From a Polish e-zine I found a recommendation for a researcher in
Przemysl.   I wonder if anyone on this list would hire him?

I contacted the person who recommended Maciej Orzechowski and he was
very pleased with Maciej's work. Maciej lives in Przemysl, teaches
English in school and is also a Business Travel Consultant. Maciej has
done work in the Przemysl Archdiocesan Archives and in the Przemysl
Civil Archives.

per Larry,
"All I gave Maciej was my grandmother's maiden name, the village and
approximate date. He looked up every family member with that name and
anybody that he thought were relatives; from about 1890 to 1793.

Maciej's charges were very reasonable and was dependent on how much
time he spent. He gave me an estimate before he started and was right
on that estimate with the final charge. In my opinion, he spent more
time than he charged."


Maciej used Paypal to receive his payment though I would guess another
arrangement could be worked out.

I think we may have finally found us a researcher! I plan contacting
Maciej as soon as I finish a few projects. If anyone hires Maciej I'd
appreciate hearing about the experience.

Maciej Orzechowski    omaciej@...


Good luck
Debbie

FYI, I contacted him last week, based on Larry's post. His reply was that he
thought he could help with my family research (Nowosielce/Dlugie area), but that
he'd not be able to start work until August or later due to family issues.

Dave

On Feb 1, 2012, at 12:40 PM, Debbie Greenlee wrote:

> From a Polish e-zine I found a recommendation for a researcher in
> Przemysl. I wonder if anyone on this list would hire him?
>
> I contacted the person who recommended Maciej Orzechowski and he was
> very pleased with Maciej's work. Maciej lives in Przemysl, teaches
> English in school and is also a Business Travel Consultant. Maciej has
> done work in the Przemysl Archdiocesan Archives and in the Przemysl
> Civil Archives.
>
> per Larry,
> "All I gave Maciej was my grandmother's maiden name, the village and
> approximate date. He looked up every family member with that name and
> anybody that he thought were relatives; from about 1890 to 1793.
>
> Maciej's charges were very reasonable and was dependent on how much
> time he spent. He gave me an estimate before he started and was right
> on that estimate with the final charge. In my opinion, he spent more
> time than he charged."
>
> Maciej used Paypal to receive his payment though I would guess another
> arrangement could be worked out.
>
> I think we may have finally found us a researcher! I plan contacting
> Maciej as soon as I finish a few projects. If anyone hires Maciej I'd
> appreciate hearing about the experience.
>
> Maciej Orzechowski omaciej@...
>
> Good luck
> Debbie
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks Dave.

I also wonder how teaching school interferes with research jobs during
the school year.

Debbie

David Pacek wrote:
> FYI, I contacted him last week, based on Larry's post. His reply was that he
thought he could help with my family research (Nowosielce/Dlugie area), but that
he'd not be able to start work until August or later due to family issues.
>
> Dave
>
> On Feb 1, 2012, at 12:40 PM, Debbie Greenlee wrote:
>
>> From a Polish e-zine I found a recommendation for a researcher in
>> Przemysl. I wonder if anyone on this list would hire him?
>>
>> I contacted the person who recommended Maciej Orzechowski and he was
>> very pleased with Maciej's work. Maciej lives in Przemysl, teaches
>> English in school and is also a Business Travel Consultant. Maciej has
>> done work in the Przemysl Archdiocesan Archives and in the Przemysl
>> Civil Archives.
>>
>> per Larry,
>> "All I gave Maciej was my grandmother's maiden name, the village and
>> approximate date. He looked up every family member with that name and
>> anybody that he thought were relatives; from about 1890 to 1793.
>>
>> Maciej's charges were very reasonable and was dependent on how much
>> time he spent. He gave me an estimate before he started and was right
>> on that estimate with the final charge. In my opinion, he spent more
>> time than he charged."
>>
>> Maciej used Paypal to receive his payment though I would guess another
>> arrangement could be worked out.
>>
>> I think we may have finally found us a researcher! I plan contacting
>> Maciej as soon as I finish a few projects. If anyone hires Maciej I'd
>> appreciate hearing about the experience.
>>
>> Maciej Orzechowski omaciej@...
>>
>> Good luck
>> Debbie
>>
>>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Hi all,
There's an interesting thread going on over in the RusynHeritage group about
serfdom and classes of peasantry. You might want to have a look.

Here's a link to the whole thread -- make sure to scroll down to see all the
postings. The posts from Nancy Revak (nsrevak) are the most informative.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RusynHeritage/message/3816


Cheers
Philip

Friday, February 3, 2012 starts the new season of "Who Do You Think
You Are?" on NBC TV in the U.S. The show is produced by  ancestry.com.

The first research is for Martin Sheen. If you've not seen this series
before, things go a lot faster on the show then they do in real life
and information is left out that researchers would like to know.

One of the nice things about the show is that they travel to the
person's ancestral homeland.

Other famous people who will appear this season are:

Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe, Helen Hunt,
Rita Wilson, Edie Falco, Rashida Jones, Jerome Bettis, Jason Sudeikis
and Paula Deen. At first glance none of these surnames look Polish but
I don't know which side of the family these people will be researching.

http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/?o_xid=50303&o_lid=50303&o_sch=Email

Debbie

On Feb 2, 2012, at 8:48 AM, Debbie Greenlee wrote:

> At first glance none of these surnames look Polish

Lisa Kudrow is an executive producer of this program, and she has some
"Polish" roots.  Also, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak wrote the companion
book, Who Do You Think You Are? by Wall to Wall Media, and she is "one
of us."

-Jim



.

Mike, Debbie teold me you have relatives in Bykowce. Can we talk? I'm headed to
Bykowce in April 2012. Sjmaher5697 at aol.com Thanks, Sandy

--- In bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com, "michaelburyk" <michaelburyk@...>
wrote:
>
> I am currently researching the life of Nicholas Bervinchak,
> the Lemko artist who lived in the Minersville/Primrose, Pa.,
> area.  His parents emigrated from the Lemko village of
> Rzepedz in the late 19th/early 20th century to Coal
> Country.  If any of you Schuylkill county folks or others
> know people who had personal contacts with Bervinchak,
> or possibly have some of his incredible Coal Country
> etchings, please contact me privately at michael.buryk@...
>
> Thanks!
>
> Mike
>

Sandy,

My village is Bukowsko, like the list. :)

I think Mike may have confused the name Bukowsko with the Ukrainian
name for it, Bukivs'ko and further confused it with Bykowce which is
located, as you know, north of Zag髍z.

