Council & Executive
President: Thelma Findlay
Executive
Thelma is a founding member of the East European Genealogical Society, which has grown and continues to explore a variety of avenues for researchers to discover their European ancestry.
In 1981, Thelma began recording her and her husband's family history. Then, in 1991, she chaired Manitoba's first European genealogical conference, "Kanada: A New Beginning," which drew speakers and delegates across Canada and the USA.
Thelma has authored several articles on genealogy and lectured locally, nationally, and internationally, sharing her research experiences. She has also traveled to Ukraine on several occasions and to Poland, visiting family and continuing to discover information on her ancestry. She has published Who Do I Love ... Nahnybida Family History and will soon release A Commemoration for the Homesteaders of Twps. 8 & 9 Rges. 12 & 13 EPM.
Vice-President: Deborah Malyk
Executive
Deborah is an avid genealogist who has traced her lineage back to John Peter Pruden 1778-1868, Chief Factor for the Hudson's Bay at Fort Carleton, Saskatchewan; he eventually retired into the Selkirk, Manitoba area. She had the honour of attending the 200th anniversary of Fort Carlton in 2010 and traipsing on the soil that her ancestors once walked. A retired civil servant, Deborah is now pursuing her husband's eastern European lineages.
Recording Secretary: Maralyn A. Wellauer-Lenius, MA (Education)
Executive
Maralyn is an internationally known author and professional genealogist who has lectured extensively throughout the United States and Canada for over forty years. While actively pursuing her own family history in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) and other countries since 1968, she has documented her Bohemian ancestry (Duras and Brabetz) back to the 14th century. Her self-help manuals, Tracing Your Czech and Slovak Roots (1978) and Tracing Your Polish Roots (1979, 1991) were written when access to genealogical records in those countries was limited. Several of her articles have appeared in the East European Genealogist.
Wellauer's special projects include documenting the lives and migrations of the Swiss (and de Meuron soldiers) who settled in the Red River Settlement (now Winnipeg) and a comprehensive study of Swiss immigration in the 19th century to the state of Wisconsin in the U.S. She has served as EEGS Vice-President for nine years.
Treasurer: Donna Fontaine, CGA
Executive
Donna's maternal Polish ancestors settled in the Cooks Creek area of Manitoba. She became interested in researching her Galician family tree after attending an intro-genealogy session in 2008 with her mother before her passing. The session was co-presented by EEGS volunteer Lisa-Haji Abassi at a local Winnipeg Library. Two years later, Donna attended the 2010 EEGS seminar “Galicia: Multi-Ethnic Roots in Ukraine and Poland.” Upon realizing the valuable information, support, and networking opportunities the East European Genealogical Society had to offer, she became a member in 2012. Donna hopes to travel one day to Poland to trace her family further. All the preliminary research she has been able to accomplish through her membership at EEGS will be invaluable during this trip.
Donna joined EEGS Council as Recording Secretary in 2018, and moved on to the Treasurer role in 2020.
Past President: Marni Domolewski
Executive
A high school field trip to the Manitoba Archives and a family history assignment piqued Marni's interest in genealogy. Years later, in 2003, the desire to learn more about her Slavic roots led her to the EEGS, becoming a member in 2006. Marni joined the council in 2009 and has served as Membership Chair and President. In addition, she has authored articles for the EEG journal and has given several monthly meeting presentations.
She has traveled to Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania to visit her ancestral villages. Her Polish and Ukrainian roots are from locations scattered in the west to the far eastern border of Galicia of the once Austro-Hungarian Empire and Lublin gubernia of the Russian Empire.
President Emeritus: Brian J. Lenius
Executive
Brian is a founding member and was first President of the East European Genealogical Society. He served as an editor of the East European Genealogist for 30 years, from the very first issue, including seven years as Publications Chair and Chief Editor. Brian is currently a member of the Archive Committee and continues to share his time, dedication, and knowledge.
Brian is the author of the Genealogical Gazetteer of Galicia (1993, expanded edition 1999) and numerous Polish, Ukrainian, German, and other East European articles on a variety of topics. He has lectured at conferences in the United States, Canada, and Germany. Brian has conducted genealogical research for over forty years, including more than twenty-five research trips to Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.
President Emeritus: Mavis Menzies
Executive
Mavis is a founding member of the East European Genealogical Society. She served on the Executive and Council holding various positions for 21 years, including eight years as President, before being bestowed with the title of President Emeritus in 2015.
In 1980, Mavis became interested in her family's history, but quickly encountered a brick wall on her mother's family from Bohemia and Moravia. She volunteered at the local FamilySearch Centre, and in 1986, she was hired as Secretary at the Manitoba Genealogical Society (MGS). There she collected names of patrons interested in east European research that eventually led to the formation of the East European Branch of the MGS and later the EEGS. Mavis credits EEGS guidance in helping her locate records in Czech Republic.
Councillor Emeritus: Chris Radons
Executive
Chris' interest in genealogy began in 1988 with a conversation with his German grandfather. A visit to the Manitoba Genealogical Society office introduced him to many of the people still in the EEGS today. Their generous help and patience gave Chris a great start in an area of the world where the borders have changed and Empires have fallen. His research has taken him to Prussia, Poland, and Volhynia. Chris continues doing family history research to this day.
