Cyril Was Their Call Name

I have two men in my family whose middle name is Cyril. My grandfather was William Cyril Hork, born in 1899 in Hamilton, Montana. My grandmother’s brother was John Cyril Sullivan, born in 1887 in Mitchell, Dakota Territory.

Both men went by Cyril during periods of their lives. Technically, Cyril would not be their nickname, but certainly, it was their call name to their family.

John Cyril Sullivan

• Cyril Sullivan played catcher for the St. Paul’s Church baseball team.[1]
• He was enumerated with his parents in Anaconda, Montana in 1900 as Cyril Sullivan.[2]
• He worked as a messenger for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company.[3]
• He played third base for The West End Sluggers.[4]
• He attended a stag party of a friend Bert Milzner.[5]
• He was living with his family in 1910 as Cyril Sullivan.[6]
• However, he enlisted in the Army in 1917 as Jack C. Sullivan. All mentions of him use this name.[7]

From then on, he used Jack C. Sullivan as his name until his death when his official name John C. Sullivan was used on the death certificate and his grave marker.[8]

William Cyril Hork

• He was baptized as William Cyril Hork at St. Francis Xavier Church in Hamilton, Montana.[9]
• He was enumerated as Syril Hork in 1900 with his parents.[10]
• In 1910 he was listed as Cyril W. Hork.[11]
• The 1913 school census listed him as Cyril Hork.[12]
• Many articles about school activities named him Cyril Hork. He played the cornet.[13] He passed geography.[14]
• Cyril Hork pitched on many Hamilton baseball teams.[15]
• He was Cyril W. Hork, one of the city of Hamilton enlistees in the Navy in 1918.[16]
• He enlisted in the Navy at Salt Lake City as Cyril Willis Hork.[17]
• In 1922, he worked for the Northern Pacific Railway as Cyril Willis Hork.[18]
• He married Anna Sullivan as Cyril W. Hork at St. Patrick’s Church in Butte, Montana.[19]
• He was listed in Los Angeles city directories as Wm Hork.[20]
• In voter registrations, he was listed as William C. Hork.[21]

For the rest of his life, he was listed in official records as William C Hork.[22] However, on the application for a military tombstone, someone wrote in with red ink “Cyril Willis” and then crossed it out. Likely an official who was comparing this application with Cyril’s enlistment records in 1918.

However, the family still called him Cyril.[23]

#52Ancestors-Week 21: Nicknames

This is my seventh year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe.

I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

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[1] "About Amateur Baseball: Altar Boys Challenge the World," The Anaconda Standard, 13 July 1900, p 5, Cyril Sullivan.

[2] 1900 U.S. census, Deer Lodge Co, Montana, pop. sched., ED 15, sht 1, dwelling 24, family 24, John Sullivan household.

[3] Polk's Anaconda (Deer Lodge County, Mont) City Directory, (R.L. Polk & Co.), p 298, Cyril Sullivan; 1905, p 286, Cyril Sullivan.

[4] "Amateur Baseball Clubs," The Anaconda Standard, 4 July 1902, p unk, Cyril Sullivan.

[5] "In Anaconda," The Anaconda Standard, 25 November 1906, p unk, Cyril Sullivan.

[6] 1910 U.S. census, Deer Lodge Co, Montana, pop sched, ED 13, sht 5b, dwelling 107, family 134, John H Sullivan household.

[7] "U.S. Army Transport Service, Passenger List," database & images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com), Martha Washington, Hoboken, NJ, 1918, Jack C Sullivan, no. 568973. Also, World War I Enlisted Men Final Military Pay Vouchers, 1917 - 1921, multi-name final pay voucher, no. 202, 6 Aug 1919, Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming, Capt P.O. Kowalski, quartermaster, p. 4, line 1, Jack C. Sullivan, 568973, Sergeant, 4th Engineers.

[8] State of California Vital Record, death certificate, John C Sullivan (certificate copy), 0190-035375, state #78-104689. For grave marker, photo of marker, John C. Sullivan, Holy Cross Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, photo taken by author.

[9] St. Francis Xavier Church, Hamilton, Montana, baptism, 1899, no. 1418, William Cyril Hork.

[10] 1900 U.S. Census, Ravalli Co, Montana, pop sched, ED 81, sht 15a, p 33 (stamped), household/family 285, John A Hork household.

[11] 1910 U.S. census, Ravalli Co, Montana, pop sched, ED 86, sht 19b, dwelling 370, family 425, Julia A. Hork household.

[12] School census report, School District No. 3, Ravalli Co, Montana, 1913, Cyril Hork.

[13] "High School Debate," Ravalli Republic, 24 Feb 1911, p. 1.

[14] "Miss Smithey Says Who Passed Exams," The Missoulian, 15 Jun 1913, p 4, col. 5, Cyril Hork

[15] "Hork Beats Victor by Fine Pitching for Hamilton Team," The Missoulian, 10 April 1916, p. 6.

[16] "Hamilton Has Sent More Men to the Naval Service," Anaconda Standard, p. 7.

[17] Cyril Willis Hork, Service Record, service no. 173-64-55; World War I: Enlisted Personnel, 1885-1951, U.S. Navy; National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, Missouri.

[18] "Northern Pacific Railway Company Personnel Files, 1890-1963," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com:, File 144100, Cyril Willis Hork; accessed 25 Nov 2015.

[19] St. Patrick's Church, Butte, Montana, marriages, p. 434, Cyril W.  Hork & Anna Sullivan.

[20] Santa Monica, Ocean Park, Venice Sawtelle and Westgate Directory City Directory, (Los Angeles Directory Co), 1925, p 430, Wm (Ann) Hork.

[21] "California, U.S., Voter Registration 1900-1968," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61066/), 1926, roll 19, Los Angeles Co, Los Angeles Precinct no. 1100, William C. Hork.

[22] Personnel Record, William C. Hork, ID no. 0436-8086, San Bernardino Co, California Works Projects Administration (WPA), NARA Record Group 69, Records of the Work Projects Administration, 1922-1944. Also, California Death Certificate for William Cyril Hork (Certificate), 13491 State #, 049175.

[23] Descendants of Cyril’s sister, Mary Hork Hart, corresponded with me and sent a photo of their visit with Cyril in 1967.

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