I checked my photos and I've not even visited that village though I
probably past it on my last trip driving from Sanok to Przemys?.

Debbie

sjmaher3060 wrote:
> Mike, Debbie teold me you have relatives in Bykowce. Can we talk? I'm headed
to Bykowce in April 2012. Sjmaher5697 at aol.com Thanks, Sandy
>
> --- In bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com, "michaelburyk" <michaelburyk@...>
wrote:
>> I am currently researching the life of Nicholas Bervinchak,
>> the Lemko artist who lived in the Minersville/Primrose, Pa.,
>> area.  His parents emigrated from the Lemko village of
>> Rzepedz in the late 19th/early 20th century to Coal
>> Country.  If any of you Schuylkill county folks or others
>> know people who had personal contacts with Bervinchak,
>> or possibly have some of his incredible Coal Country
>> etchings, please contact me privately at michael.buryk@...
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Mike
>>

Hi Debbie,

In Mike's photos on some photo site he had a modern home he visited in Bykowce,
so I am hoping he can give me another family to visit to ask about old photos.
Or maybe they have neighbors with old photos....

Sandy



-----Original Message-----
From: Debbie Greenlee <daveg@...>
To: bukowsko_triangle <bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Feb 5, 2012 2:38 pm
Subject: Re: [bukowsko_triangle] Re: Nicholas Bervinchak, Minersville/Primrose
artist




Sandy,

My village is Bukowsko, like the list. :)

I think Mike may have confused the name Bukowsko with the Ukrainian
name for it, Bukivs'ko and further confused it with Bykowce which is
located, as you know, north of Zag贸rz.

I checked my photos and I've not even visited that village though I
probably past it on my last trip driving from Sanok to Przemys?.

Debbie

sjmaher3060 wrote:
> Mike, Debbie teold me you have relatives in Bykowce. Can we talk? I'm headed
to Bykowce in April 2012. Sjmaher5697 at aol.com Thanks, Sandy
>
> --- In bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com, "michaelburyk" <michaelburyk@...>
wrote:
>> I am currently researching the life of Nicholas Bervinchak,
>> the Lemko artist who lived in the Minersville/Primrose, Pa.,
>> area. His parents emigrated from the Lemko village of
>> Rzepedz in the late 19th/early 20th century to Coal
>> Country. If any of you Schuylkill county folks or others
>> know people who had personal contacts with Bervinchak,
>> or possibly have some of his incredible Coal Country
>> etchings, please contact me privately at michael.buryk@...
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Mike
>>






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

聽Tho this is off topic for the BT, the location is in SE Poland in the
metropolitan area of Krakow and I think it might be intersting to some on聽the
list.聽 Some of you world travelers may have visited this tourist attraction and
I'm for promoting anything Polish.聽 It is a forwarded message which I received,
but the pictures are better than those in Wikiepida.聽 I'm not sure, but I think
this was a topic on one of the lists previously.聽
Ann









聽






















聽


聽








Subject: FW: Polish Salt Mine










聽



















Deep underground in Poland lies something remarkable but little
known outside Eastern Europe. For centuries, miners have extracted salt
there, but left behind things quite startling and unique.
Take a look at the most unusual salt mine in the world.

From the outside, Wieliczka Salt Mine doesn鈥檛 look extraordinary.
It looks extremely well kept for a place that hasn鈥檛 mined any salt for
over ten years but apart from that it looks ordinary. However, over two
hundred meters below ground it holds an astonishing secret. This is the salt
mine that became an art gallery, cathedral and underground
lake.


Situated in the Krakow area, Wieliczka is a small town of close to twenty
thousand
inhabitants. It was founded in the twelfth century by a local Duke to mine the
rich
deposits of salt that lie beneath. Until 1996 it did just that but the
generations of miners
did more than just extract. They left behind them a breathtaking record of their
time
underground in the shape of statues of mythic, historical and religious figures.
They even created their own chapels in which to pray.
Perhaps their most astonishing legacy is the huge underground cathedral they
left behind for posterity.


It may feel like you are in the middle of a Jules Verne adventure
as you descend in to the depths of the world. After a one hundred and fifty
meter climb down wooden stairs the visitor to the salt mine will see some
amazing sites. About the most astounding in terms of its sheer size and
audacity is the Chapel of Saint Kinga. The Polish people have for many
centuries been devout Catholics and this was more than just a long term
hobby to relieve the boredom of being underground. This was an act of
worship.


Amazingly, even the chandeliers in the cathedral are made of
salt. It was not simply hewn from the ground and then thrown together;
however, the process is rather more painstaking for the lighting. After
extraction the rock salt was first of all dissolved. It was then
reconstituted with the impurities taken out so that it achieved a glass-like
finish. The chandeliers are what many visitors think the rest of the
cavernous mine will be like as they have a picture in their minds of salt as
they would sprinkle on their meals! However, the rock salt occurs naturally
in different shades of grey (something like you would expect granite to look
like).


Still, that doesn鈥檛 stop well over one million visitors (mainly
from Poland and its eastern European neighbors) from visiting the mine to
see, amongst other things, how salt was mined in the past.


For safety reasons less than one percent of the mine is open to
visitors, but even that is still almost four kilometers in length more
than enough to weary the average tourist after an hour or two. The mine was
closed for two reasons the low price of salt on the world market made it
too expensive to extract here. Also, the mine was slowly flooding another
reason why visitors are restricted to certain areas only.



The religious carvings are, in reality, what draw many to this
mine as much for their amazing verisimilitude as for their Christian
aesthetics. The above shows Jesus appearing to the apostles after the
crucifixion. He shows the doubter, Saint Thomas, the wounds on his
wrists.



