April 11, 1997 Dear fellow Lithuanians; My Name is Dan Palaimo, I'm a US born Lithuania looking for a way to locate relatives in Lithuania. I'm sending this letter to all people, organizations or societies involved in any way with Lithuania. Our name was originally spelled PALAIMA but was changed for some reason long ago. On my Father's Baptismal record it shows His Parents name as: John Palaima and Antania Uteriute. On my Mother's Birth Certificate it shows Her Parents names as: Frank Kosmen and Julia Gottoff. But on Her Baptismal record it shows their names as: Frank Kozmacius and Julia Gotautas. Both my Parents Baptismal records were recorded at a Lithuanian Church so I tend to believe the Baptismal records would be correct. I had an Aunt in the Kosmeh (Kozmacius) Family (now deceased) who had contacts with the Kosmeh (Kozmacius) Family until the late 1960's when all correspondence stopped. Being under Communist rule back then she had no way of finding out what happened. As far as I know my Grandmother Julia had only one Sister who stayed in Lithuania. Where? I don't know........ I've seen a lot of Web Sites on the Internet but most are in Lithuanian language which I don't understand. Would you know of a society or organization I may write too for help on this? I am planning a trip to Lithuania in Dec and would love to have relatives to visit. Thanks for any help you may provide. The only geographical address info I have is listed below. The only info I have at the moment is that the name "PALAIMA" is found mainly in "JONAVA" area North East of Kaunas. I was hoping someone might be able to check the Post Office and or the Phone book in the Jonava Region for me or tell me how I may get access to it. I Pray every day that a fellow Brother may be able to help me. Thanks Again to all who may reply to this. I did find a Web Site in Lithuania on "How To Find Lithuanian Relatives" and wrote to the Web Master and he translated the address I have listed below: Palaima Kaimas Alksta Kaimas Janava Pacta Kauno Apskritis Lithuania English Translation: Palaima Alksta village Jonava post office (pron. like "Yonava") Kaunas district Lithuania THANKS AGAIN Email me at: Palaimo@CyberStreet.com

MTNMANN wrote: > > You don't say where you've written. I was able to locate my gf in the > index in Scranton, PA then write to Phila, PA and obtain the copy of the > natz papers. Cost was $6. > > John Hudick Could you be a little more specific? I need to search in Scranton. Why did you have to write to Philly? I thought all the papers were in Scranton for people who Naturalized there? Does Scranton have some kind of index other than local people?

You don't say where you've written. I was able to locate my gf in the index in Scranton, PA then write to Phila, PA and obtain the copy of the natz papers. Cost was $6. John Hudick

Please read my article at: http://www.feefhs.org/socslav/hudick1.html It will help you get started. Good Luck, John Hudick

Your public library should have access to materials from the American Genealogy Lending Library. There is a set of microfiches from AGLL that will give resources available including indexes and Soundexes for various ports. The microfilmed records can be borrowed on interlibrary loan for a few dollars. One point you will have to clarify is the port of arrival. I would assume that your ancestors arrived in NY or some other port rather than Hoboken. This information may be found in their immigration records at the county courthouse of their county of residence when (and if) they were naturalized. If you need a more complete explanation of this e-mail me at siecinsk@trib.infi.net Ladyscoop <ladyscoop@AOL.COM> wrote: >Charles, > I saw a reply to a posting and thought you might be able to help me. My >grandmother and family came to the US from Slovakia between 1902 and 1906. >They probably sailed out of Bremen and probably arrived at Hobokan, NJ. I >haven't been able to lacate them as our library only had 5 arrival books >and of course they were not in them!! Can you help? The surname is >CERSTVIK. Please email any info or ideas. Thanks

As I read the history of the Ukraine and particularly Galicia, from whence many of these secret keepers came, I began to imagine their lives. I imagined invaders arriving in a village (as they seem to have constantly been arriving, year after year). Do we side with the invaders to save ourselves or with the defendors? The alliances and allegiances must have been constantly shifting and changing. I puzzle over the simplest of things in my life but thinking of the life and death puzzles they were constantly facing humbles me. My grandparents were so close to the Polish border, so close to the Russian border, but were ruled by Austria and priests who kept Ukrainian culture alive in an underground way. They must have all had secrets that could have betrayed them to those in power or knew secrets about their neighbors that could have destroyed them. I remember reading that the Vikings were actually there (wasn't everyone!) and that they discovered a society with very little organization -- nether state or church -- anarchy -- every family keeping to themselves, thank you very much. Realisticly we would have to believe that there is a pysche created by the living conditions of a people -- I suggest that the same pysche that produces the secretiveness, perhaps paranoia of these ancestors has a very positive side as well: Shrewdness and self-sufficiency are two qualities that fascinate me in the Slavic peoples.

