(Expanded Preview: Vol. 2, No. 1)

Be Persistent but Patient: Looking for Ancestors and Relatives in Lithuania by Alius Pleskiaciauskas - This article is written by a Lithuanian citizen with significant experience helping foreigners trace their roots in Lithuania. Alius discusses the resources available in that country, explaining what you can and cannot hope to get from each. It is clear and very informative -- required reading for beginners, and helpful even for old pros.

Lithuanians in Chicago: Off the Boat at Bridgeport by Thomas Gregg - The author, a frequent contributor to the fine magazine Lithuanian Heritage examines the course of Lithuanian immigration to the city of Chicago in a three-part series. This first installment examines the beginnings and development of Lithuanian settlement in the Bridgeport area. Subsequent installments will discuss settlement in Marquette Park area and finally in Lemont. Tom Gregg's prose is lively, easy to read, and jammed with facts. If your family has any connection with the Chicago area, you'll find his piece as interesting as it is informative.

President's Report by Jay Zane, LGGS President - The President of LGGS discusses the current state of the LGGS and the Society's goals for growth and improvement. He stresses the valuable contributions every member can make to help the Society expand and provide its members with more and more assistance in their research.

Letters from and to the Editor by Fred Hoffman - Editor Fred Hoffman provides a few comments on the last issue and this one, followed by some of the letters we have received from members.

Template for a Lithuanian Family Group Record - by Fred Hoffman - Members Rimgaudas Vidziunas and his cousin in Lithuania, Daiva Vidziunas, drew up a bilingual form for recording family information. It not only provides a good way of storing basic info on your relatives, it also gives all terms in Lithuanian as well as English. In other words, you can photocopy it and send it to Lithuanian-speaking relatives, and they'll have no trouble reading it and filling in whatever info they know.

My Research in Lithuania by Bill Succolosky - Bill, Art Director for Proteviai (the man you should thank for its attractive and professional layout), has written a wonderful piece describing the research he has done in Lithuania over the last year, mainly in the area east of Marijampole and west of Prienai. His experiences are valuable for what they tell you about doing research in Lithuania -- but more than that, they are fascinating reading. If you like a little human interest served up with your facts and research tips, you'll love this!

Translated Excerpts from the Slownik Geograficzny by Fred Hoffman - Accompanying Bill Succolosky's article are these translations (by Fred Hoffman) of entries from a late 19th-century Polish-language gazetteer that provide some historical information on the villages Bill's ancestors came from. If you have roots in this area, you will get facts here you may find nowhere else. If you don't come from that area, you may be motivated to join LGGS just so you can ask for translations of the entries on your ancestral villages.

Notes on the Origins and Meanings of Lithuanian Surnames by William Fred Hoffman - This is the first of two installments of an article that discusses how Lithuanian surnames got started and what they originally meant. While not the lightest reading in the world, it will help you appreciate that those long, complicated Lithuanian surnames actually mean something.