Zarja Official Publication Slovenian Union of America Uradno Glasilo Slovenske Zveze v Ameriki The old gothic church at Pleterje Charterhouse. It is a Catholic Carthusian monastery in the village of Drča near Šentjernej in Slovenia. ZarjaFest 2018 - Amazing Experience: Upon entering the church, we could hear the monks chanting in prayer in a distance. The sound was mesmerizing; it was compellingly beautiful. No one moved; we just stood there and listened. $8.99 U.S./$15.99 International Volume 92 Issue 3 Fall 2020 The Dawn Slovenian Union of America 431 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432-1703 LAURIE LEHMAN TELEPHONE: 815.727.1926 WEBSITE: slovenianunion.org 2015-2019 National Board of Directors PRESIDENT: Mary Lou Deyak Voelk (Branch 23) marylouv174@gmail.com VP OF OUTREACH: Annette Charron (Branch 3) amtcharron@gmail.com VP OF HOME OFFICE: Richard Grill (Branch 99) rlgrill@hotmail.com VP OF MARKETING & FUNDRAISING: George Plautz (Branch 102) doblice@gmail.com VP OF CULTURE & HERITAGE: Beverly Kochmann (Branch 109) bbkochman@msn.com NATIONAL TREASURER: Robert J. Kuhel (Branch 16) rjkuhel@sbcglobal.net CORR./RECORDING SECRETARY: Mary Risner Glaize (Branch 30) tankandfrog1@yahoo.com STANDING COMMITTEES RESEARCH & ADVISORY Chuck Debevec (Branch 109) cfdebevec@live.com Richard Terselic (Branch 103) rat1@verizon.net EDUCATION GRANTS Frances Kovatovich (Branch 35) velike2000@yahoo.com Bill Zerial (Branch 99) billzer@sbcglobal.net Carol Rutkiewicz (Branch 109) PRESERVATION Carol Novak (Branch 20) sua@slovenianunion.org Carole Terlep (Branch 20) sua@slovenianunion.org Georgene Agnich (Branch 20) sua@slovenianunion.org FACEBOOK EDITOR: Mary Risner Glaize (Branch 30) tankandfrog1@yahoo.com DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS: Denise P. Bartlett (Branch 43) MEMBERSHIP MANAGER: Rick Mutz sua.members@gmail.com (ISSN 0044-1848) Postmaster: Send all changes of address to this location: SLOVENIAN UNION OF AMERICA 431 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432-1703 © Copyright All Rights Reserved Afternoon Outing 12”x16” (scene of Piran, Slovenia) Original Paintings of Slovenia laurielehmanartist.com 989-560-1645 Zarja - The Dawn EDITOR: Bonnie Pohar Prokup DIRECTOR OF DESIGN: Debbie Pohar CONSULTING EDITORS: Annette Charron and Bernadette K. Fitzsimmons EDITORIAL OFFICE: 3119 Carrie St., Peru, IL 61354 PUBLISHER: Slovenian Union of America Vol. 92, No. 3 Fall 2020 Published quarterly Periodicals Postage paid at Joliet, IL and additional mailing offices. Communications for the next issue of publication Do you have something you would like to share with readers? We would love to hear from you! Please e-mail the editor at wprokup@ aol.com. We reserve the right to edit any article submitted. Articles must be related to Slovenia, SUA events, or members. The deadline for articles is the 10th day of the month, two (2) months preceding the issue. For example, articles for the Winter issue must be received by October 10. Thank you. Submission Guidelines E-mail your photos attached as jpeg files. If you have an old photo that is irreplaceable, please make a good-quality copy to share with us. (Scanned copies must be a resolution of 300 or higher.) By submitting material for publication, you grant the Slovenian Union of America the use of the material including your name, hometown, and state. We may modify, reproduce, and distribute it in any SUA-authorized medium and in any manner or appropriate place. Living the Legacy of our Slovenian Heritage Slovenian Union of America, Inc (SUA) THE STATE OF THE UNION To Our 2020 Graduates, Graduation is a sacred tradition. Donning a cap and grown and taking hold of a diploma is epic. Hearing your name spoken is the school’s way of personally honoring you and your family. Hopefully, this occurred in your virtual/ distant graduation in June 2020. Regardless, through the years you have learned a lot. Give yourself credit for learning to schedule your time and to meet deadlines. Graduation is one of the proudest accomplishes in life, and it comes only a few times in most lifetimes. Be proud! The idea of creating a diploma came to me when the virus did not allow us to attend the graduation of our grandson, Joseph Voelk, in Seattle. Word went out about receiving a diploma from SUA, and requests came in. The following names were sent a diploma in recognition of their accomplishments: Anthony Corgiat, Renae Friesenhahn, Apolonia Homer, Michael Lah, Eric Mattila, Ben Newhouse, Eric Mattila, Ben Newhouse, and Joseph Voelk. Congratulations from the SUA National Board! Feature Friday 2020 has been a year of reckoning. The best laid plans went poof, and our lives have been in upheaval. For months the virus has choked our lives. Life as we know it has been cancelled. It will never be the same. Our human hearts yearn for love. We crave connections, especially with those with whom we have something in common… people of Slovenian ancestry. Being spread throughout the USA makes a weak connection, and COVID-19 makes the gap even weaker. Perhaps it pushed me to do something about it? I sent Richard Mutz, SUA Membership Manager, an article asking his opinion on sending a feature stories or articles to members via email. Of course, I needed him to set it up and send it out. Richard came back with exclamation points! It has a name, Feature Friday. It is not a newsletter. Each Friday or every other Friday, depending on my time schedule, a feature will arrive in your email mailbox. Feature Friday is customized; its intent is to pull you in and immerse you in Slovenian history and its culture and heritage. If you are not receiving Feature Friday, check your junk mail. Still no Facebook? Email marylouv174@gmail.com. Branch Presidents Please check your branch membership lists. Sending a periodic newsletter will keep you in touch with your members and also advise you when members change residences. Inform Richard Mutz, Membership Manager, of any changes. Keep in mind, you are the only source of this information. Richard Mutz’s email is sua.members@ gmail.com. “Professor Johnson often said that if you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” – Michael Crichton, Timeline Fall 2020 SUA 95th Anniversary In December 2021, SUA will be celebrating its 95th anniversary. How fitting that the traditional 95th anniversary stone is the diamond. The diamond symbolizes things that are unconquerable and enduring. Many people believe that the fire in the diamond symbolizes the constant flame of love. This sounds like SUA members! 1 SUA Facebook Mary Glaize, Facebook Editor, is moving the SUA out onto the airways. Her organizational and management skills are commendable. She has created a thriving online Slovenian community with one focus in mind: our Slovenian heritage. Let’s not forget the extreme amount of time she has devoted to the site. From Mary Glaize The Slovenian Union of America header is changed weekly; it takes you on a virtual tour of Slovenia. Ongoing series include the following: • • • • “Mysteries, Myths and Legends” – about various Slavic legends “Coming to America” – about immigration “Good Reads” – about books “Foodies” – about special Slovenian ingredients with recipes Thanks to Lynn Zalokar for sending in interesting items to post. I see SUA members commenting in the Slovenska Kuhinja group but not our page: • Numbers: 2442 people have “Liked” our page. • Statehood Day June 25 posts each reached 2.5 K. • Reference to Slovenska Kuhinja reached 7.5 K. “Notes” section has expanded to include Slovenian recipes and links to our website recipes in Pinterest, Slovenian citizenship information, and additions to Information on Language Resources. Help keep the Slovenian spirit alive! “Like” and follow our Slovenian Union of America Facebook page! 2 Through contacts in Slovenia, Prisland’s hometown of Ričica has been alerted to a proclamation in her honor to be delivered to the town either in person or virtually. Hopefully, a SUA tour will be possible for the celebration. If you would be interested in such a tour, please email marylouv174@gmail.com. Mary Prisland, granddaughter of Marie Prisland, discovered a written note from 1969. Mary was attempting to get the right spelling of places her grandmother was pointing out in Ričica. “Černe” and “Sentjanz” are in her handwriting as is the description of Auschwitz. Mary said, “I will always remember my attempt to spell correctly the places grandmother was pointing out. There is the number 29817. I do not know why it is there.” Baraga Days Announcement: Due to the continuing COVID-19 outbreak, we are unable to host the in-person Baraga Days event scheduled in Lemont, Illinois on September 19-20, 2020. The Bishop Baraga Association is working in conjunction with the Slovenian Culture Center in Lemont to create an online event. Please watch our website, Facebook page, and the Fall Edition of the Baraga Bulletin for further details about the event. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. The SUA has been a dedicated contributor to the cause of Bishop Baraga with Zarja being the force bringing the holy life of Baraga to its members in promotion of the Bishop Baraga Association mission. For the Baraga Days event, a previous SUA/Baraga PowerPoint will be updated. Helena Janažič of the National and University Library in Ljubljana noted Baraga’s book, Popis navad in sadershanja Indijanov Polnozhne Amerike 1837 (Google Translate: An Inventory of the Nation and Conservation of the Indians of North America). No translation of the book exists online. The following is a picture about Pocahontas. Baraga wrote her story in this book, beginning on page 8. www.dlib.si/details/ URN:NBN:SI:DOC-BBXVQRBW. Zarja - The Dawn Happy Thanksgiving From the National Board and Standing Committee Members May you find comfort and hope after months of yesterday’s sorrow. Thanksgiving prayer, with an added personal request. Our Father in Heaven, we give thanks for the pleasure of gathering together for this occasion. We give thanks for this food prepared by loving hands. We give thanks for life, the freedom to enjoy it, and all other blessings. As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us. This we ask in the name of Christ our Savior. Heavenly Father, please be the invited guest at our tables on Thanksgiving Day. Regards, Mary Lou, President marylouv174@gmail.com KEEP IN TOUCH: • Log onto Slovenian Union America Facebook page; it’s all about being a Slovenian. • Visit the Slovenian Union of America website: slovenianunion.org. • Ordering from Amazon? AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support SUA each time you shop. Link to the Zarja - The Dawn issues from 1929- 2012. https://www.dlib.si/details/URN%3aNBN%3aSI%3aspr-JPZGQWKC SUA Collegiate Scholarship: For your journey down the education road. SUA Cultural Grant: For historical research; for sponsoring heritage activities. For Applications: slovenianunion.org Fall 2020 From Richard Grill VP of Home Office Richard makes the Indiana trek to Joliet during lulls in the church calendar. He plays the organ in local churches. The building is checked each time, from the attic to the basement. He is also involved in anything that needs to be attended to at the museum. This spring, stains were discovered in the upstairs apartment. Professionals were called in. An outdoor drainage system was plugged with leaves and debris. Backup water spilled out and did damage on the outside brick, which allowed water to seep into the bedroom wall. The board is awaiting repair estimates. On a brighter note, Richard graduated with a Master of Music in Organ Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is now working on a piece by Slovenian composer Stanko Premrl* entitled “Sveta noc” (“Holy Night”). It will be recorded in Richard’s living room and will be placed on the SUA Facebook page when the piece is completed. Richard is hoping to record singalong Slovenian folk songs to be accompanied by the harpsichord. Hopefully, there will be a day our entire membership will hear a recital of Slovenian organ music. *Premrl was a Slovene priest, composer and music pedagogue and had a decisive influence on the development of Slovene church music. One of the most prolific Slovenian composers, he published over two thousand compositions. Premrl is best known as the composer of the choral composition set with the 7th verse of Preseren’s poem “Zdravljica”. Listen and sing along: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwFcRmMGsPE. 