31 May 2008

Jasia, UPGS crest designer, hosts genealogy blog

Jasia, who designed our UPGS 2008 crest, hosts a dynamic blog covering all things genealogy. Yesterday she posted about a new Google feature - translating Polish websites into English.

She says:
For genealogists who don't read the native language of their ancestors this really is the next best thing since sliced bread. You don't have to copy and paste text in a box or type in a hyperlink and choose which language to translate to and from. Just one click to translate a web page, it's that easy. Sigh. I think I'm in love.

Read more:http://creativegene.blogspot.com/2008/05/genealogy-research-made-one-click.html

UPGS 2010 April 28 - May 1, 2010




While the 2008 UPGS seminar has ended, it's time to pencil in the 2010 UPGS seminar. PGSM will once again host the event. Mark your calendar for the weekend of April 28-May 1, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Polish Military lists, Concentration Camp Records

List of casualties of the Polish Army, killed in action or died from wounds from the years 1918-1920
http://www.genealodzy.pl/name-Legiony.phtml

Index of soldiers of the Polish Legions from the years 1918-1920
http://www.genealodzy.pl/name-Legiony.phtml

Related site:
The aim of the project is to commemorate Polish citizens who were oppressed and persecuted under German occupation during the years 1939-45.
http://www.straty.pl/
Thank you, Jim Tye for recommending this site.

This browser allows for searching the contents of the Auschwitz Memorial website, including the data bases with partly preserved data about Auschwitz prisoners.
http://www.auschwitz.org.pl/new/index.php?language=EN&tryb=szukaj

Dachau Concentration Camp Records
http://stevemorse.org/dachau/intro.htm
While the focus of Holocaust research has, understandably, been on Jewish victims and survivors, it is often overlooked that most persons identified in camp and forced labor records were non-Jewish and ITS estimates that roughly three quarters of the persons identified in its collection are non-Jews. For example, more Italian and French non-Jews were deported for forced labor than Italian or French Jews. Similarly, millions of non-Jewish Poles (including thousands of Catholic priests), Ukrainians and Yugoslavs are identified as deportees in extant records, while their Jewish compatriots were often murdered without records.

Tomasz Nitsch


This was Tomasz's second UPGS seminar.
In 2006 he "dropped by" while on a business trip to the U.S. This year he was an active and valued participant- not only lecturing, but conducting Skype sessions with Polish genealogists. This photo of Tomek holding the 2008 UPGS syllabus was taken on a genealogy camping trip shortly after he returned to Poland. http://www.genealodzy.pl/fotoalbum/displayimage.php?album=47&pos=18

Tomasz introduced attendees to important researchers and websites in Poland.

Polskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne (Polish Genealogical Association)

Tomasz Nitsch and the Pomeranian Genealogical Association
http://www.ptg.gda.pl/
Skype Teleconference hosted by Tomasz Nitsch
Conversation with the most genealogical family in Poland: Adam and Ewa Kaminski. Ewa is a PTG (Polish Genealogical Society) member of the board and Adam is a president of the Pomeranian Genealogical Association (Pomorskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne). Adam and Tomek spoke about Polish TG - today and plans for the future. Pomeranian TG – local genealogical events and online databases for vital records from the archives in Pelpin. http://www.ptg.gda.pl/index.php/certificate/action/main/
Tomasz Nitsch with Marek Jerzy Minakowski PhD
Conversation with Marek Jerzy Minakowski PhD, Polish historian and genealogist, who built the greatest Polish genealogical database. Dr. Minakowski’s database shows e.g., that most of Polish famous poets (Rey, Kochanowski, Morsztyn, Krasicki, Mickiewicz, Krasiński, Miłosz and Herbert) have family ties with each other. Dr Minakowski is also the Chairman of the Society of the Descendants of Sejm Wielki, organization similar to the Sons of American Revolution.
Visit Dr. Minakowski's site at: http://www.przodkowie.com/
We thank him for allowing UPGS attendees free access to his website!
Genealogy in Poland Today

Tomek showed examples of Polish genealogical websites, especially the very successful ones like the classmates system http://naszaklasa.pl/
and the European project http://moikrewni.pl/
Everyone loves the surname map function of this site: http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/

Last but not least, Tomasz told us about his website http://genpol.com/
it's useful functions, and plans for the future.

28 May 2008

Finding Post Mortem Records

Post Mortem Records
Ceil Wendt Jensen, CG

A survey of traditional records, resource books, and electronic databases that will help Polish American researchers find records created at the time of an ancestor’s death.

