Ceil Jensen

I relished my professional career as a studio art and art history high school teacher. Eventually, I segued into integrating digital technology and developing a curriculum for multicultural exchanges. I took an early retirement from Rochester Community Schools and enrolled in workshops and seminars in professional genealogy. My practicum included research in archives and parishes in the United States and Poland. During this second career I lectured extensively in the US and Canada, chaired seminars for FEEFHS, PGSM and UPGS including Salt Lake City, Utah and published webinars and books documenting Polish heritage.

Along with co-director Dr. Hal Learman, we established the Polonica America Research Institute. During our tenure at Orchard Lake our grant proposals received funding from the Michigan Humanities Council and Motor City Heritage to offer programs that guided families to document their Polish roots. Three of our publications The Polish Panorama, Polish Studio Portraits, and Sto Lat: A Modern Guide to Polish Genealogy were distributed during these programs. Researching and appearing on Our Polish Story and Genealogy Roadshow helped me deliver on my goal of bringing Polish genealogy mainstream.

My three Arcadia Publishing titles are <i>Detroit’s Polonia; Detroit’s Mount Elliott Cemetery</i>, and <i>Detroit’s Mount Olivet Cemetery</i>.

My new novel, Coral Beads and Poppy Seeds, is a tale of four Polish women who meet on their voyage to America in 1890 and whose lives become entwined beyond their youthful imaginings.