3 Don’t miss out on this fabulous raffle. The products are “the best of science and nature combined.” SLOVENIAN UNION OF AMERICA – FUNDRAISER L’BRI PURE n’ NATURAL PRODUCTS ($350 Value) The proceeds from this fundraiser will go toward our June 2023 National Convention to be held in Pueblo, Colorado. Entries are available for $5.00 each. Send any amount of entries. What a fantastic Christmas present for the lucky winner! Products include the following: Soothing Body Soak, Natural Radiance Body Scrub, Rejuvenating Facial Peel, Exfoliating Face and Body Scrub, Aloe Vera Barbadenis Jelly, Oil Free Moisturizer 32 SPF, Hydrating Antioxidant Face Mist, Intense Eye Cream Repair, Clear Lip Gloss, Fragrance Free Ultimate Moisture Body Collection, Neck Firming Cream, High Antioxidant Night Repair Treatment. Visit their website at lbri.com DRAWING DATE IS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020. Please mail all entries to arrive no later than Saturday, December 5th. Entries received after December 5th will be returned. Products shown above will be mailed to the winner via USPS. Thank you for your support! Purchasing more than one entry for yourself? No need to make multiple copies. Fill in the entry form and enclose a check for the total amount of entries you are purchasing. Please make copies of the form if you are sharing this fund-raiser with others! Entry Form PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY Name _________________________________________________________________ Street Address __________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________ State ________ Zip Code _________ Amount enclosed ____________ for ________ entry(ies) Please complete form and mail with your check in the amount of $5.00 per entry payable to SUA. Mail to Debbie Duris – 9167 Briarwood Road – Macedonia, OH 44056. Questions? Call or text Debbie at 216-212-2316. 4 Zarja - The Dawn Calling all writers, poets and essayists! Slovenian Union of America The Slovenian Union of America Opens Submissions for the 2021 Slovenian Literary Award to Recognize and Promote Writers of Slovenian Heritage The award is open to both first time writers, as well as published authors. For nearly a century, the Slovenian Union of America has been dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Slovenian ancestry of its members. Writing has been a formative part of the Slovene heritage, and the SUA Slovenian Literary Award acknowledges those who continue this vital tradition. The winner will be announced in June 2021 honoring the award recipients for their literary contributions. The time and place will be announced at a later date. Applicants are welcome to register, provide a 100-word biography, and submit their work here: https://slovenianunion.org/sua-literary-award Accepting Submissions: November 1, 2020 - January 31, 2021 • All genres of creative writing will be considered - Short Stories, Novels, Speeches, Personal Essays, Memoirs, Poetry, Manuscripts, Screenplays, and Academic Work. • Musical compositions will not be considered. • The award is not limited to English; both English and Slovene will be accepted. • Works are judged on quality by a panel of writers and a committee. • Applicants may live anywhere but must be of Slovenian heritage. • Individual writers only (no groups) with up to three submissions per writer. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. • Membership in SUA is not required. For press inquiries, please send an email here: slovenianliteraryaward@gmail.com Fall 2020 5 Donations $200 Donation Stephanie Helm, 030, +Theresa Masel Donahue $100 Donation Frank Markelc, 043, Educational Grant Tom Klobucher, 024, +John & Rose Ann Klobucher $75 Donation Joan Lesnik, 020, SUA $50 Donation Barbara A. Hiltbrunner, 023, In honor of Julie Puzel Dorothy Swintosky, 030, +Frank & Patricia Zevnik Gary L. Sever, 108, +Walter Sever $30 Donation James Lah, 023, +Theresa (Laboda) Lah Mary Jo Verschay, 109, SUA Branch 43, +Fannie Smole, Helen Prijic, & Lenny Baraga $25 Donation Elisabeth Filipic, 093, Cultural Grant Fran Hrastar, 108, +Stan Streiner Matthew Koncar, 109, SUA Richard Grill, 099, SUA Vida F. Habjan, 111, SUA $20 Donation Dana Goetz, 043, +Sophie Stampfel Frank Gorenc, 043, +Lilly Gorenc Julie Wagner, 026, +Frank Bavdek Kristi A. Luzar, 043, SUA Lainie Cargould, 111, +Milo & Binnie Uehlein Louis M. Gerzin, 023, +Louis J. (Kippy) Gerzin Lynn M. Zalokar, 093, H/O Bob & Colleen (DeLacy) Zalokar Philip Pucel, 020, Cultural Grant +Rudy & Millie Pucel Stephen Fon, Sr., 005, Educational Grant Therese Freiberg, 043, Educational Grant William Rogina, 020, SUA 6 Thank you! -Hvala lepa! $10 Donation Alyssa Tate, 003, +John Starcevich Anton Malensek, 093, SUA Charlotte Russ, 035, +Jennie Taramelli Darlene Zevnik, 001, +Edward Zernik Elizabeth J. Wroblewski, 089, +Betty Terselic George Niskala, 023, SUA Jeanette K. Korsman, 035, +Marie Vaida Lynn M. Zalokar, 093, +Lorraine Fencl Nancy Terselic, 108, Educational Grant Nancy Terselic, 108, Cultural Grant Nancy Terselic, 108, SUA $5 Donation Joshua Govek, 001, SUA Join Us Today WE slovenian OUR MEMBERS https://slovenianunion.org Zarja - The Dawn BECOME A MEMBER OF SUA TODAY! Benefits of Membership ✓ Receive quarterly issues of Zarja – The Dawn Magazine that highlights Slovenia, its rich heritage, culture, traditions, recipes, and more. ✓ Participate in local branch activities which promote “Keeping the Slovenian Spirit Alive.” ✓ Educational Grant and Cultural Grant Opportunities ✓ Research both of SUA’s historical and genealogical resources – the Ivana Project and the Matti Register, both long-term scanning projects of member documents since 1926. ✓ Visit SUA’s website with links to numerous Slovenian-American interests. ✓ Visit SUA’s free Heritage Museum in Joliet, Illinois, with Slovenian heritage exhibits and library. New Member Application Annual Member Support is payable each January and covers the period January through December Membership Renewal Notifications are sent annually in December Adult ($30 Member Support/Zarja Subscription) Junior – Birth to 18 ($5 Member Support) International ($55 Member Support/Zarja Subscription) It is our policy to send one issue of Zarja to each address unless requested otherwise. Please print the requested information below and send this application form with a check payable to: Slovenian Union of America, 431 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432-1703 First Name__________________________________ Last Name________________________________________ M___ F___ Address__________________________________________________ City/State/Zip___________________________________ Phone____________________________________ E-Mail________________________________________________________ Date of Birth_________________ Branch Affiliation Number (if known) _______ Location __________________________ Maiden Name_________________________________________ Do you speak Slovenian? _____________________________ Please describe your interest in Slovenia: ______________________________________________________________________ Slovenian Surnames (if applicable): ___________________________________________________________________________ How did you hear about us? SUA member ___ newspaper___ website___ other___________________________________ I would like to volunteer for the SUA. My area of interest or expertise is______________________________________________ Applicant’s signature______________________________________________________ Date__________________________ SUA operates exclusively for charitable, educational, and religious purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. www.slovenianunion.org ■ sua@slovenianunion.org ■ 815-727-1926 Fall 2020 7 8 G E N E A L O G Y Fun and Instructional - Rich Terselic rat1@verizon.net Genealogy involves the study of descent or ancestry. For Slovenians wishing to study their family history, there are abundant resources available to assist in both America and Slovenia. There is a genealogy society in Slovenia as well as archives of publicly accessible data, and in America, there is a private organization, the Slovenian Genealogy Society International, Inc. I’ve studied my family history since my teenage days, and I’ll share some things I’ve learned about my family as well as ideas about researching family ancestry. Both of my parents’ families have traced their origins to Slovenia. Both settled in America in southeastern Wisconsin. My father’s parents were married in Europe, and they and all their children immigrated over a period of about ten years in the late 1800s and early 1900s. My mother’s parents (family name: Slana) met and married in America. Most of the members of both families remained in the Midwest. However, after marrying, my parents moved to Cleveland where I was born. I grew up having most of my aunts, uncles, and cousins living a long train or automobile ride away. Wishing to know more about the family members who had immigrated to America encouraged me to begin creating family genealogy records and learning about genealogical research resources and techniques. I began my genealogical searching well before the full flowering of computer-based resources. When I began, it took persistence to search out information, including, for example, the ships on which family members traveled from Europe. An early data source for me was the Ellis Island online records. However, that data had problems with spelling errors in people’s names