I'm also doing research and my great great grandfather was buried in cohoes ny and the papers called him
Alex. Census data has his name as "Ilks" and wwi draft card has him down as "Ilko". His wife was from Galacia her name was
Anna Kowal, both arrived 1899. He is from somewhere that I can NOT make out! Looks like "lubvo" or something like that. It's definitely not Lviv. Trying to decrypt this is very difficult. They also crossed out their mother tongue language. It said Ukrainian but has a like through it and above that "OL" old language maybe? Not sure.
If I don't get back my email is
amnatale89@gmail.com