In Loving Memory of Ronald Joseph Cieslak (July 5, 1955 – March 15, 2025)
by Tanner Mills

Ronald Joseph Cieslak, a man of deep faith, boundless generosity, and unwavering dedication to his family past and present, passed away peacefully on March 15, 2025, in Payson, Utah. He was 69 years old. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 5, 1955, to Edward and Helen (née Dufala) Cieslak, Ron grew up with his two younger brothers, Richard (Rick) and Randall (Randy), and formed lifelong friendships that would span across states, countries and decades.

It was his spiritual and genealogical pursuits that truly revealed the depth of his soul. Among his greatest accomplishments was the creation of the Jakubany Records Database, a massive labor of love that drew on his ancestral roots in Jakubany, Slovakia. Ron dedicated years—decades, in fact—to painstakingly transcribing and translating church records from  Church Slavonic/Rusyn  into English. This work made previously inaccessible records available digitally to countless descendants of Rusyn immigrants around the world. Through this effort, Ron didn’t just preserve history—he restored identity to hundreds of families searching for their place in the world.

 Ron’s legacy isn’t measured just in names and dates. It’s felt in the lives he touched—including my own. I was just 12 years old when I began my journey into our Rusyn heritage, and Ron was the first person who truly opened the doors for me. His guidance was more than academic—it was transformative. Because of Ron, I didn’t just find names in a record book; I found family, cousins I never knew, and even my spiritual home in the Byzantine Catholic Church. My life was forever changed because of his generosity and passion for connecting people to their roots.

His work in genealogy  was not just a hobby—it was his life’s mission. He traveled to Slovakia six times to meet with cousins and continue his research in person, deepening both his own understanding and that of so many others.

Ron will be remembered for his heart—for his generosity, his deep-rooted faith, and his unshakeable belief that our connections to one another are eternal.

Thank you, Ron, for giving so many of us the gift of knowing who we are. You taught us that family is forever, and through your work and love, you brought heaven just a little closer to earth.