and their locations of origin. The clerks at Ellis Island who recorded data on new arrivals were often questioning people with little or no education. Language and dialect differences also complicated what was recorded. Searching through the online data required checking alternative spelling options. Another resource was government agencies. Calling upon this resource required writing letters and paying fees to have searches done. This resource has greatly benefitted from computerization. Volunteers have helped, as in the case of military service records held by the National Archives. One of the simplest ways to describe family data is through the use of charts. In the early days of my searching I came upon the RTF (Rich Text Format) chart form and have used it almost extensively ever since. RTF charts begin with the oldest known family member and build from there, including spouses and children of the couple. The chart I most recently constructed uses the format utilized by familysearch.org. This chart includes data on both of my parents’ sides and includes everyone married into the family as well as text data that comes from family histories that I wrote. Others in addition to the person that initiates construction can add or correct a chart. My older daughter, a Slana first cousin, and a man who I know only by name, have been helpful in making additions and in adding photos. Another important development has involved the initiation of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations devoted to facilitating genealogical research. An important contribution has been made by the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). As I understand, genealogical data ties in with the proxy baptism work of the church. An affiliated LDS organization has developed highly sophisticated resources such as familysearch.org. A relatively new development aiding genealogical research has been services that collect and analyze biological samples of an individual’s DNA, usually for a fee. Among the early projects with which I dealt was one undertaken by the National Geographic Society. The project started with the presumption that humans started out in Africa and ventured forth from there throughout Zarja - The Dawn the world. I didn’t get much useful information back from submitting a mouth swab sample. My experience with other such services suggests the greatest value comes when numerous family members and others from a common ethnic origin submit samples to the same service and authorize sharing of results. The ability to fully benefit from chemical testing data requires developing knowledge of genetics. The DNA testing industry has grown but has also been connected with problems, including interfacing with law enforcement and relations within families. With regard to the latter, where more than one member of a family has submitted a DNA sample for analysis, the results can disclose surprising issues of parenthood. That is, siblings have found they had differing parentage than what they had presumed. In a recent high-profile case, the sixty-year-old Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, found his actual father was not the one he had believed. Interest in genealogy is not universal. There are differences in interest between the people who do the research and those who are pictured in the findings. A Wall Street Journal article recently discussed the situation within families where avid members toiled to research family history but found it difficult to interest other family members in their findings. I experienced this and concluded that one explanation for the lack of interest was old family “spats.” Two first cousins of mine who died in recent years chose to have no contact with one another during their lives. It turns out that they took a “spat” between their families “to their graves.” All things considered, genealogy can be entertaining and instructional to persons who pursue it. A recent happening that sparked interest within my family began with a message from a relative who is a genealogist in Slovenia. He shared a chart that linked our Terselic family with that of President Trump’s wife, Melania. I have my doubts about the validity of the connection. While one of my children shares my interest in family genealogy, pursuit of it might end with her. However, in the future new interest could unexpectedly develop. Fall 2020 The Slovenian DNA Pool: SUA & Slovenian Genealogy Society, Ljubljana The Slovenian DNA Pool is a cooperative initiative between Slovenia’s citizens and Slovenian Americans who are searching for their extended family. (See details in the 2018 Winter issue of Zarja or on SUA’s website slovenianunion.org.) In turn, the genealogy society will be using the collection of DNA with Slovenian pedigree to put the Slovenian population on a DNA-based global ethnicity map by 2023. The Slovenian DNA Pool Project recommends an autosomal DNA test kit to start your genetic search for matches. If you have NOT purchased a DNA kit, the Slovenian DNA Pool recommends the Family Tree Finder DNA test kit (https:www.familytreedna. com) which can be later upgraded by Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA tests. If you had previously purchased an autosomal DNA kit other than Family Tree Finder DNA, transfer your raw results for unlock to FT-DNA and then join the Hawlina and Slovenian project groups. You will be able to get permission for access from the group administrators individually. Further guidance will be given by administrators. More advanced users can submit their results also to a general platform for comparison of DNA results at GEDmatch.com (GED stands for Genealogical Data used when creating a family history). https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/hawlina https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/slovenia GEDmatch is extremely popular and highly regarded, providing tools you can’t get elsewhere. Mary Lou Deyak Voelk 9 The Study of Slovenian My Personal Experience - Barbara Spreitzer-Berent I was in college before I realized that not all grandmothers speak English with an accent. M y grandmother, Barbara, was born in Steelton, Pennsylvania in the mid1890s. But her family returned to Slovenia when she was very young. She spent her youth in a small village called Bojakovo, in the southern part of the country. She returned to the U.S. when she was 28 years old, married a widower with three children, had a daughter, and spent most of her adult life in Detroit. Let me share a little bit of my experience. I first started to learn Slovenian on my own. Since I’ve studied other languages, I thought this would be manageable. I used a free site run by the University of Ljubljana and located at https://wwwslonline.si/. I found this to be a great resource for basic vocabulary, and it includes an audio pronunciation guide. It’s a good way for someone to start if they have a good memory for languages and the self-discipline to study Barbara did not have the advantage of an education. regularly. What the program lacks is any insight into Yet she was able to read, write, and speak in English the structure of the language. It relies completely on and Slovenian. Even as a child, I always admired memorization. The lessons don’t teach how to conthat. Barbara spoke Slovenian at home and in daily jugate verbs, for example, or how to treat masculine telephone conversations with her sisters. I always versus feminine words, or how to pluralize (at least loved the sound of the Slovenian language - the soft not in the lessons I saw). So the learning is not very sh sounds and the lahko noč grandma whispered when transferable. But the site is still fun and helpful for the beginner. If you decide to try it, be sure to study she said good night to my brother and me. the lesson about the alphabet first. By the time I became interested in learning Slovenian, my grandmother had dementia. She was no longer It wasn’t until I took at an online language class able to distinguish the language of her youth from through the Continuing Education Department at English. So I turned my interest in learning another Cleveland State University that I really started to language into years of French lessons, a semester of learn. Called Slovenian I – Beginner, the class is Mandarin Chinese, some self-study of Italian, and a taught by a Slovenian native named Luka Zibelnik. The class is offered each fall and continues each spring year of American Sign Language. in a class called Slovenia II – Beginner. And Luka It wasn’t until I retired in 2010 that I became deter- offers two more levels after that. The CSU classes mined to learn the language of my family. After all, are $425 each and they each run for 15 weeks. The three branches of my ancestors originated with 25 Slovenian I class will probably be offered again this miles of each other in southern Slovenia, while the fall beginning in late August. Here is a link where you can get more info: https://class.csuohio.edu/ fourth was close by in Croatia. world-languages/continuing-education-ce-world-lanUltimately, it was a genealogy trip to Slovenia in guages-literatures-and-cultures. the spring of 2019 that motivated me to get serious about Slovenian. A little bit of self-study and thirty In the first 15 weeks of class, you can expect to learn formal lessons later, I can safely say that I can speak 8 verbs, a dozen adverbs, 20 adjectives, and 50 nouns. Slovenian like a 3-year-old. The language is rich, fun Grading is pass/fail. You’ll be required to sign-up for to learn, mentally challenging, and worth the effort. a special secure portal at CSU and download software 10 Zarja - The Dawn to your computer. Each week, Luka posts a PowerPoint lecture for students to watch, encouraging us to repeat words aloud as he says them. Students can download and print the presentation along with a new list of vocabulary words each week. The program also features a wonderful audio pronunciation guide that students can use at their leisure. Also included is an approved Slovenian/English dictionary. Each lesson also presents an extra feature: notes or videos about Slovenian culture. Using the software, students are required to submit an assignment each week. At the beginning, assignments take the form of a multiple-choice quiz (that can be taken over and over until you score 100%). After that, students are required to write sentences each week incorporating lessons learned. The final exam is open book and requires that students write a dialogue incorporating everything presented in all 15 lessons. I must admit that I invested at least 10 hours into completing each final exam and 5 hours each week in reviewing the lessons and completing the assignments. Luka always reminds his students to keep things simple. But I was determined to delve into the language and learn as much as I could. Plus, I have a friend in Slovenia who is an English translator and tutor. I’m fortunate that she’s willing to answer an occasional