Civil Death records
Parish Death records

Death Certificate
City, state
death at sea
burial at sea
documents from shipboard death
notations on ship manifests

Post mortem photos US and PL
Funeral home records

announcement Cards – US and PL klepsydra
http://klepsydra.mikrosystem.eu/index.htm
obits, Death notices, English, Polish
America’s Obituaries & Death Notices funeral Cards
http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/obituaries.html

Visitor books traditional and online

Cemetery records
burial records
mausoleum records
movement of remains
plot maps
databases: http://internment.net/
http://findagrave.com/

Monument Makers
sketch books
record books
photos

Veterans request to receive a marker The marker application can be found on NARA NY microfilm M1916
Veteran cemetery databases

Memorial Celebrations
Wszystkich Świętych and Dzień Zaduszny http://www.rootsweb.com/~pollubel/lipowa.html
Polish Veterans http://www.pava-swap.org/

Publications

Morbus –Why and How Our Ancestors Died: A Genealogist's Dictionary of Terms Found in Vital Records with Descriptions of the Diseases As They Relate to the Health of Our, Rosemary A. Chorzempa

Study of Obituaries as a Source for Genealogical Research, Thomas E. Golembiewski

Detroit's Mount Elliott Cemetery, Cecile Wendt Jensen, ISBN: 0738540935
Detroit's Mount Olivet Cemetery, Cecile Wendt Jensen, ISBN: 0738540927
Detroit's Polonia, Cecile Wendt Jensen, ISBN: 0738539996

Locating Ancestral Villages

Strategies for Locating Ancestral Villages: Four Case Studies
Ceil Wendt Jensen cjensen@mipolonia.net

One lucky colleague told me he identified his ancestors’ villages by asking his grandmother! Sweet and simple. For those of us who’s grandparents died before our birth- or before our interest in genealogy began- we need to use other research techniques to locate the ancestral villages.
Here are four case studies that use different finding aids and techniques to locate the village and parishes. While many traditional research techniques were employed this session addresses online tools that can help you in your quest. The case studies are from West and East Prussia, Congress Poland, Poznań and Galicia.

Starting Point: Three family documents for the WENDT family.
Tools: Kartenmeister http://www.kartenmeister.com/
Family Search http://familysearch.org/
FEEFHS Map Room http://www.feefhs.org/newest_map.html

The Wendt family knew their ancestors came from the Danzig/ Gdańsk area. The documents were issued in 1889 and 1892 and were in written in German. Without access to the proper finding aids in the mid 1970s the village could not be located. A 1970s map of Poland would not show the German name of the village. Needed was a German map of the region from the proper time period and a gazetteer to indicate the civil and religious registries. The documents were identified as issued by the Roman Catholic Church in Mühlbanz.

It was not in the Kreis of Danzig but to the south of Danzig in Kreis Dirschau.
Uwe-Karsten Krickhahn’s Kartenmeister http://www.kartenmeister.com/
is a great tool to help with the boarder and name changes of villages in the following provinces: East Prussia, including Memel, West Prussia, Brandenburg, Posen, Pomerania, and Silesia.

You can find a 1880s map in the FEEFHS Map Room
http://feefhs.org/maps/gere/ge-wprus.html
They have online the West Prussia map from Blackie & Sons Atlas (Edinburgh, 1882)
Scale: 1:1,800,000 (or one inch = about 28 miles)

Using the LDS online catalog Family Search http://familysearch.org/ the family was able to locate microfilms of the church and civil records that could be rented at the local Family History Center. The catalog on Family Search has the microfilms under both the German and Polish names. Mühlbanz, West Prussia, Germany; now, Miłobądź (Tczew), Gdańsk, Poland.

Starting Point: One Document for the PRZYTULA / PRZYTULSKI family.

Tools: Stephen S. Barthel’s East and West Prussia Gazetteer
http://progenealogists.com/resources.htmS

łownik Geograficzny http://www.polishroots.org/slownik/lidzbark.htm

Family History Library / Reference fhl@ldschurch.org

*WWI Draft Registration http://ancestry.comBaltimore Ship Manifest (Index) http://familysearch.org/, http://ancestry.com

The Przytulski family was said to have moved from “Germany to Poland” before immigration to the US. A post WWII map would not solve this 1880s problem. The migration was not west to east but north to south. From East Prussia to Congress Poland. The original document was issued in 1888 Ciborg, Strasbourg, Lautenburg. Using Stephen S. Barthel’s East and West Prussia Gazetteer the correct spelling of the location was clarified as Cibórz, Strasborg in West Prussia.

