* * * * * * * * * G E N     D O B R Y ! * * * * * * * * *

Volume III, No. 7. 31 July 2002.
Copyright (c) 2002, PolishRoots(tm), Inc.
Editor: William F. "Fred" Hoffman, E-mail: WFHoffman@prodigy.net

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CONTENTS

   Welcome
   Make Your Own Polish Genealogy Website
   Letters to the Editor
   Genealogical Advisor
   Upcoming Events
   More Useful Web Addresses
   You May Reprint Articles...

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*** WELCOME! ***

to the latest issue of GEN DOBRY!, the e-zine of PolishRoots(tm). If you missed previous issues, you can find them at

   http://polishroots.org/gendobry/gendobry_index.htm.

Visit PolishRoots.org, the sponsor of _Gen Dobry!_, and take advantage of the many resources offered there. One you might have missed is the Surname Search, available here:

   http://www.polishroots.org/surnamesearch.htm

You can browse submitted surnames, list your own surnames, or  update your surname submissions. You can browse the listings without registering (if you wish to add your surnames you are asked to register). Take a look!

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*** MAKE YOUR OWN POLISH GENEALOGY WEBSITE ***

by Ceil Jensen <cjensen@mipolonia.net>

Polish genealogists from around the world happily access the information on PolishRoots. It is a robust website that reflects the research and technological partnership of Don Szumowski and Dr. Paul S. Valasek.  This dynamic site demonstrates how to successfully publish Polish records online for a global audience. (PolishRoots is the sponsor and host of _Gen Dobry!_).

You may not realize you have the potential to develop your own Polish website.  Your content may be less encompassing then PolishRoots. But it can be unique and reflect your regional and family research. If you have a dial-up Internet connection such as AOL or use a cable provider such as Comcast, you already have space on their computer (server) for a complete website with text, graphics and links. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have tools and templates online to make the job easier.

If you don't have your own computer and access the Internet from a *community center or *public library you can build free websites at:

   http://geocities.yahoo.com/home

   http://www.myfamily.com

   http://www.rootsweb.com/~websites.

*Check with the public computer labs to see if you can upload files. The machines might be electronically locked to protect them from vandalism.

There are three website problems to solve: Content, Graphics and Search Engines.

* Content *

What type of information do you want to publish online?

How about posting documents that are tough to read and asking online colleagues to help you decipher them? Scan and post photos, brochures, lists or holy cards that could help others. Do you want your extended family to visit your site or people searching the same surname(s), region(s) or religion?

Regardless of the type of information you post, make sure you respect the privacy of living folks. Don't post their names and data online. I recently found the Social Security numbers of 6 living children posted on a genealogy website! Their mothers' maiden names and home addresses were also listed. I contacted the owner and outlined the steps to take in Family Tree Maker to privatize the data before putting it online.

* Graphics *

Scanning photos and graphics takes practice. Many scanners are set to scan at a high resolution and create files that are too big for an average webpage. Review http://www.scantips.com/.

If you find someone else's photos online, don't just right-click and save them to your hard drive. E-mail the website owner and ask permission to use their photo on your website. Many graphics have a digital watermark and the owner can trace who is using their file(s).

* Search Engines *

How do people find your site once you've used the online tools to move your files from your home computer to the Internet server? You have to submit your web address (URL) and website title to search engines and genealogy sites. Google and Yahoo both have links set up to guide you through the submission process. Cindy's List has a page set up and will send out the new site ASAP on a free e-mail list. Dick Eastman's Genealogy Newsletter site invites website submissions, too. You can list at Rootsweb.com in their ethnic website directory by category. Here are those links:

   http://www.google.com/addurl.html

   http://docs.yahoo.com/info/suggest

   http://www.cyndislist.com/newlink.htm

   http://www.dickeastman.com/

* Michigan Polonia *

I've tried to put these website ideas into action by launching "Michigan Polonia" at:

   http://mipolonia.net 

I suggest you start with "Essays and Interviews." You will find out how such noted Polish genealogists as Dr. Paul S. Valasek, Kasia Grycza, Debbie Greenlee, Christian Orpel, Guido Buldrini and Tom Kulesz got started in the field. I'll be adding Br. Joseph Martin's and Krzysztof Kowalkowski's interviews ASAP. The site still needs some "tweaking".  It's a Beta site and is being tested for navigation problems. Have mercy!

