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Bulgaria Research List
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Latest Update: 13 July 1998 ................................................................ FEEFHS Web Site Version

Please send all new entries, additions and corrections to:
Bryon Tosoff
Postal address: 15690 Buena Vista Avenue
White Rock, British Columbia
V4B 1Z5, Canada
eMail address: btosoff@direct.ca

Suggestions for a more effective BGRL message:



BGRL Entries started 23 December 1996:

- entry for TOSOFF, Bryon, 23 December 1996
- additions from TOSOFF, Bryon, 24 December 1996
- entry for MITCHELL, James, 10 February, 1997
- entry for FROESCHLE, Edward and Sharon, 17 February 1997
- entry for MOORE, Linda VELCOFF, 22 February 1997
- entry for YOUNG, Michael C., 26 March 1997
- entry for LEWIS, Robert, 3 May 1997
- entry for DAVIDOFF, Patricio, 18 August 1997
- addition for TOSOFF, Bryon, 10 February 1998
- entry for SOUDERS, Yona DICOFF, 16 February 1998
- entry for TOSOFF, Bryon, 13 July 1998


DAVIDOFF, Patricio
eMail address: pdavidof@entelchile.net

I`m looking for my relatives in Sofia, Bulgaria. My father called RAHAMIN DAVIDOFF came to Chile in 1938. He had 2 sisters and one brother that was an Opera singer in Sofia Bulgaria. His Bulgarian family worked in Clothes and Jewelery. He came with his wife Lehna FINZI and my sister Medy Davidoff. I found my sister one year ago. She lived in Colombia and she lost contact with my father (who died in 1960, when I was 3 years old). She can`t tell me more. She lived her life in the United States and just came to Colombia when one uncle and her mother died (1995). I have the good-luck to find her when I went to Colombia. But she doesn't know more. Could you help me?


FROESCHLE, Edward and Sharon
eMail address: shared@teleport.com

I am looking for other Bulgarian families from what was Bessarabia along the Danube delta. Here is my quest: My grandfather Vasili Peter BALABAN and his wife Dora (GELOFF) Balaban came to the USA in 1913 via Halifax and the Grand Truck Railway in 1913. They came from a village in Bessarabia called Kol Szykerlyk,Kitaj. I do not know the current name of the village. It is about 25 miles from Izmail. I would like to hear from other Bulgarians. I find a great deal of German and Romanian information from around this area, but what happened to the Bulgarians??


LEWIS, Robert
eMail address: rlewis@sirius.com

I am searching for any information concerning the TSANKOV family in Tsaribrod during the early 1900's (1888-1918). The city is now Dimitrovgrad. My grandfather, Vasil Tsankov, was born in 1888 in the city of Tsaribrod within the county of Senilez (Sannelez), Bulgaria. He was married and had a few children but left them behind after coming come from a War to find his wife with another man. He came to the U.S. sometime before 1920. I also found that there was an Archpriest Father Tsankov who had served under Czar Ferdinand's rule during the year 1914 as well as an employee of the Royal staff named Nickolas Tsankov. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you


MITCHELL, James
eMail address: James047@aol.com

My grandfather James MATEFF came to North America in 1916 from Bulgaria. I don't know if he came through Ellis Island or Canada. He was born in Draganovo, Bulgaria. His mother's maiden name was RUSKA and his father was George Mateff. James Mateff had three brothers, George, Christian and Nichoklas. Their last known address in Bulgaria was Sofia.

James, my grandfather was born in 1894. George Mateff, my great uncle was born in 1890. James had a confectionary store in Los Angeles somewhere. He married my grandmother who was Canadian. I don't know if they met in Canada but I know they were married in Los Angeles California. He later changes his last name to MITCHELL. I am looking for anyone with information on these ancestors of mine.


MOORE, Linda VELCOFF
email address: 1tarkus@concentric.net

I don't have much information as I just began this search 3 weeks ago. My grandfather Pete Velcoff was born in Bulgaria in 1899 to Pete Velcoli and Cucama Von Eppsikoav Velcoli. He and his three brothers John, Tom and Nick were brought over to the US as children. Name VELCOLI evidently changed to "Velcoff" during immigration. All boys retained the spelling of the name "VELCOFF". I assumed this name was simply a "made-up" name and there couldn't possibly be very many other "Velcoff's in the US considering there were only 4 boys with the name to begin with. My father 's name is Baron Alexander Joseph Velcoff. The Baron Alexander was after Cuccama's father.

Through the net I have located "Velcoff's" living in Canada and Argentina as well as many in the US so far, simply names, no history. I would love to hear anyone relating in relation to the names VELCOLI, VON EPPSIKOAV, and especially anyone with the name "VELCOFF". How did we all get the same name. It's so strange to me because Velcoli & Velcoff don't look or sound close to the same.


SOUDERS, Yona DICOFF
email address: yona@webtv.net

My grandfather was Dico GENOVSKY. My Grandmothers name was Yona (Yanka in Bulgarian). I do not know her maiden name. They had ten children that were all born at Ugarchin. Their names Neda, Christo, Docho and Stoyan. I do not know the others names. I had a great Uncle from Bosnia but do not know if he was my Grandmothers brother or my Grandfathers brother. My Great Grandfather died at 110 and my Grandfather at 102. Some of my family live in Sofia. My cousin Anastas Genovsky is a Professor of Enginering and Director of his school at Sofia. I also have another cousin in Sofia and an Uncle Docho Genovsky. My cousins name is Dinko Genovsky.