question. I like the online format, and I learned a lot. Luka is organized, methodical, laid back, funny, and enthusiastic. I discovered two challenges with online learning. I can’t get feedback on my pronunciation, and I can’t get some of my questions answered in real time, the way I could in an actual classroom setting. An extra bonus of enrolling in a university class is getting a scholarship to cover the tuition cost. To pay for the first class, I was able to secure a one-time scholarship from the Slovenian Genealogy Society. I paid the tuition up front, and once I passed the class, I was reimbursed. I rolled the money over to pay for the second class. Do students need a good grasp of grammar to be able to succeed at the class? I happen to take pride in my grammar skills. The nuns at my parochial grade school made sure of that. Good grammar skills will make the class a little easier, but they’re not essential. In fact, studying another language is a great way to improve Fall 2020 your grammar skills in English! Do students need to have studied another language in order to succeed at the study of Slovenian? I do feel that I have a little bit of an advantage having studied another language, if only because I’m not surprised or chagrined to learn that the rules are different from those of English. But, unless you’ve studied Russian or Polish or another language with Slavic roots, you’ll find that Slovenian bears no relationship to anything you’ve ever spoken in the past. So what have I learned studying Slovenian? I’ve learned to work hard, open my mind, and appreciate every improvement I make in learning to communicate with my Slovenian friends and family. I’m enjoying every minute of my studies. I hope you will, too! NewWelcome Members - Dobrodošli 001, Govek, Joshua 002, Campbell, Michael 003, Hornby, Nolan 003, Speier, Sedonia 005, Beliles, Linda 020, Cerovac, Alex 020, Jarman, Laura 030, Autio, Mark 030, Delmoe, Sarah 030, Godec, Charlene 030, Grohol, Karen 030, Hornby, Jillian 030, Howey, Robert 030, Prince-Hornby, Heather 030, Schneider, Cathy 043, Carroll, Marie Eveline 093, Steh, Helen 099, Ketter, Andrea 100, Evangelista, Sarah 100, Turnsek, Jernej 102, Trunkel, Tony J. 108, Pleskovic Kenda, Alexander 111, Celestina, Jonathan 111, Cugel, John 111, Krevh, Rachel 111, Preseren, Dylan 111, Zakelj, Jack 11 r u O Kuhel Cousin Joe By Staff Writer David Sodac Branch 89 Oglesby, IL bdsodac@gmail.com On the 21st of September 1933, first baseman Joe Kuhel was playing for the Washington Senators in their final game of the season against the St. Louis Browns. The Senators already had a 7½ game lead over the second-place New York Yankees. With a win, the Senators would become the American League Champions and reward their fans with the World Series. The game was tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the 7th inning; the Senators’ talented first baseman, Joe Kuhel, broke for home and sneaked a slide under the Browns’ second baseman Oscar Melillo’s relay throw to the plate resulting in the game’s winning run. The run scored by Kuhel gave the Senators the coveted American League pennant. Washington went on to play in the World Series against the New York Giants, losing the series 4 to 1. Joe Kuhel was a Slovenian-American professional baseball great who showcased his athletic talents during his Major League playing years spanning 1930-1947. Joe was a first baseman both for the Washington Senators and the Chicago White Sox and later held a short stint as manager for the Senators in 1948-49. There’s also a personal side to this 12 story. Much to my surprise, a sudden interest in Joe and his baseball career took root when I was notified of a DNA match with Joe Kuhel’s nephew, William Kuhel. It was because of Bob Kuhel, Branch 16 of South Chicago, that this article was written. Bob is our current SUA National Treasurer. Last fall, Bob sent an email expressing his appreciation for the article on NBA player, Luka Dončič. He encouraged me to research other Slovene-American sports figures throughout history, particularly current basketball player Goren Dragič, baseball’s Hall of Famer John Smoltz, and the Washington Senators/Chicago White Sox first baseman Joe Kuhel. Since I now know that there is a shared DNA connection with the Kuhel family, the decision to extensively research baseball’s Joe Kuhel was easy. I have emailed, chatted on the phone, and received loads of family and career information from Joe Kuhel’s family. Those family members included long conversations with his son, Joseph Jr., ongoing communications with his first cousins Bill and Barbara Kuhel, his second cousin Zarja - The Dawn Fr. Frank Godic, pastor of The Immaculate Conception Church in Cleveland, and his first cousin, Sr. Marie Ellen Kuhel OSU of the Catholic religious Order of St. Ursula. Sr. Marie Ellen is the daughter of Frank Kuhel, brother to Joe. It appears that my connection is most likely through Joe Kuhel’s mother, Agnes Blatnik. My maternal great-grandmother was Margarethe Blatnik who married Janez Nepomuk Banko. Joseph “Joe” Anthony Kuhel was born in Cleveland, Ohio on the 25th of June 1906. He was the fourth born of five sons to Slovenian immigrant parents, Karel “Charlie” Kuhelj of Vrhovo pri Žužemberk and Agnes Blatnik from Žvirče, Žužemberk, Slovenia. Charlie had arrived in America in 1896, and Agnes arrived in 1900. They married in 1901. The Kuhel family had faced numerous adversities through the years. Their second born son, Anthony, died in 1904. The brothers later had to cope with the death of both of their parents during the Spanish Influenza Pandemic. Their father, Charles, died of pneumonia complications in November 1918. Their mother, Agnes, would succumb less than a year later to cancer in August 1919. In addition to their parents, the brothers also lost two close uncles, Anton and Charles Kuhel, to the Spanish flu. During that emotional and traumatic year, Jack was 10, Joe was 12, Frank was 14, and Charlie Jr. was 17. The boys’ mother had left a will that specified that the care of her children be given to her brothers, John and Anton Blatnik, as well as the show wagon, a pig, and $500. The brothers were taken in by family members who were residing in Cleveland. Charles and Jack were raised by Joe Kotensek. Frank and Joe went to live with their cousin, Josephine (nee Kuhel), and her husband, Louis Cimperman. Despite all of life’s hardballs thrown to the boys, the Kuhel brothers did their best. Charles was a conductor with Cleveland Railway (trolley), Frank had a managerial career with the Otis Steel Company, and Joe became a professional baseball player and coach. Sadly, the youngest brother Jack “Jake” fell on hard times. Suffering from mental illness, he died at the age of 34. Current living family members interviewed for this article all agree that this family was remarkably strong. Fall 2020 Their parents always impressed upon their sons to respect and care for each other and those around them. They also were expected to work hard for their goals. After graduating 8th Grade, Joe Kuhel began working as a leather cutter while living with the Cimpermans. On weekends he played sandlot baseball with the Cleveland Chiropractic College team. Legendary Cleveland sandlot manager Doik Novario took note of the left-handed hitting Kuhel and recommended him to the Flint (MI) club of the Class B Michigan-Ontario League. At the age of 18, Joe Kuhel launched his professional career! He joined the Flint Vehicles at the tail end of the 1924 season and returned for the 1925 campaign batting .292 while driving in 63 runs. He was traded to various minor league teams for a few years and brought up to the Kansas City Blues in 1928. In his final year with the Blues, Joe helped his team win the American Association title in 1929. The Blues played for the International Junior World Series that year besting Rochester, New York in nine contested games. Kuhel led his team with 13 hits and batted .361. His talent caught the attention of the Washington Senators who offered him $65,000 to become their first baseman, the highest priced baseball player of those times to ever be purchased by the Senators. A year later, Joe would marry Willette (Billie) West on October 8, 1930 in Kansas City. Their only child, Joseph Anthony Jr. was born in July 1937 while his dad was showcasing his skills with the Senators. Kuhel helped the Senators to have seven of their best seasons during his stay. In 1940, Joe Sr., who was reportedly coveted by the Chicago White Sox coaching staff, was traded to the White Sox. His family including his wife, mother-in-law, and son relocated to the Windy City. They all lived in a large apartment building across from the Museum of Science and Industry. He had some record-setting stretches during his four years with the Chisox but was traded back to the Washington Senators who needed a solid replacement for Mickey Vernon. Vernon had been called to military duty during WWII. When Vernon returned to the club for the 1946 season, Kuhel was released. The White Sox picked him up to finish the season. It would be his last full season 13 in the majors. Kuhel was hired by the Chisox to manage their Class C team, the Hot Spring, Arkansas Bathers. Following his first managing stint, the Washington Senators hired him as their manager for the 1948 and 1949 seasons. In 1950, Joe would go full circle returning to Kansas City when the New York Yankees hired Joe to manage their AAA Farm Team, the KC Blues. Joe and Willette would remain in Kansas City for the remainder of their days. Joe Kuhel in 1935 as a Washington Senator player. Frequently referred to by the press as a “magician” while playing his fielder position, Joe Kuhel was an actual licensed member of the American Society of Magicians. He would occasionally display his magic talent to unsuspecting coaches during games by pulling flowers out of their ears or stealing an umpire’s cap and making it disappear. Often, when a kid would ask him for his autograph, he’d magically pull a pencil out from the astonished kid’s ear to sign his autograph. In his playing days, he’d show off his defensive magic by surprising the runner by pulling off his perfected hidden ball trick for an out. When Joe was in his first year as the Senators’ manager, the press editorialized that he had inherited such a weak team they wondered how he would use his magic tricks to help them have a successful season. During that 1949 season, he magically pulled out the unexpected nine rabbits from his hat to have his team record nine straight wins. He truly was a magician both on and off the field. His career statistics, as published on a 1961 Fleer Baseball card, stated the following: Joseph Anthony Kuhel (June 25, 1906 - February 26, 1984) played first base for 18 seasons with the Washington Senators (1930-1937, 1944-1946) and the Chicago White Sox (1938-1943, 1946-1947)... His skill at the plate was only surpassed by his abilities in the field, posting a .992 fielding percentage with 19,386 putouts in 20,722 chances and 1,163 assists. Joe Kuhel finished his career with 2,212 hits including 412 doubles, 111 triples and 131 home runs, added 1,236 runs and 1,049 RBI and posted a .277 career batting average. 