Hi all,
My grandmother's maiden name is Goarck, pronounced something like Gorak. The only people with this name, apparently in the whole world, are the few relatives on my mother's side. My great-grandfather's, Charles Goarck's, family came from Ireland, according to my mother, but because his father (also Charles Goarck) had no relatives that we know of and he died quite young, we've been unable to verify this. I discovered the Irish name Groarke and Groark a few years ago and so now theorize that my great-grandfather's relatives were from this line but that the name was changed in the US. Here's what I know about this family: My great-grandfather Charles Goarck was born July 2, 1860 in Cohoes, NY. He married Mary Sullivan and they had 8 children in Watervliet, NY.
Charles' father, Charles Goarck, was also born in Cohoes, likely around 1840 and married Catherine B. Casey. Charles the elder died around the time of his son's birth. Catherine later remarried a man named Charles Guerin.
So my questions are: Does anyone have any relatives from around this area of NY (near Albany)? Can someone tell me how Groark is pronounced?
Thanks, Sue Troy