Dear John, Nancy, and children,

A "happening" enthused us into researching more on Fred and Herman Cyriacks of Hollywood.  We thought you might like the genealogical background now.  (You may want, to check further.)  I'm planning to write a "report" later, when we have more details.

The "happening" took place in a book store in the San Fernando Valley where Don stopped to buy a book for an evening class that he's been attending.  The little old lady in the store didn't have the book, so she asked him to leave his name, which he did.  When she saw Cyriacks, she wanted to know if he was related to Fred.  She had grown up six blocks from Fred's "mansion" and had known him personally; ---and the story she told is what really made us curious.

This is a sample of her story:  Fred made his wealth selling women.  Every year he went to Germany and brought back a beautiful new "bride" --who always disappeared; --- and young girls never went around his house alone, or they too would disappear.  He had the only liquor to be found in the San Fernando Valley during Prohibition Days, and he entertained lavishly.  She related him to the mafia, if there had been such a thing at that time.

The following is fact:  Our investigation at this point has proven nothing about illegal affairs.  He had to have been a very enterprising young man, but from all indications, he did have many beautiful mistresses.

Fred's "mansion" (built in 1919) is still standing, but one really has to look for it in order to find it.  It is surrounded by large apartment buildings and commercial property.  The present owners, Haig and Margarite S., are the son and daughter-in-law of the original buyer of the estate in 1946.  Haig's father paid $60,500 plus costs, and this included seven small rental cottages which are still on the property.  We were invited to the S. one evening, and had a very enjoyable visit and tour.  They have nice pictures, and some papers of Fred's enterprises which were left at the house.

It appears that Fred came to the USA in 1910.  He came to California in 1911 and sold cars and real estate, among other things, to make his fortune.  Will write more details on that at a later date.

By the time Fred died in 1940, he had evidently had a set-back in financial affairs, and was a heavy drinker; but his estate was still appraised at $64,700.12.  It appears that he had no will, so brother Herman and Faye Maxey were co-administrators of the estate.  The estate was split four ways between brothers and sister as follows:

Herman Cyriacks 4301 Lankershim Blvd. Hollywood, California		Meta Cyriacks Schroeder 72 Olber Strasse Bremen, Germany
Heinz Cyriacks Bismarck Huette Eisenach, Germany w of Erfurt		George Cyriacks 4 Molken Strasse Bremen, Germany

Faye Maxey received only co-administrators Benefits.

Fred's probate has 1O44 pages in it, all on microfilm, so needless to say, I spent one day in the Los Angeles archives with that alone.

It appears that Herman did a good job as co-administrator.  He moved from Van Nuys to one of the many rentals on Fred's eight parcels of property, and seemed to manage everything.  He refinanced property (at a lower rate of interest) that wasn't paid for, and sold it for double the appraised value a few years later.  During these years the "mansion" was leased for a restaurant.  The probate was closed in l947 with the value of total administered, $l36,334.38.

Herman Cyriacks was born August 5, 1878, and died August 20, l954, of heart disease, at the age of 76.  His death certificate listed the same parents as Fred's.  He was never married.  It didn't say how long he was in the United States, but on Fred's probate records he listed being a citizen of the U.S. more than 14 years in l94O.

Herman's occupation was listed as farmer, so he probably came over around 1899, and "staked a claim", ---I would guess in Ohio, because his estate was willed to his cousin Elizabeth R., Fernwood Drive, Dayton 5, Ohio.  (originally she was from New Lebanon) --- or to her children as follows:

     Henry Lee R.      Maple Street, New Lebanon, Ohio
     Ada M. K.         Greenview Dr., Dayton, Ohio
     Virginia M. M.    Patterson Rd, Dayton, Ohio
     Ann K. M.         Fernwood Dr., Dayton, Ohio
     Helen L. P.       Parker Ave., West Palm Beach, Florida

In 1950, Herman bought a little block house in Sen Jacinto, appraised at $275O.OO, at the time of his death in l954.  (It sold for $2490.00)  When all was "said and done", cousin Elizabeth received $180.98 cash, one Gentlemen's yellow metal engraved ring valued at $1.00, and one Gentlemen's yellow metal engraved stick pin valued at 25 .  Fred and Herman are buried side by side at Forrest Lawn in Glendale, but no "loving wife" is to be found.  In fact, to complicate matters, an Audrey Cyriacks was very active in the court records with real estate, etc., in the years following Fred's death.
(Another 'coincidence' is that John & Ben & family lived in San Jacinto in 1945.)

We're inclined to believe that this family may be connected with the New York Cyriacks, because among the pictures at S. was a beautiful big picture of HY Cyriacks standing in front of his bar, (Hotel and Cafe also in same building) in New York City.  HY Cyriacks was in big letters on the building.  Shoe shines were 5˘ and the address was 2102.  Mrs. S. is originally from New York City, and she said it was probably on Yorkville somewhere in the 80ties.

Enclosed is a copy of Fred's death certificate, a copy of a letter head that was among Fred's letters of the first years in the USA, and a copy of some pictures, --if you can see them!  The S. gave us several that they had duplicates of.

All is fine in California, and hope the same for Wisconsin.  Our vacation plans are still indefinite.

We'll plan to write more when we've stopped researching.  It's been fun!  If you have questions, we might have answers.

