ABRAMOVIC, JOHN Basketball-Military-Business

John, or "Brooms" as everyone knew him, made a tremendous mark in the basketball world. As a junior and senior at Salem College in West Virginia (1942-1943), he led the entire nation in scoring. He averaged nearly 30 points per game, which was unheard of at that time. He made First Team All American in 1942 and 1943 and still holds the Salem College record of most points in a game (57), and in the season (777). He was the first player In college history to score 2,000 points in a career. After spending three years in the Navy during World War 11, he signed and went on to play professional basketball for several teams in the National Basketball League, and the Basketball Association of America. These two leagues formed the National Basketball Association (NBA) the year after "Brooms" retired. He was inducted into the West Virginia and the Pennsylvania Sports Halls of Fame. In addition to his basketball career, John played professionai baseball and also was an avid golfer and bowler during his lifetime. He was also a high school and college basketball referee. He was very involved in coaching, and raising his two children. He was a school board member for six years with the Mars, Pensylvania area school district, and he was a parttime scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball organization. John "Brooms" Abramovic, Jr., 81, died on June 9, 2000 at Memorial Hospital-Ormond, FL. He was a lifelong member of Guardian Angel Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 4, Etna, Pennsylvania. At the time of his death he had been a member for 63 years. John moved to Ormond Beach with his wife, Jessie, in 1981, after retiring from his family business, Etna Broom and Mop Mfg. Co., which he owned and operated with his brothers. He worked as a starter at Riverbend Golf Club for a number of years. He is survived by his loving wife, Bessie; son, John III and daughter-in-law, Cindy, Ormond Beach; daughter, Wendy and son-in-law, David McFadden, Ormond Beach; stepdaughter, Jeanne Russell, Boyton Beach; and four grandchildren, Andrew Ehrman, Ormond Beach, Christie and Jonathan IV Abramovic- Ormond Beach, and Anna Sultety of Boyton; three brothers, William of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Joseph and Albert, both of O'Hara Township, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Dorothy Frketic Abramovic.

 

ABRAMOVICH, ROKO Tamburitza Hall of Fame

Roko Abramovich, musician, technician, and arranger, was born in Eureka, Utah, on August 15, 1909. He spent the next 18 years of his life with relatives back in Croatia, and came to Chicago area around 1927. In Chicago, Roko mastered the farkash brac, and played with the "Selacka Stranka" orchestra, under the direction of Aloise Jaksa. All of the other tambura instruments were added to his credits in the next years to come, and for a time Roko played with the Rotkovich family, filling in on the bugaria. During the war, Roko filled in a number of times on bugaria, for Louie Kapugi also. For a few years he was a member of the old Yavor Orchestra, and played with the likes of the late Vaso Bukvich, and people like John Krilcich, Steve Vucinic, Tom Stefancic, and Elizabeth Plasay. Later in the forties and fifties, Roko played with the Dave Zupkovich Orchestra, where he featured on the prima. For those avid collectors of the old 78 records, it is Roko who plays the lead in unforgettables like Daniela, Cudo Jada, and the note perfect Caralama Kolo. In those years, Roko played with Ernie Maty, Carl Schutzman, Steve Paulich in the Neven Orchestra also. Later in the fifties and sixties we find him merging with Nick Skertich to form the ever popular Veseljaci Orchestra, whose members from time to time have been Mickey Kusecek, Ray Jankovich, Bucky Bukvich, and Ray Ratz. Roko was married to the late Mary Bertovic in May 1934, and from that marriage they were blessed with two beautiful daughters, Ann Marie and Marlene. Retired from the Steel Mills, but not from music, Roko continues to contribute to the tamburitza field by teaching two junior groups, the Chicago Juniors of the Croatian Fraternal Union, and the Sacred Heart Juniors of South Chicago. He continues to fill in with the Veseljaci Orchestra from time to time, and enjoys spending most of his time with his six grandchildren. Roko has and will always be known to Chicagoans as "Mr. Brac."

 

ABRANOVIC, ANTHONY Military-News

He was born November 4, 1909, in Croatia, to Anton and Mary (Yankovic) Abranovic. Tony was a U.S. Army veteran of WW 11. He started "Kittanning News" in 1949, and retired in 1980 when he turned the business over to his two sons, Mark and Anthony. Anthony "Tony" Abranovic, 79, of Kittanning, Pennsylvania,  died on Saturday, November 19, 1988, at his home. He was a member of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 29 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Surviving are his wife, Mary (Stich) Abranovic; five sons, Wynn of Amhurst, Massachusettes, Alan and Mark of Kittaning, Anthony at home, and Paul of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey; one daughter, Ellie Abranovic, of Irving, Texas; one brother, Albert, of Scottsdale, Arizona; two sisters, Olga Lucas of Millvale, and Helen of McKees Rocks, and three grandchildren.

 

ACALIN, JERKO Fisherman

Jerko was born on August 29, 1869, on the island Zlarin,  near Sibenik, Dalmatia.  He came to this country in 1912.  A fisherman, he followed this profession, first in the State of Washington, later moving to San Pedro.  He married Milica, nee Lucev, and they had seven children.  During his fishing career, Jerko was the owner of several fishing boats, and fished from Alaska to Mexico.

 

AGICH, PAVAO Tamburitza

Born in Djakovo, Croatia in 1873. He was a barber and founder of Croatian Singing Club "Preradovich" in Djakovo, Croatia. He had traveled with tamburitza orchestra’s  all over Germany in the period from 1902-1903. He has worked for several years as a barber in London, British Columbia and in Portland, Oregon. He lived in San Francisco since 1914 and was a member and manager of the Croatian Tamburitza Orchestra in San Francisco. He is also an active member of Knights of Columbus organization.

 

ALAGA, GAJA Scientist

One of our best theoretical physicists was Prof. Gaja Alaga (1924-1988). He worked not only in Zagreb, Croatia, but also at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen,  University of California, Berkeley, and Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich.

 

ALAGA, NICHOLAS FBI Agent-Attorney

Nicholas Alaga was born May 21, 1912 in Watsonville, California.  His field is Law, and is a graduate of the University of Santa Clara. He received his LL.B. in 1937 from Stanford University.  He was a special agent in the FBI and currently practices law in San Francisco. He is presently residing in San Francisco, and is a member of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI.

 

ALAGA, NICHOLAS N. Apple Grower and Packer

An extensive shipper of apples, who is also his own grower and packer, is Nicholas N. Alaga, of 114 Maple avenue, Watsonville. Like many others in this locality, he was born in Dalmatia, Croatia February 18, 1874, his parents being Nicholas and Mary Lettunich. Nicholas N. Alaga had rather a hard time acquiring his education after he had gone through the lower grades of the home schools, but has gained a good knowledge of affairs since coming to the United States at the age of seventeen years. After spending two years in San Francisco he went to Santa Clara valley, where he lived a similar length of time. On the 14th of July, 1894, Mr. Alaga came to Watsonville and went to work for his uncle, Mr. Lettunich, acting as his foreman for some time. Having saved a little money he then embarked in business for himself as a buyer and shipper of fruit in 1898. From this small start, Mr. Alaga has attained to his present prosperity. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and is a third degree Knight of Columbus and a member of the Austrian Benevolent Society. Mr. Alaga was married in 1911 to Miss Teresa Farlan, a native of Eureka, Humboldt county, California, and they have two sons, Nicholas Jr., and Lloyd.

 

ALUJEVICH, ANTON Boilermaker

Anton was born in Split, Dalmatia in 1887. He moved to America in 1907 and migrated to San Pedro in 1918.  As a youth, Anton worked as a boilermaker in the shipyards of his native land and in America.  His wife Franka, nee Poklepovich and Anton taught their  daughters Bozica (Nathalie) and Madeline to be proactive in the Croatian-American community.

 

ANCHICKS, LOUISE Army Nurse-Prisoner of War

Louise M., Captain Army nurse Retired., WWI and II, died in Palo Alto on October 30, 1977; beloved wife of Eli S. Prud’Homme; loving sister of Dorothy Smith of Riverside, Illinois and Earl Anschichs of Dowers Grove, Illinois; also survived by neices and nephews; a 52 year member of American Legion, a member of Nurses Post No. 452; served at Bataan and Corregidor, Prisoner of War, P.O.W., Santa Tomas prison three years.

 

ANCICH, JOHN Fisherman

There aren’t many people left in Gig Harbor, Washington who can do what John Ancich Sr. can with thin knotted rope. Practitioners of the maritime art of net-mending — once found in nearly every harbor home — are now scarce. But when commercial fishing dominated the community, that skill was standard. Understanding the subtleties of sea nature was once a standard-issue skill for most locals. Now only a slim fraction of the Peninsula populace could have accomplished the specialized repair job the 87-year-old Ancich performed Monday on the Fishermen’s Memorial at Jerisich Park. Ancich, just out of the hospital following a serious fall, got wind of the damage through his community fishing contacts. He decided to mend the net on the memorial that bears the names of eight local fisherman lost at sea. The name at the top is that of his only child, John Ancich, Jr. The younger Ancich, like his dad, uncles, and grandfather, was a fisherman from the get go. They all started going out on voyages in their teens and kept at it through their lives. “That’s about all I did,” John Sr. said. John Sr. and his brothers Joe and Peter, both deceased, were well-known as the owner and operators of Voyager, a sardine seiner — considered one of the most productive local boats during its heyday in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, said local maritime historian Lee Makovich. John Sr. fished for nearly 60 years. His son, who skippered several of his own boats, put in about 20 years. He died from insulin shock aboard his ship, Heritage, in Hawk Inlet, Alaska, about 20 miles southwest of Juneau, two years ago yesterday, at age 36. “It’s been tough,” said John Sr., who has no other family locally. “It’s been hard to take.” In Gig Harbor, Ancich’s maritime spirit showed itself in several venues. He became a leader in the fishing community and publicly advocated the preservation of maritime culture through art. He was among a handful of long-haul backers who made the Fishermen’s Memorial a reality. While working on that project, Ancich likely had the name Scott Tyree on his mind. Tyree died in 1995 aboard Courageous, a boat skippered by John Jr. that capsized in Canadian waters. He brushed aside the potential peril as simply a regular part of being a fisherman, a matter of course — like knowing how to mend a net. “I patched it the best I could, “ he said. “I just did the best I could.” (Patrick 2003)

 

ANCICH, MARTIN AND ANNA Fishermen

Anna came to the United States when she was six years old in 1900. Her mother made the long journey from Croatia to her brother's home in Tacoma accompanied only by her three small daughters. She did not speak English at the time. When her husband Martin passed away, Anna Ancich had to find a way of supporting her large family. She inherited the boat, George A., which she chartered out for some years to local people. Then, in 1937, Anna took a most unexpected action. She ordered the construction of a commercial fishing boat! The vessel, a 75' sardine style purse seiner was built at the J. M. Martinac Shipyard in Tacoma. As an ongoing reminder of her initiative and enterprise, it was named the Anna A. Widows often retained ownership of a commercial fishing boat. Anna did more than that. She chartered her boat to fish processing interests in Seattle and to canneries in Alaska. She negotiated all leasing and charter contracts herself. Her skill in making these transactions was recognized and respected. At various times, her sons Antone and George operated the Anna A. for her. Under her management, the business continued to prosper. The Anna A. was sold in 1967. Anna died in 1968.

 

ANCIC, MARIO Tennis

Wimbledon, England: Centre Court observers were pleasantly surprised to see a 6-foot-4 Croatian, Mario Ancic, giving Roger Federer a spirited match Tuesday. Then they noticed that he actually was destroying Federer, to the tune of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. And they realized how much the 18-year-old reminds them of Ivanisevic, last year's champion and a longtime Wimbledon favorite. Ancic is right-handed, and apparently without the eccentric sense of humor, but everything else speaks of a kid who grew up idolizing Ivanisevic. It helps that they have the same build and hail from the town of Split, Croatia and many of Ancic's mannerisms are vintage Goran. He came into the tournament as a qualifier, playing only his second tour-level match of the year. Now he's the kid who knocked off the eighth-seeded Federer, conqueror of Pete Sampras at last year's Wimbledon. In his press conference - and of course, he sounds like Ivanisevic, too - Ancic said he's been hanging around his idol for years. "We always hit, even when I was 10," he said. "We played some Davis Cup together, Olympic doubles; he has always been like my bigger brother. But Goran is Goran. I am me. I don't have the three personalities (laughter). Still one." 2002.

 

ANDRETTI, MARIO Wine Maker-Auto Racing

Mario Andretti is putting his celebrity marque on a wine bottle. Andretti, the four-time Indy 500 winner, owns 13 percent of AWG (short for Andretti Wine Group), which recently bought a bankrupt 53-acre vineyard and winery in Napa County,  California and is looking for other properties. Like racing, Andretti said, “there’s a lot of romance to this business.”  Since his boyhood, Andretti has been a wine fan and has made many visits to California’s wine country. In 1994, a San Diego promotions firm called Best Regards got Louis Martini Winery to produce 15,000 cases of specially labeled Andretti cabernet sauvignon to commemorate the Arrivederci Tour, Andretti’s final full season of racing. In 1995, Joseph Phelps produced 2,000 cases of Andretti chardonnay. “To continue, we saw that we needed our own base of supply,” said Andretti. Best Regards principals Phillip Dias and Sarla Perkins then got into the wine business.  One of their plans was to convert auto-racing fans from beer to wine. Last January, Dias and Perkins merged their infant wine company with an inactive public company called American Arum Corp.  Buying a “shell company” is a quick and easy way to go public without the other and disclosure of requirements of a full public offering. They changed the name of the company to AWG and its trading symbol to VINE. Andretti said from his office in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, that he has an eyeball on another property” and wants to establish a stronger supply base.  The plan is to produce $12 to $19 premium wines and even get into tours and tastings. The family name in Istria is Andretic.

 

ANDRIJASEVICH, PETER Goldminer-Saloon-Grocery       

Peter Andrijasevich, ( wife, Yela Mirko ) came via the Alaska goldmines. When he arrived in Aberdeen, Washington in 1904 he bought a saloon in the downtown but was unhappy there so he sold out and opened a grocery store at the corner of Curtis and West Boulevard. He was a man who believed in helping others and being active in community affairs. He played an important part in the organization of two Croatian lodges.

 

ANDRICH, LUKA Bartender-Cultural

Luka, as he was called by his friends, was a pleasant member around our Slavonic Cultural Center. He attended our meetings and socials regularly and was always a pleasant person to visit with. At our January meeting he served on the election committee. Prior to his retirement he worked at Maye's Oyster House and was in the culinary trade for over 40 years. It wasn't long ago that he prepared one of our quarterly dinners.  He leaves his wife Iva, daughter Kathy, son Andrea, and daughter-in-law JoAnne. We will all miss this pleasant and kindly gentleman. Luka died on March 11, 1995 in San Francisco and was born in Dalmatia, Croatia.

 

ANGELICH, MATE Bridge Builder-Auto Dealership

Mate "Mike" Angelich, aged 97, of Fort Salonga, Long Island, New York, died recently in Huntington (N. Y) Hospital. He was born September 8, 1902 in the village of Medici, Sinj, Croatia to Ante and Ruzica Andjelic. Mate came to the United States in the 1920's. One of his earliest jobs was that of a high iron worker. He was part of the construction crew that built the George Washington Bridge in New York City. He strung the suspension cables 600 feet above the Hudson River.  At age 97, he was probably the last surviving member of the bridge's construction crew. He went to school in New York City to learn auto mechanics, and opened Grand Central Motors in Jackson Heights, Queens. Before permanently settling on Long Island 50 years ago he lived in Tucson, Arizona and Miami, Florida. Later, he expanded his business activities by opening Three Star Auto in Huntington, N.Y - an auto dealership that sold imported cars such as Borgwards, Daimlers, Singers and Morgans. He also owned Mike's Service Station in Northport. When he "retired", he began a nursery and raised thousands of beautiful azaleas, and made his own wine. He also took a strong interest in cow breeding at the family farm in New Hampshire. He was an active member ofthe Croatian New Yorker Club - where every year at the annual picnic he was responsible for the Bar-B-Que. He was one of the first people interviewed for the Croatian Fraternal Union - Croatian New Yorker Club Oral Histories Project. He is survived by his wife of 60 years Keti Angelich - former proprietor of Halesite Real Estate, son Michael and daughter-in-law Gail of Huntington, son Anton of New York City and New Hampshire. He leaves behind brothers Silvestar, Jure, Filip and sister Luce in Europe, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He lived a very rich and full life, and was a very happy, caring and optimistic person. "He was unique, and one in a million!" He will be sadly missed. Services were conducted by the Rev. Daniel Bitsko, of the Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Church, internment was at St. Patrick's Cemetery, Lloyd Harbor, NY.

 

ANTICEVICH, ANTE Fireman-Policeman-Wrestler

Ivan Anticevich-Vidoja, was born 1884 in Janjina, Dalmatia, Croatia. He arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1898. He started as fireman 1906 and stayed until 1912. From 1912 to 1923 took the job as city policeman, and from 1923 to the present, works as city worker for the water department. Ivan was a very strong man and participated in heavy weight wrestling. He was the winner in 28 matches in Texas and Louisiana.  He visited Croatia in 1923 and 1928. In Janjina he doesn't have any close family. In America he has  a brother and two sisters. He is the member of the Knights of Columbus and honorary member of Croatian Sokol in Janjina.

 

ANTICH, ROBERT C. Teacher-Public Servant

Robert Antich was a graduate of Lew Wallace High School. He graduated with bachelor and master of science degrees from Indiana State University. He was a member of the Gary Teacher's Union. His dedication to the region extended to Lake County and Gary, Indiana government as a public servant for over 30 years. He represented his precinct for twelve years as committeeman. For eight years he served on the Calumet Township Board of Trustees. He finished his political career after eight years as the Lake County Clerk. He was proud of his heritage and was a member of the Saint Joseph the  Worker Croatian Church and was an active member of the Croatian Fraternal Union of America, Lodge 170, where he served on the Board of Trustees. Robert C. Antich, 60, passed away Tuesday, August 7, 2001. He was, preceded in death by his beloved parents, Petar and Anna, his brother Joseph, his nephews, John Antich Jr. and David M. Bade and his brother-in-law, Michael Bade. He leaves behind his sister Rosemary Bade of Hobart, his brother, John (Mary Jane) Antich of Grovertown, IN, his sister-in-law, Rose Ann Antich, Indiana State Senator of Merrillville, nephews, Dr. Daniel M. (Dr. Suzanne Stolarz) Bade of Munster, Douglas J. (Suzanne) Bade of Chicago, Marc (Stacy) Antich of Crown Point, his nieces, Violet Bade of Crown Point, Pat (Mark) Nieubruupt, Christine(David) Palmer, Carol (Ed) Bracich and Rachel Antich, all of Grovertown, IN; many great-nieces and nephews; uncles and aunts, Joe and Kay Olds of Crown Point, Tom and Evelyn Olovich of Noblesville, Indiana and Cecelia and George Olovich of Hobart.

 

ANTOLAK, SYLVESTER Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, 24 May 1944. Entered service at: St. Clairsville, Ohio, Birth: St. Clairsville, Ohio. G.O. No.: 89, 19 October 1945. Citation: Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, he charged 200 yards over flat, coverless terrain to destroy an enemy machinegun nest during the second day of the offensive which broke through the German cordon of steel around the Anzio beachhead. Fully 30 yards in advance of his squad, he ran into withering enemy machinegun, machine-pistol and rifle fire. Three times he was struck by bullets and knocked to the ground, but each time he struggled to his feet to continue his relentless advance. With one shoulder deeply gashed and his right arm shattered, he continued to rush directly into the enemy fire concentration with his submachinegun wedged under his uninjured arm until within 15 yards of the enemy strongpoint, where he opened fire at deadly close range, killing 2 Germans and forcing the remaining 10 to surrender. He reorganized his men and, refusing to seek medical attention so badly needed, chose to lead the way toward another strongpoint 100 yards distant. Utterly disregarding the hail of bullets concentrated upon him, he had stormed ahead nearly three-fourths of the space between strongpoints when he was instantly killed by hostile enemy fire. Antolak is probably Antoljak and many are found in Croatia.

 

ANTONOVICH, MICHAEL D. State Assemblyman

California’s youngest and best-known Croatian-American lawmaker is Assemblyman Michael D. Antonovich of Glendale.  The name Antonovich (Antunovic) is hardly new to California.  The family began immigrating from the Konvali region with Florio Antunovich during the 1850’s.  Michael Antonovich’s grandfather came from Croatia to settle in Bisbee, Arizona as a goldminer.  His uncles settled in Grass Valley, Fresno and Jackson.  Of all the Croatian-American lawmakers in California, none is more aware of his Croatian heritage than Antonovich.  His capitol office is graced with a large Croatian shield hand crafted by Luka Biondich  and a map of Dalmatia.  He stays abreast of Croatian politics and is a regular speaker at Croatian celebrations throughout the state.  He has traced his family back to 1700 and can relate the story of his grandparents’ immigration in detail.  He visited Croatia in 1970 and hopes to do so again in the future.  Born in southern California in 1939, Antonovich attended Los Angeles City College and California State University at Los Angeles (M.A.).  He served as a student body officer for four years and was president of his graduate class and his fraternity.  While his academic study progressed, he also attended the Pasadena Police Academy, graduating as a reserve officer in 1967. Even with his legislative duties, he remains a reserve police officer today. From 1966 through 1972, he served the Los Angeles School District as a government and history insructor.  His concern for quality education led him to seek a position on the Los Angeles City College District Board of Trustees in 1969.  Out of and original field of 139 candidates, he won with a record 406,000 votes.  He later served as president of that board which directs the affairs of the eight campus, 100,000 student, 100 million dollar-per-year system. Antonovich served the Goldwater campaign in 1964 and was a regional chairman for Reagan in 1970.  In 1972 he easily won his own Assembly seat.  He was reelected in 1974 and in 1976 no opponent could be found to challenge him.  He quickly became known as the state leader in criminal justice and pro-life legislation.  In 1976, at the age of thirty-six, he was named Minority Whip of the Assembly after having been chosen Outstanding Legislator of the Year, for both the 1973-1974 ad 1974-1975 sessions. 

 

ANTONOVICH, RUZA Doctor-Radiology

Ruza Zupan was born in Barlete, Croatia.  She graduated from medical school in Zagreb and married Dr. Ivica Antonovich.  She served as a staff radiologist at Oregon Health Sciences University until 1977, when she joined the Veterans Administration Medical center where she was chief of radiology until 1995, when she began concentrating on patient care and resident-eduction programs.  Her research articles in angiography, interventional radionoly, intervetional radiology and chest radiology were published in medical journals, and she lectured and served as a visiting professor in Europe.  She is the daughter of Tomo and Anka Zupan, two charter members of the Croatian American Cultural Center.

 

ANTUNOVICH, FLORIO Goldminer-Coffee Saloon-Restaurant-Capitalist

Florio Antonovich, from Konavlje, Dalmatia, Croatia arrived in San Francisco in 1851 on the famous clipper ship, “The Flying Cloud,” the ship that made the record time from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn.  He was a member of the Tuolomne Society in 1853 and probably made a gold strike, as he returned to San Francisco and operated a coffee saloon and restaurant at the corner of Clay and East at 403 East Street.  He listed as a capitalist in 1891 and voted in 1871.  He was from Konavle. He was a Charter Member of the Slavonic Illyric Mutual Benevolent Society.  He was President of the Society at one time.  In 1868 he returned to his native country, and there he married a young lady from Bresecine, returned to San Francisco with his bride same year, and brought into the world a lovely family of children. He died in 1898 at the age of seventy-three. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Florio Antonovich, daughter Mrs. Annie Ashley, and two sons, William G. Antonovich, a well-known attorney in our colony, and Emile P Antonovich, Captain in the United States army.  In 1882, Mrs. Nicholas Buja and Mrs. Florio Antonovich, were selected by the Slavonic Society to raise money for the Society’s new banner, Majika Slovinska (Mother Slavia).  the presentation of the banner to the Society was made by two young girls, now married ladies, Mrs. Cora Maroevich and Mrs. Antionette Forrest, in old Platt’s Hall, located on the Montgomery Street where now stands the Mills Building.

 

ANZULOVIC, BRANIMIR Professor-Author

Born in Zagreb on April 26, 1926 he grew up surrounded by parents native from Jelsa, two sisters and a brother. He graduated from the University of Zagreb School of.Philosophy in 1952. As a young intellectual he left Croatia. From there he moved to the United States to continue his academic career. Branimir Anzulovic obtained his doctoral degree in comparative literature at the University of Indiana in 1972. During his teaching career he wrote and taught about literature, cultural history and literary theory at the University of Indiana and the University of Arizona. An experienced translator and interpreter, he worked in that capacity for various institutions in Washington, D.C., including the Voice of America, the U.S. Department of state and the International Monetary Fund. Among his early achievements, he published film and theatre reviews in Zagreb during 1950s, and throughout his life he authored numerous articles and book reviews for literary journals. He also worked as an assistant editor of Croatia: Land, People, Culture (University of Toronto) from 1964 to 1970. In 1999 he published an important book entitled Heavenly Serbia From Myth to Genocide (New York University Press). Branimir Anzulovic, recording secretary of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 1984 and a cultural historian and alumnus of Croatian University, died November 3, 2001, in Virginia. He is survived by his former wife Visnja and his two children, Maja and Radovan.

 

ARBUNICH, ANTHONY Cultural Activities

Anthony Arbunich joined the Slavonic Society some 58 years ago like his father Martin, and uncles Tony Bartul, Martin Mihovilovich and Tony Arbunich before him. “It was and has been a great place to meet friends and relatives that share the many customs, humor, and love of life.” Tony related. Anthony and his older sister Pearl, were the children of Martin and Marie Arbunich, who were from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Anthony’s dad owned and operated a very successful restaurant at 14th and Market street. hard work and long hours soon enabled him to purchase a little cottage situated on a knoll with a sweeping view overlooking Mission Street. This was in the year 1910 and young Tony was just a year old. three days after they moved into their new home, Martin, on his way to work and only 32 years of ago, was struck by a street car that flung him to the pavement resulting in a fatal head injury.  There were relatives and new arrivals from the old country and she would rent rooms to help make ends meet. The first war came and went and in the early 1920’s, Marie’s sister died of the dreaded flu that took so many lives. Her husband owned and operated the California Grill in Santa Rosa and Marie chose to adopt her two nephews and niece. So it was that the little cottage on Gladys Street was the home of five youngsters, Marie, and a roomer or two. It was about this time that Marie had two large bedrooms added to the cottage. The home became known as the “Slavonian Depot” since so many people came and stayed until they became financially set. Anthony says it was always a happy place for everyone. After high school, Pearl began working for a furrier, a line for work she followed until her recent retirement. Tony went to Fremont School and Cogswell High until his junior year whe he quit school. His very first job at the age of 16 was an apprentice butcher at the old Spreckles Market. Life long friend, Jack, Radonich, several years younger than Tony, worked there also as a wrapper.  In 1936, Tony went to work for the Southern Pacific Railway, working on the maintenance crews servicing the rail cars. he held this job until his recent retirement in 1975. Marie, Tony’s mother, who had cared for so many, would enjoy taking her family to Slav picnics and gatherings whenever possible. Sorrowfully, in her early 60’s, Marie passed on in 1938. Tony still loved seeing his old friends and attended all the picnics and gatherings...getting on the street car to the Ferry building and taking the Ferry to Oakland, then the train to Neptune beach, John Park or the various picnic grounds and gathering places. It was at an Irish picnic at Portola Park in 1947 that Tony met the lovely lady Margaret Harte, who was to become Mrs. Peggy Arbunich. So it was, and is, Tony and Peggy have lived at the happy cottage on Gladys street raising a wonderful family of three sons, Martin, Mitchel, Mark, and one daughter, Barbara. Tony has served our society for 30 years as a trustee and the passed 30 as the chairman of the board of Trustees.

 

ARKOVICH, TONY Restaurant-Saloon

Tony Arkovich entered the U.S.A. in 1911 at the age of 15 years.  He experienced the normal reaction of most emigrants and would have returned immediately.  His first job was working as a water boy in sewer construction.  After witnessing the way the men had to dig up the dirt and toss it from  platform to platform,  they would sweat and strain to do, so he quit.  Next he went to a dairy where he wore hip boots and washed bottles all day.  By the end  of the day he was sopping wet, hip boots or no.  He left and went to work in a restaurant.  In order to save his shoes he walked to work barefoot.  While sweeping the floors and cleaning the booths he often found money.  This added to his income.  Gradually he went up the line.  While he cleaned vegetables he would watch the cooks.  One of them took him under his wing and he would stay 4 or 5 hours after his shift helping him.  Next he was a fry cook then the chef.  In 1917 Tony Arkovich, Joe Dzaich, and Andy Leko opened Joe’s Cafe, 613 South Olive Street, Los Angeles.  Changes come about-they moved to Bohemian Grill and Bar in 1936 at Eight and Grand.  Next in 1940 they moved to Eight and Fedora.  During the first move Andy Leko dropped out.  Tony moved on to open the Larchmont Grill in 1948.  The last move was to go into business at Nickodell Melrose with Jack Ban, Leonard Beidle, and Jack Vojkovich buying the business at Nick Slavich’s retirement. He retired in 1972.

 

ARNERICH, A. J. Baseball-Alameda City Council

Mr. Lil Arnerich was born and raised in West Oakland and now resides in Alameda with his wife, Norma. They have four children and twelve grandchildren. Mr. Arnerich attended St. Mary's College and completed additional studies at U.C. Berkeley and San Francisco State.

After playing six years of professional baseball with the old Oakland Oaks, Lil has had a very distinguished career in public service. He became Supervisor of Athletics for the City of Alameda Recreation and Park Department where he served 34 years until his retirement in 1986. Today, he still serves as a member of the Alameda City Council. Lil has received over fifty honors by many public and private sector groups and is truly deserving of this prestigious honor and award.

 

ARNERICH, FRANK Restaurant-Goldminer

Among the rising young men of San Jose, who have accomplished much, although young in years, is Frank N. Arnerich, who started in the restaurant business when only a lad of seventeen and now owns a place of business under the name of The Oyster Loaf Restaurant.  He was born on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia on June 11, 1888, and was the son of Nicholas and and  Antoinette (Chargin) Arnerich.  His father came to California in the year 1875 and settled in Amador County in 1900, joining his brother, and there attended the public schools of Amador City and later went to night school in San Francisco.  Having learned the business of restaurateur in San Francisco and in San Jose, at the early age of seventeen he engaged in this line in San Jose in the year of 1905, and has continued here ever since.  He engaged in business for himself and with his experience in this line, he has built up a good trade, and he has since been very successful; his up-to-date restaurant, The Oyster Loaf, being both popular among the San Jose’s residents and increasingly profitable to himself. Mr. Arnerich’s marriage united him with Miss Lucy Chargin, who was also a native of Brac, and a sister of Joseph, Jerry, and Nicholas Chargin.  They are the parents of three children-Antoinette Frances, Lawrence Nicholas, and Beverly Lucille, and the family reside at 137 North Sixth Street.  Mr. Arnerich is a member of the Order of Red Men, and of the Slavonic-American Society, and San Jose and is past officer in both orders.  He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Elks, and is a charter member of the Commercial Club. 

 

ARNERICH, JAMES Attorney

A graduate of the University of Santa Clara, where he was a star football player, Mr. Arnerich was appointed state director of professional and vocational standards by Governor Warren in 1946. He resigned his post in 1953 after Warren was appointed chief justice of the United States, and he went into private practice. When Mr. Arnerich retired in 1980 he was general counsel of Forest Lawn Corp. in Glendale. Mr. Arnerich was a native of Los Angeles and served for four years in the Navy in World War II. Mr. Arnerich, a retired attorney, died on Wednesday at St. Francis Memorial Hospital after suffering a heart attack.  He was 73. He is survived by his wife, Rita; a daughter, Mrs. Kathleen Peck of Novato; a son, Robert Theobald of Northridge; two brothers, Paul of San Francisco and Frank of Santa Clara; a sister, Marie, of San Jose; and by five grandchildren.

 

ARNERICH, MATEO Vineyard-Farm-Goldminer

Mateo Arnerich was born on the island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia in the Adriatic Sea.  In 1826, when fourteen years of age, he became a sailor boy.  He followed a sea faring life for fourteen years, visiting every sea and ocean. He came from China to San Francisco in 1849, and never left the State of his adoption but once, when he went, in 1872, to visit the scenes and friends of his childhood days.  From 1849 to 1852 Mateo mined for gold in the Calaveras. In 1852 Mr. Arnerich came to the Santa Clara Valley, and soon after became interested in agriculture. In May, 1856, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth (Brown) Moylan, widow of Edward Moylan. They bought property in the Narvaze grant, and opened a farm, which they occupied for twelve years. They then found that no valid title to it could be obtained, and so left the place, and by pre-emption and purchase secured 160 acres of choice land, which constitute the present family homestead in the Union District. The ranch is located in an angle of the Santa Clara and Guadaloupe road, which bounds it on the north and east. Mr. and Mrs. Arnerich commenced life on the ranch in a comfortable house, which several years ago gave place to the substantial family residence  of today. Mr. Arnerich was an active, energetic man, and carried forward the improvement of his property quite rapidly. The neighborhood lost in him a citizen actively interested in all movenents tending to the general good. His death, which occurred May 3, I883, was caused by injuries received in being thrown from a buggy, near his own home. His widow and her seven children, John, Catharine, Elizabeth, Mateo, Paul, Isabelle, and Margaret all yet making their home with their mother, are quite well provided for. Mrs. Arnerich was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1831. She was nine years of age when her parents, William and Catharine Brown, emigrated to Australia, whence, after a residence of ten years, they came to San Francisco. Later they becarne pioneers of Union District. Mr. Brown's death, resulting from an accidental fall, occurred in 1854. William D. Brown, the chief of police at San Jose, is a brother of Mrs. Arnerich. The first marriage of Mrs. Arnerich occurred at San Francisco in January, 1851. Her husband died of consumption ten months later. Quite a large portion of the family homestead is now devoted to the raising of grapes and fruit. A vineyard of sixty acres furnishes a general variety of wine and table grapes. In the orchard can be found olive, fig, pomegranate, orange, and lemon trees. Mrs. Arnerich and her children are members of the Catholic church.

 

ARNERICH, PAUL Weather Bureau

Paul was born in Los Angeles, California and his working career was with the United States Weather Bureau where he started in Burbank and subsequently was assigned to Oklahoma, Hawaii, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. His career was interrupted for a long time in World War Il when he was in the US Navy in the Armed Guard project - a branch of the service formed to protect American crews on Maritime vessels. In 1951, Paul and Juanita Snyder-Franchina were married in San Francisco. Paul was a quiet man but his worth and depth were known to many. Paul and Juanita enjoyed gardening and their lovely home was warm and friendly. They both loved animals and their patio hosted friendly "little critters" from the woodlands surrounding their home. Paul was also interested in geneology and sports. He had been a 49er fan from the time of Buck Shaw and Frankie Albert. Delving into geneology, he enjoyed many hours tracing the many Arnerichs from Brac. He was a member of the Slavonic Society of San Francisco. A true gentleman departed our midst last month just two weeks before his 84th birthday which would have been on the 20th of June. Paul died on June 1, 1996. Paul is survived by a brother, Frank and a sister, Marie. He was predeceased by a brother and his parents, as well as his beloved Juanita.

 

ARNERICH, PAUL J. State Senate-Sheriff

A man of especial gifts  who easily impresses others with both his natural ability and his acquirements through experience is Paul J. Arnerich, a native son, having been  born near San Jose on September 23, 1869.  His father was Mathew Arnerich, and he married Mrs. Elizabeth (Brown) Moylan, the widow of Edward Moylan.  When fourteen years of age, Mathew Arnerich shipped as a sailor, and in the historic year of ‘49, he voyaged from China to San Francisco.  Three years later, he removed to Santa Clara Valley and here engaged in agriculture.  In 1856 he married, and purchased 160 acres in the Union district.  He died on May 3, 1883, from injuries received in a fall from a buggy.  Mrs. Arnerich also came from an old pioneer family, she died here about 1910. As kind parents this worthy couple provided the best training for Paul in the public schools, and when he had finished with his studies, he worked with his father on the home farm until he was twenty-one.  Then, for several years, he farmed for himself, and in 1905 he ran for the State Legislature, in which he served a term.  He was then appointed to the United States Marshal’s office as deputy marshal and discharged that responsibility for ten years, he ran for the Legislature, was elected in 1915, and in 1917 he was reelected.  Next he was deputy sheriff in Alameda County for a couple of years, and finally was engaged in the real estate business for a number of years until he became deputy sheriff, serving under Sheriff Lyle of Santa Clara County. At San Jose, on February 21, 1898, Mr. Arnerich was married to Miss Eva LaMontagne, a native of Santa Clara County and the representative of another pioneer family; and four children blessed their union.  They are Bernice, Francis, Genevieve and Elizabeth.  Mr. Arnerich belongs to the Republican party, and when he gets tired of politics he turns for recreation to hunting and other outdoor sports.

 

ARNERICH, VINCENT G. Attorney

Born in San Jose California in 1909- graduated from Loyola University Class 1930 “Magna Cum Lauda”, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree.  He was chosen commencement speaker delivering the thesis in philosophy which he prepared for his degree.  In 1932 he received his Bachelor of Laws degree “Cum Laude.”  Within this time he was awarded six medals of honor, one for his thesis in philosophy, and another for general excellence in class work throughout the four years of his Law School Course. Admitted to the Bar in 1932 he practiced law in the firm of Arnerich and DeValle, and resides at 5880 south Flower street in Los Angeles.

 

ARTUKOVICH, JOHN A. Contractor

John A. Artukovich Jr., a Los Angeles-area contractor whose work included the Los Angeles aqueduct through the Mojave Desert, the Bunker Hill Redevelopment Project Tunnel and other projects across the United States, has died. He was 72. Born in Los Angeles to Croatian-immigrant parents, Artukovich lived most of his life in San Marino and Arcadia.  His father founded the John A Artukovich Co. a construction firm, in 1909 and Artukovich had been president since 1952. Artukovich's sudden illness shocked his family who said he had never had to go to a hospital and was working seven days a week until he became sick.  "He was the rock in our family, a role model and mentor," said Anita Artukovich, his daughter. Artukovich went to Loyola High School and Loyola University in Los Angeles.  He also served in the Army during the Korean War until he was given an emergency discharge after his father died. In addition to his daughter Anita, Artukovich is survived by three sons:  John A. Artukovich III, Matthew and Michael.

 

ARTUKOVICH, VIDO Construction

The late Vido was born on July 15, 1892 in the village Klobuk, district of Ljubuski, Herzegovina. As many hundreds of other Croatian young men from Herzegovina, he left his native land and came to America in 1912. He permanently settled in Los Angeles and lived there until his death. The late Vido Artukovich brought with himself all the values of a Herzegovinian village: the commitment to his religion, the true love for his Croatian people, the traditional Croatian honesty, the big heart and open mind, as well as entrepreneurial spirit and perseverance at work. His beginning was very hard as the livelihood was hard to all of our immigrants, but the late Vido didn't give up. During forty years of hard and persevere work, at the beginning together with other Croatian pioneers and then at his own, he succeeded to establish the construction firm he and all of the Croatians in California should be proud of. Vido Artukovich, a prominent member of our colony, died on Tuesday, July 16, 1964, the day after his 73rd birthday anniversary. He passed away of a short illness, comforted from his wife, children and numerous grandchildren.

 

AUSEZ, FRANK Contractor

One of the leading cement contractors in Richmond and vicinity is Frank Ausez of No. 2100 Burbeck Avenue, Richmond. He was born in Croatia on December 3, 1883, one of five children in the family of Frank and Catherine Ausez. His father was a builder and it was natural that Frank,Jr., should take to the building trade. After finishing his education in his native land, in 1905, Mr. Ausez landed in America and crossed the continent to Lafayette, Colorado, where he spent three years. After this he traveled through the northwest looking for a suitable place  and in 1909 landed at Richmond, California. After some deliberation he concluded he would try his luck here and began work as a concrete and cement contractor, a business he had become competent to handle in every department. From the first he was successful and as the years have passed he has had his share of the cement and concrete work in this locality and has done considerable bridge and street work. As he has prospered he has invested in property and owns his home and is well satisfied that he cast in his lot with Contra Costa County. He became a full-fledged American citizen. In San Francisco in 1919. Mr. Ausez was married on November 9, 1913, to MIss Mary Yanezich, also a native of Croatia and a daughter of John and Annie Yanezich. She has one brother living in Richmond. Mr. and Mrs. Ausez have three children: Frankie, Annie and Frances. Mr. Ausez is a member of the Builders Exchange and takes an active interest in its meetings. He belongs to the Woodmen of the World, the Red Men and the Richmond Elks. To help boost the city of his choice he is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

 

AVIANI, ERNEST Restaurant

One of the first good fish eating places upon approaching Fisherman’s wharf is the Neptune at 2737 Taylor Street.  The proprietors are Robert Soljack and Ernest Aviani from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Robert Soljack claims five years of experience at Fisherman’s Wharf and he and Chef Aviani took over this historic location about one year ago in 1936.  They renovated the building, made some changes and today have a comfortable eating house  and surely a suggestion of good sea food with the open kitchen and charcoal broiler. When lunching or dining at the Neptune one may eat at the counter, or at open tables or in booths.  About 140 persons can be accommodated at one time.  The place is famous for its cioppino, fried crab legs, abalone, deviled crabs, charcoal broiled fish of various types, and other seafood specialties. Fish is bought from the boats when they arrive from the sea at Fisherman’s Wharf, and is served the same day.  Menus are made out according to fish available.  Some 300 meals are served daily.  With such food, with such panorama of hills and bay, with such a picture of fishing scenes, a net mending, of crab cooking, of displays of fish for sale, of the teeming life of those who make their living by the sea spread before one, it is indeed a treat of treats to enjoy a fish dinner prepared as the specialists of the Neptune know how to cook it, and thus enter into one of the typical phases of life in San Francisco.

