Bob,

Zeljko is currently occupied with some major buss. deals, he has harldy time for a social life, let alone checking on his email.

Currently we are in this situation. We are posting job openings at www.serbia-today.com for researchers. I dont know how long this is going to take. Basicly you run into the problem from doing research from abroad. One of our last researchers and board member moved to the States for a uncertain amount of time, so basicly it will be just remote work for many members.

As soon as we find a researcher we will let you all know. As it seems now, my firm Serbia Today will hold a media campaing soon so I am looking positive at this whole situation. But dont expect the archives to find a researcher for you. They are underpayed and understaffed. I hope this will change this year, but I have little confidence since the last time I spoke to the director. They still dont know their yearly budget, so I think that says enough.

The new research will also be tasked with translation, so we got all of this covered when we find a potential researcher. I know its now much at the moment, but we hope to change this soon.

Please register your found info in a genealogy program of choise. Interfamily relations can be very confusing, best thing is to have it registered.

Regards,

Sergej,

Thanks for your response to my message and for letting me know of the situations concerning Zeljko and the researcher problem. Guess I'll just have to wait it out and hope for the best.

Concerning the registering of my findings in a genealogy program, I am using the Family Tree Maker software and have accumulated quite a bit of information from the immigration and USA census records. What I can really use now are records from the Archives, which are in dear needs to establish my earlier ancestors.

Here's hoping for a successful researcher campaign. I'll be keeping an eye on your website for further developments.

Thanks again,

Bob

Hi Sergej,

Zeljko contacted me to update his inquires with the archives in Sremska Mitrovica. He said that his guess is that Archive guys aren't used to this kind of thing and apparantly they are reluctant to offer any kind of help.

He tried to get in touch with them again but no one picks up the phone and will send them another letter asking to provide him with their procedure on how a person can access the files and search for the needed info.

He thinks that they will not do that job and will ask the archives that if someone is sent there, can that person browse the files. He also added that if he gets permission, he has an army buddy out there and will ask him if he knows anyone who would be willing to do that. I told him to go ahead with it.

He ended with "All of this reminds me of an archeological documentary I saw on Discovery channel, endless weeks of brushing away century old dust and sand from the remains of ancient history...", which sounds so fitting in my case.

Regards,

Bob

Hello Bob,

Yes I know I spoke to Zeljko last week. Something strange is going on at the archives. They are being neglected by the government and dont have any funds from what I see from here.

I wasnt joking when I said that one needs patience. We are hoping to get some researchers or members of the SGS to go to the archives and to do research for other members. Untill then I guess we will have to endure our Indiana Jones adventure sadly enough...

I hope Zeljko's idea will work. Keep me posted, I am planning to move back to Serbia if I do I will post it on the forums.

Regards,

Pozdrav Sergej,

I got a message from Zeljko who wrote the following, "I guess that the archive guys from Sremska Mitrovica are not willing to find and send any information but they are willing to allow someone to go there and do the research. You should find someone and I will do my best to help you with that, and then I have to call the Archives and set up the date."

Now all I have to hope for is that Zeljko is successful in finding someone. Any suggestions from your side? Have you any contacts in or around Sremska Mitrovica? I am just wishfully thinking at the time, probably sounding desperate.

I guess all I can do at the time is to be "patient".

Did I use "Pozdrav" correctly above? (Greetings?)

Regards,

Bob

Pozdrav Bob,

Yes, the archives are strange. We are looking for researchers. Its a hard job and will take time. Only comfort I can give is that I will move to Serbia soon, so when I have time I will look into it.

I will let you know when I have something.

Pozdrav is good:-)