CECILE (CEIL) WENDT JENSEN, About the Author
Cecile (Ceil) Wendt Jensen is a native Detroiter. Her grandparents arrived in Detroit in the 1880s and 1890s from Russian Poland, West Prussia, Posen, and Galicia. Cecile has taught in public schools for 30 years in traditional and electronic art, art history, and social studies. She is a certified genealogist and develops Web sites, videos, CDs, DVDs, and databases for genealogists of all ages.
Her ancestors are buried at the cemeteries maintained by the Mount Elliott Cemetery Association. She is the author of Detroit's Polonia, Detroit's Mount Elliott Cemetery and Detroit's Mount Olivet Cemetery.
STO LAT (Michigan Polonia, 2008)
A Quick Guide for Polish Genealogy
A lavishly illustrated workbook, Sto Lat: A Quick Guide for Polish Genealogy offers a plan for researching at least one hundred years of family records, and is a compilation of techniques developed over thirty years of research and teaching. These are tried and true techniques used for clients and with patrons at the Bloomfiled Hills Family History Center. Both traditional and digital research techniques are presented. Common research questions are answered and suggestions are offered to help novice and advanced researchers find ancestors in North America and Poland.
More than a century has passed since the first Poles settled in Detroit. The first communities were established on the east side of Detroit, but the colony expanded rapidly to the west neighborhoods, and Poles in Detroit still identify themselves as East- or Westsiders. The pioneers left Poland for freedom of language and religion, and to own property. They replicated village life in the big city, living in close-knit neighborhoods anchored by the parish church. Polish immigrants made cigars, built railroad cars, molded stoves, established businesses and breweries, and moved into the political arena. The struggles and triumphs of these early settlers are on display in the pages of Detroit Polonia, a photographic history that links future generations with their Polish heritage.
DETROIT MOUNT ELLIOTT CEMETERY (Arcadia Publishing, 2006) 
Mount Elliott Cemetery is Detroit's oldest extant cemetery, started by the Catholic community in 1841. The consecrated ground is named for architect Robert T. Elliott, who was instrumental in purchasing the land and was the first interment. The roads in the cemetery honor religious leaders: (Pope) Pius Avenue, Bishop LeFevere Avenue and Place, and Bishop Borgess Avenue. The remaining roads carry biblical themes: Calvary Avenue, Holy Cross Place, Trinity Avenue, and Resurrection Avenue. Remains from Detroit's St. Anne's cemetery were brought to Mount Elliott, where French, German, and Irish surnames abound. The tombstones at Mount Elliott reflect family names well known in the tricounty area: Beaubien, Campau, Caniff, Chene, Cicotte, Moran, and Moross. These religious, business, and political leaders have left their names on buildings, roads, and landmarks. They are commemorated here with handcrafted marble, granite, and zinc memorials. Mausoleums honor families, including Palms, Scanlon, and Welch. Military burials include those who served in Napoleon's army, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Vietnam. The special areas for the Detroit firemen and many Catholic religious orders pay homage to the groups of men and women who worked so selflessly to protect and serve the city. The Mount Elliott Cemetery Association provides perpetual care for Mount Elliott Cemetery and four sister cemeteries: Mount Olivet, Resurrection, All Saints, and Guardian Angel.
DETROIT MOUNT OLIVET CEMETERY (Arcadia Publishing, 2006)
Mount Olivet was the second Catholic cemetery developed by the Mount Elliott Cemetery Association. Now surrounded by city, Mount Olivet was nestled in the countryside when it opened in 1888. Directions in 1900 instructed visitors to reach the cemetery via train or electric streetcar. Round-trip was 35¢ on the Grand Trunk Railroad. The varied backgrounds of those buried in the consecrated ground at Mount Olivet reflect the surge in immigration to the city that spanned the early 20th century. Belgian, German, Italian, and Polish cultural, business, and political leaders are buried here. Each group clustered near its own Catholic parish and had its own funeral directors, photographers, and florists: Our Lady of Sorrows (Belgian), St. Joseph (German), San Francesco (Italian), and St. Albertus (Polish). Funeral directors included Charles Verheyden (Belgian), Frank J. Calcaterra (Italian), and Joseph Kulwicki (Polish), who officiated at the first burial at the cemetery. Military burials range from Civil War soldiers to those who fought in Vietnam. The cemetery is graced with beautiful marble and granite statuary and unique mausoleums designed by noted architects and featuring stained-glass windows. The Mount Elliott Cemetery Association provides perpetual care for Mount Olivet Cemetery and four sister cemeteries: Mount Elliott, Resurrection, All Saints, and Guardian Angel.