The Polish Genealogical Society of America has compiled the following list of translators who will provide translation services for a fee. Please send a photocopy of an original document along with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Please include your e-mail address, if available, for a faster price quote. The PGSA makes no recommendations or endorsements.

Legend: Ph: Phone; e-m: email; F: Fax; LP: Language Preferences; LE: Language Education; Ws: Website

Michaline Bak,  230 Camfield St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15210, Ph: (928) 245-2521 e-m: translatoradela@hotmail.com. Ws: http://www.webspawner.com/users/akuchinka/index.html. I translate Polish Genealogy which includes all types of certificates, records and documents including "old Polish" script and copies of microfilmed records. Most translations done within 24 - 48 hrs. Very reasonable rates!

Ola Heska, 115 S. River St., Batavia, IL 60510. Ph (630) 482-9166, e-m: ola@hwwd.com; LP: Polish, English, Russian; LE: MA in Russian, Lodz University, Poland. Native of Poland, lived in Russia, experience with Old Russian handwriting and Old Church Slavonic. Offers translation extracts from vital records (per hour fee). Will travel to Chicago area Family History Centers to assist in research (1 hr minimum fee). References.

Peter D. Hays, 342 1/2 W. 8th, Eugene, OR 97401. Ph: (541) 485-6254; LP: Any European language into English - Polish, Czech, Hungarian, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Latin - experienced with archaic, dialectical, and archival terminology, older spelling and handwriting, and translations from the Slownik Geograficzny. LE: Graduate work, 10 languages, University of Oregon, GPA 4.0. Lived in France and Germany. Send photocopy for price quote.

Renata Milewski, 1119 Barberry Lane, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056. Ph: (847) 590-5457; e-m: remil88@aol.com; LP: Polish. LE: MA in Slavic Philology. Send photocopy for price quote.

Ann C. Sherwin, 1918 Medfield Road, Raleigh, NC 27607-4732. e-m: translate@asherwin.com; Ph: (909) 859-5846; F: call for number; Ws: http://www.asherwin.com; LP: German to English; LE: BA & MA in German, certified by American Translators Association for German-English since 1984; specializes in genealogy, good with old script. Send copy for price quote. 

Jadwiga Cyparska, 2426 N. Kennicott Dr., #1002, Arlington Heights, IL 60004. Ph: (847) 797-8412; e-m: jcyparska@yahoo.com; LP: Polish, Russian and German.  Email or send photocopy for price quote.

Dorota Rzymska, Ph.D. Slavic Languages Services, P.O. Box 34-1197, Los Angeles, CA 90034. Ph: (310) 836-7246; F: (310) 836-7306; e-m: dorota.rzymska@sbcglobal.net; LP: 1) English into Polish, Russian, Czech, Slovak, 2) Polish, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Byelorussian, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian into English; LE: Polish, Russian, Czech, Slovak. Send photocopy for price quote

Revised: 02/10 JFP

Translation Guides

The following are references you can view or purchase that will help you translate many old documents yourself.

Russian Language Documents from Russian Poland: Translation Manual for Genealogists by Jonathan D. Shea. Available through the author, 8 Lyle Road, New Britain, CT 06053

If I Can You Can Decipher Germanic Records by Edna M. Bentz. Available through Tamara Bentz, 9150-187 Gramercy Drive, San Diego, CA 92123-4001, tjbentz@prodigy.net.