A side trip to Riverside, San Jacinto and Los Angeles, and information gathered later in Salt Lake City, established another branch of this already enormous family.  It appears that Herman H. and Fred R. CYRIACKS were brothers who settled in the Southern California area at the turn of the century.  Herman was living in San Jacinto at the time of his death and was listed as a farmer.  He died at the hospital in Riverside in 1951.  His parents were Herman and Sophie (Brems) CYRIACKS, farmers in Germany.

Fred was in the automobile business around 1918 and later switched to real estate investing, and possibly counseling by the time he became involved in the shooting of "Peter the Great" in 1927.  His wife's name was Audry, but nothing is known of her history or later whereabouts.  Herman apparently never married, and he and Fred are buried side by side in the original Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale.  (1999 note: I stood over their burial site in 1973.) Harold C. may be able to provide us with more information about these people at a later date.  (Being a detective sure helps in this family!)

Dear Harold, Ruth and Family,

Thank you very much for your letter of February 28th.  I really appreciate all the help that I am receiving from members of the family.  The information you sent is very helpful in piecing together the life of Fred Cyriacks.

Your discovery of Herman Cyriacks (1878-1954) is particularly interesting.  As you may have read in the copy of the "Family History" that Don and Ruth have, it is in the pursuit of our great uncle, Hermann Cyriacks (1861- ??), that Fred Cyriacks got into the family story.  The Wisconsin relatives read the the story of the movie dog shooting in 1927 (see enclosure) and concluded that Fred was a descendant of Hermann.  There is no evidence to support this conclusion, however; another story has Hermann in Missouri.  The Minnesota Cyriacks know nothing about Hermann.  All we know for sure is that a wooden chest with his name on it is still in West Bend, Wisconsin, along with his baptismal certificate in barely legible German script.  It was prepared 20 March 1878, which must have been about the time he was planning to take a boat to the U.S.

Our family lived in Riverside from 1946 to 1950 while my father was stationed in Japan.  I'll ask my mother, who now lives in Milwaukee, to see if her friends in Riverside will find out more about Herman (1878-1954).

The five Cyriacks or Cyriaks families located thus far in the United States all originated around Bremen, Germany.  Aunt Adela Ciriacks Kleman got a Christmas card from cousin Betty Cyriacks Biermann (age 70) in Bremen.  Her, son Herman runs a dairy in the Breman area.  We are presently trying to trace the movement of the Cyriacks in Germany and in Europe through a genealogist in Hamburg.

Enclosed are several Xerox copies that I have been waiting to send to Ruth and Don for the California copy of the "History" so maybe you can pass them on to them.  My youngest brother, Ben, dug up the 1931 appeal record of the dog shooting judgment.  He is in his senior year at the U. of New Mexico.  The letter from Fr. Cyriac Puthenpura implies that the migrations of the Cyriacks could possibly go back to Syria (or Greece) around the time the Roman empire broke up.

If you have the time, Harold, or maybe your sisters, I would appreciate the story of your folks life; also any details of your grandfather Brüne Cyriacks' life.  Thank you again for your help.  I'll keep you informed as the "History" progresses.

Dear John:

By way of introduction, I am the son of Bruno F. Cyriacks of Gothenburg, Nebraska.  I have been living in the Southern Calif. area for the past 30 years.  My cousin, Donald Cyriacks, gave me your letter of last December and asked me to research and answer your request.

I have searched the Los Angeles County records and have obtained the following information which I hope will be of some value to you;

1. In l934 a Fred Cyriacks secured real property in the San Fernando Valley.  This property was transferred to Fay Maxey and Hermann Cyriacks in 1940.  The records indicate they were administrators of the Fred Cyriacks Estate.

   On Febr. 21, 1946, the property was transferred to Magoug and Katherine S.  They appear to be the present owners.

2. I was unable to find any record of the death of Fred Cyriacks in the County or City of Los Angeles files.

   The records, however, indicate that Herman Cyriacks died in Riverside County, California on August 20, l954, at the ripe old age of 76.  Do you know anything about him?

   It would be necessary to search the files at Riverside to obtain further information on him.  Riverside is approximately 65 miles from Arcadia.  (Harold was unaware that our family had lived in Riverside from 1946 ~ 1950.)

3. The Telephone Company records indicate that the Fred Cyriacks Estate had telephone service at 4323 Lankershim Blvd. in the San Fernando Valley.  This address is the same as the property that is described in the County records.

A relative, I guess?????

To:  Los Angeles Country Clerk
        RE:  Estate of Fred Cyriacks
Dear Sir:
I am inquiring as to the disposal of the Estate of Fred Cyriacks.  In 1949 or 1950, the secretary of this estate was seeking someone to claim the estate.  What ever became of this Estate?

RESPONSE:
    Los Angeles, Calif. 90053, ......August 25,......1970
....................Fred Cyriacks, deceased..........................
...................................vs..............................................
           In reply to your inquiry concerning an action of record in
this Court, please be advised that I have examined the indexes
from     1/1/49
to       8/17/70                                    , and find no record in the
Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles,
of an action naming the above parties.

                        WILLIAM G. SHARP, County Clerk and Clerk of
                        the Supreme Court of the State of California for
                        the County of Los Angeles.
                        By (signed Vera Chappelle) Deputy