1945 Washington Senators Baseball card. 1948 Washington Senator team autographed baseball with Kuhel’s in center. 14 However, it wasn’t Joe’s impressive stats that he bragged about to his son. Joe Kuhel Jr. shared that his father’s proudest moment was the time in 1946 when he was chosen to represent the American League players at a series of unprecedented collective bargaining sessions with all the team owners. New York Yankee’s Johnny Murphy, Cleveland Indians’ Mel Harder, and Chicago White Sox’s Joe Kuhel were selected to represent the American League. The National League were represented by St. Louis Cardinals’ Marty Marion, Boston Braves’ Billy Herman, and Brooklyn Dodgers’ Dixie Walker. The outcome of the negotiations resulted in changes to the standard labor contract. Up to this point, the contract had been pretty much dictated by the owners. The players did not make major gains with the owners as they had hoped, but they did gain some concessions. Among them were the negotiation of wages, conditions of employment, and a promise by the owners to create a pension plan. The inclusion of a pension plan became the inaugural professional sports pension for any sports team in America. Joe Jr. expressed a great respect and love for his father as did the communities in which his father lived. Joe Jr. described his father as soft-spoken, unselfish, and humble with quite the knack for being a good storyteller. His dad was recognized everywhere they went. Even after retirement from professional ball, Joe was always asked to speak to groups somewhere. It impacted Joe Jr. as well because anywhere he went people would point out, “Hey, that’s Zarja - The Dawn Joe’s kid over there!” His father had an immense love of baseball, and he would share memorable stories about each game with his son, not stories about himself but stories about other players. Joe Jr. recalled being delighted with stories about Mickey Mantle, Casey Stengel, and Babe Ruth. He was truly a humble man. During the eighteen seasons his dad was playing professional baseball, the family stayed close-knit wherever they relocated be it Washington, DC, Chicago, or Kansas City. His father had also kept close to his Cleveland roots and was very proud of his family there. He was a sports hero to the Cleveland residents. Joe Kuhel Jr. was encouraged to play professional baseball by his father and signed a contract with the White Sox in the spring of 1958. He played minor league ball for one season but chose to return to the University of Missouri and finish playing college ball with his team. Sister Marie Ellen Kuhel, the daughter of Joe Kuhel’s brother, Frank, talked about her memories as a child going to the Cleveland Indian’s Ballpark on “Joe Kuhel Day” in May of 1948 with her father [see photo]. It was Joe’s first return to Marie Ellen Kuhel with her father C l e v e l a n d , Frank and Uncle Joe on “Joe Kuhel Ohio as the Day” at Cleveland Indians Baseball manager of Park in 1948. the Washington Senators. A pre-game presentation was planned that recognized the Cleveland native as the first person to become a manager in the big leagues from the area. He received an engraved watch at home plate. Sr. Marie Ellen chuckled as she shared that actually her father, Frank, was known as the better baseball player, but that he already had a great career going for him as a supervisor with the Otis Steel Company. Joe Kuhel passed way after a long illness on February 26, 1984. Shortly afterwards, noted sports editor Shirley Povich, of the Washington Post newspaper, wrote about Joe’s passing: “It said in the papers the other day that Joe Kuhel died at 77, and that was a sadness. In his playing days, there wasn’t a better first baseman in the American League. Fall 2020 Wi t h ev ery flick of his glove, somebody was out. Around the bag, he had no peers. On bunts, he was a gazelle. In those days, they didn’t use the word “super.” But it would have fit Joe Kuhel Senator’s Manager Joe Kuhel with in the 1930s.” President Truman throwing out the first Joe is buried game ball of the season. in Forest Hill Cemetery in Kansas City. His grave is near those of two outstanding baseball players, Satchel Paige and Buck O’Neil. Back to the side-line story of Bob Kuhel and myself with the results of our quests in finding our connection with this wonderful family. Obviously, Bob would seemingly have the best shot at being related to baseball’s Joe Kuhel as he shares the same family name. Bob’s uncles and cousins, believing they were related, had collected Kuhel memorabilia during his playing years. Bob’s parents even had Joe over to visit when he played for the White Sox. Many of their extended family in the Chicago area would try to sit together and cheer at Joe’s games. Growing up, our SUA Bob shared that he had an unforgettable opportunity to play catch with baseball Joe in the family’s front yard. Why not? They were family! On the other hand, David Sodac had never even heard of Joe Kuhel’s name! However, two years ago, an Ancestry DNA match surfaced on my website suggesting a 4th cousin relationship with a “WK”. WK’s family tree was listed as private, so I messaged the contact listed to access his tree to find the family connection. As it turned out, the response came quickly from Bob Kuhel sharing that he is managing the account for WK who was actually William Kuhel who lives in Cleveland. William Kuhel is the son of baseball Joe’s oldest brother, Charles. Bob had been talking with William about his possible blood connection to their family. He had even driven to Cleveland to meet William and his wife to take William’s DNA test. They awaited the results that would cement their DNA connection. As fate would have it, Bob Kuhel’s DNA hasn’t yet matched with baseball Joe Kuhel’s family, but mine did! Learning the results of the DNA results was heart-breaking to the Chicago Kuhels. All of Bob’s relatives simply could not believe the DNA results, and they will always believe their connection can be proved along the ancestral line somewhere. Their quest will continue. 15 Finding Andrej Jakin - Mary Lou Egan A visit to my grandpa and grandma’s neighborhood in Globeville, Colorado was a journey to another world. Their neighbors on Sherman Street were White Russians, Poles, Slovenes, Volga Germans, Bohemians, Serbs, and Swedes who brought their old country religion, traditions, and language with them and used them. There were ethnic groceries, bakeries, and taverns, and two midwives who served either Protestant (Emma Riesbick) or Catholic (Margaret Gugger) ladies. Weddings, dances, and union meetings took place in the Croatian Lodge, the Polish Hall, or the Home of the Slovenian Societies. Grandpa and Grandma, Andy and Ida Jackson, lived in a small house that stood in the shadow of Denver’s I-70, with its constant traffic, noise, vibration, and dirt. Factories, foundries, and railroad tracks surrounded their Globeville community. Nearby meatpacking plants provided both jobs and a stench that would keep residents indoors, even during the summer. But their tiny back yard was an oasis in this gritty, industrial environment. There were cherry, pear, and peach trees and grape vines that wound along a fence. Raspberry bushes and strawberry plants stood in tidy sections, and beans, 16 peas, and cucumbers climbed hand-made trellises. Phlox, dahlias, roses, and geraniums flourished, as did the exotic hydrangeas and oleanders that grandpa carefully coaxed in Colorado’s arid climate. I treasured the unique place I occupied in grandpa’s and grandma’s eyes. Tucked in the chair cushions next to grandma, I learned to read from a woman who only went to the third grade. Making potica, kraut bierocks, or Swedish spritz cookies with grandma was a glorious daylong event. My grandpa was well known in Globeville. Andy Jackson was on the church committee at Holy Rosary Parish and active in the Western Slavonic Lodge and the Knights of Columbus. But to me, a chubby preteen with horrible skin, he was my champion. “You’re such a pretty girl,” or “You’re going to be a cheerleader,” he’d say. His eyes lit up when I’d visit his grocery store, and I felt special. My grandpa said he was from Austria. (In the 1950s, people were wary of Communist countries like Yugoslavia. Slovenia wasn’t a region most folks understood.) He would talk about the vineyards, orchards, and olive groves and how he could see the Adriatic Sea from his village. He Zarja - The Dawn reminisced about the market in Gorica but shared no stories about his family. When names like Koršič, Grabrian, and Kumar were mentioned, it never occurred to me to ask who they were. Neither did I know how my grandpa and grandma met. He was outgoing, and she was shy; he loved to dance, and she didn’t; he was an immigrant, and she had been born in the U.S. He was twenty-five, and she was sixteen years old when they married in 1907. My grandpa died in 1961, my grandma in 1967, and their special world seemed to evaporate. There were six children in the Jackson family with twentytwo years of difference in their ages. My mother, June, was the youngest. There were numerous photos scattered among those siblings, as well as contrasting memories and conflicting accounts of events. Grandpa’s mother was named Katarina, or was it Karolina? Grandpa was close to his brother Charley, who married a Koršič lady and moved to Argentina. Or was it Philadelphia? As the uncles and aunts passed on, photos were divided among grandchildren and cousins. My small collection of memorabilia fit in a cigar box: postcards from the old country dating from 1902 to 1906; receipts for money grandpa wired to his family; photos; and letters dated 1948, ’49, and ’51 written in Slovenian. At weddings, funerals, and reunions, family members compared their contrasting memories. The one fact we could agree on was that we knew very little about my grandpa and grandma. Perhaps a Connection In 2009, my husband, Russ, and I began attending my grandpa’s church, Holy Rosary in Globeville. There, we met Julie Von Lintel and Teresa Dreiling, two sisters whose maiden name was Korsich. (There are several spellings of the family name: Koršič, Korsich, and Korsick). Julie and Teresa understood that their grandpa, Leopold Koršič, and my grandpa were good friends in the old country and, perhaps, brothers-in-law. After each Mass on Sunday, we talked about traveling to the old country and searching for our family connections. But jobs, health, and family obligations kept us occupied. Visiting Slovenia remained a dream. Over the years, our Jackson family had lost any connection with relatives in Slovenia, but Julie and Teresa had kept in touch with cousins Petra Koršič and Anja Koršič Mravlje. Our discussions about a journey to Slovenia led Julie and