 

BABAJKO, CHRIS Sailor

Chris “Ito” Babajko will be remembered not only by people on the Island of Olib but also by his fellow Olibljani in America as someone who did the almost impossible. Ito came to the US in 1960 when he was a 18 years old.  He worked at various jobs in the Los Angeles area.  In 1982, at age 40, he decided to return to Olib for a visit.  Instead of flying like most people, he sailed to Olib in his 13 meter (about 40 feet long) sail boat.  This was quite an undertaking.  It would be quite a feat for a full crew of men to make this trip under the best of circumstances.  As it turned out, Ito sailed much of the way single handed. First, a little background on Ito.  He was born on Olib in 1942.  When Ito was three years old he was stricken with Polio and both his legs were effected. There was no doctors on Olib to help him.  Although his legs were weak even as a child, his upper body was very well developed.  Today his body resembles that of a “body builder.”  Equally, he has always had a very strong will and once he decided to do something, he did it no matter how difficult it was.  It was therefore no surprise to his classmates on Olib when they heard of his adventure. Accompanying Ito on the onset of the trip were two of his American friends, a man and a woman.  They all left Los Angeles and sailed to Mexico where they encountered rough waters.  So they docked at the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta where they celebrated New Years day, 1982.  While in Puerto Vallarta the woman in his crew did not continue the journey.  This left him with only his male crewman.  The two men continued on until they reached Costa Rica.  After arriving in Costa Rica, Ito’s remaining crewman decided against going on to Olib with him. In Costa Rica, Ito met Maria who decided to go with him to Olib.  It took them 36 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean.  The engine of the boat broke down while they were in Panama and they had no alternative but to use the sails for the remainer of the trip.  To add to this already difficult endeavor, Maria was so sea-sick most of the trip, Ito had to tie her to the mast of the boat to keep her from going overboard.  Ito had to sail this very large boat by himself from Costa Rica to Olib. Ito not only accomplished this, but he and Maria arrived safe and unharmed at the port of Zadar.  The Croatian newspapers in Zadar interviewed him on his arrival.  Later, Ito and Maria were married together they have a daughter.  One can only say this is something to be proud of and a great deal of praise should be given to Ito for this accomplishment.

 

BABAROVIC, JOHN Architect

John Babarovic was director of long-range planning at American Airlines in the late 1960's. He represented the airline in the design and engineering of the Super Bay Hangars in Los Angeles and San Francisco. These were the largest in the world at the time, designed to accommodate four of the new Boeing 747's and two DC-10's under one roof. He also designed the American Airlines terminal at San Francisco. While with the firm of Harrison & Abramowitz in New York, he worked on the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center and the Citibank headquarters. At the time of his death he was working on a double- decker docking system for the Airbus A380, a superjumbo jet that is planned to have two seating levels. Mr. Babarovic was born in Susak, Croatia, and was a graduate of St. George's College in Argentina and Syracuse University in New York. He served in the United States Army, in military intelligence, in the Korean War. John A. Babarovic died on November 2, 2001 in London, England where he lived. He was 69. He is survived by his wife, Anne Crawford Babarovic of London; a sister, Frances Baglantzis of New Rochelle, New York; two daughters from a previous marriage, Juliana Babarovic Jaynes of Newport News, Virginia, and Christina Maria Babarovic of London; and a grandson.

 

BABICH, JOHN Baseball

John Babich, the tall right hand pitcher whom Connie Mack grabbed off the Yankee farm at Kansas City, a year ago, might well be called: "Jack the Yankee Killer" for, despite the fact the Athletics finished last, Babich defeated new York five times out of six starts, and New York lost the pennant by only two games. John held the Yankees to thirty-six hits in the six contests. In the only game he lost to New York. Winning fourteen and loosing thirteen games for a team that had a percentage of only 351 at the end of the season was a great feat for Babich, especially when it is recalled that in 1936, John was believed to be through as a pitcher. In fact, that was what everyone thought except John, himself. He had developed an injury to his right elbow when with the Boston Bees and was forced to undergo an operation for the removal of a chipped bone. He went on the voluntary retired list and returned to his home in California.John had little to do but think about his future and when someone told him that George Uhle had been able to stage a comeback by reason of learning how to throw a "slider", John decided he would try to do likewise. He essayed to pitch for Boston again and also for Jersey City without success in '37 and was sent to the Mission team in California. Won twelve and lost eight. He became encouraged. In '38, he won nineteen and lost seventeen for Hollywood. The Bees recalled him but when the chance came to get Shortstop Miller from Kansas City, they tossed in Babich. He really staged a comeback with the Cowboys, winning nineteen and losing only six games. Despite that excellent record, the Yankees brought in Pitcher Breuer in preference to the veteran and this gave Connie Mack the chance to land the courageous Croatian in the draft, about the best bet Mr. Mack ever made in the annual selection. The training season in California was not a week old before the dean of managers knew that he secured a most dependable hurler, one who should be a regular starter. Johnny, who by the way, is a neighbor of Sam Chapman, also of the Athletics, was just eighteen when he reported to the San Francisco club for a trial. He was shipped to Globe, Arizona but recalled to win five and lose three games late in the season. The next year, 1932, he was free agent, he signed with the Missions and did so well in 1933, he was sold to Brooklyn. His trade to Boston, his injury and operation followed. Now at age of twenty-seven,Johnny finds himself really starting. More power to him.

 

BABICH, JOSEPH G. Judge

Judge Babich was first appointed to the bench as a Municiple Court Judge by Governor Goodwin Knight in 1957. He was elevated to Superior Court in February 1964, when he was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Sr., and served until he retired from the bench in April 1984. During his tenure as Superior Court Judge he was reelected to that office three times. During his term as Judge, among other duties Judge Babich was elected by his fellow Judges to serve as Presiding Judge of the Municiple Court ( 1962) and also of the Superior Court (1975, 1977). Judge Babich's father, Josip was born in Runovici, Croatia and came to the United States in 1906. His mother, Helen (Skrmetta) was born in the village Bobovisca on the island Brac, Croatia and came to the United States in 1900, when she was two years old. Judge Babich was born and raised in Sacramento, California. After service during World War 11, Judge Babich received his Bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1948, and his LL.B. degree from University of San Francisco Law School in 1951. He was admitted to the California Bar in 1952. Married with six grown children, Judge Babich resides in Sacramento with his wife of 45 years, Eleanor.

 

BABIC, NICHOLAS S. Guidance Counselor-Teacher

Nicholas Babic is a Guidance Counselor at Cleveland Heights High School Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Born October 31, 1929 of Croatian parents  in  Aliquippa, Pennsylvania; married with one child.  Educated at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania B. Ed., 1952; Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 1955-64; John Carroll University Cleveland, Ohio 1965-66 with a major in Education and a specialty in Humanities and Guidance Counseling. Member of American Personnel and Guidance Association; National Educarion Association; American School Counselors' Association. U.S. Army Education and Information Supervisor, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma 1954-55 .

 

BABIN, TOMO Longshoreman-Military

Croatian-Americans have been a part of many different political movements in the United States. Communism was no exception. Indeed, Croatian Americans constituted in the early years of the history of the Communist Party of the United States of America one of the largest ethnic groups in the Party. Since the fall of Communism, documents have been released from various archives which shed some more interesting light on this often overlooked aspect of our history. One of the  more incredible stories involves Torno Babin, born in 1901 in Preko - Poljane, near Zadar. We do not know too much about Babin's early life although after he arrived in New York he appears to have mostly worked, like many of our immigrants from the islands and Dalmatia at the time, along the docks of New York's West Side. By the early 1930s, Babin became active in Communist Party organizations and a member of the Party as well. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War saw Babin volunteer for the International Brigades and he served as commissar of a battalion while there.

After his return to New York, Babin assisted in organizing the Yugoslav Seamen's Club. Primarily consisting of Croatian seamen and shipyard and dockworkers, the Club was a Communist-controlled front organization. It nevertheless achieved great importance in the Croatian-American community and, during World War 11, became one of the most vocal supporters- of Tito's Partisans. During this time, Babin came to the attention of the American Office of Strategic Services, the precursor of the CIA. The OSS, and its British counterpart, the SOE, recruited several dozen primarily Croatian-Americans and Croatian-Canadians who were to be parachuted to Tito's forces. At the time the Allies  had yet to establish formal contacts with the Partisans. Apparently, the OSS and SOE believed that these immigrants, all of whom appear to have been Communists, would be perfect for such activities.

While Babin never made it to the Partisans, he engaged in surreptitious activity on behalf of Soviet Military Intelligence, known by its Russian initials as the GRU. Authors John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, in their work Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), note that certain documents, recently released by the America's National Security Agency (and available on their website) show that Babin provided the GRU with information about his recruitment work for the OSS and SOE as well as providing it with "a steady stream of information ... about American shipping in New York harbor."

The Americans never caught Babin. After World War 11, he joined Yugoslavia’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and served, at least publicly, as Yugoslavia's attache for relief work and for its merchant marine at Yugoslavia's embassy in Washington, D.C. He continued to remain a liason with the Croatian-American community and is known to have had contacts with various Croatian-American and other Communists.

In 1948, however, he left the embassy after having announced his support for Stalin following the Tito-Stalin split,  Babin, who had married to an American-born Croatian, sought political asylum in the United States, claiming that he would be persecuted if forced to return to Yugoslavia. However, the United States had already instituted repressive measures against Communists and initiated deportation proceedings against him. American authorities finally succeeded in deporting Babin to Poland in 1950 and he died in Warsaw in March 1956; far from both his native Preko and his wife and children in the United States.

 

BACH, NENAD Recording Artist-Composer

Nenad is a recording artist, composer, and performer who has recorded for Sony, Polygram and many other labels. Two of his albums reached No. 1 in Europe, and to date he has sold over one million records. In addition, he has performed all over the world with a wide range of artists, including Luciano Pavarotti, Bono & The Edge (U2), Brian Eno, Indigo Girls, Richie Havens, Garth Hudson & Rick Danko (The Band), Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead), Martin Sheen, Michael York, John Malkovich, Ellen Burstyn, and many more. He performed at Woodstock '94, and in 1998 he made a compilation album with Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen and Allen Ginsberg. In March 1999, he opened the Miss Universe pageant in Europe with his new song "Miss Universe." Nenad also writes and records music for film and theater. He has scored many features and short films. One such project was "King of Cool," a biopic about the life of Steve McQueen, which premiered on American Movie Classics (AMC), to over 65 million households. Another was "Life beyond Timothy Leary". Subsequently, Nenad scored the Mladen Juran film "Transatlantic", which was the Croatian entry for consideration as Best Foreign Film in the 1999 Academy Awards. He just finished scoring a new film directed by Burt Young called "Murder on Mott Street".

Finally, Nenad is also a record producer with a special interest in documenting the fascinating but little-known musical traditions of his homeland, Croatia. His most recent work includes the production of three new acappella albums: "Fire  on the Sea," by Klapa Fortunal; "Following  the Cross," a collection of Lenten chants based on 600-year-old   Gregorian Chants never previously recorded; and just released "Novaljo, Novaljo," by Klapa Navalia. Nenad's work and his life story have been featured on all the major US TV networks (CBS, ABC, NBC), on CNN, on Sky Channel, and on TV channels in Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Japan, and many other countries. Press coverage has been similarly widespread, ranging from The New York Times to Billboard, from The Washington Post to Corriere Della Sera, and from The Boston Globe to the New York Daily News. Nenad's most recent solo record is "Thousand Years of Peace" which will be released in 2001. The album was recorded in Nenad's own recording studio, which he also uses for his scoring and production work and which was designed to accommodate anything from acappella vocals to rock and roll to symphonic orchestras on a location.

He is currently in preproduction for a new solo album, which is due for release in Spring 2002. Nenad sang in the new recordings of "We Are Family" benefit for the Sept. 11th fund as well as scored the film "The Making and the Meaning of We Are Family". His label just signed a contract for the worldwide promotion and distribution of "The Pharos Cantors"(Glagolitic Chants based on Gregorian Chants). He also recently completed work as a language consultant  for the literature and film project for all four of the Harry Potter books. Through his singing and songwriting Nenad's goal is to spread the message of joy and universal peace.

 

BACHAN, LUKE G. Fruit Packer

He came from Dalmatia, Croatia where he was born February 28, 1889, the son of Luke Bachan, a hardworking farmer whom he never knew, for he passed away when the son, L. G., was about three years old. His devoted mother is still living. On October 6, 1907, he landed in New York, eager to try his fortune under the more favoring Stars and Stripes; and soon after setting foot on American soil he boarded a train and started for California. On the 13th of October, 1907, Mr. Bachan reached the Pajaro valley in Watsonville and immediately went to work.  Luckily, he had been able to save a little money from his dollar-a-day income, and, though his beginning was unpretentious enough, he has been, by hard work, foresight and thrift, very successful. This is evidenced by the fact that he has just bought the Dunbar & Hansen plant, with all the equipment -a very important adjunct. His success here has developed an intense interest on his part in all that pertains to the growth and future of Watsonville. Mr. Bachan has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Tresa De Lares, by whom he has had two children, Catherine Anna and Luke George, Jr. Mrs. Bachan, who was beloved by all who knew her, died November 1, 1922, and he had subsequently married Miss Maria P. Alaga, by whom he has one child, Alice Maria. He is a republican; has attended to the third degree in the Knights of Columbus; is a Forester of America; and belongs to the Austrian-American benevolent Association.

 

BACHMAN, JOSIP Tamburitza

Josip Bachmann was the organizer and director of the Tamburica orchestra "Croatia" in the Croatian parish of St. Anthony's in Los Angeles. As an expert of Croatian tamburica music which interested and occupied him since his early youth in his native Osijek in Croatia. He was born January 7, 1915. In his native Croatia he belonged to the Croatian eagle Club and the Croatian Krizarsko Bratstvo.  He played for Radio Osijek. Music was always a great part of Josip Bachmann's life-especially after his musical education, which he finished at the Osijek Musical Academy. Josip arrived in the United States in 1957, where he continued to contribute to the artistic life of the Croatian community in Southern California. As a conductor of the "Croatia Orchestra" he held many a concert-not only in the parish halls of St. Anthony but also in many of the musical institutes of the United States. In this way, many thousands Americans first heard Croatian tamburica music. He also conducted for three phonograph albums: "Croatian melodies", "Croatian Sounds" and "Songs from Croatia." Many of these were difficult selections from very accomplished Croatian tamburica composers. Maestro Bachmann devoted much of his time-even as he worked regularly-to the Croatian children and young people to whom he taught the different tamburica instruments free of charge.

 

BACICH, STELLA Fashion Designer

Stella Bacich, or “Stella of Hollywood”, became a successful fashion designer of women’s sports clothes in the 1930s and was commissioned by various movie stars to design sport slacks.  She was an American citizen, originally from Los Angeles.  Stella was one of the youngest of California’s designers to be in business for herself.  She also worked in such movie studios as Film Modes, Kay Dell Screen Modes and Dorothy Newman.

 

BADOVINAC, JOHN Editor-President CFU

John Badovinac, former president of the Croatian Fraternal Union, edited Bulletin (Vjesnik) of St. Nicholas Lodge No. 14 of the CFU in the late 1960s. He also edited The American Croatian Pioneer, which was issued monthly by the Lodge No. 663 of the CFU in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and is still a rich source of information on Croatian local history. For over ten years The American Croatian Pioneer was dedicated to the service of its members and to all CFU members in the greater Cleveland and northern Ohio areas. John Badovinac published many articles on Croatian history and ethnic history; these were published in the Zajednicar newspaper of the Croatian Fraternal Union. John’s family came from Zumberak, Croatia.

 

BADURINA-JUSTIS, LORRAINE M Reference Librarian

Lorraine Badurina is a Librarian at the Oregon College of Education, Monmouth, Oregon. She was born to Croatian parents June 25, 1945 in Vancouver, Washington. Education includes Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 1963-67, B.A.; University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, 1967-68, M.L.S. with a major field in English and a sprecialty in Librarianship.

 

BAGARIC, DALIBOR Basketball 

Dalibor Bagaric has changed his summer plans after a heart-to-heart with operations chief Jerry Krause, who convinced the second-year center it would be in his best interests to participate in the Bulls' summer program. Bagaric had grown so disenfranchised with a lack of playing time, he vowed to stay in Croatia throughout the summer. But Bagaric has seen more playing time since Brad Miller was traded to the Indiana Pacers, and Krause made sure Bagaric understood the importance of remaining in Chicago. ''Dali and I talked,'' Krause said. ''He's going to stay here. "He's going to go home to get married, then come back for the summer program, like everybody else. ''He's a nice young man who was frustrated. But we never have had any problems with Dali. He's a hard worker.'' Bagaric said he has adjusted his attitude after talking to Krause, who drafted him with the 24th pick in 2000. ''[Krause] told me what I have to do and what I'm supposed to do, and I will do it,'' Bagaric said. ''We had a good talk. ''And now I'm playing more, and it's a better situation. I will be here.'' Bagaric is under contract through next season. March 10, 2002. 

 

BAHORIC, JOHN Professor

Born June 21, 1936, Chigago, Illinois. Educated at 1955-57 Menlo College, Menlo Park, California, A.A. 1958; 1961-64 University of the Americas, Mexico City, Mexico, B.A.-1964; 1964-66 University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, M.A.-1967; 1969 University of New Mexico, Ph.D. Candidate in Ibero-American Studies. Instructor of Spanish at University of New Mexico, Department of Modern Languages, Albuquerque, New Mexico. He specialized in Spanish and Latin American Literature. U.S. Army Service in Germany, 1957-1959 and study in Austria.  He speaks Spanish, Portuguese and German and is a member of the Modern language Association.

 

BAHR, CAROLINE Tamburitza

It all begins with one woman.  Caroline Puskarich, a native of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, played in junior tamburitz groups as a child and then went on the play, dance, and sing in the well-known Duquesne University Tamburitzans.  Moved to California, she married Afred Bahr in 1962 and settled in Mountain View to begin her married life. But once a tamburitzan, always a tamburitzan, and she missed the dancing, playing, and singing that she was used to.  The solution was to start up a tamburitza group of her own based upon her past experience in Pennsylvania. In 1965 Caroline gathered a group of some fifteen adults who were willing to work at this new experience, found some instruments, and began teaching in various homes and in the fruit-drying shed on the Sulaver ranch in Cupertino.  Shortly after that beginning Caroline started several junior groups and the era of the Veseli Seljaci and its allied groups was launched. By the mid-1980’s the tamburitza and kolo groups numbered about a hundred participants.  Veseli Seljaci played to enthusiastic crowds at nearly twnety national Extravaganzas and had presented yearly concerts to large audiences. There were invitations to play in Seattle, several cities in Nevada, and in southern California.  During their most active period, the Veseli Seljaci recorded 4 LP records and 4 cassette tapes, and they performed at 15 Tamburitza Extravaganzas in various cities around the United States.

 

BAJURIN, DAN Restaurant

What more appropriate name could be chosen for a restaurant specializing in sea food than Popeye? That popular sailor popped into mind of Dan Bajurin when he planned his new eating house in September, 1936, at picturesque Fisherman’s Wharf, 2770 Taylor Street in San Francisco.  And so, when you step past the large stove on the sidewalk where fresh lobsters, shrimps and crab are cooked, into the dining room, you meet Popeye face to face in the amusing paintings on the wall of the Popeye Fish Grotto.  You see him in his various sea adventures which are delightfully intriguing.  Then when you are seated in one of the comfortable open booths, he again greets you on the menu. It is always gay and interesting relaxation to go to Fisherman’s Wharf.  The atmosphere of the sea, of fishing, of the Latin race, of the ships which sail the seas, always enfold one and carry the mind to distant shores, from whence came these men of many lands, where fishing was their calling in the old country. Quite in keeping with this are the four partners of Popeye Fisherman/s Grotto.  Two of them, Dan Bajurin and Mario Zarish, are from Dalmatia. When Dan came to California in 1929 he missed his fishing adventures and decided to have a restaurant where fish would be the specialty. He has worked and had restaurants since that time in Sacramento and San Francisco.  Before opening Popeye Fish Grotto, he worked in one of the most popular of the fish grottoes in Fisherman’s Wharf. Airy, bright, new and clean, the dinning room can accommodate as many as 92. The charcoal broiler is of the latest type and not only is broiled fish a specialty but this one eating place at Fisherman’s Wharf where one may feast upon tender broiled steaks and chicken.  And, if some of the party desire fish and others do not care for it, each may be satisfied to his taste. The pots of chowder, Boston clam and Coney Island clam chowder, the mackerel pickled by the chef that day, the trays of freshly shelled shrimps, the great jars of newly made dressings, all were in readiness for customers.

 

BAJURIN, NORBERT Golden Gate Yacht Club-Commodore

A small San Francisco boating club known for its stiff drinks and salty characters is making an impressive and unlikely bid for the oldest prize in professional sports, the America's Cup. If it succeeds in this elite, highstakes race being waged in the waters off New Zealand, the Golden Gate Yacht Club - whose Commodore is a radiator repair businessman - could change the staid and sterIing image of yachting.

Nineteen members of the Golden Gate club spent the last two weeks in Auckland, New  Zealand, partying with the sailors and cheering for their high-powered team - aware  that bringing the Cup home would be like hosting the Olympics on the Bay. The regatta is an exclusive party the band of blue-collar boaters never imagined attending.

The Golden Gate snagged its front-row seats to the Super Bowl of sailing through an unexpected deal forged between the modest mechanic and Silicon Valley mogul Larry Ellison. The Golden Gate is the official sponsor of Oracle BMW Racing, a syndicate, bankrolled by the software billionaire.

The incongruous pairing happened after talks unexpectedly broke off between Ellison and the city's prestigious St. Francis Yacht Club. The club had balked at Ellison's requirement that three members of Oracle racing sit on the St. Francis, board. Golden Gate Commodore Norbert Bajurin, who runs Alouis Auto Radiator in San Franciscos Western Addition, says he feels like a proud parent. "I got goosebumps walking around Auckland, seeing signs and billboards with pictures of our club burgee with the Golden Gate Bridge on it," said Bajurin, 46, a former Rohnert Park cop.

"Most people that I met in New Zealand believe we are a large club representing the upper crust of San Francisco society," Bajurin said. "I'm proud to let  people know we are a small, people-oriented club that has struggled to maintain its very existence." The pale-gray Golden Gate clubhouse is situated between Crissy Field and the Marina Green, about 100 yards from the St. Francis. Bajurin is credited with taking the club from a state of imminent demise to the pursuit of sailing's Holy Grail. Desperate to find sources of revenue to sustain the club, Bajurin pitched the sponsorship idea to Bill Erkelens, a Bay Area sailor who runs Ellison's racing operations.

“We knew we had city-front property. We knew Larry has a house in Pacific Heights, and if he’s not out on the bay sailing, he could be sitting up there watching the race. Oracle Corp. CEO Ellison, an accomplished amateur sailor and fierce competitor, is spending $ 85 million of his fortune in hopes of bringing the Cup to the San Francisco Bay. He is one of four billionaires backing syndicates. Oracle racing got what it wanted out of the sponsorship deal: a club that would allow it to manage its own sailing operations and stage its own defense if victorious. The Golden Gate secured a much needed infusion of cash. More than 100 members of Oracle racing became dues-paying club members. The club charges a $ 1,000 initiation fee and $90 in monthly dues.

 

BAJURIN, RUZA Teacher-Croatian Activities

Her death came upon suddenly in 1999. Her husband Joza passed away just few months ago, and now it seems that Ruza longed for joining her dear Joza. Ruza Bajurin was born in Zenica, Bosnia, on October 2, 1918. She attended elementary and high school in Zenica. Her parents moved to Zagreb, so she continued her education in Zagreb. She graduated in linguistics: French, Italian and Spanish. Beside those languages she was interested in Esperanto and Russian. In 1942 she was sent to Berlin as an official interpreter at the Croatian embassy. There she met her future husband Joza. She married in Berlin. The son Borna was born in Zagreb in 1943. By the end of the war the couple separated- Ruza returned to Zagreb with her son Borna, and Jozo moved from Switzerland to America.  She was working and studying in America. She worked in an exclusive school in San Francisco teaching French, Russian and Latin. She founded the Croatian Fraternal Union  Lodge "1007 Ivan Mestrovich". She was the secretary of the Lodge for many years. Furthermore, she organized the Croatian Library with an enviable number of books. She founded the Croatian language school. Ruza was a humanitarian person. She had been working for years as a volunteer in the senior's home "Laguna Honda". She also wholeheartedly worked to ease the pain and suffering of Croatian orphans.

 

BAKARICH, GERALD S. Judge

Judge Bakarich was appointed to the bench as Municiple Court Judge by Governor Deukmajian in January 1991. Judge Bakarich currently sits on a Superior Court, assignment in Department 98 (a criminal department). Judge Bakarich is a second generation American. His grandfather, Stjepan, was born in Udbina, Lika and emigrated to the United States to settle in Rose, Nevada and work in the copper mines until his death as a result of a mining accident. Judge Bakarich's father, Nick, was born in Rose, but as a teenager moved to Sacramento, California. Judge Bakarich received his Bachelor's degree from California State University, Sacramento in 1975 and his J.D. degree firom Lincoln Law School, Sacramento in 1982. He was admitted to the California Bar in 1982. Judge Bakarich is a Chief Warrant Officer with the California National Guard. Prior to his becoming a judge, Judge Bakarich served the City of Sacramento as a police officer and, after passing the bar, the County of Sacramento as Deputy Disctrict Attorney. He and his wife Peggy reside in Sacramento, California. Judge Bakarich has three adult children.

 

BAKOTICH, JAKOB Stonemason   

My parents Jacov (James) and Tonina (Antoinetta) Bakotich came to San Francisco Bay area in March 1905. Dad came earlier in 1900. He returned in 1905 to marry mother in her home town of Vis, Croatia on island of Vis. They were childhood sweethearts in Vis, and were married in Sveti Duh Catholic Church across the street from mom's house, which I have visited three times. They honeymooned in Split and Trieste and took a boat from there to New York, which took 30 days. The train was the next transportation to San Francisco. Mother's maiden name was Slavic and her mother's maiden name was Mare Cargotic. Dad's mother's maiden name was Tonina Puhalovic. Dad was an artisan stonemason having learned his trade from his father and older brother, Antone, who were contractors in this trade in Vis. Dad worked in the Bay area, Napa and Martinez. My sister Mary was born December 7, 1905 in Martinez. They moved to San Francisco in 1906 and were all shook up by the April 18, 1906 earthquake. They lost all but 2 blankets and a knife dad's father had given to him. They evacuated to a park near their Green St. apartment and then to Oakland to the home of friends. Later, that year 1907 they moved to South Palo Alto (Mayfield) and later bought a home on Kipling and Hawthorne Streets, Palo Alto. My brother James  was born 1909, and I was born there later. Dad also later helped to bring his younger sister Lena, from Vis. 

 

BAKULICH, PETAR Fisherman

In 1921, my father, Petar Bakulich, arrived in Bellingham, Washington. I think he came to America through Canada. He was 19 years old and was born on the Island of Vis, Dalmatia, Croatia.  I do not know a lot of his personal history at that time. However, he lived with his sister, Yela Mu1jat and brother-in-law, Nickola Mu1jat; who were the parents of my first cousins, Frank and Vince Mu1jat. I am writing this article to let the people of Bellingham know how this young immigrant from Dalmatia is a forgotten part of your city's history in the early 1900's. His first job in this country was during the development of your beautiful Fairhaven Park.

He pulled tree stumps after the trees were cut down to clear the area that would be used for the park. To do this, he was given two mules in a team attached to a wedge plow and with a series of chains when the setup was completed - he would give the command to the mules, and hopefully pull up the stump. If he was successful he would then go to the next stump. Sometimes the stump was too big or too deep and when he gave the command, the mules moved forward and if the plow wedge got caught under the stump the wedge plow would catapult him over the stump and he would land between the mules. This was because my father had a firm grip on the handles and was not able to release his hold in time. He would describe his displeasure in a language only another Croatian would appreciate, and not for publication in this letter. Anyway, with some thanks to my Dad, Bellingham got its Fairhaven Park and my Dad had his first job in America. At best, it was a tough job even in those days for a young man trying to find his way in America. I never visit Bellingham without passing through the park. I have a warm feeling about his contribution to the people of Bellingham. This story was repeated time and time again to my sister, my brother, and me.

After the tree stump-pulling job, he joined the salmon fishing fleet like so many other Croatian immigrants. This was another tough job as described in early articles of the Pacific Northwest Croatian. To say that these men were only fishermen does not do them justice. These men were pioneers of the industry and innovators of supporting industries, canneries, boat builders, net manufacturers, harbor builders, and many other businesses up and down the coast, from Canada to Mexico. Together they helped develop the largest fishing industry in the world. These pioneers of that legacy should never, ever be forgotten.

Around 1921-1924, my father met my mother, Mary Ru1jancich, daughter of Tomazina and Frank RuIjancich. Mom and Dad lived on 12th Street with the rest of the Dalmatian immigrants and Mom's three sisters, Pearl, Antonette, and Helen. It was an easy walking distance to the boat docks, or in my father's case, the walk to the future Fairhaven Park. My mother graduated from Fairhaven High School around 1923. She came to America with her mother and dad when she was five years old. My father didn't get along too well with his potential in-laws, in fact, they tried to discourage any relationship between the two. However, my Mom and Dad were determined to get married and plan their future together. They hopped on a train from Bellingham to Sacramento,

California where my Dad had relatives. On October 28, 1925, they were married, but the marriage did not have the blessing of her parents. My mother was 19 and my father was 24. Of course the relationship between my father and his in-laws improved over time and they became good friends. Once they were married in Sacramento, they moved directly to San Pedro. There was another colony of Dalmatians who like many other fiiends and relatives from the old country, were willing and waiting to give a helping hand to a newcomer.

It was at this time he joined the San Pedro fishing fleet.

We all know that tuna and sardine boats are very large and very expensive to operate. Consequently, there were very few individuals who were sole owners of these boats. Instead, the fishermen would get together with friends and relatives, form partnerships, and then purchase a boat. My father was a partner in the following boats: the Magellan, Oakland, Betsy Ross, and the Blue Sky. All the boats are now docked in Davey Jones' Locker. No one can say that being a fisherman is an easy job. Most of the fishermen I knew had a philosophy Of "when pulling on a rope, and if whatever you were pulling did not move, and you complained that this is too hard - they would say it couldn't be that hard, You didn't break the rope yet. " Another bit of wisdom was given to me when I first started fishing and we had a good season. "'Seven years good luck, seven years bad luck. Son, save your money in the good years for the bad years because you'll have them and then they won't be so bad "  Even fishermen have fun and often it's very spontaneous. Once while fishing off the coast of Mexico, about 200 miles out to sea, my father fancied a swim. He took a long dive out of the crow's nest from about fifty feet up. He made the mistake of diving with his mouth open and on impact with the sea, his false teeth popped out and he lost them. it took two months to replace them; good thing Dalmatians like soup! He never did that again!

These old timers had very little tolerance for effors or mistakes and if you made one, look out! Once again fishing for tuna off the coast of Mexico, we were in a set and caught a school of tuna mixed with about 15 tons of sharks. Since I was just getting my start I was assigned to work the skiff, when the skiff came along side the boat I was given a long boat hook and told to push the skiff away from the boat so they wouldn't bang each other due to the roll and pitch of the sea and cause damage. The rest of the crew were on deck hauling in the net. While pushing the skiff away from the boat, the hook got caught in the net and all work stopped so I could release the hook. If I didn't release the hook it might have ripped the net, and we could lose the tuna. As hard as I tried I couldn't get the hook released. My father lost his patience and took matters in his own hands. He took off his boots and jumped in the water with the sharks, pushing them out of the way with his bare hands. Then he swam through the sharks to the boat where the hook was tangled. He unsnarled the hook and swam to the skiff, he handed me the boat hook then swam back to the boat. The crew was waiting for the sharks to bite my dad, but they didn't. Then my father told me not so nicely to never make that mistake again. He was a real trooper when it came to giving someone a chewing out. After the set was over and we had the tuna aboard, one of the crew members whispered to me that, "Even the sharks think your old man is too damned tough to eat. "

In the early 1930's between the tuna and sardine fishing season and during the light of the moon when the fishing fleet was not fishing my dad played soccer with the local San Pedro team called the "Jardrans" he played with this team for a number of years and the family and relatives would go watch him play on Sunday aftemoons. In his younger days he was very spry and to prove it he would jump over the open hatch on the Betsy Ross and also he could stand along side the kitchen sink and spring jump to the top surface of the sink. Some of his fishing buddies who were friends on Vis before they came to America told me that he should never have left Vis and stayed there and became a professional soccer player. I guess it's from his side of the family that we inherited our ability to play good sports. Like my cousins Frank and Vince Mu1jat in basket ball, my cousin Anthony Brajcich, baseball; my brother Frank, Baseball; and myself, all league - Ist team basketball; and my nephew, Joe Lovitto, who was drafted at age 18 to play major league baseball for the Texas Rangers. All of these, like my dad, were above average in sports. I remember once when my neighborhood boy fiiends were out playing football in the street and my Dad came home early from working on the boat. He saw us kids playing and asked us if he could kick the ball we gave him the ball and he sent us down the street to catch the ball except when he kicked it - his foot went through the ball and it popped! There was so much excitement between us kids, that I don't remember what we played the rest of the day, probably marbles.

In the Dalmatian tradition around Easter my Dad, my uncles, and fishing buddies would get together and buy a spring lamb, slaughter the lamb, save the innards, heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys. My Mom would make a Dalmatian island stew with potatoes called "Kulin" in Croatian. They would sit around the table eating this stew and drink home made wine and praise God how good it tasted. "Boga stoye vo dobro" Drink more wine and have a good time. About 3 o’clock they would all go home, the parting shot was "We have to do this again next year." I think these guys liked my Mom’s cooking - and the wine wasn't bad. either.

In 1954 thru 1956, 1 was stationed in Ketchikan, Alaska in the US Coast Guard. In 1955 my father made his last fishing trip. I think this year he gave up tuna fishing to make one more salmon trip so that he could see me. Sadly, we were only able to spend one afternoon together; and at that time he complained about a sore he had in his mouth. When he returned to California the doctors diagnosed it as advanced cancer. He was a heavy smoker, drinker, and a tough fishing son-of-a-gun. He died on January 18, 1956. His funeral was huge even by San Pedro standards. For you and  I he lives on in Fairhaven Park. So whenever you pass through Fairhaven Park, remember one of your own who helped make this park and say a prayer. (Bakulich 2000)

 

BAKULICH, PETER JR Fisherman-Military

Tuna Trip Aboard the Blue Sky: By 1948 1 had been fishing for 2 years and was no longer considered a novice fisherman or deck hand, and also thanks to my father Petar Bakulich, I was also part owner of the 85-foot purse seiner, “Blue Sky." We had a crew of eleven men, all Croatian, from up and down the Dalmatian coast and the islands of Vis, Dugi Otok, Brac, and Korcula.

The newest member of the crew was my friend Matt Milosevich. We were pals in high school and he wanted to try his luck at commercial fishing. Matt's folks - although not from any of the Dalmatian islands, they were still from Croatia up around the Area of Rijeka. Matt's father came to !the US through Canada but not into the Pacific Northwest. He came through the Northeast through Minnesota then south to Colorado, this was in the early 1900's. The folks settled in an old town on the Santa Fe Trail called Trinidad. The town was very active in the cattle drives during this extended period. Matt's Dad worked in the coal mines and he bought a 50 acre farm where Matt was raised with his 4 brothers and 3 sisters. During the depression Matt's father was also a part-time copper-smith making wine barrels in the barn to help support the family (along with some bootleg spirits that Matt doesn't like to talk about). Matt moved to San Pedro in 1942 during WW 11 and we have been friends ever since.

All the crew members of the Blue Sky were able-bodied, experienced men who could be counted on to handle any situation on a typical fishing trip. In May or June of 1948 we were getting ready to fish tuna in Mexican waters which would take 5 to 7 days traveling time before we came to the fishing grounds. After saying good-bye to our families and friends at the San Pedro fish docks, we left the Los Angeles harbor around 6 P.M. We were now under way and heading south off the California coast. Matt and I were assigned the 8 P.M. to midnight watch. At night out on the ocean around 10 P.M. there is a darkness that is darker then a midnight wine cellar. I mean you can't see anything 30 feet away - no stars were out, no moon, no nothing! I was on the helm steering the boat and Matt said he was going to go below to check out the engine room and deck. He was on his way back to the bridge when Matt saw another crew-meniber on deck. His name was "Svetco" an old-timer fisherman with many, many years of experience, Svetco was attempting to fetch a bucket of sea water to flush the toilet (in those days this was the only way to flush). Svetco made a very dangerous mistake that almost proved fatal. One of the first things a fisherman or any seaman learns is that you never ever wrap the end of a rope that fastens to a bucket around your wrist, because when you throw the bucket into the water, the weight of the water rushing into the bucket causes a force strong enough to pull any man over board unless he is on good solid footing. This is what happened to Svetco, he couldn't retrieve nor let go of the bucket so it pulled him over board. Matt was standing about 20 feet from Svetco and saw the whole thing, He immediately made his way back to the bridge where I was steering the boat. Very emotionally, he tried to tell me that Svetco, fell over board. I very calmly told Matt that this was his first fishing trip and to quit horsing around-we don't play that type of joke on each other and this is a serious thing to be kidding about. Boy he sure got excited then... He said, "Pete, No I'm not kidding and go to hell, Svetco, did fall over board!" He finally got through to me and I turned the boat around, reversed course and we woke up the crew. Then we started searching the waters with a high-power search light. We finally spotted Svetco bobbing in the water, waving his hands and shouting to be helped-he looked like a floating orange. By now Svetco, had been in the water about 10- 15 minutes. George, another crewmember, quickly went to the bow of the boat with an emergency life ring. When we came close enough to Svetco, George threw the life ring and made the perfect throw right over the arm of Svetco. I think Svetco was going down for the 3rd time. When we got him on deck, he was holding onto the life ring -for dear life-so hard that we had to pry it off. We all knew that in a few more minutes Svetco would have drowned. As it was, Svetco was suffering from cold and exhaustion. We got him undressed., dried him off, and gave him the fisherman's cure all-two shots of bourbon whiskey and put him to bed. We were all very thankful he was alive as we continued on our way to the fishing grounds in Mexico.

The next day when Svetco was almost recovered and dressed, he showed us his arm that was in the life ring. It was black and blue from his wrist to his shoulder, bruised and tender from grasping the ring so hard. He was very grateful to the whole crew but especially to Matt. He gave Matt most of the credit for saving his life and he promised Matt that when we returned to San Pedro he would buy him a nice pair of slacks from "Brown Brothers" the best men's store in town. Matt and old Svetco became good friends. He took Matt under his wing and spent time teaching him the fundamentals of being a fisherman. He had great gratitude to Matt for sounding the alarm and saving his life. Matt said he was a cranky old fart who complained all the time.

In about 30 days we caught enough tuna to load the boat and headed for home. Back at San Pedro after 2 days of unloading the tuna, the crew was ready to go home. Svetco was all dressed up with his polished brown shoes, nice tan pants, matching shirt and tie, and to top off this outfit he placed an expensive tan colored Stetson hat on top of his head-he really looked the part of a sharp dude, He was ready to leave the boat and told every one good-bye then told Matt he was going to town and buy him the promised pair of slacks. As he went to step off the boat onto the dock, he lost his footing and fell into the water.  “Oh no not again!" This time there was no fear of Svetco losing his life, only the loss of pride and humility of this very experienced seaman falling into the water at the dockside. Most of the crew rushed to the side of the boat to watch Svetco. There he was spitting and sputtering, his nice Stetson hat floating off his head about 4 feet away. The skipper of the boat asked him, "Svetco what the hell are you doing in the water?" There was Svetco cussing as only a Dalmatian can, against his mother, father, God, his friends, the crew and any one else within shouting distance. The crew was hysterical with laughter, laughing so hard that we were incapable of helping him out of the water or even to throw him a rope to climb out, which made him more angry. One of the crew got hold of a small brailer and retrieved his hat that by now was soaking wet. When he finally got back on board all he could say in his fine Dalmatian accent is "This is a voodoo-boat, a voodoo-boat, and it's trying to kill me!" The crew went into another fit of laughter. He went into the cabin to change his clothes and we could still hear him cussing out the voodoo-boat, He finally got dried off and changed, As he was leaving the boat for the second time, someone said, ""Hey Svetco don't forget your hat!" which caused another round of laughter.

The next day the crew was back on board to finish up the chore's left over from the last fishing trip and to get everything ready for the next trip. Svetco came on board a little later and called Matt over to give him the new pair of slacks, then he went into the cabin and packed his clothes into his duffel bag and left the boat. As he was leaving you could hear him say, "damn voodoo-boat! "

From that day on, I've never seen Svetco again, that was over 50 years ago. Matt and I are both over 70 years old, live in Fullerton, California and play golf together 2 or 3 times a week. We still reminisce about our fishing experience aboard the Blue Sky; some how, now and then, Svetco gets into the conversation and we have a little chuckle. We don't remember the last names of Svetco, or George who threw the life ring, or even some names of the rest of the crew; but then it's not necessary. I imagine that all the crew has passed on since Matt and I were the two youngest of the Blue Sky Crew at that time. The next year, 1949, 1 moved to Bellingham, Washington and for 3 months lived with my Teta, Yela Mu1jat, on'the north side of town. I went fishing salmon on the boat, Uncle Sam with Jack Radisich. Jack died the following year from cancer. He was a very good man and skipper. After the season was over I returned to San Pedro and fished sardines and tuna for a few more years until I joined the coast guard. Matt also quit fishing and joined the army serving in Korea. After his discharge he became a successful construction contractor. (Bakulich 2001)

 

BAKULICH, VIRGIL Goldminer-Police Inspector

Read this except from the April, 1946 of Police and Peace Officer's Journal and see if you have life experiences to match those of Inspector Bakulich. If you do, then you might write your autobiography and retell the escapades and adventures of your life story. While Inspector Bakulich is certainly not the last San Francisco Police Officer to became a published author, it is entirely likely that he was the first! And read about his ironic chance meeting with one of the great American writers of the 19th Century. Could that encounter have been the inspiration for Inspector Bakulich to became a writer? One of San Francisco's most colorful, efficient, and courageous police officers, who served in the San Francisco Department from July 11, 1894 to March 19, 1919, is completing for publication a book entitled "The Flight of My days," which could well be titled "The Recollections of a San Francisco Policeman". This former police officer is Virgil N. Bakulich, who now with his wife resides in San Jose. A giant of man, standing 6 feet 4 1/2 inches when he joined the department, Virgil Bakulich was a most imposing figure. A native of the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia he left that country in 1881 and  arrived in California, then teeming with gold miners and the usual camp followers. He was the most able linguist the department has ever had, speaking, reading and writing Greek, Russian,(Croatian)Slavonian, Italian, German and English. During his service as a police officer he figured in the capture of many hardened criminals and solved many crimes, all of which are ably presented in his autobiography. To give an idea of the contents of his forthcoming book we will present many of the most important topics he has prepared after careful research and from his personal diary of events that few men have occasion to experience: A preface of his autobiography in which he tells of his parents, his native country, its antiquities, of the visit of Emperor Franz Joseph to Dalmatia in 1869, and of his departure for America in 1881. He tells of the gold fever that drew his father to California and how his father lost his life by drowning in the Lincoln Mine, Amador County. His arrival in California was the beginning of many hair-raising escapes and a series of personal attainments in law enforcement and athletics. He tells of his narrow escape after falling down a 1100 foot mining shaft in Plymouth, California, shortly after arriving in this country. He moved to Sonora, Toulumne County in 1885, and two years later found $5,000 in gold in a gold pocket on Brown's Flat. He tells of many escapes from caveins, falls and blasting. Also he recites the instance where he prevented a tar and feather party in 1888. He sets forth how he left the mining country in 1889, and came to San Francisco, and one of the first things he did was to find $475 in a lavatory at 151 Eleventh Street. He joined the Olympic Club, and as a novice won the coast championship for tossing the 56-pound weight. At the old Woodward Gardens he participated in a stubbornly contested international tug-of-war contest which lasted one hour and 47 minutes, with Bakulich's team winning. On July 11, 1894 he joined the Police Department and from that time his life was filled with action as following list of cases he took part in working on. He visited his native land in Dalmatia in 1900 with his father's remains, thus fulfilling his promises to his mother when a boy. Cupid's darts and arrows in Split ending in matrimony December 20, 1900. Return to America. Earthquake and fire in San Francisco, April 18, 1906. Robert Louis Stevenson's very valuable ring and jewelry recovered. Arrest and conviction. Retired from the San Francisco Police Department march 19, 1919. With Peter Dragicevich opened a steamship and insurance office.  Second visit to Dalmatia in 1922. Out of gratitude for favors received and his instantaneous cure, built a memorial chapel to his beloved parents dedicating it under the auspices of St. Theresa of Lisleux to the greater glory of God.

