Any genealogists?

[Chris3jam]

Any genealogists here from whom I can ask some tips?

[Aerynne]

Me. I was about to say I'm not a professional or anything, but actually I used to be. The only thing I've done professionally is immigration to the U.S. But I've done a lot of my own genealogy. My dad is really really into it. So I mostly work on my Mom's side (cause he's doing his side). It's so fun!! Feel free to PM me any time, or write your questions on this thread.

[Chris3jam]

So cool! My dad has asked me for help.

My dad has already fund out a lot of information. He's followed my mom's side back into the 1700's, and he's working on his parents now. This stuff just fascinates me! And I really want to help him. My dad goes to the library to check the books. . .he also has about 1000 pages of information on about 250 people, and he really wants me to help him 'fill in the gaps'. He's a bit techno-phobic. He has a computer to keep all this information on, and his pictures. And that's it. I am supposed to find what I can on the internet. Now. . . how in the world do I do this? All I can see to get is all the information he's got already, through government records. And how do I try to access records and information that was most likely destroyed by the communists? My dad's dad was a Polish immigrant in 1911. Any way to search internationally for information? I have a place and date of birth, a name. . . .actually, a whole lot of information. I would really love to do this, but I do not know where to start. Not to mention, a lot of the stuff I've looked at already is in Polish or Russian! My dad said to print stuff out and he could translate, but I really need to narrow it down to information he could use.

[Garnet]

www.ancestry.com is a good place to start. and checking census records of areas, just google for instance census records, Peoria County, Illnois. and then go from there. LDS churches have wonderful geneology libraries, and its not all just LDS members.

[Chris3jam]

Is there any way to be able to use ancestry.com for less $$$$? I really can't afford the $180.00 a year, for information he probably already has through the government records. He already has a copy of the immigration papers, his dad's marriage license, the paper where he legally changed his name in 1942, etc, etc.

Is there a way to access records in the Catholic church (in Poland)? He was a Catholic. . .apparently a practicing one (or his family anyway), since they followed the practice of naming the child after the saint of the month they were born in.

[Aerynne]

A lot of libraries subscribe to ancestry.com, so you can go and use it there. :)

Do you have a town in Poland? That would make things much much easier?

I would definately recommend going to the Latter-day Saint genealogy library in your area (they are all over). They can order films from Salt Lake for a small fee (like $3, I think) for you to look through. Lots of info and lots of help there. They don't bug you about religion (at least they aren't supposed to, and I've never experienced it) but they like to help you for free. They also have some films to look through at local libraries, which you can look through for free. They probably have an ancestry.com subscription.

If there are any films in Salt Lake you want to have looked at, I can do it for you. I do charge, since it takes time and gas for me to get down there and look for stuff, but my rates are reasonable. (Hope that's not spamming. Think of it as a WAHM thing)

Censuses are going to be your best bet, probably, for finding US info. But it sounds like you're looking for Polish stuff? I don't know much about Polish genealogy, but the LDS Church does and they can help you out.

[Chris3jam]

Do you have a town in Poland? That would make things much much easier?

I think he said his dad was born in Lublin (or a town near Lublin). Thank you so, so, so much! I really hope it will help. This happened during those war years (he was born 1888 and emigrate in 1911), so the Russians destroyed a lot of records with their destruction of those areas (1914 - 1918).

May I ask why the Latter Day Saints would have information like this? Especially people not of their 'faith'?

[Garnet]

If he was Catholic the vatican should have a record of his birth and baptism. all you do is write to the and supply any info you have. The Catholic Diocese in your area should be able to help you with this. My great grandmother had to write to the vatican about her birth and baptismal records, since hers were lost and the origionals destroyed in a fire. She needed proof of her existance to get Social Security. I don't know how they had it, but they sent her a picture of her father as a young man in Los Angeles at the church.

[Aerynne]

May I ask why the Latter Day Saints would have information like this? Especially people not of their 'faith'?


The LDS Church does a lot with genealogy- encouraging members to do their own genealogy. Because of this they have a lot of resources, trying to help members out in doing their genealogy, and they are happy to share it with anyone who is interested.

[Garnet]

yup what she said. mennonites also usually have good libraries for resources.

[expatmom]

Like I said in your other "Whew" post, much of the Mennonite geneological research is focused on the same geographic area where you would be searching. The Mennonite "diaspora" happened thru much of Poland, the Ukraine, the Baltics and parts of Russia. We've done some preliminary research into DH's Mennonite family & have found that various Mennonite organizations have been quite helpful. I would encourage you to contact them in your search.

[Chris3jam]

Thanks for the input! I talked with my dad, and he said that he heard that the LDS 'ask' for a 'donation' of at least $100.00 to help out now. He said that someone was saying that people are using them for all this research, and so they decided to start asking for 'donations'. Do you know if that's true?