Now that I've found my ancestral townnames, I've gone back through my notes and found a list with corresponding townnames. Unfortunately, I didn't write down the web site where the original list is. Can anyone help me? Description of the list: This is an alphabetical list that is broken into ~5 or 6 groups (for example A-D, E-H, etc.) Included in each listing is the name of the searcher, name and town of the ancestor. Sorry to be such a bother but I've changed my system and all my bookmarks are lost and I didn't write this address down anywhere. Appreciate your assistance. Chris Boyd Calgary Canada

Hi Al, At least my father wrote down his mother's birthdate and place, which was Kuty, Slovakia, but only his father's birthdate and as I said before Galicia, A-H Empire. I have been searching for some informaion on him for about 18 years now, give or take, and nothing so far. We were also told we were from Austria. jo At 12:39 PM 4/9/97 GMT, you wrote: >Joanne Hollak <joanne@ICO.COM> wrote: > >>Hi, I am having the same problem. He also said on the census that he was >>Naturalized and I can't find records of that either. He didn't tell my >>father his village name, only Galicia, A-H Empire. No talking in the family >>apparently as we don't know anything at all. jo >> >> >> >> >>At 12:50 PM 4/8/97 -0400, you wrote: >>>I've often jokingly said that it is so hard to find information about my >>>immigrant grandfather >>>that it was almost as if he deliberately tried to hide. Maybe it's not such >a >>>joke! >>> >>> >Me too! > >My grandfather was also a coal-miner in Shamokin Pa. Later he worked >for the American Can Company in Harrisburg?. Whenever I asked him >about his parents, when they came to America, etc he would just smile. >Later when I was an adult he went as far as to say they were from >Austria and later still it became a more specific Galicia. Rings a >bell huh Joanne. But he never ever even told me my great grandmothers >or grandfathers names. > >My experience agrees with others here. They were secretive about their >past. Why I do not know. > >On the other hand, he loved to tell stories about his life in America. >He would show me all the blue flakes under the skin of his hands, >which was coal. Mostly though, he talked about American Can. He >worshipped them. Always praised them for how well they took care of >he and his family as an employee. Hum, I wonder if they still have >his employment records. > >Al Shurgalla > >

> Karl A. Kaszuba wrote: > > > > Looking for help researching my father's side of the family. He was born > > in Bat'kov (alt.=Batkiv), Ukraine (then called Batkow and part of Poland) > > in 1921, later > > lived in Radzivilluv (alt.=Radzivilov or Radzwillow, now=Chervonoarmeysk), > > Ukraine, then attended university in Lviv. He studied > > medicine at Erlanger Univ, Germany, then emigrated to U.S. in late 1940s. > > His name was Alexander Kaszuba, son of Nadja and Stephen Kaszuba. Lived > in > > New York state until 1955 (then in Rochester, NY) when he moved our family > > to St Petersburg, Florida. > > > > Any idea where to write about birth, death, etc records in Dubno District, > > Volhyn Province, Ukraine? > > > > Karl A. Kaszuba > > kkaszuba@worldnet.att.net > Hi Karl, > Get thee to a library or bookstore and pick up Angus Baxter's > Discovering Your European Roots, which has loads of info and > addresses.Also, check out the Ukrainian sites on the net. > Hope this helps! > Regards, > Bonnie Cieslukowski Weissman > Possibly a better book would be "Polish Roots" by Chorzempa and/or "Russian Language Documents from Russian Poland: A Translation Manual for Genealogists" by Shea. They are available from most of the genealogical bookstores...I know you can get them at 800-772-7559 (Frontier Press). Karen Green

