The surnames which comprise the Kudrick Ancestry core family, in alphabetical order,  include: Bartko, Bigan, Crans, Hrascs, Kelhart, Koneyak, Kraynak, Kudrick, Kudrik, Lazar, Lipka, McDeshen, Michalek, Mudry, and Scšur.

My ancestral Kudrick family was heavily involved in the anthracite coal mining industry, not as coal barons or coal operators, but as slate pickers, laborers and miners.  Like so many other immigrant families, they found that the streets of coal mining patch towns were not lined with gold as many had  been led to believe.  This is the story of who they are and how they lived, but more importantly it is a chronicle of how they built a better life for their family and future generations.

My grandmother on the Kudrick side of the family, Anna Scšur, emigrated to the United states and gave birth to nine children, all of whom were born in northeastern Pennsylvania.  Her first child was conceived in Europe and born out of wedlock in March 1890 in the Hazle Township area of Luzerne County.

Approximately four months after the birth of her first child, she married Janos Bartko and subsequently gave birth to two additional children.  Her marriage to Mr. Bartko lasted  for a relatively short time (4-8 years) and ended when Mr. Bartko passed away.

Anna's second marriage was to Alex Kudrick, my grandfather, in July, 1898.  This marriage brought the couple an additional six children and lasted for 37 years or until the death of my grandmother in 1935.  Anna's nine children, married and provided her with 28 grandchildren.

All 28 of Anna's grandchildren have one biological grandmother, but we have three different biological grandfathers.    Our core family is large, diverse and strongly unified.

In summary, my core family consists of one grandmother, three grandfathers, nine offspring (parents, uncles and aunts) and 28 grandchildren (1st cousins). 

I hope that you find the following chronicle both interesting and informative.