I am looking for any help finding information on my ancestors before coming to the United States. Because of Lithuania's history im not sure how to find any information on them. Each document says something different. My great grandfather Benedictus or Benjamin Eliasz born 22 March between 1882-1888 depending on the paper in Resslince Russia(I have never found a place named that). But he always has said he was from Lithuania, never did he say Russia. He came over 10 Mar 1906 last known address was Warschau. He married in Ashland Wisconsin Michelina Szwedas also from Lithuania on 07 July 1914. From their marriage papers it says Ben's parents are Joannes and Moica Eliasz and Michelina's parents are Adam and Rosa Szwedas. From what we know they did know each other in Lithuania but Ben came first then Michelina once she finished school. Ben changed his name to Ben Allis and he died Nov 11 1967 in Loveland, Co and Michelina died Aug 28, 1948 in Ashland, Wi.
Any information would help.

The reference to Russia is not unexpected. Lithuania was occupied by Russia from 1795 to 1918 so there was no country called Lithuania during that period of time.

However, on many ship registers, the birth country was listed as Russia but for ethnicity they recorded Lithuanian.

Do you have copies of the actual church marriage register. Sometimes the priest would record the place where the pride and groom were baptized in Lithuania.

What port did he emigrate from?

Tom S.

Well he came into Ellis Island and it says Ethnicity is Russia, Hebrew and last place of residence is Warschau. And for his marriage documents all I have is his registry and all it has is his name listed as Benedictus Eliasz and it says Lithuan behind it and her name Michaelina Szwedas the date they were going to get married July 7 1914 and both his parents names and her parents names and the witnesses and that is all. But on his Naturalization papers he sates he was born in Resslince Russia but I cant find anywhere that sounds like that during that time.

Warschau is the German spelling for Warsaw, Poland.

If he sailed from a German port (e.g., Hamburg, Bremen) then the German clerk likely used the German spelling of the place name.

The Resslince spelling is not a Lithuanian one for the place name.

Have you ever used the Slownik Gazetteer. See

http://stephendanko.com/blog/1587

Slownik lists thousands of place names (using the Polish spelling) including many in Lithuania.

What do the U.S. Census entries for them list as their countries of birth?

Tom S.

No I haven't tried that site, I will look into that. All of the census in the U.S. that asked location of birth he wrote Lithuania for him along with Michealina.