Researchers reference the multi volume Słownik Geograficzny to read a description of their village between 1880 and 1902. An English translation for Lidzbark, in the County of Brodnica is located on Polish Roots has an Entry of Lidzbark under the Słownik Geograficzny http://www.polishroots.org/slownik/lidzbark.htm
The FHC had the microfilmed records indexed as Lautenburg (Kr. Strasburg), West Prussia, Germany; now Lidzbark (Działdowo), Olsztyn, Poland.

The process had to be repeated when only one ancestor was found in the church records. Where was the earlier village? The Baltimore ship manifest listed Gross Sensk but there was no such village in the gazetteers. The document was sent to reference librarian Sonja Nishimoto at the FHC in Salt Lake and her experienced eye identified the village as Groß Lensk, Neidenburg, East Prussia. The church records contained over 150 years of family records. But the key ancestor’s 1890 birth record was still missing.
His US WWI draft registration was obtained. He had entered Cutsburg as his place of birth. Studying a map from the FEEFHS map room showed a village over the boarder in Congress Poland called Kuczbork. Since the records were not filmed the certificate was obtained by sending the bilingual request letter to the Mława archives. The form was published by Hoffman and Shea In Their Words, Volume I, Polish. (p. 151). The family’s villages spanned West Prussia, East Prussia and Congress Poland in a radius of less than 15 miles.

Starting Point: No Documents, Good Stories for the ADAMSKI family of Poznań
Tools:
*Naturalization Papers Archives of Michigan
http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17449_18635_20684---,00.html
Current map of Poland http://pilot.pl/

The Adamski line was the maternal grandmother’s line. The family didn’t have any documents for her but knew the family’s roots were in Poznań. Whether it was the city or region was unknown. A search of US marriages, births, and baptisms of her children didn’t reveal any information. It was only after re-reading family letters that a paper trail was found.
A branch of the family arrived in 1907 and, if a son had filed naturalization papers it would identify the village. Her nephew did file papers in 1922. The village of Rogalin was identified. Since this village name did not change during the partitions its location could be found on a current Polish map.

Starting Point: No Documents, One Meager Story for the ZDZIEBKO Family
Tools:
*City Directories http://www.ancestry.com/
*US Census http://heritagequestonline.com/
Ellis Island Database http://ellisislandrecords.org/; http://stevemorse.org/
Vital Records for Galician Towns http://www.polishroots.org/galicia_towns.htm
The Zdziebko descendants had lost the documents as well as the family stories pertaining to their ancestor Agata Zdziebko. All that was known was that their mother had a brother who “lived on Rich St.” and they were from Galicia.

A thorough search of Detroit, MI city directories identified Zdziebkos living at 169 Rich St. US Census work identified the homeowner as Thomas Zdziebko. Obtaining their death certificates identified their father as Jan Zdziebko. Then the research hit a brick wall. It wasn’t until the Ellis Island database came online that several Zdziebko ship manifests were found. Zarzecze was listed as the home village- but the online gazetteer listed 13 villages. Which one to check? It was a daunting task and few of these parishes were available on microfilm.
So the researcher went back to the Ellis Island website. The only male from that location settled in East Chicago, Indiana. His naturalization papers were obtained from the Great Lakes Region in Chicago NARA and identified his place of birth as Zarzecze, Jasło, Austria. A Polish researcher had to be found to contact the parish in Dębowiec. The records reveled the unknown Paweł was in fact Agata and Thomas’s nephew. Again, a location found by looking at the papers of a younger generation.

* Fee for the service

Links for Military Records

Prussian Army Units: http://www.michaelectric.com/
Prussian History and Military History: http://www.grosser-generalstab.de/
Prussian History (including Military): http://www.preussenweb.de/preussen.htm


MILITARY RECORDS
Military records identify individuals who served in the military or who were eligible to serve. Germany had a large army and a small navy. Since most German states had conscription laws, most young men were required to register for military service. A young man who had not yet served had to get special permission to emigrate.

