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P olish Genealogical Soc iety of Minncsota NEWSLETTr.TI VOLUME 6 AUTUMN 1998 NUMBER 3 Upcoming events: lln thils issue q q q Upcoming events........ ..page 1 ANNUAL MEETING President's Letter Saturday, November 7, 1998, 10:00 a.m. by Greg Kishe1....... .......p. ) At the Minnesota (ienealogical Society Library's meeting room Kirchen Buch fi.ir die Pfarre 5768 Olson Memorial l{ighway, Golden Valley, UN SS+ZZ Floetenstein ...................p. ! (See directions to MGS in the advertising insert in this issue) Letters to the Editor: After the election of officers and directors for 1999 (a slate of Thanks for help at the MGS Library candidates will be announced via a separate mailing), we will Writing to Poland have a research session using the many new materials we have A journey back in time added to our library collection during the last year. These Can you help?......... ......p.4 inclucle Slownik nazwisk ancl other materials on the origins and Origins of the Laskowski and meanings of Polish narnes, gazetteers (including Slou,nik Kalka Surnames geograficznl,), topographic maps, and our Church and Local by Paul Ku1as......... ...p. 6 I Iistory Collection. Bring your research and your questions and Poland changes its Provinces again.....p. 7 we will all help one another! The Bulletin Board, .........p. 8 Letters to the Editor, continued.........p. 8 PGS-MN will have a table for book sales, Two Minnesota parishes founded by membership, and questions and answers at two German-speaking Catholics from events in 0ctober: West Prussia by Paul Ku1as......... ...p. 9 The Dakota County Genealogical Society's,,()enealogy From Slownik geograficznI.............p. 10 Resource Fair" and from dos Saturday, October 10, 1998, 10:00 a.m. ro 3:00 p.m. Gerneindelexikon.fir Dakota County Historical Society Museum Kdnigreich Preusen:... .p. 10 130 Third Avenue North, South St. Paul, MN Map of the Flcitenstein area..............p. 11 Call (651) 451-6260 fcrr directions Grosse Ile: Canada's version of Ellis Island Polish Heritage Day, sponsored by Polish Eagle White by Shirley Mask Connolly... ......p. L2 Sunday, October 18, 1998, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Family trails weekend: Morrison County P.W.E. Meeting Hall, 165-13th Avenure NE., Minneapolis Families Reunion The Polish American Cultural Institute of Minnesotars by Genny Zak YieLey................p. 14 American Annual Polish Soup Festival will be held Oct.23, at 6:30 PM Fighters Remembered......p .15 at the Intemational Institute, 1694 Como Avenue in St. Paul. Library Corner....Book Reviews lior more information, call PACIM at (612) 378-9391. More short takes at the PGS-MN Library MARK YOUR CALE,NDARS FOR THESE FUTURE by Greg Kishel........ ..............p. 17 MEETINGS; MORE DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED: Holocaust videotapes available......p. 1 8 Saturclay, January 16, 1999,10:00 a.m. at the MGS Library. Missing Branches: Saturday, I.-ebruary 20,1999,10:00 a.m. at the MGS Library. Qreries..... .p. 18 Saturday, March 20,1999: PGS-MN will again parricipare in New members...............................p. 1 8 the MGS's annual "Branching Out" meeting with three Renewed members... ...p.20 presentations. St. Joseph's Catholic Church..... .......p. 20 *** * * ** * *** * * * ** * ** ** ** * rc* Page2 Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota Autumn 1998 Po lirt Gn ealogica I So c i e ty dlWinrcsota A Branch of the Minnesota Genealogical Society 5768 Olson Memorial Hwy. Golden Valley, MN 55422 (612) se5-e347 http://www.m tn. orglmgs/branches/poli sh.html Officers President's Letter by Grcg Kishel Greg Kishel ......President (e-mail: [email protected]) Autumn comes, and most of us have children and grand- Terry Kita (6t2-927 -07 t9)...................Vice President children retuming to school. Whatever their abilities, most of Joanne Lisson (672- 489 -7781,).....................Secretary them are faced with stem academic challenges at one time or Barbara Rockman (672 - 49 3 -8465)...............Treasurer another. This little commonplace of modem lif-e fumishes a W. (612-378-1739) Kornel Kondy ........Past President theme for us genealogists at this time of the year. Mary Ellen Bruski (612-588-3801)................Director Every time I deliver my introductory presentation on Genny Zak [Geley (6L2- 42 4- 37 47)...............Director Polish genealogical techniques and resources, I am approach- Margare t Kowalewski (5 07 - 45 4- 6L 49)........... Director ed by a listener who begins by protesting, "Well, I don't Cornrnittec Chairs know how to speak or write in Polish..." This usually accompanies the production of something written in the Mary Ellen Bruski (612-588-3801)........... Membership Polish language--an obituary or memorial card of American Greg Kishel. .........Program & Publicity origin, a transcript of a birth or marriage entry from a Terry Kita (672 -927 -07 19)...........................Research European source, a fbreign military record, or the like. It is Paul Kulas (672- 427 - 4523).......Library & Newsletter tbllowed by the statement that it