Genealogy Survey

HCS Genealogy Survey

Research into one’s ancestral history has become a leading pastime in the U.S.
and other countries. Many people have undertaken to fill in a pedigree chart of
ancestors by interviewing relatives or writing letters of enquiry to governmental
offices for information. An abundance of aids and how-to books appear yearly on
the shelves of bookstores, assisting both the beginner and advanced researcher
alike. Little, however, has been published to help with research into Hellenic roots.

Hellenic Communication Service, in conjunction with the recently established Hellenic Historical and Genealogical Association, would like to hear from viewers about their experiences with genealogical research. Please take a moment to fill out the survey
below. A valid email address is required to submit the information. Your participation
will assist HHGA in developing instructional books and pamphlets. For more informa-
tion about this not-for-profit organization whose membership is free, visit the web-
pages hosted by HCS under the genealogy section: http://www.HellenicComServe.com/genealogy.html.

1. A number of sources of information exist in the U.S. to help researchers learn more about immigrant ancestors. Please check any that you have consulted or examined.

	A. Passenger ship records
	B. Census records
	C. City or town directories
	D. Immigration and naturalization records
	E. Ecclesiastical records
	F. Military records
	G. Funereal or burial records
	H. Vital statistics (birth, marriage, or death certificates/records)
	I. Probate records
	J. Land records
	K. Records of fraternal organization
	Other (specify)

2. Archives and records exist in Greece, just as they do in the U.S. and other countries. Are you familiar with any types of civil records in Greece? (Y/N) If so, check all of the following about which you may have hear or be familiar:
	A. dimotologion (town register—contains “oikogeniaki merida” or “family page” listing all members of a particular family in one residence)
	B. mitroon arrhenon (registry of males—listed by year of birth, intended primarily for military Draft)
	C. Other (specify)
3. Do you know the “dimos” (governmental “municipality”—a unit of geopolitical organization) of your village, the current location of many civil records, especially since the reorganization and consolidation of governmental offices in Greece known as the “Kapodistrian Plan” just a few years ago? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
4. Have you ever visited your ancestral village(s) in Greece or other areas colonized by Greeks? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
5. Do you know the full, original Greek name of your immigrant ancestor, that person in your family who first emigrated from Greece or other area in the Mediterranean? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
6. Do you know your family’s “paratsoukli” (clan/family nickname)? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
7. Have you ever tried to obtain copies of records of any sort from Greece? (Y/N) If yes, please describe your experiences and whether or not you were successful.
	Yes. Please describe:
	No
8. Do you know the metropolis or ecclesiastical see under whose jurisdiction your ancestral village falls? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
If so, have you visited or contacted it for information about ancestors or relatives? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
9. Have you ever contacted or visited the local church(es) in your ancestral village for information about ancestors or relatives? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
10. Have you ever used any online databases to help you in your search? (Y/N) If so, please specify which ones.
	Y
	N
11. If there were a genealogy workshop on Hellenic ancestry offered in your area, would you be interested in attending? (Y/N) If so, please list nearest city or metropolitan area.
	Yes. Nearest City/Metropolitan Area:
	No
12. Can you read typed Greek, with or without a dictionary? (Y/N) If so, can you also read handwritten Greek, with or without a dictionary? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
13. Do you have family memorabilia (letters, certificates, postcards, etc.) that you would like to have translated into English? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
14. Would you like to become involved in any volunteer genealogical projects in the U.S.? (Check any of the following that seem interesting to you and fill in your name and contact information below.)
	A. cemetery transcriptions (recording information on headstones—HHGA can supply sample forms for recording information)
	B. transcription of Greek records (“translation” of Greek records, mostly church records, into English)
	C. interviewing community elders/taking oral histories (HHGA can supply template of questions to ask)
	D. indexing naturalization or immigration records (going through state registers and making index cards with name of immigrant, date of record, what type of record, where original document can be found in archives, etc., so that researchers can then look up info by alphabetized last name)
	E. indexing obituaries (going through local newspapers and making up index cards with name of immigrant, date obituary appeared in paper, page of obituary, etc., so that researchers can then look up info by alphabetized last name)
	F. other (please specify)
Name
Address
Phone
Email
15. Has anyone from your ancestral village ever produced a written history of the village, either in Greek or English? (Y/N/I don’t know) If yes, please list title, name of village, author, and how to obtain a copy.
	Yes
	Title
	Name of Village
	Author
	How to Obtain Copy
	No
16. If Hellenic Historical and Genealogical Association were to establish free webpages for posting queries, complete with directions, would you consider posting a query (genealogical classified advertisement often seen in national genealogy periodicals asking for more information about a specific person or family)? (Y/N)
	Y
	N
17. With which areas of your research do you need help most? (Please specify.)
Thank you for completing the survey. Please list a valid email address below so that the survey will be able to bypass spam filters. Email: If you also leave your name and mailing address, HHGA will add you to the mailing list for upcoming events and free booklets as they are developed.

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