history/ships/staten island/heraldry-

[Julie]

The Church of the Latter Day Saints -- Mormon Church... Has the largest archival system in the world for ancestry searches. My family comes from Poland and I have found birth records through them and their libraries, dating back to the 1700's. Interestingly enough, it was the Churches which took care of the records of the Jews. While Hitler thought he was wiping out a people, the documents remained safe in the hands of the churches.

I was even able to find family who thought they had no family left after the Holocaust.

Originally Posted by NJFemmie

How neat.

I'm first generation in this country. My parents came here in 1952 from Bremerhaven Germany, after being liberated as deported forced laborers from Poland.

I wish I knew more about my family history and would love to trace back beyond my grandparents, but currently I'm researching information regarding my parents' "stay" in Germany during the war. I have to do this in baby steps since I've discovered that Poland's archival system is vastly fragmented by "districts".

So .... I guess my family are newbies in this country.