Our monthly meetings feature presentations on Polish genealogical research, local history, and related topics. In-person attendance is free and open to the public. Zoom attendance is available to members. Occasionally, PGSNYS also hosts additional member-only Zoom events outside of the regular meeting schedule — members will be notified by email when these are scheduled.
| Meeting Details | |
|---|---|
| When | Second Thursday of the month, 7:00-9:00 pm (Zoom available to members) |
| Where | Erie 1 BOCES, Building B, 355 Harlem Road, West Seneca, NY (unless otherwise noted). Arriving for the first time? Park in front of Building B and check the monitor inside the entrance for that month’s room. |
2026 Meeting Schedule
January 8, 2026: “Genealogy Research in Lithuania,” by Tom Sadauskas
February 12, 2026: Research Night: Breaking Through Our Members’ Brick Walls, hosted by PGSNYS members
March 12, 2026: “Polish Census Records: Then and Now,” by Tadeusz Pilat
April 9, 2026: “The Buffalo Belt Line: Hidden in Plain Sight,” by Chris Hawley. Important note: This meeting will be held at Eugene V. Debs Hall, 483 Peckham St., Buffalo, and not at our usual location!
May 14, 2026: “Breaking Through Brick Walls with Cluster Research,” by Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz
June 11, 2026: “Publishing a Family History: The Process and the Details,” by Jerome “Jay” Biedny
July 2026: No regular meeting this month. We hope to see you at the Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival.
August 13, 2026: Research Night: Breaking Through Our Members’ Brick Walls, hosted by PGSNYS members
September 10, 2026: “Digging Into Church Records: What Latin Do You Really Need to Know?” by Kasia Dane
October 8, 2026: “Unlocking Polish Ancestry with DNA: Overcoming the Challenges of Underrepresented Populations,” by Eryk Jan Grzeszkowiak
November 12, 2026: “AI in Genealogical Research: A Practical Approach,” by Diana Elder, AG®, AGL™
December 10, 2026: No regular meeting this month. PGSNYS Christmas Party for members and their guests.
2027 Meeting Schedule
January 14, 2027: “Moonshine & Coal Mines: Unraveling Stories & Secrets to Reconstruct a Family Through Oral History, Documents, and DNA,” by Lisa Vogele
February 11, 2027: Research Night: Breaking Through Our Members’ Brick Walls, hosted by PGSNYS members
March 11, 2027: “Polish Forced Laborers: Arolsen Archives Research” (provisional title), by Tom Sadauskas
April 8, 2027: “Everyday Life and Peasant Occupations in Rural Poland of 19th and Early 20th Century,” by Justyna Orlikowska
May 13, 2027: “Historic & Influential Polish Americans from Buffalo & WNY,” by Rick Falkowski
June 10, 2027: “DNA for the Overwhelmed: Easy First Steps for Working with Shared Matches,” by Rob Weir
July 2027: No regular meeting this month. We hope to see you at the Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival.
August 12, 2027: Research Night: Breaking Through Our Members’ Brick Walls, hosted by PGSNYS members
September 9, 2027: “Using Polish Newspapers for Genealogy,” by Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz
October 14, 2027: “The Polish Singing Societies of Western New York,” by Greg Witul
November 11, 2027: “Galicia: The Land of Polish-Jewish Connections” (provisional title), by Dr. Andrew Zalewski
December 9, 2027: No regular meeting this month. PGSNYS Christmas Party for members and their guests.
Past Meeting Schedules
Explore meetings from previous years.
January: “Beginnings of Tribal Organization and the Polish State Based on Archaeological Research,” by Prof. Paweł Duma
February: Research Night: “Chain Migration,” by Sandra Maciejewski Porter
March: “Genealogical Research and Storytelling,” by Roxanne Bocyck
April: “Using Genealogia w Archiwach,” by Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz
May: “Using Online Map Resources and Cadastral Maps in Poland,” by Tadeusz Pilat, AG®
June: “Casimer Mazurek and the Great Steel Strike of 1919,” by Chris Hawley
July: No regular meeting. Members staffed a booth at the Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival.
August: Research Night: Breaking Through Our Members’ Brick Walls, hosted by PGSNYS members
September: “Researching Buffalo’s Polish Gangsters,” by Michael Rizzo
October: “The Four Seasons in Folk Culture in Poland,” by Justyna Orlikowska
November: “Geneteka for Beginners,” by Kasia Dane
December: No regular meeting. Celebrated together at the PGSNYS Members’ Christmas Party.
January: “Polish Peasants: From Genealogy to Total History,” by Prof. Mateusz Wyżga
February: “History of Divorce Laws in New York State,” by Ceil Mikalac
March: “Does the Data Fit? Using Evidence Summaries to Assist Your Analysis,” by Amy Larner Giroux, PhD, CG, CGL
April: “The Erie Railroad’s East Buffalo Yard: Its History, Its Facilities, Its Human Side,” by Stephen Kocsis
May: Research Night: “DNA Cousins,” by Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz
June: “Above the Fold: Your Ancestors in the News,” by Jeanette Sheliga
July: No regular meeting. Members staffed a booth at the Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival.
August: Research Night: “PGSNYS Maps for Polish Genealogy,” by Hank Kozlowski
September: Research Night, hosted by PGSNYS members
October: “A History of Mental Health Care and its Institutions in New York State,” by Rosanne L. Higgins, Ph.D.
November: “Getting Around the Language Barrier: Translation Aids for Polish Genealogy,” by Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz
December: No regular meeting. Celebrated together at the PGSNYS Members’ Christmas Party.
January: “Collaborating with a DNA Match: Finding a Common Location Using a Variety of Sources,” by Sandra Maciejewski Porter
February: “Polonia in the Grosvenor Room,” by Rhonda Hoffman
March: “Lent and Easter in Polish Traditions,” by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab
April: “Planning for the Future: PGSNYS Membership Feedback Meeting,” by Denise Oliansky
May: “Boots on the Ground: the Role of an Onsite Researcher,” by Lucjan Cichocki & Aleksandra Kacprzak
June: “I Found My Ancestor in the PGSNYS Database. Now What?” by Nicole Lodyga Pohancsek
July: No regular meeting. Members staffed a booth at the Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival.
August: Research Night: “Overcoming Roadblocks,” hosted by PGSNYS members
September: “The Wieczkowski Genealogical Tour of Poland,” by Julie Wieczkowski, Ph.D.
October: “Buffalo’s Polish Churches: Roman, National, Independent, Baptist, and Presbyterian,” by Greg Witul
November: “Reclaiming Your Polish Citizenship Through Ancestry,” by Eva Hussain
December: No regular meeting. Celebrated together at the PGSNYS Members’ Christmas Party.
Presenting at a meeting
We welcome proposals from members interested in presenting a topic, offering a tutorial or help session, or sharing their own research with the membership. If you have an idea for a future meeting, please contact us at program@pgsnys.org.