Returned to California in 1939. This book of Virgil Bakulich is bound to be interesting to many of the old timers of this city and we wish the old detective sergeant all the success in the world. We knew him well, and he was a fearless, hardworking and loyal peace officer.

 

BALCH, JOHN Contractor-Stonecutter

Much of the sanitation and health of the inhabitants of San Pedro  depends upon the efficiency  with which its great underground network of sewers have been installed.   John Balch was responsible for about 95 percent of all the big sewer installations made in San Pedro between 1913 and 1927.   Balch was born in Herzegovina, June 13, 1869.  He studied in a local seminary and in 1884 passed the preliminary examinations for the Catholic priesthood.  For four hundred years his male ancestors had been stone cutters and, instead of completing his preparation for the priesthood, he learned the trade of stone cutter and became a proficient letterer.  In 1891 he took passage for the United States, landing here with a capital of about 3,000 dollars.  His first employment was in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York, where he received an average of from five to eight dollars a day, which was considered an excellent wage at that time.   In the meantime he was attending night school and studying English,  In 1907 Balch came to California for his health, being advised to do so by the company which continued to pay his salary. Mr. Balch took one trip home in 1894, returning in 1895.  He was married in Newark, New Jersey, August 4, 1898 to Carrie Pennington, a native of Mount Morris, New York.

 

BALICH, JOSEPH C. Attorney

Joseph Balich is an Attorney at Law in Summit, Illinois. Born October 11, 1925 of Croatian parents in  Summit, Illinois, Educated at Carleton College, Northfield,  Minnesota B.A. 1949; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, LL.B. 1952 with a major field in law. Member of Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity.

 

BALIC, STEPHANIE Croatian Activities

Stephanie earned a degree in English from California State University, Sacramento.  She worked for a major telecommunications company for several years.  In 1990, she married Bozidar Balic from Dugopolje, Croatia.  They have three children: Adriana, Ivana, and Stephan. Stephanie is also a vital member of the Croatian American Cultural Center as her duties go beyond those of secretary.  She takes care of all rental correspondence and catering proposals.  This year, she took on the job of souvenir book layout, typesetting and art work.  She is also a charge of catering at the Croatian hall and her hors d’ ouevres are famous.  Her parents, Stojan and Sally Butigan, both deceased, were among the founding members of the Croatian American Cultural Center.

 

BALOKOVIC, ZLATKO Violinist

A world-renowned violinist and activist, Balokovic was born in Zagreb.  During the 1920's and 1930's, he and his American wife, Joyce Borden, toured extensively in Europe; but during World War II they settled in Camden, Maryland.  Balokovic became deeply involved with many wartime committees; and in 1946, the couple visited Yugoslavia as official representatives of the American Committee for Yugoslav Relief.  There, he became personally acquainted with Marshall Tito, Milovan Djilas, and others.  In 1947, Zlatko and Joyce Balokovic returned to America for a coast-to-coast speaking tour telling of their experiences. He was involved with Yugoslav and Croatian organizations such as the American Committee for Yugoslav Relief (1946-1950), the National Council of Americans of Croatian Descent (1943-1948), the United Committee of South Slavic Americans, and the United Yugoslav Relief.  Until the 1960’s, Balokovic continued to give concerts.  He died in 1965 and was buried in Zagreb.

 

BAN, HRVOSLAV Priest-Editor-Author

Fr. Hrvoslav was bom on August 31, 1924 in Stobi, Macedonia. Fr. Hrvoslav comes from a Zagreb family, and lived in Zagreb since he was 8 months old. In the Croatian capital he finished elementary and high school. After World War 11 he studied art history and archeology. He was an associate with all the religious papers in Croatia, but because of his national and religious works he was imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement twice. Afterwards he studied philosophy and theology in the Gregorianum in Rome. Four years later he edited the historical program for Radio Vatican, from 1966-1969 and 1971-1972. After the collapse of the Croatian Spring in 1971 he left Europe on June 27, 1972 for America. He became a member of the Franciscan community in the same year and was ordained a priest by Croatian Cardinal Franjo Seper on November 4, 1973 in New York. For a short time he served at SS. Cyril and Methodius parish in New York, and in 1974 he came to Chicago to work in the office of Danica. After the death of Fr. Ljubo Cuvalo he took over as editor. He was also an editor of the Croatian Almanac. He again served in the Croatian parish in New York as assistant pastor (1978-1981), and in the same position for St. Anthony parish in Sharon, PA (19811982), and St. Jerome in Chicago (1982-1992). Fr. Hrvoslav was an author of many books and articles.  He was also the author of many radio dramas and editor of many books. Fr. Hrvoslav returned to the homeland in the summer of 1992. He died on April 23, 2000 in Humac and was buried there. The funeral mass for Fr. Hrvoslav was celebrated in Humac on Easter Monday, April 24th by Fr. Tomislav Pervan, Provincial of the Croatian Franciscans of Hercegovina. Following was interment at Novo Groblje cemetery.

 

BAN, PAUL Engineer-Contractor

Paul began working for General Motors, Allison Engine Division at the onset of the Second World War. He taught Air Force recruits warplane engine repair and maintenance at Lambert Field in St. Louis. Very soon after, he was sent by General Motors to the West Coast and was subsequently stationed at various air bases from the state of Washington to California. This was all exclusively under the purview of the Fourth Air Force. His job was to instruct pilots and other personnel on engine maintenance and repair of the famed WWII fighter plane, the twin-engine P-38 Lightning. He had been involved with the development of a supercharger for that plane's engine and related many a hair-raising story of flying cramped behind the pilot's seat on test flights to "troubleshoot" engine problems. He was scheduled to continue in the war effort overseas but the assignment was canceled with the end of the war. General Motors offered him permanent employment in California but he resigned. He chose to stay close. to family and friends in the St. Louis, Missouri area. There he resumed his career as a contractor. Never, however, could he ignore his love of flight. He followed the development of jet propulsion and the advances of science in space travel to the very end. Music was a big part of his life. He played banjo in several bands while he was young. He always sang and harmonized at every gathering and had acquired quite a collection of Croatian music. He surprised us all, when in his declining years, he decided to learn and master the harmonica. Paul was born Oct. 26, 1908 in West Frankfort, 1llinois. In November, 1932 he married Danice Klarich and they had two children, a son Paul and a daughter, Danice. Paul died August 10, 2000. Paul was the person who always greeted you with a smile, handshake and new joke. He and Danice were always the gracious hosts and their outward appearance often belied the difficulties they experienced through their lives. Their daughter, Deenie, had health problems throughout her lifetime and sadly she succumbed to those illnesses on Oct. 22, 1982 at age 35. Paul is survived by his wife Danice, son Paul, granddaughter Gina Burton and her husband, Tom, and great-grandchildren, Sarah and Paul, in addition to his brothers, John and Emil Ban, sister Katie, brothers and sisters-in-law, many relatives and countless friends. Paul's funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph Croatian Church, St. Louis and a eulogy was given by Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 167 President, Robert Potocnjak.

 

BAN, SAMUEL Goldminer-Restaurant-104 Years

Brother Sam would have been 105 years of age November 12. 1989  Sam was born in the village of Ugljane near Sinj in Dalmatia and came to America in 1903.  He worked as a field hand in the Dakotas and for restaurants in the mining towns of Arizona and Nevada.  Adventure took him into the gold fields of Alaska where he hiked the Yukon Trail.  He settled in San Francisco in 1912 and in the next three years in this order, became a U.S. citizen, bought a home and married his first love Helen, after just two months of their first meeting. Sam became an avid lawn bowler, a sport he participated in till his late nineties.  The Bans had four children; Catherine, Matt, Violet and Anna, and were a close and loving family.  Helen passed on in 1969. Sam was a very special person to his friends and brothers of the Slavonic Society where he was a member for 65 years.  He had a special gentle charisma about him and was always surrounded by family and friends. In medieval Croatia a Ban was a lord or master over a province of territory.  True to his surname, Samuel Ban lived a noble and regal life.

 

BANAC, IVO Professor

Professor at Yale University, Connecticut. Ivo was born in Dubrovnik on March 1, 1947. His parents are Niko and Anuska Banac.  Education: Fordham University, New York, Stanford University, MA in historical science (1971) and PhD (1975). He was assistant at Stanford University (1975-77); assistant professor at the History Department (1982-88); full professor at Yale University, Connecticut; (1988); editor of East European Politics and Societies, journal; correspoding member of HAZU. Published: the National Question in Yugoslavia: Origin, History, Policy (1988); With Stalin Against Tito: Informbureau Breach in the Yugoslav Communist Movement (1990); The Croatian Language Question (1990); Dubrovnik Essays (1992); Against Fear (1992); edited six books. Member of:  Croatian Academy of America; American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies; IVIH; the International PEN Club.

 

BANINA, JERRY Tamburitza Music

My father, Joe Banina, was born on Veli Iz, an island in Dalmatia, Croatia He never heard a Tambura untfl he settled in East Chicago, Indiana. The first time he heard Tamburitza music he fell in love with the sound and decided he wanted to learn and to play with a group. He talked a few other guys in the area to join with him. They bought "Farkas" Tamburitzas, hired an instructor, John Rozgoj. They called themselves "Tamburaski Zborg Zuljezda" and that was the beginning. So, of course I heard that sound from day one. The "Old Timers" called us the "Scrap Gang". In 1940 we made our first official debut. I was 12 years old. In grade school I joined the band. Learned to play the trumpet, trombone, and baritone born. I became interested in American music and learned, to play the guitar and bass. In high school I had a 12 piece dance band, and also played with a Polka band for awhile. I also played with a Romanian orchestra for a number of years. In 1950 1 was drafted into the Army and played with the 28th Division band. When I returned home the "Zujewzda" name was changed to "The Star Serenaders" - that's another story. The four of us, Deak Raffkin (my uncle), Harry Zuvich and Steve Deanovich began a fantastic musical association that lasted for nearly forty years. After Deak passed away, we chose Dave Nanista to take over for him and we are stfll strumming away. In the "80's" I was an instructor for the Indiana Harbor Junior Tams for five years. I wrote my own arrangements. Now I am an assistant director for the Hoosier Hrvati Taniburitza Orchestra of Northwest Indiana, under the capable leadership of Edo Sindicich. With all my experimenting with different music forms, I never gave up on my tamburitza music -- I love the sound, just like my Dad.

 

BANOVAC, BOB Restaurant

Park Place, 1980 Union St., San Francisco.  Park Place, opened in 1977,  has everything you always wanted in a seafood house but were afraid to ask for.  The old Cooperage interior has been artfully expanded to seat 75 on two levels (the back section is now raised instead of sunken), redone in natural wood with elegant simplicity, and now much larger patio area encased in glass, with outdoor lighted planting.  The casement windows at tableside (in beautiful doweled frames) all open out, while overhead a massive redwood structure supports a “cathedral” ceiling of clear glass whose great panes also open.  Two intrepid window-washers have at them daily, and even at night some of the panes are open, freshening the air.  Hurricane mantle lamps light the tables, in white and brown linen, matching a sparingly used brown-check wallpaper.  Seating is in cane armchairs.  It’s a beautiful dining environment.Park Place, is the first to offer the specifically San Francisco style of that cookery- Dalmatian cuisine in the tradition of Tadich’s, Sam's and Maye’s.  There’s nothing imitative about this.  Principal owner is Dalmatian-American Bob Banovac  and the manager is Tony Ivelich, whose father Dominic was chef at Tadich’s for 40 years.  Here you’re served the seafood you were born and raised to recognize as right.  For example, I had the day’s special- broiled red snapper (a fillet the length and breadth of the fish), striped black from the grill and tasting of the charcoal, but so moist it was still seeping its juices.  Only Dalmatians from Croatia can do that.

 

BARAC, ANTON Fisherman

Anton Barac was born in Stilja, Dalmatia, Croatia on April 24,1908, the son of Lovro and Jela Barac. There were five boys and two giris in the family. He came to United States in 1938, and settled in  the Pacific Northwest, where he worked as a f1sherman, Anton Barac died on January 12, 1984. Survivors include his wife, Iva of Tacoma; son, Ljubo of Sunnyvale, California; sister, Kata GrIjusic in Dalmatia; brother, Mate In Argentina; grandsons, Marijan of Tacoma and Anthony of Rijeka, Croatia and one granddaughter, Shirley of Sunnyvale, California. Anton was a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union in Tacoma, Washington.

 

BARANOVICH CLAN

Also written as Barhanovich, the Baranovich clan originates from Sibenik in Dalmatia and the Barhanovich clan from the island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Vincent Baranovich’s activities were first discovered with a notice of mail at the Post Office at Victoria, British Columbia in 1870; in 1871 he was fur trading in Alaska. He also was associated with John Peratrovich who had married and Indian in Alaska and had 29 children; other Croatian associates were Tony Valensolo and Tony Markovich in Alaska. Vincent W. Baranovich was Secretary of the Haida Indian Tribe in 1938. Anton Baranovich was a 36 year old fisherman in 1880 at Clatsop, Oregon; the US Census  listed him as Italian. Andrew Baranovich was a cook in 1900 in the Santa Clara Valley of California and Peter Baranovich was a waiter in San Francisco in 1903.

 

BARATTA, MIRA R. Congressional Affairs

Mira Baratta served as an Adviser on Foreign and Defense Policy to former Senator Bob Dole. She also served as Legislative Assistant for Arms Control and Foreign Policy to Republican Leader Dole from June, 1989 until June, 1996. From 1986-1989, Ms. Baratta served in the Reagan Administration as Deputy Director for Congressional Affairs at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Before her tenure at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, she was a legislative aide for foreign policy to then U.S. Senator Pete Wilson, now Governor of California. In 1982, Mira Baratta graduated magna cum laude and received her degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. She has completed graduate work at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Medford, Massachusetts. Currently, Ms. Baratta worked on the Presidential campaign for Bob Dole. Mira Baratta's hometown is Pasadena, California, where she resided until 1978.

 

BARBARE CLAN

One of the first shipbuilders was Stephen Babare, who came to the United States in 1881 on a ship which traveled around the Horn. Upon the death of one of his children, he returned to Starigrad, Island of Hvar, Croatia, his home. In 1886, he received a certificate of engineering from the Academia di Commerici e di Nautica in Trieste. In 1891, he returned to this country, bringing with him all the tools of his trade, many of which were handmade. Babare decided that Tacoma would be the ideal place for an experienced shipbuilder. He was a master at his trade. Some of the boats built by the S. Babare Ship and Launch Company were the Sloga in 1904 and a nine horsepower boat commissioned by Frank Berry, the Rustler, which was built in 1906. The last boat built by Babare was the Starigrad in 1909. When he died in 1910, George and Nick Babare, his sons, established the Babare Brothers Shipbuilding Company. Their sister remembered: George and Nick Babare built one of the first deep-sea fishing boats, the Oregon, in about 1911. 1 will never forget the ordeal my mother went through that time. No one had ever gone out into the Pacific Ocean to fish before. It was only to Cape Flattery, but the older people considered this plain suicide. Evidently the wives and mothers of these young people, who were planning this folly, were up in arms, meeting together, talking and trying to figure out how to stop them. The crew consisted of the captain and eight men. I came home from school one day and found my mother crying and wringing her hands. The women had called on her that day and told her that her two sons were no better than murderers. This boat that was going to the ocean could not possibly ever come back and all these young men were going to drown and they would never be seen again. My brothers tried to reassure her, told her there was nothing to worry about, but she worried. By 1918, the Babare shipyard was turning out a completed boat every forty-eight hours. In 1914, the government took charge of the shipyards to build boats for the war effort. Everyone who wanted to work for the Todd shipyards would come to work for a day at the Babare yard so that they could write that they had had experience on their job application. It was not easy to be the mother of shipbuilders. When a boat was ordered by an out-of-towner at the Babare yard, the customer was invited to stay at the family home for free room and board.

 

BARBICA-SABATINI KATICA Social Worker

Her maiden name was Barbica, born in Trpanj at Peljesac peninsula, Dalmatia. She moved in America when she was five years old. Studied at the University of California in the 1930’s. She is a social worker helping poor Croatian families in Oakland, California.

 

BARBAROVICH, JOHN Fisherman

After 1890, fishermen came to Anacortes from most of the fishing countries of the world, but especially from the northern Adriatic. The pioneer of the Croatian group was Ivan (John) Babarovich who left the Adriatic island of Brac, Croatia for America in 1879. His family lost track of him for many years but learned by chance that he was in Seattle, Washington. His brothers, Peter and Spiro with their families, joined him in 1902 and they all homesteaded on Sinclair Island. After a few years they moved to Anacortes for the sake of their children. The men became commercial fishermen, using small boats with room only for their nets and fish. During the fishing season they lived in camps on the beach where the women of the family cooked for them. In 1910 John Babarovich built a larger boat, the "Uncle John," with facilities for eating and sleeping. This made the fishing more flexible. (Sleasman 1999)

 

BARBIER, MATTHEW J. Sea Captain-Oyster Beds-Military

Captain Matthew Barbier, a highly successful oyster man and owner of three splendidly equipped boats plying the lower reaches of the Mississippi from New Orleans, Louisiana to its mouth, started in the oyster business when he was fourteen years old in association with his father who owned and operated large beds in the Grand Bayou, In 1922 Captain Barbier started his own business, which he still owns and which, is operated from his headquarters at Empire in Plaquemines Parish. Captain Barbier has his general headquarters and residence in New Orleans at 2804 Dumaine Street. Two of three boats owned by Captain Barbier are used in towing operations for the Freeport Sulphur Company at Port Sulphur, Louisiana, and another boat, the "Texas," is employed in bedding oysters and the "Dixie" utilized, in running oysters from the beds of Grand Bayou into New Orleans. Captain Matthew J. Barbier was born in New Orleans on the nineteenth of September, 1888, a son of the late John Barbier, a native of Croatia who came to the United States and settled in New Orleans when he was twenty-five years of age, and Eleanor (Pellagali) Barbier, who died in 1922. The elder Barbier was for many years a prominent factor in the local oyster industry and continued in the business until his retirement a few years prior to his death in 1927. Captain Barbier was educated in the schools of Louisiana and during the World War was a member of the United States Navy, serving for eleven months as an attache of the New Orleans Naval Station before going overseas where he saw duty in France as a sailor on the warship "Wassaic." He is an expert seaman and has held both a pilot's and captain's license for a quarter of a century or more. On the seventh of November, 1917, Captain Barbier was married in New Orleans to Miss Florence Wenholz, also a native of the Crescent City. The  five children of Captain and Mrs. Barbier are Matthew J. Jr., born in 1918, now a marine engineer and operator of the boat "Denver" owned by his father and employed in the serviceof the Freeport Sulphur Company; Frederick, born in 1920 and now associated with the Odendahl Company; Dorothy, born in 1923, a member of the 1940 graduating class of the John McDonough High School in New Orleans; Eleanor, born in 1925 and Joan Barbier, born in 1927. The last two named children are students in New Orleans schools. For many years Captain Barbier has had a prominent part in local civic activi ties and is a member of the Slavonian Benefit Society and the B. K. of A. He is also a Mason, a member of Osiris Lodge, and is affiliated with the Consistory and Shrine. Religious association is with the Catholic Church.

 

BARCOTT, TONY Fishing-Professor

From Joseph Canetti's Seafood Grotto near the entrance to the Main Channel of the Port of Los Angeles, to the smoky bars and stucco prewar cafes of San Pedro and Wilmington, information on Tony Barcott and his class in commercial fishing has spread by word of mouth. I heard he was a good old man who knows everything, said Newton Martin, a merchant seaman from Uniontown, Pa. Martin arrived in Los Angeles last week looking for a job in the fishing industry. He was directed to Barcott.

Barcott's class in commercial fishing is held in the meeting room of the Fisherman's Cooperative Assn, a cream-colored building at the north end of Berth 73, a diagonal slip off the Main Channel southwest of Ports o’Call and home for the San Pedro fishing fleet On the far wall of the class room on the co-op's second floor, text-book -style charts illustrates families of fish. Another wall has a black-board on which Barcott leaves messages for students and visitors. A brochure illustrating foul-weather gear is tacked on a corkboard, along with row of postcards-some yellowed-from former students. (I tell the kids to send me a card.) The postmarks range from Alaska to Costa Rica.

The co-op is a hangout for fishermen and Barcott knows them all the crewmen; the skippers of the multi million dollar "tuna clippers,” white, slick and sleek of line; the owners of the chubbier and smaller local tuna boats of '40’s vintage with names like Saint jude and St Christina; the renegade skippers who fish outside the jurisdiction of the unions. If you have time, Barcott can tell story after story about their lives.

Barcott towers over most people. Short- cropped gray hair frames sky-blue eyes and large facial features eroded by sea weather. His hands are muscular from years of hauling nets, the second finger on his right hand misshappen-the result of a youthful accident. Born to Croatian parents, Frank and Fruna, who immigrated shortly after the turn of the century to the salmon-rich waters of the Pacific northwest, Barcott and his five brothers learned the trade of commercial fishing on the family's salmon boat. Barcott was crewing ("for free") by age 12 and dropped out of school in the ninth grade to work full-time for his father. The Barcotts eventually moved to San Pedro, and in 1945, in partnership with his father and brother Frank Jr., Tony Barcott became skipper of the Coral Sea, a 72 foot purse seiner built in Tacoma, Wash. Barcott married his next door neighbor, Winnie Vitalich, and they reared two children, Marie who lives in San Pedro, and Frank, an officer with the long Beach Police Department.

From 1950-58 Barcott was president of the Fisherman's Cooperative Assn., an organization owned and operated by San Pedro fishermen. By this time, Barcott had earned a reputation as an " honest fisherman," said one admirer. "Even the wise guys respect him."

Toward the end of the '50s, the fishing market fluctuated and Barcott fell on hard times. He decided to-sell his much-loved Coral Sea. A couple of years later, Barcott and a partner were able to purchase the Janis M., a cannery boat. He fished for almost another 10 years, but the seas seemed rougher and the trips longer. Barcott was getting older. The Janis M. was sold back to the cannery in 1968, and Barcott, without a boat, was at loose ends. He  worked for a while as a marine clerk on the docks, but he wanted something more to do. "I missed the sea, I prayed to God to find me an easy job," he said with a grin.

Around that time, the Fishermen's Union, Local 33 of the ILWU, and the Fishermen's Union of America, Pacific and Caribbean Area, of the AFL-CIO, in conjunction with the Fisherman's Co-op, wanted to start a class in commercial fishing. The unions asked Barcott to teach the class and he quickly agreed. But there was a catch: Barcott had to finish high school, then study for a degree in commercial fishing at UCLA to meet state requirements for teaching. Barcott was overwhelmed and "embarrassed” to return to school, but he did it. And in 1971, at the age of 57, after more than 40 years at sea, Tony Barcott the fisherman earned a brand new title: "The Professor." Barcott reached under the counter and pulled out a large chart with his students' names neatly printed down one side. Across the top were listed the skills he had taught them: Knots, Net Mending, Splicing, Gear Handling, Dockwork and Navigation. The class is held four times a year and costs $28. It is administered through Harbor Occupational Center, 740 N. Pacific Ave. in San Pedro. The most recent class began Tuesday. There is no age limit but Barcott will not take any one under 17-"We don't want to rob the high schools." Students who complete the course receive an Achievement Award from the Center. After getting a job and working 30 days on a boat, the student is eligible to join the fishermen's union. Half the students, Barcott said, want to make fishing a life career. The other half just need a job and a paycheck. On a local tuna boat that also fishes mackerel and anchovy, a student on a crew in one year can make anywhere,from $5,000 to $20,000. One man crewing aboard the bigger, lushly equipped, far-ranging clippers that seek only tuna can make between $30,000 and $45,000 a year. But it's not easy money. The work is exhausting. The local fleet follows fishing seasons and fish. The ocean, said Barcott, "is like a big highway. The fish don't swim, They follow along with the currents."

Between 80-100 students leave Barcott's class annually for the decks of a fishing boat. Barcott's employ ment placement rate is about 95 %. Each week at least a dozen former students and experienced fishermen return to the classroom either to brush up or pass on the skills that have insured the livelihood of the fisherman since almost the beginning of civilization. Barcott for the most part is candid with his students about the realities of a commercial fishing career today. Although some fishermen feel the local fishing fleet is doomed in San Pedro, "I don't tell my students that." But one of the reasons for the class is that the profitability of the fishing industry generally has not attracted the traditional source of manpower for the local fleet-- the sons of fishermen. Ironically, many of those men were put through school by their fathers for more lucrative careers in medicine or law. Most of the boats used to be controlled by either Dalmatian or Italian families, but the mix of the fleet has changed and family control has diminished,

"There's not one Dalmatian skipper today," said Barcott.

The immediate future holds either uncertainties for fishermen young and old. Competition from the Mexican government's desire for a strong fishing fleet, restrictions on fishing near the migratory path of tuna off the Pacific Coast of Mexico, other U.S. fishing treaties with foreign countries and dependence on tuna by the San Pedro fleet may combine to impair the livelihood of local fishermen. In the 50’s, when Barcott was president of the Fisherman's Co-op, the San Pedro purse seiner fleet (not including small, gill-net boats) numbered about 150. Today, he said, there are fewer than 50. But Tony Barcott has faith in his class, in his students, in the ancient affair between the fisherman and the sea. This is the philosophy of his class in commercial fishing. He is optimistic about the future and already has "a couple of guys in mind to take over the teaching job when he retires.

 

BARETICH, SAM Restaurant

Sam Baretich ( wife, Mary Haramia ) owned and operated the Ideal Café about 1900 and went on to become associated with the Palace and Vienna in Aberdeen, Washington, two of Aberdeen's best known eateries of the early days. Once established, he sponsored many Croatians to come here and either put them to work in his business or helped them locate in one of the many mills.

 

BARHANOVICH, F. YANKIE Insurance Business

F. "Yankie" Barhanovich is a highly respected and well thought of civic and business leader in the, Biloxi, Mississippi area. He's a successful insurance executive and a valuable member of our community. "Yankie" didn't achieve his position by waiting for it. He proved that by hard work and determination, an individual can end up at the top. F "Yankie" Barhanovich was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, sixty-one year's ago. In 1938, he started as a 23 year old agent with the American National Insurance Company of Galveston, Texas. After fourteen short months he advanced to Assistant Manager, and four years later was elevated to District Manager "Yankie" has held the position of District Manager for 33 years. In addition, "Yankie" won the company's President Trophy in 1968. His agency is among the top fifteen in the Nation for the past 30 years and his is the leading District office in the South Central Division, "Yankie" Barhanovich Is a self-made man. He made it to the top. During his Professional-career. "Yankie" found time to actively participate in civic affairs. He has served as president or chairman of many organizations such as the East Harrison County Lions Club and the Shrimp Bowl Classic. He also acted as State Commissioner of the Amateur Softball Association for 10 years. During his many years of community service, "Yankie" has received various awards. These awards include the Biloxi Outstanding Junior and Senior Citizen, 1970 Junior Chamber of Commerce Boss of the Year and the Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to Amateur Football. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1971. "Yankie" is currently chairman of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum Commission and former President of the Mississippi Coast Chapter of the National Football Foundation. Yankee was president of the Slavonian Society in Biloxi, Mississippi.

 

BARHANOVICH, JOHN Basketball Coach-Teacher

Everett, Washington. Now that John Barhanovich has watched his Cascade High School girls basketball team compile a 24-5 record and capture sixth place in the Class 4A state tournament, he wants to enjoy watching the activities of his three children. Citing a need to spend more time with his family, Barhanovich announced his resignation as Bruin basketball coach at the team's end-of-the-season banquet last night. In eight years as coach, he compiled a 90-89 record, including 55-22 the past three seasons. "The time commitment to basketball just got to be too much," said Barhanovich, who has taught marketing and business classes at Cascade for 10 years. After analyzing his options, he realized he wanted to make a change. "My kids are ages 2, 5 and 9, and they're going to be young only once," he said. "It's time to spend some time at home with my wife, Diana, and our children." He said offseason demands on coaches have escalated in recent years. "That's not necessarily bad," he said. "But in my situation, that's time I can't give up at the moment." Seniors Ann McColl, Ciara Papac and Jessi Williams formed a nucleus for this season's outstanding Cascade team, which had been together for several years. And Barhanovich said he wanted to remain with the team through their eligibility. McColl will attend the University of Wyoming, and Williams has a softball scholarship to Western Washington University. Papac is looking at community colleges. "There are things I'm going to miss big-time," Barhanovich said. "Like the games themselves. I'm going to miss the strategy. But it's the right time to allow someone else to take over. We'll still go to games on Friday nights. "And who knows?" he added with a laugh, "maybe it's time to go to the movies on Friday nights." Barhanovich, who also has kept Bruin football statistics for several years, promised he won't disappear, saying, "I'd still like to stay involved in athletics at Cascade High School." And he said he "didn't slam the door" on future coaching opportunities but called any such move "definitely in the distance."

 

BARICEVIC, ELIZABETH M. Professor

Professor Baricevic was born in 1923 in Portland, Oregon.  Her field is Romance languages and is a graduate of Marylhurst College, Marylhurst, Oregon. She received a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1951.  She is the Acting Chairman of the Modern Language Department at Marylhurst College. She presently resides in Portland, Oregon.

 

BARICEVIC, KENNETH Engineer

Kenneth Baricevic was born August 8, 1920 in Portland Oregon.  His field is Electrical Engineering and is a graduate of the University of Portland at Portland. He preforms consulting and application of electric utility equipment at Westinghouse Elec. Corp.  He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He presently resides in San Francisco, California.

 

BARISICH, GEORGE Fisherman

Mr. George Barisich is a third generation commercial fisherman. His parents are Croatian born, but came to Louisiana while still young. George was born in 1956 in New Orleans, and spent much of his childhood in Arabi, Louisiana. He presently lives in Violet in St. Bernard Parish, with his wife and children. From the age of eight years, he spent a lot of time on his father's boat helping with the shrimping. While working as a fisherman, he attended Southeastern University. George, like his brother, learned everything about fishing and shrimping from his father. When his father became too ill to work, he sold his half of the business to George. George has five boats, one of which he describes as being thirty-eight years old, which is made of cypress and double planked. Most of the time he trawls for shrimp, but he has also fished oysters. George is an active advocate for fishing as a traditional way of life. He says, "it's something that's in the blood."' Commercial fishing is far more than just a job to him; it represents an entire traditional way of life. However, he sees it is seriously being threatened by increasing governmental regulations. Today. commercial fishing is more high-tech than it was when George started shrimping in the 1960s. The fishing boats now have radar, VHF radio, and telephones on board. It's a totally different life than it was in the past. The one thing that has not changed is that shrimpers are still out fishing for many days. George comments, " I am usually out six to seven days at a time, and maybe sometimes a little longer." When asked, "what makes a good fisherman?", he answered,  "it's in the blood; also, believe it or not, it's the chase for the shrimp, and the adrenaline rush shrimpers feel.” Mr. Barisich is President of the United Commercial Fisherman's Association. For his presentations he speaks on various cornmercial fishing operations and he uses, tapes showing trawling and fishing operations on shrimpboats. George has attended the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the New Orleans Work Boat Show, the Islenos Festival, and the Bycatch Symposium in Seattle, Washington.

 

BARISICH, PROSPER AND KATICA Restaurant-Fish

Katica was  born to Visko  and Katica Zoranich Zaninovich in Velo Grablje, Dalmatia, Croatia on October 23, 1888. Her eldest brother, George, had emigrated to America in 1904; two years later, he returned for a visit to Velo Grablje.  While there he asked her to join him and cousin Vincent in San Francisco, which she did, arriving in San Francisco in 1910. There she met Prosper Barisich, a most congenial ‘Hvarani’ living in Fresno, whom she married in 1912.  Prosper was proprietor of a going business-- a fish market.  Their home on E Street became a weekend mecca for her brothers and cousins; there the young men learned of the excellent opportunities for farming in the San Joaquin Valley.   Many happy visits were exchanged between Fresno and North Dinuba, where her relatives settled on a 60 acre ranch.  After Prosper passed away, Katica married Vincent Tomicich, formerly of Los Angeles.  They became co-owners, with Drago Udresich, of the Mission Cafe, located on Fresno’s Broadway.  She passed away at age 89, on May 16, 1977.  A son to each of her dear “first cousins” carried Katica to her final resting place-- The Holy Cross Cemetery in Fresno.

 

BARKIDIJA, MIJO and KATA Croatian Activities

Kata Bogisic was born in 1879 in the village of Dubravice, near Dubrovnik. She came to America as a young girl in1902, first to Montana where she married Mijo Barkidija.  They had three sons, Ivan, Nikola and Pero, and two daughters, Kata and Mara.  In 1912 they moved to Los Angeles.  Six years later her husband Mijo was killed in a construction work accident.  She was always very active in the Croatian colony  and belonged to several societies.

 

BAROVICH, MIKE Movie Theaters-Mariner-Fisherman

Theaters throughout the Northwest have been owned and operated by Mike Barovic, who was born in the town of Janjina, Dalmatia, in 1897. When he was four, his mother died, leaving the family in the care of an uncle. At the age of twelve, a neighbor secured him the job of mess boy on the steamship Franconia. It was the beginning of a long adventure. The freighter sailed from Italy to New York. Barovic crossed the ocean many times, his last trip being on an Austrian fruit freighter at the time that Archduke Ferdinand was murdered. On the return trip to the United States, the ship dropped anchor in Camden, New Jersey. In 1917 the ship was interned in New York. The U.S. Bureau of Investigations took the twenty-six crewmen and placed them in a boarding house there. Since the countries were at war, these young men could not sail the seas. Barovic searched for work. Finally the Seamen were permitted to work on U.S. ships out of Bangor, Maine. Barovic made twenty-five dollars a month as a quartermaster, transporting coal on a collier sailing ship. Later, he moved to Chester, Pennsylvania, to work in the shipyards.

Having met fellow countrymen on his visits to Philadelphia and New York, Barovic and three companions set their sights on Washington State, where Pete Jugovich had gone. They worked their way across the country. The trio arrived at the Union Depot in Tacoma at midnight in 1920. At the train station, they were left without direction until a policeman named Holly, who was well acquainted with the Croatian Community in Old Town, took them to a boarding house there. Mike Barovic worked as a fisherman and took a job cleaning theaters. He met and married Andrea Constanti-Kovacevich, daughter of Dominic Constanti who had emigrated from the town of Starigrad on the Island of Hvar in the early 1890's.

Constanti fished and operated a wholesale fishermen's supply house and grocery store. He was a far-sighted man who loaned money to fishermen to buy boats and equipment. He also gave them groceries on credit and served as their banker. In 1917, Constanti purchased from his brother-in-law (Peter David, whose family had first settled in Orting) the Liberty and Everybody theaters in Tacoma and the Stewart and Dream houses in Puyallup. In March, 1924, he opened the Liberty Theater in Sumner and, in April, 1930, the Roxy in Aberdeen. Constanti was a successful theater man and plowed his earnings back into the business through the renovation of the old, and the acquisition of new, holdings. From mess boy to seaman to fisherman, in 1921 Mike Barovic moved to Puyallup to begin his own rags-to-riches story. He owned and operated the Beverly, Riviera, and Parkland Theaters in Tacoma, the Roxy and Liberty in Puyallup, the Riviera in Sumner, the Avalon in Bellingham, and, with partners, the Fife Drive-In and 112th Street Drive-In in Tacoma. From theater owner to entrepreneur, Barovic, has done all things well. He is an avid sportsman and has been honored for his contributions in this field. He has been a friend to people from all walks of life-from movie stars, to politicians, to fishermen, to farmers-and yet, he still says, "Dalmatians are the biggest-hearted people I have ever met." The state of Washington has benefited from the work, talent, and imagination of this genial Croatian.

Perhaps the story of Mike Barovic is unique in that, although he led an ordinary life, some extraordinary things have happened to him. One of these took place in the East, when, as a young seaman, he accidentally found the father he had never known. Mike recalled: I had some free time, so I went to play a game of billiards. I didn't know any of the men but I played a pretty fair game, and they asked me to stay and play again. As we became acquainted with one another, one of the men stated that he was from the town of Janjina, the place that I was a born. A little later, he said that his name was Barovic. I listened and cautiously I asked who his relations were and if he had any children. He said that he had two sons, Mitchell and Frank. When I came to this country, although my name was officially Mitchell, they called me Mike. just by chance, I discovered my father. After I brought my brother, Frank, to this country, I introduced them and we brought the "old man" to Washington to be near us.

 

BAROVICH, NIKOLA Hotel-Saloon-Winery-Goldminer

Nikola Barovich was born on December 31, 1830, at Janjina, near Dubrovnik (Ragusa), Dalmatia. At the age of 18 he became a sailor and embarked upon the Croatian sailing vessel Fanica.Flying the Croatian tri-color (trobojnica), the Fanica, commanded by Captain Ivan Kopatich, in 1849 entered the port of New York, with a cargo from Dalmatian ports. In New York young Barovich left the Fanica and boarded a Russian sailing vessel, and headed for the capitol city of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. Upon his arrival in Rio de Janeiro, Barovich left the Russian vessel, embarked upon another ship, and sailed via Cape Horn in the direction of California, hoping to get there in time for the gold rush, which was then in full swing. On June 17, 1850, he entered the Golden Gate, and arrived at the port of San Francisco. He immediately left the ship and went to the gold mines to seek his fortune. His search for gold took him as far east as Nevada. In 1852 Barovich opened a general merchandise store in San Francisco, and became quite prosperous. He was a leader among the Croatians there, and with the help of  other Croatians he organized, in 1857 THE CROATIAN SLAVJANSKO-ILIRSKO DOBROTVORNO DRUSTVO (Slavonic-Illyric Benevolent Society).

Nikola in 1856 owned the famed Constitution Saloon in San Francisco, and from 1857 to 1860 owned the Sebastopol Saloon on the corner of Davis and Jackson Streets. He had a business at Sonora, California in 1852-53 and no doubt financed his saloons with his good fortunes in the mining camps. He was a share holder in the El Tesoro Silver Mining Co. of La Pas, Mexico in 1863.

He married Miss Dolores Castro, a member of one of the oldest Spanish pioneer families in California, and his son Augustus was born in 1866 in Nevada; Amelia, 1868; Frank, 1869; Mary, 1871; Dolores, 1873; Nicholas, 1875; and William in 1877.

Nikola was a pioneer of Austin, Nevada and owned the Alhambra Saloon in 1866, the Sazerac Saloon in 1867 and Barovich's Saloon and shooting gallery in 1873. In 1867, to assist the Irish in Austin, he served on the St. Patrick's Ball Committee.

After the silver boom in Nevada, he returned to California in 1882 and opened the Dalmatia Hotel in San Jose. Later he ventured into wholesale liquors and operated a winery.

Nikola Dies at San Jose

Nikola Barovich, well known throughout this State and Nevada, passes away. San Jose, California- June 3, 1895--Nicholas Barovich, a well known resident of this city, and a pioneer of 1850, died at his home in this city last evening. He was a native of Dalmatia, Croatia, aged 66 years. He arrived in New York in 1849, and the following year came to San Francisco via Cape Horn. He made occasional trips to Alviso upon lumber vessels until 1851, when he went to the gold mines and met good success.

 

BARTON, NICK P. Music-Engineer

Metallurgical Technologist at U.S. Steel Gary Works, Gary, Indiana. Born March 5. 1917 of Croatian parents in Versailles, Borough, Pennsylvania. Educated at St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas 1936-37; Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, B.S. 1938-39; Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, Advanced Metallurgy Studies; Indiana University, Bloomington; Advanced Mathematics Studies. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois. Published Articles in various American journals. Instructed in Tamburitza Music Work with Youth Groups. Have written several musical compositions copyrighted. Most of them are English lyrics to various  Croatian folk tunes.

 

BARTULICA, NIKOLA D. Psychiatist

Nikola Bartulica is Assistant Superintendent at St. Joseph State Hospital, St. Joseph, Missouri. Born November 22, 1927 in Split, Croatia. Education includes Real Gymnasium, Zagreb, 1946; Medical Faculty, University  of Zagreb, M.D. 1953 with a major field in medicine and a specialty in Psychiatry; Fellow of Menninger School of Psychiatry, Topeka, Kansas, 1959-63. Published Psychology of Dictatorship (Third year paper for graduation by Menninger School of Psychiatry, Topeka, Kansas), 1963. Member of American Psychiatric Association; Alumni Association of Menninger School of Psychiatry. Experience:         Zagreb Emergency Center, Zagreb, Physician 1956-57; Institut Albert Prevost, Montreal, Canada, Resident in Psychiatry 1957-58; Provincial Hospital, Cambellton, N.B., Canada, Resident in Psychiatry 1958-59; Topeka State Hosp., Winfield, Kansas, Resident in Psychiatry 1959-63; Winfield State Hospital Winfield, Kansas, Clinical Director 1963-65; Staff Psychiatrist, Pierre Janet Hospital, Hull, Quebec, Canada1965-68.