Another remarkable carving, this time a take on The Last Supper.
The work and patience that must have gone into the creation of these
sculptures is extraordinary. One wonders what the miners would have thought
of their work going on general display? They came to be quite used to it, in
fact, even during the mines busiest period in the nineteenth century. The
cream of Europes thinkers visited the site you can still see many of
their names in the old visitors books on display.





These reliefs are perhaps among some of the most iconographic
works of Christian folk art in the world and really do deserve to be shown.
It comes as little surprise to learn that the mine was placed on the
original list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites back in 1978.







Not all of the work is relief-based. There are many life sized
statues that must have taken a considerable amount of time months, perhaps
even years to create. Within the confines of the mine there is also much
to be learned about the miners from the machinery and tools that they used
many of which are on display and are centuries old. A catastrophic flood in
1992 dealt the last blow to commercial salt mining in the area and now the
mine functions purely as a tourist attraction. Brine is, however, still
extracted from the mine and then evaporated to produce some salt, but
hardly on the ancient scale. If this was not done, then the mines would soon
become flooded once again.





Not all of the statues have a religious or symbolic imagery
attached to them. The miners had a sense of humor, after all! Here can be
seen their own take on the legend of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The
intricately carved dwarves must have seemed to some of the miners a kind of
ironic depiction of their own work.



The miners even threw in a dragon for good measure! Certainly,
they may have whistled while they did it but the conditions in the salt mine
were far from comfortable and the hours were long the fact that it was
subterranean could hardly have added to the excitement of going to work each
morning.


To cap it all there is even an underground lake, lit by subdued
electricity and candles. This is perhaps where the old legends of lakes to
the underworld and Catholic imagery of the saints work together to best
leave a lasting impression of the mine. How different a few minutes
reflection here must have been to the noise and sweat of everyday working
life in the mine.


聽







聽

聽
聽







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Feb 5, 2012, at 7:06 PM, Ann Poslosky wrote:

>
>  Tho this is off topic for the BT, the location is in SE Poland in the
metropolitan area of Krakow and I think it might be intersting to some on the
list.  Some of you world travelers may have visited this tourist attraction and
I'm for promoting anything Polish.  It is a forwarded message which I received,
but the pictures are better than those in Wikiepida.  I'm not sure, but I think
this was a topic on one of the lists previously.

Hi Ann,
Yes, this is a pretty amazing place. But attachments on the list are not
forwarded, so we didn't get to see the pictures. Sorry about that.

Cheers
P


>
> Subject: FW: Polish Salt Mine
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Deep underground in Poland lies something remarkable but little
> known outside Eastern Europe. For centuries, miners have extracted salt
> there, but left behind things quite startling and unique.
> Take a look at the most unusual salt mine in the world.
>
> From the outside, Wieliczka Salt Mine doesn抰 look extraordinary.
> It looks extremely well kept for a place that hasn抰 mined any salt for
> over ten years but apart from that it looks ordinary. However, over two
> hundred meters below ground it holds an astonishing secret. This is the salt
> mine that became an art gallery, cathedral and underground
> lake.
>
>
> Situated in the Krakow area, Wieliczka is a small town of close to twenty
thousand
> inhabitants. It was founded in the twelfth century by a local Duke to mine the
rich
> deposits of salt that lie beneath. Until 1996 it did just that but the
generations of miners
> did more than just extract. They left behind them a breathtaking record of
their time
> underground in the shape of statues of mythic, historical and religious
figures.
> They even created their own chapels in which to pray.
> Perhaps their most astonishing legacy is the huge underground cathedral they
> left behind for posterity.
>
>
> It may feel like you are in the middle of a Jules Verne adventure
> as you descend in to the depths of the world. After a one hundred and fifty
> meter climb down wooden stairs the visitor to the salt mine will see some
> amazing sites. About the most astounding in terms of its sheer size and
> audacity is the Chapel of Saint Kinga. The Polish people have for many
> centuries been devout Catholics and this was more than just a long term
> hobby to relieve the boredom of being underground. This was an act of
> worship.
>
>
> Amazingly, even the chandeliers in the cathedral are made of
> salt. It was not simply hewn from the ground and then thrown together;
> however, the process is rather more painstaking for the lighting. After
> extraction the rock salt was first of all dissolved. It was then
> reconstituted with the impurities taken out so that it achieved a glass-like
> finish. The chandeliers are what many visitors think the rest of the
> cavernous mine will be like as they have a picture in their minds of salt as
> they would sprinkle on their meals! However, the rock salt occurs naturally
> in different shades of grey (something like you would expect granite to look
> like).
>
>
> Still, that doesn抰 stop well over one million visitors (mainly
> from Poland and its eastern European neighbors) from visiting the mine to
> see, amongst other things, how salt was mined in the past.
>
>
> For safety reasons less than one percent of the mine is open to
> visitors, but even that is still almost four kilometers in length more
> than enough to weary the average tourist after an hour or two. The mine was
> closed for two reasons the low price of salt on the world market made it
> too expensive to extract here. Also, the mine was slowly flooding another
> reason why visitors are restricted to certain areas only.
>
>
>
> The religious carvings are, in reality, what draw many to this
> mine as much for their amazing verisimilitude as for their Christian
> aesthetics. The above shows Jesus appearing to the apostles after the
> crucifixion. He shows the doubter, Saint Thomas, the wounds on his
> wrists.
>
>
>
> Another remarkable carving, this time a take on The Last Supper.
> The work and patience that must have gone into the creation of these
> sculptures is extraordinary. One wonders what the miners would have thought
> of their work going on general display? They came to be quite used to it, in
> fact, even during the mines busiest period in the nineteenth century. The
> cream of Europes thinkers visited the site you can still see many of
> their names in the old visitors books on display.
>
>
>
>
>
> These reliefs are perhaps among some of the most iconographic
> works of Christian folk art in the world and really do deserve to be shown.
> It comes as little surprise to learn that the mine was placed on the
> original list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites back in 1978.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Not all of the work is relief-based. There are many life sized
> statues that must have taken a considerable amount of time months, perhaps
> even years to create. Within the confines of the mine there is also much
> to be learned about the miners from the machinery and tools that they used
> many of which are on display and are centuries old. A catastrophic flood in
> 1992 dealt the last blow to commercial salt mining in the area and now the
> mine functions purely as a tourist attraction. Brine is, however, still
> extracted from the mine and then evaporated to produce some salt, but
> hardly on the ancient scale. If this was not done, then the mines would soon
> become flooded once again.
>
>
>
>
>
> Not all of the statues have a religious or symbolic imagery
> attached to them. The miners had a sense of humor, after all! Here can be
> seen their own take on the legend of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The
> intricately carved dwarves must have seemed to some of the miners a kind of
> ironic depiction of their own work.
>
>
>
> The miners even threw in a dragon for good measure! Certainly,
> they may have whistled while they did it but the conditions in the salt mine
> were far from comfortable and the hours were long the fact that it was
> subterranean could hardly have added to the excitement of going to work each
> morning.
>
>
> To cap it all there is even an underground lake, lit by subdued
> electricity and candles. This is perhaps where the old legends of lakes to
> the underworld and Catholic imagery of the saints work together to best
> leave a lasting impression of the mine. How different a few minutes
> reflection here must have been to the noise and sweat of everyday working
> life in the mine.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