[Aerynne]

Absolutely false. If it ever happens, then please report it to church authorities. You may meet a genealogist who happens to be LDS who charges money, but, hey, I charge money for doing research, too. Nothing wrong with that if it's your job. But if you go to a LDS genealogy library for help they will help you for free.

[Chris3jam]

Thanks! :)

[purplerose]

Thanks for the input! I talked with my dad, and he said that he heard that the LDS 'ask' for a 'donation' of at least $100.00 to help out now. He said that someone was saying that people are using them for all this research, and so they decided to start asking for 'donations'. Do you know if that's true?


SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO absolutely NOT true!!!! :mad :td Like the poster said, there might be "private LDS genaology researchers" who might charge you, but there are MANY LDS geneology rescources that are ABSOLUTELY free!!! Call your local LDS church and ask about their genology library. Also check LDS.org for lots of links as well!! Mormons are very into family history and welcome ANYONE to use their facilities!!! :grin

[Garnet]

yup. my paresnt are Mormon and they practically put together our areas LDS church library.

[Piper2]

I went to one LDS family history center once in FL, and nobody tried to convert me or charge me anything. They were very helpful, but I didn't have a whole lot of info for them to go on. I did, believe it or not, meet a distant cousin -- one of the guys who worked there was descended from one of my ancestors (we just couldn't tell at the time exactly how he was related to me, but I do now). :eyebrow

I'm not currently doing research, but I need to pick it back up sometime. I've got my maternal grandmother's family traced back to Austria and Germany in one line, but I need to start working on her father's family. And we still have this mystery of whether or not we actually have a Native American ancestor, and if so, which tribe was she from. Nobody's been able to find any documentation as to whether this woman (my great-great grandmother) actually was an Indian, and I don't want to claim Native ancestry until I have proof.

But in addition to research and documentation, don't discount family stories and memories. In our quest to find out about my great-great grandma -- I was always told she was Cherokee, but some of my aunts and uncles said they always thought she was Creek. I've had "The Question" out there in the family for about 3 years, and just a couple of months ago, my mom suddenly called me that she remembered that her father used to tell her that his mother didn't call milk "milk", but had a different name for it. She told me the word, I did some searching online, and discovered that it was the Muscogee (Creek) word for milk. :idea So that's just another hint that we're probably talking Lower Muscogee Creek and should probably stop looking towards North Carolina. ;)

[Aerynne]

That milk story is cute! What a great way to find information.

[Garnet]

did I tell ya'll about my great grandma? Somewhere in here I did. She was born in LA in 1904 but very secretive about her past. Her mother died in childbirth, whether hers or a siblings we don't know. She says her father died in the great earthquake and she was sent to illinois to live with her aunt nellie. here's the thing. on her wedding certificate nellie henderson is listed as her mother. we don't know where henderson came from, because her "aunt nellies" last name was supposedly different. we have found her real mother was named manuela guitirez and a mexican friend told me nellie is a short of manuela. we don't think her parents were married. i think aunt nellie was her mom. after nellie came to illnois she married and had two children. i think they concocted the story to cover their shame.

[Piper2]

Well, I found out a few years ago that my grandfather's great-grandmother and my grandmother's (his wife's) grandmother were the same person. She married twice. So my grandparents were first cousins, once removed. The funny thing about finding that out was -- my grandmother used to talk all the time about her favorite Uncle Warren and nobody thought anything of it, even though we knew that Uncle Warren was my grandfather's grandmother's brother. :scratch Just something that slipped by among all the past generations, I guess. :shrug

[Garnet]

my great grandparents were too. First cousins. It was funny doing the geneology and seeing that they had the same grandparents...............

[Chris3jam]

All this stuff is SOOOO fascinating! I found out that my grandfather was born in Lublin, Poland, 12-7-1885, and emigrated in 1911. His name was Ambrozy Kaspar or Kaspra (?) Barszcz. He changed it officially in 1942 to Ambrose Barch. His dad, Kaspra, (great grandfather) died in 1917, and I'm trying to find out when he was born. Father's brother was Wladyslaw Barszcz, 1894 - 1942. My dad's uncle (dad's brother) flew in WW II, was shot down a few times over England, the last time he was too injured to fight anymore, and they sent him to Canada. He built a hotel along the Alaskan Highway.

Anyway, if any of these names sound familiar, let me know! :D

[Piper2]

my great grandparents were too. First cousins. It was funny doing the geneology and seeing that they had the same grandparents...............


When Kevin was sent to a pediatric geneticist (our first stop in our ADHD/Asperger's journey), he delicately asked us if there was any way DH and I could possibly be related in any way other than marriage. :shifty I told him no, but my grandparents were first cousins, once removed, and he said, "Ah...consanguinity!" First time I ever heard anyone actually use that term in conversation. ;)