I contracted Mr. Ireneusz Miras of Krakow to locate my grandfather’s family in Poland. I had no idea if any members where alive or where they lived as my grandfather died in 1946. The only information I had was a town listed on the boat manifest that took my grandfather to America in 1908. Ireneusz visited the town administration and church in southern Poland, locating records that led him to the Ostrusza area. After making several trips contacting people, he found family living in Ciezkowice.
One can only imagine their skepticism by being contacted by a stranger asking questions about someone who emigrated to America over a hundred years ago. Ireneusz being the warm and intelligent young man that he is was able to easily gain their trust so needed to make our meeting possible. Ireneusz arranged a visit for me with my new found family when I came to Poland in October, 2013. He drove me to their homes, translated for me, and took numerous photographs to document this momentous event.
I was very impressed with Ireneusz communication skills relating to people with different backgrounds and education; he is a very likeable young man. He was very thorough in his investigation of records and research of my family. He provided me with a professional presentation of a family tree going back several hundred years. He has a wonderful gift to be able to bring strangers together.
Thank you Ireneusz for helping me learn of my heritage and most importantly finding family!