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*** LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ***

Subject: International Roots Conference

[I received several interesting comments on the cancellation of the International Roots Conference that was supposed to be held in Dearborn, Michigan earlier this month. I thought all of these notes were worth passing on to our readers:]

Very simply, these conferences are not focused enough. They may attract a novice, but most of us have a specific problem. We found the United PGS meetings [usually held every other year in Salt Lake City] most helpful because we were among people with varied experience and next door to a huge database [at the Family History Library] where we could really help one another. The PGSA Fall conference is also good, but then the attendee pool in the Chicago area is great.

Respectfully,

   Edward Achtel
   <achteles@idcnet.com>

[Editor: Sadly, the 2002 UPGS Conference in Salt Lake City was one of those canceled events I referred to in the last issue. Even though past UPGS Conferences had a history of success, I guess things never quite came together this year. I hope it's just a one-time thing. One reason I wanted to provoke a public dialogue on this whole subject was my hope that exchanging ideas on IRC's failure that will help others organize future events successfully.]
__________

In light of your question in today's _Gen Dobry!_ of why the low attendance at conferences ... and your mention of folks traveling to Poland.....

Maybe we should combine conference with travel in an academic way. Not a bus trip through 30 cities and villages in 15 days...but an honest to goodness conference/research event with both U.S. and Polish experts in a region.

Say:

   2003 - Gdansk and environs
   2004 - Poznan and environs

etc.

Also, instead of 2,000 people - how about a scholastic, proper event for 25 or 50 solid researchers? I've organized 12 trips for high school kids to Europe...I certainly could muster this.

No commitment -- just brainstorming.

What do you think?

   Ceil Jensen
   <cjensen@mipolonia.net>

[Editor: I think it's a good enough idea to be worth passing on to others and see if anyone wants to give it a try!]
__________

I just read your comments in _Gen Dobry!_ about the International Roots Conference.

I had hoped to attend as I am from the Detroit area and of Polish descent. Since I live in a suburb of Phoenix, the conference could have easily cost me $1,000 if I include plane fare, motel room and food as well as the cost of the conference itself.  The conference was a bit "pricey" especially with extra charges for computer classes and lunches.  (The all-day conferences in the Phoenix area, usually include lunch in the conference fee.)

Then, I looked at the schedule and decided that maybe I was better off just paying for Tuesday and Thursday because I wanted the language workshops that you and Jonathan Shea were scheduled to present.  I was thinking I could go to the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library in downtown Detroit on Wednesday.  But to get to Burton, I would need to rent a car. (I was assuming I could use public/motel transportation to get from the airport to the conference hotel.) So that added another cost for me.

So my personal reasons for not going were the expense and the schedule.

I wonder if the conference had been held in Salt Lake City if more people would have been interested.  That way if there were "dead" days, one could go to the library and do research.  This was not an issue for me as I can do relevant research in Burton.

It is too bad that the conference was cancelled.  It may make people more leery of paying up front and that won't help the conference sponsors.

   Carole Buskin
   Cfbuskin@srpnet.com

[Editor: I'm flattered you wanted to hear my talks, but the Conference's printed schedule had the wrong days for two of them. So I'm relieved you didn't spend money to come hear me, only to find you'd missed me because the schedule was wrong!]

__________

I read your comments in the _Gen Dobry!_, Vol. III, No. 6 concerning the cancellation of the IRC. I was going to pre-register but really don't like to travel and consider myself lucky to not have lost any money. Do you think location could be an issue? Maybe the locations should be picked like a lot of conventions - near a more touristy area where the attendees can combine "business" with a little vacation time too. Las Vegas, Florida, New York, and Chicago come to mind. A winter conference in the sun belt would be nice, and spring or fall in NY or Chicago.

Like Dennis Miller says "That's my opinion, and I could be wrong." I hate quoting someone especially if you misquote them.

   Bill Wodarczyk
   <bwodarcz@chicagonet.net>

[Editor: While I'm sure neither of us has any intention of badmouthing Detroit, I think there is something to what you say. If you want to put on a big event and charge accordingly, it'd be smart to hold it at a location people have always dreamed of visiting. From speaking twice at PGS-Michigan seminars in the Detroit area, I know you can have a splendid time there -- but I'm not sure Dearborn in July tops the list of places most folks are dying to visit. I'm afraid the hard truth is that location is a practical consideration you must take into account if you want to draw a crowd. For a smaller, more focused event, Detroit, with the Burton Collection, could be a splendid choice; but not for an event that depended on drawing over 2,000 attendees! Maybe that's the lesson here for organizers -- don't dream of big, splashy events, but offer something with specific attractions for a target audience.]

