The Leoke and Koik FamiliesFrom Estonia to America
Family history notes · Estonia, Germany & America

The Leoke and Koik Families

The families of Pilvi Leoke and Elmar Koik, from Estonia to the United States

Pilvi Laine Leoke was born in Tartu in 1921, into a Viljandi family of booksellers and publishers. Elmar Heinrich Koik was born on the Karksi manor estate, about 35 km south of Viljandi, in 1925. Both left Estonia in 1944, spent the postwar years in Germany as refugees, and came to the United States, where they married.

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Eighth edition, October 2026 · Download the PDF
The Leoke family, 26 August 1910
The Leoke family on 26 August 1910. As identified by Viljandi Museum, front row, from left: Hans, Elmar and Mari; back row: Jaan, Hans and Peeter (Peter). The boy in the front row is Elmar Oswald Leoke, Pilvi’s father.Viljandi Museum, VMF 176:92.
Part one

The Leokes of Viljandi

Landless peasants on the Vana-Võidu estate who became a town family. Hans Leoke opened Viljandi’s first Estonian-language bookshop in 1891, published plays and schoolbooks, and collected almost every Estonian book printed before 1864.

Hans Leoke · Mari Leoke, née Tõllasepp · Jaan Leoke · Hans Leoke (the younger) · Peter (Peeter) Leoke · Elmar Oswald Leoke · Hilda Wilhelmine Leoke, née Meomüttel · Virve (Wirwe) Helje Leoke · Pilvi Laine Koik, née Leoke

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Part two

The Koiks of Karksi

A rural working family from the Kariste estates of Halliste parish, traced through Paistu and Halliste to Karksi manor, where Elmar Heinrich Koik was born in 1925.

Peeter Koik · Els Koik, née Rantsus · Juhan (Johann, Johan) Koik · Marie Karoline Koik, née Purtsak · Ida Marie Koik · Martin Koik · Elmar Heinrich Koik

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