 

BARTULOVICH CLAN Goldmine-Scientist-Croatian Activities

Sponsored by a relative in 1920, George Anton Bartulovich, 19 years old came from Gradac, Dalmatia, Croatia, to Leadville, Colorado.  He worked in the mines, eventually leasing “The Fanny Bryce” mine on Johnny Hill.  In 1927 he married Johanna Gornick who parents were John Gornick from Zvirce, Slovenia and Mary Koenig from Hinje, Slovenia. In 1928 twins George and John were born.  George Sr. built his own house in Leadville.  The family lived a little while in Ruth, Nevada where Geroge built another house.  Back in Leadville, when the twins entered first grade, their mother registered them as “Barr”, a name which became permanent for George.  John kept the name Barr through his army years, but when he was a freshman at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California he had his name changed legally back to Bartulovich, and he graduated with that name, with a B.S. in physics.  In 1944 the family moved to a neighborhood of Dalmatians on Cypress Street in Oakland, California, where Geroge worked as a carpenter and build this third house on Buena Ventura Avenue. Joanna died in 1953.  In 1959 George married Tera Markovina in Korcula, Dalmatia, and brought her to Oakland.  George was active almost 50 years in the Croatian Fraternal Union, serving as President of CFU Lodge 121 of Oakland.  He died in September, 1990.  Tera died in January 1992. George Barr married Violet Cetinich in Oakland, California in 1951.  Their children are Jeanette (1953), John (1957), and Elizabeth (1961), who has the only great-grandchild, Jack Ryan Fahey, born May 14, 1999.  Elizabeth is married to John Fahey and lives in Martinez, California.  She has a B.S. in psychology form UCLA and some teaching credentials.  George was an enviable dancer, bowler, and raconteur.  George worked as a lithographer and died in February 1994. John Bartulovich married Joan Backus of San Francisco in 1957.  Their children are John Jr. (1959), Mark (1960), and Regina (1961). Regina is married to Eddie RIchards and they live in Santa Rosa, California.  She has degrees in humanities from St. Mary’s Moraga and from Sonoma State U.  Joan has a B.S. from University of San Francsico, an M.A. from San Francisco State U. and specialist teaching credentials. John Bartulovich Sr. was a research scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Albany, California.  He was architect, carpenter, cabinet maker, plumber, mason, electrician.  His happiest years were when his father helped him.  His love for Slavic culture, history, music, food, and social events was enhanced by the kolo group he, George and Violet joined in 1949.  During his first 45 years in California he celebrated his Croatian and Slovenian heritage at the Church of Nativity in San Francisco. The Slovenian-language choir at the masses evoked happy memories of his childhood in Leadville, and he was hooked!  John participates in reunions for both St. Mary;s College and for the 11th Airborne DIvision which served in occupied Japan.  John continues to serve as President of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 121 of Oakland (and bowls with Lodge 900 of San Francisco), the Chuch of the Nativity, where he is on the Board of the CSUF (Croatian-Slovene United Foundation) and Slovenian Hall of Portrero Hill in San Francisco, where he is Vice-president of the Board of DIrectors.  He enjoys membership in Club Slovenia, the American Slovenian Association, and the Slavonian Mutual Benefit Society of San Francisco.

 

BARULICH, FRANCIS  Teamster-Military

Francis Barulich was born in San Francisco and spent his youth on a ranch in in Hollistcr with his brother Ed and two sisters. He is still remembered as a spunky athlete on the Serra High Football Team. He joined our Slavonic Society on April 10, 1940. He was one of the first called to the service as a member of the 148th Field Artillery and was on a troop ship headed for Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The ship was divertcd to Australia and Francis was in heavy combat thereafter from island to island. Fortunately he came through uninjured though his group suffered heavy casualties. After his discharge Francis met Anne and married in 1946 and worked as a teamster for Pacific Intermountain Express. Francis was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, past commander of the American Legion and active in Veterans Affairs. He was an avid golfer and pool enthusiast. His friends knew him as a happy person, who enjoyed his family and friends. Francis died on December 8, 1993. He leaves his wife Anne, daughter Beverly, four grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

 

BARULICH, GEORGE S. Police Inspector-Attorney-Pilot

George Samuel Barulich was born here in San Francisco and spent most of his youth living on Seneca Avenue across from Balboa High.  He was always an avid sportsman, who in his youth enjoyed early morning surf fishing on Bakers Beach with his brother Matt before his high school classes.  He achieved the rank of captain as a WWII Air Force pilot.  After the War, he attended University of San Francisco, and later evening Law School classes while working as a San Francisco Police inspector. George became an active, and respected member of the SF Bar.  He joined the Slavonic Society in April of 1971, and served as our Vice President and legal council, working diligently with his brothers for the acquisition of our present site facilities.  George had a strong zest for life, a passion and intensity for his work.  All who knew him felt his strength and resolve.  George leaves his wife Alyse, sons, George, Jr., Marc and Paul, and his grandchildren, Sara and Michael.

 

BARULICH, VICTOR Restaurant Supply

Mr. Barulich was born in 1921 In San Francisco.  A graduate of Sacred Heart High School, he co-founded Bi Rite Food Service Distributors in 1966, supplying some of the city’s oldest and most popular restaurants. Over the years, Mr. Barulich became well-known in the food business as his company grew from a five-person, $500,000 business to a 140-employee, $50 million enterprise that serves 2,500 hotels and restaurants. “Work was his hobby,” said his son, Stephen A. Barulich, vice president of Bi Rite.   Mr. Barulich founded Nugget Distributors Inc., a cooperative organization for 180 private food-service distributors nationwide that use their combined buying power to obtain discounts. Mr. Barulich served in the Army during World War II.  After the war he worked as a milk route driver for Berkeley Farms. From the mid-’50s to the mid ‘60s, Mr. Barulich owned and operated the Sunset Central Market, a corner grocery store, on 10th Avenue and Noriega Street in San Francisco. He Died in 1999 and in addition to his son, Mr. Barulich is survivied by his wife, Ziney M. Barulich of San Francisco; a daughter, Dianne C. Prindville of San Jose; another son, Stephen of San Francisco; and eight grandchildren.

 

BASICA, NIKOLA Railroad

Nikola Basica reached the Panamean port of Cristobal where he found a job. Nikola was born on the Island of Mljet, Croatia. He earned two dollars a day but did not work every day so he went to Balbao to find a new job. There he worked as a bartender earning fourty-five cents an hour. In 1933 on the boat "Ancon" he sailed to New York to find another job. In New York he found a job in a restaurant. He washed dishes and pots for one year earning fifteen dollars for five days of work. September 1939 he decided to go to his cousin Ljubica Basica in Monterey where she and her husband Vicko owned a restaurant. He worked in their restaurant until 1941 when he went to San Francisco. In that city he managed to find a job on the railway, as an assistant mechanic and eventually as a mechanic. His earnings were sixty-five cents per hour. In San Francisco he married Franica Milin originally from Lumbarda, Korcula. He moved to Oakland with his wife where he continued to work for a railway company until he retired in 1975. Nikola and Franica had two daughters, Nina and Lana. Both of whom are married. Nikola and Franica Basica live in the city of Alameda, California.

 

BASICA, VLAHO Family Clan

Vlaho Basica-Bujko with his wife Ana nee Srsen of Govedjari, Island of Mljet, Croatia went to America in 1908. He worked on an olive farm and vineyards around San Francisco, Salinas and Watsonville. In America they had five children: Ane (1908, San Francisco), Paul (1909, Salinas), John (1912, Salinas), Mary (1913, Watsonville) and Blase (1914, Salinas). The entire family returned to live on Mljet in 1920. There, in Maranovici, they had their sixth child, a son Neno born in 1922.  Their son Paul returned to California in 1928 to his uncle Nikola Srsen in Monterey, while his brother Blase and sister Ana returned to America in 1929. Paul later married Ana Markovich and had three children with her: Danica, Paula and Blase. After divorcing Ana, he remarried. From 1946 he lived in San Pedro, where he engaged in fishing. In 1959 his brother Vlaho came to San Pedro and from that time they fished together in the waters of the Pacific from San Pedro to San Diego. Blase married Kata Ruzica originally from Prvic Luka near Sibenik. They had two sons. Vladimir and Vlaho. Pavo visited Mljet in 1974 and Blase in 1973 and 1988.

 

BASICH, VLADIMIR Architect-Croatian Activities

Vladimir Basich, 66, the Croatian-born architect who supervised the design of Chicago buildings such as the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown and architectural award-winning guard towers at Cook County Jail, died Monday, October 16, 200 while on vacation near Split, Croatia. Mr. Basich, who always went by Walter with English-speaking friends, had an eccentric sense of humor and a passion for finishing event the most difficult projects on time and on budget. During his 25 years with A. Epstein & Sons, the Chicago-based industrial and commercial architectural firm, Mr. Basich always handled important projects and saw to it he got the manpower to accomplish them, said Wayne Bryan, a retired architect who worked with Mr. Basich there. An expert at managing design and construction, Mr. Basich's imprint can be found on the Cook County courts building in Maywood, Curie High School on the Southwest Side, and in architectural remodeling done at the Criminal Courts Building next to the County Jail at 26th Street and California Avenue. "He was very efficient, very capable," said Bryan, who described Mr. Basich as driven and outgoing. "You knew he was there. He was a strong character. You'could always hear when he was around." Mr. Basich was a child in Zagreb, Croatia, when World War 11 broke out. The detail-oriented Mr. Basich later told his children he was entranced by American movies at the time. He said he kept a careful record of all the films he had seen during that period. When he graduated from the Uniersity of Zagreb with a degree in architecture in the mid 1950s, he was disillusioned with the communist government  and spent several years in Germany before coming to the United States in 1961. He stayed with family members in Gary, Indiana, before moving to Chicago and beginning his architectural career. A jocular man with an engaging, if something puzzling, sense of humor, Mr. Basich had a love of minutiae. Words held a great fascination for him, and he learned as many of them as he could, always making a point of using just the right one to express his ideas. A voluminous reader of history and politics, he developed strong opinions and didn't shy away from expressing them. Much of his attention was devoted to Croatia, of which he was a staunch proponent. In 1974, he led an effort to buy an old supermarket on Devon Avenue and renovated it to create what is now the Croatian Cultural Center on the North Side. Working with Croatian Catholic priests and other community leaders, he strove to foster a unified Croatian American presence in Chicago throughout his life, his family said. His Croatian boosterism even was reflected in his team loyalties. He became a Bulls fan when Toni Kukoc, another Croatian joined the team. Mr. Basich founded his own firm, Basic Architecture, in the late 1980s. With his wife, Elena, whom he married in 1967, he divided recent years between their Northbrook home and a condominium in Naples, Florida. He retired last year. Mr. Basich also is survived by two other sons, Adrian and Alex; and two granddaughters.

 

BASKOVICH, NIKOLA M. Businessman-Fisherman  

Mr. Baskovich was born in the Croatian city of Makarska, April 21, 1890. His father, Paul, was a business and hotel man in that city, and his mother, Catherine, was from a prominent family. At the age of sixteen he came to America and landed in New York, friendless and unable to speak a word of English.  He remained in the Metropolis only two days, going from there to Norfolk, Virginia, where he remained for a time before coming to Los Angeles, where he arrived on Christmas day, 1906.  There he obtained a high school education and also took a special course in a religious school.  After finishing his schooling he went to San Francisco where he landed with a capital of one dollar and fifty cents.  A policeman to whom he appealed got him a job washing dishes in a restaurant.  Shortly afterward he left San Francisco and went on to Wilkenson, Washington, where he secured work in the coal mines.  He was soon promoted to foreman and remained for four years.  In 1912 he left the mines and went to Alaska as a prospector for the Fidalgo Island Packing Company.  It was a trip filled with many hardships, and he fished for salmon while there, remaining for about six months.  He returned to Tacoma, where he worked in a pool hall for a time, going from there to Puget Sound, where he fished for salmon, 1913-1914. He then took a trip to the Bering Sea for the Pacific-American Fisheries in 1915-17.  In 1917 he was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after all of the equipment of this company.  He was married that year and had the misfortune to contract a sever case of influenza, which lasted for eighteen months.  In 1919 some tuna boat fishermen from that district came to San Pedro and recommended him as manager for the boats of the Nelson, & Kittle Company.  He left his sick-bed in Tacoma and came to San Pedro, where he was employed by this  concern for three years.  When it was combined with the Van Camp Sea Food Company he became supervisor of the entire fleet of three hundred fishing boats.  During this period he also became proprietor of a meat market and grocery at Thirteenth and Center streets.  He also owned an interest in some Washington boats and was a member of the advisory Board of the Bank of Italy.  Mr Baskovich was a member of the Los Angeles Elks, the Croatian Fraternal Union and Dalmatian Club.  He was married November 19, 1917, to Miss Ana Cuculich of Tacoma, Washington, daughter of Mathew and Frances (Pasic) Cuculich.

 

BATINA, ANTHONY J. Dentist-Military

Anthony Batina is a dentist in Chicago, Illinois. He was born October 4, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois to Croatian parents; he is married with two children. Education includes De Paul University, Chicago, Illinois, 1946-49; Loyola University, Chicago. Illinois, 1949-53, College of Dentistry, D.D.S., 1953 with a major field in dentistry. Member of American Dental Association; Catholic War Veterans; Delta Sigma Delta.         Military service in England, Germany, France, Belgium; World War II service in the Army 1944-46.

 

BATINICH CLAN  Military 

In July 1944, just one month after the Allies’ bloody Normandy invasion, infantry Pfc. Mitch Batinich landed on Omaha Beach. He took part in the battle of Falaise Gap, then joined Gen. George Patton’s Third Army until the war’s end. Fifty-six years later Batinich’s son, Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Gary Batinich, pinned a long-overdue Bronze Star on his father. The ceremony took place Sept. 9, 2000 the same day Colonel Batinich assumed command of the 466th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. There wouldn’t have been a ceremony had Colonel Batinich not filed forms to receive his father’s military records from the National Records Center in St. Louis. Nine months later, he received a letter listing his father’s authorized medals. In an addendum, the records center mentioned that the former Army sergeant was eligible to receive the Bronze Star.

“It was a surprise to me,” said Colonel Batinich, an F-16 pilot. “I was going to put together a shadow box with all his medals and include a flag I’d flown in my F-16 during Northern Watch and Southern Watch.” The Bronze Star would add a golden glint to the decorative box. Since its inception in 1944, the Bronze Star has recognized acts of heroism performed in ground combat. It is the 10th highest award available, just above the Purple Heart. Mitch Batinich was one of seven brothers. All of them served in the military — five during World War II. Four served overseas, but the Army wouldn’t let the fifth son serve in combat for fear of having too many deaths from one family.

Mitch graduated from high school in June 1943. On Aug. 24, to no one’s surprise, he was drafted into the Army. After training in Manchester, England, Mitch came ashore on the second wave of the Normandy invasion in July 1944. He remembers getting ready for the big push to take the Falaise Gap. “Our airplanes bombed for three days; they looked like grasshoppers in the sky,” he said. “Then they woke us up at 3 a.m. to go up to the Falaise Gap.” That was the Allies’ first major breakthrough beyond the beachhead. Batinich joined Patton’s Third Army, 90th Division, until the war ended. For his actions, he received the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. After the war, in 1947, Congress decided anyone who received the Combat Infantry Badge was also eligible, “upon application,” to receive a Bronze Star. Since most of the people were out of the service by then, they didn’t realize they were eligible for the medal. “There are probably thousands out there who are entitled (to receive the Bronze Star) but don’t know about it,” Colonel Batinich said.

As evidence, Mitch’s brothers, Peter and George, who also qualified for the medal, didn’t receive it until Colonel Batinich filed for it on their behalf. Echoing a familiar theme to families of war veterans, the colonel said that while he was growing up neither his father nor his uncles spoke much about their war experiences.

One story Mitch does like to tell involves the time he broke his leg in France and was shipped to a hospital in England. He soon discovered that his brothers Peter and George were in the same hospital. Peter, an infantryman, had been hit by shrapnel, and George had been injured in a jeep accident during German shelling. “My brothers found out I was in the same hospital, and they came down to see me,” Mitch said. “Then they bugged the major in charge of the hospital until he finally said, ‘Get the hell out of here.’”  The three brothers drove to Stratford on Avon — William Shakespeare’s  birthplace.  Now 75 years old, Mitch runs a tavern in Hopkins, Minnesota. Above the tavern’s windows, a flag flies for each of the seven Batinich brothers. Each flag is identified with the brother’s name in big letters and his respective service emblem.

Colonel Batinich, a native of Eveleth, Minnesota, graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1978 and has served as an F-16 instructor pilot, flight commander and commander of the 419th Operations Support Flight. He has logged more than 2,568 flying hours in the F-16. When, at the end of the long search, he opened the letter and discovered his dad deserved the Bronze Star Medal, Colonel Batinich said it was “a very emotional moment,” growing teary-eyed to recall it. “I started right away to see how I could get it to him.” His mother was also shocked by the news. She and her son kept the secret, intending to surprise Mitch during the change of command. But, upon the advice of his mother, Batinich told his father two weeks before the ceremony. The Bronze Star Batinich received was an authentic medal from 1944. The ceremony was a proud moment for father and son. “It meant a lot to us both,” Colonel Batinich said. “To this day, when my father sees a flag, it’s a very emotional experience for him. He’s a hardcore patriot.”

 

BATINOVICH, ROBERT G. Business Corporation-Public Utilities Commissioner

Robert “Bat” Batinovich is third generation Croatian American and second generation California Croatian American.  His father Matthew (Matt), uncles George and Joseph, and aunt Violet all moved to California from Lead, South Dakota during the 1920s and 1930s. A quote from George’s journal, written in February, 1923.  George is living and well in Oakland at the age of 97. “It was a hard struggle, evidently, for mother and dad to bring us children to our present ages in life.  A struggle to be repaid by God.  I trust, as it was almost impossible for us to even attempt to repay them.  Although, we can at least show our appreciation by making mother happy while with us, and praying for the peaceful repose of their souls.”  Further, George records: Dad was born October 26, 1870, christened Mathew Batinovich.  Mother was born January 12, 1875.  Baptized January 15, 1875 and christened Anica Fuskuls.  Dad came to America April of 1893;  Mother came to America in May of 1901.  They were married in May, 1901. Both were born in Dalmatia, Croatia. George records he was born June 12, 1902 and baptized July 13, 1902, being christened George Anton Batinovich.  There was a brother John Born in 1903 and died shortly thereafter.  Matt Batinovich was born August 14, 1904 and baptized August 21, 1904.  Matt was Robert’s father.  Sister Violet was born April 11, 1909 and baptized shortly thereafter. Robert Batinovich was raised in both San Francisco and San Pedro, California and graduated from St. Anthony’s school in Long Beach in June of 1954.  Robert has a brother, Kenneth, who was born June 12, 1939.  From a working class beginning Robert plunged himself into the business world with a burning desire to succeed. Robert Batinovich is founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Glenbourough Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE-GLB), a real estate investment trust (REIT) with total assets approximately $2 billion and an equity capitalization of approximately $1 billion.  Mr. Batinovich and members of his immediate family own or control 7% of the outstanding stock of the REIT, which owns and operates a highly diversified nationwide real estate portfolio. He has owned a commercial bank, which he ultimately sold to Gulf & Western. Mr. Batinovich served as the President of the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California. His many charitable affiliations include Georgetown University. Mr. Batinovich was born July 13, 1936, and is unmarried.  He resides  in Hillsborough, and is building a vacation home at Mauna Lani Point of the island of Hawaii.  He has two children; a daughter, Angela, who is a freshman at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles; and a son, Andrew, who is Chief Operating Officer of the REIT, and resides with his wife in  Hillsborough. Mr. Batinovich attends St. Bartholomew’s Roman Catholic Chruch in San Mateo.  His hobbies include deep sea fishing, golf, water volleyball and cards, and  sports.

 

BATISTICH, JOHN J. Attorney-Croatian Activities

Attorney at law from Oakland, California.  Born December 28, 1898, on the Island of Korcula, Dalmatia, Croatia. Attended public schools there.  Emigrated to the United States in 1920.  Graduated from Oakland High School in 1922.  Attended University of California from 1922-1928, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1926 and the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1928.  Has been practicing law in Oakland, California, since 1928.  Married Mary Bernice Stuke (daughter of native Dalmatians) in 1931. He has been fairly active in extracurricular activities at the University of California.  Was contributor and associate editor of the “Occident,” the students’ literary magazine.  Member of the English club.  Member and first president of the Dobro Slovo Slavic Honor Society of the University of California.  In collaboration with Dr. George Rapall Noyes, translated Vojnoviche’s “Dubrovacka Trilogija”-”The Trilogy of Dubrovnik” and Lazarevo Vaskrsenje”- “The Resurrection of Lazarus,” and Gjalski’s “San doktora Misica”-”The Dream of Doctor Misich.” Since graduation from the University of California, has been active in the Sokol ranks.  For the last two years he has been the president of the Grand Lodge of the Croatian Sokols of the Pacific Coast, and the year before that, secretary.  Took active part in the last Sokol Assembly at the occasion of the Olympic Games at Los Angeles.

 

BAUTOVICH, BALDO Cooper

Baldo Bautovich, a 75-year member of Lodge 177 of the Croatian Fraternal Union passed away on July 12, 1985 at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood.  He was 104 years young. It is with heavy hearts that we bring forth this sad news of a beautiful person who had always enjoyed good health for him many years of life.  He was the oldest member of Lodge 177.  Several years ago, we reported that brother Baldo Bautovich of Croatian Slavonian Benevolent Society of CFU Lodge 177 achieved the distinction of outliving his certificate of insurance.  In 1981, it gave me great pleasure to report that brother Bautovich celebrated his 100th birthday. Joining our Society on June 6, 1910, he had the recorded 71 years of membership in the CFU.  Brother Bautovich was born June 28, 1881,  about 30 miles from Dubrovnik.  He followed his oldest brother to New York at the age of 16 arriving on March 8, 1897.  He and his brother lived in New York with a large family. The following year, he traveled alone across the United States to Santa Cruz County, working the fruit orchards in small town such as Capitola and Soquel.  During this eight-year period, he commuted to San Francisco by horse and buggy to learn the “Cooperage” trade, making and repairing oak barrels for the Northern California wineries.  He became adept at fashioning fancy barrels by hand. The 1906 San Francisco earth wake sent him back to Capitola where he met and married his wife, Nike, Becoming the first couple to be married in St. Joseph’s Church.  An offer of a free train ride brought the newlyweds to Los Angeles where they resided for 40 years, raising four daughters. In 1951, at the age of 70, he retired from the Western Cooperage Company on Slauson Avenue near Bickett Street here.  He moved to Huntington Park where he continued to make fancy barrels as a hobby along with cultivating the garden which he loved. Surviving are his four daughters, Mary Bautovich, Ann James, Frances De Young and Pauline Bautovich, now a nun devoted to the Catholic order.

 

BEBAN, DOMINIC J. State Senator-State Assemblyman-Sheriff

Dominik Joseph Beban was born in San Francisco on May 16, 1872.  He recieved his education in the public schools of that city and graduated at an early age.  By trade, he was a printing pressman.  From 1906 to 1908 he served as deputy sheriff of his native city.  On November 6, 1906, he was elected to the Assembly from the Forty-third District, the Republican and Union Labor parties honoring him with their respective nominations.  Realizing and appreciating his faithful and efficient service as Assemblyman, his constituents reelected him on November 3, 1908, by a most flattering majority, favoring him again with the Republican and Union Labor  parties honoring him with their respective nominations.  From 1910 to 1912 he again served as deputy sheriff of San Francisco.  With the Republican nomination he was, on November 3, 1910, elected to the Senate from the Twenty-fourth Assemblt District, and on November 3, 1914, he was agaiin elected to the Senate with the progressive nomination- this time from theEighteenth Senatorial District.  One and all grieve over the loss of his potent influence for right and justice, which was the dominant characteristic of his legislative career. Physically and morally he was of upright courage.  Throughout his comparatively brief life he knew but one fear, and that was the fear of doing an injustice to his fellow man.  His virtues as a man and citizen, his career as a legislator, his fidelity and signal ability in the discharge of the important trusts that were committed to his care, will ever lie treasured in the memory of those who had the good fortune to know him; therefore be it Resolved, that a copy of these resolutions he engrossed by the Clerk of the Senate, and that the same he conveyed to the widow of the late Honorable Dominick Joseph Beban; and be it further Resolved, that when the Senate adjourns on this day, it does so out of respect to the memory of the late Honorable Dominick Joseph Beban.

 

BEBAN, FRANK Lumber Business

Frank Beban was born in Tunnel Terrace, Goldsborough, New Zealand on 26 March 1882. As a young man, he realized that he was not going to make much as a partner in his Hokitika butchery, so he went to Martha, He asked her for a loan of thirty two pounds so he would have enough to emigrate to America. Frank was Martha's favourite so she lent him the money to go seek his fortune.

Frank went to into timber milling when he went to Canada and did well for himself He rnilled the large tracts of forest on Vancouver Island. In fact the area was referred to as Beban-Country. When Frank returned to see his family in New Zealand in 1926, he created much excitement. The family arrived by ship in Auckland with their cadillac and travelled to Taihape. Vonnie recalls their arrival in town. She and her friend Nancy McLenan were standing at the door of Nancy's parents' hotel when they saw a flash car going down the road "' Look" said Vonnie "the steering wheel's on the wrong side." They then heard that the Bebans from America had arrived so Vonnie and her sister Dell rushed home to see the visitors. Vonnie was fascinated that the children drank '"pop". Frank's wife Hannah made a big impression on the girls. They thought she was lovely. Hannah told the girls that she had got married at 16. Frank brought his children with him. The eldest Evylen was about 12 when they visited. Frank took Rita, Vonnie and Dell's sisier, back with them to Canada to help with the children. His son John or, as he was called, Jack Beban made an impression on his New Zealand cousins. He was born on 26 October 1914 and so was ten when he visited New Zealand. The New Zealand cousins noted was "a lovely wholesome round-faced little boy " said Vonnie. After he married Gertrude Ingham, he had two sons, Frank Beban and Don Beban. Frank, born in 1940, followed his father into the family timber business Beban Logging before Jack died in May 1977. Rock Beban Jnr met Frank Jnr in Nainamo and found they had an uncanny resemblance to each other. They became firm friends. While in Nanaimo, Rock also met Frank's mother Gertrude and his brother Don, a stockbroker. Frank and his wife Dolores, his mother Gertrude, the children and Dolores' parents visited New Zealand a few years later. Rock held a family get together for them at his home before they all went on holiday together. Frank was tragically killed in an air crash in 1987 aged 47 but Dolores and all her daughters continue to live at Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. Frank and Dolores' eldest daughter Catherine Beban was born on 30 September 1960. Caroline Beban , the second daughter who was born on 19 Jan 1967, has two children Scarlett Harlington born in October 1985 and Frank Sheppe born on 29 October 1995. The third daughter Christine Beban was born on 7 September 1968 while the youngest of Frank and Dolores' daughters is Jackie Beban and she almost seven years younger as she was born on I I May 1975.

 

BEBAN, GARY Football

Consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy winner in 1967 and one of University of California at Los Angeles greatest quarterbacks, Gary Beban was regarded as a fine runner as well as an intelligent field general and passer.  Raised in Redwood City, California, he graduated with a degree in history. Beban played professionally with the Washington Redskins in 1968 and 1969 and is presently an executive for Coldwell Banker, a large commercial real estate firm.

 

BEBAN, GEORGE Actor-Movie Company

From that small constellation of actors and actresses who move thearergoers to laughter and to tears, a star was taken yesterday when George Beban, lovable character man, died.  His death was due to injuries received when thrown from a horse near Big Pine last Saturday. Beban rose to the heights of greatness in his interpretation of Italian roles. His sympathetic anactment of parts, whether those of peasant of prince, gained for him a fortune and the following of countless stage and screen fans. Beban died at the California Lutheran hospital.  His brother, Lewis, of San Francisco, was at the deathbed.  George, born in 1873, was an accomplished vaudeville and film star who began his career at the age of eight, singing and dancing with famous minstrels in San Francisco. His father was Roko Beban of Zlarin, Dalmatia.  Performing many Italian roles, George starred in “Hearts of Men”, his first movie drama created by his own producing company.  He played many other roles, including the famous vaudeville presentation of “The Sign of the Rose” and numerous silent films including, “The Italian” (1915), “Jules of the Strong Heart” (1918), “One More American” (1918), and “The Loves of Ricardo” (1926).  George was married and succeeded by his children George Jr., George III, and Mary.  Funeral arrangments will not be made until the actor’s 11-year-old son, George, and his sister, Mary arrive here from New York on Monday.  Beban’s wife died here in 1926. Beban was 55 years of age.  His stage training began when he was 8 years old. He sang and danced with the old Reed and Emerson Minstrels in San Francisco.  As a master of Itlaian dialect, Beban advanced rapidly on the stage, in vaudeville and in drama. Beban virtually dropped from print since his retirement in 1926, but gained some undesirable notoriety recently when Tom Mix and WIll Morrissey engaged in a fist fight during a house warming at Beban’s new home in the hills of Playa del Rey. During the air races held here recently, Beban was one of the hosts to Prince George of England. George Beban, film actor, who died in Los Angeles on October 5, left the large part of his $400,000 estate to his 14-year-old son, George Jr.  The will was filed for probate here today.  Beban’s home adress was No. 210 West 101st street. Porbate Judge Desmond yesterday admitted to probate the will of the late George Beban, film actor.  The will disposed of an estate of $500,000 or more in California, and it was stated that there was other property in the State of New York. Mrs. Mary Beban Smith, a cousin of the actor, was appointed executor of the estate, according to the terms of the will, and Judge Desmond fixed her bond at $450,000.  She will serve in this capacity with the Lawyers’ Trust Company of New York, also mentioned in the will.

 

BEBAN, ROBERT P. Computer Engineer

Robert Paul Beban Jr. was a fourth-generation San Franciscan who grew up in the Mission District, whose father ran a cable car up Castro Street and into Noe Valley. His father was Isidore Paul Beban, born in San Francisco, the son of Rocco Beban, who mined for gold in the Sierra in the 1860’s before he came to San Francisco to operate a restaurant at Grant Avenue (then Dupont Street) and Broadway. Mr. Beban’s son, Richard, said he traced the name of that great-great-grandfather through state records in Sacramento and found, filed in the courthouse in Mariposa, a record of his naturalization as an American citizen in 1863. Mr. Beban died Monday in Santa Rosa.  He was in charge of computer operations at a wood-processing firm in Sonoma County. He was married to the former Vivian Perry, who remembers a gripman on the Castro Street cable car who used to wave to her when she was 5, and pull the bell cord in greeting every time the car went by. The gripman was the father of the man she married. She lived at 23rd and Castro streets, she said, and in the 1930s, when she was ill and forced to stay in bed, her family put her bed in the Victorian bay window that looked out on the steep part of Castro Street. She got to know the cable car gripman well, she said. Years later, when she met her husband, she heard the story his father told at home of the “poor little girl in the window” at 23rd and Castro, and how he’d ring his bell and wave at her. The gripman, Robert Paul Sr., also was a teamster in San Francisco, and delivered coal.  He died in 1953. Mr. Beban grew up on Jersey Street between Sanchez and Church streets. Mr. Beban leaves his wife, his mother, Marie; children Robert III, Richard, and Aline Beban, Kathy Adams, and Stepdaughter Julie Wilder.  There are five grandchildren.

 

BEBAN, WALTER Saxaphonist

1920’s in San Francisco: Walter Beban, saxaphonist, will be the feature on the Monday program arranged by the Daily News to be sent out from their KLS broadcasting station. Beban is known to San Francisco.  He was with Art Hickman for two years. Following this time he spent six months in Paul Ash’s orchestra. He is at the present time making records for the Columbia Graphophone Co. His program Monday will consist of the following selections: Mighty Lak’ a Rose, Say I While Dancing, For the Sake of Auld Lang Suno, Wabash Blues, My Honey’s Loving Arms,  All Over Nothing at All. A saxaphone that laughs is the latest novelty in the musical world.  Walter Beban of the rose room orchestra at the Palace in San Francisco, is responsible for the “baby Sac” that laughs and weeps.  Needless to say, the “baby” is a most popular infant. The little instrument is and exact duplicate of its larger brother, and has the same wide rande of tones, but of a lighter, more whimsical quality.  In some of its notes it very closely resembles that of the human voice, so Beban has been successful in imitating a queer, gurgling laugh that has proven a delight to the dancers at the Palace. Beban, who is one of the most popular saxaphone soloists of the coast, says  that the saxaphone interprets the love theme of the present day music better than any other musical insturment.  The love song of today, he insists, carries the thought of dance and be happy today for tomorrow doesn’t count, while the love songs of the days of hoopskirts and pokebonnets’ breathed the message of firesides and long happy futures.  This spirit says Beban was best brought out by the violin, but today’s happy-go-lucky way of living can best be interpreted by the saxaphone. “The occasional bizarre not, the passionate entreaty in its plaintive wall, the barbaric splendor of the deepest tones,” says Beban, “fits very closely indeed into the lifetone of today.” It is for these reasons, Beban says, the saxaphone’s popularity will not soon wane.

 

BEBICH CLAN

In 1897 Steve Bebich and Petar Jugum set off from Desne, Croatia--destination the village of Aberdeen, Washington close to the Pacific Ocean. They had received letters from friends who said there were plenty of jobs with good pay. Jugum stayed in Aberdeen but Bebich moved to Wilkeson to work in the coal mines. In 1906 he married Helen Medak and five years later returned to Aberdeen where other members of their families had settled. When he wasn't fishing commercially, Bebich worked at Aberdeen Lumber & Shingle and Donovan Lumber Co. mill. Eight other members of the Bebich family were to arrive before World War I: Joe J. operated the Croatian Pool Hall on Curtis street and later the Alaska Cigar Store in Cosmopolis, Mike was a barber, Peter owned a fishing boat, Sam, Marko and Tony all worked in the sawmills while Stanley and Joe M. had the Model Bakery. Cousin Pearl became the wife of Tony Nicholas.

 

BEBICH, JOE Fisherman-Military

Joe Bebich was born February 8, 1913, to Steve and Helen (Medak) Bebich. During World War 11, brother Bebich served in the Coast Guard and had patrolled the coast in a blimp. He ran the sign shop of the City of Aberdeen's Street Department and retired in 1975. He had also worked as a commercial fisherman and at the Spar restaurant in Aberdeen. On Sept. 13, 1952, he married Wendla Wagner in Aberdeen. She died in 1995. He enjoyed traveling to Reno, Nevada, and gardening and was an avid sports fan. He especially liked baseball and had played the game in Electric Park in Aberdeen when he was young. Joe Bebich was a 70-year member of the Croatian Fraternal Union, joining in March 1929. He served as secretary for many years. Joe Bebich died on July, 3, 1999 in Aberdeen, Washington, He is survived by two nieces who were also his caregivers, Verna McArthur of Aberdeen and JoAnn Hliboki of Montesano, and a nephew, Steve of Hoquiam. Four brothers, Marko, Mike, Steve and Tony, and a sister, Matilda Nicholas, also died before him.

 

BECIR, GEORGE Police Interpreter-Goldminer-Coffee Saloon

George Becir from Konavlje, Dalmatia, Croatia. was an interpreter in the police courts and maintained a coffee saloon at East and Commercial streets in San Francisco, California.  He voted in 1859 as an American citizen and was mining gold at Jackson, Amador county, in the same year.  His brother, Martin, was a director of the Slavonic Society in 1864.  Martin was married to Luci and George had a Mexican wife, Carmalita. Luka Becer from Konavlje, known as Luka Baker, was nephew of George Becer. Becir used the names of Baker and Becer.

 

BEGOVICH, DOMINICK  Restaurant

It was the late Governor James Rolph, Jr., who started the political stampede at mealtime to Johnny and Domink’s restaurant, the Polk and Sutter Oyster House, located at Polk and Sutter Streets.  And today the stampede continues, for the food in delicious, the surroundings have the degree of privacy which conferences of various sorts demand- and they serve old-fashioneds in steins!  In real life the well-known and popular partners are Johnny Zidich and Dominik Begovich.  But to everyone who knows them they are just Johnny and Dominik.  These two have been partners for the past 15 years and are both from Dalmatia in Croatia..  They began to work at an early age to learn the restaurant trade.  Dominik was aboard a boat in a galley at the age of 10.  Later he migrated to New Orleans and became chef in one of the large hotels.  He came to San Francisco in 1906 and for the past 27 years has been at Polk and Sutter Streets.  It was Gov. Rolph who proclaimed vehemently and often that Dominik is the best chef in the world! Later he came to San Francisco and was at the old Portola.  He advanced form one stage to another in various restaurants, and in 1920 he became connected with he Polk and Sutter Oyster House.  He has been there ever since. When entering this unique grill, one has a choice of going in to the main dining room and to the booths and banquet room, from either street.  But if entering one of the Sutter Street doors, one find himself in a very large market and sees merely the hint of what is behind the scenes of the restaurant proper.  For there is the open stove and broiler, there is the counter at which 22 may dine at one time. there is the hall which leads to the booths and dining room downstairs and to the banquet room and booths upstairs.  To his staff of 14, Johnny points with pride  they are men of his own country.  One waiter has been with this famous establishment for 30 years.  Others have served many years.  And there's a customer, says Johnny, who has appeared every morning for his ham and eggs for the past 10 years.

 

BELAJEC, VLADIMIR J. Chemist

Vladimir Belajec is a Research Chemist at WITCO Chemical Company,  Chicago, Illinois. Born March 14, 1929 in Zagreb, Croatia. Educated at 2nd Male Real Gymnasium, Zagreb, 1947;  University of Zagreb, Chemical Technical Faculty. Diploma 1955; Rheinisch-Westfalische Tech. Hochschule, Aachen, Dr. Rer. Natl., 1961 with a major field in Chemical Technology and a specialty in Organic Chemistry, Petrochemical;  "Kulturministerium des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen," during work on doctoral thesis; thesis  "Charakterisierung Eines Saarlandischen Schwelteers, 1961" Doctoral. Member of American Chemical Society.

 

BELEG, GEORGE Tamburitza Hall of Fame-Music Teacher

Tambuitza musician, composer, instructor, director. George Beleg lived his life for these joys. he was born with a gift for music and spent a lifetime cultivating this love, especially for the tamburitza music which inspired him at a very early age. George Beleg was born November 20, 1876 at Suhopolje, Croatia.  At the age of four, he began his musical studies when he was given a crude violin made from a heavy cornstalk, strung and accompanied by a bow made from a tree branch. Young George cherished the instrument which soon prompted his father to buy him a real violin. His music progressed and his interests expanded to include the melodies produced by the tambura which led his father to have a tamburitza made for him to play. His early efforts to become proficient with the tambura are now tamburitza history. Young George was a youth with deep religious affiliations, having been encouraged by his mother. He often composed music and lyrics of a religious nature which he played and sang for his mother. He served as an alter boy, attending Mass with his mother, and soon was involved in the church choir as the lead singer. He studied for the priesthood but when his father informed the bishop of George's love for music, young George was prompted to leave the priesthood to pursue a musical career. Before his 18th birthday, George had formed his own tamburitza orchestra in Croatia and continued work with his music there until his departure for America. George Beleg arrived in the United States in 1906 and settled in the Turtle Creek Valley Area near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From 1906 until 1949, he organized and taught many tamburitza orchestras in Pennsylvania in such locales as Clairton, East Pittsburgh, Rankin, Braddock, Wilmerding, Trafford, Pitcairn, McKeesport, Duquesne, Homestead, North Side Pittsburgh and Monessen. As the years went by, he taught from 12 orchestras until they increased in number to more than 34 different tamburitza groups. In some instances he taught three generations of families, first teaching the fathers, then the sons, and then their children. Mr. Beleg, along with Dragutin Elias, is generally credited with having organized the beginnings of the tamburitza movement in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area in the years following shortly after the turn of the century. Prior to 1910, Beleg directed the ensemble known as the "Stara Sloboda" (Old Freedom), the original of the long line of Sloboda orchestras to follow. By 1910, he organized the Tamburaski Zbor "Sloboda" (Freedom) at East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This Sloboda Orchestra is reputed to have been the very first tamburitza ensemble ever to play over the pioneer radio station KDKA of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which at that time, in the year 1924, was located on the ninth floor of the K Building in East Pittsburgh. The group presented broadcasts every Wednesday night for two years, receiving a fee of $25 per performance. George Beleg served as a proud member of "Hrvatska Vila" Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 141 of East Pittsburgh, PA. He was highly regarded as a loyal lodge member and promoter of tamburitza music in the East Pittsburgh area. By 1912 he had performed the "Hrvatski Sokolski Zbor," a popular tamburitza orchestra in East Pittsburgh during that time. Another popular group of Mr. Beleg's was the "G. Beleg Miesovati Zbor" which included his daughter, Julia, on bisernica, Mary Prstac on bisernica, Helen Prstac on bugarija, Anthony Cvetnich on brac, Anthony Baburic on berde and Mr. Beleg on cello. From 1910 to 1920 George Beleg served as the instructor and leader of the Radnicki, Pievacki, Tamburaski 1 Diletanski Zbor "Bratstvo" which was organized in Old Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, now known as North Side Pittsburgh. "Bratstvo" played for many dances and picnics in the greater Pittsburgh area and offered a variety of cultural and musical performances, including dramatic plays with complete chorus and tamburitza accompaniment under the direction of Mr. Beleg. Mr. Beleg is also credited with providing tamburitza entertainment at the first and second Croation Days held at Kennywood Park in 1932 and 1933. There are countless individuals in southwestern Pennsylvania who have benefited from the teachings and expertise of George Beleg. Beleg was not only a well-known tamburitza entertainer but was greatly respected for his valued instructions which guided the progress of numerous tamburitza students who later achieved prominence in the tamburitza field. Throughout his life, Mr. Beleg composed quite a number of Croatian songs and directed many tamburitza groups and choirs in the communities surrounding Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His passing on March 8,1949 was a great loss not only to his family but also his long-established friends, students and fellow musicians who shared his love of the tambura and tamburitza music. He was a kind man, a true gentleman, a great humanitarian and an excellent fraternalist. He shared his love and his knowledge freely and will long be remembered for his outstanding contributions to the world of tamburitza music on the American continent.

