iJustine
iJustine in 2013, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Justine Ezarik
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of Birth: March 20, 1984
Ethnicity: Slovak, Croatian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, German [including Sudeten German], French-Canadian, remote English and Swiss-German
iJustine, also known by her birth name Jenna Ezarik, is an American lifecaster, comedian, internet personality, actress, and television host. She became known for her channel ijustine.tv. She has appeared on the YouTube series Annoying Orange and Escape the Night, the reality series The New Celebrity Apprentice, and the series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Vampire Diaries. She is also known for her “300-page iPhone bill.”
iJustine is the daughter of Michelle, a physical education teacher, and Steve Ezarik, a coal miner. iJustine is the sister of internet personalities Breanne Ezarik and Jenna Ezarik.
iJustine’s paternal grandfather was Stephen Joseph “Steve/Skid” Ezarik, Jr. (the son of István Tesařík, later Stephen “Steve” Ezarik, Sr., and Anna Szlota). István was born in Pečovská Nová Ves, Austria-Hungary, now Slovakia, the son of János Tesařík and Mária Tutoká. Anna was also born in Pečovská Nová Ves, and was the daughter of János Szlota and Mária Kurimská. The name Szlota is possibly of Hungarian origin, as Slovakia also has people with German, Hungarian, and other ancestors. Some surnames in Slovakia follow the convention of these languages. However, it is unclear if iJustine has Hungarian ancestry.
iJustine’s paternal grandmother was Helen Grayce Petrick (the daughter of Wilhelm Petrisek, later William Petrick, and Helen Grace Derouin). Helen was born in Pennsylvania. Wilhelm was born in Germany, of Croatian, Hungarian, and German descent; he was the son of George Petrisek, who was from Croatia, and of Julianna/Julia Getto, who was born in Beremend, Hungary. iJustine’s great-grandmother Helen Derouin was the daughter of Joseph Baptist Louis Derouin/Derrouin, whose father was French-Canadian, and of Margaret Anna Moyer, who was of German, and remote English and Swiss-German, descent.
iJustine’s maternal grandfather was Fred Borsh/Borshow (the son of Ananij/Ananiy/Amany/Anany/Andy/Samuel Borsch/Borschev/Borshow and Katerina/Catherine Karlashoff/Karlashova). Fred was born in Ohio. Ananij was born in Ilask/Ilossk/Elossk, likely the city in Belarus. Katerina was Ukrainian.
iJustine’s maternal grandmother was Anna Helen “Ann” Lepo (the daughter of Vladimir “Walter” Lepo and Catherine/Katherine Malinac). Anna was born in Ohio, to Croatian parents.
Sources: Genealogy of iJustine – https://www.geni.com
Marriage record of iJustine’s paternal grandparents, Stephen Joseph Ezarik, Jr. and Helen Grayce Petrick – https://familysearch.org
iJustine’s paternal grandfather, Stephen Joseph Ezarik, Jr., on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of iJustine’s paternal grandfather, Stephen Joseph Ezarik, Jr. – http://www.greenleefuneralhome.com
Baptismal record of iJustine’s paternal great-grandfather, István Tizsarik – https://familysearch.org
Baptismal record of iJustine’s paternal great-grandmother, Anna Szlota – https://familysearch.org
iJustine’s paternal grandmother, Helen Grayce Petrick, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogies of iJustine’s paternal great-grandparents, Wilhelm Petrisek, later William Petrick, and Helen Grace Derouin – https://www.findagrave.com
iJustine’s paternal great-great-great-grandparents, Adam Getto and Erzsébet/Elizabeth Reiter, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
iJustine’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Baptist Louis Derouin/Derrouin, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
iJustine’s maternal grandfather, Fred Borsh/Borshow, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
World War I Draft Registration card of iJustine’s maternal great-grandfather, Ananij/Ananiy/Amany/Anany/Andy/Samuel Borsch/Borschev/Borshow – https://familysearch.org
Naturalization record of iJustine’s maternal great-grandfather, Ananij/Ananiy/Amany/Anany/Andy/Samuel Borsch/Borschev/Borshow – https://familysearch.org
Wilhelm was a German immigrant, the son of George Petrisek and Julia Getto —> Wilhelm was born in Germany, of Croatian, Hungarian, and German descent, the son of George Petrisek, who was from Croatia, and Julianna/Julia Getto, who was born in Beremend, Hungary.
When I write “Croatian, Hungarian, and German” I am presuming to a large extent. Julianna, and presumably George as well, were from the border region between Hungary and Croatia, an area with Hungarians, Croats, and Germans, thus making it hard to determine their ancestors’ exact ethnicity. I’ll just gather everything we know here, and then maybe bablah or someone can make sense of it:
All we know about George Petrisek is that he was born in Yugoslavia, to Mathias Petrisek, so only having his surname and spouse’s religion to go on, he was likely Croatian. Julianna Getto was the daughter of Adam Getto, from Petlovac, Croatia, and Elizabeth/Erzsébet Reiter, from Beremend, Hungary. Both Adam and Elizabeth listed their language as “Croatian” on the 1930 U.S. census. Adam was the son of Joseph Getto, who is said to have been born in Hungary. I don’t know the origin of the surname “Getto”, or if there’s a similar Croatian, Hungarian, or German surname. Elizabeth was the daughter of János Reiter and Erzsébet Krammer, who are both said to be from Hungary. Their first names are obviously Hungarian, but both their surnames sound German to me. So; was it common for Germans in Hungary to adopt Hungarian names, and could ethnic Hungarians carry the surnames “Reiter” and “Krammer” (without having German ancestry)?