Calumet Poles with Prussian military papers

http://calumetmi.blogspot.com/ (see document sample)
•Aurich, 31 January 1882The undersigned Royal Provincial Government certifies here with that Peter Tobola born 15 June 1851 in Mieczewo, District of Schrimm and residing in Wiesedemeer, District of Aurich, on his request and for the purpose of emigration to North America, has here with been relieved of his Prussian Citizenship. This certificate effects the loss of the Prussian citizenship for the person expressly named herein effective on the date of issue, however, it will become void if the person has not moved to another State within the Federation or obtained the Citizenship in another Federal State six (6)months from the date of issue of this certificate.
•(Paragraph 18 of the Law that governs the obtainment and loss of the Federaland State Citizenship of 1 June 1870, German Civil Code, page 355.)
Royal Provincial Government,signature (illegible)

http://calumetmi.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html
•The substitute reservist Franz Szarolettos of Czmow (?), District of Schrimm, of the III. Company, has here with received permission to acquire a civil passport to America by April 1876.However, in the event of mobilization, he must reportimmediately to the undersigned company even without an order.Schrimm, 6 April 1874Royal District Commandsigned Ebeling, Colonelon duty and District Commander
•Evidence that an ancestor actually served in the military can sometimes be found in family records, biographies, censuses, photographs, emigration papers, medals, probate records, civil registration records, and church records.


•Posen-L mailing list; rootsweb
http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/DEU/POSEN.html

AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN-MILITARY

search for posts by Karen Hobbs
•AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN-MILITARY. A bilingual English-German mailing list for anyone with a genealogical or historical interest in the military of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. To subscribe send "subscribe" to austro-hungarian-military-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or austro-hungarian-military-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).

http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Military:_Europe/AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN-MILITARY.html


http://www.polishroots.org/databases/galicia_towns.htm


•German Military
•GERMAN-MILITARY. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical or historical interest in the military of Germany. To subscribe send "subscribe" to german-military-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or german-military-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).

•Texas' Independence, 1836
•In Texas, Poles have been a part of the history and growth of our state since 1836 when
•Felix Wardzinski,
•Michael Dembinski
•Frederick Lemsky
fought for Texas' independence with Sam Houston and James Fannin.

Sons of the Civil War http://www.suvcw.org/
Soldiers and Sailors http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
Sons of Confederate Veterans http://www.scv.org/

•Gwinn, Florence McKinnon. Pioneer history of Huron County, Michigan : by Florence McKinnon Gwinn. Bad Axe, Mich.?: Huron County Pioneer and Historical Society, 1922, 106 pgs.
•Paris Township •Polish Rebellionagainst Conscription •Francis Talaga


Huron County among the ranks of Blue : a list of veterans of the Civil War from Huron County, Michigan, including important dates, places and incidents during their terms of service
•brief service histories of 543 veterans
•Port Austin, Michigan : R.B. LaBelle, c1988
•Donated to FHL by Robert Hoshide
Talago, Francis
•Sand Beach, Enlisted in Co. I, 8th Michigan Infantry, April 4, 1862 at Sand Beach for three years, age 35 , Mustered October 5, 1862, joined regeiment Dec 19, 1862. Discahrged at Washingtion, D.C., October 20, 1864, Born 1826 or 1837

•Roger Laske notes:
•Frank Talaga was buried in St.Mary's cemetery in Parisville. Died 14 March 1904 (Vol. 1, page 21). His wife Mary (abt. 1841-20 Oct 1905) (Vol. 1, page 23) is also buried in St. Mary's.

•Frank Mazur
•On 29 June 1864, at the age of 20, Frank enlisted in the 19th Regiment U.S. Infantry, Detroit. He was discharged at Fort Smith, Arkansas, on 29 June 1867 from Company F during the Civil War. He is the only man from Paris Township who enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. He is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Parisville, Michigan.

•Was Francis Tagala (Parisville) drafted into the army? He served in the 8th.
http://www.suvcwmi.org/graves/search.php#more
http://www.mifamilyhistory.org/spanam/
•1890Veterans Schedule •Epilepsy & Fits •Pension Record
http://books.google.com/books?id=MRalq4bgd60C&pg=PA40&dq=%22Francis+Talaga%22&client=internal-uds&sig=zoNXyk4OWeHdTh9kUYOlGABIR68&source=uds
•1861-1865
•Total Enrollment 1715
• Killed in Action 134
• Died of Wounds 87
•Died in Confederate Prisons 7
•Died of Disease 181
•Discharged from Wounds 278
•Total Casualty Rate 40.0%
http://www.michiganinthewar.org/infantry/8thinf.htm



•What was the Blue Army?
The Blue Army, (Blekitna Armia) or Haller’s Army (Armia Hallera), are informal names given to the Polish Army units formed in France during the later stages of World War I. (Known as the Armia Polska we Francyi ). The nicknames come from the soldier’s French blue uniforms and the name of the army’s commander, General Józef Haller de Hallenburg. An estimated 20,000 Polish descendants Christians and Jews alike, answered the call to fight for freedom and the opportunity to regain Poland’s independence during World War I The American recruits were trained at Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada.
http://www.pgsa.org/haller.htm