 

BELIC, ADRIAN and ROKO Documentary Filmmaker

Documentary filmmaker Adrian Belic woke up yesterday with a hoarse voice. Although he and his brother, Roko - both nominated in the documentary feature category for "Genghis Blues" - didn't win, the Oscars experience was worth it. "We had so much fun," he said. Adrian, 30, and Roko, 27, both of Vallejo, made a documentary about San Francisco blind blues singer Paul Pena's trip to Tuva, Mongolia, to compete in a throat singing contest. "Genghis Blues" was shot on video for about $45,000.  Adrian said he knew they were underdogs in the Oscar category, which was won by "One Day in September." "But it didn't matter," he said. "The experience was just amazing. It really does have the feeling that you're at the center of the universe for one blip of a moment, and everybody in the world is watching. " Besides, the Oscar show itself was really wonderful. We were in the seventh row off to one side and we could see the back of Michael Caine's head." The brothers took their mom, Danica, with whom they share a rented house. She had lived with her sons in a dumpy Folsom Street room over an auto body shop during the two years it took them to make their movie just out of college. Neither majored in film. "Going to the Oscars was surreal," Adrian said in a room crowded with friends and well-wishers yesterday morning. He had to shout over the festive commotion and frequently put down the phone to greet people. "Sorry about that," he kept, saying. "With the parties and hustling our butts off to meet friends at airports, get tuxedos, get limos so we could actually make it to the show, all of it done on 45 minutes of sleep over  an entire weekend - you get this feeling after a while of being sedated on a strange planet,"' he said. The brothers had planned a big Oscar acceptance speech. They were going to give "a big shout" to Pena, who lives in the Haight but was unable to travel because of illness. And they were going to try to get Kongar-Ondar, the world's most famous Tuvan throat singer - featured in the film - to perform, even though Oscar officials had told the Belics they could not bring Ondar onstage. "We were going to do it anyway," said Belic. Until a week ago, the Belics were trying to figure out how they would even get to the Oscar show since both of their cars were broken down and their mother's wasn't in good enough shape to make a 400-mile trip down Interstate 5. "When you're a documentary or independent filmmaker, you learn how to hustle to survive," said Roko. With the help of Bay Area supporters, the brothers were able to fly. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave them 10 tickets. The brothers, their mom and singer Ondar took up four, and six were spread among others who worked on the film, or who helped fund it. In San Francisco, "Genghis Blues" is being distributed by the Roxie Cinema. The Web site (www.genghisblues.com) tells of area screenings. Getting a limo in Los Angeles on Oscar weekend is like trying to score a snow cone in the desert. The Belics spent hours on the project calling every agency in town. "Finally we had one lined up, but it fell through," he said. "Then this friend of a friend of a friend got one, so we went with it.” The limo they crowded into broke down just as it reached the red carpet in front of the Shrine Auditorium, where the Oscar show was held. “We had this perfect plan to arrive at the most visible spot right in front of the  crowd and where the big oversized Oscar thing was standing," he said. 'We, got out, and just as we did, I looked back and the driver was trying to crank the keys. The car had died. "Then suddenly this whole army of Secret Service-looking guys came along and started to push. They pushed our dead limo away and people cheered,” Then there was the hassle of getting tuxes. They tried to keep the cost under $ 100. They shopped by phone and finally found "a deal." One reason the Belics, got so little sleep was all the partying. The night before the Oscars, they went to a big one at the Screen Directors Guild and another at a club in Santa Monica. "We had no idea who the people were, but the food was great. It was a terrific party." At about 2 a.m., the Belics went with Ondar and some friends to downtown Los Angeles to "cruise the Shrine." "We just. wanted to see what it looked like with all ”the people sleeping out," Belic said. It was like a party. So they talked Ondar into giving an impromptu throat singing concert. And the brothers passed out postcards advertising their film. After the Oscar show, the brothers and Mom and Ondar crowded into the Governor's Ball, which all Oscar contenders get to go to. It's a big after show event, so really cool people like Jack Nicholson or Clint Eastwood don't bother to attend. But "it was amazing," said Belic of the star power. "It was like the hobnob center of the universe." Their mother was tired after the Governor's Ball, so she went back to the hotel. The brothers went on to a huge wingding at the Congo Room given by Artisan Entertainment, producers of "Buena Vista, Social Club," another Oscar documentary contender. "Unbelievable," said' Belic, of that bash. "Then we made our way somehow to the Miramax party at the Beverly Hills Hotel." That was one of the great parties, Belic said. Real Oscars were standing on tables all over the place, but people were so nonchalant that "'they might as well have just been table decorations. But what was really cool is that I got to talk to Michael Caine. Then we got to meet Quentin Tarantino, the 'Pulp Fiction' guy’, He had actually heard of our movie.” By Peter Stack CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER March 28, 2000

 

BELIC, ANGEL Professor-Attorney-Editor

Professor and Chairman of the Foreign Language  Department, Wilkes College, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Born April 12, 1915 in Djakovo, Croatia, married.  Education includes 2nd Class. Gymnasium, Zagreb, Croatia, Diploma 1934; University of Zagreb,1934-1939, Dr. of Law, 1939; University of Rome 1939-1947 (with interruptions). Dr. of Political Science, 1947. Leipzig, Germany, summer 1939; Geneva, Switzerland, 1942; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachutes1968: special course in teaching techniques of Romance Languages. Major field was Political Science, Law and specialty in Spanish Language and History of Hispanic Civilization. Thesis: 1947 "La posizione di un popolo senza propio stato nel quadro dello Statuto delle Nazioni Unite." Rome. Dissertation for doctorate of Political Science (Cum Laude). Published articles in the field of Political Science and  publications in Studia Croatica, Buenos Aires, and in Hrvatska Revija (Croatian Review). Co-editor of Studia Croatica (Spanish) from 1959 to 1967. Articles in Hrvatski Dnevnik (The Croatian Daily) Written as its Rome correspondent 1940. Nineteen years of residence in Argentina.

 

BELIC, LIZA Professor

Lizza Belic is a College Instructor at Wilkes College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She was born on November 14, 1917 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. She attended the local schools in Dubrovnik and graduated from the University of Zagreb in 1939. She has a Masters Degree in language and literature and speaks Croatian, Spanish, French, Italian and German. She came to America in 1968.

 

BENKOVICH CLAN Restaurant-Hotel

In about1895 the brothers Nikola and Andrija Benkovich-Groseta came to America from Babino PoIje, Island of Mljet, Croatia. On his departure to America Andrija left his wife and son in Mljet. He first lived and worked in Oakland and later moved to Monterey where he worked as a cook in a restaurant. Later he became the coowner of a restaurant in Monterey. His brother Nikola also lived in Oakland for some time and then moved to Watsonville where he was with S. Strazicich a co-owner of the hotel "Morning Star" When they sold the hotel, he moved to Monterey where he worked in a restaurant as a cook like his brother Andrija. There he married Maria who was of Portugese origin. They had no children.

 

BENKOVICH, IVAN Artist

Ivan Benkovic was born in Recica near Karlovac in 1887. He graduated from the gymnasium in Karlovac and then enrolled at the School of Art in Zagreb. His favorite works featured landscape and romantic subjects. His first exhibition took place in Zagreb in 1911; afterwards he lived for a while in Vienna and Paris. When the outbreak of World War I made his stay in Paris impossible, he had his family moved to America. Living under difficult conditions, Benkovic engaged in commercial art. Then by the intervention of Nikola Tesla he obtained a job as illustrator and reporter for a Chicago newspaper. He produced many scenes of Chicago and of the Atlantic coast, sometimes signing his works with the pseudonym "Bankov." His oil paintings "View of the Harbor in Chicago," "Swamp," "Scarlet Sagebrush," and "Self-portrait" are preserved in Zagreb, but, the majority of his drawings and paintings have been lost. Among his best known works dealing with Croatian immigrants is a huge oil, executed for the Croatian League, during World War 1, entitled "Liberation of Croatia," reproductions of which were circulated in this country. This powerful and very promising artist died in New York in 1918.

 

BENKOVICH, JOHN E. Military-Crane Operator

Mr. Benkovich was born May 7, 1914, in Mount Olive, Illinois, moving to Sugar Creek, Missouri at the age of two. He served with the U.S. Army 79th Infantry in the European Theater during World War II, and was awarded four Bronze Stars. He was a crane operator for the Amoco Oil Co. for 36 years, retiring in 1976. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and Nativity of Mary Catholic Church. John Edward Benkovich Sr., 85, Independence, Missouri died Saturday, April 8, 2000, at Truman Medical Center. His wife of 53 years, Mildred Benkovich, died in 1999. His survivors include one son, John E. Benkovich Jr., Overland Park, Kansas, a daughter and son-in-law, Francine and Leon Davis, Blue Springs; four grandchildren, Breck and Dustin Benkovich, and Aaron and Jeff Davis; one brother, Steve Benkovich, Blue Springs; one sister, Helen Lee, Kansas City. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Entombment will follow in the Mount Olivet Cemetery Mausoleum, Raytown.

 

BERANEK, JERRY Lumberjack-King of the Woods

Jerry Beranek is the king of the woods- he’s the only man in the world to climb a colossal 357-foot-tall redwood tree. Jerry climbs redwoods for a hobby, sliding and pulling and dragging himself ever upward until in the treetop he can see for miles around and people below look no bigger than tiny ants.  Like a real-life Tarzan, the 33-year-old daredevil who is from Fort Bragg, California, swings from branches of smaller trees to the towering tree he wants to conquer, then propels himself by rope until he reaches the top of the stately tree towering over the forest. “Getting to the top is another three hours.  You can’t attack the tree directly. “Its Girth at the bottom is more than 20 feet, too big around to accommodate the safety line and rope. “So i start out climbing a smaller redwood, 10 feet in diameter of less, whose upper branches stretch to the big tree I want to reach.” Lugging 25 pounds of equipment and a 10 pound backpack on his 6-foot-1 frame, he searches for a spot where the branch system of the tree he’s on is level with the one he wants to conquer. “I’m about 200 or 250 feet in the air and I make like Tarzan and swing myself from one tree to another,”the gutsy climber explained. Jerry’s been climbing redwoods for 10 years and he’s climbed within 10 feet of scaling the largest tree in the world- a 367-foot monster that’s thousands of years old. When he reaches the top of a giant tree, he takes photos, listens to his transistor radio and eats a picnic lunch as the world below him seems small and distant. “It’s magnificent up there,” he said. “There’s nothing in the world like a redwood high.”

 

BERETICH, DOMINIK Military-Fisherman

Dominik Beretich Dies in U.S. Military Service-Dominik Beretich, a member of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 439 in Seattle, Washington since July, 1913, gave his life for his new homeland in World War 1. Beretich, a fisherman and brother-in-law of lodge co-founder, Franjo Franicevich, was a U.S. citizen and as such, was conscripted to serve in the U.S. forces in Europe. He died September 29, 1918 on the battlefield in France.

 

BERIC, LYDIA Librarian

Lydia Beric nee Marinovic was born June 29, 1936, Skopje, Macedonia. She is the head librarian at Brighton Park Branch Library in Chicago, Illinois. She completed her education at the University of Zagreb, Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty 1954-60; Roosevelt University Chicago, in English 1962-64; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. M.A. L.S. 1965. She speaks Italian, Russian and Croatian.

 

BERKANOVIC, EDWARD T. Attorney

Edward Berkanovic is an attorney in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a general law practice. Born September 1, 1909 in West Allis, Wisconsin he is married with two children. Education includes University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. B.A. -1931; University of Wisconsin, Law School LL.B. -1934; University of Wisconsin, Law School J.D. -1966 with a major field of American History and Law and a specialty in   Probate Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law. Published Courts of Milwaukee County 1934, Wisconsin Law Review, Law School, University of Wisconsin. Member of International Legal Fraternity of Phi Delta Phi; Croatian Fraternal Union; Slovene National Benefit Society. Presently Goverment Appeal Agent, Board 48, Selective Service System of the U.S.; Attorney for Yugoslav Consulate for the State of Wisconsin.

 

BEROS, MATHEW Photographer

He was born October 2, 1897 in Podgora, Dalmatia, Croatia. As a professional photographer for over 35 years, he traveled to many corners of the world, including Croatia, New Zealand, South Sea Islands, Australia, Europe and many parts of the United States. He practiced his craft in Cleveland, Ohio where he won numerous awards. In the early 1960's, he and his wife retired to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he lived until his death. A tribute paid to him upon the receipt of one of his many awards reads: "Mr. Beros is the type of man you like to remember as an exemplar of genuine culture and refinement, You may justly say he has 'social intelligence.' He speaks with a delightful and correct accent on topics relating to his voluminous travels, his hobby and anything that you may be interested in." "Whilst still a youngster, brother Beros always sought out the scenic spots of nature and reveled in their beauty.  At the age of 16, the wanderlust seized him and he started his world travel. Upon his return to Dalmatia about four years ago, he met Maria, for the first time and proposed to her 25 minutes later. and he says that he made a good choice," said another review published in the early 1930's. Mathew Beros was a longtime member of American Croatian Pioneers Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 663 of Cleveland, Ohio. Matthew S. Beros  died on May 9, 1986 at the age of 88. Surviving are his sisters Antica Milicic and Yovanka Sisarich of Australia. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Osretkar Beros, a brother Ivan and sister Marian,

 

BERRY, THEODORE Fisherman-Postmaster

Theodore Berry came to Dockton, Washington as a beach seiner in 1905, and, during the ensuing years, had acquired several engine powered seiners. He had been recognized as an ambitious young man upon his arrival in 1899, when he had accompanied the mother and sister of Mary Babare Love to the United States. This enterprising young man had his female companions placed in steerage, and, upon landing, presented the money saved by this bit of frugality to Stephen Babare. In 1912, he married Rose Bussanich, the daughter of the drydock blacksmith, and became Dockton's postmaster, a position he held for twenty-eight years. Theodore Berry was known for his farsightedness and his closeness to county political thinking. "His influence with King County government resulted in the construction of the Dockton Park in 1932-33, which provided work for local men. The park has become a haven for latter-day pleasure boaters, who flock to its docks on warm summer weekends. Fishing boats were often called upon for emergency service during the flu epidemic of 1924. Theodore Berry's boat, the Kanaka Boy, made regular trips to Tacoma to transport the doctor to Dockton. 0ne stormy night, Theo was summoned by his wife's family. Sandro Bussanich was desperately ill, as was his wife, Anne. The Kanaka Boy made a desperate run to Des Moines through heavy seas kicked up by a full southwester, only to arrive back with the doctor too late to save either of the two Bussaniches.

 

BERTOVICH, JOHN Shipyard Worker

He was born March 25, 1911 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and moved to San Pedro after WW II.  While employed at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, John and his wife Eva raised two sons, John and Anthony and one daughter Mary.  Ann Kucic, John‘s sister resided in Pennsylvania after John moved to California.

 

BEZIC, SANDRA  Olympics-TV Sports

Sandra Bezic, a 1972 Olympian and former Canadian pairs champion,  joined NBC Sports in 1990 as an analyst for its figure skating coverage. Sandra skated competitively with her brother, Val, from 1967 through the mid-1970s. She and her brother won the Canadian pairs novice title in 1967 and the Canadian senior competition four straight times from 1970-1973. Sandra has served as the analyst on numerous NBC Sports' figure skating events, including four World Figure Skating Championships 1991-1993 and 1995 and the World Professional Figure Skating Championships from 1990-1995. She has designed programs for many top  skaters, including Brian Boitano, Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi and Kurt Browning. Sandra Bezic has choreographed and/or produced more than 25 television  specials in Canada and the United States, including the Emmy Award-wining "Carmen on Ice." She won Gemini awards for producing Browning's "You Must Remember This" and Brian Orser's "Night Moves." Bezic also produced the North American Tour of "Stars on Ice" and is the author of "Passion to Skate:  An Intimate View of Figure Skating." Sandra and her brother Val are Canadian Croatians.

 

BEZMALINOVICH, NICK King of Fishing-Airlines

The biography of Nick Bez (Nikola Bezmalinovich), wealthy Dalmatian fisherman of Seattle, Washington, reads like a narrative from the pen of Horatio Alger, but is a true-to-life rags-to-riches story. Until 1945 he remained relatively unknown east of the Rockies. In that year, however, he was photographed rowing a boat as the then President Harry S. Truman was fishing for salmon in Puget Sound, and suddenly he was shoved into the national limelight. He became the subject of much speculation and inquiry. He became a personal friend of President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. Who was Nick Bez? Though this fabulous fisherman is a man of national repute and one of the most eminent Croatian immigrants in America today, only the barest details of his life are available. He was born on August 25, 1895, on the Dalmatian Island of Brac, one of the larger Adriatic isles situated southwest of the town of Split on the mainland. As a mere boy he became acquainted with fishing, sailing, the hardships, and the adventures on the Adriatic. Like many other Dalmatians brought up on the sea, Nick learned about greater opportunities across the Atlantic, and so he early left his home and emigrated to the United States. Though he was fortunate enough to have his passage paid for him by his father, he arrived virtually penniless and friendless in New York in 1910. He was a mere boy in a strange new land. As be explained, “ I had no relatives, friends or acquaintances in the United States so I was on my own." He made his way to the West Coast, where he knew there were other Dalmatians, many of them engaged in the fisheries. Not knowing any other life or trade but that of the sea, Nick Bez started his career in the new land by borrowing a rowboat and fishing for smelts on the Pacific. For an ordinary lad of fifteen to break into the fishing business would have been virtually impossible. But Nick seemed to have something that most of those around him lacked. He was strong, courageous, resourceful, and above everything else, determined to succeed. After six years of hard work, dogged persistence, and extraordinary thrift, he became the owner of a big salmon boat, a purse seiner.

Possession of his own equipment, however, did not mean the end of the struggle for survival but, instead, the beginning of a new phase of that fight, an exciting though a somewhat unpleasant experience. As a boat owner he became involved in a contest, with no holds barred, for control of the lucrative Alaskan salmon industry. Big Nick (who is 6 feet 2 inches -in height and weighs 225 pounds) led the purse seiners against the beach seiners (who use horses to drag flat nets up on the shore). The conflict was long, drawn-out, and bloody, but ultimately he succeeded in completely crushing the opposition.

Thenceforth Bez had comparatively smooth sailing. He expanded his holdings by buying one boat after another. In 1931 he branched out into the airlines business with the purchase of Alaska Southern Airways, which he later sold to Pan American at a large profit. He bounced back into competition, however, with the West Coast Airlines in 1946. Also in this same year he began canning fish on board a large converted freighter belonging to the United States (something he had been doing on his own ships on a limited scale for a number of years), supported by the government in Washington and financed by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The avowed purpose of this undertaking was to prove'that American fishermen could replace the Japanese, who, in the years preceding World War II, caught and processed 66 per cent of the world's tuna in their floating canneries and virtually monopolized the multimillion-a-year catch of the Bering Sea's huge king crabs. The experiment ended in 1948, deemed a complete success, and Bez returned to the use of his own floating canneries.

Nick Bez is one of the wealthiest and most influential of the Croatian Americans. He owns or controls a string of fishing boats, four of the biggest salmon canneries in the Pacific Northwest, two gold mines, and an airline. His airline, Air West, was later sold to Howard Hughes for 100 million dollars

He is married (to the former Magdalene Doratich, an American-born Croatian) and has two grown boys. He is a member of the Transportation Council of the United States Department of Commerce, the National Democratic Club, and many other organizations.

Because of his generous contributions to the Democratic party and his friendship with high government officials, Bez has been accused of using his political connections to the detriment of small fishermen. This hurts the big fellow. He confesses that processors, including himself, "cotch too damn many feesh" to maintain an adequate supply. He favors a stabilization of the industry by developing new grounds and methods.

 

BIANKINI, ANTE Doctor-Publisher-Author

A contemporary of Dr. Vecki was Dr. Ante Biankini, also a physician; he was also active as a politician, proponent for the South Slav cause, publisher, editor, and writer. He arrived in Chicago in 1898. For years he practiced as a physician and surgeon and was well known to thousands of the large Croatian colony in Chicago. His reputation as a surgeon at Mercy and Columbus hospitals and as a professor at Northwestern University was further enhanced by a number of scholarly books in the field of medicine written in English and Croatian.

 

BIELE, LUKA Fisherman-Fishdealer

Luka was born in Cavtat, Dalmatia, Croatia as was his father before him. His birth date was October 5, 1875.  He was born Luka Kristov Bjele.  His father's name was Kristo.  his great grandfather's name was Antun B.  I am told he has at least one sibling who had a son.  This son was in the military and sailed into San Francisco, California once and visited my grandmother's family in Richmond.  My grandmother was teased by her brothers because she looked so much like her cousin.  Someone sent me a paragraph from a book that was in Croatian.  From what I have been able to piece together, his great grandfather Antun B was born around 1717 and died around 1792.  He came to Cavtat around 1737.  He Italianized the name to Bianca towards the end of the 17th century.  (1780)  He had two sons, Miho and Kristov.  Kristov was a ship captain.  Miho was an undersea diver.  Kristov, Antun and Miha were the sons of Miho.  Antun Antunov Bianchi was a business man who moved to Cairo, Egypt in 1866.  Luka is listed in the 1900 census as having immigrated here in 1892.   He was 25 years old, called himself Luke Biele and was a boarder and a fisherman.  It states he had been in the U.S. for eight years.  He was not a citizen.  He is 25 years old.  In the 1910 census, he is married now for about four years and has two sons, Christopher age 3, and Howard, age 2.  He is 34 years old and his occupation is a fish dealer.  He lived next door to his wife's family.  He had married Rosie Freitas.  She was born in San Pablo of Portugese immigrants, Joseph and Mary Freitas and came from a family of ten children.  He uses the name Louis Beal.  He is in Contra Costa County. He had married Rosie in St. Francis De Sales Church in Oakland California on Nobember 7, 1905.  In the 1920 census, he calls himself Louis Beale.  He is a lodger, age 44 years old and lodges with his son, Christopher,13, and his daughter, age 7.  He has been divorced now about four years.  It states he immigrated in 1890.  He became a naturalized citizen in Pennsylvania in 1890. It states he was born in Dalmatia and his native tongue is Slavonian and the same is listed for his parents.  He is listed as a retail fish merchant.  His is listed in the 1927 phone directory as LC Biele, 719 Wood St.  in the business listings.  Otherwise he is listed as Louis C. Biele, fish, 719 Wood St.   We do not know when he came to San Francisco.  He fished commercially with Mr. Spanger of San Francisco's famous restaurant.  He died at age 69 in 1945, known as Louie Biele, according to his obituary.  According to California Death Records, his name was Lucas Christopher Biele.  At that time, he was a resident of San Pablo.  He was a commercial fisherman at the time of his death and his obituary states he had engaged in the fishing business all of his life.  He was a member of the Oakland aeries of Eagles, the Moose Lodge, and St. Paul's Church of San Pablo. He was survived by his sons Howard Louis Biele of Richmond, Christopher Earl Biele of San Francisco, and his daughter, Alice Gertrude Biele Neckel of Richmond.  He had five grandchildren;   Beverly Neckel, Edward (Fritz) Neckel, and Wayne Neckel. Louie Biele was buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Richmond, California.  (Denise Jackson 2004)

 

BILAFER, JOSEPH B. Goldminer-Restaurant-Croatian Activities

Born in Strp, Boka Kotorska, Dalmatia in 1876. He came to  America in 1891. For the first couple of years he worked in gold mines, and then moved to San Francisco where he was involved in restaurant business. He was a Treasurer of Croatian Union of the Pacific for six years, before he became its President in 1927. He is a former president of Slavonic Mutual Benevolent Society and president of Committee for 75th Anniversary Celebration of this Society. Member of Croatian Benevolent Society Zvonimir-Dalmatia.

 

BILANDIC, MICHAEL Mayor-Councilman-Chief Justice

Michael A. Bilandic grew up in a Croatian connnunity in Chicago. He served as Mayor of Chicago from 1976 to 1979. Elected to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1990, he has served since Jan 1. 1994, as Chief Justice. Not only is he an accomplished lawyer, politician, and justice, but Michael Bilandic has also become a respected artist and photographer in Chicago. Michael Bilandic was born in Chicago on Feb. 13, 1923. He attended St. Jerome Croatian parish school at 2823 S. Princeton Ave, and De LaSalle High School at 35th and Wabash. He graduated from St. Mary's College in Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science degree and from De Paul University College of Law with a Doctor Juris degree. He served as a First Lieutenant in the Marine Corps during World War 11. Bilandic began practicing law in Chicago in 1949. A member of the Chicago City Council from 1969 through 1976, he was elected mayor of the City of Chicago in 1976 and served until 1979. He became Chief Justice on Jan. 1, 1994. Bilandic's rise to success than is his optimism and determination. A youthful spirit, 76-year-old Justice Bilandic is a forward-thinker and a man of great wisdom. He is also a remarkable athlete; he runs marathons, plays tennis, and swims.

On the 10th Anniversary of Mayor Daley's death, Bilandic said "I would gladly mortgage everything I own for my son to have the opportunity to be influenced and mentored. in this field by someone like Mayor Richard J. Daley." Both Richard Daley and Bilandic grew up in the neighborhood of Bridgeport, and it was in Bridgeport, the I I th ward of Chicago, that they began their influential careers. In 1969, Bilandic won the alderman seat in the I I th ward. In 1976, Mayor Daley died suddenly. Bilandic took over as Acting Mayor.  Six months later, Bilandic won the general election to become Chicago's first Croatian American mayor. He won over 77 percent of the vote. In 1984, Bilandic was elected to the Ist District Appellate Court, where he served until his election to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1990. He became Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court on Jan. 1, 1994 and continues to serve.

Bilandic still remembers taking Croatian language classes during regular school hours at St. Jerome's School in Bridgeport. Even other I I th ward children, including the children of Irish and Italian immigrants, attended the Croatian language lessons. He spoke Croatian with his parents at home and spent six months of his childhood on the island of Brac, Croatia, studying out of books from St. Jerome's on a trip with his two brothers, his sister, and his beloved mother. Mike Bilandic says he was brought up in an incredibly loving and caring home. His parents both came to the United States from Croatia in the early 1900s. His mother Dinka Lebedina (the name changed in America to Mimi) came from the village of Bobovisce on the island of Brac, Croatia. His father Mate Bilandzic immigrated from Dicmo, a village near Sinj, Croatia. They had four children, Ivka Eleonore (1922), Michael (1923), Stephen (1925), and Nick (1927). The family name was changed to Bilandic. Keeping in touch with his roots has contributed to Mike Bilandic's strong sense of identity. He always wanted to share his Croatian family roots with both his wife Heather, and son Michael Morgan. Bilandic says, "I wanted my son to experience the same things I experienced." Michael and Heather were married while he was mayor, on July 15, 1978, at the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Since his wife Heather signed him up for art classes at the Evanston Arts Center 12 years ago, Bilandic has received guidance from famous artists and photographers, including his wife, Heather, who is herself a talented artist in oil paints. Photographer Dell Herman said, " People are surprised at how good he is." His subjects range from the 100-year-old tree in front of his house to photographs of North Avenue beach. Other favorite photographs include a picture of his wife Heather, on a Gold Coast side street. He has also taken his love of photography to Croatia, where he took a favorite photograph of fishermen by boats at Makarska, a coastal town that Bilandic call the "Palm Beach of Croatia." Just last year (1998), he used a picture of his grandparents' home as a Christmas card for family and friends. Justice Bilandic appears in several photographs himself, posing with President Jimmy Carter, Senator Adlai Stevenson, Mayor Richard Daley, George Dunne, Ed Vrydolyak, among many other national and local politicians. Bilandic's son Michael Jr. currently attends the University of Texas. His wife Heather earned a bachelor's degree from Smith College and a MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She has also served the city of Chicago as executive director of the Chicago Council on fine arts. Recognized as a long-time friend, mentor, and model to many Croatian Americans, Chief Justice Bilandic encourages those starting out, no matter what the venture or task they attempt, despite all of its uncertainty and fate. He quotes the old Mayor Daley, "When God closes a door, he opens a window. "

 

BILICH JOSEPH T. Industrial Relations

Joseph Bilich is Director of Industrial Relations at Hoover Bearing Division, Hoover Ball and Bearing Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan, He was born May 16, 1933 in Weirton, W.Virginia and is married with five children. Education includes Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, B.S., 1955. (Business Administration); Attended various courses and seminars at Columbia, University of Michigan, Wayne State University with a major field inIndustrial and Labor Relations; Organization Development and a specialty of Professional Manager, Generalist. Member of American Society for Training and Development; Beta Alpha Phi:Honorary Business Fraternity; Industrial Relations Association of Detroit. Occupational experience includes 1955 Labor Relations training, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania; 1956 Promotion Labor Relation Analyst; 1958 Promotion Supervisor, Industrial Relations, Louisville, Ohio; 1962 Promotion Assistant Division Manager, Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp., Detroit, Michigan; 1968 Promotion Co-ordinator of Labor Agreements, J. & L. Pittsburgh; 1969 Director of Industrial Relations, Hoover Bearing Division, Hoover Ball and Bearing Company. Received J. P. Niland Award in 1955 for "Most Outstanding Student in Management"; former member of the Duquesne University Tamburitzans.

 

BILICH, MATT J. Oysterbeds-Oyster Market

Matt J, Bilich, 732 Governor Nicholas Street, New Orleans, Louisiana is a highly successful oyster man, a planter and distributor of oysters, and has been associated with this industry in New Orleans and the Gulf coast area near the mouth of the Mississippi River since he was twelve years of age. Mr. Bilich began work in the oyster trade in 1906 and was employed by his father in the Bayou Cook area for several years . In 1911 he started his own business and during his youth. and early manhood was considered one of the most outstanding fishermen of this section, oftentimes working from fourteen to eighteen hours per day and frequently as much as twenty four hours without stopping. Practically eighty per cent of his oyster crop was destroyed in the disastrous storm of 1915 and Mr. Bilich almost lost his life as well, but recovered and soon re-established his business and aided materially in the general rehabilitation of the industry. Matt J. Bilich was born in Croatia on the ninth of November, 1894, a son of John M. Bilich, a widely-known local fisherman and oysterman until his death in 1915, and Maude (Zibilich) Bilich, now well past seventy years of age. When he was twelve years of age, Mr. Bilich came with his parents to the United States, settling in Plaquemines Parish. The maternal grandfather of Mr. Bilich, Luke Zibilich, fished for oysters in Bayou Cook for many years and his son, Paul, was a director in the old Whitney Central National Bank of New Orleans. On the sixth of April, 1926, Mr. Bilich was married in New Orleans to Miss Francis Hihar, a native of Plaquemines, Parish who was born and reared at Empire. Mr. and Mrs. Bilich have three children, Madeline, born the twenty-ninth of March, 1927, a graduate of McDonough School No. 15 in New Orleans; John, born the eighth of December, 1929, and Catherine Bilich, who was born the first of August, 1930. Anthony Zibilich, Mr. Bilich's uncle, was formerly associated in business with Mr. Bilich but later returned to Europe and since that time Mr. Bilich has had sole charge of the cultivation and operation of the oyster beds located in Bayou Chalon and Bayou La Chute. In 1931 Mr. Bilich formed the Louisiana Oyster Men's Protective Association and was named vice-president of the organization. In 1933 he established a retail oyster market situated at 732 Governor Nicholas Street operated in co-operation with a number of other oystermen. Mr. Bilich is a member of the Slavonian Benefit Association and has been affiliated with that organization for  nearly thirty years. He was formerly a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and is connected with the Masonic order.  Mr. Bilich is a recognized authority on oysters and an article dealing with various phases of the industry appeared in the February fifteenth, 1931 issue, of a leading New Orleans paper.

 

BIOCINA, GEORGE Ranch-Laundry

George Biocina, clan name Ronje, was born in 1882 in Postira, Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. He came to San Francisco, California in 1904. He was employed by the Gallant Laundry Company until 1916 when he went into the laundry business at his home on Persia Street in the Excelsior District which he built in 1916. In 1922 he constructed a large laundry on Brazil Avenue which included two houses, four building home sites and the laundry. His partner in the laundry was George Santich also from Brac. George expanded his holdings by purchase of a large 22 acre orchard in Mountain View in 1933. He bought this ranch during the economic depression with cash. George Biocina was an excellent businessman with a sense of humor and an outgoing personality and was considered a leader in the Croatian-Dalmatian community. He held many parties at his ranch with barbequed lamb and home made wine. He was known to have made spirits from 1919-1931. He was a life long member of the Slavonic Society of San Francisco. George married Katie Lazaneo from Postira, Brac in 1907 at the Croatian church of Nativity in San Francisco. Margaret was born in 1908; John in 1909; Catherine in 1911; Anton in 1912; Nancy in 1914; George in 1916; Peter in 1918; Mary in 1921. Margaret, John, and Mary died as children. George had a brother, Peter, in San Francisco and cousins Spiro in San Pedro and Ljubo in San Francisco. His wife Katie Lazaneo had a brother Nikola in Cupertino with a ranch and sister Lena Jelincich in San Jose.

 

BIOCINA, MICHAEL Pharmacist

Died in Watsonville, California, May 14, 1978;  survived by two sisters, Eva Skarich of San Francisco and May Skarich also of San Francisco; and a brother, George Skarich of Greenbrae; a veteran of WWII; a member of B. P. O. E. 1300 in Watsonville, American Legion, California Pharmaceutical Assn., California Alumni Assn., Kappa Psi; a retired pharmacist, had been in this occupation for 49 years; graduated from UC Pharmaceutical School in 1930 and had lived in San Francisco for 18 years; a native of Los Angeles; aged 68 years.

 

BISKUP, LUKE P. Fruit Packing Farm

Luke P. Biskup, prominently identified with the fruit-packing industry of Watsonville, is a self-made man.  He was born June 5, 1887, in the province of Dalmatia, Croatia, and was reared on a farm. His education was acquired in his native land and in 1908, when eighteen years of age, he yielded to the lure of the new world. After reaching the United States he started for Watsonville, where he joined an older brother, who has preceded him to the Pacific coast. For three years he was employed on fruit farms in the Pajaro valley, driving teams and also doing plowing, pruning and other labor. He worked for a year in the orchards near San Jose, saving as much as possible from his wages, and on his return to Watsonville rented the Litchfield ranch, a sixty-acre tract, for which he paid the sum of four hundred dollars per annum. The place was situated in Green valley and twenty acres were devoted to apricots, peaches, cherries and pears. The first year was a disastrous one and Mr. Biskup lost a thousand dollars but made up his loss in the second year, making a profit of one thousand dollars. He next leased the Chris Johnson ranch of eighty acres, twenty of which were utilized for the growing of apples, and operated the property for three years. He paid an annual rental of eight hundred dollars, and his profits for each year amounted to one thousand dollars. Mr. Biskup then bought a twenty-acre apple orchard in the Railroad district for eight thousand dollars and operated the ranch successfully for two years, when he sold it for sixteen thousand dollars, doubling his money.  For the past five years Mr. Biskup has engaged in packing and shipping green and dried fruits, designated as Rosebud brand, working on an independent basis, and in this venture he has been equally successful. He shipped forty carloads of fruit in 1923 and under his expert management the business is enjoying a rapid growth. In 1922 Mr. Biskup married Miss Anna Glage, who was born in South Dakota, and they own a nice home in Watsonville. Mr. Biskup gives his undivided attention to his business, and the Austria Benevolent Society is the only organization with which he is connected.

 

BIZACA, JOSEPH Carpenter

Joseph was born in the village of Postira on the Island of Brac and migrated to the America in 1939. He worked as a carpenter and resided like so many other folks from Brac, in the Excelsior District of San Francisco where he was to meet a young lady, also from Postira, Rita Vlahovich. They were to marry and have five children; James, Joseph, Stephanie, Peter and Kathy. Joe was an avid fisherman and a great dancer who loved to polka. Joe became a master of his trade and was the job superintendent for the construction at his parish church, Corpus Christi. Upon his retirement in 1979, Joe and Rita moved to Citrus Heights. He was a 50-year-plus member of the Slavonian Society. Joe died on January 31, 1995 and leaves his loving spouse, Rita, five children and 4 grandchildrcn.

 

BLAGDON, CHARLES M. Photographer

Born and raised in San Francisco. Graduate of Balboa High School. World War 11 Navy Seabee Veteran. Prize winning photographer for United Press International, 40 years. Danco Realty, 20 years. Member of Slavonic Mutual Benevolent Society, SIRS Branch 57 and Excelsior Boys. Beloved husband of Mary Lou Blagdon, married 50 years in April of 2001; loving father of Linda Menary, Chris and Dan Blagdon, dearest father-in-law of Brad Menary and Terry Blagdon; awesome grandfather of Scott and Michael Menary and Kevin, Brian and Giana Blagdon; devoted son of Josephine and the late Charles Blagdon; loving brother of Helen Hix and many nieces, nephews and sister and brothers-in-law. Charlie passed away at age 74 on January 8, 2001.

 

BLASKOVICH, JERRY Doctor-Author

Jerry Blaskovich was born, 1934, in Chicago.  He served six years in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps during the Korean War.  Subsequently he attended the University of Zagreb School of Medicine and interned at Cook County Hospital-Chicago.  While Blaskovich completed the residency in Dermatology at USC-L.A. County Hospital, Los Angeles, he was Fellow of the National Institute of Mental Health in Psychocutaneuos Diseases.

In 1971 he became Diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Metropolitan Dermatological Society of Los Angeles, Long Beach Dermatology Society, and Pacific Dermatology Association.  He served several terms on the Board of Directors of the Califonia Congress of Dermatological Societies, which represented over 2,800 dermatologists in California.  Most recently he was appointed to the International Society of Dermatology.

Aside from his medical career, he is an active in numerous American civic organizations.  Most notably--The Boys Club of San Pedro.  A board member since 1970, he held all board positions, including two terms as president.  He was one of the founders and first president of the Croatian Catholic Family Guild of Mary Star of the Sea Parish.  He is also one of the founders and serves on the Advisory Board of the World Congress of Croatian Phsyicians.  Presently he serves ont he Advisory Council of the Gustave von Grunbaum Center for Near Eastern Studies at UCLA.

Despite maintaining a busy practice and teaching at USC as Assistant Clinical Professor, to satisfy his intellectual curiosity, he took time and attended UCLA.  In December 1992 he received a Master of Art degree in Islamic Art History (Minor in Islamic Studies and Balkan History).

Blaskovich anticipated the need to aid Croatia even before the Serb led Yugoslav forces initiated overt warfare.  He spearheaded humanitarian efforts to supply much needed medications and visited the frontlines several times.  He evaluated medical facilities, refugee camps, interviewed and examined war crimes and rape camp victims for the Foreign Press Bureau.

To deconstruct the rampant disinformation that has pervaded the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, he has had numerous letters to the editors and Op-Ed published in newspapers and periodicals throughout the United States and England, and addressed civic groups, such as the Lions and Kiwanis.  He presented the plenary address at the World Federation of Humanists.  At the University of  California at Irvine, sponsored by the Rosen Holocaust Center, he gave a keynote address on the Serbian atrocities in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina, as well as headed an open forum on the subject. Books published: “Anatomy and Deceit” (Dunhill Publishing; New York: 1997) “Anatomija Prijevare” (Moderna vremena; Zagreb: 1998) “The Zagreb Mosques  A Study of Non-Muslim Sponsorship of Islamic Art in the Balkan Heart of Christendom” (UCLA; Los Angeles: 1992) Hits and Myths of Croatia and Bosnia: Chapter in “The Proceeding of the XV International Humanists Congress” (Springer; New York: 1997)

 

BLAZEVICH, BILL Tamburitza and Kolo

Bill died on May 21, 1990 in San Francisco. Bill, who never married, cherished the Croatian Fraternal Union and his endeavors left us with a fuller feeling of fraternalism.  His contributions to our cultural program has left its impression on all of us who learned to dance the kolo, play tamburitza music and sing the songs of our heritage. He was our mentor and he was especially delighted when he taught our youth the music and dances of their heritage.  Bill loved children and was for many years, the Nest Manager of our own Nest 282. Our late brother Bill also played a major role in the administration of our lodge.  He, at one time or another, held every lodge position but preferred to remain on the sidelines and let other take the bows.  He rarely missed a lodge meeting and for a number of years hosted the meetings in the basement of his own home surrounded by tamburitza instruments and volumes of Croatian music and records. A native of Red Rock, Montana, he was a learned man who was valedictorian of his college graduating class and who with his family came to California where he was hired as an engineer with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company where he remained till he retired.

Bill was given a testimonial dinner in 1972 by his appreciative lodge members and in lieu of gifts and at his request, he was given a purchase order to be used for the purchase of musical equipment for his junior tamburitza classes.  He was a true fraternalist in every sense of the word. At our lodge’s 50th Anniversary Dinner/Dance in November, Bill donated 100 commemorative wine glasses and was given what was to be the final standing ovation for his invaluable and unselfish contributions to our Society and to his fellow man.

 

BLAZEVIC, EMIL Teacher-Music School

For more than fifty years Emil Blazevic contributed to American and Croatian music and to the education of many good singers. He was born in Kraljevica, Croatian Littoral, in 1880; he came to America around the turn of the century. A teacher of music and singing, he had his own school of music in New York. He was an excellent singer, composer, conductor, and popularizer of the tamburitza music. Blazevic was eighty years old when he died in New York in October, 1960.

 

BLAZINA, THOMAS D. JR. Airforce Pilot-West Point Instructor

Lieutenant Tommy Blazina graduated from West Point with his wings as well as his infantry insigna. His record showed graduation from both the Academy and the Air Corps. He had been flying for over a year. First two-wing trainers -speed eighty-five miles an hour, and next A-T-6's 275 miles an hour, at Stewart Field not far from West Point. After graduation the Lieutenant was sent to Williams Field in Arizona to fly the P-51 and P-47. These seven-ton fighters could fly 350 miles an hour and were used as dive bombers wide strafers. The pilots called them "Jugs." After graduation from aerial gunnery and strafing school the young lieutenant was selected to go to March Field and fly P-80 jets. He was assigned to the 94th Fighter Squadron,

In June 1948 Lieutenant Blazina flew back to Chicago to be an usher for his sister Marilyn's wedding. After she gave up her glamorous career as a dancer and flew to West Point to see her brother graduate, Marilyn decided to finish her education and enrolled in the exclusive Loring School for Girls where she graduated with honors in June 1948. She planned to enter university that fall, but she met and fell in love with a young doctor from her father’s old country. Joseph Veich M.D., a graduate of Zagreb University, was in America on a student visa from Croatia. He was finishing a year of internship in Chicago and was to report to Yankton State Hospital in South Dakota for another year of residency in his specialty-psychiatry. Separation seemed intolerable and so the young couple were married June 13th and left for South Dakota the last of the month.

In September 1948 Tommy Blazina enrolled in California Institute of Technology at Pasadena, where he was to take graduate training in Aeronautical Engineering, specializing in Jet Propulsion and Rockets. The Air Corps wanted him to secure his Master's Degree because he was to be a Design and Development Officer and work as a technical engineer with guided missiles and rockets. First Lieutenant Thomas D. Blazina Jr. on June 16, 1949 received his Master of Science degree from Cal Tech along with six other officers and several hundred other graduating seniors. The fliers wore their uniforms which stood out in sharp contrast with the black robes of the seniors. General Eisenhower sent a letter of congratulation and Tommy had already received a letter asking him to consider appointment as an instructor at West Point.

His father and mother drove out from Chicago and sister Marilyn and her husband Joseph Veich rode with them.

After the graduation Tommy and his girlfriend Midge announced details about the wedding which was to take place two days later in the chapel at March Field. The dramatic military wedding in the chapel at March Field drew together many warm friends of the popular couple. Most of the 94th Squadron were there and many old Chicago friends. Major Clayton Peterson served as best man, and Chaplain Clinton Everts officiated for the wedding rites. Frances and Tom were proud to share their son with the lovely bride. After the ceremony the reception was held in the patio of the Officers' Club and friends were helping open congratulations... Suddenly one of   his friends raised his hand and commanded, "Quiet everyone! I want to read this one out loud."Lt. and Mrs. Thomas D. Blazina,  Patio Officers Club,  March Field. Heartiest congratulations to the fine son of my friend and comrade of World War One and felicitations to his bride on their wedding day. Many many years of happiness be yours. Dwight D. Eisenhower’'.

When Tommy and Midge arrived at Elgin Field, his next assignment, he was immediately informed that he was to go for three months to the Test Pilot School at Dayton, Ohio. After graduation from school at Wright-Patterson Field, Tommy returned to Elgin to complete a two year tour of duty there. He wanted to go overseas to fight in Korea and addressed the proper request to his commanding officer. He then persuaded his superior to approve his letter and it was sent on to Washington. Back it came in a few days. "Request denied. Candidate is scheduled to teach at West Point. We need him here to train officers. Valuable man. No, to overseas request." Two important events took place in 1951-Lieutenant Blazina received his commission as captain, and he was ordered to West Point to serve there as an instructor. He had been invited to teach there while still at Cal Tech, but the War Deparment raised the age limit for teaching at the Academy. His new assignment was in the Department of Mechanics, teaching Thermodynamics and Fluids, and Jet Propulsion. Some time later he became Assistant Professor in the same department and worked under Colonel Elven Heiberg and Colonel Archie Higdon.