is too ditficult to push one's Mary Ellen Bruski (e-mail: [email protected]) & genealogy beyond the immigrant generation, and how the Kathleen Matelski ...................Website speaker just doesn't know how to begin. The striking thing about this is the frequency with which I can parse something of value to the questioner out of the Polirt Ge n ealoghal Society offered material--I, with my limited grasp of Polish o1fMi n n en to fVcanslcttcr vocabulary and grarnmar, gained only in mid-life. I've been able to send a t'ew newcomers otf with the start they wanted, Nerrletter Staff whether it's a lead to a place of family origin in Poland. the sumarne c'rr occupation of a collateral or direct ancestor, or Paul Kulas (672- 427 - 4 5 23).............................. Editor the name of an Ilast Coast or Chicago parish that might holcl W. Kornel Kondy.......... Contributing Editor helptul records. I can't claim to have given pivotal help to Genny ZaklGeley... .................Printing anyone yet. Ilowever, there's no doubt that a small Mary Ellen Bruski.......... ..... ......Labels Polish-English dictionary, an idea of the structure of Polish Greg Kishel, Barbara Rockman & grarrunar, and a willingness to patiently review ditficult Genny Zaklieley... .................Mai1ing handwriting are all that is needed to break many barriers. So the message this time around is simple: Don't be afraid The Polish Genealogical Socieqv of Minnesota Newsletter is published ouarterlv in Sorins. of the Polish language. Yes, some aspects of the grarrrnar are Summer, Autumn and Winter. Submission of difficult tor Americans. The seven possible forms for nouns, items for publication is encouraged. Deadlines changing with associated prepositions and with use in the for inclusion of submitted material are March 1, sentence, are a bit tiresome to memorize; the system sure the way June 1, Sept. 1 and Dec. 1 respectively. A11 isn't English handles il.s nouns. C)n the other hand, articles, letters, book reviews, queries, news one docsn't really necd to mcmorizc thc noun cases to gain items, advertisements, etc. should be sent to: an et-fective understanding of them tbr our sort of research. Paul Kulas, PGS-MN Newsletrcr, 120ffi West The PGS-MN library collection contains several genealogical River Road Champlin, MN 5531G2145 translation guides; all of them have a section on the or to e-mail: [email protected]".us rudiments of Polish greilnmar, as applied Lo the old recclrds we pore over. Also, there are good charts outlining the case @ 1998 Polish Genealogical Society ofMinnesota endings and their uses in the introductory Polish instruction books that one can now find in paperback at any good Autumn 1998 Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesoa Page 3 bookstore. With this knowledge and an understanding example, will be scheduled only with a minimum of the verb conjugations--which in most respects are registration of twelve students. The moral is clear: We not more complicated than those in Spanish or F'rench u,ill have this valuoble instuction available to us only --one get oan the gist ofthe basic genealogical source if we support ond use it, and in good numbers. materials in our ancestors' tongue. The acquisition of even a little facility with the The use of an instruction book should prompt a Polish language is a tremendous empowerment for further leap, though: why not take a classroom course genealogical research; anyone who's gained some will in conversational Polish? Leaming to speak a foreign attest that it greatly speeds up the review ofrecords, language out loud is the very best way io intemalize and enables one to pluck out the right ones. It also real-lit'e sentence structure, and in much less time than gives a sense of empowelment; just knowing that one it takes by rote memorizing in solitude. It's also a has this extra tool is enough to keep one plugging muc! more powerful way to sense the different way of aheacl in research, even after fruitless hours, iust from viewing the world that is built into the structure of the assurance that non-recognition won't stand in the gv-gry language. Too, it's much more fun leaming with way of success. Finally, there's the broadening effect. f'ellow students who are in the very same situation-- All of the teachers of these classes love the hiitory and matriing mistakes and achieving success. F-inally, you culture of Poland, recognize that they are inseparable may not flnd the leaming as difficult as you think--if tiom the essence of the language, and insert a healthy during you childhood heard the language spoken by dose of them into the discussion. parents or grandparents, you may retain a t'eel for the So my message this time isn't complicated: don't be pronunciation and the rhythm of the language even if putoff by the language just because it's foreign; "go yoq have no conscious memory of a single wordl back to school," invest a little time into studying it, and We in the Twin Cities are fortunate to have several you will be surprised at how quickly your understand- options tbr stuclying conversational Polish in a class ing grows and your research prospers.