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

Dear Harriet, Thank you very much for your response. I will follow up on your suggestions. Happy New Year! Sincerely, Mercedes Sowko Crispin > From: harcardinal@earthlink.net > Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:44:32 -0500 > To: polandbordersurnames@rootsweb.com > CC: barrykaminski@yahoo.com > Subject: [PBS] Rominski and Kozatek families in Poland > > 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 > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to POLANDBORDERSURNAMES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222985/direct/01/

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 > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > POLANDBORDERSURNAMES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >