Following from your comment Tina, I would suggest watching for the spelling Krisbin and variants in between. I have a rather elusive Krisbin line from Sidorowka just to the north of Suwalki. Bronwyn. On Thu, Dec 31, 2009 at 8:24 PM, Tina Ellis <polska.research@gmail.com> wrote: > Were they by chance from the Suwalki area? > > On Thu, Dec 31, 2009 at 6:44 AM, har <harcardinal@earthlink.net> wrote: > >> Hi Barry, >> >> I had similar difficulties while researching my Polish ancestors who >> immigrated to the same area of Pennsylvania as yours did.  I will >> share my strategy in hopes that it helps you.  My goal was to find the >> village of birth for my ancestors.  I was able to narrow it down to >> three villages which all went to the same parish church in Poland.  I >> found the Polish church records for my ancestors and met a living >> relative in Poland.  I hope you are at least as successful. >> >> I cast a wider net. Relying on the idea of chain migration, I searched >> for every possible record in the US for anyone with surnames similar >> to my ancestors and who  lived in a certain geographical area in >> Pennsylvania (for you, that may be a certain number of towns around >> Wilkes Barre). Alternative spellings were significant here.  I placed >> all my data from these records in a large spread sheet.  This allowed >> me to compare the data. The records include: >> >> ships passenger lists >> naturalization records >> census records in Pennsylvania >> mining accidents (my ancestors worked in the mines in Pennsylvania) >> WWI draft records >> Haller's Army records >> cemetery records in Pennsylvania >> wills in Pennsylvania >> court documents in Pennsylvania >> church records in Pennsylvania where they lived (these were very >> valuable, as frequently they list the providence or village of birth >> in Poland) >> civil marriage records in Pennsylvania >> newspapers >> etc. >> >> I did the same research for anyone listed as a sponsor on any >> christening and/or witness on any marriage. >> >> When working with passenger lists, I searched for anyone with similar >> surnames to my ancestors. I put their data in my spreadsheet.  For >> passengers listed just above or just below on the passenger lists, if >> they were from the same village or province, I put them in my >> spreadsheet, as well (regardless of surname). >> Of particular help was Steve Morse's database search engine.  I used >> it to search passenger lists for everyone from the same village or >> province in Poland. >> http://stevemorse.org/ellis2/ellisgold.html >> >> Also, in identifying villages, the following website was extremely >> helpful: >> http://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/LocTown.asp >> >> I did the same research for anyone who married into the family either >> in Poland or in the US. >> >> This required a significant amount of work, but was worth it.  I found >> that people with surnames similar to my ancestors (who immigrated to >> the same area of Pennsylvania) were born in three villages and >> attended the same parish church in Poland.  So, I made an educated >> guess that my ancestors came from one of these three villages.  And I >> was right! >> >> Happy Researching! And Good Luck! >> Harriet >>