Teresa to renew contact with their cousins, and the dream began to seem more real. By coordinating with Koršič relatives, we finally were able to schedule a trip in July 2019. For Julie and Teresa, this visit would be a renewal of their familial relationship; for Russ and me, it was an opportunity to find my Slovenian roots. Preparations Before we left, we assembled as much information as we could about our families. We met with my cousin Ginny Steele, a historian and museum curator, who had been researching the Jackson family’s heritage for quite some time. Here’s what she told us: Grandpa’s Slovenian name was Andrej Jakin, [pronounced Yah-keen] sometimes spelled Jackin or Yekin in America. It appears that there were eight or nine children in Grandpa’s family, and he was one of the youngest. Leopold Koršič and Andrej Jakin were both from Gornje Cerovo (Upper Cerovo), a Slovenian hamlet on the border with Italy, and arrived in the industrial town of Globeville in 1902. Fall 2020 17 We also studied a Koršič family history assembled by Bud Koršič, an uncle of Julie and Teresa’s. Included was a wedding photo of Julie and Teresa’s grandparents, Leopold and Teresa Koršič, showing my grandpa and grandma as best man and matron of honor. But nowhere in the document was there a blood relationship between the Koršičs and Jakins. We made our travel arrangements, and Julie and Teresa’s Slovenian cousins, Petra and Anja, agreed to meet us in Ljubljana for several days. They delayed their vacation in Croatia, which was most generous (since they had already booked their trip) and crucial (because they speak English). We arrived in Ljubljana on Saturday at 11:00 pm and received a text from Petra and Anja that they were taking us to Mass on Sunday. They would pick us up at 7:30 am. Andy and Ida Jackson, at left, served as best man and matron of honor at the wedding of Leopold and Teresa Koršič, about 1907. Promptly, Petra and Anja arrived in a seven-passenger Toyota and began the drive from Ljubljana to Gornje Cerovo, a distance of about 60 miles. Clusters of red tile roofs and church spires nestled in dense forests. As we gained elevation, the countryside gave way to a Mediterranean landscape of terraced vineyards, orchards, and palm trees. We arrived at St. Nicholas Church in Gornje Cerovo for an annual memorial Mass for a cousin, Neva, who died in 1995, and there were many relatives there. of hydrangeas and oleanders bordered their house, and geraniums graced the sill in front of lace curtains. There was an aroma of strong coffee. “Sit – let me get you something.” I was nearly giddy to be in my grandpa’s village and attend Mass in St. Nicholas Church, where he was baptized and received his sacraments. I savored the voices of the choir singing Slovenian hymns and the robust homily delivered by the Jesuit pastor. Was grandpa’s love of church born here? St. Nicholas Church occupies the top of a hill, and its architecture reflects several periods of influence. A plaque near the entrance indicates that the simple Gothic building was constructed about 1754. The inside, however, features two Baroque-style side altars with marble columns and Venetian-style paintings. After Mass, we were introduced as family visiting from Colorado and talked for quite a while. An elderly couple, Aristeja and Alphonz Prinčič (called Teja and Fonze), motioned us to their home next to the church. Hedges 18 St. Nicholas Church. Photo courtesy of Dejan Valetinčič. Zarja - The Dawn Teja and Fonze knew Julie and Teresa but didn’t know Russ or me, so I showed them my “credentials” - my collection of postcards, receipts, photos, and letters in Slovenian. families were driven away. She pointed out the building that once housed the town’s water supply, destroyed by the Germans. Petra drove us through the small settlements in the hilly area, where stone or stucco houses hugged the edge of the street. Window boxes of geraniums and lush gardens adorned many homes. Roads ran everywhere, constructed by opposing armies during the world wars, and each town had a monument to commemorate Slovenes lost in both conflicts. The following Sunday, we returned to Gornje Cerovo and met with Teja and Fonze after Mass. They treated us to a sumptuous meal and brought out volumes of photos. Petra and Anja were enjoying their vacation in Croatia, so we pressed our driver, Ziga, to translate, and he good-naturedly became the go-between for the four of us and several family members. Julie and Teresa, Russ and I snapped photos of pictures in the albums, while scribbling notes and names. I was thrilled to see that we had many of the same family photos. Who were they? Who are we? Aristeja and Alphonz Prinčič. The older couple brightened up. “Ah, Jakins lived over there.” Teja and Fonze were in their nineties and knew a lot about the family connections in the area but didn’t speak English. Cousin Petra was busy translating but finally said we should leave since her parents were expecting us for lunch. Teja and Fonze extended an invitation. “Come back next Sunday - we’ll make you a meal and bring out our photos.” We were thrilled. Several houses away, Petra and Anja’s parents, Davoren and Božica Koršič, welcomed us all. Their home overlooked orchards and terraced vineyards, and the Adriatic Sea sparkled on the horizon. Davoren and Božica were acquainted with Julie and Teresa and understood that Russ and I were somehow related. No matter. “Sit. Eat.” There were glasses of red and white wine from their vineyards, a salad of tomatoes, spinach, vinegar and oil, and mozzarella that Božica had made, chicken soup, peaches and apricots from the orchard, The photo of Alojiza with her children and grandchildren is freshly-made sausage, and a dessert pastry with cherries. featured on the “history” page of the Gostilna Koršič’s website. This same picture, circa 1920, was in Teja and Fonze’s home and in Alojiza’s letter to my grandpa. We then walked with Petra and Anja around Gornje Cerovo and toured the cemetery, which seemed small. Petra explained that there were many more graves, but Left to right, front row: Vane, Grandpa’s sister Alojiza, Loiza, when the village was shelled during the Great War, many Louisa, and Fonze. Back row, standing: Karlo and Remigij. Fall 2020 19 Then, their English-speaking grandson Luka dropped by. I showed him the letters to my grandpa, written in Slovenian, from 1948, 1949 and 1951. The handwriting was a bit difficult to make out, but Luka carefully discerned the messages. The letters had been sent from Števerjan, a nearby town that is in Italy now, and were from Grandpa’s sister Alojiza, married to a Koršič fellow. And there was the Jakin-Koršič connection I was looking for! “Ljubi Brat Dreja, Dearest brother Dreja [an affectionate term for Andrej]. Thank God we received your letter – we were so happy!” Alojiza writes about family members lost in World War II and describes how they have to cross a border each day to work their fields. “I am not in the best of health because of the war. Dreja, I’m telling you that we are now the last of this family.” She continued with information about remaining family members and promised to write more often. immediate family, with her children and grandchildren. (The same pictures were in Teja and Fonze’s home). It was the end of the correspondence but not the end of the story. When the Germans burned the family’s home in Gornje Cerovo, the family fled to nearby Števerjan. The remaining family members survived the Germans and then the Communists. They now own their vineyards, orchards, and the Osteria-Gostilna Koršič in Števerjan. http://www. korsic.it/ A letter from 1949 consists of updates on family members, as well as talk about weather and crops. Alojiza’s final letter is dated 1951 and contains a photo of a large family gathering, with each person named, described, and numbered. Another photo from the 1920s shows her Out side of the cemetery in Gornje Cerovo. Left to right: Teresa Korsick Dreiling, Julie Korsick Von Lintel, Anja Koršič Mravlje, Petra Koršič, and Mary Lou Egan. 20 Zarja - The Dawn The beauty of Slovenia awed us at every turn, as did the graciousness and resilience of the Slovene people. Why would anyone leave? Andrej Jakin and Leopold Koršič had good reason to seek a new land in 1902. They had just turned twenty-one years old and were subject to military conscription. The wars and the whims of politics caused my Jackson family to lose its connection to relatives and their Slovenian homeland. Somehow the Koršič family was able to maintain that delicate tether to the old country. Andrej and Leopold sank deep roots in their new land and built families who continue to thrive over a century later. I am so glad that grandpa came to the industrial town of Globeville and grateful that we rekindled our Slovenian family ties. Mary Lou Egan is a Colorado historian and author who is currently working on a history of the Globeville neighborhood in Denver and maintains a blog with stories from the community: http://globevillestory.blogspot.com/ Mary Lou is a member of the Denver Women’s Press Club, Holy Rosary Parish, the Western Slavonic Association, and Slovenian Union of America - Branch 3. A Ceremony Rescheduled Slovenian and Croatian immigrants in Denver, as well as Slavic communities in Pueblo and Leadville, painstakingly raised the funds to build a church of their own and looked forward to the dedication ceremony planned for Sunday, April 18, 1920. The Preseren Glee Club from Pueblo was to sing the Mass; several Slovenian societies, as well as the Knights of St. John and clergy from both Colorado and Wyoming, were expected. But on Friday, April 16, snow began to fall steadily across Colorado and reached a depth of nineteen inches by Saturday afternoon. Trains and streetcars were unable to run, and so the ceremony was postponed until July 4, 1920. During the last century, Holy Rosary has nourished the faith of its congregation and the Globeville neighborhood. The parish was set to commemorate this milestone on Sunday July 12, 2020, but a storm of a different sort has caused the centennial event to be rescheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2020. For further updates, please visit these links: Website: www.holyrosarydenver.com Facebook page: http://www.facebook. com/HolyRosaryChurchDenver/ Fall 2020 21 Slovenian Union of America Across America - Branch Reports BRANCH 1 - Sheboygan, Wisconsin Contact information: Mary Ann Schellinger 920.457.7946/rhmas@yahoo.com With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, the scheduled activities of Branch 1 during that time had to be cancelled. As the seasons of spring and summer have now passed, we are approaching the fall of the year. Rather than looking back to see what we have missed, we must strive to look ahead to see how blessed we are. We have our family and friends, we have our homes and our health, and we have our wonderful Slovenian heritage which can never be taken away from us. The LOVE that we