Genealogy / KOSIBA in Frysztak and PLAZA in Korczyna [16]

It doesn't sound like the same individuals, but my Kosiba family is from near Tarnow, as well.

Language / Is My Painting Title Correct In Polish? [23]

Tony--this is off-topic, but thank you for the "PF gallery showing" of your painting. It is beautiful and passionate and reminds me of work by the American painter, Thomas Hart Benton.

I'm sure it will look lovely in the new music center.

UK, Ireland / Polish and Irish people are related? [137]

My father's family immigrated to the US from Ireland and my mother's family from Poland. Both families came from poor peasant stock, very simple folks with similar philosophies--God first, family second, work hard and (maybe) you'll get ahead. I miss them all so much.

I feel fortunate to possess the best of both cultures, regardless of whether there is a proven geographic or historical connection.

History / Watch Poland grow and shrink (interactive map) [52]

Cool video, jabłko. Thanks for sharing. It's pretty amazing to see the borders change throughout history.

History / Watch Poland grow and shrink (interactive map) [52]

P3, thank you for sharing this link--it helps to make Poland's complicated history a bit clearer. I believe it will be a great reference for our informal presentations about Polish history. Dziękuję.

Genealogy / KOSIBA in Frysztak and PLAZA in Korczyna [16]

jcdPoland--where did your Kosiba ancestor settle in the US? There were several Kosibas living in Nebraska in the early 1900s. Perhaps there is a connection with your Kosiba family?

Genealogy / Scott Grifka, Family history [13]

Scott, I'm sad that some PFrs have been critical and less than helpful. Polonius' comments are right on--busia is a not-uncommon term used in areas of the US and probably was a term in use by our ancestors over 100 years ago.

There are several free genealogy websites and resources. You could start with the Polish Genealogical Society of America website, Family Search (the LDS church site) and use your surname to search. Ancestry.com is another resource, but it is expensive. It would be helpful if you know from which villages or areas your family departed.

Best wishes on finding your Polish roots!

Genealogy / Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums? [216]

I am a proud American citizen. I am equally proud of my poor Polish peasant ancestors who were brave enough to make an overseas journey to start a new life in the early 1900s, as well as my poor Irish ancestors who left Ireland during the potato famine in the 1840's. I'm sure it never occurred to either my Polish or Irish family that several generations later, their descendants would be able to finish high school, go to bed with food in our stomachs and worship in the way we wish. Simple things for which I am grateful.

Genealogy / Stąpor: Questions about my family [9]

mstapor1, in researching my family history, I find it most fruitful to start from the present and work backwards before I "hop the pond". Do you have enough information about your ancestors' names, dates, and locations to search US census records, newspaper obituaries, immigration records, military records, Homestead Act land recipients, LDS records? It is surprising how much information is there.

The small successes are well worth it--after three years of research, I finally discovered my Polish grandfather's entry record at Ellis Island. He and his four siblings immigrated at different times in the early 1900s. Their family name is KAWA, and it was spelled five different ways on the five ship records--only one time was it correct! I wish you much success in uncovering your family history.

Language / Dziękujecie in plural form [11]

Can anyone tell me whether "dzięki" is used only in very casual conversation between friends or whether it is acceptable in more formal conversation?

Thanks (dzięki)!

Life / Calendar for a coffin producer in Poland. Boxes for stiffs. [9]

Too funny, Wildrover. . .

Genealogy / KOSIBA in Frysztak and PLAZA in Korczyna [16]

kmillergrant, I have a Kosiba in my family line, also. My great-grandmother, Zofia Kosiba, married Jozef Kawa in the mid-1880s. They made their home in Lekawica near Tarnow. Some of their children immigrated from Poland through Ellis Island and settled in Nebraska. I am searching for information about Zofia's parents and siblings; is it possible that your Katarzyna and my Zofia may be kin?

News / Polish President Lech Kaczynski and gov officials die in a plane crash in Russia [682]

Deepest condolences from Polish-Americans in the heartland of the USA. We mourn with all of Poland as we remember those whose lives were lost.

Genealogy / Searching for KAWA, KOSIBA, SOBARNIA family in Łekawica, Tarnow [9]

Hi, yes, I'm Nancy. I have messages posted on Ancestry and on other genealogy sites, too, but I haven't heard from anyone. I recently joined a Facebook Tarnow page and will post there, too. I will see if I can find a telephone directory. It looks like the £ekawica area has some agro-tourism according to some websites, so I may be able to make some connections in that way (you know, like someone who knows someone who may know my family). I will be in Poland this summer and I'm hoping to meet some family members while I'm there.

Thank you for your help--you're a great resource!

Genealogy / Searching for KAWA, KOSIBA, SOBARNIA family in Łekawica, Tarnow [9]

That is a lot of potential family--I'm excited. Can you give some advice in narrowing it to a manageable number of emails? Is there a way to see how many of these Kawas, etc. have email addresses?

USA, Canada / Pulaski Day (celebrated in the US only) [54]

Sledz, I'll join you in that toast to Pulaski, and I look forward to your review of the St. Paddy's Day parade in Chicago--love that green Chicago River!

By next year, may you be celebrating both holidays in your very own Polish bar.

Na zdrowie!

Law / Mr. Men and Little Miss series - trying to bring it onto the Polish market [20]

Welsh guy--I don't know about kids today or in Poland, but when my son was a little guy (about 20 years ago), here in the US, we loved those books and read them all the time. Simple stories and lots of characters in bright colors with the cutest little smiling faces. We had over a dozen of those books and I've kept them--there will be grandkids some day who will enjoy them, too, I hope! I think they would be easily translated and understandable to Polish children today.

Life / Funeral Traditions in Poland [66]

Is there a specific phrase that I should use in extending funeral condolences to someone in an email? Is that too impersonal?

Face-to-face with a friend, I would probably say something like, "I'm sorry for the loss of your uncle," or "please accept my sympathy on your loss". Is that appropriate in an email to a Polish friend, and if so, could someone please provide a translation? My Polish isn't the best, nor is his English, and this may be a sensitive subject.

Dziękuję bardzo.

Life / WHY ARE POLISH CALENDARS SKEWED? [42]

In the US, our wall calendars typically show Sunday as the first day of the week and Saturday as the last day. The exceptions I can think of are those calendars that are "work week calendars" like the ones posted at one's office, or ones like my datebook that I carry with me everywhere. Those calendars usually have full pages for each "work day" Monday through Friday, then Saturday or Sunday share a page.

Seanus's comment about the Scottish calendars made me laugh!

Happy New Year's Day (Thursday and NOT the first or last day of the week)!

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

I wonder if the busia/babcia difference depended upon WHEN one's family left Poland and from WHERE in Poland they came. I live in the midwestern United States, not in Pennsylvania or Chicago. The Polish immigrants who settled here in the early 1900s were primarily poor farmers from the Tarnow area in Poland, and they all called their grandmothers "busia," so we continued to do so.

I never heard "babcia" until I visited Poland several years ago and our young tour guide said that it was the correct term, not "busia". He was a 20-something guy from Warsaw,

It got me to thinking whether babcia was used in the big city of Warsaw or if it simply may be a more modern term than busia. Could this be one possible reason for the differences?

Off-Topic / What's your connection with Poland? Penpals. [512]

I have Polish ancestors on my mother's side of the family, Irish on my dad's. I live in the US and have visited Poland twice with a tour group of Polish Americans. It's a beautiful country with a lot of history.