The Summer 2026 issue of Searchers (Issue No. 102) is available in the Member Portal, where current members have exclusive access to the Society’s most recent five years of Searchers (15 issues total). By now, members should have received their printed copy as well. Earlier issues (Summer 1989 through Summer 2021) remain free to browse in our Newsletter Archive.
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Membership in PGSNYS includes access to the latest issues of Searchers, our growing library of recorded presentations, research assistance, members-only resources, and a welcoming community dedicated to preserving Polish family history.
Here’s a preview of the Summer 2026 issue:
Inside the Summer 2026 Issue
This issue is packed with family stories, historical research, and news from the Society:
- Puzzle Pieces – How a lifetime of saved photographs, funeral cards, and family stories can come together to fill in the gaps of a family tree — and why the anecdotes matter as much as the documents.
- Follow-up on the Korney Gang – A reader’s personal connection to Buffalo’s notorious Korney Gang sparks a deep dive into what happened to its members after the headlines faded — plus an unsolved family mystery of his own.
- My Grandfather Chooses America; His Brother Does Not – Two brothers, two very different paths: one built a life in Dunkirk, NY, while the other’s family was later swept up in Soviet deportations to Siberia. A powerful look at how a single decision can echo across generations.
- America250: Why Your Family Story Matters – As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a reminder that the ordinary lives of our immigrant ancestors are part of the American story too — and a simple framework for writing your own family’s account before it’s lost.
Also in this issue: the President’s Message shares exciting news about the Walter Kloc Maps Collection — more than 600 historical Polish maps, once a beloved fixture at PGSNYS meetings, now being catalogued and preserved in a publicly accessible archive at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Plus a review of Our Polish Ancestors by Donna B. Gawell, society announcements, new member welcomes, and the issue’s surname index.
As always, Searchers is a reminder that family history isn’t just names and dates on a chart — it’s the photographs saved in a shoebox, the story your mother told a dozen times, and the record that finally confirms it.
Get Involved
Searchers is made possible by the contributions of our members. We welcome articles, research tips, family stories, photographs, book reviews, and other genealogy-related submissions for future issues. The submission deadline for the Winter 2026 issue is November 1.
Have a brick wall you finally broke through? A family story you’ve always meant to write down? Or would you like to be featured in a Member Spotlight? Contact the editor at searchers@pgsnys.org — we’d love to help share your story.
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Join PGSNYS to unlock full access to Searchers and our webinar archive of past presentations.