A
vast number of immigrants from came to America from various areas in
Central and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This class will show you how to begin researching your Central and Eastern
European roots using both traditional and online sources. Learn how
to identify your ancestral village (whether in Austria, Hungary, Czech
Republic, Poland, Slovakia, the Ukraine, or other areas), locate and
interpret vital records, contact possible relatives, trace your ancestors
through census and immigration records, organize your research, and
much more!
See also Part 2 Intermediate
Bio:
Lisa A.
Alzo
Lisa Alzo,
grew up in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, and earned a Master of Fine Arts
degree in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She
is the author of five books: Three Slovak Women, Baba's Kitchen: Slovak
& Rusyn Family Recipes and Traditions (both by Gateway Press), Finding
Your Slovak Ancestors (Heritage Productions), Pittsburgh's Immigrants
and the recently released, Slovak Pittsburgh (both by Arcadia Publishing),
as well as numerous magazine articles. Lisa has spent more than 15 years
researching her Slovak roots. She is the Second Vice President for FEEFHS,
and also serves as on the Board of Directors for the Czechoslovak Genealogical
Society International. Lisa is a frequently invited speaker for national
conferences, and genealogical/historical societies. For more information
see www.lisaalzo.com
LESSON
TITLES
Lesson
1: Introduction
A. Reasons for Researching Your Roots
B. Identity
C. Medical Reasons
D. Curiosity about Customs and Traditions
E. Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations
Lesson
2: Where to Begin?
A. Start with Yourself
· Pedigree Chart/Ancestor Chart
· Family Group Sheet
B. Home and Family Sources
· Recording Information
· Ancestor Sheet
C. Interviewing Relatives and others
· Before the Interview (preparation)
· Conducting the Interview
· After the Interview (follow-up/transcription)
D. Avoiding Duplication of Effort
· Finding Out What Has Already Been Done
· Is Your Family Tree Online?
· Personal Ancestral File; Ancestry World Tree
· Rootsweb
· Published Family Histories
E. Societies and Surname Databases/Reference Projects
F. Utilizing the Family History Library
G. Traditional vs. Online Research
Lesson
3: Eastern European Research
A. Brief Historical Synopsis
B. Geographical Distinctions
C. Political Considerations
D. Religion
E. Leaving Home: A Glimpse at Eastern European Immigration
F. Identity Crisis? Are you Austrian, Bohemian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish,
Rusyn, Slovak, Ukrainian or other? How to Know?
Lesson
4: Locating Your Ancestral Village
A. How to find the Ancestral Village
B. Maps, Gazetteers, and Atlases
C. Language Concerns: Czech, German, Hungarian, Latin, Polish, Slovak
etc.
D. Identifying Key Words and Phrases
Lesson 5: Starting Stateside: Utilizing Available U.S. Resources
A. Federal Census Records (1790-1930)
· Traditional and Online Viewing Options
· Ancestry.com Census Subscription: How To Use
B. Vital Records
· Death
· Birth
· Marriage
C. Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
D. State and County Search
· Naturalization Records
· Land/Probate Records
Lesson
6: Researching Your Immigrant Ancestors
A. Immigration Records (Passenger lists/Ship's Manifests)
B. Searching the Ellis Island Database
· How to Find Exotic-sounding Names
· Morse's Tools
C. Internet Resources
· What's on Ancestry.com
· Cyndi's List
· Eastern European Web Sites
D. Other sources
E. Helpful Reference Books
Lesson
7: Researching in Eastern Europe
A. Records Available for Particular Localities
B. LDS Microfilmed Records
C. How to Read and Interpret Birth, Death and Marriage Records
D. Census Records
E. Other Records
F. Contacting Relatives
Lesson
8: Scaling the Brick Wall: Dealing with False Leads and Pitfalls in
Your Research
A. What if the Records are Not Available on Microfilm?
B. Writing to the Ancestral Town or Village etc.
C. Look at Unlikely Sources for Information
D. Networking: Finding Others
· Internet Searching
· Message Boards
· Posting Queries in Printed Publications
E. When to Hire a Professional
F. Organizing Your Material
G. Summary/Clues for Additional Researching
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Lisa A. Alzo