From Lithuania

These are Berciunas' in Lithuania that have been sending me information.

When researching female surnames remember - Berciuniene = married to a Berciunas and Berciuniate = unmarried fathers surname Berciunas

22-Sep 2005

To: Arnoldas Berciunas

From: Jason

My name is Jason Berciunas and I live in the USA. I am looking for family in Lithuania, can you help.

23-Sep 2005

To: Arnoldas Berciunas

From: Jason

Labas, Mano vardas yra Jason Berciunas .

Nežinau ar musu šeimos yra sujunktos giminystes ryšiaias, bet turiu vilti kad Jus perskaitysit mano lai^ska.
Rašau Jums su viltim kad gal but galetumet suteikti mums žiniu apie šita krašta, kur dabar tik galime matyti paveikslais Viena diena, turime vilti kad galesim aplankyti Lietuva, bet ligi to laiko turime informacija gauti iš knygu ir interneto.
Mums patare parašyti Jums Mes butumem nepaprastai dekingi, jeigu galetumet parašyt mums betkokia informacija.

Siunèiu kartu kopija Berciunas šeimos genealogijos medžio diagrama - gal bus naudinga

Galima matyti giminystes ryšius.
Žinau kad ka aš pra^au žymiai Jus sutrukdytu. Bet buèiau labai dekinga jeigu galetumet ka nors parašyti. Labai laukiu Jusu laišklelio.

Su pagarba,

Jason Berciunas

Mano adresas [jberciunas@yahoo.com]arba:
Jason Berciunas
212 Valley NW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504 USA

4-Nov 2005

To: Jason

From: Arnoldas

Labas, Jason,

Atsiprasau, kad tiek ilgai neparaðiau.

Dabar trumpai apie mûsø giminæ. Pavardë BERÈIÛNAS nëra labai populiari Lietuvoje, bet Alytaus kraðte yra keletas ðeimø.Að neþinau ar mes esame giminës, klausiau savo tëvelio, kuriam dabar 75 metai, bet jis neatmena, kad kas ið Lietuvos bûtø iðvykæs á JAV.

Mano senelis ANTANAS BERÈIÛNAS gimæs 1895 m. Jis turëjo septynis vaikus: 4 sûnus ir 3 dukras.Ið tos kartos visi gyveno arba tebegyvena Lietuvoje.

Bûtø labai ádomu surasti giminystës ryðius, bet turbût bus labai sudëtinga. Ðeimos genealogijos medþio neturim, að galiu apibûdinti 4 kartas.

Jeigu Jums ádomu, að galiu paraðyti apie Lietuvà, apie savo ðeimà sekanèiuose laiðkuose, galiu atsiøsti nuotraukø.Gal laiðkø ir nuotraukø pagalba ir surasim ryðius.

Viso,

Arnoldas Berèiûnas

Pakartosiu tà patá angliðkai, ið anksto atsipraðau uþ klaidas, ðiaip ar taip gimtoji mûsø kalba yra lietuviø.

Dear Jason,

Sorry that I didn't answer you earlier.

I would like to tell you a little bit about our family. Name BERCIUNAS isn't very popular in Lithuania, but there are few families in Alytus area (South of Lithuania). I asked my father (he is 75 years old) about relatives, who went to USA, but he didn't remember any.

My grandfather ANTANAS BERCIUNAS was born in 1895. He had seven children: 4 sons and 3 daughters. They all lived or are living in Lithuania now.

Would be interesting to find relations between our relatives, but it probably will be quite diffucult. We don't have family tree, but I can describe myself four generations.

If you are interested, I can write you about Lithuania, my family.

The letters, photos maybe could help us to keep good contacts.

Have a nice day.

Best regards

Arnoldas

3- Jan 2006

To: Arnoldas

From: Jason

Visit our family site: www.berciunas.info what do you think.

4-Jan 2006

To: Jason

From: Virginija ( Arnoldas’ wife)

Dear Jason,

Thanks for your letters. My name is Virginija Berciuniene. I'm a wife Arnoldas. He is very busy now and I decided to write you.

We live in Siauliai (look at the map) in Lithuania.

I visited both websites, you made a good job. Very nice! I found all info about meeting on 24 June. It will be very interesting to meet, but I don't know .....at this moment.

In the last letter you write your address, could you send a map for this place to us.:)

Do you speak in Lithuania?

Can we contact by MSN Mesenger or Skype?

Hive a nice 2006 Year!

B/R Virginija

4- Jan 2006

To: Virginija

From: Jason

I am very excited about meeting both you and your husband. I really hope you can make the reunion. It is going to be a lot of fun. No I do not speak Lithuanian, but would like to learn. I am going to send you a map of Grand Rapids, Michigan USA where I live, as well as some photos.

Again thanks for your help.

5- Jan 2006

To: Jason

From: Virginija

Dear Jason,

We send you few our photo: Arnoldas, our daughter Joginte and me.

Have a nice day.

Back to My Travels and Photos

Hill of Crosses - Kryziu kalnas
The Hill of Crosses near Siaulai is a memorial to the pain over those who gave their lives in the fight against Communism, in the 1863 revolution and in the Partisan war between 1944 and 1956. It all started when three graves were found after people killed in the 1863 revolution and crosses erected over them. It's been adding ever since. The hill has about a million crosses, but as visitors continue to hang their own small crosses on the larger ones it is quite impossible to estimate the real number. A strange tale is told about the hill: In the sixties the Communists wanted to erase the hill in the typically Communist way, by running it over with a bulldozer. No one wanted to do it, but finally one man volunteered and ran down all the crosses. The man died a mysterious death soon after, and the man who ordered the destruction saw his children roll into a lake and drown, locked inside a car. He himself died soon after. People put all the crosses up again in the nights and no one touched the hill any more.
	This fantastic, almost surrealistic sight greets you at the entrance to the Hill of Crosses. The hill has spread and the main entrance is now surrounded by crosses on all sides.	An enormous statue of Christ leads you on the man path, towards the Madonna.	You walk up the steps and your head twists and turns to see all the crosses. Still, you don't understand.
Special Crosses and Memorials
	Some distance into the jumble the enormous amounts and the richness of styles take you in.	There are old and new crosses, crosses from today and from the 19:th century.	An indescribable jumble.
	Department of ancient crosses, perhaps over a hundred years.	An indescribable jumble.	There are paths going everywhere so you can walk around and see all parts of the hill.
	An indescribable jumble.	Ten white crosses. If anyone knows the symbolics, please tell me.	From the Papal chapel the hill looks like this. It continues far to the left and right outside the picture.
	A lone, small cross, perhaps a foot high, which does not contain any less loss and pain then the big ones. Perhaps the donor was poor?	Blue and yellow crosses, almost Swedish.	All figures are hung full of innumerable smaller crosses and rosaries, left by people wanting to show their respect to those who gave their lives for the fatherland.
	The Lithuanian art of sculpture is very special, and here are many examples. Just look at the wrinkles of sorrow in the forehead of this one.	Some crosses are very artful. This is a Lithuanian sun-cross, a mixture of pagan and Christian tradition.	Little “chapels” for burning incense, filled with pictures and rosaries.
	Another “house”, also brimming with memories.	The ultimate in uniqueness must be a brick cross. Perhaps built by a brick-layer, or in memory of a brick-layer?

Hill of Crosses - Kryziu kalnas

Special Crosses and Memorials