General Eisenhower in October, 1951, wrote from Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe, to Tom Blazina congratulating him on his son's appointment to teach at West Point: "I cannot tell you how delighted I am to hear the good news about your son. He is living up to your high expectations, which is completely understandable in view of the splendid stock from which he sprang.

After his three year tour of duty as an instructor at West Point, Captain Blazina was assigned to Tyndall Air Base, Florida, where he worked with rockets and flew the F-86D jets. He graduated at the head of his class in time to fly with Midge to California to spend Christmas with his parents. Tom and Frances had moved in the winter of 1953 to Whittier to live with their daughter Marilyn and her husband Dr. Joseph Veich. Next assignment was Landstuhl, Germany, where he would fly the F-86D rocket-assisted jets. He arrived in January 1955, but Midge could not get clearance until April. Twice a year maneuvers were held in Tripoli where there was plenty of room over the desert. The pilots stopped in Italy on the way home for fueling. Some brought their wives beautiful embroidery or leather bags, but not Captain Blazina. He loaded his rocket pods with salami, Mozzarella cheese, and Lasagna noodles. Next-year Tommy brought back an even larger supply of salami, Mozzerella, and lasagna noodles as his friends egged him on. They knew they would have another good feed. Captain Blazina worked hard. He ate with a keen appetite, and expected all about him to move with the same vigor that. he displayed.

He had to teach the base commander how to fly the new plane, and the colonel complained to Midge, "I wish you would tell that young captain of yours to take it easy when he is instructing me to fly. I'm just not as young as I once was, and can't keep up with him." On the third trip back from Tripoli, the captain did not bring salami. He brought his wife a small Berretta instead. The day before he was to return, Midge was informed that the order had come through promoting her husband to major. She bought two gold leaves and drove to the landing field to surprise him. Major Blazina had worked hard for his promotions. He believed that good officers possessed integrity, and wanted to improve so they could better serve their country.

Colonel Archie Higdon, who was now teaching in the new Air Force Academy in Colorado, wrote Tommy twice urging him to request transfer to the new academy. "We need men like you here to help establish an institution of high standards. Won't you please try to get transferred here? We need you and will assist you in any way in effecting the transfer." Colonel W. H. Tetley, Director of Engineering for the European Air Material Force, also was inviting the major to join his staff. He wrote, "The surveillance of this project requires an engineer of your experience and drive. "It is highly desirable that this slot be filled with a rated officer current in jet aircraft, as he must deal with toperational types, and be able to discuss current flying problems with authority. Finally I know you can do a good job and will stick to it when the heat gets turned on." The Air Force, however, had other plans for Major Blazina. He had been selected to represent the Air Force at the Naval War College. On November 13, 1957, General William B. Keese, Deputy Director Military Personnel wrote, "I wish to congratulate you on being selected to attend the next class of the Command and Staff Course, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. "A selection board at this Headquarters recently reviewed the records of approximately 1600 officers, nominated by major commands and special USAF activities, and selected 528 for command and staff training during fiscal year 1959. From the top half of this group of 528, 15 officers were designated as best qualified to represent the Air Force at fiscal year 1959 command and staff courses of the Army and Navy. You are one of six designated to attend the Navy Command and Staff Course. "Your selection is indicative of your military accomplishment to date. I am confident that you will capably represent the Air Force during your school assignment and, upon graduation, bring to the Air Force a knowledge and appreciation of Navy problems which should be of great benefit to the Air Force, as well as yourself, in future assignments."

Major Thomas D. Blazina never received these orders. Major Thomas D. Blazina died in an aircraft crash November 5, 1957, at Landstuhl Air Force Base, Germany. The F-86D all weather fighter-interceptor had previously developed mechanical trouble and was thoroughly checked by some of the best mechanics in the Air Force. They found no mechanical difficulty, so the major took it up for a test flight. As it roared off the ground the craft seemed to lose some of the burner and immediately exploded killing Major Thomas D. Blazina. His father was Eisenhower’s old Sergeant.

 

BLAZINA, TOM  Military

President Eisenhower was Sergeant Tom Blazina’s Lieutenant during the Mexican border troubles with Pancho Villa in 1916. They  kept in touch during Eisenhower’s rise to General of the Armed Forces during World War Two and his term as President of the United States. His father, Tomo Blazina, came to America in the 1880’s and returned to Slavica, Gorski Kotar, Croatia to marry. He returned to America, leaving his wife, young Tom and other children behind. He died in a coalmining accident at Roslyn, Washington and was buried in the National Croatian Cemetery. Croatians also maintained the Dr. Starcevich Cemetery at Roslyn. His widow and children then came to America.

Eisenhower is Republican Candidate for the Presidency of America: Three thousand ward captains and precinct workers crowded into Chicago's Orchestra Hall on a hot sticky night in July 1952 to hear the Republican candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America. About nine o'clock General Dwight Eisenhower, the candidate, was presented. Chicago was a Taft city, but the crowd responded with moderate applause as it measured the stature of this man. "I am not unacquainted with Chicago," he began, "for I served on the Mexican Border with Chicago's famous Fighting Irish Seventh Infantry."

Sergeant Blazina: A short heavy set figure rose suddenly in the second row of seats directly in front of the speaker and shouted, "General Eisenhower!" The startled General looked down on his interrupter, and a wave of movement swept the crowd as necks craned to see the heckler. Police moved toward the front. "General Eisenhower," the booming voice continued, "Sergeant Blazina of the old Fighting Irish Seventh Infantry reporting, and saluting the next President of the United States." Here was drama. Reporters seized their pencils as the crowd rose to its feet and cheered the candidate, "We like Ike! We want Ike!" The General motioned the sergeant to the front of the platform and when the shouting finally died down, shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder, "Sergeant Blazina, I'm mighty glad to see you." Applause interrupted, "We had some great fights down on the border, didn't we?" "Yes, sir, General, we sure did." Ex-Sergeant Thomas Blazina had reported to the then Lieutenant Eisenhower many times on the Mexican Border, and he had reported to the General often since and a warm and genuine friendship had grown up between the two men.

Blazina Enlists in Army: As a boy Tom Blazina longed to join the armed forces. He wished to serve in either the army or the navy of his adopted country. Tom knew that his parents would not sign the papers, so he forged his mother's name. At last he was a fullfledged member of the Illinois National Guard. Before the summer camp closed Tom Blazina achieved his deepest ambition. He shot a score of 217 on the rifle range and won the Expert Rifleman Award with seven points to spare. He was now the best shot in his company. On Saint Patrick's Day the following winter, he was given three medals-Marksman, Sharp Shooter, and Expert Rifleman. Family and friends joined in genuine approval for their Tom was equal to the best shots in the Fighting Irish Seventh.

Pancho Villa and the Seventh Regiment in 1916: "Good morning, Major," the first lieutenant saluted smartly. "I am Lieutenant Dwight Eisenhower and I have been assigned to Seventh Regiment." 'Fellows, I met the Regimental Tactical Officer this afternoon." Corporal Tom Blazina announced to a group of fellow non coms gathered after supper a few days later for a bull session. "You mean that regular army fellow?" Sergeant BIatz Second Regiment asked. Tom nodded. "Well, if you ask me I think he's just a stuck-up dude in fancy clothes. Him and his West Point airs," continued Blatz. "I disagree with you," Tom returned. "This regiment needs some military airs as you call them. I call it discipline, and Lord knows we need discipline if we're going to lick Villa or anybody else.""I think Lieutenant Eisenhower is as fine an officer as I've ever seen." "Lt. Dwight Eisenhowever is his full name, and you can't find a finer young officer," Tom repeated. "If I ever have a son, I hope he will be like the lieutenant."  I predict that Lt. Eisenhower will command a regiment or even a brigade some day, and that I pray to God that I'll some day have a son who'll be like him."  They recognized that he had knowledge and skills beyond their meager information. By this time everything was patched up between the Mexican Government and the United States.

Old Friends Meet Again: Ex-Sergeant Tom Blazina planned to miss one day of the West Point Graduation Week and meet with some Crane Company executives in New York City. He leisurely walked from his hotel but as he reached the railroad station, he heard martial music and hastened to the guard on duty at the gate. "What's the music this morning? I didn't know anything special was going on today." "Well, General Eisenhower, Chief of Staff, decided to come up this morning and they are putting on a review for him." "General Eisenhower!" Tom exclaimed, "he was my lieutenant on the Mexican border." "Well, if you want to see him you had better rush back up the hill. The review is about over." Tom ran over to the parade ground and witnessed the last of the exercise. After the review General Eisenhower, General Wainwright, General Omar Bradley, General Taylor, Superintendent ot the Academy, with their staffs and colors formed a procession to march back to the superintendent's headquarters. Ex-Sergeant Thomas Blazina ran ahead and found a place along the line of march. As the marchers approached with General Eisenhower on the side next to Tom, the old sergeant stepped briskly forward two paces and smartly saluted. "General Eisenhower, Sergeant Blazina of the old Fighting Irish Illinois Seventh Infantry reporting." The general halted, surprised, and turned toward the sergeant. The marchers stopped and General Taylor seized General Eisenhomer's arm to protect him from harm. Guards pushed forward, but General Eisenhower shook off the restraining arm and rushed over to the sidelines. "Why, Sergeant! Sergeant! Am I glad to see you." Placing both hands on his friend's shoulders. "Blazina, isn't it? "What are you doing here, Sergeant?"

Son at West Point: "Well General, you remember New Braunfels? It was there that I vowed that if I ever had a boy, he would go to West Point and be an officer like you." "How is the boy? How is the boy?" "General, you have just seen him pass in review as a West Point graduate." "And what shall I tell the Irish in Chicago, General Eisenhower? They won't believe I've talked to you." "Tell them that I'll always remember my first and most important command." Tom hastened back to his hotel in Highland Falls. "Guess who I saw this morning?" "Where have you been? We thought you were in New York City on important business," his family responded. "I've been on important business all right. After thirty years I just saw my old lieutenant from Mexican Border days-General Eisenhower. My idol and inspiration." He recounted the meeting with the famous general. When Tom returned to Chicago he looked up many old acquaintances from Mexican Border days, and recounted his meeting with their lieutenant.

President Eisenhower and Sergeant Blazina at Palm Springs: When President Eisenhower vacationed in California sunshine at Palm Springs in the winter of 1954, many of Tom's friends jokingly said, "Well, Tom, I suppose you'll be rushing down to Palm Springs to see Ike, now that he's so close." "I might just do that, too." The Sarge had just visited the White House a few months earlier. A few days later Tom answered the phone, and a voice said, "This is Tom Stephens, President Eisenhower's secretary, and he wants you and your wife to come down to a reception next Monday." "Ike wants you to come down for a farewell reception given in his honor at Smoke Tree Ranch.  A Los Angeles paper featured the story of the Mexican Border and Tom's meeting's with the President in more recent years. Paul Hoffman escorted the couple over to the President, "Here are old friends." "Mrs. Blazina. Well, well we meet again and I am glad to see you. "And Sergeant! It was good of you to come down for the reception." Tom and Frances bade the President and his charming wife good-bye, and the President repeated, "Sergeant, you come down and see me again. Just anytime. You just phone my secretary for an appointment." Boyhood in Croatia: Thomas Blazina was born on July 15, 1893. The locale was a village in a quiet Croatian valley near Slavica in County Gorski Kotar. Tom's father, Toma, was born in 1862 and twenty-five years later left for America to seek his fortune. He dug coal in the states of Illinois and Iowa and returned to Slavica again in 1891 and married the lovely Mary Stimac, then eighteen years of age. Here they lived until Toma Blazina built a new home the following year on one of the small farms he bought on his return from America. In March 1895 another son was added to the family. Trying to raise a family on the meager soil discouraged Toma Blazina and in 1898 he decided to return to America and work in the mines. It was a sad parting as he bid goodbye to his beautiful young wife, his two sons, a darling daughter and a baby yet unborn. Little did they suspect the tragedies which would soon overwhelm their lives. News had come from Roslyn, Washington. "'Your dear husband has been killed in a coal mine.  At Christmas time Mary Blazina received a letter from America from her sister asking her to think over a proposition to come to America. "One of our friends has seen your picture. He is a good home-loving man and has fallen in love with your picture. He wants to marry you." Mary Blazina answered the letter asking for further details, but the next letter from Chicago was from Gayton Beretich proposing marriage. She talked to her oldest son, age ten. "Tommy, dear, I have not promised to marry this man, but I would like to go to America to meet him. "Go, mother dear, we'll be good boys and wait for your call from America." Finally came the good news that mother and sister had arrived safely in America. Mary Blazina had married-the news came to the boys that now they had a step-father. This new father was born in Dalmatia. More news from America announced the birth of a new son, a new brother for Joe and Tom, who were now excited about the trip to America. Tom said to his Aunt Lucy one day. "I feel as if God has given me wings and I can soon fly off of one of those mountains to America." School was out in June and teachers and schoolmates bade the young emigrants goodbye and wished them good luck, and Godspeed to their mother and America.

 

BOBAN, NED Restaurant

A native of the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia he lived in San Francisco and Marin County since 1938. He served in the Pacific with the United States Army Air Forces in WW 11. Ned owned Maye's Oyster House at 1233 Polk Street in San Francisco until he retired and sold the restaurant in 1986. He was married to  his wife, Lepa Boban, and had one daughter Nina Nikolich. Ned passed away on Sunday, April 15, 2001. Ned was a member of the Slavonic Mutual and Benevolent Society of San Francisco.

 

BOBAN, VLADIMIR Naval Architect

Vladimir Boban is a Naval Architect and Project Engineer in Research & Development, ESSO International Inc. New York City, New York. Born November 22, 1927 in Solin, Dalmatia, Croatia; Married and an American citizen. Education includes Real Gymnasium, Split, Croatia, Graduated, 1946; Technical Faculty, University of Zagreb,  Diploma 1953 in Naval Architecture,  Ship        design in all phases - new concept in design - Research instructural field and application. Member of Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Experience in Naval Architecture - Planning Department - Shipyard, Split, Croatia; 1955-58 Production Engineer, Cement factory, Solin, Croatia; 1958-60 Designer, part time, Italy; 1960-64 Naval Architect, H. Newton Whittelsey, Inc.; 1964-67 Naval Architect, Head Structural Section. John L. McMullen Associates Inc. - New York.

 

BODOR, FRANJO Doctor

At this year's annual meeting in Chicago, October 28 - November 1, 2000 the American Academy of Pediatrics honored the achievements of several of its members. Among them was Dr. Franjo Bodor, who received the prestigious Practitioner's Research Award in recognition of his contribution to a major advancement in practice of pediatrics. In the late 1970s, Dr. Bodor made the observation that many infants and very young children, who came to his office with purulent discharge from their eyes, also often have a simultaneous ear infection. He decided to study the relationship of the two infections and found that out of 132 children with eye infections seen in his office in one year, 96 (73%) had an ear infection at the same time. He observed that his patients' siblings and playmates will often also have either eye or ear infections, or both at the same time, suggesting this to be an infectious disease. He conducted two more studies, which confirmed the initial observations. Further, he found that most of the simultaneous ear and eye infections were caused by the same germ (H. Influenzae). The important side finding was that most parents (60%) were not aware that their infant or child had also pain in the ears. The significance of this contribution, leading to this year's award, was the discovery that every infant and young child with purulent discharge from the eyes might have, in a high percentage of cases, a simultaneous ear infection. Therefore, an infant and/or young child with inflamed eyes must have a thorough examination of the ears also. When both eyes and ears are simultaneously infected, one should treat this as single disease entity. Dr. Bodor named this infectious ailment "Conjunctivitis Otitis Syndrome" and described it in several publications. Dr. Bodor graduated from the Medical School at the Zagreb, Croatia University in 1958. He immigrated to the United States in 1966 with his wife Vera and sons Darko and Marko. After completing the residency in pediatrics at the University Hospital in Cleveland, Dr. Bodor practiced pediatrics on Cleveland's West side, where he did his research. He retired from the practice in 1996 and moved with his wife to Sarasota, FL where they now reside. He is a member of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 235 in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

BOGDAN, VICTOR Croatian Activities

Victor Bogdan was a member of the Slavonic Society, like his father before him. He was on the Board of Directors as the sick committee chairman. Vido was an employee of the Railway Express for over 30 years until his retirement in 1974. Since then, he enjoyed working at Candlestick Park as a gate keeper at 49er and Giants games. Vido was best remembered as the secretary of the Old Austrian America Society, a position he held for many years until the society was dissolved. He and his spouse Emily were married just one month short of 50 years, and lived in Westlake for over 30 years. Vido leaves two sons, James and Kenneth. and their families.

 

BOGDANOVICH, MARTIN Fish Cannery

French Sardine Company-Star Kist Tuna

One of the largest factories of canned fish, the French Sardine Co., is owned by  Mr. Martin Bogdanovich, native of Komiza, Island of Vis. The company was founded  on November 20, 1917. The founding capital was 10,000 dollars and it has been increased from time to time, so the present (1932) par value of stocks is 1,000,000 dollars. The founders of the French Sardine Company, Inc., are natives of the Dalmatian islands, where sardine fishing is one of the main occupations. Considering the low investment capital available, the first factory was 100 feet long and 60 feet wide. That factory had soon become too small, so it has been extended to 450 feet and the second floor has been built. On May 1, 1929 the management of the company bought from another fishing company, Spano Packing Co., the neighboring factory. That factory was demolished and a modern one was built. The new factory included the old French Sardine Company's factory, so the present plant is 450 feet long, 160 feet wide and has two floors. The factory produces canned sardines, tuna and mackerels. The canned mackerel under the brand name "Eatwell" is well known all over America. Furthermore, the company is the biggest canned mackerel producer in the United States with the annual production of about 150,000 cans. The annual production of canned sardines is about 350,000 cans, that is about 70,000 cans per month, since the sardines are being processed only five months a year. The annual production of canned tuna is about 150,000 cans. The success of the company is an accomplishment of its president, Mr. Martin Bogdanovich. Mr. Bogdanovich was born fifty years ago in Komiza at the island of Vis. From his very young days he was fishing and learning from his father who was the professional fisherman. After being forced to serve 4 years in the Austrian Navy, Mr. Bogdanovich immigrated in America and settled in San Diego where he was working as a fisherman for a while. Afterwards he bought a fishing boat and moved to San Pedro. As a fisherman he was rather successful, so he was the first to possess a motor fishing boat with a 30-horse power motor. Besides that, he was the first one to introduce  fresh fish from ice to the California fish markets. In 1914 he left fishing and bought a fresh fish store, California Fish Company. He managed the store successfully until year 1917 when he took over the entire management of the French Sardine Company. Mr. Bogdanovich is well known as a hard worker who dedicates all his time to his business, and he could be found there every day except on Christmas. Although there is a sufficient number of assistant managers in the factory, Mr. Bogdanovich prefers to control the canned fish production personally; from the moment when fresh fish is received, to the moment it is packed in boxes. Such an attention is priceless since it could not be obtained from any employee. Therefore the products of French Sardine Company are well known for their quality in processing and packaging. Mr. Bogdanovich lives with his family in San Pedro.

 

BOGDANOVICH, MARTIN J. Fish Cannery

Martin J. Bogdanovich, son of Joseph Bogdanovich was born in Komiza, Island of Vis on November 5, 1882.  By 1908 Martin had met and married Antonia Simich, a fellow Dalmatian.  They were the parents of seven children; Lucretia, Mary, Joe, Geraldine, Katherine, Nina, and Dana.  1908 was a  year in turmoil for Martin; he married and relocated to San Pedro, California.  Upon his arrival in the United States, Martin became involved with the fish processing industry and by 1917 had established the French Sardine Company, which employed hundreds of workers, many of them from Komiza.  Bogdanovich was also prominently involved in the formation of the Dalmatian-American  Club and the construction of the club’s building in San Pedro during the 1930s.  A park was named after Bogdanovich in that city.

 

BOGISICH, BALDO Restaurant

Baldo was from Dubrovnik.  He had a coffee saloon at Pacific and Drumm Streets and later operated the Ferry House at 715 Davis Street in San Francisco.  Baldo had an Irish wife.  He later moved to Oakland and operated the Mechanics Exchange Restaurant on 7th Street in 1870.

 

BOJANIC, JOHN Priest-Prisoner

John Bojanic was born on January 26, 1890, in Vrisnik, on the Island Hvar, in Dalmatia, Croatia. He received his elementary education in his home town and his high school and college training in Lokrun and Dubrovnik. In 1906, he entered the Dominican novitiate in Dubrovnik where he took Innocent Maria as his religious name and made his first profession of vows on December 15, 1907. After completing his philosophical and theological courses at the Dominican House of Studies in Dubrovnik, he was ordained a priest on August 10, 1913. Father Bojanic's first assignment was to the Dominican High School in Bol as a professor of German and Greek. In 1917, he became a military chaplain with the Austro-Hungarian Army. Captured on the Albanian front, he spent ten months in Italian prison camps before he was able to return to work in his Province. In 1919, he was appointed professor of languages at the Realka State College in Split.

In 1921, George Cardinal Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago, asked the Dominican Province of St. Joseph to assume responsibility for Holy Trinity Croatian Parish in Chicago, then under the temporary care of the Benedictines from St. Procopius Abbey. The Master of the Order assigned Father Bojanic to the pastorate at Holy Trinity. He arrived in Chicago on February 4, 1922, the first Dominican to take up permanent residence in the Archdiocese. Father Bojanic served as pastor of Holy Trinity for forty-four years, during which time he was able to put the debt-laden parish on sound financial footing and to provide a center of worship and Catholic education for the Croatian people in the Pilsen neighborhood that enabled them to retain the best of the traditional art and culture of their homeland.

In 1966, Father Bojanic retired to St. Dominic-St. Thomas Priory in River Forest, Illinois, where he spent his days in reading and prayer and in counselling his many former parishioners who stopped by for a visit. In early November, 1980, his health began to decline rapidly, and he had to move to the Oak Park Convalescent and Geriatric Center, not far from his Dominican community in River Forest, for special care. He died there of heart failure on November 26, 1980. Following services at St. DominicSt. Thomas Priory in River Forest, and at Holy Trinity Church in Chicago, he was buried in the community plot at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois, on November 29.

 

BOMBELLES, JOSEPH T. Professor

Joseph Bombelles is a professor of economics at the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economic's, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois. Born June 2, 1930 in  Zagreb, Croatia; married with two children. Education includes University of Zagreb,  Zagreb, Croatia. Diploma 1952; Academy of International Law, The Hague, Holland. Certificate, 1954; Case-Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, Ph.D., 1965. Thesis completed Deficit in the Balance of Payments of Yugoslavia, 1948-1957, Master's; Planning and Economic Growth of Yugoslavia 1947-1961 Ph.D. Published Economic Development of Communist Yugoslavia 1947-64, Stanford University,  The Hoover Institute on War, Revolution and Peace, 1968. Member of American Economic Association; Omicron Delta Epsilon; Society for Development.

 

BONTEMPO, H Priest

Catholic Croatians of California were  without a priest of their own language, until the arrival, in December 1901, of the Reverend Henry Bontempo, S.J., a Jesuit missionary from Dalmatia. Father Bontempo was born in Rovigno, Istria.  In January, 1902, Archbishop Riordan gave him temporary parochial jurisdiction over the Catholic Slavs of San Francisco, to whose spiritual needs he ministered faithfully and zealously, holding services and preaching in Croatian on Sundays in the Ladies’ Soladity Chapel under the old St. Ignatius Church on Hayes Street, near Franklin Street in San Francisco.

 

BORIC, STANLEY Editor

Editor of "Nasa Nada," Official Bi-monthly paper of the Croatian Catholic Union in Gary, Indiana. Born December 5, 1909 in Brist, Croatia; Married with six children. Education includes Classical Gymnasium, Split, Croatia, Graduated 1935; Franciscan School of Philosophy, Sinj. Croatia 1934-35; Law Faculty of the University of Zagreb 1936-39. Publications Edited, Fra. Andrija Kacic Miosic, Razgovor Ugodni. Gary, 1954; The Croatian Primer Picture, Gary, 1960; Edited, Francis Preveden, A History of the Croatian People. New York, 1962. Owner and manager of  store: Religious Articles - Church Goods in Gary, Indiana.

 

BORINA, NICHOLAS M Farm Packer Goldminer

Nicholas M. Borina, of 57 Brennan street, Watsonville, is engaged in the raising and shipping of both apples and berries. He was born in Dalmatia, Croatia, December 20, 1888, his parents being Mateo and Mary Borina, worthy farmer folk. His father died in military service but his mother is still living. They never came to this country.

At the early age of eleven years Nicholas M. Borina emigrated to the Unites States and for a time attended evening schools in San Francisco, while he labored during the day and lived with an uncle, who already had a large family to support. From 1900 to 1907 he worked on farms, and in that latter year went to Alaska for a season. On his return to California he stopped in San Francisco, where he clerked in a grocery store and also worked for a builder. Then he came to Watsonville and for three years he had charge of a packing house. In 1911 he began business for himself in a very modest way. He had saved some money and since then has made a pronounced success. He has good orchard land, and also grows his own berries. All this is doubly creditable, for since he was a boy of seven, he has made his own way and supported his mother in the bargain. He gives employment to one hundred people and is doing an excellent business. Mr. Borina's wife before her marriage was Miss Lucy Secundo, a native of Dalmatia but reared here and they have had two daughters, Marian and Jane.

 

BORKOVICH, KATHERINE H. Professor-Doctor of Medicine

Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, Internal Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Born April 11, 1915 in Monaca, Pennsylvania to Croatian parents. Education includes Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, B.S., 1935; Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, M.D. 1939; Internship Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, 1939-40; Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania,1940-41; Assistant Resident in Medicine, Johns Hopkins 1941-42; Fellow in Cardiology, Harriet Lane Home, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 1942-43. Major field in Medicine with a specialty in Internal Medicine - Subspecialty in Cardiology. Publications "Remediable Hypertensions," Maryland State Medical Journal,  December 1959; "Primary Pulmonary Hypertension," Maryland State Medical Journal,  January 1961; 'Primary Pulmonary Hypertension," Tice-Harvey Practice of Medicine, May 1964; "Acute Anemia and Abdonimal Tumor Due to Hemmorrhage in Rectus Abdonimis Sheath Following Anticoagulant Therapy." Archives'of Internal Medicine. January 1966. Member American College of Physicians (Fellow); American Heart Association; American Medical Association; American Society of Internal Medicine; Alpha Omega Alpha. In April of 1963 sent to Croatia by U.S. Information Agency to be member of the Medical U.S.A. group and placed in charge of the Heart and Lung Machine.

 

BOROVINICH (BRONICH), LOUIS Farm

When Louis Bronich was a young man of twenty-two years of age, he came to California to join his brother, M. M. Bronich. He was born in Cilipi, Dalmatia, Croatia, on October 2, 1876 a son of M. M. Borovinich (as the name was spelled in Dalmatia).

He came direct to Stockton, California in 1898, his brother had preceded him by a number of years. At Stockton, in August, 1907, Mr. Bronich was married to miss Mary Deranja, a daughter of Antone Deranja and his wife, Mrs. Ella Deranja, both born and reared in Dalmatia.   Mrs. Bronich was born in Gruda, Dalmatia, August 16, 1883, and in August, 1906, came to Stockton, where she met her future husband. The first five years of their married life were spent on Union Island, and in 1912 the family moved to the Ramsay ranch near Lathrop, where they remained for three years, when the family moved to the Rossi River ranch.  Mr. Bronich was striken with influenza in 1918 and he passed away on January 1 of that year.  He had always enjoyed the best of health and his untimely passing was a severe blow to his immediate family.  Mr. and Mrs Bronich were the parents of four children; Pauline, born on Union Island, is a pupil in the Mossdale school; Nellie was born in Stockton, and also attends the Mossdale school; Mary died in infancy; and Martin was born on the river ranch.  Mrs. Bronich is a woman of splendid business capabilities and is successfully managing her ranch and at the same time rearing and educating her three chidlren.  Mr. Bronich became an American citizen in San Joaquin County.

 

BOSKOVICH FARMS

Their humble beginning was in 1915 when a Croatian immigrant, Steve Boskovich, father of Philip Boskovich, began bean farming on five acres in North Hollywood, California. That five acres has grown to 12,000 acres producing over 17,000 acres of crops annually. That's a lot of food put on tables in America, Europe and the Orient. Boskovich Farms inc. has over 100,000 square feet of refrigerated storage located in the three shipping points. Boskovich Farms Inc. sells: green onions, celery, strawberries, iceberg, romaine, green and red leaf lettuce, broccoli, spinach, kale, cilantro, cauliflower, radishes, parsley, leek, bunch, carrots, Boston, endive, escarole, Napa, bok choy, bunch beans, cabbage and chard. Boskovich Farms Inc. is growing, packing and shipping from five districts to assure consistent high quality and dependable supplies of their entire mixed vegetable line 365 days a year. Since 1915, one of the Boskovich family has checked every step involved in the production, harvest and distribution of every product this family sells. Steve came from Mostar area and Dedo from Cvinici Stolac, Hercegovina. Steve and Baba were the first couple to be married in St. Anthony's Croatian Church on Jan. 1, 1911. Philip was born Oct. 2, 1915 on Yale Street, around the corner from St. Anthony's where he was later baptized.  The Boskovich family moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1915.  After World War II his two brothers joined him in the farming operation, and they became "Boskovich Bros." Upon graduating from the University of Southern California, his two sons, Philip and Joe, joined the business along with nephew George. The farming operation then became Boskovich Farms, Inc., and is now one of the largest produce growers in North America.

 

BOSKOVICH, JOHN J. Judge

Judge Boskovich was appointed to the bench as Municiple Court Judge by Governor Edmund G. Brown Sr. in November 1966, and he was re-elected twice more to that position by the people of Sacramento County. In November 1976 he was appointed, by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. to the Superior Court, where, again, he was reelected twice more by the people of Sacramento County, where Judge Boskovich served until his retirement in June, 1991. Judge Boskovich is the son of Frank Boskovich and his wife Mary (Strukan). Frank Boskovich was born in Sinj and emigrated to the United States in 1913, to settle in Jackson, California. Mary Strukan also emigrated from what is now Croatia in 1918. They were married in the old St. Mary's Church in 1921. Judge Boskovich was born and raised in Jackson, California. After service during World War 11 he received his Bachelor's degree at the University of San Francisco in 1950, and obtained an LL.B. degree from the University of San Francisco Law School in 1953. Judge Boskovich resides in Sacramento, as the survivor of his wife of 42 years, Betty, who died in January 1995. He has two adult children. His son is an attorney and his daughter is a microbiologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Though officially retired, Judge Boskovich still mediates, arbitrates and tries cases, upon the agreement of the litigating parties.

 

BOSKOVICH, JOSEPH Farms and Produce

Joseph M. Boskovich is Chief Executive Officer of Boskovich Farms Inc., one of North America’s largest gorwers and shippers of fresh produce. As CEO of the Oxnard-based Boskovich Farms Inc., Boskovich oversees a vertically integrated company with farming, sales and shipping operations in Salinas, California, Yuma, Arizona and Sonora and Baja, Mexico.  Founded in 1915 on five acres of land in North Hollywood, the company, still family owned and operated, produces more than 30 varieties of various vegetables and strawberries from more than 17,000 acres of crops annually. Joseph Boskovich is chairman of the board of the Grower Shipper Association of Central California and a board member of the United Fresh Fruit and Vetetables Association. He is past chairman of the Venura County Agricultural Association and a former member of the board of directors of the Fresh Produce Council, the Santa Clara National Bank and the Ventura County Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Joseph M. Boskovich, founder of Boskovich farms, Inc. since 1915, has been elected to the University of Southern California Board of Trustees. The Boskovich Family, being devoted Trojans, has given to numerous projects and programs at USC, including renovation of the Montgomery Ross Fisher Building and construction of the Marshall School’s Jane Hoffman and J. Kristoffer Popovich Hall, a three-story, 55,000 square-foot structure that will house the school’s graduate programs. Boskovich earned his B.S. and MBA degrees from the USC Marshall School of Business in 1975 and 1977, respectively.  His wife, Gail Ann Van Dyke Boskovich, earned her B.S. degree from the Marshall School in 1978.

 

BOSKOVICH, NICK Goldminer-Sheriff-Landowner

Many Croatians, a large majority of whom came as labor immigrants, never intended to stay in America but planned to return to their homeland and retire with the money they had saved. Nick Boskovich was one of these. Born in 1870, Nick Boskovich was thirty-two years old when he departed from the town of Selca, on the island of Brac, Dalmatia to seek his fortune in America. He left behind a home, vineyards and orchards of olives, grapes, figs, and cherries (the olives were made into olive oil, the figs were dried and sold, and the grapes and cherries were used to make wine) all in the care of his wife, Marulina, and his two-year-old son.

Boskovich traveled first to Tacoma, then to Alaska in pursuit of the ever elusive gold. There he stood in water up to his armpits for fourteen hours a day in order to earn the five dollars- a-day wage; any other job would have paid only a dollar- and- a-half. There was little chance, though, of amassing gold for himself. The pockets of the men were checked each night to ascertain that no nuggets had found their way into the wrong places. After two years of this, the gold supply gave out, so he returned to Tacoma where he found a job in the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Mill. Nick Boskovich was a frugal man. He earned money at the most difficult jobs and sent it back home for safekeeping. He loved his glass of beer, and yet daily he passed the saloons where beer was but five cents a glass, snacks included. The five cents would be better spent in Selca. Each penny saved brought him closer to the day when he could return home and live graciously on the money he had worked so hard to earn in America.

In 1907, he did return to Selca and fathered a daughter, but came back to Tacoma after she was born in 1908. He had money to make and things to do. When the St. Paul and Tacoma mill moved its operation to Eatonville, he moved with it and settled there permanently. He earned $1.75 for a twelve-hour workday. jobs were so scarce that an acquaintance begged Nick to let him take his job. He offered to pay Boskovich seventy-five cents to stay home; he would work for one dollar. Nick recognized the fact that, with competition like this, a man could not be caught sitting down at his job. Gradually Nick acquired property in the Eatonville community, piece by piece. When someone needed a hundred dollars, he always knew that "Old Nick" would have it, but the deal had to be made in land. In this manner, he obtained many small parcels of land throughout the town. He continued to save every penny he earned and sent it back home. With the First World War came the collapse of the Hapsburg Empire, and the thousands of florins he had deposited at the Blagaina (similar to a savings and loan association) in Sumartin were no longer of any value. He began saving again. The outbreak of World War I caused changes which included an interruption of the immigration process." After the war, having found that the future was more secure for him in America, Nick Boskovich realized that he had become a stranger to his family. The solution was to bring them to America to be with him. In 1921, when he was fifty-one years old, Nick Boskovich finally sent for his wife and daughter. It took two years to prepare the necessary papers and make arrangements for their entry into this country.

When Marulina (Mare) Boskovich learned she was going to leave Selca, she was torn. It was considered an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to live in the United States, but not all of those who had been left behind had a burning desire to come to America. Wives came to please husbands. Mothers thought that, by staying in Croatia, they would be denying great advantages for their children. Marulina Boskovich is said to have kissed the very steps of her home in Selca with tears in her eyes. She was leaving behind her land, her home, her relatives and friends, and, most importantly, her son, who had been called to serve in the army. She was forty-four years old; she knew that she would never see any of them again, and she never did. As she looked westward, she feared what America might bring. An acquaintance who visited the United States had told her that he would have been very happy for her if she were journeying to California, but Eatonville. Going to Eatonville, Washington, that was like going to the ends of the earth.

The journey to America was easier for Marulina and her teen-aged daughter than it had been for Pava with her infant years before. By now there were fellow countrymen who had already been to America and who were returning for the second time. Marulina Ursich Boskovich and her daughter Darinka, departed for America in 1923. They left Selca, on the island of Brac, at 4:00 A.M. and walked to Sumartin where they were to be taken by boat to Makarska. At Makarska, they tearfully said good-bye to the son and brother, whom Marulina never saw again, and from there another small boat took them to Split. Arriving in Split, they traveled by train to Belgrade where passports were obtained. The train once again took them farther away from home to Vienna. There Darinka, as a fourteen-year-old, was fascinated by the horse and buggy ride they took to the hotel. After having toured Vienna, mother and daughter entrained to Hamburg, where they were to meet fellow Bracani and begin the twelve-day trip across the Atlantic. The Boskovich women were delighted with their cabin and accommodadons but, typically, were ill day and night. Eagerly they awaited the dinner hour and the opportunity to sample new types of food, but upon entering the dining room, one whiff, and they had to run back to their cabin. Nothing would satisfy their palates except the apples which were sold at that time for ten cents apiece. Darinka was overjoyed when she thought she had struck a bargain. The man insisted that she give him the smaller coin (ten cents) rather than the larger coin (five cents). It was only later that she learned that the worth was not determined by size. An unpleasant incident occurred aboard ship. The cabin boy kept insisting that he should be given something. Angry that they did not understand his request for a tip, he began pointing to Marulina's engagement ring. She tried to tell him that she did not understand. He grabbed her hand and tried to remove the ring from her finger. Fortunately someone passed the cabin at this point, and he was frightened away. The passenger ship Reliance arrived in New York in November, 1923. The women boarded a scow and were taken to Ellis Island. Companions from Brac, John Breskovich and Joe Rosin, were already naturalized citizens and left them here. Mother and daughter were not happy to be left, for they knew no English. At Ellis Island they were interned for three days. Here all were stripped and examined from head to toe. "I believe they were looking for lice, for they combed and combed our hair. It was very embarrassing," Darinka remembered. From Ellis Island they entrained to the state of Washington. Picnic baskets were purchased at the station, and these sustained them as they sat and slept in the cbair seats during the six-day trip to Tacoma. Darinka had never met her father until that day at the train depot in Tacoma when she was fourteen years old. She knew him immediately from his pictures and spotted him for her mother. They then drove to the town of Eatonville, where Nick Boskovich worked in the lumber mill and was a deputy sheriff . There was no way of knowing what America had in store for them. Marulina had carried her woolen pillows under her arms all the way from Brac to Tacoma. She had packed in sheets (there was no tissue or packing paper in Selca) all of her dishes and lovely china pieces. When she unpacked, it was found that most of the valuables in the trunk had been crushed. Marulina was heartbroken.

The day after our arrival, I was enrolled in school. Unfortunately, I was placed in the first grade and given a special desk. I spoke and understood no English, but of course, having been schooled in Croatia, I was good in math. I Still blush, remembering the embarrassment I felt. Here I was, a buxom fourteen- year-old girl who had been the 'belle of the ball' in Selca, and now I was in a class with babies! The teachers and children were good to me, but it was very hard to be the 'new girl in school'. One little boy kept chanting, "Katrinka came to our school!" My name is Darinka, and those words I did understand. Lonely for companionship, mother and daughter would relive what they thought was taking place at home. On Sundays they would reminisce, "Now they are going to church; now they are walking along the piazza." For many years, everyone who arrived from Selca first came to the Boskoviches in Eatonville. They took jobs in the mill for a short time, but eventually they all settled in California.

English was a difficult language to master, but master it they did. Sometimes Marulina played it to her advantage. In the town of Eatonville, salesmen made a good living selling door to door and very often were difficult to discourage. Nick Boskovich had prospered, and it was known that he owned property and could afford to buy new things. A very persistent salesman kept knocking on the door, bent on selling,his wares. Mrs. Boskovich felt she knew just  how to discourage him. To his every questions, she would answer, "No speeka English." She repeated this time and time again, until the discouraged salesman gave up. As he left the yard, she noticed that he had failed to shut the gate, and, forgetting herself, she called out in her broken English, "What's the matter, you no gotta gate at home?" He turned and replied, "No speeka English, lady!" At the age of nineteen, Darinka attended the Three Kings Ball in Old Tacoma. "There I met the most handsome, intelligent Croatian bachelor in townl" she said. A month and half later, Pete Jugovich and the young woman from Selca were married. Life in Selca and Eatonville had ended, and a new and fulfilling life began in Tacoma.

 

BOSKOVICH, PHIL , JOE, GEORGE King of Onions

It’s tough to grow green onions in a downpour, but impossible when the acreage turns into cityscape. But for now, Boskovich Farms holds title as the nations largest green onion grower.  The family, now supervising 1000 leased acres from headquarters alongside the Valencia Industrial Center, estimates that increasing urbanization could yank its final crop within 5 to 10 years. “We definitely want to stay in this business,” vows Joe Boskovich, speaking as the family’s third generation.  Their resources were tested this winter; the monsoon-like rains bought “tremendous losses” when many of the radishes and green onions, which are grown and packed locally year-round wither rotted or lost their topsoil. The rains interrupted this area’s salubrious reputation as an ideal cradle for both products.  Light frost allows for a winter crop, while the summer’s warm days and moderate nights add to the bounty. The constant harvest finally has resumed its routine; the three sons and three grandsons of the late Steve Boskovich now oversee an expected annual yield of two million boxes of green onions and half that many radishes. A box of either product contains 48 bunches.  They supply 13 major supermarket chains in the state, using a family-owned fleet of six giant trucks.  The daily order placed by Alpha Beta stores, for 1000 cartons of onions and 500 of radishes, represents one truckload. Joe Boskovich, sales manager, is one of the founder’s three grandsons in the business.  The trio- completed by Phil Jr. and George Jr.- hasn’t yet cracked the age barrier of 30.  Joe and Phil’s father, Phil Senior, is president of the corporation; his brothers, George and John are vice presidents. Their enterprise goes back to 1915, when Steve Boskovich, a young immigrant from Croatia  planted his first crops in what was to become North Hollywood. The operation remained small in its first location, growing its onions and radishes for the Los Angeles market.  Boskovich, who died two years ago at 88, moved his business to the Santa Clarita Valley in 1955.  Volume began blossoming in the mid-1960s. The “Onion King” brand now sells well on the East Coast and in Canada.  The “Radish King” companion also is distributed form a loading dock and warehouse in Salinas, where the family is competing with Northern California growers. An increase in volume was required by the decrease in per-unit profit, Joe said.  The retail price of a bunch of radishes or green onions has increased about a penny for each of the past five years, far more slowly that the prices of lettuce or tomatoes. The green onions and red radishes, Boskovich said,  are specialty items which lack the constant demand of lettuce, and therefore keep a deflated price. But they provide steady employment for some 500 people on Boskovich Farms, which obtains yearly leases from Newhall Land and Farming Company.  The area’s other prominant tenant farmers, Tapia Brothers corn and BunnyLuv carrots, rotate their fields with Boskovich. The farm constantly is looking for new crops, Joe said.  Parsley, leeks and turnips will be grown as a winter addition this year. New Boskovich employees often decide whether to take packing shed of field work.  The packing shed workers, who are paid hourly, wash the onions and radishes, and pack them in corrugated boxes with ice.