•Polish Army Veterans Association of America, Inc.
•Their web address says it all http://www.pava-swap.org/ .
The PAVA is the acronym for the English title of the group Polish Army Veterans Association of America Inc. and SWAP stands for the Polish title Stowarzyszenie Weteranów Armii Polskiej w Ameryce . Founded in 1921 by returning soldier who fought in Haller’s Army . World War II vets added to the membership and there are still has at least 40 post (placówka) in North America. Haller’s Polish Army in France author Paul Valasek wrote about his visit to the headquarters in New York. PAVA welcomes descendents of members to join the association. There was a Ladies Auxiliary founded in 1925. You might have a photo of your grandmother dressed in a cape with a Polish military style hat. She was a PAVA Lady’s Auxiliary member.
•descendents of members to join the association. There was a Ladies Auxiliary founded in 1925. You might have a photo of your grandmother dressed in a cape with a Polish military style hat. She was a PAVA Lady’s Auxiliary member.


Paul Valasek's history of Haller's Army
http://genforum.genealogy.com/poland/messages/37350.html


•World War I Draft
•Men born between 1873 and 1900 took place in three stages First Draft (5 June 1917) - registered men between the ages of 21-31men born between 6 June 1886 and 5 June 1896 .
•The men reported to their draft board and answered 12 question. Of high interest to the Pol-Am researcher are the questions regarding naturalization Are you •(1) a natural-born citizen,
•(2) a naturalized citizen, •(3) an alien, •(4) or have you declared your intention (specify which)
• Where were you born? town, state, nation.


•Second Draft (5 June 1918) - registered men who had turned 21 since the first registration expanded the question about birth. If not a citizen, of what nation are you a citizen or subject? Father’s birthplace - city or town, state or province, nation Name of employer, place of employment , street, city or town, state .Name of nearest relative, address of nearest relative, street, city or town, state or nation men born between 6 June 1896 and 5 June 1897. On 24 August 1918, men who turned twenty-one years of age since 5 June 1918 reported

•Third Draft (12 Sept. 1918)
•Third Draft (12 Sept. 1918) - required all men ages 18-21 and 31-41 register that had not already done so. The questions included 10. Native Born 11. Naturalized 12. Citizen by father’s Naturalization before registrant’s majority Alien 13. Declarant 14. Non-Declarant 15. If not a citizen of the U.S., of what nation are you a citizen or subject Included men born between 11 Sept. 1872 and 12 Sept. 1900.

•World War I Draft Cards (http://ancestry.com/)
•National Archives and Records Administration. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. M1509, 20,243 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
•Family History Center
•Missouri :World War I Military Service Cards Database


•Limitations of WWI Draft
Aliens were required to register but were not subject to induction into the American military.
•Persons already in the military did not register.

World War I Polar Bear Association

http://pages.prodigy.net/mvgrobbel/photos/polarbear.htm


•Old Man’s Draft (World War II) (http://ancestry.com/)
•This database is an indexed collection of World War II U.S. draft cards from the Fourth Registration, the only registration currently available to the public (the other registrations are not available due to privacy laws). The Fourth Registration, often referred to as the "old man's registration", was conducted on 27 April 1942 and registered men who born on or between 28 April 1877 and 16 February 1897 - men who were between 45 and 64 years old - and who were not already in the military.

Funeral Memorial Card Project



UPGS attendees were asked to bring along their Polish American Funeral Card collections to be contribute to the free online database at:
http://www.footnote.com/page/2454/polish-american-funeral-cards


Footnote.com really supported our efforts. They gave us four scanners to use for the project! Thanks, Beau!


Jim Kobus, Steve Danko, Mike Eliasz, and Tom Koselka joined me in scanning attendee collections. We can add your collection, too.

We Need More Card Collections
They are small so shake out you missal and I bet you will find - Bingo- a collection ;-) If you are scanning your funeral card collection for us to upload to Footnote.com, please observe the following:
Please use this file format:
The file format is jpg, scanned at 150 dpi.
file name:>surname_given_birthyear_deathyear
example: wendt_frank_1904_1964
or if dates are not given
example: wendt_frank_age59


Dziękuję, Janice and Paul Lipinski!

