Polish Genealogy Tours

Travel with the Polish Genealogical Society of America next year! PGSA has announced their 2019 genealogy tour schedule.

Research in Polish archives, visit beautiful towns, and discover Polish history and culture with PGSA. You can also schedule pre- or post-tour individual genealogical services. Next year's tours focus on Prussian Poland or Austro-Hungarian Galicia.

Polish Genealogical Society of America Workshops

The Polish Genealogical Society of America is hosting a workshop on Saturday, May 20 at the NIU Naperville Meeting and Conference Center.

Tadeusz Pilat will broadcast live from Warsaw and will discuss notary records and land survey maps. Information found in these resources cannot be found in church parish registers. Jason Kruski will be at the conference covering how to find a village of origin using online records. He will also examine updates from various Polish digital archives. PGSA volunteers will be available to answer genealogical questions and to help with translations.

For more information and to register for the workshops, visit the PGSA website.

PGSA Conference 2012

This year's Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA) Annual Conference will take place in conjunction with the United Polish Genealogical Societies biennial conference  in Salt Lake City, UT, 20-23 April 2012.  The theme is "Polish Identity."

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Barbara Berska, Deputy General Director of State Archives in Poland.
Noted Polish genealogist Tomasz Nitsch will be a featured speaker along with Steve Morse, who will introduce his One-Stem Webpage for the 1940 U.S. Census.

The conference center is next door to the Family History Library (FHL). This world renowned genealogy library holds international books, maps, microfilm, and digital databases. There willbe time to research in the library as well as to attend classes with noted Polish genealogists and leaders in the field.
Among the topics presented to help beginners as well as advanced genealogists will be:
--Useful FamilySearch Databases
--Records in the 3 partitions - Austria, Germany and Russia
--Genealogy Societies in Poland Today
--Finding your Ancestral Village in American Records
--Family Photos: Repair, Preserve, and Share
--Using Social Media in Research
--Archives in Poland

You can register online.

Polish Genealogy Conference

If you are researching ancestors from Poland, consider attending the Annual Conference of the Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA). This year the Conference will be held in conjunction with the United Polish Genealogical Societies Conference on April 20-23, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Barbara Berska, Deputy Director of the State Archives of Poland.

More Help With Polish Genealogy

Looking for Help to Find Your Polish Ancestors? 

Members of the Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA) are available on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the PMA library to help with your research challenges. However, if you are unable to stop by, you can e-mail an inquiry to PGSAQueries@pgsa.com or go to http://www.pgsa.org/ , Click on "How To...." in the side bar and access "Frequently Asked Questions" , where you will find answers to the most often asked questions. In fact, visiting FAQ's first might save you having to send that e-mail.

PGSA Conference Coming Soon!

Polish Genealogical Society  of America 33rd Annual Conference:
Puzzled by the Past? Put the Pieces Together!
Saturday, October 1, 2011.
Hilton Garden Inn, 2930 S. River Road, Des Plaines, IL

Featured speakers Matthew Bielawa and Jonathan Shea will present a program that takes you from research in the U.S. to the Archives of Poland.

Topics will include:
➢➢Starting at Home: The Basics of Polish-American Genealogical Research
➢➢Gazetteers, Maps, Geographical Dictionaries for Polish Genealogical Research
➢➢Three Ring Circus: Researching Roots Across Poland and Its Three Partitions
➢➢Vital Genealogy: A Tour of Vital Records Across Poland
➢➢Websites for the Polish Researcher/Beyond Vital Records—What else awaits you in the Polish Archives

September 30, 2011 - Optional bus tour of Polish Chicago.
All-day motor coach tour will include a visit to St. Stanislaus Kostka, the Polish Museum of America (with a hot Polish lunch catered by Kasia’s), and other historical sites in the Polish community.

Finding Grandma's Ancestors

The Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA) will meet in the Social Hall of the Polish Museum, 984 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL on Sunday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m.

Are you having trouble finding records in the "old country?" Steve Szabados will discuss methods for Finding Grandma's Ancestors.

Steve is a member of the Czech and Slovak American Genealogy Society of IL (CSAGSI), PGSA, and the National Genealogical Society (NGS); and will also share some resources that go beyond the traditional documents.

Time will be reserved to solve personal genealogical problems.

A Board meeting will be held at 12:00 noon.

Naturalization: Its History and Records

The Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA) will meet in the Social Hall of the Polish Museum on Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 2:00 pm.

The speaker will be Kathryn Barrett, a genealogy researcher, teacher, and lecturer with 35 years of genealogy experience. Her topic will be Naturalization: Its History and Records. Ms. Barrett has been a volunteer at NARA for more than 15 years and is a professional member of the National Genealogical Society, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and the Wisconsin State Historical Society.

Time will be reserved to solve personal genealogical problems.

Plan now to attend the PGSA Conference on October 1 and 2, 2010.

Genealogy Saturdays

Are you researching ancestors from Poland? do you want some hands-on guidance in a place brimming with amazing genealogical resources?

Genealogy Saturdays take place the 3rd Saturday of each month, from 10 to 1p.m., at the library of the Polish Museum of America. 984 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago.

Knowledgeable members of the Polish Genealogical Society of America help you start your research, or find solutions when you are really stuck.

Polish Genealogy Conference

The 32nd Annual Conference of the Polish Genealogical Society of America, 19th Century Research using 21st Century Technology, will take place October 1 and 2 at the Hilton Hotel, Oak Lawn, Illinois, 9333 S. Cicero Ave.

The schedule is still in formation; however, John Hallman will discuss the previously unaddressed topic of Lutheran church records; Meghann Pytka will explain the triggers of the mass immigration of Poles; and Judith Franzin will unearth treasures in Polish language records. There will also be sessions about inquests, urban research, lost children, probate, Polish Archives, and more.

There will be help for the new researcher in the form of beginning lectures, and for all with a Q & A corner and translation help. If you are serious about Polish Genealogical research, this is a conference you definitely want to attend.

Watch for future announcements on the PGSA web site.

PGSA Meeting, February 8

The Polish Genealogical Society of America will meet in the Social Hall of the Polish Museum, 984 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago IL, on Sunday, February 8, 2009, at 2:00 PM.

Matt Rutherford of the Newberry Library will discuss the insurance records acquired from the Polish Women's Alliance of America.

Mr. Rutherford, MLIS, has been a local and family history reference librarian at the Newberry Library for five years. He has spoken at numerous genealogical society conferences and teaches seminars on genealogy topics, such as researching pre-fire Chicago, adoption searches, non-population census schedules, etc.. There will be time for solving personal genealogical problems.