The PGSMA Spring 2023 Free Conference
“Whom Do I Ask — Grandma and Grandpa are Gone?”
Discover your heritage with a day-long, free genealogy conference from PGSMA
April 29, 2023, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Our Lady of the Elms College
291 Springfield Street, Chicopee MA
About the Lectures, Speakers, and One-on-One Genealogists
Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz will be a speaker and will conduct one-on-one consultations.
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"Genealogy 101: First Steps in Tracing Your Family Tree Description"
9:45 am - 10:45 am Have you always wanted to learn more about your family history, but just don’t know where to start? Julie demystifies the process for you in an introduction to genealogy research that’s geared toward novice researchers. Topics covered will include identification of research goals, organizing information, basic research methodology and evidence analysis, and an introduction to some of the key websites that will help you gather information to build your family tree. Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz is a genealogist, writer, and speaker with nearly 30 years of experience in researching her family's origins in Poland, Germany, the U.S. and Canada. She currently volunteers as administrator to several genealogy-related Facebook groups, and serves as President of the Polish Genealogical Society of New York State, Vice-President for the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium, Inc., and Secretary for the Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts. Her articles have been published in the journals of the Polish Genealogical Society of America, the Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts, and the Western New York Genealogical Society, and she is the author of a genealogy blog, From Shepherds and Shoemakers. |
Lucjan Cichocki will be a speaker and will offer one-on-one consultations.
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"Boots on the Ground: The Role of an Onsite Researcher"
11:00 am - 12:00 pm This lecture will present an overview of vital records history in Poland with a special emphasis on the Russian and Austrian partitions, discussing the format and languages used in such records. Mr. Cichocki will outline the various repositories in which vital records are stored, and explain how it affects their accessibility for research. He will describe how the research collaboration works: communication with the client to obtain relevant background information, identifying the repositories for relevant records and any significant gaps, developing a research plan, and communicating results to the client. The presentation will also enumerate some of the additional services that researchers provide, such as arranging ancestral village tours and family reunions, and providing translation and assistance at family events such as weddings or funerals. Lucjan Cichocki, owner of Polish Ancestry Research by Lucjan Cichocki, began his genealogy career accidentally. He was working as an English teacher in Poland, and was considering a career change. In 2013, he went to the diocesan archive in Przemyśl with a friend and Mr. Cichocki saw the 19th-century vital record books for the first time. He describes it as “love at first sight.” He is now a full-time professional genealogist. His areas of research include Poland, Slovakia, and Western Ukraine. In addition to genealogical research, Mr. Cichocki provides translation and transportation services to Americans visiting Poland in search of living relatives. He is a member of the Association of Polish Professional Genealogists. Contact info for Lucjan Cichocki: Website: www.polishancestryresearch.com Email: info@polishancestryresearch.com |
Aleksandra Kacprzak will be a speaker and will conduct one-on-one consultations.
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"My Polish Ancestors Are Online? Using Online Resources for your Genealogical Research"
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm New times, new possibilities, and new challenges! Let’s not get lost in the ‘net, and instead do effective research on Polish websites. Genealogical research in Poland is extremely interesting because of its complexity. There were three partitions, different languages, administrative systems, religions, and types of records. Consequently, there are many useful databases and digital archives on the web. Only a few cover the entire territory of Poland’s current and former borders. Many websites and indexing projects concern a specific geographic or cultural area. This lecture will present some of the primary and lesser-known websites that may expand your family tree or even break through those “brick walls” that you are facing. Aleksandra Kacprzak is a genealogical researcher living in Poland and the owner of the genealogy research company “Genoroots.” Ms. Kacprzak graduated from Copernicus University in Toruń with a degree in archival science and completed the Eastern European Genealogy course in Salt Lake City. Ms. Kacprzak is a genealogical lecturer in both Poland and the United States. In the U.S., she has spoken in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Ms. Kacprzak is a founding member of the Polskie Towarzystwo Genealogiczne [Polish Genealogical Society] and a founding member of the Stowarzyszenie Polscy Profesjonalni Genealodzy [Association of Polish Professional Genealogists]. In addition to her genealogy work, Ms. Kacprzak also provides heir tracing services for both lawyers and the courts. She is a licensed tour guide, and organizes personal ancestral tours, as well as cultural-oriented tours for larger groups. Contact information for Aleksandra Kacprzak: Website: http://www.genoroots.com/eng/aboutus.php Email: aleksandra.genealogy@gmail.com |
Dorena Wasik will be a speaker.
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"Organizing Your Records for Today... and Tomorrow"
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm You have worked hard building your family tree and collecting records and photos. How will youorganize your records and photos for your use now and for future generations to use when you are gone? This presentation will discuss some organizing methods for both digital and paper records. There will be an extensive discussion on how to organize your research for the next generation and how to entice the next generation to pick up your research. Dorena Wasik has always been interested in her Polish heritage and has translated that interest into Polish genealogical research. Dorena is well known in the New Britain, Connecticut, Polish community where she is involved with several Polish-American organizations, including volunteer director for the Polish American Foundation’s Polish Language School for Adults. Dorena has spoken at several genealogy conferences in Poland to help Polish researchers find their American families. She also contributes articles about local Polish American events and Polish genealogy to the New Britain Herald, Polish American Journal and several Polish Genealogical publications. |
Sara Campbell will be conducting one-on-one consultations.
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And our guest one-on-one consultant
Sara Campbell is a researcher, author and educator. She is a former officer of PGSMA. She began her own family research 30 years ago. and has self-published a six generation history book about her family, as well as editing a memoir for a friend. Sara is a frequent speaker in the region and will be presenting three sessions at NERGC in May. |
MORE ABOUT THE LOGISTICS
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This program is supported in part by a grant from the Chicopee Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. |