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*** GENEALOGICAL ADVISOR: ***

[Editor's note: This feature is meant to share some ideas with you on how one might attempt to find info. Obviously most readers will not be interested in the STANUSH name per se; but some of the methodology mentioned might be useful in your research.]

From: Gene Stanush <GStanush@aol.com>

> I know that you must have a very busy schedule,
> but I have run into a real void in searching for my
> ancestor's surname, STANUS. My great-great-grandfather
> was born in Schwieben, Poland and immigrated to the
> United States in 1855. The name has been Americanized
> to be spelled STANUSH and now is a pretty common surname
> here in the U.S. But all efforts to find a STANUS surname in
> Poland have met with no success. Any light that you might
> shed on this, or recommended approach to finding an ancestor
> in Poland would be greatly appreciated.

Reply:

The basic origin of the name is clear -- it began as a nickname for one called Stanisl~aw or some similar first name incorporating the ancient Slavic root _stan-_, "be, become, stand." Thus Stanisl~aw originally meant "[may he] be glorious," and was meant to be a self-fulfilling prophecy for a child -- his parents were expressing a hope that he would grow up to be glorious and famous. There were other ancient Slavic names beginning with Stan-, but Stanisl~aw is by far the most common, especially among Poles.

The original, formal name was Stanisl~aw, but Poles are fond of making nicknames and abbreviated forms, and they have far more ways of doing it than we do in English. They developed a whole grab-bag of nicknames from Stanisl~aw, including Stas and Stasz and Stanko and so on. Stanus would be another one, meaning little more than "kin of Stanus." It doesn't actually mean anything, any more than Fred or Joe means anything -- they're all short forms or nicknames of older, longer names that did originally mean something.

If the name was Americanized as STANUSH, most likely the original Polish form was either STANUSZ or STANUS~, using S~ to indicate the Polish S with an accent over it. Either name would be pronounced roughly "STAH-noosh," and could be Anglicized as Stanush. Both developed the same way, as nicknames from Stanisl~aw or one of those other ancient names beginning with Stan-. So you could be looking for STANUS, STANUSZ, or STANUS~ -- the name could easily be spelled any of those ways.

The thing is, these names are pretty rare in Poland these days. As of 1990, according to the best data available (the _Slownik nazwisk wspolczesnie w Polsce uzywanych_, "Directory of Surnames in Current Use in Poland," which covers about 94% of the population of Poland), there were 5 Polish citizens named STANUS, all living somewhere in Katowice province, in southcentral to southwestern Poland. There were 85 named STANUSZ, with the largest numbers in the southwestern provinces of Katowice (40) and Opole (41). There was no listing for STANUS~, so if that name once existed (which seems likely), it has apparently died out.

Unfortunately I don't have access to further details such as first names or addresses, so I can't tell you how to find that info.

There is no comprehensive Polish telephone directory online (due to strict Polish privacy laws that outlaw posting info on individuals publicly), but there is a limited one at this address:

   http://tel.portal.pl/asp/szukaj_a.asp

I don't think it's comprehensive -- Polish privacy laws forbid posting info on individuals publicly, so I suspect the only people listed are clients who chose to be listed. I could find a few listings for STANUSZ. The two fields that must be entered are "nazwisko", which is the surname, and _miejscowosc_, "locality." If you enter STANUSZ under _nazwisko_ and Katowice under _miejscowosc_, there are a couple of matches. If you play around with other forms of the name and with other localities such as Opole, you might get more. I don't know how much use that will be to you in practical terms, but I thought I'd mention it. You could try writing to some of the people you find and see if they can tell you anything.

According to my German-language sources, Schwieben was the German name of a village in Silesia, district of Oppeln (now Opole), near Tost (now Toszek) and Gleiwitz (now Gliwice). It's now called S~wibie. If you'd like to see a map of the area, go to this Website:

    http://www.jewishgen.org/shtetlseeker/loctown.htm

Enter "Swibie" as the place you're looking for, select "Poland" as the country to be searched, and select "Precise spelling." Click on "Start the search," and after a moment you'll see a list of various places in Poland with names that match. It's a short list, with only one entry. Click on the blue numbers (latitude and longitude) and you'll get a map showing that location. You can print the map, save it, zoom in and out, etc.