My father traveled the world before he came to America. He lived in Cuba for a year. Then he joined the Merchant Marine, came to America, landed at Newport News Virginia and joined the U.S. Army. He lived at Detroit Michigan for a while before he came to Indianapolis Indiana and worked at Western Electric and before that P.R. Mallory. He also worked at Eagle Creek Nursey all in Indianapolis Indiana. He was a care taker on Elye Lillys estate which is now Eagle Creek park. We lived close to New Agusta then moved north of Zionsville Indiana. He belonged to Traders Point Christian Church and my Father was a Mason.


TOSOFF Bryon and Charlotte
15690 Buena Vista Avenue, White Rock, British Columbia V4B 1Z5 Canada
eMail address: btosoff@direct.ca

I am looking for information on my Grandfather, James TOSOFF. He had a different name in Bulgaria. He was born 15 June 1891 supposedly in or around Sofia. The family history of his wife, Gladys Elizabeth QUARTERMAIN, has been traced back to the 16th Century. My grandfather apparently fled from Bulgaria with another relative whom we don't know as well because he did not ever discuss much of his youth.

He emigrated from Bulgaria about 1908 or 1909, arriving at the port of either Halifax or St. John's in Canada. He is said to have done something in Bulgaria which contributed to his fear of reprisal. While at a family ceremony with a Greek Orthodox priest, instead of kissing his ring as is the custom, he refused to kiss the ring. I guess he made a decision not to be a part of his family and that belief at that time. His parents were farmers from around the Sofia Area. Later on in his life he would refer to the Valley of the Roses and the Monasteries in that region.

After he arrived in Canada he began employment as a fur trader, also owned a confectionary store in Edmonton Alberta, and had also run a business in Drumheller, Alberta. He married in 1920 and a few years later they moved to the Prince George Area in the Cariboo Region of Northern British Columbia. James and his wife Gladys had 12 children. Most of the offspring remained in the Prince George Area of British Columbia. The names of the children are as follows in the order of birth: Donald James, Phyllis Dorothy, Theodore Melvin, Helen Eileen, Robert Garfield, Alexander Morley, Douglas Ray, Gladys Elizabeth, Kathleen Shirley, Ruth Isabel, Albert Leonard, Terrance William.

Grandfather James Tosoff Died in 1961, his wife died in 1995. My dad, Ted Tosoff, moved to the Vancouver, B.C. area in 1945-1946 after he had served in the Canadian Armed Forces. He married my Mom Vivian in June 1948.

My grandfather's name was anglicized - changed to the English spelling of TOSOFF - once he arrived in Canada. His first name is sounds like Mitheodeo (the Bulgarian equivalent to Theodore?). The first 4 letters of his last name (from what my mom was told) is "TAUE..."; but thats all she can remember him saying. This was a conversation back to the late 1950's. I think it may have been spelled TAUSELV or TAUSEV or maybe TAUSEZ.

I have asked my parents to look into other information to post here -- specifically the original Bulgarian surname and given name of my grandfather.

TOSHKOFF: Recently I received an eMail message as a result of this web posting from Stefan Balabanoff, a genealogist at Munich, Germany, (eMail address balabanoff@metronet.de) who has relatives in Bulgaria. Some have the surname TOSHKOFF. They now live at Geneva, Switzerland, and he has not yet made contact with them.

TOSOFF: This could have been the relative my grandfather came to North America as a young man: Stefan TOSOFF, born 18 April 1884, died February 1968, zip code 43624 (Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio. No Location Given, Social Security Number 302-07-5941, Issued in Ohio before 1951. Hers is the hypertext link that provided the information. I am not certain but it does seem very likely, of course no guarantees. Because my grandad did have one person whom he confided in about his youth while alive in Prince George, a Mike whom my dad knew, but he passed away before we could get to chat with him. Now I need to go from here. My next step is "well I am not quite sure".


YOUNG, Michael C.
eMail address: CraigXT@aol.com

I am trying to help my wife with research on her Greek family who were born in Bulgaria. Her Grandmother immigrated to America aroun 1922. She just died in 1996 at age 99. Her family moved to Constantinople when the Bulgarians would not permit the Greeks to go to their own schools. The names we are seeking are: Scholi VALASOPULOS was born 17 August 1890 in Burgas, Bulgaria. He married Christine JOSIPHIDES (my wife's Grandmother) born 17 December 1896 in Bulgaria.

Scoli's father was also Scholi VALASOPULOS married to Zoe ATHANASION both born in Bulgaria. Christine's father was Christos JOSIPHEDAS married to Eftelpi PILEADES, both also born in Bulgaria.

At some point the family all either moved to Turkey or back to Greece. We have gone through all the records and memories that my wife's Grandmother had and this is all that we could get thus far. We do not know where else to turn to. Does anyone have suggestions? Would like to hear from you.

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