Chris held Executive positions in the EEGS for eight consecutive years while also serving as Correspondence-Research Chair during the same time. The title Councillor Emeritus was bestowed in 2013. During his tenure as President, our website was launched and he organized a bus trip to many of the small Ukrainian, Polish, and Mennonite settlements on the east side of the Red River. Chris has also written articles for the journal and given presentations at the monthly meetings.
Archive Chair: Dave Olinyk
Council
Dave is a founding member of EEGS and has been involved with the organization since its inception. In addition to his Chair responsibilities, Dave is also the Surname-Village Database Coordinator. He has held several positions on the Society's Council over its history, including that of President.
Even though his ancestors originate from the Borszczów region of Galicia, he remains puzzled by the apparent lack of archived, metrical records from all of his ancestral villages. Dave visited and explored this part of western Ukraine in 2005. He is also well versed in genetic genealogy techniques, having explored this facet of genealogy for the last 10 years. In addition to authoring articles for the Journal and making presentations at our monthly meetings, Dave is skilled at identifying WW1-era uniforms from treasured, vintage photographs held in the possession of many of our EEGS members.
Correspondence Chair: Jeneen Tomko
Council
Jeneen started to help her mom collect family tree information in 2008 and found it fascinating as new-found archival documents revealed the names of earlier ancestors and place names from Galicia, Austria. After finding the EEGS in 2012 and attending a presentation, she became a member and explored the resources for new ways to advance her research and knowledge of this region. She joined council in 2013.
The highlight of her genealogy adventure has been travelling to Poland and Ukraine to visit ancestral villages, research in archives, and meet relatives. She is passionate about language and has been working on learning Ukrainian for a number of years.
Internet Chair: John Dobson
Council
John has been interested in genealogical research since childhood. His recent Eastern European roots lie in Galicia, mainly in Jazlowiec (in Buczacz, Tarnopol) and in Cygany (in Borszczów, Tarnopol), and he also has more distant ancestry in Germany.
John became a member of the EEGS in 2014 and a councillor the following year. He particularly enjoyed working on the publication of Vladimir Kaye's Dictionary of Ukrainian Canadian Biography: Pioneer Settlers of Saskatchewan- Assiniboia, 1892-1904 in 2018.
Library Chair: Noreen Price
Council
In 2010, Noreen came across a newspaper article that caught her interest with the tagline “Who's Your Baba?” about Brian J. Lenius. She clipped it out knowing that one day she wanted to pursue genealogy. Ten years later she pulled out the clipping and joined the EEGS.
In less than six months, she realized the value of this Society. When an opportunity arose for a position in the Society, she volunteered wanting to give back and contribute in some small way. She served as co-Library Chair with Janina Smithson in late 2021 assuming full responsibility in 2022.
Noreen has travelled to the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia, but all before her genealogy journey began, meaning return trips could be a part of her future.
Membership Chair: Miranda Romanyshyn
Council
Miranda's interest in genealogy was influenced by her uncle who was also an EEGS member. He was researching her paternal family from what is now Sukhovolia and Bovdury, Zolochiv Raion, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine which resulted in a book. She began researching her maternal roots in Poland and is currently working on a family history book for this side of the family. After her uncle passed away in 2014, she took over his research and is updating his book.
Miranda joined the East European Genealogical Society in 2017 after attending one of their monthly meetings. In late 2017, she joined Council as the Membership Chair, a position she has held since then.
Program Chair: Vacant
Council
Publications Chair: Chris Bukoski
Council
Chris has been a member of the EEGS since 2001. Her interest in genealogy began in earnest in the late 1990s. Since joining the Society, Chris has volunteered extensively in a variety of capacities. She has held many council and executive positions over the years and is the main admin of our Facebook page. She has also authored articles for the journal and given presentations to our membership and other organizations.
The highlight of Chris' genealogical experiences to date is the trip to Ukraine that was the basis of her article “Adventures in Ukraine: A Success Story.” Her Ukrainian and Polish paternal roots are from Galicia in what are now the Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts of Ukraine. She writes about her research on her blog My Meandering Roots - Searching for my Ukrainian, Polish, and French Ancestry.
Publicity Chair: Linda Horosko
Council
Linda has been a member of EEGS since 2015 when her genealogical research broadened to include her husband's family who were from Galicia. By that time, Linda had been researching her own family tree (English, Irish, Swedish) for many years with good success. She luckily collected basic information when her grandparents and her husband's grandmother were still alive and recorded it in a book entitled Our Family Record. As an information technology professional, her interest was later piqued when she found Canadian census records online in 2004 and grew from there.
With the help of EEGS members and presentations, she has made a good start on her husband's family tree and will continue to research his ancestors from Płazów and Ruda Różaniecka, Poland and Korsiv, Lviv Oblast and Novosilka, Pidhajets'kyi Raion, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine.
Research and Special Projects Chair: Vacant Spot
Council