that much more difficult. So with a definite Serbian name, that doesn't mean he was living in Serbia right? He could have been in an ethnic community in Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary or other locations right?
I don't understand the last part about B.V. Popovich and Vaso Popvich. Those are the two ways that my biological Great Grandfather signed his name. So you're saying that Vaso was my Great Great Grandfather's name which also became my Great Grandfather's middle, or second, name? Do you have any suggestion of male names that start with a B from the period of 1895 to 1902 in Serbia? Yugaya gave me some a while ago which I searched for on Ancestry.com. I did find a Brana V. Popovich who was a Sports Medicine Doctor. He studied in Belgrade and graduated in 1955. I found internet searches stating he lived in Nashua, New Hampshire and in Bainbridgle Island , Washington in the U.S. but attempts to contact them have failed. I know that Vaso told my Great Grandmother that he wanted to be a Doctor so this may be a coincidence, but it is a pretty strong one even though this Brana is a different generation. Maybe a son or nephew? Can someone help me find out more information on this Brana V. Popovich?
Melanie
Posted : 13/07/2012 4:15 pm