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=74573663
https://www.geni.com/people/William-Petrick/6000000037141068241
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHH1-2DJ
who was of French-Canadian descent —> whose father was French-Canadian
(since Joseph’s mother’s parents were both Pennsylvania-born)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWXG-1ZL
On the 1930 U.S. census, Andy Borsh lists his mother tongue as “Russian” while his wife Catherine spoke “Little Russian” (another name for Ukrainian). If they spoke the same language (Ukrainian), wouldn’t they’ve written the same thing, whether it would be “Russian” or “Little Russian”? Andy was born in Ilosk or Elossk, Russia. The only place I’ve found that comes close to those two names is Ilask in Belarus. So maybe Andy was in fact Belarusian.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99D-94G6?i=575&cc=1987615
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-L1VJ-9HD2?i=1092&cc=1968530
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4SS-HXN
I think Getto is Hungarian.
>could ethnic Hungarians carry the surnames “Reiter” and “Krammer” (without having German ancestry)
Yes and no. It’s possible they tought of themselves as Hungarians, while still having some German ancestry or even no German ancestry at all. It is however odd that both have German last names so this is likely just a case of magyarisation of first names. Notice how Slovaks in the church books often have Hungarian first names, even though they have absolutely no Hungarian ancestors. So a Slovak called Štefan or a German called Stefan will often appear as Istvan on the paper, but will never use that name in real life.
I think you’re right about Belarussian part. The Russian version of the town name is indeed Ilossk.
István Tizsarik, later Stephen “Steve” Ezarik, Sr., and Anna Szlota). István and Anna were Slovak immigrants, from Pečovská Nová Ves. István was the son of János Tizsarik and Mária Tutoky. Anna was the daughter of János Szlota and Mária Kurimszky. -> István Tizsarik, later Stephen “Steve” Ezarik, Sr., and Anna Szlota). István and Anna were Slovak immigrants, from Pečovská Nová Ves. István was the son of János Tizsarik and Mária Tutoky. Anna was the daughter of János Szlota and Mária Kurimszky. -> István Tesařík, later Stephen “Steve” Ezarik, Sr., and Anna Szlota). István was born in Pečovská Nová Ves, Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia), to János Tesařík and Mária Tutoká. Anna was also born in Pečovská Nová Ves, to János Szlota and Mária Kurimská. The surname “Szlota” is of possibly Hungarian origin because Slovakia also has people with German, Hungarian, and other ancestors. So, some surnames in Slovakia have to follow the convention of those languages. However, it is unclear if this is accurate.
Same applies to her sisters.
iJustine’s maternal grandparents were likely Frederick Borshow and Ann/Anna H. -> iJustine’s maternal grandparents were Frederick “Fred” Borshow and Anna Helen “Ann” Lepo (the daughter of Vladimir “Walter” Lepo and “Catherine/Katherine” Malinac).
Borshow sounds Jewish while Lepo and Malinac sound Croatian. Still, iJustine’s maternal ethnicity is unclear, but I am sure that her mother was of Slavic descent.
Here’s the birth record of iJustine’s maternal grandmother: http://birth-records.mooseroots.com/l/2456617/Anna-Helen-Lepo
Catherine/Katherine’s real name may be Kata or Katarina. I am not sure if this was her passenger record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJB1-853
I doubt that iJustine’s grandfather was Jewish. More likely than not, he was of non-Jewish Eastern European background. The surname was probably changed somewhat from what it originally was.
Fred and Anna Borshow were members of the Croatian Fraternal Union of America.
https://books.google.ca/books?id=8eq3AAAAIAAJ&q=%22Anna+H.+Borshow+and+Fred+Borshow%22&dq=%22Anna+H.+Borshow+and+Fred+Borshow%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAGoVChMIkYOGkKPJyAIVSCUeCh20ZwkS
Fred Borshow worked in the mines in Pennsylvania, which would be atypical for someone of Eastern European Jewish background, but was common for non-Jewish Eastern Europeans of the time.
That will be interesting. The bad news is, Fred is not listed on U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index.
How about if we will borrow that book?
The relevant part in the book is just a listing of names. I don’t think it has any more information.
I found Fred’s birth record.
“Karlashoff” and “Borshow”(Borshchov) is not Jewish names (although, of course, Jews could take that surnames). Borshow came from the word Borsch (Borscht) Ukrainian soup. Borshow is also old noble family in Russia. “Ananij (Ananiy)” is name of Jewish origin, but non-Jewish people in Ukraine/Russia/Belarus also use it in that time, just like my great-great-grandfather. Although both the surnames are Russian.