Family research – From a personal story to an organized past
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by the idea of creating my own family tree. At that time, my grandmother was still alive and she could remember her own grandparents. I remember how happy I was when I drew my first family tree on a simple sheet of paper. It contained only a few names or a nickname, sometimes a surname and occasionally a year of birth. I still keep that small piece of paper today.
My work in genealogy started from personal curiosity, but it soon became much more than that. I realized that family research is not only emotionally meaningful, but also requires logical thinking, organization, patience and the ability to communicate with many different people and institutions.
What I learned through my own research
Language skills are also essential when working with historical records. Understanding old church registers often means working with different languages and writing systems. Hungarian, Latin, German, Orthodox Serbian and Romanian records written in both Latin and Cyrillic scripts are not an obstacle in my research. As in many professions, experience grows with time and practice.
While researching my own family tree, I collected extensive information from both my mother’s and father’s sides. This work involved archives, parishes and cooperation with experienced researchers. Through this process I learned how important careful analysis and accuracy are when working with historical documents.
My mother's family
On my mother’s side, our roots come from Slavonia, in today’s Croatia, especially from the Virovitica-Podravina region: Suhopolje, Mikleuš, Pepelana and Gornji Miholjac. Several branches of my family lived in these villages and the surnames Kovač and Nemeth appear again and again in the records. Interestingly, there was even a “double marriage” between the two families – two siblings from one family married two siblings from the other. Connections like this make the past feel closer and more alive.
My maternal grandfather was born in Temerin, where his family had lived for several generations. There is also a lovely family story connected to this branch: in the 1860s, a pair of twins was born and named Adamus and Eva, inspired by the Bible. They still hold a special place in our family memory.
My father's family
My father’s side is connected to the Srem (Syrmia) region: Irig, Putinci, Žarkovac, Dobrodol and Ruma. The surnames Erdeši (Erdessy) and Papež appear first in the records, and later the Hever family, whose members were already born in Novi Sad. Research on this side required personal visits to archives and local parishes. I met Father Blaž, the parish priest of the Roman Catholic church in Irig, where several of my ancestors were baptized or married. He kindly helped me navigate the parish records.
Family documents
Fortunately, many original family documents have been preserved: baptism certificates, marriage records, death certificates, school diplomas and photographs. One especially valuable document is an old passport that shows my great-grandfather’s journey to Argentina, complete with dates and official stamps. Documents like this tell us much about the decisions our ancestors made and the times they lived in.
My family book
My final goal is to create a hardcover family book that presents my family history in a clear and structured chronological order, including sources, photographs and personal documents. I hope it will not only preserve our past but also help future generations understand where we come from.
Family research is part history, part detective work, and at the same time a very personal journey. Once someone begins, they often discover how exciting and meaningful the process can be. I believe that family research is an ongoing journey, as new information can appear unexpectedly along the way. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to explore your own family history – the good news is: it is possible.
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Have ancestors from Vojvodina or Srem?
Tell me what you know, and let’s see where your family story can lead.