 

BOSKOVICH, RUDJER To California

In the year of the 200-year anniversary of Rudjer Boskovich's death (1711-1787), the Croatians in California are proud of the fact that the literary and scientific heritage of their countryman and scientist is kept in the Library of Rare Books at the University of Berkeley. Boskovich is one of the most universal and original celebrities in the science of 18th century. Beside numerous scientific papers published in Vienna, London and many other cities, he worked as a professor and as a founder and manager of the astronomical observatory Breri in Milan. As the director of French Marine Optics in Paris, he dedicated his work about eclipses to the King Louis XVI.

Boskovich traveled a lot, and had friends-and naturally he had enemies, too - all around Europe. He was well informed about the situation in America, since he had interesting conversation with Benjamin Franklin in Paris. Franklin was there promoting to the French the idea of founding the United States of America. In the early sixties of the eighteenth century, the English Royal Association of Astronomers invited Boskovich to join their expedition to California in order to observe the planet Venus passing in front of the sun. Boskovich accepted the invitation, and wrote to his family in Dubrovnik about the trip he planned. However, some difficulties arose. California was a Spanish colony and the Spanish were not favoring Boskovich who was the friend of the English and the Austrian citizen. Beside that, Boskovich was Jesuit, and that holy order had been suppressed in Spain even before the Pope did it in 1773. Therefore Boskovich didn't get the necessary permit so the expedition left without him. Although he was probably disappointed, his family was glad for it, as his sister Anica wrote: "We never heard of California, and we hardly pronounced its name. We didn't find it in my book among other names of America, nor we know where this wild place is located..."

Boskovich was lucky not to have gone to California because most of astronomers that went to the trip and successfully studied Venus, died of some epidemic disease.

 

BOSNICH, TONY Boxer-Restaurant-Saloon

Watch him closely and see if he doesn’t still show the fancy footwork, employing a modified Ali-shuffle as he moves along the wooden planks behind the Starlite Hofbrau bar, bobbing and weaving as he plops an olive into a customers’s very dry Martini or empties an ashtray. Tony Bosnich used to do his mixing in the professional ring, light heavyweight style, turning pro the same year he graduated from San Francisco’s Balboa High School in 1941. The softspoken ex-fighter was born and raised in the Potrero Hill district of San Francisco, California “the hill”, Tony calls it, and shortly after his father’s death, he began sneaking his 13 year old body out of the house and go down to the Corpus Christi Church gym on Alemany and Santa Rosa. “My mother didn’t find out until I’d fought two bouts,” he recalls, also remembering how she panicked upon learning. “I calmed her down and told her it was what I wanted to do,” he adds. Those trips to the gym kicked off a career that included some 50 professional fights from 1941-50, (minus two years in the service) including a 10 round decision he lost to Joey Maxim, world light heavyweight champ from 1950-52. Tony cuffs his chin with one massive fist and remembers flooring Maxim, (the first time he’d been knocked down). “After he went down, I wanted to whack him again so bad I blew it,” he says, though not regretfully. He says he never was flattened to the canvas himself, though he admits he was somewhat of a “cutter,” lifting a finger to his left eyelid which he reports used to open-up real easy. “Sure boxing has changed, when you have good times you don’t have many good fighters,” he asserts.‘There weren’t any jobs when I was fighting and boxing was a good way to earn a living,” he recalls. He knows because he referees bouts around the Bay Area today, earning “roughly” I percent of the house, “but there just aren’t that many fights anymore.” Prior to starting at the Starlite two years ago, Tony owned a bar on 18th and Connecticut Street in San Francisco. He and his wife Athena, have three children, in addition to Tony’s son by an earlier marriage. The oldest son is on the San Francisco Police Department’t crime prevention unit, while Tony says his other son is “kind of a prefessional student.” The Bosnichs have two daughters, including a 20-year old Stella who recently awarded Tony grandfather status.

 

BOTICH, MARKO Marine Architect

An architect born in San Pedro.  Co-founder of Rados-Botich and second cousin of Bob Rados.  The two merged their companies to form an international firm specializing in the design, construction and reconstruction of sea- going vessels.  The firm is also engaged in many housing projects and community development.

 

BOYKO, JOHN, SR. Teamster-Superintendent

Brother Boyko was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 10, 1912. He joined the Croatian Fraternal Union in1940. In addition to his membership in the CFU, he was a member of the Teamsters Union 420 and was in the Los Angeles Athletic Club for many years.  His wife, daughter, son and daughter-in-law are members of Croatian Lodge 177. As a young boy, he traveled with his father all over the United States.  His parents were Ante Boyko and Matia Paich.  Brother John received his education in Crementon, New York.  For 19 years he was superintendent at Luers Meat Packing Company.  In 1968, he went to work for various construction companies as a truck driver and retired in 1975. He enjoyed his retirement until he was 71 years old. Brother Boyko met his sweetheart, Mary Ann Ljubisic, at St. Anthony’s Croatian Church choir in July 1936.  His wife lived in Los Angeles all her life and she also is very active. They were married in St. Anthony’s Croatian Church on Nov. 14, 1937.  They celebrated their 46th year of marriage and made their home in Temple City, California. He and his wife were in Vitina and Veljaci, Hercegovina twice, in 1961 and 1979, visiting their parents birthplace, relatives and friends.  John Boyko died in 1983. Survivors include his wife, Mary; daughter Marilyn of Los Angeles; son, John, Jr. of Grants Pass, OR; sister, Eva of Whittier; three brothers, Nick of Oklahoma, George of Lake Tahoe, Nevada and Albert of Covina; sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, 14 nieces, 12 nephews and 31 great nieces and nephews.

 

BOZANIC, ANTON Priest-Author

Father Anton Bozanic served our Croatian community well during his stay at "Most Precious Blood" parish (Croatian Catholic Mission) in Astoria New York during the 1990’s. Not only did he perform his duties as a priest very well, he was also involved in a number of other activities which helped our people. He was always eager to get things moving by attending most of the meetings and functions that our clubs and societies hold during the year. He was responsible for initiating several get-togethers, not only for adults from different areas of Croatia, but for the youngsters of Croatian background in order to promote their appreciation for our culture and our language. He would bring our most influential people to come and speak to our younger generations in order to convince them to keep in touch with our people and our ways of life. A part of his time was used to further his education at St. John's University and Fordham University which are two of the leading Catholic universities in the New York Metropolitan area. Along with all these accomplishments he also spent many hours, days, months preparing and publishing several books that deal with the history of our people from different areas -- when and where they immigrated, - how their family and everyday lives developed, where their burial sites were, who were our local leaders, who our most prominent people in this society. We would go on... One thing is for sure: His diligent work and dedication are greatly appreciated! Wishing him all the best in Mali Losinj (a place we all could wish for). By Nick Kvasich, Staten Island, NY

 

BOZICEVIC. JOSEPH Professor

Joseph Bozicevich is a  professor of modern foreign languages at Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia at Fredericksburg, Virginia. Born December 21, 1925 in  Rakovica, Kordun, Croatia; married with two children. Education includes State Real Gymnasium, Bihac, Croatia 1937-41; Juniata College Huntington, Pennsylvania B.S. 1958; Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, A.M. 1963; Georgetown University, Washington D.C. Ph.D.,1968 with a major field in Russian Language and Literature and  Teaching Russian Language and Literature. Thesis completed 1968 Juraj Krizanic: Seventeenth Century Pan-Slav Visionary, Ph..D. Member of American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages); American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages. Interpreter for British Troops in Austria 1945-47.

 

BOZICEVIC-MALBY, MARIA Professor

Maria is a professor  in German and Russian at Frostburg State College, Frostburg, Maryland. Born May 16, 1937 in Zagreb, Croatia. Education includes 9th Gymnasium, Zagreb, Croatia. Graduate, 1956. Daytona Beach Jr. College, Daytona Beach, Florida 1959-1960; Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida B.A 1960-1962; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusets A.M., 1963; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusets, Ph.D.1969 with a major field in Slavic Studies, Serbian, Croatian, and Russian literature. Thesis completed 1963: "Turgenev's Superfluous Men" (Master's). June 1969: "Necista krv u srpkoj i hrvatskoj knjizvevnosti Ph.D. Published Translations of Modern Yugoslav Prose and Poetry. Liter,Review, Farleigh-Dickinson University,1968. "The Impact of the Appolo-Dionysius Struggle on G. Hauptman," SAMLA Bulletin. Member of American Association of University Professors; Modern Language Association of America; South-Atlantic Modern Language Association; American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages.

 

BOZIVICH, FRANCIS J. Employment Counselor

Francis Bozivich is a counselor at the Minnesota Employment Service St. Paul, Minnesota. Born December 17, 1914 to Croatian parents in  South St. Paul, Minnesota. Education includes St. Thomas College, St. Paul, Minnesota 1933-34; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota B.S., 1937; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota A.M., 1938; Army Administration Diploma 1943,  U.S. Army School at Cite University, Paris, France. Major field in Educational Psychology and Educational And Vocational Counseling.

 

BOZIVICH, HELEN Professor

Helen Bozivich is a Professor of Statistics, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana. Born May 6, 1916 in  So. St. Paul, Minnesota. Education includes St. Catherine's College, St. Paul, Minnesota 1933-34; University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota B.S. 1937; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota M.S., 1938; Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Ph.D., 1955 with a major field in Statistics and specialty in Design of Experiments. Thesis: 1955 "Power of Analysis of Variance Tests for Certain Incompletely Specified Models," Iowa State University , Doctoral. Member of Phi Beta Kappa; Pi Lambda Theta; Sigma Xi.; American Association of University Professors; American Statistical Association; Institute of Mathematics Statistics.

 

BRACANOVICH, ANTHONY J. Draftsman

Anthony Bracanovich is a draftsman in Plant Engineering at Chrysler 8 Mile Plant in Detroit, Michigan. Born June 18, 1920 on the Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia; married with two children. Education includes Classical Gymnasium, Split, Diploma, 1940; University of Zagreb,  Law Diploma, 1948; Mechanical Drafting and Mathematics, Detroit College of Applied Science, Ferndale, Michigan 1952-53; Body Drafting and Design, Chrysler Institute of Engineering, Highland Park, Michigan, 1953-54; English, University of Detroit, Michigan 1955-56.

 

BRACANOVICH, MARTIN Saloon-Restaurant-Ranch-Railway Station

Martin had a saloon at Quiney and Pine Streets in San Francisco, California in 1854 and a restaurant at 252 Stewart Street in 1862. He had a restaurant in Austin, Nevada in 1867 and another restaurant at Columbus, Nevada in 1876. It appears from newspaper accounts that he had a ranch, saloon, restaurant, and train stop at Soda Springs in 1880 or earlier. Martin married a Mexican girl in San Francisco in the 1850's and had a son, Nicholas, and two daughters, Ana and Virginia. He appeared on the Federal Census of 1860 as Martin Brazzanovich and the 1870 Census as Martin, B. Martin Brazzanovich and his wife located at Soda Springs near Candelaria offered the public health springs containing sulfur, magnesia, and borax. Martin operated the Soda Springs Station for the convenience of Carson and Colorado Railway passengers.  He provided saloon, restaurant, health springs, and picnic facilities. He must have been a gracious and honest man as one notice he placed in the Candelaria paper stated: Come to my premises, Soda Springs, Esmeralda County, Nevada on or about the 27th of August 1880, a small sized, buckskin colored horse five or six years of age, branded JO on the left hip.  The owner may recover property by calling at my place and paying all legal expenses. Martin started a “May Day Picnic” at his grounds and place of business for the people of Candelaria and the surrounding area.  They had dancing, hunting, drinking, and other socially acceptable activities. Martin came from the Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia as he baptized the children at Old St. Marys Catholic in San Francisco.

 

BRACANOVICH, TATJANA Teacher

Tatjana nee Definis, is a Teacher at Madison District Public Schools Madison Heights, Michigan. Born January 12, 1935 in Sutivan, Island of Brac, Dalmatia,  Croatia; married with two children. Education included Gymnasium, Vladimir Nazor, Split, Diploma 1955; University of Zagreb 1955-57; Higher Pedogogical School, Zagreb 1957-59 with a major field of English and Croatian Languages.

 

BRADVICA, LUKA Construction Foreman-Croatian Activities

Brother Bradvica was born on March 18, 1887 in Veljaci, Mostar in Hercegovina to Jure Bradvca and Mara Vukojevic, the sixth of eleven children. Even at an early age, he was determined to go to school for at least four years as was the norm for the country in that era and for boys only. He went to serve and live at the Franciscan Friars Home and Church, where he served for eight years, gaining more knowledge.  At age 18, he decided, as so many of our Croatian forbearers did, that there was no future in his native land.  An avid reader then, he read that America was paved with “gold” via brochures from the Standard Oil Refinery and the railroads. He came to America on the Princess Eugene by way of New York and went directly to Los Angeles on May 6, 1907. An older brother lived here, in the area of our Croatian church, where most Croatian immigrants resided.  He found the street not paved with gold. Brother Bradvica took any job that was available at that time, never a shirker of hard work.  It took him five years to save enough money to send for his girl from Veljaci.  She arrived Sept. 1, 1912.  Luka Bradvica and Joza Bojka were married in St. Anthony’s Croatian Church on Sept. 12, 1912. After 60 years of beautiful marriage, they renewed their vows at the same church they were married in.  His beloved wife passed away on July 11,, 1979.  In the interim, brother Bradvica solicited and helped build the Croatian Church and helped the Hrvatska Sveza na Pacificu, a fraternal organization.  Both were dedicated in 1911.  Also he helped build the Croatian National Center on Budlong Ave., Los Angeles, where “Croatian Day” picnics were held every year in August. On Oct. 8, 1981, he was named the first “Man of the Year” by the Hrcatska Seljacka Stranka at a banquet held at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall in recognition of his contribution to the Croatian Community. Brother Bradvica and Joza had seven children, the oldest dying in infancy.  They reared six in the American-Croatian manner.  All very active in church and Croatian circles.  He was an adamant believer in education and lived to see three children plus eight of his grandchildren receive college degrees.  With all hardships, he never forgot his family in Stari Kraj.  He helped them financially during his 76 years in America.  With the merger of Hrvatska Sveza Na Pacificu and the Croatian Fraternal Union of America, he was a member since March 6, 1911.  He was a very dedicated person. He served in Lodge 177 as an officer in various capacities and was delegate to several of the CFU National Conventions. He loved our lodge, always working for the lodge and membership, particurily young members.  You would always find him working at our picnics and lodge functions. It is with deep regret that the members of Croatian-Slavonian Benevolent Society CFU Lodge 177, report the death of brother Luka Bradvica, who passed away May 6, 1983. A former employee of P & J Artukovich Construction Co., he worked as a construction foreman and was a member of St. Anthony’s Croatian Church of Los Angeles.

 

BRAJEVICH, ANTON Contractor-Boat Builder

Anton was the president of the local lodge of the Croatian Fraternal Union.  A contractor and boat builder by trade, his life was an interesting travelogue; from his native town Split, to South America, Central America, then North America in 1914, and San Pedro 1920.  With his wife, Cvijeta-nee Petrasich they resided in their own home on 13th street.

 

BRATONIA, FRANK Teacher-Military

Frank Bratonia was born in Tacoma, Washington on October 20, 1916. He was the only son of Matt and Frances Bratonia. It was here that he was enrolled in  the Croatian Fraternal Union. He was an active member for 65 years. He graduated from high school in Tacoma, then went on to receive his Bachelor's Degree from Washington State University and his Master's Degree from Central Washington University. He served six years in the United States Navy.During that time he met and married Ciaire Wilson. Frank Bratonla's teaching career was spent in Kitsap County. He taught for 30 years at either the junior high or senior high level. He was a life member of the Elks Club, a board member of the YMCA; a past president of the Bremerton Athletic Roundtable and a member of the Recreation Board of Kitsap County. Frank Bratonia died in 1999. Survivors include his wife, Claire, a son, Mark of Sequim; a daughter, Shelley, of Fairview, Oregon; four grandchildren, Aaron, Adam, Brian and Linsey, all of Sequim; two sisters, Rose Stolarski and Lucille Lewis, both of Tacoma.

 

BRAVAR, ANTHONY J. Theatre Design

Executive Director Manchester Institute of Arts & Sciences, Manchester, New Hampshire. Born April 4, 1931 in  Braddock, Pennsylvania to Croatian parents; married with two children. Education includes Carnegie Inst. of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1949-53, B.F.A.; Yale School of Drama, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, M.F.A.1959-1963  with a field in  Theatre design, design of stage settings, lighting and theatre buildings. Thesis O'Neil's "Lazarus Laughed" as an Opera (M.F.A.) Published "Enrichment Center for Arts Exposum," submitted to the Department of Education, Office of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington D.C. Member of American Education Theatre Association; Associated Arts Councils of America; U.S. Institute of  Theatre Technology; Illuminating Engineering Society. Stage Manager, Pittsburgh Grand Opera 1945-53 ; Technical Director, Manistee Drama Festival, Michigan 1950; Instructor and Director of Drama, University of Buffalo 1955; Associate Director, Music Department, University of Buffalo 1957-59; Graduate study, Yale School of Drama, Yale University 1959-62;  Scenic Designer, South Shore Music Circus, Boston 1961; Production Designer, "The Playground," (film)1964; In 1966-73 by appointment of the New Hampshire Governor, Chairman on the arts for the N.H. Arts Commission.

 

BREKALO (GRGURAS), VESNA Croatian Activities

Born in Fratrovi, a small village in Gorski Kotor, Vesna came to the USA 20 years ago  in 1980 and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was employed at Levi Strass Co. for most of her employment life. While working, she attended St. Mary's College and obtained her B.A. Degree in Business Management. She is married to Mi1jenko Brekalo and they have a baby daughter named Katarina. Administering the Croatian Scholarship Fund student program requires untold hours. Yet Vesna is well-organized and fulfills her role for CSF with effeciency and diligence. CSF Oct 2000

 

BRENTAR, JEROME Writer

Jerry graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. with Honors having majored in International Studies. From 1981 to 1984 he worked for Senator John Glenn from Ohio as a legislative assistant. He then returned to Cleveland to pursue studies in Journalism at Kent State University where he received his Masters degree. Jerry Jr. died on November 23, 1999 in Novato, California. He was born on May 28, 1956 in Munich, Germany and at the age of 3 years he returned to Cleveland with his parents. The family church affiliation is St. Paul Croatian Parish in Cleveland. Jerry was a talented creative writer who also had written numerous letters in support of Croatian independence. He was reared to be proud of his Catholic Croatian heritage and was fluent in speaking, reading and writing in the Croatian language as well as in Russian and German. Jerry left Cleveland in 1992 to be with his brother John, a psychologist at Stanford University, settling in Sunnyvale, California. For the last two years he resided with his sister, Mary-Ann Drazina and her family in Novato, California. He worked as a writer for Wine Corn in Napa Valley, California and also wrote a column as a restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Palo Alto Daily News. Jerry and his brother John also assisted refugees from Bosnia in resettling in the Bay area. Jerry was a member of the Croatian Catholic Union. He is survived by his parents Jerome and Dora Brentar; brother John; sisters Carolyn and husband Boris Music; Mary Ann and husband Tom Drazina and Dora and husband Marc Bourgault; nieces Mara Drazina, Suzy and Victoria Music; and nephews Christopher Music and Ante Drazina.

 

BRENTAR, JOHN Psychologist

Psychologist John Brentar has been helping Bosnian refugee families who have relocated to the Bay Area overcome these very real issues.  He has provided guidance to the families intially on his own time. Dr. Brentar, who is fluent in Croatian, became involved with refugees several years ago when he was asked by Menlo Park School DIstrict to be and interpreter for a meeting with a newly arrived Bosnian family.  Word of Dr Brentar’s skills and willingness to help became known among refugee organizations in the Bay Area.  As a result, he has aided a variety of families, primarily by helping to determine the need for and availability of mental health services for the children and parents.  “Most of the families have significant adjustment problems,” says Dr. Brentar. Dr. Brentar’s ties to the Croatian commnity are rooted in his family’s history.  His mother was a World War II refugee from Croatia. 

 

BRIGICH, JOSEPH Dairy Farm-Croatian Activities

Joseph Brigich, vice-president of the Croatian Fraternal Union of America, was born on may 17, 1932 in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. His parents were Marko and Katherine Brigich. He married Louise Tolzda and has 2 daughters and son. Joseph attended the Agriculture College and Insurance School. He is owner of a dairy farm, beef farmer and land owner; member of a board of Trustees of Croatian Fraternal Union (1964-1978); member of the Executive Board of CFU (1978); Slovene National Benefit Society; Democratic Party.

 

BRKIC, ANGELA Writer

Courtney Angela Brkic grew up in Washington, DC, and received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology/ Archeology from the College of William and Mary. She received a Fulbright Scholarship in 1995 to collect data on women in the war affected population living in Croatia. In 1996 she joined a Physicians for Human Rights team as a forensic archeologist, and worked on sites around Srebrenica, Bosnia Herzegovina. She returned to Croatia where she lived for several more years, working alternately with missing persons and other grassroots groups, and as a free-lance translator. She has also worked for the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal and for the United States Agency for International Development. She returned to the US in 1999 to pursue an MFA in Fiction at New York University. Her first book Stillness, a collection of short stories about the wars in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, will be published in late 2002 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

 

BRKIC, MATE Manufacture

Mate Brkic and his family operate successfully two businesses: United Hydraulics in Wickliffe, Ohio and Two-M Precision Co. in the newly built plant in Willoughby. His specialty is the manufacturing of custom heavy-duty hydraulic cylinders. His son Mate Jr. and daughter Doris Zurak are involved in the management of the expanding businesses.

 

BRKICH, MARTIN Contractor

Born in Ljubuski, Hercegovina he came to the United States on June 12, 1898.  He has been engaged in the contracting business for most of his life.  He is active in Croatian circles, and was vice-president of the Slavic Democratic League and and active member of the Croatian American Athletic Club; member of the Croatian Unity of the Pacific, Lodge No. 5, and the East Los Angeles Democratic Club.  He is an active member of the Southern California Contracting Association.

 

BRONZAN, ROBERT Education-Football Coach-Croatian Activities-Professor

Dr. Bob Bronzan resides in Danville, California, with his wife, JoAnn. They have two sons and two daughters. Bob is a first generation Croatian and his parents came from near Dubrovnik. Bob earned his B.A. degree from San Jose State University and his doctorate degree from Stanford. He has distinguished himself in the fields of education, athletics, business, and is a true humanitarian. Bob served on the faculty at San Jose State for 35 years where he coached football for fourteen years and served as the athletic director for twelve years. He has received numerous honors and awards, including serving on the 1972 Olympic games planning committee. He also served as a sports specialist to the former Yugoslavia in 1964, 1966, and 1970. Bob also has the distinct honor of having served as the coach to Bill Walsh, a four-time winning superbowl coach for the San Francisco 49ers. Finally, and of noteworthy importance, Bob Bronzan is one of the founders of the Croatian Scholarship Fund and the first president.

 

BROZOVICH, FRANK Dentist-Croatian Activities

Frank Walter Brozovich, President of the Croatian American Association, is a first generation American. Frank was born in 1931 in Cle Elum., Washington. His father, Stanislav, emigrated from Croatia in 1903 and his mother, Agata Matkovic, in 1920 to become naturalized U.S. citizens. Frank Brozovich himself worked during college in the coalmines of eastern Washington. As a child, Frank was an alter boy in for his town's Catholic church, St. John the Baptist. He recited Mass in Latin every Sunday and iniagined himself becoming a priest when he grew up. Frank Brozovich played football for his high school team, and he was presented the Citizenship Award from his graduating high school class. He attended college at Washington State University, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology in 1953 and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Marquette University in 1957. While at dental school in Milwaukee, Frank Brozovich was a roommate with Rudy Perpich, who became the longest-serving governor in Minnesota history. He also was great friend with Rudy's brother Tony Perpich, who as state senator would chair many important committees. The three Croatian friends shared many glorious adventures during their days at Marquette Dental School. When Frank returned to Washington State, he married his college sweetheart, Darlene Butkovich, who also earned a degree from Marquette (in Dental Hygiene). Darlene's family was also originally from the Gorski Kotar region of Croatia; she grew up near Seattle. Her mother came to the U.S. from Delnice as a young girl in the early 1930's. Darlene's paternal grandparents emigrated from Crni Lug and Lokve around 1912. Her father and both grandfathers worked their whole lives in Montana, Oregon, and Washington as coal miners, an occupation that was typical for Croatian emigrants.

Together, Frank and Darlene Brozovich established a dental practice in Renton, a suburb of Seattle. Today, the Brozovich's general dentistry practice is one of the largest in the greater Seattle area. Throughout his career, Dr. Brozovich has actively worked for legislation concerning dentistry and issues confronting the dental profession. He has been a member of the American Dental Association, Washington State Dental Association, and Seattle-King County Dental Society for 40 years. Among the positions he has held at the Seattle-King County Dental Society are District Coordinator of the Legislative Affairs Committee, Chairman of the Board Nominating Committee, and Member of the Liaison Committee between Dentists and Insurance Companies. In 1997, the American Dental Association honored Brozovich with the Lifetime Membership Service Award.

Dr. Brozovich!s family spoke Croatian at home while he was growing up. He remembers his parents' stories of life in Gorski Kotar, an area of Croatia close to Lika that was occupied only once -- by Napoleon. Similar to Herzegovina, Gorski Kotar was marked by high Croatian patriotism, which was kept alive in the town of MrkopaIj by the parish priest. When communist army tanks rolled into Croatia in 1990, a close Croatian friend told him how Canadians in Vancouver were raising money to send arms to Croatia. Dr. Brozovich suggested that they instead direct their efforts for Croatian independence toward politics: For every dollar raised on the political scene, he said, they would be rewarded tenfold or more. And so, in 1991, Dr. Brozovich became a leading founder of the Seattle-based Croatian American Foundation, now the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Croatian American Association. Dr. Brozovich was first elected to the Croatian American Association!s National Executive Board in September 1993, and he became National President of the Croatian American community's ethnic lobby in March 1994. He has served four terms in this position. For his service to the Croatian cause, Ante Beljo in Detroit awarded Dr. Brozovich, along with Ilija Letica, Tony Peraica, and Vlado Markovac, President Tudjman's "Crveni Pleter" medal in November 1998. In 1999, the Croatian business community in Cleveland presented him with a "Zahvalnica" award for his work in Croatian American politics. In 1995, he also received an award from the Croatian government, presented by Croatian Parliament President Nedjelko Mihanovic during the Croatian American Associations annual "Croatian Days on the " in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Brozovich's family has been highly active in the Croatian American community. His son Frank, a research cardiologist and associate professor at Case Western University, resides in Cleveland and is an active member of the Croatian American Association's Ohio chapter. As a father, Frank Brozovich always stressed the importance of education to his children. Frank Brozovich first visited Croatia, the land he had grown up with, in 1971 with his children, his wife, and his wife's parents. Since Croatia's independence in 1990, he has renewed contact with his many relatives in Zagreb, Rijeka, and Gorski Kotar. He  now visits every summer. In addition to his work with the Croatian American Association, Dr. Brozovich is a lifetime member of the Croatian Fraternal Union. He is also a proud member of the Croatian Catholic Union. By MIA BROZOVICH

 

BROZOVICH, FRANK V. Doctor-Engineer

Frank Vincent Brozovich holds both a Bachelor and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree, as well as a Ph.D. in Biophysics, from the University of Washington in 1986. He performed his Internal Medicine residency while completing a Fellowship in Biophysics at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He then received his Certification in Cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania. For the past 5 years, he has worked at Case Western in the Department of Cardiology and in the Intensive Care Unit of the University's hospital. His wife, Angie, a tax attorney, has her own law practice and has served as Secretary of the American Croatian Business Association of Ohio. They have three children: Ava, Stefan, and Nik. The children have studied Croatian folklore and tambura at the Cardinal Stepinac Hrvatski Dom in Cleveland.

 

BROZOVICH, MIA Congressional Aide-Consultant

Dr. Brozovich!s daughter, Mia, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Washington, and pursued her Master of Arts in Eastern European Studies at Indiana University's Russian and Eastern European Institute. In 1988, she worked on staff for the George Bush presidential campaign. During her career in Washington, D.C., she has worked as a Foreign Affairs Legislative Aide to Congressman Wayne Owens of Utah. From 1993-1995, she was Executive Director of the Croatian American Association. After leaving the Croatian American Association, she joined a political consulting company where she performed direct marketing for the 1996 campaigns of many Republicans--including Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole and Senator Mitch McConnell, Chairman of the Republican Senatorial Committee. This year she will receive a Master of International Management degree from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, with a specialization in marketing and brand management.

 

BROZOVICH, STANISLAV  Coalminer

Stanislav Brozovich (1891-1984),  was born in Mrkopalj, Gorski Kotar, Croatia.  At the age of 12, Stanislav came with his widowed mother and younger sister to the United States through Ellis Island. Stanislav later found work in the coalmines of New Mexico and then in eastern Washington, where he settled. Cle Elurn was a small town, populated mainly by Central European immigrants-Italians and Croatians, mostly from Gorski Kotar-and a handful of Poles, Serbs, Montenegrins, Welsh, and Scots. In 1920, Stanislav Brozovich married Agata Matkovic (1893-1969), who came to the U.S. by ship with a group of Croatian women, in a trip paid for by her future husband and other local Croatian men seeking brides from their homeland. Stanislav Brozovich was a fifty-year member of United Mine Workers of America.

 

BROZOVICH, STANLEY Psychologist-Artist

Stanley served in the U.S. Army during World War 11 and later became a psychologist. Today, he is an artist and lives in southern California with his wife of over 50 years, Peg Brozovich. His father, Stanislav, emigrated from Croatia in 1903 and his mother, Agata Matkovic, in 1920 to become naturalized U.S. citizens. Their first son, Stanley Marion Brozovich, was born in 1921.

 

BRUNEMAN, GUS  Police Captain

One of San Francisco’s top cops, Commander Gus Bruneman, is leaving the force for another profession- teaching public administration. Name the key details in the department and Bruneman, 50, has headed them over the years.  As a captain, he served in district stations and the headed the old Tactical Squad, the specially trained riot and crowd control unit. In 1976, after Charles Gain became chief, Bruneman was assigned to reorganize the old Tac Squad into the present Crime Specific Task Force.  It specializes in fighting street crime and had taken over the bomb squad and mounted horse patrol. In February 1977, Bruneman was promoted from captain to commander of the patrol division, second in command of the uniformed force, which is headed now by Deputy Chief Jeremiah Taylor. On the force for 28 years, Bruneman is eligible for retirement.  Yesterday he filed his papers with the city Retirement system, to be effective Jan 31. Bruneman has a bachelor’s degree In the administration of justice from the Golden Gate University in the City and a masters in public administration from the University of Southern California. Starting next spring, he will teach public administration at Golden Gate Univertisy. Despite his retirement, the name Bruneman will continue on the police roster here.  His son Mark, 24, is a patrolman, having joined the force two years ago. His mother was Croatian.

 

BRYNAC-BRNJAC, RUDY Tamburitza Hall of Fame

Rudy was born of Croatian parents on December 13, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri. They were from the selo of Bribir in Primorje, Croatia. Rudy was a man of simple means but blessed with great gifts. He worked hard to perfect those gifts. In the early 1930s Rudy and his three brothers, John, Frank and Pete learned to play tarnburitza in several of the large tamburitza zbors which included 10 young men. They were taught by Frank and Tony Cernich. Rudy played bugarija. One of those gifts he perfected,was, his beautiful voice. His first combo was the original "Plavi Dunav" Orchestra of St. Louis. They were comparable to the Skertich Brothers but not as famous. The members included Rudy, Gregory Stippec, Bob Simac, Tom Mazar and John Crnkovich. Other members were John Antonic, Nicholas Kovacich, John. Grbcic and John Lucic, Jr. When tamburitza was needed, they played for almost all of the events at the Croatian Hall and St. George. They inspired the next generation with the love of tamburitza. Rudy was also on the road a lot. He attended many of the Croatian Catholic Union and Croatian Fraternal Union bowling and-golf tournaments. He was also a great golfer and bowler. Rudy also loved baseball and his early band played a party for the St. Louis Cardinals "Gas-house Gang." Rudy became a member of the Hall of Fame in 1979 in Minneapolis along with Matt Gouze and Libby Fill. In Detroit, Rudy also received the 50-year award. Rudy worked most of his life for the city of St. Louis and later for Anheuser-Busch, where he retired. Rudy passed away on March 27, 2001. He left his only son, Rudy and wife Ronnie and three grandchildren and four great grandchildren. This includes four generations of "Rudy" Brynac. He had 86 great and fruitful years. At his eulogy Fr. John Borcic traced the history of Rudy, also the history of the immigrants, our parents and grandparents to America and how Rudy entertained them. There wasn't a dry eye in church! Fr. Joe of St. Joseph's Croatian Church concluded how Rudy and his number one biggest fan, his wife, Nettie, would now be part of the Angelic Hosts welcoming us all to Heaven with their songs. Rudy's songs will live forever in our hearts. Rudy was a member of Anheuser Busch Local 6 Retiree's Club, Club Primorac, Croatian Sokol Dalmacija, Vila Singing Society, CCU Lodge 33, Club Novi Vinodol and CFU Lodge 50 for 47 years.

 

BRZICA, MATO Restaurant Inn

Mato Brzica lived in Terry, South Dakota. He was born  in Maranovici, Island of Mljet, Croatia in 1878. He emigrated to the USA in 1893. In 1903 he married Marija Bakara, born in 1876 through a power of attorney. They had five children: Annie, born on June 11, 1904, Mary born on January 17, 1906, Rupert, born on June 5, 1908, Paul, born on November 25, 1912 and Stephen, born on August 15, 1918. All of these children were born in Terry. The family had a shop of general goods, first in Terry and then in the nearby town of Lead. Thereafter they became co-owners of a well known inn "Rialto". Their children completed higher education and were very successful. Ivan Sekula from Maranovici who was of the same age as Mato Brzica also lived in Terry for many years.

 

BUBALO, STEVE Construction-Bank

The Croatian Scholarship Fund  inducted Steve Bubalo into its Hall of Fame in 1998. In the judgement of the CSF selection committee and officers, Steve Bubalo has no peer to match his generosity and kindness to  people living in Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia. He was born in Ljubuski, Bosnia-Hercegovina. There he graduated from high school. His father and mother were also born in Ljubuski; his mother's maiden name was Zelic. Steve focused his ambition, drive and capabilities to develop one of the largest and most successful construction firms in California. He has never forgotten or forsaken his roots. He gives credibilty to his feelings by generously contributing significant financial and material support to organizations and individuals who are devoted to improving the standard of life in Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.

 

BUBASH, GEORGE R. Microbiologist-Military-Inventor

George Bubash is a Microbiologist at Pennsylvania State University, Chemistry Department, University Park, Pennsylvania. Born September 30, 1921 to Croatian parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Education includes Pittsburgh University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1939-1940; Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 1940-43;  Pennsylvania State University, B.S. 1953 with a major field in  Microbiology,  Bacteriology-Mycology. Member of American Society for Microbiology; Phi Sigma (Beta Alpha); Biological Honorary. Research Assistant to Dr. Jonas E. Salk in virus research: poliomyelitis 1948-1950; U.S. Army Medical Administration 1943-1946 ; Chief of Virus and Rickettsiae Diagnostic Laboratory at Ft. Baker, California 1950-1952; First Lt. in U.S. Army Medical Service corps; 1952-53 with the Sanitary Engineers Department. Invented Chemical Sterilizer,  British and Phillipine patents issued, U.S. patents issued 1966. Pipettor Bacteriological inoculation needle, Metal basket for storing, washing and drying test tubes.

 

BUBRIG, NICK Orange Grove-Oysterman

Nick Bubrig has been interested in growing oranges since he was a lad and since 1925 has owned a seven-acre orange grove at Boothville in Plaquemines Parish where he is producing the five principal varieties of this semitropical fruit. Mr. Bubrig's trees are all well-developed and have attained their full bearing capacity. Some years ago Mr. Bubrig added to his orange growing activities by planting several thousand lily bulbs and now puts out around forty thousand bulbs early each year for the Easter market. Nick Bubrig was born at South Pass near the mouth of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, a son of John Bubrig, a native of Croatia, a former sailor and sea captain and who after coming to this country engaged extensively in the oyster business, and Julia (Purgley) Bubrig, both of whom are now deceased. When he was ten years old Mr. Bubrig started gathering oysters and continued in this line of endeavor until 1933. He has also grown oranges since his early boyhood and purchased the place where he now lives at Boothville in 1925. On the thirty-first of December, 1924, Mr. Bubrig was married in Boothville to Miss Mildred Buras, member of a pioneer Boothville family. The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Bubrig are Leander Nicholas, born June 1, 1926, a student in the Buras High School; Aubrey E., born April 3, 1928; Naomi, born July 31, 1929 and Karl Bubrig, born June 16, 1938.

 

BUCHA, PAUL WILLIAM Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company D, 3d Battalion. 187th Infantry, 3d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Phuoc Vinh, Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 16-19 March 1968. Entered service at., U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. Born: I August 1943, Washington, D.C. Citation, For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

Capt. Bucha distinguished himself while serving as commanding officer, Company D, on a reconnaissance-in force mission against enemy forces near Phuoc Vinh, The company was inserted by helicopter into the suspected enemy stronghold to locate and destroy the enemy, During this period Capt. Bucha aggressively and courageously led his men in the destruction of enemy fortifications and base areas and eliminated scattered resistance impeding the advance of the company. On 18 March while advancing to contact, the lead elements of the company became engaged by the heavy automatic weapon, heavy machinegun, rocket propelled grenade, claymore mine and small-arms fire of an estimated battalion-size force. Capt. Bucha, with complete disregard for his safety, moved to the threatened area to direct the defense and ordered reinforcements to the aid of the lead element. Seeing that his men were pinned down by heavy machinegun fire from a concealed bunker located some 40 meters to the front of the positions, Capt. Bucha crawled through the hail of fire to singlehandedly destroy the bunker with grenades.

During this heroic action Capt. Bucha received a painful shrapnel wound. Returning to the perimeter, he observed that his unit could not hold its positions and repel the human wave assaults launched by the determined enemy. Capt. Bucha ordered the withdrawal of the unit elements and covered the withdrawal to positions of a company perimeter from which he could direct fire upon the charging enemy. When  friendly element retrieving casualties was ambushed and cut off from the perimeter, Capt. Bucha ordered them to feign death and he directed artillery fire around them. During the night Capt. Bucha moved throughout the position, distributing ammunition, providing encouragement and insuring the integrity of the defense. He directed artillery, gunship and Air Force gunship fire on the enemy strong points and attacking forces, marking the positions with smokegrenades. Using flashlights in complete view of enemy snipers, he directed the medical evacuation of 3 air-ambulance loads of seriously wounded personnel and the helicopter supply of his company. At daybreak Capt. Bucha led a rescue party to recover the dead and wounded members of the ambushed element.

During the period of intensive combat, Capt. Bucha, by his extraordinary heroism, inspirational example, outstanding leadership and professional competence, led his company in the decimation of a superior enemy force which left 156 dead on the battlefield. His bravery and gallantry at the risk of his life are in the highest traditions of the military service, Capt. Bucha has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

The original name of Capt. Bucha was Buha. His people came from Slavonia. He is now the President of the Medal of Honor Society in America.

 

BUDESA-BUSSANICH, ANNIE Chicken Ranch

My mothers father came to America in 1893, when he was 18 years old to Newport News, Virginia. He worked on the ship and that paid his fare over. He got a job in the shipyard and then sent for his girlfriend (that was arranged by his cousin) and they were married in Virginia. My grandmother stayed a few years and had three children. One died in the U.S. She then went back to Croatia pregnant with my mother and the other two children died in Susak, Croatia. One other child was born in Croatia. My grandmother had six children altogether. The only two that survived were born in Croatia and are still living- that is my mother and uncle in Watsonville.

My grandfather traveled back and forth to the U.S. and the family lived fairly well on the island of Susak in Istria. When my grandfather came back he decided to move the family to Losin. They had several cows and sold the milk. My grandfather heard that war was imminent so, he moved his family back to Susak and he returned to the U.S.. For four years they had no letters or money from him because of the war. When the First War came people were almost starving. Flour, potatoes, cornmeal were rationed to three kilos a month. So they did not have enough bread to eat. Gardens were planted of kale, bubba beans, peas and swiss chard. Meat was served once a month-fish was plentiful.

Between the island of Susak and Olib my mother and father recall seeing a blimp go down in the sea with Croatian doctors and Italians. They think it was shot down by Austrians in the early morning. For the next twenty-five years they lived under the Italian occupation. This is called Istria.

After the was in 1920 my grandfather sent for his family. This was my mothers first trip and leaving the homeland. She recalls tasting her first ice cream (gelato) in Rovinj. They arrived in Hayward, California and were automatically American citizens, due to the fact that my grandfather obtained citizenship to the U.S.  because he was a minor when he first entered the country. They arrived in Hayward where my grandfather had bought three acres and a little home. They had a chicken ranch and one cow that the family tended while my grandfather was a foreman at Moore shipyard in Oakland. He learned to speak and write English. My uncle went to school also. My mother was sixteen years old and she was embarrassed to go to school- because she thought she was too old. Later years she regretted this very much.

 

BUDESA, MATT Fisherman, Longshoreman-Merchant

There were 6 children in my fathers family. He was born on the Island of Olib, Dalmatia. My father’s grand parents were all dead before he was born. My grandfather came to San Francisco  in 1904. He was a dishwasher. After the earthquake he returned to Olib. Stayed a few years and came back to San Francisco. His cousin opened a bar in Watsonville and my grandfather worked for him. In 1913 he returned to Olib. They heard the war was about to begin, so the oldest son Jack left on the last ship to sail for America in 1913. The war started and my grandfather was the first soldier drafted from from that island so, they called him Soldat Pochov! That was the family Clan name and soldat means soldier. My father was in school during the war for 4 years - he was young but remembers' the war and the famine. They only had vegetables and fish. He tells many stories when he took his mothers sugar bowl and ran out in the field to eat it. Also his sister was sick and made soup - he took the pot from the stove and ran out of the house with it. They only had vegetables and fish. Sometimes there was no bread for a week at a time. The main source of work on the island of Olib was selling oakwood to Zadar. Also the island has olive trees and they raised sheep for cheese.

