Michael E. Byczek


Detailed Genealogy and Historical Information

Michael E. Byczek's lineage in Chicago, IL is one of the oldest in the city's history dating back to 1835.

He and his parents have conducted extensive historical and genealogical research to preserve these family chronicles since the early 1990s. As an attorney, Michael E. Byczek advocates verified and accurate genealogy through moral-based analysis and ethical historical research. The Byczek family has published their genealogical narratives online for almost 30 years. Their websites are common knowledge throughout various branches, easily found, and numerous relatives have first-hand knowledge of this accurate source of document-based genealogy and analysis.

Technology, artificial intelligence (AI), DNA tests, and online access to digitalization projects have eliminated the entry barriers to genealogy. However, as described in detail below, AI models are being trained using genealogical data with inaccurate consequences. AI is unable to tell the difference between what is true and false, doesn't understand context, and cannot differentiate between sources who are direct blood descendants in the compassionate pursuit of family history and those that are malicious third-parties hiding behind anonymous usernames. Subject matter expertise is a key attribute of data science and AI. It is well-known in law and technology that third parties are deliberately using anonymity to feed AI models with fake information to manipulate the truth. Michael E. Byczek has, unfortunately, uncovered efforts by third parties and blood relatives to rewrite genealogy. As an attorney, he advocates that all genealogy must originate from direct blood descendants who verify and validate the historical record for accuracy. Michael E. Byczek has taken a lead role in the mission to protect his direct ancestors across all known bloodlines from one of the greatest risks posed by AI - the spread of misinformation to alter the past.

View a ten-generation interactive family tree or a tabular chart showing the exact lineage for each ancestor.

Michael E. Byczek has compiled extensive genealogical and historical biographical documentaries in PDF format. These biographies are a definitive source of accurate genealogy written by a direct blood descendant. An HTML-based platform is under development with some archives currently available.

Grandparents

1x-Great-Grandparents

2x-Great-Grandparents

3x-Great-Grandparents

4x-Great-Grandparents

5x-Great-Grandparents

6x-Great-Grandparents

Specialized Documentaries

Large-scale HTML-based Online Archives

Highlights of Genealogy Research

Michael E. Byczek has begun to verify documents for his 7x-great-grandparents. His goal is to fully identify and compile biographies for all verifiable ancestors, at least, up to that generation level. For instance, we all have:

2 parents
4 grandparents
8 great-grandparents
16 2x-great-grandparents
32 3x-great-grandparents
64 4x-great-grandparents
128 5x-great-grandparents
256 6x-great-grandparents
512 7x-great-grandparents

This represents a total of 1,023 individuals that span from Michael E. Byczek himself through all of his 7x-great-grandparents. It further represents over 500 individual families and their children.

Rooney Research in Chicago, IL and Counties Tipperary and Kilkenny in Ireland

Michael E. Byczek registered a federal copyright for a 362-page documentary of his 3x-great-grandparents William and Julia Rooney titled The Biographies of William Rooney and Julia Phelan - Old Settlers of Chicago (TXu002469190) in 2024.

Michael M. Byczek registered an earlier copyright in 2012 (TX0007522662) titled "Michael M. Byczek Family Genealogy".

A 116-page collective documentary was compiled about William and Julia Rooney's daughter Kittie A. Rooney and her husband Edward H. Talbot (2x-great-grandparents).

Talbot Research in Chicago, IL; Taunton, MA; and County Tipperary in Ireland

Extensive research was conducted into Edward H. Talbot's (2x-great-grandfather) business ventures as a Chicago real estate promoter with a 104-page comprehensive documentary.

Historical analysis of records from Co. Tipperary in Ireland has revealed the most likely Talbot lineage going back to Michael E. Byczek's 6x-great-grandparents.

Flanagan Research in Chicago, IL; Port Huron, MI; and Counties Mayo and Westmeath of Ireland

Review of church records has identified Collinstown, Co. Westmeath in Ireland as the most likely origin of the Flanagan family prior to settling in Port Huron, MI (United States).

A 135-page collective documentary explains the Flanagan lineage in the United States and Ireland (Co. Mayo and Co. Westmeath).

Byczek Research in Chicago, IL and Subcarpathian Voivodeship of Poland

Martin Byczek and Maryanna Dudek (great-grandparents) were both from the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of Poland.