JANICE PIENTO LIPINSKI &
PAUL R. LIPINSKI
recieved the Dziękuję Award
in recognition of their distinguished
service, loyalty and devotion to the
United Polish Genealogical Societies
Seminars:2000, 2004, 2006
Presented by the Polish Genealogical
Society of Michigan on behalf of UPGS
Dziękuję Award
The Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan proudly announces a new award to celebrate PGSM’s Thirty Anniversary. The award celebrates individuals who, by their volunteer service, have enriched the Polish American Genealogical community. A wycinanki, created by a Polish Lowicz artist, represents the award. Each papercut is handmade and unique. We are please to bestow the first The Dziękuję Award to Paul and Janice Lipinski for their devotion to Polish genealogy as demonstrated by their stewardship of the United Polish Genealogical Societies “UPGS 2000 Polish Genealogy in the Next Century”, 2004 “UPGS 2004 Continuing the Challenge”, and 2006 “UPGS 2006”. They continue to be Pol-Am advocates as leaders of the Polish Genealogical Society of California. http://pgsca.org/

Dziękuję, Steve Morse!

The Dziękuję Award was given to
Stephen P. Morse, Ph.D
in recognition and appreciation of his One-Step Website benefiting the field of Eastern European Genealogy.
His frustrations with the Ellis Island Foundation’s search engine lead to the first One Step. It allows Eastern European researchers to search ship manifests using a Soundex developed for Eastern European languages. He continues to develop One Step tools for other ports, the U. S. Census, and Holocaust related databases.

Presented by the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan
on behalf of UPGS
21 April 2008

Family History Library

Posted by Picasa

Skype Conferencing

Thank you for your patience as we connected with genealogists in Poland. We will make sure we have a better Internet connection for the next cycle of Skype interviews. We learned that when a hotel states they have wireless it may be more like a 1200 baud modem c. 1985. We'll have our own wireless account for the next conference.



We practiced for months.
We made appointments to meet online,and queued on the Internet so Tomek could bring us into the Skype conversation, one by one. The free software is limited - we could have two video and audio connections active - and as soon as a third party joined, we had to switch to strictly audio. Rehearsals went so well that Kaisa's grandma sat down with us for one of the sessions. The Skype software allows you to make free audio and video call worldwide. It also allows for screen captures, I took the photos of the Gryczas with the software.


PGSM and PGS CA

The 2008 UPGS seminar was a transitional event, the Polish Genealogical Society of California under the leadership of Janice and Paul Lipinski passed the hosting to the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan's seminar team, headed by Ceil Wendt Jensen.

Janice and Paul shared two binders of UPGS information with PGSM- truly a "blue print" on how to run a successful conference. Ceil followed the guide and added a few new ideas: the Skype conferencing in real time with Polish genealogists, a published syllabus, lanyards imprinted with wycinanki, a technology track, and a scanning session.

Janice and Paul continued to make sure the seminar was a success by bringing the map boards for attendees to pin their research locations in the US and ancestral villages in PL. Paul lent his iPod speakers so the Skype interviews could be heard in the back of the room. The Lipinskis also made numerous runs to Albertsons and Costco to keep the refreshments fresh and tasty!

The PGSM crew included the father and mother of PGSM Polonia : Betty and Joe Guziak. Joe Guziak, PGSM treasurer, was willing to experiment with online registration and payments via PayPal. The evenbrite.com system helped keep track of the tickets sold and attendee information. PGSM president Kathleen Labudie Skazall made sure the registration table welcomed all attendees. A special thanks must be extended to Tom and Valeria Koselka for their willingness to introduce speakers, scan funeral cards, and document the event via digital photos. This blog is enhanced with photos from Bill Gorski, Paul Lipinski, and Tom and Valerie Koselka.
The UPGS blog was maintained by PGS CA member Steve Danko. Steve did a great job updating the blog as speakers, synopsis, and schedule became available.http://upgs.wordpress.com/
He was also a featured speaker of the technology track with two sessions: Genealogy Blogs: New Ways to Disseminate Genealogy Information on the Internet and Genealogy Gadgets and Gizmos: New Technology to Help in Your Research
Don't miss reading Steve's own genealogy blog at :http://stephendanko.com/blog/
Thanks to all PGSM board members who helped both in Michigan and Salt Lake to make the seminar a success: Kathleen LaBudie Szakall, President, Bill Krul, Vice President, Betty Guziak, Recording Secretary, Joe Guziak Treasurer, Valerie Koselka Corresponding Secretary, Bill Gorski, Ron Pruss, Roger Laske webmaster, Don Samull, Jim Tye, and Jan Zaleski.