The Polish Genealogical Society of California, a non-profit organization, was established on July 17, 1989. Our purpose is to promote the research of Polish family heritage, to help you research and record your family history, to collect and preserve records of our ancestors, and to preserve historical and biographical material. PGS-CA provides a forum for members to learn how to research their ancestral lines.
Our growing library collection of research material is available at the Los Angeles Regional Family History Center (LARFHC). Meetings and classes explore Polish history and expand our knowledge of research techniques. We have a seminar every two years (biennial). Members can also participate in a biennial United Polish Genealogical Societies conference in Salt Lake City to further personal research and network with other Polish researchers.
The BULLETIN is published quarterly. It contains many articles on genealogical research and history of interest to researchers. It is a forum for sharing information and exchanging research methods and techniques. Your personal stories are always welcome. Send us items of genealogical, historical, or biographical interest.
General meetings are held the fourth Saturday of January, March, May, July, September, & November at the LAR-Family History Center, 10741 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. Research assistance from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.. Board Meeting: 12:00 p.m., Research Class 1:00 p.m. General Meeting 2:30 p.m.
The society has compiled a Surname database from the names our members are researching. This data has been distributed to libraries, other genealogical societies, and is available on our Website.
Someone in your family had a dream. They left the land of their birth, crossed the Atlantic and settled in a country that promised freedom. They brought with them the hope of a better life for their children and grandchildren. They also brought centuries of tradition along with customs practiced by their parents and grandparents.
Throughout history foreign powers have tried to crush Poland. Centuries of wars and partitions could not kill the Polish spirit. That spirit came to America and is alive today in the customs we practice. See that it does not die. The gift of your heritage is something no one can take away. However, it is up to you to insure that your family heritage is preserved for future generations.
Genealogical research is the determination of who your ancestors were, and equally important what they did and what type of people they were. You may choose to start with one person (usually yourself) and work back in time to parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. With each generation you move backward in time and double the number of surnames. Perhaps you would prefer to start with grandparents or great-grandparents and work forward in time to find their descendants.
Much of this information is available (though not always easy to find) through public records. Some military records list items such as height, weight, color of hair and eyes, birth date and birthplace in addition to purely military information such as dates of enlistment and discharge, rank, pay, etc. Church, civil, and census records, newspaper files, land records, and wills are but a few of the many sources that can be investigated. You need to have a systematic method of obtaining information, recording it in understandable form and filing support documentation.
In any case, what you want to know about that person depends on you! Perhaps you want to know what they looked like, and no one living can tell you. Maybe it would be interesting to know if they served in the military, were taxpayers, citizens, voters, homesteaders, business owners, factory workers, farmers or city dwellers, etc. You may already know some of the “vital statistics” (i.e., birth, marriage, death dates, and the location of each event) for some of your ancestors. Do you know your grandmother’s maiden name? Did she have any brothers or sisters?
Where do you stop? This is entirely up to you and may change with time and experience in research. Your goal may be membership in a patriotic or historical society, to establish your descendancy from royalty, to determine your relationship to someone famous, determine the earliest immigrant ancestor, or write a family history. If you like mysteries, puzzles, learning about people, and history, then genealogy is for you!
The society has a number of projects and positions that need help. If you have some time and can participate in some way, no matter how small, please see or contact one of the officers and let them know of your interest.