Some years ago, my third cousin Osvaldas Guokas sent me some maps of the Lithuanian villages where our ancestors and kinfolk were from. One of those was Gikoniai, a village on the east bank of the Daugyvenė river, seven kilometers south of the town of Rozalimas. Just east of Gikoniai is Čelkiai village, the birthplace of my great-grandfather Charles (Kazimieras) Guokas, 1863-1939, and many of my Guokas relatives
The 1923 census recorded 30 homes in the area with a population of 148. Below is a 1924 map of the area (click on the image to view a larger version), showing landowners (surname first) and the amount of land they owned (in hectares, abbreviated ha.). I am related (albeit distantly, and usually not by blood) to almost everyone on this map.
The 1923 census recorded 30 homes in the area with a population of 148. Below is a 1924 map of the area (click on the image to view a larger version), showing landowners (surname first) and the amount of land they owned (in hectares, abbreviated ha.). I am related (albeit distantly, and usually not by blood) to almost everyone on this map.
The map below (click on the image to make it larger) was drawn in 1995, of Gikoniai in 1940, based on the memories of Aldona Radauskaitė Zigmantavičienė (1934-2018), who is my second cousin once removed. Aldona shared many photographs and other information with Osvaldas and me before her death in April 2018.
Aldona was the daughter of Steponas Radauskas (1899-1944), whose land was in the upper left hand corner of the maps (shown as Radausko Stepano in 1924 and Stepano Radausko in 1940). He was the son of my great-grandfather's sister, Agota Guokaitė Radauskienė (1861-1942), and inherited the property from his mother after her death. Aldona lived on this property for some time during her childhood. It is near the Daugyvenė river and a forest with, according to Osvaldas, "the wonderful name Mėlynbalos miškas - Blue swamp forest."
The map has a legend (sutartiniai ženklai) in the lower right corner. It shows surviving homesteads (išlikusios sodybos), homesteads destroyed by the Soviets (panoikintos sodybos), and new homesteads (naujos sodybos), such as the one with the note "perkettos ir perstatytas Bernardo Radausko nemas," which indicates Bernardas Radauskas' house was moved and rebuilt there. Bernardas Radauskas (born 1861 in Gikoniai), is the father of the famous Lithuanian poet Henrikas Radauskas (1910-1970). That fact is noted on the 1940 map on Bernardas' original property ("Bernardo Radausko poeto Henriko Radausko tevo"). The house on the original property was not completely destroyed; it was in good enough condition to be moved and rebuilt.
Osvaldas also tells me that, because there were so many people with the same surnames (and sometimes the same given names), the villagers used nicknames for daily communications. A couple examples are on the 1940 map. Justinas Radauskas (1896-1977, Justo Radausko on the map), the father of sculptor Elvyra Radauskaitė (more on her in a future post), was called "Martyniuko" or "Martyniukas" (his father's name was Martynas). Another Justinas Radauskas (Justino Radausko on the map, perhaps the son of Agota and Steponas' brother) was called "Bauko" or "Baukas."
The map has a legend (sutartiniai ženklai) in the lower right corner. It shows surviving homesteads (išlikusios sodybos), homesteads destroyed by the Soviets (panoikintos sodybos), and new homesteads (naujos sodybos), such as the one with the note "perkettos ir perstatytas Bernardo Radausko nemas," which indicates Bernardas Radauskas' house was moved and rebuilt there. Bernardas Radauskas (born 1861 in Gikoniai), is the father of the famous Lithuanian poet Henrikas Radauskas (1910-1970). That fact is noted on the 1940 map on Bernardas' original property ("Bernardo Radausko poeto Henriko Radausko tevo"). The house on the original property was not completely destroyed; it was in good enough condition to be moved and rebuilt.
Osvaldas also tells me that, because there were so many people with the same surnames (and sometimes the same given names), the villagers used nicknames for daily communications. A couple examples are on the 1940 map. Justinas Radauskas (1896-1977, Justo Radausko on the map), the father of sculptor Elvyra Radauskaitė (more on her in a future post), was called "Martyniuko" or "Martyniukas" (his father's name was Martynas). Another Justinas Radauskas (Justino Radausko on the map, perhaps the son of Agota and Steponas' brother) was called "Bauko" or "Baukas."
There are a number of crosses indicated on the 1940 map. Many are gone now, but one that has been added since can be seen in Google Maps Street View on Radauskas property near the intersection with the road that crosses the river and goes into the village of Plaučiškiai. There will be more about crosses and bridges in future posts.
Other places identified in the legend are roads (keliai, keleliai), chapels (kapeliai), a milk skimming [or collection] point (pieno nugriebmo puntkas), and a [wind]mill (malūnas). The latter two will be the subjects of future posts.
It is amazing how the Soviet regime changed the village. Today there are only a few houses in Gikoniai.
Other places identified in the legend are roads (keliai, keleliai), chapels (kapeliai), a milk skimming [or collection] point (pieno nugriebmo puntkas), and a [wind]mill (malūnas). The latter two will be the subjects of future posts.
It is amazing how the Soviet regime changed the village. Today there are only a few houses in Gikoniai.
