A LITHUANIAN AMBASSADOR - A SPECIAL GUEST OF TEXAS STATE SOCIETY
Updated 2011-04-22
Ambassador Pavilionis of Lithuania will attend on May 3 annual meeting of Texas State Society of Washington, D.C. Pavilionis will speak about ties between Lithuania and Texas and will present a historical exhibit on "The First Lithuanians in Texas." The exhibition introduces a new theme: it was not known previously that emigration to America (Texas) started from Lithuania Minor back in 1852. This historical fact has not yet been fixated in scientific historiography. Patsy Hand (ancestors Lundčinai (Lundschen)) living in Texas, offspring of emigrants from Lithuania Minor became interested in this theme. Her studies took her to Eastern Prussia, i.e., Lithuania Minor: districts of Šilutė, Pagėgiai, Ragainė, Labguva, Gumbinė.
The research of history of one family turned into the search for ancestors of other Lithuanian families of Texas. Later this historical and social anthropological research was joined by a scientist of Kaunas Magnus University Dr. Vytis Čiubrinskas, TV cameraman Juozas Mažonas, Lithuanians living in the USA Jonas Limantas, Romas Šležas, Dr. Milda Bakšytė-Richardson, Reda Veitas-Limantienė, Liuda Žiaugra, who organised expeditions to South Texas. A huge collection of documentary, iconographical and filmed material has been accumulated by these people and it became the ground for this project. Three inseparable parts form the project: the exhibition, catalogue and video film.