First I would like to thank the group as a whole, I have been able to identify
some information on my family with what's been gleamed from reading the Bukowsko
group emails.聽 Without the groups help I wouldn't have as much information as I
have. Following is the additional information found, hopefully someone can help
me out with more information/clues.

This is what I know thus far:

	 * My Grandmothers name was Katarznya Starzecka
	 * Her home town was listed, in the Ellis Island records, as Zboiska

	 * Left Europe in聽 1907-1908聽 from Hamburg on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
for Ellis Island
	 * Point of destination was her brother in Minersville
	 * Traveling companions were Stefan Kramar and Kristyna Petynka
	 * Sometime after her arrival she went back to Europe
	 * Married Steffan Winiarz or Winiar and lived inBelchowka (English),
Bie艂ch贸wka / Bielchowka (Polish)(4), Bochivka (Rusyn),
Belkhivka (Ukrainian)(1),
Bo艂echowka / Bolechowka (Rusyn/Polish)
	 * Winiarz from Bochivka are related to Walter, Simon, and Anthony Makara
(cousins)

Maybe someone can give me a contact in Minersville.



Thank you,

John Winiarz

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Feb 7, 2012, at 2:14 PM, John Winiarz wrote:

>
>
> First I would like to thank the group as a whole, I have been able to identify
some information on my family with what's been gleamed from reading the Bukowsko
group emails.  Without the groups help I wouldn't have as much information as I
have. Following is the additional information found, hopefully someone can help
me out with more information/clues.
>
> This is what I know thus far:
>
>  * My Grandmothers name was Katarznya Starzecka
>  * Her home town was listed, in the Ellis Island records, as Zboiska
>
>  * Left Europe in  1907-1908  from Hamburg on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
for Ellis Island
>  * Point of destination was her brother in Minersville
>  * Traveling companions were Stefan Kramar and Kristyna Petynka
>  * Sometime after her arrival she went back to Europe
>  * Married Steffan Winiarz or Winiar and lived inBelchowka (English),
Bie艂ch贸wka / Bielchowka (Polish)(4), Bochivka (Rusyn),
> Belkhivka (Ukrainian)(1),
> Bo艂echowka / Bolechowka (Rusyn/Polish)
>  * Winiarz from Bochivka are related to Walter, Simon, and Anthony Makara
(cousins)
>
> Maybe someone can give me a contact in Minersville.

Hi John,
Have you looked at the Minersville cemetery transcriptions here? They won't give
you a "contact", but they might give you some clues.

http://semanchuk.com/gen/data/minersville/


There might be other Minersville cemetery transcriptions online; I haven't
looked.


Happy hunting
Philip

Try FindAGrave.com, too.聽 People are adding to that site for Schuylkill County
on an almost daily basis.聽 Plus it even often has photographs of the
gravestones.



________________________________
  From: Philip Semanchuk <philip@...>
To: bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 2:17 PM
Subject: Re: [bukowsko_triangle] Family



聽


On Feb 7, 2012, at 2:14 PM, John Winiarz wrote:

>
>
> First I would like to thank the group as a whole, I have been able to identify
some information on my family with what's been gleamed from reading the Bukowsko
group emails.  Without the groups help I wouldn't have as much information as I
have. Following is the additional information found, hopefully someone can help
me out with more information/clues.
>
> This is what I know thus far:
>
>  * My Grandmothers name was Katarznya Starzecka
>  * Her home town was listed, in the Ellis Island records, as Zboiska
>
>  * Left Europe in  1907-1908  from Hamburg on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
for Ellis Island
>  * Point of destination was her brother in Minersville
>  * Traveling companions were Stefan Kramar and Kristyna Petynka
>  * Sometime after her arrival she went back to Europe
>  * Married Steffan Winiarz or Winiar and lived inBelchowka (English),
Bie艂ch贸wka / Bielchowka (Polish)(4), Bochivka (Rusyn),
> Belkhivka (Ukrainian)(1),
> Bo艂echowka / Bolechowka (Rusyn/Polish)
>  * Winiarz from Bochivka are related to Walter, Simon, and Anthony Makara
(cousins)
>
> Maybe someone can give me a contact in Minersville.

Hi John,
Have you looked at the Minersville cemetery transcriptions here? They won't give
you a "contact", but they might give you some clues.

http://semanchuk.com/gen/data/minersville/

There might be other Minersville cemetery transcriptions online; I haven't
looked.

Happy hunting
Philip




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Feb 7, 2012, at 2:14 PM, John Winiarz wrote:

>
>
> First I would like to thank the group as a whole, I have been able to identify
some information on my family with what's been gleamed from reading the Bukowsko
group emails.  Without the groups help I wouldn't have as much information as I
have. Following is the additional information found, hopefully someone can help
me out with more information/clues.
>
> This is what I know thus far:
>
>  * My Grandmothers name was Katarznya Starzecka
>  * Her home town was listed, in the Ellis Island records, as Zboiska
>
>  * Left Europe in  1907-1908  from Hamburg on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
for Ellis Island
>  * Point of destination was her brother in Minersville
>  * Traveling companions were Stefan Kramar and Kristyna Petynka
>  * Sometime after her arrival she went back to Europe
>  * Married Steffan Winiarz or Winiar and lived inBelchowka (English),
Bie艂ch贸wka / Bielchowka (Polish)(4), Bochivka (Rusyn),
> Belkhivka (Ukrainian)(1),
> Bo艂echowka / Bolechowka (Rusyn/Polish)
>  * Winiarz from Bochivka are related to Walter, Simon, and Anthony Makara
(cousins)
>
> Maybe someone can give me a contact in Minersville.