Bykowski Research in Chicago, IL and Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Warmian-Masurian, and Greater Poland Voivodeships of Poland

Roman J. Bykowski (grandfather) was born in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland. His lineage includes the Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Warmian-Masurian, and Greater Poland Voivodeships of Poland. The lineage of Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship dates back to a time when the area was part of Prussia.

Murzyn Research in Chicago, IL; Podlaskie Voivodeship of Poland; and Alytus County of Lithuania

Frank Murzyn/Marynowski and Rose Sidor (great-grandparents) were both from the Podlaskie Voivodeship of Poland. Their lineage extends to both Poland and Lithuania.

Military Research

Large-scale HTML-based archives were compiled for Martin J. Flanagan's (great-grandfather) service during World War I with the 23rd Engineers in France and Michael S. Byczek (grandfather) in World War II with the 81st Division Wildcats in the Pacific.

Chicago Research

A 242-page documentary was compiled about the Rooney, Talbot, and Flanagan families in Chicago through their entries in the City Directories (1839-1928).

Online Genealogy Trees

Michael E. Byczek has created two comprehensive family trees through online genealogy platforms.

His ancestry.com profile has the username "byczek" with a tree identified as Michael E. Byczek Lineage. The genealogy for this account is DNA-verified for as many generations back as genetic data was available for comparative analysis.

This is an accurate and verified source of genealogy that cannot be modified by other users, including third-parties.

Michael E. Byczek's decision to submit a DNA test was not for genealogy, but as an attorney to intervene across all branches of his lineage. In the autumn of 2024 he was alerted to widespread propagation of false claims about his living immediate family and deceased direct blood ancestors. His intention was to promote accurate genealogy.

All genealogy and social media platforms pose a risk of cyber-bullying, intimidation, identity theft, fake images/documents (i.e. AI-generated), scams, "bait", social engineering, slander/libel, spread of misinformation, and other inappropriate online user conduct. Numerous instances of inaccurate or deceptive genealogy were identified, such as false claims about marriage, children, nationality, employment, immigration, religion, and burials. In the most egregious circumstances, Michael E. Byczek sought immediate removal of offensive content.

Popular genealogy platforms have design flaws that allow third parties to create tens, or even hundreds of thousands, of profiles/entries derived from large data sets (i.e. all individuals buried at a particular cemetery or baptized at a certain church). A common problem, personally experienced, are third parties who refuse to cooperate and act as if online genealogy is a race to create profiles to effectively lock and block family access. Michael E. Byczek was the first descendant on any bloodline who took concrete steps to stop undue influence from sources other than direct blood descendants of common ancestors. Unfortunately, third parties still think they have the right to block direct descendants from their own genealogy. Another common problem are users who act as if timestamps determine who controls all future narratives.

Michael E. Byczek has extensively contributed to the familysearch.org online genealogical platform under the username "michaelbyczek". However, the Family Search platform is community-based where only one profile is allowed per deceased individual. This model allows anonymous third-parties to delete, edit, and modify accurate information (i.e. disruptive editing). Users are advised to carefully review information to verify and validate details, such as reviewing the timestamp activity log for usernames. Michael E. Byczek has proposed that direct descendants assume shared responsibility for monitoring accuracy of these community-based genealogical profiles.

There is an antiquated view that the dead don't have rights. As an attorney, Michael E. Byczek provides legal advice about the digital afterlife and ways to protect the deceased.

Information is available at byczeklaw.com/digital_afterlife.html. A four minute video is available on the Byczek Law YouTube Channel with username @byczeklaw.

The proposed direct-descendant administered genealogy framework is a good solution to protect the rights of deceased common ancestors.

The requirement of "blood only" is not meant to overlook non-blood immediate family (i.e. adoption, spouse, parent, etc). However, those who are verified blood direct descendants are at the very top of pedigree hierarchy and priority. Third parties are at the absolute bottom. Proper decorum requires a third party to contact direct descendants versus unilateral action to upload, create, edit, or manipulate biographies. It was far too common to find non-blood immediate family and unrelated third parties who thought they outrank direct blood descendants. In this regard, online genealogy can be viewed as the difference between authorized and unauthorized biographies. Furthermore, just because a biography is authorized (direct blood) does not mean it's accurate.

