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TeresaB

Joined: 02 Nov 2009
Replies: 13
Location: Kent, England
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:44 am Post subject: Where do I start?

Hello there,

My father was born in Bialystok 1923 and was the eldest of two children. I have the place and date of his birth and my aunt's approximate date of birth. I also have my grandmother's maiden name and both grandparents approximate date of birth. I also have the address they lived at in 1939. They were a Catholic family and I know both children made their First Holy Communion and were Confirmed. My grandfather - a policeman- perished at Katyn. My grandmother, father and aunt were deported to Siberia. My father joined the Polish forces under British Command in 1942 and my grandmother and aunt returned to Bialystok.

I am at a loss as to the best place to start my research and hope someone can perhaps guide me in the right direction.

Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader

Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1532
Location: Poland
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:25 pm Post subject:

Hello Teresa,

You know quite many facts to make a good start. Please let us know more about goals of your research. Do you want to build your family tree with concentration or direct lineage, collateral relations or maybe do you desire to find living relatives?

Please provide as many facts you know as possible, especially about places (also parishes names you mention about) and dates. We will try to show you possible direction then.

Shellie
PO Top Contributor & Patron

Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Replies: 1000
Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:58 pm Post subject:

Hi Theresa,
You've come to the right place. I was in your shoes just a short time ago and thanks to Zenon and the members of Polish Origins I've learned how to uncover my roots. It has been a very rewarding experience for me. There is a spirit of sharing and discovery here among the members of PolishOrigins and I think that you will enjoy being part of the crowd. Welcome!

Last edited by Shellie on Sun Nov 22, 2009 1:44 am; edited 1 time in total

TeresaB

Joined: 02 Nov 2009
Replies: 13
Location: Kent, England
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Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 6:13 am Post subject:

Thank you so much, I will list what I do know.

My grandfather, Franciszek Zukiewicz was born around 1899 and was the eldest of at least three children. I believe he originally came from Lithuania but I have no more facts. He met my grandmother, Apolonia Marcinkiewicz in Biaystok and they married around 1921. They were both Catholics. Apolonia was the youngest of thirteen children and grew up near the Russian border, speaking Russian as well as Polish.

Franciszek and Apolonia lived at Ul Waska 24, Bialystok. Franciszek was a policeman. I don't know where Apolonia worked but her mother lived with them and minded the children. Apolnia's mother died whilst they were in Siberia and was buried in the Catholic cemetery. I last visited in 1966 and saw her grave.

Their children were my father, Edward born Bialystok 25 Jan 1923. Aleksandra(Ola) born 24 June either 1926 or 1927. They were both baptised.

My father settled in England after WW11 and lived here until his death. Aleksandra married Vladek Smolensk? and lived in Bialystok until their deaths in the 1990's. They had no children.

I am more interested in tracing the family back through Franciszek and Apolonia. I can't remember hearing of any other Zukiewicz family members living in Bialystok.

I hope I have laid this all out clearly enough.

Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader

Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1532
Location: Poland
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 4:42 am Post subject:

Teresa,

The most important document for you now is marriage record of your grandparents from 1921. It should be found either locally in parish church where they got married or in Civil Registry Office in Bialystok.

If you are not going to visit Bialystok personally soon, I would suggest to contact Civil Registry Office (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego) in Bialystok and ask for FULL abstract of marriage record (in Polish: odpis zupełny aktu małżeństwa) providing them with details about your grandparents (names and date of marriage) and about yourself as their granddaughter. They may ask you later for copy of your passport, but this is not a rule.

When they find the record they will ask you for making payment to their bank account for preparing the abstract.

More and more often it is possible to communicate via email with Civil Registry Offices in Poland, but unfortunately only in Polish. Bialystok CRO email address is: usc AT um.bialystok.pl (replace AT with @)

In the full abstarct of marriage record you should find:

* date of marriage
* surnames and names of bride and groom
* maiden name of bride
* their dates and places of birth
* their addresses
* both parents names and maiden names of mothers
* names of witnesses

TeresaB

Joined: 02 Nov 2009
Replies: 13
Location: Kent, England
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 2:14 pm Post subject:

Thank you for that Zenon. I have friends who speak Polish so I will have no problems sending emails to Poland.

Zenon, I have just spoken to my sister and she is convinced my grandmother was married in her home village. I don't know the name of the village or how near it is to Bialystok. Would it still be worth applying to the Bialystok records offfice?
In England we can access names on records and then send off the details to a Central office for a copy. I take it this is not possible in Poland?
I wa surprised that you need to prove your relationship to the people on a certificate. Here we can order any certificate we like without providing proof of identity... Razz

Can I also at this time say hello and a big thank you to Shellie for also welcoming me to this site. Very Happy

Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader

Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1532
Location: Poland
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:27 am Post subject:

TeresaB wrote:

Zenon, I have just spoken to my sister and she is convinced my grandmother was married in her home village. I don't know the name of the village or how near it is to Bialystok. Would it still be worth applying to the Bialystok records offfice?

Sending e-mail costs nothing and who knows, maybe the record is stored there Question

I would try.

TeresaB wrote:

In England we can access names on records and then send off the details to a Central office for a copy. I take it this is not possible in Poland?

We don't have any central office for records. The vital records are dispersed in dozens (or even thousands) of places. Most important sources of records now are Polish State Archives with their branches throughout whole Poland, Bishop Archives with their branches and thousand of Catholic parishes, where still old records are kept.

TeresaB wrote:

I wa surprised that you need to prove your relationship to the people on a certificate. Here we can order any certificate we like without providing proof of identity... Razz

We have privacy regulations according to which if you want to get any record abstract from Civil Registry Office you must prove your relationship. Records in CROs are kept by 100 years and then they are moved to State Archives. For example, at the end of this 2009 records from 1910 should be moved to StateArchives.

TeresaB

Joined: 02 Nov 2009
Replies: 13
Location: Kent, England
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:38 am Post subject:

Many thanks for the information Zenon, it makes everything so much easier when you know where records etc. are stored.

I will contact my friends and hopefully get an email off to Bialystok over the next few days. I will let you know what progress - if any- that I make!

Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader

Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1532
Location: Poland
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:43 pm Post subject:

Will be waiting for news about your progress Exclamation

Shellie
PO Top Contributor & Patron

Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Replies: 1000
Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:34 pm Post subject:

TeresaB wrote:

Hi Theresa,
Were you able to get further information about your ancestors in Bialystok?

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