Another resource that you've probably already checked but will be valuable if
you haven't is this one:
http://semanchuk.com/gen/wzbr/



Cheers
P

4TH POLISH-JEWISH DIALOGUE CONTINUES ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2012


As a result of the very informative and successful presentations by
Michael H. Traison on 鈥漃oland in the Heart of the Jews and the Jews in
the Heart of Poland鈥�, the fourth in the series of continuing dialogue
will resume on Sunday, February 12, 2012, from 1-3 pm, in the Sabina
P. Logisz Great Hall of The Polish Museum of America, 984 N Milwaukee
Avenue (at Augusta), Chicago, IL.

The subject will be: The Special Relationship Between the Republic of
Poland and the State of Israel:  From Mother and Daughter States to
Allies with an Unbreakable Historic Bond.

Michael H. Traison, a partner in the international law firm of Miller
Canfield, divides his time between homes in the US and Poland, is the
founder of Fundacja Michaela H. Traisona and is active in Polish,
Zionist, and Jewish organizations.

Admission is a suggested free will offering to support the work of the
Museum. Parking is free, and is on the west side of the Polish Roman
Catholic Union building in which The Polish Museum of America is
housed. For further information, please call (773) 384-3352, ext. 104,
or e-mail:pma@...

Have you sent your donation for the photography of books yet?� If we all send
just $10 or $20 the project will be financed.� Debbie does so much for all of
us.� She shouldn't have to also pay the lion's share to get the information for
the entire group.� My check was in the mail last week.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

My father has asked me to try to find his friend Anthony Plesniarski from
Bayonne, NJ.� Tony would be in his early 90's now, as my father is.� Any leads
would be appreciated.� Barbara

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

John,

   I've seen the surname Winiarz in Bukowsko church records. Have you
looked at the marriage and baptismal books on Philip's site. They're
listed under "The Debbie Greenlee"
http://semanchuk.com/gen/

Debbie

John Winiarz wrote:
>
> First I would like to thank the group as a whole, I have been able to identify
some information on my family with what's been gleamed from reading the Bukowsko
group emails.  Without the groups help I wouldn't have as much information as I
have. Following is the additional information found, hopefully someone can help
me out with more information/clues.
>
> This is what I know thus far:
>
>  * My Grandmothers name was Katarznya Starzecka
>  * Her home town was listed, in the Ellis Island records, as Zboiska
>
>  * Left Europe in  1907-1908  from Hamburg on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
for Ellis Island
>  * Point of destination was her brother in Minersville
>  * Traveling companions were Stefan Kramar and Kristyna Petynka
>  * Sometime after her arrival she went back to Europe
>  * Married Steffan Winiarz or Winiar and lived inBelchowka (English),
Bie艂ch贸wka / Bielchowka (Polish)(4), Bochivka (Rusyn),
> Belkhivka (Ukrainian)(1),
> Bo艂echowka / Bolechowka (Rusyn/Polish)
>  * Winiarz from Bochivka are related to Walter, Simon, and Anthony Makara
(cousins)
>
> Maybe someone can give me a contact in Minersville.
>
> Thank you,
>
> John Winiarz

On Feb 7, 2012, at 7:56 PM, Debbie Greenlee wrote:

> John,
>
>  I've seen the surname Winiarz in Bukowsko church records. Have you
> looked at the marriage and baptismal books on Philip's site. They're
> listed under "The Debbie Greenlee"
> http://semanchuk.com/gen/


John,
Since you're getting all of these good tips, you might just want to search the
whole site for "winiarz" (and also "winiar"). Here's a URL to do just that:
https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Asemanchuk.com+winiarz#q=site:semanchuk.co\
m+winiarz&filter=0

Changing it to search for "winiar" as well is left as an exercise for the
reader.

bye
Philip



> John Winiarz wrote:
>>
>> First I would like to thank the group as a whole, I have been able to
identify some information on my family with what's been gleamed from reading the
Bukowsko group emails.  Without the groups help I wouldn't have as much
information as I have. Following is the additional information found, hopefully
someone can help me out with more information/clues.
>>
>> This is what I know thus far:
>>
>>  * My Grandmothers name was Katarznya Starzecka
>>  * Her home town was listed, in the Ellis Island records, as Zboiska
>>
>>  * Left Europe in  1907-1908  from Hamburg on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
for Ellis Island
>>  * Point of destination was her brother in Minersville
>>  * Traveling companions were Stefan Kramar and Kristyna Petynka
>>  * Sometime after her arrival she went back to Europe
>>  * Married Steffan Winiarz or Winiar and lived inBelchowka (English),
Bie艂ch贸wka / Bielchowka (Polish)(4), Bochivka (Rusyn),
>> Belkhivka (Ukrainian)(1),
>> Bo艂echowka / Bolechowka (Rusyn/Polish)
>>  * Winiarz from Bochivka are related to Walter, Simon, and Anthony Makara
(cousins)
>>
>> Maybe someone can give me a contact in Minersville.
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> John Winiarz

Barbara,
聽
Go to www.zabasearch.com and type in his name.聽 An Anthony Plesniarski comes up
from Bayonne, NJ with an address and phone number.
聽
Susan


________________________________
From: Barbara Cozine <bfcozine@...>
To: Bukowsko Triangle <bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 7:53 PM
Subject: [bukowsko_triangle] Plesniarski's


聽
My father has asked me to try to find his friend Anthony Plesniarski from
Bayonne, NJ.聽 Tony would be in his early 90's now, as my father is.聽 Any leads
would be appreciated.聽 Barbara