Each deceased individual has a unique profile on Family Search with an assigned identifier, such as those for Michael E. Byczek's four grandparents:

Michael S. Byczek (GRRG-GMV) and Marie C. Flanagan (G5C8-1C2)

Roman J. Bykowski (GRG3-BXS) and Antoinette A. Murzynowicz/Marynowski (GRRG-XBB)

As an accurate source of data, Michael E. Byczek uploaded a Pedigree Resource File (GEDCOM format) to Family Search titled "Michael E. Byczek Lineage" (username of michaelbyczek) to show an outline of his direct-blood ancestors. This information cannot be modified by other users, but the content is displayed in accordance with Family Search parameters (i.e. not all details are publicly visible). The tree can be accessed by searching for the Submission ID: 2:2:2:MMKK-J2F under the option for user-submitted genealogies.

Grave Memorials

The online platform findagrave.com is dedicated to burial memorials with a model that is similar to Family Search. Only one memorial is allowed per deceased individual. However, the platform grants only one user with administrative control. As a result, this model is also susceptible to anonymous third-parties (i.e. cyber-squatting). Michael E. Byczek undertook extensive efforts to create dozens of memorials and regain family administration of others that were under third-party control.

His Find a Grave profile provides a link to all memorials under his administration.

Military Memorials

The fold3.com platform is dedicated to military records and allows users to create a memorial for deceased veterans. Michael E. Byczek has created memorials for his grandfather Michael S. Byczek (World War II) and great-grandfather Martin J. Flanagan (World War I).

Observations

A time-tested genealogy proverb states to never believe anything you read, let alone hear. Slander, libel, and defamation are serious legal issues for both living and dead. There are two sides to every story.

Genealogy platforms have become AI-driven DNA-based spider webs that interweave content, true and fake, from any source into a centralized repository that links all direct descendants of a common ancestor without their consent or knowledge. Saliva-based DNA results are not 100% accurate. These sites have limited data science functionality. The ancestry.com DNA test generated about 10,000 genetic cousins. It was virtually impossible to determine relationships due to lack of meaningful information to make an informed assessment, such as degree of kinship. A large number of users did not identify themselves, had blank profiles, or blocked their content.

An example of unreliable DNA test results is a distant Swedish origin in the lineage. Michael E. Byczek does not recognize the accuracy of this conclusion without more information. The Swedish "deluge" of the 17th century into Poland was a painful historical event to the Polish identity. There is a possible bias in the AI-driven analysis that may mistakenly identify those of Polish descent as having trace amounts of Swedish DNA.

The Byczek family respectfully give tribute to their lineage through accurate and verified historical chronicles. Where uncertainty exists, such conclusions are based on balance of probabilities, whether it is more likely than not, and highly plausible to be true. The narratives are also evaluated on the basis of logic, reasonableness, and common sense in the context of reliable historical analysis.

A series of facts and events must reconcile to be true. Mistaken identity and coincidences are common in genealogy. Just because records may exist with the same or similar names, does not mean these families are the same people.

A perfect example is Michael E. Byczek's 2x-great-grandparents Adalbert Byczek and Catherine Czarny from Osobnica in southeastern Poland near Jaslo. There were two families living in the same village, including maiden names, that were both married at the same church one year apart. Their children were born in Osobnica and members of both families later settled in Chicago. At first glance, documents from both Osobnica and Chicago would appear to refer to a single family. Yet, patience and acute attention to detail revealed that these were, in fact, two different families without any known blood relationship.

Michael E. Byczek and his parents did not participate on the user-uploaded side of genealogy websites prior to the autumn of 2024, other than occasional interaction for limited and specific purposes. They did their own research posted to personal websites under their complete administrative control, and even declined to undergo DNA testing as it was not a suitable substitute for analysis of actual records. Suspicious activity was then detected that raised a concern such websites now needed to be thoroughly reviewed.

It was shocking to discover the number of third parties and relatives who were actively promoting false, even anti-family, genealogy. It was equally surprising that some blood relatives knew this was happening and did not act. Michael E. Byczek immediately became one of, if not the only descendant, on a particular branch who fully identified himself in the quest for accurate genealogy.

There was a noticeable absence of actual written narratives (as opposed to drop-down menu options) with words such as family, marriage, wedding, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or sister. More efforts were spent accusing the deceased of adultery than tributes to their marriages. The magnitude of alleged marital misconduct and maliciously labeling children as illegitimate on ancestry.com rivaled what is expected on sites like Facebook. At the same time, the greatest accomplishments of particular ancestors were nowhere to be found. Some ancestors did not have a single compassionate comment about them or their family.

