I began researching my ancestors in 2001. It has been a fascinating and ongoing journey of discovery. I found ancestors on my father’s side going back to colonial Virginia, and immigrants from Poland, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany. The remarkable Gar genealogy, published in 1894 after 50 years of research, revealed ancestors as far back as the 17th century.
My mother’s ancestors came from Poland. My family and I hired genealogist Adam Zalewski of Wrocław, Poland, and he was successful in finding records of my mother’s ancestors in Poland. From his research, we learned that they came from the towns of Gołańcz, Zdziechowa, and Żabowo. The map below shows that Gołańcz and Zdziechowa were under German control, and Żabowo was under Russian control, before Poland gained its independence in 1918. In August 2019 I traveled with family members to Poland where Adam gave us a wonderful guided tour. We visited places where our ancestors lived and saw churches where they were married.
I have designated my grandparents' generation as Generation 9 and counted backward from there.
If you have information to share (additions, corrections, photos, etc.), you can send it to me at: steve@stephenvrice.com