In a message dated 97-04-10 12:53:43 EDT, you write: > Noting several recent queries about the informative passenger lists soft > cover book: "They Came In Ships" by John P. Colletta the following is > offered: This book is also available from Frontier Press for $9.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. 1-800-772-7559 or at http://www.doit.com/frontier

mybeer@ibm.net (Dan & Paula Sherrin) wrote: >I had been told that the meaning of the name is "of the old city". Can anyone >verify this and tell me what city it refers to? Jerusalem? Thanks. >Paula Starr Sherrin "Selsky" in Czech means "of the village" or "of the country." So a person named "Staroselsky" would mean, roughly, "a country person from way back." "Stary" means "old," and the combining form is "staro-." David Chroust Monographs cataloger Evans Library Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-5000

Noting several recent queries about the informative passenger lists soft cover book: "They Came In Ships" by John P. Colletta the following is offered: If this book is unavailable at your library for your inspection, or, if your local bookstore cannot obtain it for you, it is currently available for $9.95 plus $4.95shipping at the following outlet: Ancestry PO Box 476 Salt Lake City UT 84110-0476 Phone orders are accepted: 1 800 262 3787 Ancestry also has other books relative to genealogy.

Carol, What a lovely Story, and Thank God for your Aunt Helen. Thank you for sharing that with us.I'm neither czech (hubby is) nor Polish, but could see a lot of similarities in my own research. suzi --

Do these apply to Russian Poland? Where would they be? What years? >>> 3) REVIZSKIE SKAZKI (revision lists) Church books are not the best research source for Russian genealogy. Both archivists and researchers told me that the best place to begin research is in the revision lists. Revision lists were kept between 1719 and 1858 to support a national poll tax. They covered 95% of the population. The poll tax was announced by Peter I in 1718 and was undertaken in 1719. He instituted it in order to change the basis of taxation from households to individuals. It still took several years for the returns to come in. In the meantime Peter I died. The second revision was initiated in 1743 by Elizabeth. The third revision, 1761-1767, coincided with the ascension of Catherine II to the throne. It included females for the first time. The fourth revision (1778-1787, was the first to be conducted by the region fiscal chamber (kazionnaia palata), established in 1775 to handle income and expenses of governmental institutions, the collection of taxes, and the conduct of revisions. The fifth revision was in 1794-1808. The sixth revision was in 1811-1812. The seventh revision was in 1815-1825. The eighth revision was in 1833-1835. The ninth revision was in 1850-1852. The tenth revision was in 1857-1859. The last three revisions noted changes in families during the interim between the revisions. The tax was imposed on all male persons of the lower classes at a rate of 80 kopeks a year. Nobility, clergy, officialdom, army, and higher strata of the urban population were exempt -- about 10% in the 19th century. Separate volumes were kept for the different classes of society. * dvorianstvo -- nobility * dukhovenstvo -- clergy * kupechestvo -- merchant * meshchane -- urban dweller * krest'iane -- peasant * inorodtsy -- native peoples * kazaki -- cossaks -- *************** Adalbert Goertz ****** ph 717-762-7378 ******** retired in Waynesboro PA (65 miles from Baltimore/Washington DC Mennonite genealogy of East and West Prussia prior to 1945. Wanted: house in Colorado/New Mexico/Arizona for us retirees

Why am I getting double mailings from this list?

I have to put my 2 cents in on this one, I've found all the posts most interesting. I am 100% Polish-American, all of my ancestors immigrated at the turn of the century. On my father's side--- Dziedziula/Lucewicz Family--we know nothing. I only know my grandmother, Adela Lucewicz-Dziedziula, came from Lwow. That's a big area. I have no idea if either grandparent had any brother's or sisters etc. All my information comes from their death certificates, Leopold's parent's names were Konstanty and Elisabeth Dziedziula. On my grandmother's death certificate, father's name: unknown mother's name Scholastica. They were both dead before I was born, and my father never asked about his grandparents. So, haven't proceeded very far in research on the Dziedziula/Lucewicz line. No naturalization papers found etc. Believe me, I've tried it all. Buszek/Langiewicz-MUCH MORE here! My Aunt Helen basically drew a complete picture of the Buszek line for me--and I got the rest from my grandfather's Polish birth certificate. How lucky could I get? On the Langiewicz line-my grandmother (who was born in Natrona, PA) wrote a 50 page handwritten memoir of her family history before she died, complete with details of her grandfather's life (Andrew Langiewicz) as a zarzadca "caretaker" of an estate on the "folwork" boulevard near Cienmiewo, outside the city of Ciechanow. I got the films for Cienmiewo from the Family History Center--guess what? around the time they started thinking about immigrating--all records change to Russian. No wonder they wanted out and didn't look back. Still looking for any Dziedziula/Lucewicz's--mysterious though they maybe! :-) Carol Dziedziula-Dunn