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Also gladly sent mine.
Along that same note;  Debbie has spent her own money so  far for all the
many villages she has provided both pictures and information for  and
willingly shared with us.
But, let's not forget Philip.  The new photographs will  finally provide
the records for his village. Yes, even he  is patiently waiting for the
Nowotonic records.  So our donations are  really saying THANK YOU to both Debbie
and Phillip. and helping  with  their research.
Who can say no to helping them.  Besides, how else  could we ever help them
after all the help they've given us.  If you've  never asked a question or
needed help, sit back and relax.  If you've ever  asked a question, followed
a discussion thread,  or read Philips BT  site then it's time to send
something as our way of giving back.  Our  turn to give back.
sharon


In a message dated 2/7/2012 7:51:51 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
bfcozine@... writes:




Have you sent your donation for the photography of books yet?  If we  all
send just $10 or $20 the project will be financed.  Debbie does so  much for
all of us.  She shouldn't have to also pay the lion's share to  get the
information for the entire group.  My check was in the mail last  week.

[Non-text portions of this message have been  removed]






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

John,

I know something about the Starzecky / Starziski family.  Some of this extended
family lived in Minersville.  They were close associates of my ancestors, the
Hrynios.  What do you know about your grandmother?  When was she born?

Zboiska is not far from Zawadka Morochowska where most of my family was from,
and there were Starzecky from there.

Please tell us more information and we can be of help to you.  Did she die in
the USA?  Have you obtained her death record?  Was she married in the USA or in
Europe?  Have you obtained the marriage record?  How about baptismal records of
their children?

What was her religion in America -- Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, or Eastern
Orthodox?

Please get back to me and I'll try to help.

Justin

--- In bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com, John Winiarz <jpwin26@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> First I would like to thank the group as a whole, I have been able to identify
some information on my family with what's been gleamed from reading the Bukowsko
group emails.聽 Without the groups help I wouldn't have as much information as I
have. Following is the additional information found, hopefully someone can help
me out with more information/clues.
>
> This is what I know thus far:
>
>  * My Grandmothers name was Katarznya Starzecka
>  * Her home town was listed, in the Ellis Island records, as Zboiska
>
>  * Left Europe in聽 1907-1908聽 from Hamburg on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
for Ellis Island
>  * Point of destination was her brother in Minersville
>  * Traveling companions were Stefan Kramar and Kristyna Petynka
>  * Sometime after her arrival she went back to Europe
>  * Married Steffan Winiarz or Winiar and lived inBelchowka (English),
Bie艂ch贸wka / Bielchowka (Polish)(4), Bochivka (Rusyn),
> Belkhivka (Ukrainian)(1),
> Bo艂echowka / Bolechowka (Rusyn/Polish)
>  * Winiarz from Bochivka are related to Walter, Simon, and Anthony Makara
(cousins)
>
> Maybe someone can give me a contact in Minersville.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> John Winiarz
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Debbie,
"Check's in the mail"  LOL
Thanks for all you've done...
MaryAnn Maciejowska/Machusky-Bensinger
Minersville PA/Glen Burnie MD/Rockledge FL


--- In bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com, jsturn5@... wrote:
>
> Also gladly sent mine.
> Along that same note;  Debbie has spent her own money so  far for all the
> many villages she has provided both pictures and information for  and
> willingly shared with us.
> But, let's not forget Philip.  The new photographs will  finally provide
> the records for his village. Yes, even he  is patiently waiting for the
> Nowotonic records.  So our donations are  really saying THANK YOU to both
Debbie
> and Phillip. and helping  with  their research.
> Who can say no to helping them.  Besides, how else  could we ever help them
> after all the help they've given us.  If you've  never asked a question or
> needed help, sit back and relax.  If you've ever  asked a question, followed
> a discussion thread,  or read Philips BT  site then it's time to send
> something as our way of giving back.  Our  turn to give back.
> sharon
>
>
> In a message dated 2/7/2012 7:51:51 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> bfcozine@... writes:
>
>
>
>
> Have you sent your donation for the photography of books yet?  If we  all
> send just $10 or $20 the project will be financed.  Debbie does so  much for
> all of us.  She shouldn't have to also pay the lion's share to  get the
> information for the entire group.  My check was in the mail last  week.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been  removed]
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Thank you Susan,聽 We called and the number is disconnected.聽 I appreciate your
suggestion.



________________________________
  From: Susan Udinsky <sludinsky@...>
To: "bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com" <bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 8:56 PM
Subject: Re: [bukowsko_triangle] Plesniarski's



聽

Barbara,
聽
Go to www.zabasearch.com and type in his name.聽 An Anthony Plesniarski comes up
from Bayonne, NJ with an address and phone number.
聽
Susan

________________________________
From: Barbara Cozine <bfcozine@...>
To: Bukowsko Triangle <bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 7:53 PM
Subject: [bukowsko_triangle] Plesniarski's

聽
My father has asked me to try to find his friend Anthony Plesniarski from
Bayonne, NJ.聽 Tony would be in his early 90's now, as my father is.聽 Any leads
would be appreciated.聽 Barbara

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Philip,
聽
I was just so excited about seeing the pctures and wanted to share them and
totally forgot that the lists do not accept attachments.聽 Appreciate your email
though.聽 Thank you.
聽
Ann

--- On Mon, 2/6/12, Philip Semanchuk <philip@...> wrote:


From: Philip Semanchuk <philip@...>
Subject: Re: [bukowsko_triangle] (off topic) Wielczka Salt Mine
To: bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 11:27 PM



On Feb 5, 2012, at 7:06 PM, Ann Poslosky wrote:

>
>聽 Tho this is off topic for the BT, the location is in SE Poland in the
metropolitan area of Krakow and I think it might be intersting to some on the
list.聽 Some of you world travelers may have visited this tourist attraction and
I'm for promoting anything Polish.聽 It is a forwarded message which I received,
but the pictures are better than those in Wikiepida.聽 I'm not sure, but I think
this was a topic on one of the lists previously.聽

Hi Ann,
Yes, this is a pretty amazing place. But attachments on the list are not
forwarded, so we didn't get to see the pictures. Sorry about that.

