Surname Saturday: Pereksta – Immigration Records

In my last Surname Saturday post I outlined what I had been told by my family and other Pereksta researchers. Once Ellis Island records became available online I decided to find out what I could about the Perekstas in America.

A note regarding spelling and research. Immigration, census and church records contain a multitude of spellings for the name. While I have done more than reasonably exhaustive (think completely exhausting) searches of census and immigration data, I have missed some records. Uncle John remains elusive in the 1910 census, though he should be living in or near Berwick, PA. My aunt Mary returned to Prislop and then came back to the United States. I haven’t found her return record. There are census records for Perekstas who don’t correspond to the immigration records I have found.  There are other surnames that sound like Pereksta – Prexta and Prechta both appear frequently in Soundex searches. I decided to concentrate on records that either used the modern spelling or could be linked the geographic areas known Perekstas lived. In these records the villages of Starina and Prislop have both Hungarian and Rusyn/Slovak names. I have used internet sources exclusively (more on that later).  And Stephen Morse is a god.

That said, here’s what I’ve found to date.

IMMIGRATION RECORDS – includes known Perekstas and potential Perekstas

Abstracts include surname, first name, port arrival (or departure for Hamburg) date, age, port, ship, indexed surname, and indexed village name. Names in bold are records for my great grandfather Ivan Pereksta and his children.

• Pereksta, Janos, 4/6/1901, 43 , NY, Pretoria, Pareksta, Preszlop
• Pereksta, Maria, 9/13/1901, 19 , NY, Columbia, Porckosta,
• Pereksta, Georg, 9/13/1901, 24 , NY, Columbia, Prickosta,
• Pereksta, Marya, 10/28/1902, 27 , NY, Finland, Perokozta, Zengliasztarnia
• Pereksta, Michaly, 10/28/1902,  4 , NY, Finland, Perokozta, Zengliasztarnia
• Pereksta, Anna, 9/2/1902, , 32 , NY, Friesland, Persszta, Sztarina
• Pereksta, Janos, 9/27/1902, 34 , Hamburg, Graf Waldersee Pereksta, Setera
• Pereksta, Ferenc, 9/18/1905, 25 , NY, Francesca, Pereksztre, Priupol
• Perelya Kanyik Mihaly, 5/9/1907, 24 , NY, Carpathia, Perelya, Pereszlo
• Pereksta, Janos, 12/22/1908, 26 , NY, Amerika, Pereiszka, Priszlup
• Pereksta, Peter, 1/8/1909, 24 , NY, Batavia, Pereschle, Priszlop
• Pereksta, Janos, 9/3/1909, 47 , NY, Kaiserin Augusta Victoria , Pereksta , Kis Pereszlo
• Pereksta, Vazul, 10/31/1909, 29 , NY, Amerika, Perekszta, Cziroka Ujfalu
• Pereksta, Suzanna, 2/22/1911, 17 , Phila., Haverford, Peresla or Peresta, Prystok
• Pereksta, Janos, 11/9/1911, 40 , Hamburg, Prinz Oskar, Pereksta, Sternia
• Pereksta, Georg, 5/25/1912, 17 , Hamburg, Pretoria, Perekszta, Ordosfalva
• Perekszla, Georg, 6/1/1912, 17 , NY, Pretoria, Perekszla, Ordosfalva
• Pereksta, Anna, 6/14/1913, 18 , NY, Amerika, Perckosta, Prysloys
• Pereksta, Janos, 6/14/1913, 44 , NY, Amerika, Pereksta, Prysloys
• Pereksta, Janos, 12/22/1925, 68 , NY, Westphalia, Percksta, Pristop

Census and 19^th c. church records to come in future posts.  

Addendum:  Records for Mihal Pereksta and George Pereksta were missed.

• Pereksta, Mihal, 6/3/1888, 28, Hamburg, Rhaetia, Pereksta, Priszlof
• Pereksta, Mihal, 6/18/1888, 28, NY, Rhaetia, Perchsta, 
• Pereksta, Gyorgy, 11/23/1899, NY, Meier, Perekszta, Sztarina
• Pereksta, Gyorgy, 11/23/1906, 28, NY, Main, Perekszta, Czirokofalu