have is always in our hearts, and though we may still not be able to physically extend our arms and share a hug, we can share a smile with all those around us and say “Peace Be with You” and “We Are Proud to Be Slovenian.” MARY ANN SCHELLINGER BRANCH 3 - Pueblo, Colorado Contact Information: 719.569.7125/amtcharron@gmail.com On Sunday, February 16, Branch 3 sponsored a Slovenian Heritage Mixer to provide individuals an opportunity to share their family stories and memorialize their Slovenian heritage. The goal of the mixer was to promote intergener22 ational conversations that would help document Pueblo’s rich Slovenian history. Krofe and beverages were served in St. Mary’s church hall. The event was a success with over 20 people in attendance, most of whom are not SUA members. More mixers are planned in the future. We hope that you all are healthy and successfully dealing with the challenges of the pandemic! Pueblo has not been a hot spot for the coronavirus. Because of the “safer at home” guidelines enacted in Colorado, Branch 3 has not had any meetings or luncheons since early March. We try to stay connected by phone and are hoping that we will be able to resume some activities in the fall. ANNETTE SABO CHARRON & BARBARA KARLINGER BRANCH 5 - Indianapolis, Indiana Greetings to all Branch 5 Members! Hope this finds you all safe, healthy and reasonably sane! As I am writing this, it is “Qday 125” for us, and we have started to venture out slowly. It was harder than I expected to stay home, and that was because the choice was out of our hands. Quarantine definitely plays mind games on us; memory is vague and the biggest decision is whether to sit on the front yard porch or the backyard swing! We accomplished the most important tasks, though, by just following the guidelines and staying safe. Pray every day for the courageous medical personnel, first responders, and essential workers who worked 24/7, and for a vaccine to keep all of us healthy. Great News! Slovenian wines are now available in the Indianapolis area! Mass Ave Wines and Big Red Liquors are carrying a selection of wines from Vinska klet Goriska Brda. “Fritzz” is a light refreshing white wine with elderflower and lime. “Krasno” has a variety of reds and whites, including a wonderful Rebula. “Avia” is a great choice for light, fruity whites and sweet, dry reds. Ask to see the many flavors of Slovenian wines when you shop! Thank You to Mary Lou Voelk who sent out graduation recognition certificates to Slovenian youth this year. I know it was because of their school year being cut short, but it was such a nice gesture from SUA that I hope it continues for many years. Keep all of our children in your prayers as they return to start a new school year with many chal- Zarja - The Dawn Graduation Congratulations to Branch 5 Member Renae Friesenhahn !! Renae lives in Austin, Texas and will attend San Juan Diego Catholic High School in the fall!! Best of Luck , Renae! lenges facing them. The Slovenian National Home has reopened after thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing the bar, kitchen, and rooms. Check the Nash website for Friday and Saturday hours, food availability, and status of future events. The Nash is located in Indianapolis, so it has to follow the pandemic rules set by the Mayor and may have different mask usage requirements and closure times than where you live. Thank you to all the volunteers who keep the Nash running: the cooks, cleaners, bartenders, and music makers. Come down and enjoy the Slovenian gathering spot in Indy!! Keeping you all in our thoughts and prayers ❤️ MARY, KAREN & PHYLLIS BRANCH 20 - Joliet, Illinois Contact Information: Georgene Agnich 773.205.1326/jamesschaible1469@att.net We extend our sympathy to the family of member Betty Scholp, who passed away on June 6, 2020. Branch 20 has cancelled its September through December meetings and activities because of the coronavirus pandemic, but we plan to hold our annual Fall Raffle by mailing raffle tickets and a newsletter to our members in late August or early September. We hope to resume meet- Fall 2020 Branch 5 Member Marija Watson Stoelting welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Everett Arthur Stoelting, on February 21, 2020! Proud grandpa, Jerry Watson, is holding a happy Everett! Congratulations! ings in January 2021 if conditions are favorable, and we will post information in the Joliet newspaper, St. Joseph Church bulletin, and SUA’s Facebook page. We will also telephone those members who don’t have computers. Vandals destroyed the two informational plaques near the Mary Setina historical marker outside SUA’s home office in late March. Georgene Agnich filed a police report and is working with the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor to get the plaques replaced. SUA’s home office survived the severe storm that swept through downtown Joliet on Saturday, May 23, but the rectory of St. Joseph Church, parish of most of Branch 20’s members over the years, was not so fortunate. One of two large old trees was blown down by the tornadic winds, damaging the roof of the rectory. The second tree had withstood the winds, but because the first tree was hollow and the trees were the same age, the second tree was cut down and also found to be hollow. The rectory has been repaired, but it will take many years to restore the beauty and shade the two great trees had provided. Stores and businesses on the west side of Joliet suffered extensive damage during the riots that broke out across America in late May, but our SUA home office and the rest of downtown Joliet were saved from harm by quick police action. Members typically volunteer at and attend St. Joseph Church’s annual Homecoming Fair in June, but the fair 23 and all the other church and civic picnics usually held at beautiful St. Joseph Park were cancelled because of the pandemic. St. Joseph’s has resumed in-church Masses, but parishioners must schedule the Mass they wish to attend and then observe health precautions when they arrive. The church also offers a Saturday and a Sunday Mass outdoors at the grotto in St. Joseph Cemetery, again with health precautions in place. The special “Baraga Days”, scheduled for September 19 in Joliet and September 20 in Lemont, will become a virtual celebration rather than an in-person event because so many important participants from Slovenia, Canada, and America refuse to travel during the pandemic. We wish all our fellow SUA members well and look forward to a return to happier days. GEORGENE AGNICH BRANCH 23 - Ely, Minnesota Heard there is a new name for Covid 19. It is Covid 15! They say that the average person will gain 15 lbs. during the pandemic. We look for comfort food and drinks. So hence we cook, bake, drink, and eat a lot more. I have been trying recipes I’ve wanted to try for a long time. And gaining pounds!! Because of having to cancel our Taste of Slovenia, I am letting you know we do 24 have our cookbooks for sale. They sell for $10 each plus $5 for shipping and handling. Money can be sent to the following: Mary Ann Lekatz, P. O. Box 671, Ely, MN 55731. She will mail them to you as soon as she receives your payment. Also, they can be purchased at Bloomers Gift and Floral here in Ely. Not being able to have Taste of Slovenia has really hurt our fundraising this year. Hopefully, we will be able to have it next year. The virus has caused a lot of problems in our world today. Our Branch 23 has not been able to have meetings, so we are at a standstill. I’m sure many of the other branches are in the same situation. I miss seeing everyone. No noodle making to sell at Taste of Slovenia. We always worked hard to be able to sell around 100 bags of them. I did make my own for the first time. Had to call our President Pat Koski to get recipe and to cut it down to a smaller batch. It is quite a job to do it alone, and I do not have machines or attachments. My husband had to help me roll out the dough. I had noodles drying all over my dining room table. I did get it done and now have noodles for soup again. When we do it for Taste of Slovenia we each have a job to do and work as a team. Professor Klemenc never made it to Ely to present his program on his book about Ely Slovenians. He has been in touch with Pat Koski and is trying to get here. Don’t foresee that happening any time soon since borders are closed. Hopefully when it is safe to travel again, he will be able to come. I understand he has his ticket already when he can come. I imagine by this time many of you have grown and harvested your gardens. In Ely, I remember all the Slovenians had BIG gardens. My dad and grandpa were some of them. They even bred their own tomatoes. I remember my mom picking the seeds out of the tomatoes and drying them for the next year. I remember having endive in the fall. We called it “tickle lettuce”. Most people canned their produce, and many still do. Canning in the fall was a big job, but it provided for families thru the winter months. Many also canned wild meat and fish. I have two greenhouses for vegetables, but I do not can. I freeze a lot of my produce. Hopefully, you are all in good health and staying safe. Ostanimo zdravi. P.S. Wear your mask! CHOTSIE HARRI Zarja - The Dawn BRANCH 24 - LaSalle, Illinois Zivijo! Branch 24 plans to have an outdoor meeting next week following all the guidelines for Phase 4 as mandated by the Illinois governor. Wear a mask, socially distance, and bring your own chair and beverage. For some of us, this may be our first time venturing out from the safety of our homes. It will be difficult to make plans for future meetings or events due to the current virus situation. I have seen events as far out as January 2021 being cancelled. During this pandemic, I have walked with fellow Branch 24 member, Lois Hollerich. We socially distance while walking; she is on the street, and I am on the sidewalk. We’ve varied where we walk; my neighborhood has no shade trees but hers has many. One day we walked to member Linda Struna’s house. Linda sat in her house by the front door, and Lois and I sat on her front steps. That hour of socializing was a boon to our mental health. I also like to walk through St. Vincent’s Cemetery, again shade trees in the summer, and have bumped into two other members, Loretta Story and Jackie Assalley. They have family members buried in the cemetery. This is the cemetery where our Roadside Chapel is located. I had suggested to our priest of the LaSalle Catholic Parishes, who says the Rosary online daily, that our chapel would be a perfect backdrop for his video. Well, this week he made Branch 24 members very happy. Most of the comments were on the beauty of the chapel and what an honor to Marija Pomagj. Got on my bike one day and ended up visiting with another member, Delores Spelich. We socially distanced on a swing in her beautiful, shady backyard. She has a fantastic memory and interesting stories, especially about the neighborhood opossums. Also, many Slovenians