Exploring your past

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/07/2015 (3943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tracing your history through the ages and discovering the stories of your ancestors can be a challenge under the best circumstances.

But for the many thousands of people with Eastern European ancestry, researching family history has a special set of hurdles.

Changing borders, various languages, the Second World War and records scattered across numerous institutions characterize genealogical research for families from Eastern Europe, said Brian Lenius.

Lenius is a researcher, historian and author of Genealogical Gazetteer of Galicia: Expanded Data Edition, a book detailing the 6,300 ancestral villages in southeast Poland and Ukraine, and co-founder of the East European Genealogical Society (EEGS).

“The challenges are huge but they’re surmountable,” Lenius told The Sou’wester. “We can overcome them. I did and many others have done it.”

In an effort to assist others in pursuit of their past, the EEGS is hosting a full day seminar on Eastern European genealogy on Aug. 1 called Ancestral Evidence at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (45 Dalhousie Dr.).

“I suggest people go beyond looking on the internet for things and they have to still, even today, contact genealogical societies like ours or attend meetings and seminars where they can get help and guidance to further their research,” the seasoned researcher said.

Featured speakers at Ancestral Evidence include William “Fred” Hoffman (Houston, Texas) a language and translations expert and noted author; researcher and author John Pihach (Yorkton, Sask.); and Matthew Bielawa (Newington, Conn.) a research specialist in Eastern Galicia/Western Ukraine.

“We have three very knowledgeable speakers coming, and it’s not all about the presentations and the handouts that you receive but it’s also about the networking — that’s really important,” said seminar chair and Valley Gardens resident Marni Domolewski.

Domolewski says the connections she has made at seminars and meetings were an asset in her family research and adds that others have even made familial connections at the seminar. On average, 140 people attend the seminar with participants coming in from all over North America, including Saskatchewan, Florida and Georgia.

“You’re spending a day with like-minded people who want to be there, who want to learn and it’s been amazing,” she said.

Though the search for connections in Eastern European family history can be difficult, both Lenius and Domolewski agree that the rewards are well worth the effort.

“The best part is finding information that was unknown for the family. A lot of families they all have regret — for us we never asked enough questions of our grandparents and great-grandparents,” Domolewski said.

After 19 research trips to the homeland and years of work, Lenius said he has managed to connect every person in Canada with his last name together — something that he was surprised to be able to do.

“I have had a huge amount of success. It’s almost like an obsession,” he said.

“You just never know what’s going to come up next.”

Ancestral Evidence runs from 8:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Registration fees are $60 for EEGS members and $65 for non-members, lunch included. Dinner is optional and not included in the registration price.

For more information or to register, go to www.eegsociety.org or receive a registration form by emailing info@eegsociety.org or calling 204-989-3292.

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