There are certain vital facts and events in a person's life that any such omission is an instant red flag. Likewise, there are documents that are so easy to find (transcription and/or digitized) that an absence would appear intentional. It was very common for users, relatives and third parties alike, to aggressively attempt to unsettle facts that are not open to interpretation. The existence of a document itself is a fact that cannot be denied. Yet, it was common for users to ignore easy-to-find documents, as if to deny existence.

For instance, obituaries are one of the most important, easy to find, and go-to sources for genealogy. The Byczek family has highlighted obituaries on their websites for decades. Yet, by the end of 2024, Michael E. Byczek was one of, if not only, descendant on entire bloodlines to even acknowledge that obituaries exist. A large percentage of false claims could be instantly refuted simply with obituaries. One can only speculate the reason why both relatives and third parties ignored the very existence of obituaries was to deny marriages and children. Obituaries are just one example of records that take mere seconds to locate and verify.

As Michael E. Byczek began to take inventory of who was responsible for what false or otherwise inaccurate claims, a few patterns began to emerge. The Flanagan, Talbot, and Rooney lineages were particularly hard hit with claims that would never withstand scrutiny when compared against obituaries. For instance, Patrick Flanagan and Anna Kane (2x-great-grandparents) were targeted with claims they were not married, did not have nine children born in Chicago, Patrick was not from or buried in Chicago, and refusal to even acknowledge that he grew up in Port Huron (MI) or the identity of his parents. Yet, Patrick and Anna's obituaries identify them as husband/wife and list the names of their children. A Port Huron newspaper reported on Patrick's death in Chicago as a tribute to his mother and sisters who still lived in the city. Yet, these obituaries were entirely ignored in favor of fiction that was not even remotely close to the truth. Nearly identical claims were made against the marriages and children of Edward Talbot and Kittie Rooney (2x-great-grandparents) and William Rooney and Julia Phelan (3x-great-grandparents), which their respective obituaries prove wrong with black-and-white newspaper verification.

If Michael E. Byczek did not make a point of obituaries, in addition to other documents, many false claims would most likely have continued to propagate. When combined with other easy to find records, such as Catholic sacraments, misinformation that was spreading like wildfire does not survive review. Unfortunately, the claims were flourishing since the vast majority of such users ignored actual documents.

An especially peculiar series of claims were made against the Rooney, Phelan, and Dwyer lineages of Counties Tipperary and Kilkenny in Ireland. Michael E. Byczek analyzed actual records from the Catholic parishes of Gortnahoe (Co. Tipperary) and Urlingford (Co. Kilkenny). These included land ownership for Urard, Irish newspapers, books, and baptisms. Furthermore, there was a significant amount of documents in Chicago that show several of William's siblings and cousins joined him in the city. William Rooney and his wife Julia Phelan were prominent early settlers of Chicago with their photographs printed in history books, on display in historical collections, and featured at the 100 year birthday celebration of America held in Philadelphia. They owned a large amount of real estate and are known for their residential and commercial construction. Yet, the Byczek family were the only known descendants who even acknowledged the vast majority of these achievements.

In fact, most claims, aggressively pushed by third parties, trivialized the Rooney and Dwyer family presence in Co. Tipperary, ignored Co. Kilkenny, and downplayed the role of Chicago for both families to a point of nonexistence. The Rooney family of Chicago and Urard further highlight the reality that inconsistencies may never be fully explained. Records show multiple individuals in Urard named Hugh, Alice, William, John, and Julia. There are not enough documents to understand the relationships between names and families. There are too many of the same names combined with names crossed out that result in too many inconsistencies for a clear and definitive conclusion. For instance, records show two widow Alice Rooney women in Urard during the 1860s and 1870s. This cannot be fully explained at present. The answer to all these questions require objective analysis without cherry-picking which records fit a particular theory. The Rooney family of Co. Tipperary also highlights that genealogy is research of the collective. It was very common for users to totally ignore all other individuals and facts as if Hugh Rooney and Alice Dwyer (4x-great-grandparents) lived in isolation without any family in Urard.