In Article<l0302090aaf71a2261a28@[199.224.69.104]>, <rllewis@USA.NET> write: Try a book called "POLISH ROOT" the authors name- Rosemary A. Chorzempa. > So, can anyone help me find a list of the Saints' names in Latin, and the > (this would be a bonus) English translations. Of course, Polish > translations would be icing on the cake. (Some of these translations are > easy: Joannus-->John, but some are hard: Jacobus-->James <yes *James*>) > > Any suggestions for sources? > > Thanks > > > Ralph > > Do you believe in Macintosh? Check out the EvangeList web site at: > <http://www.evangelist.macaddict.com/>

Do I have this right, Greek Catholic - Rome & Pope. Different from Orthodox. I have Grandchildren who are of Lithuian(I don't even know if I spelled it right) descent and a Granddaughter-in-law who is Ukranian/Galicia. We are 95% German but my Great Granny was a Bonawitz - Sorbs/Wends in Eastern Germany, but she always said Bonawitz were og Polish descent, came from Village on Polish Border, can anyone help me. I want to start on my Grandchildren's Genealogy, but no help.Secret's for sure. Sylvia Graybill beatagoose@aol.com

I am hoping to find a origin for my grandfathers name, he was born in the US and know as Charles Trimbath, however I have been told he was also called Karlos Terembitz, his parent were "Austrian" however I have had no luck with this particular surname does any one have any ideas on an origin? Lisa Baker

Hi, I too have often wondered why my grandfather left virtually no trace of his relatives in Bohemia. He left behind 3 sisters and his father, while he and his brother came to America. My grandfather's brother dies in his late twenties. My grandfather never really talked about the family he left behind to my father or my father's siblings. My uncle said that he would write them occasionally, but never spoke of them. My uncle said that my grandfather did not want to serve in the Austian armed services and left for America, after serving an apprenticeship in Vienna as a cabinent maker. But despite my grandfathers silence about his Bohemian roots, I found all my relatives in the old country..it was quite a miracle for me. My 9 year old daughter slept in her great-great-great-great granfathers farm house where the first Sarsok came to the little hamlet of Jemnice 100 Km south of Prague. I do not know where he came from, that is my next search. But along the way, I found that my great grandfather had a half brother and from that half brother there are also other Sarsoks living in the Czech Republic. I must say that it was the grace of God that allowed me to discover the relatives I never knew. And I redicovered something of myself in what I saw in them. In them I saw some of my own psycholigal nature. I discovered the family I never knew. It is strange to me that my relatives here in America never had such an interest, except for my uncle. During WWII, as the war wound down, he tried to visit his 3 aunts, but was not given permission. He could only visit a father or mother. So close but so far away. Nevertheless, my grandfather did not talk of his life and what things were like in his native Bohemia, to his children. I only know that as a child my grandfather was left handed and the teacher slapped his hand and forced him to write right handed..he became ambitextorous. He once saw a priest who was tipsy and he became an athiest, and here in America he believed in socialism. But that's it. I was too young for him to talk to me..and to scaried to ask. He was a very sarcastic man, and to a young boy's mind VERY mean. He was a very moral and upright individual, but did not beleive in God. He was and is a mystery to me. ..gary... flass@lbdc.senate.state.ny.us wrote: >I've often jokingly said that it is so hard to find information about my immigrant grandfather >that it was almost as if he deliberately tried to hide. Maybe it's not such a joke! Kde vira, tam laska. Kde laska, tam mir.