That info should help some -- it does establish that your family came from the area of Schwieben/S~wibie, near Tost/Toszek and Gleiwitz/Gliwice, in southwestern Poland. So those Stanuszes and Stanuses are in the right general area, and some might be related to you.

But usually the only way to trace a family is through genealogical research, looking in records for info on your family, starting with your parents and working your way back generation by generation. It can be difficult, and you might have to do a lot of digging. But with luck eventually you'll find a record or document filled out by someone who knew what he was doing, one listing the correct name of your immigrant ancestor, and when and where he was born. That's the key info you need before you can cross the ocean and link up with the family's roots in Poland. Writing people with the same last name is a longshot -- sometimes it pays off, but usually not. (Still, if you want to try, no harm in that).

If you want some help with getting started, you might visit this Web page:
 
   http://www.polishroots.com/reference.htm

It has files with various suggestions on genealogical research.

The Website of the  Family History Library of the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS, or Mormons) also has excellent pointers for getting started:

   http://www.familysearch.org

There have also been several books published on doing Polish research; a Web search (for instance, with http://www.google.com) under "Polish genealogy" should help you find them.

As you can see, whole books have been written on the subject of genealogy, so I can hardly hope to tell you much here. But I hope one of the sources I've mentioned will prove helpful. Good luck!

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*** UPCOMING EVENTS ***

[Note: It's always a good idea to check the PolishRoots Events Calendar, as it contains more info than we have room for here: <http://www.polishroots.org/coming_events.htm>]
__________

August 4-9, 2002

+++ MEETING PLACE +++

22ND IAJCS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON JEWISH GENEALOGY

Sheraton Centre Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Canada (Toronto)

http://www.jgstoronto2002.ca

Peter Jassem, Programme Chair, said, "Over the period of five days we will have several topics related to Poland daily. In addition we will have related films and exhibitions, new resources and book sales. In fact this year's conference will focus on Polish resources, the history of Poland and Polish Jewry. Many of the programs will extend beyond the Jewish-only genealogy.
   "I believe that the genealogy and history of peoples that once lived in the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, whether Poles, Jews or others, are inseparable and constitute integral part of Polish Heritage.  I hope to increase our ties with your organizations for our mutual benefits."

__________

August 7 - 10, 2002

FGS 2002 CONFERENCE

Ontario, California

Speakers include FHL expert Dan Schlyter and PolishRoots' own Paul S. Valasek, D.D.S.

Contact: Phone 888-FGS-1500
         Website http://www.fgs.org
         E-mail: fgs-office@fgs.org

__________

September 14, 2002

MASS-CONN-ECTION III

All-day Polish Genealogical Conference
Sponsored by
The Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast, Inc.
and
The Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts.

Pulaski Club (Polish American Citizens Club)
13 Norman St.
Chicopee, Massachusetts

FEE: $35.00 per person, includes Polish-American buffet lunch

Register early by mail:

MASS-CONN III
c/o PGSCTNE
8 Lyle Rd.
New Britain, CT  06053-2104
Tel. (860) 223-5596

Or visit the Website:

http://www.pgsctne.org/confintro2.html

Registration closes September 6. After that date the organizers cannot guarantee there will be space for additional attendees.

Featured speakers are Ceil Jensen (who wrote the lead article for this issue of _Gen Dobry!_) and Walter Hickey, Archives Specialist, National Archives and Records Administration, Northeast Region, Waltham, Massachusetts. There will also be a workshop for beginners conducted by Prof. Jonathan D. Shea, A.G., and Matthew Bielawa.

__________

September 14 - 28, 2002

POLAND: HEART OF EUROPE TOUR

[This trip is being organized by Kornel Kondy, Ph.D., a retired professor who teaches adult education Polish at Como Senior High School in St. Paul, MN. He can be reached at <kornel@worldnet.att.net>, or called at 612-378-1739. Here are a few details on his plans for this trip:]

NWA to Chicago/ LOT non stop to Warsaw. Includes all hotels, portage, 2 big  meals daily, all admissions, all taxes, own motor coach, English guide throughout, & airfare is included in the package price. Just received a change from Air Tours Poland that they could only get return reservations the day before so it will be Sept. 14-27, so something will be shortened  and prices will be a little cheaper; I'm waiting to hear from them, but the tour won't differ that much.  

Hotels: Warsaw- Jan III Sobieski/ Gdansk - Hevelius / Poznan - Trawinski / Wroclaw - Art Hotel / Krakow - Cracovia / Zakopane - Kasprowy. Warsaw: Old Towne, royal route, Wilanow Palace = Malbork, Gdansk, organ concert at Oliwa, short tour of Sopot =  Kartuzy: Carthusian Church, Kaszubian skansen (open air park museum); Kaszubian folklore dinner = Torun - old town = Poznan - old town, ancient musical instruments museum, Kornik palace = Wroclaw -  Panorama Raclawicka = Czestochowa shrine = Krakow old town & Wieliczka = Zakopane = Wadowice = Warsaw and more. All towns have city tours. Use whatever you find suitable.

Tour costs & minimum participants, I don't handle any money, so payable by credit card. Cost depends on the number of participants, double occupancy, twin beds private bath or shower at hotels.

Towards the end of August I send in the completed roster. Hope to get 32 as it makes it cheaper for all.

Minimum of 16 passengers  $2,365.00 per person.
Minimum of 21 passengers  $2,209.00 per person
Minimum of 32 passengers  $2,069.00 per person  
Sgl. suppl. $265.00

If they join us from O'Hare in Chicago it's $50.00 cheaper.

__________

September 21, 2002

The Phoenix North Chapter of the
Family History Society of Arizona
In partnership with the
Phoenix Arizona North Family History Center
Invites you to attend the 3rd Annual Family History Seminar

GENEALOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Saturday, September 21, 2002 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Free Seminar - Open to the Public
For more information:  http://www.fhsa.org/pn_semi.htm
For those living in or near Arizona:
Free, but registration is required. Must pay for lunch and handouts.  Attendance limited to 300.

__________


!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. SEE NOTE BELOW !!!

[January 17 & 18, 2003]

[GENTECH 2003]
[PHOENIX, ARIZONA]

["Digital Technology - The Ancestral Frontier"]

[Today, July 31, the cancellation of this event was announced. For more info visit the Website: http://www.agcig.org/gt03.htm]

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*** MORE USEFUL WEB ADDRESSES ***

http://www.mountainvoices.org/poland.asp

   On the list <Galicia@topica.com> Martin Serkosky <serkosky@mts.net> wrote, "People with Polish roots in old Eastern Galicia (1918-1939 Eastern Poland and now present day Ukraine) will find the website 'Mountain Voices' extremely pertinent, interesting, and very informative. The testimonials are priceless and very historical.  Its a godsend for those of us whose relatives were resettled after WW II.
______________________________

http://www.szkoly.edu.pl/cgi-bin/osi/real/real.cgi?od=0&st=

   On the Polish Genius list Debbie Greenlee <daveg@airmail.net> wrote, "For those who want to try something different you might like this site of Polish public schools in Poland. The site lists the email addresses of people at many schools in many villages in Poland. Click on the first letter of your village's name and see what happens. It's in Polish but easy to figure out. "Naste~pne odnos~niki" means "next page."
______________________________

http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/poland/index.html

   Warren Blatt, an outstanding researcher in this field, brought this site to my attention. It consists of a series of "slides," and this site offers an overview, so that you can choose the ones that interest you. There is has a lot of great information -- and please don't make the mistake of thinking you have to be Jewish to benefit from it!
______________________________

http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/slv/slav.balt.html

  On the list <PolandBorderSurnames-L@rootsweb.com> Tom Burke <teburke@comcast.net> posted this address for the Slavic and Baltic division of the New York Public Library -- surely a resource many of us will find useful.
______________________________

http://www.rosiosk.lodz.pl/miasta/spatial-m.html

   Dan Schlyter, well known to genealogists interested in any part of Eastern Europe for the work he does at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, was kind enough to send this URL, with the note: "Here is a fantastic website that has on-line aerial photograph of Polish towns. When I went to the site, I noticed that most of the images there are for towns in the area of Lodz. It also has a small explanation about the town in both Polish and English. Take a look." The home page in English can be accessed by clicking the Union Jack on this address: <http://www.rosiosk.lodz.pl/home.html>. Thanks, Dan!

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YOU MAY REPRINT articles from _Gen Dobry!_, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Written by [author's name, e-mail address, and URL, if given]. Previously published by _Gen Dobry!_, Vol. III, No. 7, 31 July 2002. PolishRoots(tm): http://PolishRoots.org/.

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Copyright 2002, PolishRoots(tm), Inc. All rights reserved.