These examples are just highlights of the reason why Michael E. Byczek does not recognize third parties. Due diligence cannot be stressed enough. Even well-intended third parties should mind their own business and not interfere with genealogy. Direct blood descendants must always take precedence over third parties without exception.

Michael E. Byczek, as a real estate broker, has emphasized genealogical analysis of residential and commercial properties for his entire professional career. Yet, he is one of the only descendants to even acknowledge where his ancestors lived (i.e address and/or neighborhood) or discuss real estate transactions. As an attorney, he was the first descendant on any genealogy platform to provide legal commentary. Catholic church records (baptism, marriage, and death) along with cemetery burial records addressed the vast majority of remaining false claims. There was a definite pattern of relatives, let alone third parties, who selectively named children in a family instead of honoring every son and daughter born to their mother and father.

False claims that were found on the most popular genealogy platforms included invalidating marriages, changing the number of children born to their parents, refusal to acknowledge actual records, rewriting Irish Catholic families as English Protestant, altering where individuals lived, bigamy, spousal/child abandonment, and accusing married women of having adulterous affairs resulting in pregnancy. Multiple instances of disrespect directed at gravesites were found. All should agree that dead babies/children must be off-limits from any form of disregard, yet it was common practice. Instead of using genealogy to build solidarity through kinship, some members of particular lineages decided to start a feud with fact and fiction as the two sides.

These remarks are not intended to imply that all users uploaded fake genealogy. Those who did represent a small minority of the total user base of these websites. However, it only takes one anonymous user to create discord and irreconcilable differences where none existed. Certain ancestors and branches had more false claims than others. It is possible that some claims were the result of honest mistakes.

Michael E. Byczek's father has undergone treatment for prostate cancer for the past two years, as of November 2025, along with several instances of skin cancer over the past few decades. Instead of time better spent, valuable resources were needed to stop the spread of genealogy-related misinformation about the Byczek-Bykowski family lineage that should never have happened.

In a short amount of time, Michael E. Byczek compiled over 2,500 pages of very detailed biographical documentaries from his family's research over the past 30 years just to counteract the negativity on user-uploaded genealogy websites. At the worst of this problem, he was engaged in daily combat with third parties around the world who thought they could write and upload anything they wanted. Not one relative stepped forward, at the time, to openly condemn fake genealogy. The task entirely fell upon the shoulders of Michael E. Byczek without any help.

If the Byczek family had been informed that fake genealogy had become so common, they would have done something much sooner. Michael E. Byczek, as an attorney, is who he says he is and means what he says he means. He is fiercely loyal to the direct bloodline (past, present, and future) and fully understands the intersection of law and technology as it relates to genealogy. It took an attorney with a background in computer engineering to find and implement a solution. Hopefully, these efforts will motivate others to focus on positive and accurate genealogy.

All relatives are encouraged to do their own research and make their own conclusions, but please do so respectfully. Emphasis must be placed on the dangers of AI, which is often unable to tell the difference between fact and fiction. Genealogy sources are being used to train AI models and irreversible damage could take root. It is not practical for any single, or even group, of relatives to monitor and protect data on every genealogical website. There is always a threat, from relative or third party, for havoc upon the truth. A legal perspective was important to protect family history. It would have been a breach of ethical responsibility for an attorney to ignore defamation against the deceased on websites meant for their tributes.

Direct descendants may arrive at different conclusions or derive varying historical insight of their common ancestors. Two people can review a document with different interpretations. Blood relatives don't have to agree with each other about their research. However, there is a difference between discord and pure fiction. Genealogy is not an opportunity to rewrite history or test the limits of online free speech.

The only genealogy that is approved by Michael E. Byczek and his parents is the content on their own personal family websites, and what is verified to have originated from them on user-uploaded platforms. All instances where their names or identities are used in any context other than accurate genealogy will not be overlooked. This actually happened, such as directly naming them on ancestry.com in an offensive manner and using their research out of context as part of third-party false claims.

While it is always pleasant to hear from relatives, such as exchanging old photographs, the Byczek family does not have much time for genealogy. Nor can they arrange any type of genealogical reunion in the near future. Cancer treatment is a serious, expensive, and time-consuming family matter.

Michael E. Byczek's father is Michael M. Byczek ("Mick"), mother is Betty A. (Bykowski) Byczek, and sister is Katherine S. Byczek ("Katie"). Messages may be sent to michael@byczek.pro for genealogy.

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