A successful first Carpatho-Rusyn genealogical workshop

Arlene Drimak Gardiner and Ray Capek open the C-RS Lake Michigan Chapter's first genealogical workshop

On Sunday, Aug. 28, an unexpectedly large crowd of nearly 50 people gathered in the basement of the T.G. Masaryk School in the traditional Czech settlement of Cicero, Ill., for the first genealogical workshop sponsored by the Lake Michigan Chapter of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society.

It was held with the cooperation of the Czech and Slovak American Genealogy Association of Illinois.

Conducted by Lake Michigan Chapter board member Arlene Drimak Gardiner, the event offered basic information on researching Rusyn family history, and attendees were shown the resources of CSAGI's research library, located upstairs in the Masaryk School.

CSAGI president Ray Capek welcomed the crowd to our workshop, which is just the first effort in trying to offer people in our region researching their Rusyn heritage a way to seek advice, and share their own discoveries.