settled in LaSalle on her block, and when they got together to “bellyache” about things, the neighborhood was referred to as the “yamicz”. Is this familiar to anyone else? It is with sadness that we report the death of Jack Wlodarchak, husband of our member, Pat. He passed away on May 30. Jack served our country in the Marine Corps, serving tours in Vietnam from 1965-69. He is survived by his wife, Pat, and a stepdaughter and two step grandchildren. May he rest in peace. DIANE DATA BRANCH 43 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin Contact Person: Jan Gehm 414.858.0861 The fourth of July has come and gone, and it was certainly a different type of celebration than in past years: no barbecues, no public picnics, no parades, and masks were in style! Our August get-together at Triglav Park has been cancelled, and the annual Vinska Trgatev picnic also has been cancelled due to the pandemic. Hopefully, things will get back to normal soon, as everything is uncertain at this time. It is with a very sad heart that we inform you of the deaths of three active members of our branch. Helen Prijic passed Fall 2020 away on May 14 at the age of 91. She was a loyal member who attended our meetings and social events whenever it was possible. Condolences are sent to her son, Mark, and the entire family. Sincere sympathy is extended to Lenny Baraga’s daughter Kathi and two sons, Michael and Thomas, on the loss of their father who died on June 1 at the age of 90. Lenny was an active member at our meetings and often shared his culinary talents with the members. He was very proud to have been able to be on the Honor Flight and shared his experience with our branch. We certainly will miss all of the profound remarks that Karen Janezic spoke, as well as her cooking expertise and sharing the office of Sergeant at Arms. Karen died suddenly on June 30 at the young age of 74 in her home. She is survived by her sister, Joan Winkleski, who is one of our auditors. Please keep these three members in your prayers. May they rest in peace. As of this writing we are all in the same boat. Hopefully, we are staying home and thereby staying safe and healthy. Lep pozdrav! MICI BREGANT BRANCH 93 - New York, New York Contact Information: Kathleen Simmonds 917.780.9412/kathleensimmo@gmail.com Like many of the other branches, we have moved our community to a virtual environment - but we’ve been busy! Eva Petric was part of the Goden music project, Beyond Darkness, by Stephen Flam. It is the spiritual successor to Winter, a band that has been heavily influential and highly revered in the metal underground since their inception and treasured demos. Eva Petric is a talented artist from Slovenia based in Vienna and New York City, who has exhibited in churches and worked with the UN in NYC. NYC-based septet Slavo Rican Assembly released their latest single, “Što te nema” – a cosmic, intergalactic ride inspired by a Bosnian folk song, Afro-Caribbean futurism, and the Yugoslavian Space Program. With musicians from Slovenia, Puerto Rico, Serbia, and Cuba, Slavo Rican Assembly uses the international vocabulary of jazz as a springboard to delve deep into the sounds of their own musical roots – bomba, salsa and rumba bump up against Slovenian harvest songs, Bosnian lullabies, Serbian laments, Balkan brass, and other melancholic South Slavic sounds in a musical sofrito that’s 100% New York. “Što te nema” was recorded at Studio 42 in Brooklyn last year and boasts a brand new Latin Caribbean arrangement of a traditional Bosnian sevdalinka - a kind of Bosnian blues. The song’s title translates as “Why Are You Gone?” The Conspiracy Theorists is an original new web series in the time of Covid-19. Episodes will be released fortnightly starring a member of our Slovenian community, Kathleen Simmonds. Meet the Conspiracy Theorists group, “People Uncovering Subterfuge,” a ragtag band of followers who yearn for an outlet to vent in a world that sometimes makes 25 no frickin’ sense. Follow at www.brainfireentertainment. com and @brainfireentertainment on Instagram. More on the arts front, we would like to formally congratulate our member Allyn Howey for winning the SUA Slovenian Literary Award for her poem, “The Necklace.” Allyn’s great-grandmother immigrated to the States from her hometown of Ptuj, Slovenia. At 10 years old, Allyn was lucky enough to travel to Slovenia with her grandparents and tour the gorgeous countryside, sightseeing, visiting cousins, and being fed like royalty. While her grandparents were living, they instilled in Allyn a sense of pride and passion for Slovenian culture, food, and polka. Though they have been gone for a long time, Allyn strives to keep their legacies alive in her life and poetry. Congratulations Allyn! Are you interested in learning Slovene? Our highly successful Slovene Conversation Online is a perfect quarantine activity for beginning students. If you are interested please reach out to Stephanie Owens, Branch President, and declare interest on this form: https://bit.ly/2OyfR8C. We would like to send all of our branch members, and the Slovenian Union of America generally, love and best wishes during this tough time. We know it must be incredibly difficult for those of you who are not able to travel back to Slovenia. Separation from loved ones and uncertainty for the future is harrowing. We want you to know that we are here to support you. If we can do anything at all, please contact our president, Stephanie Owens, or our reporter, Kathleen Simmonds. KATHLEEN SIMMONDS of Slovenian Statehood in 2021. Our Slovenian language class for adults has been able to continue meeting online each month with our teacher in BRANCH 109 - Twin Cities (TC) of Minnesota Contact Information: Elaine Barthelemy elaineab@yahoo.com Although my last report listed many canceled events, I am pleased to report that many things are still happening with our Twin Cities Slovenians branch. Fortunately, we have some “techie” members who are able to keep us connected in new ways that are necessary in these uncertain times. Hvala to our Membership Secretary, Jean Podominick, for volunteering to take on a new role, that of compiling and publishing a monthly newsletter, The Twin Cities Slovenian, full of news from our branch, stories about our members, and interesting information about Slovenian culture and language. Jean also includes beautiful photos and even the occasional contest. Instead of the annual celebration of Slovenian Statehood Day on June 25, Consul General Mrs. Alenka Jerak in Cleveland, Ohio produced a virtual celebration which included greetings from Slovenians around the world and across the US, including our own Miro Medved, Honorary Consul General, and Mike Koski, President of Twin Cities Branch 109. Beautiful videos of Slovenia along with clips of singing and dancing made this viewer proud and allowed us all to participate remotely. We hope to be able to celebrate together in person for the thirtieth anniversary Pehtranova (tarragon) potica baked by member Lizette Miller while “sheltering in place.” 26 Slovenia. We begin each class with COVID-19 updates from each country and find it interesting to see how much more successful Slovenia has been in controlling the virus. Our instructor works in health care in Slovenia and one of our Twin Cities students is an infectious disease physician. These ladies enjoyed the potica at a Skull (Skulj) family baby shower in Racine, Wisconsin. Zarja - The Dawn The language class is a refreshing break for him from the stress he faces every day at work. Our class is a great way to stay in touch with Slovenia and with each other as we improve our language skills. Our teacher makes sure that each person has the opportunity to participate and to ask questions. Again this year, Rick Pisa has led the way for our annual calendar fundraiser. Twin Cities Slovenians members and friends submitted photos showing the beautiful scenery and culture in Slovenia, and the best were chosen. The 2021 monthly calendar lists both Slovenian and U.S. holidays. Because starting this year the calendar will be distributed by mail, readers of this report will be able to order calendars for $14.00 each including mailing. You can get your order form by writing to tcslo2013@gmail.com. The deadline for ordering is September 20, and calendars will be mailed in early October. They make great Christmas gifts! I’ll end again with the current closing greeting in Slovenia, which translates to “Let’s stay healthy.” Ostanimo zdravi! ELAINE BARTHELEMY Calendar photo: Plava Joci Miln, floating water mill on the Mura River in northeastern Slovenia. Fall 2020 27 1 2 0 r2 o f d oke o b Re 28 Zarja - The Dawn Honoring the Deceased Verne duše All Souls’ Day - November 2 For generations the Slovenes have practiced age-old traditions of remembering and visiting the graves of loved ones on the eve of All Saints’ Day (November 1) through All Souls’ Day (November 2). In Slovenia, this day of remembrance is even legislated as a work-free public holiday. Traditionally, the activities begin at dusk as the darkening shadows of nightfall begin to cloak and embrace the cemetery. Grave markers are washed and then decorated with real and artificial silk flowers. Brightly colored, glass candle holders, many already in place around the marker, are given new candle inserts and are lighted. Fresh white gravel is placed around the tombstone area, helping the grave marker stand out in stark contrast. Throughout much of Europe, the tradition of placing lighted candles at the gravesites is a popular means of keeping a vigil and a memory of the deceased loved one. Lit candles are thought to light up the road for the dead to help them find their way to their final destination and reward. The varied traditions and ethnic customs that center around All Souls’ Day are indeed reverent and thought-provoking. Want More Out of Life? KSKJ Life is a Christian, community-focused life insurance company that has provided financial security to its members and their families since 1894. We offer competitive life insurance products and retirement solutions, premier personalized service and meaningful member benefits and programs. As a not-for-profit organization, KSKJ Life makes a difference by reinvesting back into local communities and is dedicated to continuing its mission by helping families achieve financial security. Connect With Us Today! 1-800-THE-KSKJ kskjlife.com KSKJ Life, American Slovenian Catholic Union, is an Illinois fraternal benefit society located at 2439 Glenwood Ave., Joliet, IL 60435. 2020.07.Z Mystery Picture In this beautiful photograph, Marie Prisland has been identified as the lady on the right. Anyone having knowledge of the other two women, please contact: VP of Heritage and Culture Beverly Kochmann bbkochmann@msn.com Mary Prisland, granddaughter of Marie Prisland, was excited to receive the beautiful photo, and she had knowledge of the portrait. ? PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID LASALLE, IL