Cheers
P


>
> Subject: FW: Polish Salt Mine
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>聽
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Deep underground in Poland lies something remarkable but little
> known outside Eastern Europe. For centuries, miners have extracted salt
> there, but left behind things quite startling and unique.
> Take a look at the most unusual salt mine in the world.
>
> From the outside, Wieliczka Salt Mine doesn鈥檛 look extraordinary.
> It looks extremely well kept for a place that hasn鈥檛 mined any salt for
> over ten years but apart from that it looks ordinary. However, over two
> hundred meters below ground it holds an astonishing secret. This is the salt
> mine that became an art gallery, cathedral and underground
> lake.
>
>
> Situated in the Krakow area, Wieliczka is a small town of close to twenty
thousand
> inhabitants. It was founded in the twelfth century by a local Duke to mine the
rich
> deposits of salt that lie beneath. Until 1996 it did just that but the
generations of miners
> did more than just extract. They left behind them a breathtaking record of
their time
> underground in the shape of statues of mythic, historical and religious
figures.
> They even created their own chapels in which to pray.
> Perhaps their most astonishing legacy is the huge underground cathedral they
> left behind for posterity.
>
>
> It may feel like you are in the middle of a Jules Verne adventure
> as you descend in to the depths of the world. After a one hundred and fifty
> meter climb down wooden stairs the visitor to the salt mine will see some
> amazing sites. About the most astounding in terms of its sheer size and
> audacity is the Chapel of Saint Kinga. The Polish people have for many
> centuries been devout Catholics and this was more than just a long term
> hobby to relieve the boredom of being underground. This was an act of
> worship.
>
>
> Amazingly, even the chandeliers in the cathedral are made of
> salt. It was not simply hewn from the ground and then thrown together;
> however, the process is rather more painstaking for the lighting. After
> extraction the rock salt was first of all dissolved. It was then
> reconstituted with the impurities taken out so that it achieved a glass-like
> finish. The chandeliers are what many visitors think the rest of the
> cavernous mine will be like as they have a picture in their minds of salt as
> they would sprinkle on their meals! However, the rock salt occurs naturally
> in different shades of grey (something like you would expect granite to look
> like).
>
>
> Still, that doesn鈥檛 stop well over one million visitors (mainly
> from Poland and its eastern European neighbors) from visiting the mine to
> see, amongst other things, how salt was mined in the past.
>
>
> For safety reasons less than one percent of the mine is open to
> visitors, but even that is still almost four kilometers in length more
> than enough to weary the average tourist after an hour or two. The mine was
> closed for two reasons the low price of salt on the world market made it
> too expensive to extract here. Also, the mine was slowly flooding another
> reason why visitors are restricted to certain areas only.
>
>
>
> The religious carvings are, in reality, what draw many to this
> mine as much for their amazing verisimilitude as for their Christian
> aesthetics. The above shows Jesus appearing to the apostles after the
> crucifixion. He shows the doubter, Saint Thomas, the wounds on his
> wrists.
>
>
>
> Another remarkable carving, this time a take on The Last Supper.
> The work and patience that must have gone into the creation of these
> sculptures is extraordinary. One wonders what the miners would have thought
> of their work going on general display? They came to be quite used to it, in
> fact, even during the mines busiest period in the nineteenth century. The
> cream of Europes thinkers visited the site you can still see many of
> their names in the old visitors books on display.
>
>
>
>
>
> These reliefs are perhaps among some of the most iconographic
> works of Christian folk art in the world and really do deserve to be shown.
> It comes as little surprise to learn that the mine was placed on the
> original list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites back in 1978.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Not all of the work is relief-based. There are many life sized
> statues that must have taken a considerable amount of time months, perhaps
> even years to create. Within the confines of the mine there is also much
> to be learned about the miners from the machinery and tools that they used
> many of which are on display and are centuries old. A catastrophic flood in
> 1992 dealt the last blow to commercial salt mining in the area and now the
> mine functions purely as a tourist attraction. Brine is, however, still
> extracted from the mine and then evaporated to produce some salt, but
> hardly on the ancient scale. If this was not done, then the mines would soon
> become flooded once again.
>
>
>
>
>
> Not all of the statues have a religious or symbolic imagery
> attached to them. The miners had a sense of humor, after all! Here can be
> seen their own take on the legend of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The
> intricately carved dwarves must have seemed to some of the miners a kind of
> ironic depiction of their own work.
>
>
>
> The miners even threw in a dragon for good measure! Certainly,
> they may have whistled while they did it but the conditions in the salt mine
> were far from comfortable and the hours were long the fact that it was
> subterranean could hardly have added to the excitement of going to work each
> morning.
>
>
> To cap it all there is even an underground lake, lit by subdued
> electricity and candles. This is perhaps where the old legends of lakes to
> the underworld and Catholic imagery of the saints work together to best
> leave a lasting impression of the mine. How different a few minutes
> reflection here must have been to the noise and sweat of everyday working
> life in the mine.
>
>
>聽
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>聽
>
>聽
>聽
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Barbara,

Try Facebook. Your father's friend might not be a member but perhaps
you can locate a child or grandchild.

Debbie

Barbara Cozine wrote:
> Thank you Susan,  We called and the number is disconnected.  I appreciate your
suggestion.

> ________________________________
>  From: Susan Udinsky <sludinsky@...>
> To: "bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com" <bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 8:56 PM
> Subject: Re: [bukowsko_triangle] Plesniarski's
>
>
> Barbara,
>
> Go to www.zabasearch.com and type in his name.  An Anthony Plesniarski comes
up from Bayonne, NJ with an address and phone number.
>
> Susan
>
> ________________________________
> From: Barbara Cozine <bfcozine@...>
> To: Bukowsko Triangle <bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 7:53 PM
> Subject: [bukowsko_triangle] Plesniarski's
>
>
> My father has asked me to try to find his friend Anthony Plesniarski from
Bayonne, NJ.  Tony would be in his early 90's now, as my father is.  Any leads
would be appreciated.  Barbara

John
My Grandfathers name was Aleksander Starzecki from Zboiska. I just wonder if
there is any connection???

