How to find your relatives inLithuania_____________8 steps to a successfulgenealogy search in Lithuania______________

Are you interested in finding out whether you have relatives in Lithuania? Or findingwhere your ancestors lived? It is getting much easier to do Lithuanian genealogy andfamily history searches. Just follow these 8 steps.

1) Join a discussion group on the Web.

A good place to start is by spending time on one of the Lithuania genealogy groups onthe Internet. Here are two very good discussion groups.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LithuanianGenealogy/ http://www.network54.com/Forum/5317/ There are many helpful people on these sites, and there are some that are true expertsin Lithuania genealogy. There are few basic questions about family history that theycannot answer.

2) Browse the excellent Lithuanian genealogy website from theLithuanian Global Genealogical Society.

http://www.lithuaniangenealogy.org/

3) Be clear about the types of records available in Lithuania.

Most records of births, marriages, and deaths originated in local churches. Copies of those records have been moved to a central location, the Lithuanian HistoricalArchives in Vilnius. Some churches still have their own records, but many do not.Getting material from churches can be very hit or miss. Some churches can produce

more than you would have thought possible and others will have nothing, or willnever respond.

4) Answer the three key facts for a search in Lithuanian records:Who? Where? and When?

All successful genealogical records searches in Lithuania begin with three key facts.If one fact is missing, the search is very unlikely to be productive. You will need: (1)a name of a person, with a good (but not necessarily perfect) spelling in Lithuanian;(2) a village, town, parishes or city in Lithuania where the person was born, marriedor died; and (3) a date for the birth, marriage or death; the date need not be 100%accurate, but it must be reasonably close to the actual event.

5) Use online tools to find the correct spelling of the town or village.

One of the best online sources for village and town names ishttp://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/LocTown.asp A good map source ishttp://www.maps.lt/en/

6) Consider using the Lithuanian Historical Archives.

Usually you can get good results through the National Archives, either through theArchives staff or through a private researcher. Unfortunately, there is no massiveindex at the Archives; the record books cover only relatively small local areas. Andthe searches are done in books, not on computers or microfilm. For a generation-widesearch, for example, it will typically be done book-by-book, which can take a while.The Archives is often very backed up. A three-year delay in doing a generationalsearch is not uncommon. The results are good, however.Here is the address for the Archives. You can write in English.

Historical State Archives of Lithuania

Gerosios Vilties 102015 VilniusLithuaniaTelephone: 370 (2) 65 22 54

7) For quick results, hire a private researcher.

A good private researcher will use the books that are available in the NationalArchives and will have access to other materials as well. Because private researcherscan control the volume of their caseload, they typically produce their results in a justone to three months depending on the scope of the search.There are three or four good private researchers in Lithuania. Two key elements arefinding someone with a good command of English and finding a person who is prompt in responding to emails and letters.The discussion groups listed in paragraph 1 above can provide you with informationabout various researchers.One researcher who has an excellent reputation is Vilius Vaseikis. His website is atwww.LithuaniaVisits.com.Mr. Vaseikis can be reached atvilius@LithuaniaVisits.com. His clients report thathe is very honest and extremely diligent. And they report that he has a very goodrelationship with the Archives.There is a good recommendation for Mr.Vaseikis athttp://www.scribd.com/doc/5392305/Family-History-Tours-in-Lithuania-from-LithuaniaVisitscom-Recommendation

8) Consider the cost of a search in Lithuania.

How much will it cost to do a genealogical search in Lithuania? The cost of coursevaries depending on the scope of the search and the degree of difficulty of the search.If you have all of the necessary information - - name, date and place - - a singlerelevant document such as a birth certificate can be located, translated and reproducedfor less than $100.If you want a generational search - - for example, all of your grandfather’s brothersand sisters and their spouses and children, that type of search will likely run between$500 and $800.You can help control the cost of your search by doing a good deal of backgroundwork. This includes getting information from other living relatives and searching inyour national immigration and census records.But the most important point is that the path to a good, rewarding search for your Lithuanian relatives is now very well defined. Most people who start into thesefamily history searches find valuable information on that most fundamental of questions, “Where did I come from?”Good luck with your search!