genealogy group
Finding Your Polish Roots: Greg Romanowski
I’ve worked with many at the club who are just starting their journey in genealogy research. Often
these folks are seeking guidance of how to begin their family trees. Generally, there is an accepted
pathway that most genealogists recommend.
The very first step is to search your own records-and then other relative’s records-
Do you have any old papers, photographs, birth, marriage, death certificates, naturalization papers,
letters from Poland or other items that provide clues? For example, I found an old address book from
my mother that had names and addresses from around 1965 that proved to be valuable in my research.
Next, ask permission to do the same at your parents, aunt’s, uncle’s, grandparents’ and cousins’ homes
too! Even if you have photographs, but don’t know who is in them, as you progress in genealogy, some
day you will. Search the shoe boxes, steamer trunks, closets, attics and basements!
Interview family members-
Particularly those who are older than you! Be polite and be persistent. These relatives often will
remember things differently than you do as they had been exposed to different stories and have their
own perspectives on family stories. Take notes. If your family is anything like mine, some relatives will
relish in telling old family stories and others may not have much to offer. Also, keep in mind that you
are asking for their view of the family and that not everything said is 100% accurate. Sometimes
siblings will offer very different perspectives of the same family member. Take notes, digest what
you’ve heard, and take time to figure it all out!
Always offer to share with them the progress of your family research on occasion. (Besides, Genealogy
Christmas gifts are always cherished!) Engage them as a team to help document the history of the
family and preserve this for future generations. Some relatives will be of great help and some will
wonder why you want to “dredge up” all this stuff.
In a Christmas card many years ago, I wrote to an elderly aunt that I was interested in doing family
research and requested her help and didn’t initially hear anything in return. About a year later a
stuffed envelope arrived with many great documents and photographs. This was a treasure that helped
me unlock several family mysteries. I connected with a more distant relative through Ancestry.com
and and she was able to provide a treasure trove of old documents, photos and stories from my father’s
family where I had little information. Sometimes you’ll discover a cousin who has already done family research.
Sometimes questions can open doors such as “Do you remember if Grandpa had any siblings that you
are aware of? What recollections do you have of them? Do you know what town in Poland that our
Grand Uncle Pawel was from? Ask if they know any family secrets! Ask if they would mind making a
copy or scan of documents to e-mail or mail to you.
Ask and learn about the various towns and cities where your ancestors resided here in the U.S., as this
may be important when you are searching Census Records. Additionally, this information may be very
valuable to obtain documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates from the vital record
archives of the state where they resided. All states make their records available for genealogical
research, but states have different procedures to access them. Google vital records for the state you are
interested in. Contact county historical societies for additional guidance. Does anyone remember
which parish that immigrant grandparents attended? Parishes often contain baptismal, marriage and
death records as well.
I remember individuals that were present at various functions such as weddings, funerals, etc. Do you
know how they were connected? My grandparents had a 50th wedding anniversary in 1971 and it was
quite a celebration with many photographs. Do you know who were in those photos? Does anyone in
your family have contact information of their descendants?
My maternal grandfather were friends with a family named Komajda, but interestingly no one I spoke to
could explain how and if we were related. At my Mother’s memorial service an elderly aunt explained
that the Komajda’s were from the same village in Poland as my grandfather and that they were in fact
connected by marriage, but a few generations removed! I later found that on Ellis Island Immigration
Records, my grandfather was listed next to a Komajda.
For those of you that are on Facebook, I’ve found and connected with several cousins that I may not
have known growing up, but have been helpful learning about family. Most have been helpful.
Every detail, no matter how small it initially may seem, is important.
Get Organized!
Some of us are naturally very organized and immediately devise a system to keep all of this information
straight. Others…not so much!
One way of doing this is to keep family group sheets on which you can record the vital data on the
various family units you discover. In addition to recording names and dates, you should also cite the
source from which you obtained the information. Forms for genealogical research are available online
from many sources and are downloadable. One such resource with a variety of forms can be found at:
https://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy/resources/family-history-forms
Various online tools have the ability to help you record individuals, attach files and assist you with
organization. Ancestry.com is probably this best known, but after a free trial program, it requires a
paid subscription. FamilySearch.org is a free site that not only offers posting family trees, but the
ability to attach files to specific individuals as well. There are many other online sources such as
myHeritage.com. Alternatively, there are several software programs that have great organizational
capabilities.
Network, Network, Network.
Sites such as Ancestry.com and others have mechanisms to contact others who are also doing research
on your family tree. Post your family tree as “public”. As a public tree, no information about anyone
who is living will be listed. Many sites have the ability of contacting the tree owner through their
website. Once you establish communication, you can then share E-Mail addresses, etc. Doing this will
help relatives also interested in researching your tree to connect with you!
Strongly consider doing DNA genetic testing. Most people who do DNA testing are most interested in
finding out their ethnicity estimates. That’s fine, but the greatest value for genealogy is to be able to
connect with more remote family members who are also interested in family history. Currently,
through Ancestry DNA, I have contacts for 17 cousins of mine that are 3 rd cousins or closer. There are 77
cousins who are 4 th to 6 th cousins. The majority of these cousins are people that I never knew that I was
related to. Most commercial sites allow you to download your DNA information so they can be
uploaded to other sites such as GEDMatch. Think of this as “fishing in bigger ponds”. This
collaboration is powerful to help you develop your family tree.
Take this on and learn your history!
Here are links to some great resources to guide beginners in genealogy:
Family Search.org Wiki
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Poland_Genealogy
Polish Genealogical Society of America-How To Begin Your Family Research
Julia Roberts Sczepankiewicz-Beginners Guide to Polish Genealogy
https://fromshepherdsandshoemakers.com/2018/03/12/a-beginners-guide-to-polish-genealogy-
revised-edition/
Ancestry.com also has a large series of tutorials to assist with your research:
https://www.ancestry.com/academy/courses/recommended
You are also welcome to attend our monthy Polish Club meeting and dinner where members will be happy to offer advice or assistance. We meet on the third Saturday of each month at 327 Main St. in Roseville.
Happy Searching!
research help
The Head Office of the State Archives of Poland
The Head Office of the State Archives of Poland
The Head Office of the State Archives of Poland
The starting place to locate your Polish
ancestors records in the Polish State archives
Genealogy Tour
The Head Office of the State Archives of Poland
The Head Office of the State Archives of Poland
Let’s plan your dream trip to your ancestral homeland, together. Explore the famous sites of Poland and meet the family you never knew you had. Let us do the research and help you make the connection.
Michigan Records
The Head Office of the State Archives of Poland
Michigan Records
If you had Polish relatives in Michigan
and want more information click the image