I live in NY. I'll ask my Mom ( she lives in Zboiska)  if she recall Katarzyna
Starzecka. Do you know her brother name in PA?
I'll let you know.

Regards,
Maria Macyk-Jakubiak


-----Original Message-----
From: Debbie Greenlee <daveg@...>
To: bukowsko_triangle <bukowsko_triangle@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Feb 7, 2012 7:56 pm
Subject: Re: [bukowsko_triangle] Family




John,

I've seen the surname Winiarz in Bukowsko church records. Have you
looked at the marriage and baptismal books on Philip's site. They're
listed under "The Debbie Greenlee"
http://semanchuk.com/gen/

Debbie

John Winiarz wrote:
>
> First I would like to thank the group as a whole, I have been able to identify
some information on my family with what's been gleamed from reading the Bukowsko
group emails. Without the groups help I wouldn't have as much information as I
have. Following is the additional information found, hopefully someone can help
me out with more information/clues.
>
> This is what I know thus far:
>
> * My Grandmothers name was Katarznya Starzecka
> * Her home town was listed, in the Ellis Island records, as Zboiska
>
> * Left Europe in 1907-1908 from Hamburg on the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria for
Ellis Island
> * Point of destination was her brother in Minersville
> * Traveling companions were Stefan Kramar and Kristyna Petynka
> * Sometime after her arrival she went back to Europe
> * Married Steffan Winiarz or Winiar and lived inBelchowka (English),
Bie艂ch贸wka / Bielchowka (Polish)(4), Bochivka (Rusyn),
> Belkhivka (Ukrainian)(1),
> Bo艂echowka / Bolechowka (Rusyn/Polish)
> * Winiarz from Bochivka are related to Walter, Simon, and Anthony Makara
(cousins)
>
> Maybe someone can give me a contact in Minersville.
>
> Thank you,
>
> John Winiarz






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Please take note of this and sign the petition. The internet community
can make a difference as has been proven twice recently.

Debbie


   From Sandy Miarecki
"Now there is a petition on www.whitehouse.gov that people can sign.
Please forward this to other groups to which you belong.

Here is the Reader's Digest version of the info below:

The U.S. House of Representatives has been holding hearings recently
about closing public access to the Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
because of concerns that the Social Security numbers of deceased
individuals could be used to commit fraud. Closing access to the SSDI
will not address the growing problem of identity theft. What is needed
is for all government agencies and businesses to use the Social
Security Death Index for what it was actually created for - to COMBAT
fraud - by checking the Social Security numbers listed in it against
the documents they're receiving (such as tax returns).

The Records and Preservation Committee (RPAC) - an international
coalition of genealogy societies - has launched a campaign, Stop ID
Theft NOW!, to keep the SSDI open to all who use it - not just
genealogists, but forensic specialists, law offices, banks and
insurance companies. The White House petition needs 25,000 signatures
before March 8th. Please share this information with anyone else who
may be affected by this records closure."

http://wh.gov/khE


   From Jan Meisels Allen's post on Jewish Gen List

"Subject: Genealogy Community Under Attack--Hearing on SSDI and
Genealogy Community Response
From: "Jan Meisels Allen" <janmallen@...>
Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2012 14:16:37 -0800

I previously posted on this forum about the US House Ways and Means
Committee Subcommittee on Social Security hearing where the
genealogical community was not invited to testify. The hearing held on
February 2nd video was posted to the Subcommittee's website on February 7:
http://waysandmeans.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=133.
I suggest you watch the entire video as the questions and answer
session is very telling where everyone is on this issue. The most
telling is the Social Security Administrator answering questions on
the genealogical community starting at 28:00 minutes if you don't want
to listen to the entire hearing.

The written statements of the five invited witnesses may be read at
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=276835

The "Legal Genealogist" posted a summary of the hearing which may be
read at: http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/ scroll down to February
3 posting.

As a result of what happened at the hearing it is obvious that the
genealogical community is under attack and we are responding with:
"Stop Identity Theft NOW"- identity theft is the real culprit-not
genealogists. In addition, IAJGS, FGS, NGS and RPAC will be submitting
statements for the record before the February 16 deadline for the
record closure. Please see http://fgs.org/rpac  for information on
what the genealogical community is doing and how you can participate
and check it frequently for updates!

The House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Social Security is
proposing to completely shut down use of the SSDI by genealogists as
well as other industries such as banking and insurance that rely upon
its information. Such an attempt is short-sighted and runs counter to
the original purpose of the SSDI: to actually combat fraud.

Because of the negativity given the genealogical community at the
hearing the genealogical community, through the Records Preservation
and Access Committee (RPAC) [a joint committee whose voting members
are the Federation of Genealogical Societies, IAJGS and the National
Genealogy Society with participating members: APG, BCG, ASG,
Ancestry.com and ProQuest.] is responding with "Stop Identity Theft
NOW". The issue is that the SSDI used appropriately is a mechanism to
stop identity theft!

To learn who about the House Ways and Means Committee and the Social
Security Subcommittee go to:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/Subcommittees/Subcommittee/?IssueID=4772
To learn about who is a Member of the House or Senate go to the IAJGS
website:
http://www.iajgs.org/pramc/legisites.html and scroll down to US
Congress Websites

History:
The House Ways and Means Committee Social Security Subcommittee held a
hearing on the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), the commercial name
of the Death Master File (DMF) on February 2nd. The genealogical
community was told they were not invited to testify, unfortunately the
Committee members and those invited to testify made the genealogy
community the scapegoat for identity theft, by focusing on the public
access to the SSDI on genealogical websites. One of the witnesses was
a grieving father whose deceased child's social security number was
stolen and used fraudulently for tax refunds by the identity thieves.
He was very concerned that his deceased daughter's Social Security
number could be seen on the internet by anyone. The Social Security
Administrator spoke on behalf of the Administration and during the
question and answer period stated, genealogists do not need the SSDI,
they can get their information in other ways, and can wait as they do
for the release of US census for "75 years".

The subcommittee members indicated that this is a bi-partisan issue
and both the Democrats and Republicans will be working together to
address this in upcoming legislation.

Please share this information with your genealogical associates and
societies.

Jan Meisels Allen
IAJGS Vice President
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee"