I am researching two shtetls in Lithuania:

VIEKSNIAI - particular reference to SHAMES/SMITH families
Any info on the shtetl and/ the families above would be much appreciated
Three Shames boys went to South Africa leaving behind a sister, Leah and some
half-siblings? that may have gone to the USA - Leah married Shimas JOSELOVICH

ROKISKIS - particularly interested in the small settlement outside Rokiskis
named RADUTE. Any info relating to this area in which I believe about 10
Jewish families lived would be much appreciated

Maps, pictures, names, trees, ideas, suggestions on how to go >from here,
anything would be good
Thanks
Marcella Shames

MODERATOR NOTE: The first stop in shtetl research should be the JewishGen home
page. http://www.jewishgen.org
Use "Search for a town" in the middle of the page. Both Vieksniai and
Rokiskis are represented by a community page. Rokiskis, in fact, has its own
shtetlinks page. http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/rokiskis/rokmain.htm
JewishGen Family Finder (JGFF), accessible >from the community pages, as well, is
quite useful. In addition, do not overlook the "Get Started" button near the
of the JewishGen home page. There is much good guidance there for Jewish
genealogists at all levels of experience.