(Expanded Preview: Vol. 5, No. 1)

“The Isle of Hope, the Isle of Tears,” by LGGS President Richard Gostautas, tells of his disappointment with errors and omissions on the Ellis Island online database that made researching his family very difficult. He explains how he did eventually find information on his family, and discusses how the information came to be distorted in the database, with a fascinating look at how Ellis Island actually operated day-to-day.

“President’s Report,” also by Richard Gostautas, discusses the status of LGGS and matters of interest to our members.

“The Angel of Graziskiai,” by LGGS Membership Director Diane Rooney, tells how she traced her great-great-grandmother Magdalena in the records. She includes an account of a trip to the village where Magdalena is buried, where a woman named Ona, her “Angel of Graziskiai,” actually helped her find Magdalena’s grave. The article includes translation of a key document, photographs, and ten very helpful pointers Diane has distilled from her experience.

“Books on Lithuania” by LGGS Board member Vilius Zalpys gives brief information on five recent publications that may interest Lithuanian researchers, including four in English.

“Spotlight on Towns in Lithuania: Alytus” includes an article on the linguistic derivation of the town’s name and the translation of an entry on Alytus in a late-19th-century gazetteer.

“Lithuanian Surname Dictionary—Follow-Up” by Fred Hoffman gives additional information on the Lithuanian Surname Dictionary, a source he discussed in the last issue of Proteviai, along with a helpful list of larger villages and towns in Lithuania and the rajonai [regions] in which they are located. The article is meant not only to make using the Dictionary easier, but also to help people locate towns and villages vital to research.

“Analysis of Sample Lithuanian Surnames,” by Fred Hoffman, discusses some of the factors that influence the forms and meanings of Lithuanian surnames, illustrating them with analysis of sample surnames, Grigaliunas and Giedraitis.

“Genealogy in Cyberspace” lists a number of Websites with information that may prove helpful to researchers with roots in Lithuania.

“Let’s Translate a Sample Document,” by Fred Hoffman, shows a sample of a kind of document many of us find, a birth certificate, and gives tips on how to translate it.

That’s what this issue has to offer you. We hope you enjoy it, and please don’t hesitate to send us your suggestions, criticisms, and especially contributions of material for future issues!

William F. “Fred” Hoffman

If you’ve encountered a particular research problem you’d like help with, send it to me online at WFHoffman@prodigy.net or by snail mail to: W. Hoffman, 737 Hartfield Dr., North Aurora IL 60542-8917 for possible inclusion in the next issue of Proteviai under our Genealogical Advisor feature.