Michael Badnarik
Birth Name: Michael John Badnarik
Date of Birth: August 1, 1954
Place of Birth: Hammond, Indiana, U.S.
Date of Death: August 11, 2022
Place of Death: San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Ethnicity: Slovak, along with possibly small amounts of Hungarian and Polish
Michael Badnarik was an American software engineer, political figure, and radio talk show host.
He was the Libertarian Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 2004.
Michael was the son of Elaine Margarite/Marguerite (Gima) and John Michael Badnarik. His family was from Eastern Europe, and was of Slovak descent. He may also have had a small amount of Hungarian and Polish ancestry, though his Hungarian- and Polish-born predecessors may have been ethnic Slovaks.
Michael’s paternal grandfather was Michael Badnarik (the son of Jan/John Badnarik and Zuzanna/Susanna Kenderis/Kenderes). Michael’s grandfather Michael was Slovak.
Michael’s paternal grandmother was Maria/Mary Oleksik (the daughter of Michael Oleksik and Barbara Huzvai). Maria/Mary was Slovak.
Michael’s maternal grandfather was Michael Gima (the son of Michael Gima and Mary Cserep). Michael’s grandfather Michael was born in Illinois. Michael’s great-grandfather Michael was born in Kerestur, Slovakia, the son of Michael Gima, who was born in Poland, and of Maria/Mary Koval, who was born in Slovakia. Michael’s great-grandmother Mary was born in Nižný Žipov, Prešov, Slovakia, the daughter of Andrew Cserep and Barbara Kuncza, and was possibly of Hungarian descent.
Michael’s maternal grandmother was Olga Kalena/Kalina (the daughter of John Kalena/Kalina and Mary Okal). Olga was born in Indiana. John and Mary were Slovak emigrants, from Klenova and Stokcin, respectively. Mary was the daughter of Andrew Okal.
Sources: Marriage record of Michael’s parents – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Michael’s mother – http://www.legacy.com
Obituary of Michael’s maternal uncle, John Gima – http://www.legacy.com
Marriage record of Michael’s maternal grandparents, Michael Gima and Olga Kalena/Kalina – https://familysearch.org
Death record of Michael’s maternal great-grandfather, Michael Gima – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Michael’s maternal grandmother, Olga (Kalena/Kalina) Gima – http://www.nwitimes.com
Are you sure that Badnarik’s great-grandfather Michael Gima was not ethnically Slovak?
No.
Also, I saw the wargs-genealogy too, but I don’t think it got Michael’s paternal side right. The man they site as Michael’s father was named John James Bednarik, not John Michael Badnarik, and his obituary doesn’t mention Michael among his children, nor his wife Elaine.
Censuses – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4ZN-CM5
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWG4-YZP
Obituary – http://www.sinchakandsons.com/notices/John-Bednarik
Okay. His paternal grandparents were Michael Badnarik and Mary Oleksik.
What’s odd is that Michael and Mary have a 1941 marriage record, many years after their children were born, though Michael’s aunt’s social security death record lists both of them as the parents. Perhaps there is some explanation for the marriage record.
http://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/obituaries/article_6acb0a5f-b7a2-53c5-8c07-6e3c245f1497.html
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nwitimes/obituary.aspx?pid=161270008
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF72-KQZ
I also think it’s entirely possible that the whole family is ethnically Slovak, with no Hungarian or Polish ancestry. I know that at least his father’s side identified as Slovak, and not Czech, because the obituary of one of Michael’s aunts lists her as a member of a Slovak-American organization.
Michael’s great-grandmother Mary Cserep was of at least part Hungarian descent. “Cserep” is without a doubt a Hungarian surname, not sure about “Kuncza”. And she was specifically born in Nižný Žipov, Prešov, Slovakia, which is close to the Hungarian border, an area that has a large Hungarian population.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHC9-Z2K
I think you’re right that Michael’s great-great-grandfather probably wasn’t ethnically Polish. But interestingly, Michael’s great-grandfather Michael Gima’s death record lists him as born in Czechoslovakia, to Hungarian parents. Though their surnames doesn’t sound particularly Hungarian.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3XB-Y3P
Michael has written (in an answer to an e-mail about his heritage):
“The name Badnarik is Slovak. Both of my parents have Slovak ancestry for 6 generations back.”
https://beta.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SLOVAK-ROOTS/conversations/topics/10978
This, however, doesn’t mean his ancestry is all Slovak, he might not be aware of the exact ethnicity of his ancestors, just their country of origin.