At 15 yrs of age my father went to Losinj and worked in the shipyard. From the shipyard he went to Trieste to try to become a sailor to get to the U.S. He went to the Union and was placed on a waiting list and about a month later he sailed for the U.S. never to return to his native land again. However,the captain of the ship and lst officer were paid off be forehand.          They knew my father would jump ship once it docked in New York. There were other men hidden on the ship. When he landed in the U.S. he disembarked (this was in November 1922.) He had several friends addresses. He was very homesick and hungry. Not knowing the language  a man tried to help him. He pointed to a local policeman.         However, my father was afraid to go to him for fear they would catch him and put him back on the ship to Croatia. So he walked the streets not knowing where his friends really lived. He found a man that directed him one way, and another who would look at his address list and direct him another way. Finally he met an Italian man, and this man took him to a little corner grocerystore. The lady in the store recognized his accent because she was from Olib also and knew his family. He was overwhelmed with joy! She took him upstairs to his brother-in-law and friends. They gave him chuck steak and bread (he remembers that to this day).

He then got a job as a longshoreman for about 6 months. Saved every penny and came to San Francisco to join his brother in 1923 and worked as a longshoreman again. Left that job and went to Alaska to fish for salmon on a sailing vessel called The Star of England. He came back after the season was over and went to San Pedro to fish tuna. Came back to S.F. and worked as a longshoreman for a while. In between this time his brother and brother-in-law had opened a store on Rincon Hill. All the Croatians lived around this area. (They (Croatians) started to move out when the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge was being built) My father then became a partner in the business and was married in 1930 at the Croatian Church of Nativity by Father Turk. I was then born and they opened another store in Columbus Ave in 1932. They were starting to supply the fishing fleet that would come to San Francisco. From the Columbus Ave. store they moved to Jefferson Streeet next to Joe DeMaggio's Restaurant. They supplied all the sardine fishing fleet. The brother-in-law continued the original retail store on Rincon Hill, while my uncle and father kept the Bal Tabarin Food Shop. They supplied the Croatians, Japanese, Norwegian and Swedish fishing purse seiners. They sold the business in 1945 due to the lack of sardines on the west coast. We then moved to Santa Clara Valley.

 

BUDROVICH, NIKOLA Goldminer-Saloon-Coffee Saloon

Nikola was born in Starigrad, Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia.  He had a coffee saloon at 27 Commercial Street in 1852.  He was an American citizen.  He had a saloon at 64 J Street in Sacramento in 1861.  He also mined gold at Rocklin, Placer county.

 

BUDROVICH, PETER Fisherman

Peter was a fisherman and fish-dealer in San Francisco.  He married an Irish girl and had five children.  He died in 1882, far from his birthplace in Starigrad, Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia.

BUDROVICH, STEPHEN Priest

Father Stephen Vatroslav Budrovich was born in Velo Grablje, on the island of Hvar, Croatia, October 13, 1923, the son of Nikola Budrovich and Mandica Zaninovich. His primary education was in the village school of Velo Grablje and for his secondary schooling he attended the Dominican High School at Bol on the Island of Brac. In 1943 he entered the Order at the Dominican Priory in Dubrovnik and received the religious name of Vatroslav (Ignatius). He was professed there October 1, 1944, and then pursued philosophical studies in Dubrovnik and Zagreb. Father Budrovich studied theology in Zagreb, Olomouc in Czechoslovakia, Nijmegen in Holland, the Saulchoir in France, and Oxford University in England. Because of the political situation he could not return to his homeland to be ordained, and so the Master of the Order permitted him to go to Oakland, California, where a number of his relatives lived, and there he was ordained a priest on September 6, 1949. He was then transferred to the Dominican House of Studies, River Forest, Illinois, where he completed his theological studies, earning the degrees of Lector in Sacred Theology and Master of Arts. During this time he also served as an assistant pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, River Forest, Illinois.

In 1952 upon completion of his postgraduate studies, Father Budrovich was assigned as an assistant to Holy Trinity Croatian Parish, Chicago, and in 1959 became a citizen of the United States. In June, 1966, he succeded Father Innocent Bojanic as pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, a ministry in which he continued to serve until his death. In addition to his parish duties he has served as State Chaplain of the Catholic War Veterans of the State of Illinois, Chaplain of the St. Procopius Post and Auxiliary of the Catholic War Veterans, Chaplain of the 32nd Division of the Red Arrow Club of Chicago, Chaplain of the Holy Name Society, Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus, Illinois Council, and was a member of the Fourth Degree Joseph A. Powers Assembly of the Knights of Columbus.

Two days after celebrating his 45th anniversary of ordination Father Budrovich entered the hospital for surgery and died at Mercy Hospital on September 25, 1994. He was waked at Holy Trinity Church by the parishioners whom he had served for over forty-one years and the Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on September 28, 1994. He was buried in the Dominican plot at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois.

 

BUTROVICH, JOHN Senator

Governor Tony Knowles ordered state flags lowered to half staff through Monday, June 9, 1997 in memory of John Butrovich. The longtime Fairbanks, Alaska resident and former legislative leader died Tuesday, June 3, at his home. He was 87. The son of a Klondike gold miner, Butrovich was born March 22, 1910, in Fairbanks Creek. He was one 13 students who graduated from Fairbanks High School in 1929. Later, he attended what was then Washington State College on a basketball scholarship. Butrovich returned to Alaska in 1936 and went to work as an insurance salesman. He later bought the insurance business. Butrovich's political career spanned three decades, beginning with a stint on the Fairbanks city council in the early 40s. The Republican served three years as a territorial senator at a critical juncture in Alaska's history. A strong proponent of statehood, he reportedly once pounded the desk of President Dwight Eisenhower to express opposition to a federal plan to divide the Alaska territory. Butrovich was elected to the state Senate in 1962 and he served through 1978. His colleagues named him Senate president in 1967. As a member of the Fairbanks delegation, Butrovich was instrumental in winning support for the formation of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The university later named one of its buildings for Butrovich. A committee room in the state Capitol also bears his name. Butrovich was preceded in death by his daughter, Jane, in 1985; and his wife, Grace, in March of this year. He is survived by three grandchildren and numerous other relatives. Funeral services are tentatively set for Monday, June 9, in Fairbanks. In recognition of John Butrovich's service to the State of Alaska, Governor Tony Knowles ordered state flags lowered to half staff through sundown on Monday, June 9, 1997.

 

BUICH BROTHERS LUKO-VLAHO Restaurant

When you turn from Van Ness onto Lombard in San Francisco, you can see Gelco’s Rendezvous on the right, with signs in the window that read “Original House of Baby Lamb” and “The Buich Brothers form Dubrovnik” and you get Luko Buich in a tuxedo, standing behind a small bar, pleasant, friendly and willing to talk about Dalmatia until closing time. Buich, 36, came to America 10 years ago in 1977 from Dubrovnik, a town on the Adriatic Coast in Croatia built in the 13th century.  His brother, Vlaho, had come to San Francisco about 20 years before, but the family name goes further back than that. Buich talks about his great-uncles coming to California during the Gold Rush, cutting their lives short- one died when he was 40, another when he was 21- to try and find gold nuggets in the streams around Jackson.  He points with pride to his countymen’s accomplishments in California across the years, and to the community of 35,000 Croatians who have settled in the Bay Area. Gelco’s Rendezvous is best known for its lamb dishes, but it is also a small museum of Croatian artifacts.  The walls are covered with cases of dolls and bottles, hand-woven blankets and paintings of Dubrovnik.  In addition, every third Friday of the month, Gelco’s offers native Croatian tamburitza music. Buich finds himself missing Dubrovnik from time to time- swimming in the warm sea, walking in the heat of July and August, the slow days on the outer islands when you would see across the Adriatic to the coast of Italy. He brought out tour books, thick with color pictures of Dubrovnik, and reminisced about the inland villages, about the houses along the River Trebisnica and the cafes sitting on the sea side of the coast. Then he poured the Slivovitz, topped it with pear liquor, and held it up to the light.  “Zivili!” he said.

 

BUICH, LOUIE Restaurant

Born  on the Croatian Coast of Dalmatia,  in village of Grbovac, located in the district of Postranje, in the area of Gornja  Zupa. In 1922, at age 25, Louie was sponsored to come to the United States by his cousin Antone Ljubimir.     Upon his arrival in San Francisco, he began working as a dishwasher and kitchen helper in Tadich Grill where his brother Mitch  worked as a cook,  His brother Tom was now working as a waiter at John Sutich’s Cold Day Restaurant at 537 Sacramento street.  He brought Louie there where he could now train as and apprentice cook. In 1923, both brothers returned to Tadich Grill, Louie as a cook and Tom as a waiter.  In 1928, Louie’s brother Mitch and a Tadich Grill waiter, Louie Milich, bought the restaurant from John Tadich for $8,000--- $4,000 each.  In 1933, Mitch and Louie Milich’s partnership terminated.  The Three brothers became working owners.  Mitch was the chef and Louie Became the night chef and relief day chef for Mitch, while Tom became the “front man.” serving as a host and bartender. Until this time, charcoal (mesquite) broilers were traditionally used for meats and poultry.  Because Tadich Grill was predominantly a seafood house and the broiler was not used to its fullest potential, Louie introduced the techniques of cooking seafood over a charcoal (mesquite) broiler.  This cooking technique immediately became popular with the customers and added to the success of the restaurant. Louie met Marija Nenad in 1927 in Oakland.  She was born in Zakula, Donja  Zupa, approximately 2 miles from his birthplace, but they had never met before.  They married in February, 1929.  Louie and Marija (Mary) had 3 children.  Mary, Lucille, Steve, and Robert. In 1961, Louie purchased Mitchel S. and Mitchell A. Buich’s shares of Tadich Grill and Louie’s sons, Steve and Robert, took over the management of the restaurant and later became partners.  Steve, who had originally worked at the restaurant as a bartender from 1956 to 1958, left to become an officer of the San Francisco Police Department from 1958 to 1961.  Robert had previously worked part-time at Tadich Grill while attending college.  Louie was the primary influence of Tadich Grill until his death in 1965 at the age of 67; he had been in the restaurant industry for 43 years.

 

BUICH, MITCHELL S. Restaurant

Born on the Croatian Coast of Dalmatia in the  village of Grbovac, located in the district of Postranje, in the area of Gornja Zupa. In 1906, at age 16, Mitch was sponsored to come to the United States by his uncle Mise (Mitch) Buich.  He departed for America by steamer and arrived at Ellis Island in 14 days, thence a 5-day train trip from New York to Oakland. He began his working career as a diswasher  and kitchen helper at the Potrero Cafe owned by Chris Kristovich on Potrero and Third Streets.  In 1908, he worked as a cook at a restaurant owned by his uncle Mitch and cousin Antone Ljubimir at 304 Pacific Street.  When the restaurant failed and was forced to close, their uncle bought another restaurant called the Evans, in the Evans Hotel at 89 Broadway, and they worked there until it was sold in 1910.  Mitch then worked at the Ferry Cafe at Market and Sacramento Streets where he trained under a prominent French chef.  In 1913, he went to work as a cook for Tom and Jack Kristovich at the Mission Grill on 24th and Mission Streets, where his brother Tom had previously worked. In 1914, Mitch went to work for Tadich Grill as a cook, and in 1924, he became the chef.  In 1928, he returned to Croatia to marry Marija Miloslavich from Bosanka.  Upon his return to the United States later that year, he and Louie Milich, a waiter at Tadich Grill, bought the restaurant from John Tadich for $8,000--- $4,000 each. In 1933, Mitch and Louie Milich’s partnership terminated. Louie and Tom were able to buy him out in 1933 for $3,000--- $1,500 each.  The Three brothers became working owners.  Mitch was the chef and Louie became the night chef and relief day chef for Mitch, while Tom became the “front man.” serving as a host and bartender. Mitch and Marija (Mary) Buich had 5 children: Stephan, Norma, Mary Ann, Mitchell A., and Carol Jean. In 1958, Mitch brought his son, Mitchell A., into the Partnership.  In 1961, after 47 years at Tadich Grill, Mitchell S. and his son sold their shares of Tadich Grill to Louie Buich.  They opened a lavish restaurant called Buich’s at 401 Broadway.   Mitchell S. died in 1966 at the age of 76;  he had been in the restaurant industry for 60 years.

 

BUICH, TOM Restaurant

Born  on the Croatian Coast of Dalmatia in the village of Grbovac, located in the district of Postranje, in the area of Gornja  Zupa. In 1907, at age 15, Tom was sponsored to come to the United States by his uncle Mise (Mitch) Buich.  He departed for America by steamer and arrived at Ellis Island in 14 days, thence a 5-day train trip from New York to Oakland. He began his working career as a dishwasher and kitchen helper at a waterfront restaurant owned by his relatives, Steve Cesko and Antone Ljubimir.  After 6 months, he went to another waterfront restaurant owned by Nikola Givanovich. In 1908, he worked as a dishwasher and kitchen helper at a restaurant owned by his Uncle Mitch and cousin Antone Ljubimir at 304 Pacific Street.  When the restaurant failed and was forced to close, their uncle bought another restaurant called Evans, in the Evans Hotel at 89 Broadway, and they worked there until it was sold in 1910. He worked as a kitchen helper for a short time for Nicholas Miloglav’s restaurant at 51 Jackson Street cooking from 5:00 am to 2:00 pm and waiting tables in the afternoons and evenings.  Tom then took a steamer to Eureka to work as a cook for Ilia and Martin Tonkovich’s restaurant on Washington Street at the Embarcadero during the day, and at night, he worked as a waiter for Tom and Jack Kristovich at Mission Grill on 24th and Mission Streets. In 1923, Tom went to work as a waiter for Tadich Grill and also brought this brother Louie to apprentice as a cook. In 1928, Tom’s brother Mitch and a Tadich Grill waiter, Louie Milich, bought the restaurant from John Tadich for $8,000--- $4,000 each.  In 1933, Mitch and Louie Milich’s partnership terminated.  The three brothers were working owners: Tom became the “front man”, serving as a host and bartender, while his brothers remained in the kitchen: Mitch was the Chef and Louie became the night chef and relief day chef for Mitch. Tom Buich married Anne Hubner in 1928; they had no children.  After Anne’s death in 1946, he married Anfisca Jacovljeva and later adopted his nephew, Steve J. Buich, from Croatia.  He retired to ranching in Orosi, Fresno County, Calfornia and later returned to San Francisco where he managed his properties.  Tom died in 1982 at the age of 90; he had been in the restaurant industry for 43 years.

 

BUJA, NIKOLA Restaurant-Saloon

Nikola came to San Francisco via Cape Horn in 1850.  NIkola tried his luck with a saloon in 1860 at North San Juan, Nevada County, California.  He invested his gold nuggets in a saloon at 605 Davis Street, San Francisco which he maintained for many years.  He was an American citizen. He established himself in business, together with Marko Ljubetich.  He was a charter member of the Slavonic Illyric Mutual Benevolent Society, and also served as Vice-President of the Society.  He was a member of the organization of Exempt Firemen of the early days in San Francisco.  In 1864 he returned to his home, Starigrad, Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia married there and brought his bride to San Francisco, same year.  From this marriage there came a lovely family of several boys and girls; those living at this time are Mrs. Cora Mareovich, mother of the well-known attorney in our colony, Ivan Mareovich, and Nicholas Mareovich, established in business in San Anselmo; Mrs. Virginia Belding, wife of the Superintendent of the Children’s Playground, Golden Gate Park, and Andrew Buja, Custom House Broker.

 

BUJAN, ANDREW Goldmine

Andrew, from Dalmatia, had a coffee saloon at 4 Broadway, San Francisco in 1867.  He also organized the Illyrian Gold and Silver Mine in Calaveras County in 1863.  He was an American citizen.

 

BUJENOVICH, JOSEPH Owned the Town

Joseph Bonjonos, or Bujenovich, an Austrian (Croatian), who lived under the assumed name of Antoine Andriche, but who was better known as "Quatre Escalins" (four bits) on account of his miserly propensities acquired the property now known as the Ferdinand Barrilleaux tract of (sic) and from the succession sale of Mrs. Elizabeth Mills, widow of William Fields, which was held on January 26 and 27, 1816. He also owned most of the town lots in Lockport, Louisiana except the front, but would never sell a lot, keeping them, as he said, for a cattle pasture. He led a miserly life and died, leaving no heirs, January 13, 1866. His estate, inventoried at $22,157.42, was sold by the state. To the Barataria and Lafourche Canal and to the progressive foresight of the oldest settler in this neighborhood is due the location of the present village of Lockport. On the 14th day of January, 1833, William Fields who was sole owner of all the land on both sides of Bayou Lafourche from the Georgia plantation to several miles below Lockport, donated to the Barataria and Lafourche Canal Company, a tract of land fronting five arpents on each side of the bayou and extending back a considerable distance. This donation was accepted by Charles Derbigny for the above named company as its president. The site was donated to the company for a town on condition that the Company was to complete the canal from New Orleans to Bayou Terrebonne.  According to the "World Almanac and Encyclopedia" for 1898, the canal was completed in 1847. The locks uniting the New Orleans end of the canal with Bayou Lafourche were built in 1850.

 

BUKOVAC, FRANJO Spanish American War

On July 23, 1899 Franjo Bukovac, from Braddock, Pennsylvania went to the courthouse to seek a duplicate copy of his first citizenship paper. When asked the whereabouts of the original, Bukovac answered.- I had it with me in Manila, but it rained so hard that all of us soldiers were soaked to the skin and the paper disintegrated, Last year it rained so hard there from June to November that you couldn't see 4 feet in front of you. Bukovac, a member of U.S. Army's Company B, 13th Regiment, had taken part in several major battles in the Phillippines, had lost his right eye in the last battle and had been honorably discharged from the army. Franjo is Croatian.

 

BUKOVAC, VLAHO Artist

The first Croatian painter in America was Vlaho Bukovac, born in Cavtat near Dubrovnik, Croatia on July 4, 1855. In 1866 his uncle brought him to Brooklyn; after his uncle's sudden death, Bukovac returned to Croatia where he worked as a sailor for a while. Then he emigrated to Callao, Peru, and then in 1875 came to San Francisco, California. Gifted with great talent for paintings, he started to paint portraits, saved some money, and returned to Dubrovnik; in 1877 he went to study painting at the Art Academy in Paris. By the time he died in Prague in 1922, he had acquired fame as one of the greatest Croatian painters. In his recollections he described the hard but interesting days of his two sojourns in America. His name is also connected with the history of the National Croatian Society because in 1897 he designed the Diploma that this organization granted its members.

 

BUKSA, ANTON Apple Farmer

Anton Buksa was born in Pag, Dalmatia, Croatia.  He left his native land in 1913 to come to this country, settling in the steel mills in Weirton, West Virginia until 1944, moving to the Pajaro Valley, Watsonville the following year.  He raised apples for 40 years in the Calabassas Road area, where he also lived. He received his 50-year Croatian Fraternal Union pin and was most active in all meetings and socials until his illness.  Each year, his son, Mario, would bring him to the Central Committee Picnics and it was a joy to see him. Surviving are his lovely wife, Gabrijela; two sons, Mario and Anthony, both of Watsonville; two daughters, Virginia Vukasovich and Marie Buksa, also both of Watsonville; six grandchildren, one great-grandson; a brother in Weirton, WV and sister in Pag, Dalmatia.

 

BULLUM, TOMO J. Croatian Activities

Brother Bullum was born on March 25, 1893 in Selo Dobrane, Croatia.  He emigrated to America in 1910 at the age of 17. Tomo first became a member in the National Croatian Society of the USA in 1913, which later became the Croatian Fraternal Union of America.  His wife of 67 years Anna Perak Bullum, who survives him, became a member in 1919. Brother Bullum attended six national conventions as an elected delegate in addition to serving as lodge secretary for over 50 years. The members and officers of “Croatian American” CFU Lodge 701 were deeply saddened by the passing of its founding officer Tomo J. Bullum, on Wednesday, May 10, 1987. He is survived by his wife Anna; daughter, Marie Bullum Ozurovich; son, Ivan Bullum; seven grandsons, two granddaughters, and six great-grandchildren, all of Los Angeles.

 

BUNTICH, MLADEN Construction

Founded in 1975, Mladen Buntich Construction Company (MBC) has been a successful and innovative General Engneering Contractor in Southern California for more than 22 years. MBC specializes in infrastructure projects including water, stormwater, reclaimed water, and sanitary sewer pipelines, as well as pump stations. The company's success has resulted from its goal of providing safe, quality projects on time and under budget. It is this spirit of teamwork and Partnering, as well as the personal and professional satisfaction of a job well done, that enables Mladen Buntich Construction Company Inc. to reach its goals. Mladen Buntich Construction Co., Inc. has successfully completed 37 projects for the City of Los Angeles with no unresolved issues. The company has done extensive work for Orange County Sanitation District, Orange County Water District, Los Angeles County Sanitation District and Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, as well as many other public agencies from Ventura to San Diego County. Construction of reclaimed water pipeline projects has become a major part of NIBC's business. In the past seven years, M`BC has successfully completed reclaimed water distribution projects for Orange County Water District, Central/West Basin Water District, Moulton Niguel Water District, Capistrano Valley Water District and lrvine Ranch Water District. One outstanding MBC project was the Orange County Water District’s Green Acres, a $22 million project completed 'in 1992. This was the largest reclaimed water system in California, consisting of more than 34 miles of reclaimed water pipeline. In addition to the construction expertise of NIBC, our team also has the design expertise of Brown and Caldwel. Brown and Caldwell has more than 50 years of expenence in the planning design, construction and start-up of infrastructure projects. In addition, BC can provide environmental services Our approach to design-build projects will be on a project-byproject basis. project. However, we have discovered through our previous design-build experience that all successful projects have some common features. 'Mese include in-depth communication between the project owners and the project delivery team. We will develop a specific proposal for each project.

 

BUNTICH, NADA Construction-Croatian Mothers

Nada Buntich, who resides in Sunland, California, was born in Nova Gradishka, in Slovenia. She is the wife of Mladen Buntich of Buntich Construction Co. Ms. Buntich is the president of NADA Pacific, a unique construction company which conducts micro tunneling on the West Coast. Nada demonstrated excellence in leadership as the founder of the Croatian Mothers in the 1990’s. The Croatian Mothers had the first concert which raised $115,000 to help young Croatian children who became orphaned and/or seriously injured as a result of the war. The Croatian Mothers established a special home (Cardinal Stepinac's) for these children. The Buntichs' serve the Croatian community in the church and other community and civic activities including their role in helping to establish the National Association of Croatian Americans.

 

BUNTICH, SIMON Restaurant

Simon Buntich owns a pair of restaurants along Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake that he calls “Inflation fighters.”  One is Simon’s, a good place to eat more food than you ever thought possible for a ridiculously low price.  The other is Seafood Bay, where you can devour some exquisitly well prepared fish dishes for prices that went the way of all flesh at least a decade ago. The thing that really gets me about Seafood Bay is not how cheap it is, but how good it is.  There are lots of places around town where you can get large quantities of food for very low prices.  The problem is the food often isn’t very good.  This is anything but the case at Seafood Bay, where protein is the name of the game.  Bread comes immediately, in quantities that are both generous and excessive when you consider the amount of food that follows.   The seafood cocktails are the best outside of the Mexican seafood houses. 1982. Los Angeles.

 

BUPICH, BALDO Boarding House-Grocery

The Bupich boardinghouse at 69 Castelar St.  (now North HIll St) in Los Angeles. The photo was taken in 1905 or 1906.  Stella Bupich Metkovich, as a young girl, is seen on the left; to her right wearing a hat is her father Baldo Bupich.  His wife Marija did the cooking, chopping, shopping and washing for the boarders, mostly laborers from Konavle and Herzegovina, who found work by digging ditches in Los Angeles.  The Bupich Family rented the house at a cost of about eighteen dollars per month.  Bupich later opened a grocery store in 1915 at the corner of Ord and Castelar, in Los Angeles’s Croatian settlement.

 

BUSKO, JOHN South of Market Boys-Longshoreman

Mass will be held at St. James Church on July 6, 1978 for John “Johnny” Busko, a founder of San Francisco’s colorful South of Market Boys. Busko, a native of Ston, Dalmatia, Croatia and a retired longshoreman, I.L.W.U. Local No. 10., died here Tuesday.  He was 88. Dear long time friend of Jane Jacobson. He was a longtime friend of former San Francisco state Senator Thomas Maloney.  The night of the 1906 earthquake they slept in the same room and Maloney often called Busko “the 19th member of the Maloney family.” He is survived by a daughter, Florence Marie Ferre, Santa Rosa, and a brother and sister in Croatia.

 

 

BUTALA-ELFMAN, JENNA Actress

Jenna Elfman, the star of ABC's hit show, "Dharma & Greg," is a Croatian-American, whose maiden name is Butala.  Her uncle is singer/performer Tony Butala of the Letterman. In August 0f 2001, Elfman, along with several other famous actors, was on the cover of People Magazine where the feature article was about "older" women being sexy. Dharma & Greg are currently being shown on Croatian TV.

 

BUTALA, MARY Nurse-Croatian Activities

Sister Mary Ference was born Feb. 17, 1910, and wed John Butala in 1927. After raising her children, she continued her education and earned her high school diploma and her certificate as a practical nurse. During WW 11, she worked at the Westinghouse Electric Plant in Sharon, PA, from 1942-1952. After the family moved west, she worked for San Fernando Lockheed Aeronautics from 1953 to1965. Sister Butala was active in the Croatian Fraternal  Union up to her death and played organ for St. Anthony's Church in Los Angeles. She was a member of Stjepan Ante Radic Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 177 in Los Angeles, as well as the Catholic Daughters of America, the Altar Rosary Society, and the Odds and Ends Band. Sister Mary Ference Butala, 89, mother of Tony Butala of the recording group The Lettermen and grandmother of actress Jenna Butala Elfman (Dharma & Greg), passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 1999. She is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Helen Ference, and her husband, John Butala. She has  three daughters and four sons, Mary Ann Cipriano of Hermitage, PA; Joan C. Butala of Arroyo Grande, CA; Jean Campbell of San Luis Obispo, CA; William Butala of Ventura, CA; Richard Butala of Northridge, CA; Michael Butala of Stanton, CA; Antony Butala of Manitowoc, WI; 27 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren.

 

BUTALA, TONY Singer-Vineyard

Tony  Butala was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and was one of eleven children. Today, Tony resides in Woodland Hills, California, and is internationally recognized as the leader of the original Lettermen. The Lettermen originated 35 years ago and are still going strong today. They produced 13 gold albums, 25 hit records, sold over 50 million records and produced 66 different albums. Tony Butala has a remarkable and most distinguished career and has worked with many famous stars.

Recently, Tony acquired a 40-acre vineyard in Napa Valley where he will produce grapes for himself and for Stag's Leap Winery. He will produce a special wine, which he has named Zivili, and as a testimony of his generosity, 100 percent of the profits will go to Croatian charity benefits.

 

BUTIER, LOUIS Saloon

“Harpoon Louie” Butier, the immigrant tavern owner whose hefty drinks pumped life into the San Francisco Financial District for 55 years was born Louis Butier 77 years ago in Dubrovnik, Croatia.  But from the day a malevolent barroom pot enjoined him to “Give ‘em the harpoon, Louie,” he’s never been called anything else. He came from Croatia as a 10-year-old boy, friendless, alone and unable to speak a word of English.  He sailed from Dubrovnik with his older brother, a physician. But the brother died aboard the ship before it reached San Francisco. Harpoon Louie was raised by an Oakland police captain but he went to work as a boy and never attended school. He never learned to read or write but he did learn how to tend bar- first at the old Eagle Cafe in Oakland, then at the Idora amusement park. The first liquor license issued in San Francisco after the 1906 fire went to Harpoon Louie and his Saddle Rock Cafe at Clay and Battery streets. Louie stayed there through prohibition, depression and two wars. And he never measured a drink. This was a policy that made the old Saddle Rock, a ramshackle establishment even in its earliest days, the most popular saloon in the Financial District. “I never lose a friend,” Harpoon Louis often bragged. His half-century of service to thirsty financiers was abruptly halted last March in 1962, when Redevelopment moved in.  The Saddle Rock stood squarely on the site of the Redevelopment Agency’s Golden Gateway Project. Louie closed down his old bar last March 17. 1966 with a drinking bout attended by his old friends and some newcomers who thought Harpoon Louie was some kind of a shrimp cocktail. The bar was torn down last month, only a few weeks before the death of its famed barkeep.

 

BUTIER, MICHAEL P. Rancher Packer Goldminer

Michael Peter Butier, one of the successful ranchers, apple buyers, packers and shippers of the Watsonville area, proprietor of an extensive plant in the Aromas neighborhood and one of the best known men in his line in this section. Mr. Butier is from Dalmatia, Croatia, born April 13, 1879. He is a son of Peter and Anna (Lettunich) Butier. Reared in his native place, Michael Peter Butier acquired his education there and remained at home until he was fifteen years of age, when he came to the United States, his objective being California, where he had kinsfolk who had become well established. Along the way and before leaving Europe he visited Alsatian kinsfolk and made a comprehensive trip to Paris and than sailed for the port of New York. Upon his arrival in this country he struck out for the west and was two years "working his way" to California, working as a butcher, on which line he had home training, and at other things his hands found to do, and in time he reached San Francisco. He worked there awhile, acquiring a pretty good acquaintance with the city, and then came to Watsonville, where he began working in the orchard plants of his cousin, M. N. Lettunich, now the president of the Fruit Growers National Bank of Watsonville. Not long afterward he was attracted to the mining fields and went into Calaveras county, where he was for two years engaged in the mines. With the money he there made Mr. Butier returned to Watsonville and went into business on his own account, buying and packing fruits, and continuing this until 1906, when he sold his plant and returned to San Francisco, in which city he was for six years thereafter a fruit broker. In 1912 Mr. Butier returned to Watsonville and has since then been in the fruit business here. He owns a fine orchard of thirty acres  and plants in Aromas, but it burned down on March 2, 1925. Mr. Butier began rebuilding facility in business and he had done well, long having been recognized as one of the leading growers and shippers in this section. In 1906, in Watsonville, Mr. Butier was united in marriage to Miss Katherine Lettunich, who also had come to this country from Croatia and who has been a valued helpmate to him in his operations. Mr. and Mrs. Butier have two children. Peter and Anna. The Butiers reside at No. 165 Wall street, Watsonville, and are very comfortably situated there. They are members of the Roman Catholic church and Mr. Butier is affiliated with the council of the Knights of Columbus in Watsonville.

 

BUTIGAN, STOJAN AND SALLY Croatian Activities

Stojan and Sally Butigan were among the founding members of the Croatian American Cultural Center and both sat on the Executive Board for many years.  They left behind a legacy to us all as their hard work and love for their Croatian heritage contributed to the success of the CACC.  Last year, the fountain that decorates the front entrance of the hall was dedicated to them, a beautiful tribute from their family and friends who will always remember Stojan and Sally lovingly.

 

BUTIRICH, MARTIN M Restaurant-Oysterman

Martin was born 1886 in Trpanj, Dalmatia, Croatia. His father, Marko, was a fisherman and mother Mary nee Barbic. He finished grammar school in his place of birth and obtained a job as sales aid working for M. Markovic in Metkovic. He arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1902 and worked with his brother, Ivo, who was cultivating  oysters. He stayed with his brother five years, then found a job as machinist on the ship "Enterprise" where he worked two years.He then opened his own restaurant in New Orleans, and stayed until 1920. The same year he moved to Gretna, Louisiana. Due to his natural talent and hard work, Butirich built a good size homestead. In the center of town he built a modern house where he opened a restaurant. Through his hard work and integrity he became well known with Americans as a very respected citizen. In 1924 he visited his homeland and at that time he married Darinka Butiric. They had two sons, Marko and Nikola. They are going to grammar school. Little Marko is an artist, at seven years old he plays violin. Once a week you can hear him on the radio station WGBW.  Martin Butirich is a member of the Slavonian Society and several American societies.

 

BUTORAC, MICHAEL  Stone Mason

Born on August 29, 1892 in Sveti Jakov, Krnpoti, brother Butorac came to the United States in 1909 at the age of 17.  He worked in the logging camps in Canada and the coal and ore mines in Arizona and New Mexico. During the World War II, he was employed by the Kaiser shipyard.  After the war, he went to work as a stone mason and worked in that field until he retired. Brother Butorac was 87 at the time of his death. Brother Butorac became a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union, Lodge 177 in 1925, 54 years ago.  He is survived by his wife, Josephine who is a member of Lodge 177 also.  The couple were married 64 years. Other survivors include his daughter, Lucy Watson and her four sons- Frank, John, Mike, and George.  Brother Butorac had one sister in Croatia, several nieces and nephews, 13 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

 

BUZDON, IVAN Croatian Activities

Born in 1881 in Lanische, Istria. He came in America for the first time in 1906, and the next  time in 1913.  He was engaged in social activities in  Lodge No. 17 of the Croatian Union of the Pacific, Fort Bragg, California. Today (1932) he still performs the duty as a secretary of the Lodge.

 

CANKI, ROBERT Croatian Activities

Robert Canki was very active in several cultural and civic organizations in Los Angeles and San Pedro over several decades.  He was president of the Croatian Cultural Club, Croatian Soccer Club, a member of the Croatian Home of San Pedro, the chairman of the Croatian Peasant Party and the Croatian Radio Hour.  He was also a member of the Croatian Academy of America.  He died July 30, 1976 on his 77th birthday.  Canki was survived by his wife Danica, daughters Melita, Elvira, Norma, a brother, two sisters and other relatives, including three grandchildren.

 

CAPITANICH, P. PETER Farm Shipper Packer

An experienced apple grower who has also become a successful packer and shipper, is P. Peter Capitanich, of 61 Brennan street, Watsonville.  He was born in Dalmatia, Croatia February 2, 1880, the son of Peter and Nellie Capitanich. P. Peter Capitanich attended schools in the old country, and it was in June, 1903, that he reached the United States. He came to California and began work as a packer. Later he was foreman on the Del Monte ranch for nine years and then bought a tract of land, planted to apricots. On selling that he came to Watsonville, where he engaged in growing, packing and shipping fruit, in which he has been quite successful. In religious faith he is a Catholic. Mr. Capitanich married Miss Clara Larkin, a daughter of J.J. Larkin, of Watsonville. Her father came here at the age of sixteen, with his uncle, James Larkin, after whom Larkin valley was named. Mrs. Larkin crossed the plains in a train of six hundred wagons in 1861 and they met here and were married. Mr. and Mrs. Capitanich have two children, Margaret and Bobby.

 

CARATAN, MARIN AND ANTON Vineyard

Marin Caratan was the first Croatian to settle in the Delano area. He came in 1923 and was followed by his brother Anton in 1926. After surveying the soil and finding suitable climate and adequate water, the Caratans made a beginning. They knew grape growing from the old country, and since table grapes were growing in popularity, that is what they planted. Their first ranch was near Columbine with a planting of 160 acres of Thompson Seedless. Marty Caratan, a third generation, relates, "'My grandfather leveled the whole field by himself with a mule team."'

 

CAREVICH, A. J. Fisherman-Grocery

A. J. Carevich is the son of Ivan and Vinka Carevic. He was born  1880 on the island of Korcula, Dalmatia, Croatia. He arrived to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1909. The first two years he was an oyster fisherman, as were many of our people. After that he opened his own grocery store at 818 Chartres Street, New Orleans and is still running it to this date. He married Nikola's cousin, Marinovich, from Ston. They have a son and daughter; they are attending a high school. He is the member of the Slavonian Society and has been president since 1932. The meetings that the president conducts are more of social gathering, where everything is operated as it is in the Old Country. But to be the president of a 60 year old society that has over three hundred members; different professions; outlooks on life and ten thousand dollars in the bank, is a complex job for the president. A. J. Carevich knows what is  best for society,  and how to  conduct the meetings, be respected by fellow members, be of strong character, and see what is the best for the members and the society.               

 

CARNINCICH, THOMAS WHITE Service Station

Thomas White Carnincic, also know as Thomas White, was born in Dalmatia, Croatia, October 5, 1895 to George and Antonia Carnincic.  As a youth, Thomas relocated to Los Angeles in 1912.  In 1917 he began his affiliation with the automotive industry as a carpenter for the Los Angeles Auto Body Works.  He seized the initiative in 1925 to start his own business, with his half-brother Peter Yugovich, when he built a service station at the corner of Ninth and Palos Verde, Los Angeles, California.

 

CARR, WALTER Fisherman-Shipbuilder

Walter Carr senior was born in 1910 on the north Adriatic coast in Crikvenica, Croatia. He came from a long line of fishermen who used to fish mostly tuna and bottom fish with traps and other types of gear. The Carr family's tuna traps were allocated through the heritage of the family. The family also fished for bottom fish with small craft (barka's). At a young age of fourteen, Walter Carr was noted for his great strength, perserverance, resourcefulness, and leadership. At the tender age of fourteen he used to fish the traps, go dragging for bottom fish and "pit lamp" with gas lanterns for herring, using a small purse seine net. He was known as a good diver at a time when there wasn't any diving equipment; when someone lost a lantern or anchor, they called on Walter to retrieve it. As Walter Carr Jr. relates: "They used to put cotton in their ears so they wouldn't hurt their ears, two or three wads of cotton. Anyways he forgot one. For years it bothered him, when he came to this country, irntation and headaches. He went to the doctor and he pulled out this wad of cotton that had been in his ear for over ten years".

When Walter was seventeen years old, in 1927, he immigrated to Canada, landing on the east coast. He made his way from Montreal to Medicine Hat, then to Vancouver, wearing a big overcoat and carrying a cardboard suitcase. His first job in Vancouver, in 1928, was working for the public works department building sidewalks, From there he went to heavy diesel mechanics school in Vancouver. He left Vancouver in 1930 for Uculet on the west coast of Vancouver Island. His first job there was working for the Nootka Packing Co. in the net loft where his extraordinary capabilities as a net man demonstrated his worth.

But that wasn't good enough for Walter Carr. One day, after working a shift in the net loft, Walter saw men in a line-up with shovels. He joined them and began shovelling herring. He was working double shifts, sometimes even triple, which would lead eventually to severe back trouble. However, all this hard work would pay off. He was hired by the Nootka Packing Co. to be engineer on the purse seiner "Riyou 11", a Japanese owned boat. The boat was run down, its gas engine unreliable, breaking down often, meaning it couldn't catch fish. Walter had it running like clockwork in short order and was given a bonus of $50 and a box of cigars.

The following year he was on the deck of the purse seiner "Riyou 11" which he would later skipper and own. From there he was allowed a chance to fish the  lucrative pilchard and herring fisheries in Barclay Sound, and the rest, as they say, is history as the self-made logging and fishing tycoon Gordon Gibson relates in his autobiography "Bull of the Woods". "We had some wonderful skippers during our fishing days, one of the leading was Walter Carr, a self-made man who had come as a boy from a Croatian fishing village. When I first met him in 1931 he was shovelling fish on contract out of a hold in a ship into an elevator. A year later he had a crew together and was skipper of a very successful boat. It was not long before he owned his own vessel and contracted with our North Shore Packing Company. He became our top fisherman and was a great credit to  both himself and our company".

Walter then sold the "Riyou II" so that he could build himself a larger vessel. He didn't require any financing whatsoever; the head manager of Nootka Packing Co., Ken Rosenburg said to him, "Walter, you don't need partners". The reason for this was the banks wouldn't loan the companies any money unless they knew who was fishing for them. So at the company's expense, the large outside table seiner, "Adriatic Star" was built in exchange for Walter Carr's fishing expertise. Eventually Walter Carr became a partner of North Shore Packing of North Vancouver,,B. C.

Walter' s fishing expertise was also a factor in meeting Mrs. Carr. Walter was treated to a trip to San Pedro, California by Nootka Packing where a fishermen's benefit dance was taking place. There he met a Miss Marian Carr, no relation whatsoever. Miss Marian Carr's family also were fishermen. Together they had one son Walter Carr Jr., bom in 1941 and two daughters, Lorraine and Alice, bom 1945.

The "Adriatic Star" was a large, triple-decked table seiner and Walter Carr Sr. had it built to his specifications in 1937.  However, there were deficiencies in its design, as Walter Carr Jr. relates: "He learned by his mistakes. The 'Adriatic Star' when he built it was to be fuller in the bow, no flair, but fuller. Well my dad thought if he tapered in more he would get more speed. He did, but what happened was - and here's what's wrong with the 'Adriatic Star' - fine - all modem - but soon as there is any rough weather, it starts knifing - because there is nothing there... It's not a good bucking boat... he made one mistake there". Anyway, Walter Sr. did well with the "Adriatic Star" and he built another boat, the "Liberty". The "Liberty" was different from the "Adriatic Star" in that it had a fuller bow. Unfortunately, on November 4, 1941 the "Liberty" sank while fishing in a storm  with all hands, except one, including Walter's brother, Augustine, the skipper whom Walter Carr Sr. had brought to Canada in 1930.

The next boat Walter Carr Sr. built was the "Wamala" in 1942 which sported a design similar to the "Liberty".  While fishing vessel design technology seemed to be progressing, the gradual change towards additional weight in corklines and leadline called for certain modifications of existing vessel designs. When Wa1ter Carr Sr. laid the keel down for the "Waldero" in 1950 his experience in experimenting with various designs helped. Also, Walter had noticed what worked well. for certain other seiners on the coast. This meant that the "Waldero" would be the culmination of many earlier improvements in purse seine vessel design.

When Walter Carr laid the keel down for the "Waldero" in 1950 his experience in experimenting with various designs helped. The architect for the boat was Mr. Bert Benson, of Benson Shipyard, with input from Walter Carr Sr. The "Waldero" put many earlier innovations together on one package. It had flared ribs which meant that the hull was flared and its diameter increased as it came out of the water. This was incorporated into its design so that the boat wouldn't plough when it was bucking waves. Also, when the sea is pounding the vessel in the stem quarter, it causes the boat to sway from side to side, or broach. The flared ribs of the "Waldero" stopped the boat from kneeling over. This feature Walter Carr Sr. copied from the fish boat "Trinity".  One feature that the 'Waldero" possessed that no other boat possesses, was its extremely short deck-to water distance relative to its hull displacement.

As Walter Carr Jr. told me in an interview... "I asked where did he get his heights, because if you look at the Waldero' - the long inside of the fishhold is not so deep. You can go on some other boats, the 'John Todd' or the 'Pacific Raider' and they're really deep. They are two planks higher and my Dad didn't want that..." They are two planks higher but not so good as sea boats. "Ocean Star" turned over because of this design innovation. It also meant that because of its lower profile it had an advantage in that working off the boat stem, when pulling for example, the net and corks on the boat, it would be easier.

These unique design innovations would be complimented by a "full displacement stem". The "Waldero" was one of the first vessels on the B.C. coast to incorporate this innovation. Walter Sr. knew that the drum would eventually overtake the power block and that a vessel with full displacement stem was required. It provided the buoyancy and stability for the net and drum that would eventually be placed in the stem when drumming technology would be practical for the larger outside vessel. As Walter Carr Jr. explained in his interview with me: "You know my dad was on the big boats, but everyone was selling big boats. They were getting rid of those boats. They were too big. It was at that point where the small drum seiner came in. My dad said one day  "What do you think, we should build a drum seiner and put a drum on?” I said "okay" "How do you figure we'll do it ?” The "Waldero", in 1967, was the first large, outside vessel to have a drum installed. The "Waldero" would set new standards in terms of design and construction; combining the best features of other boats Walter Sr. had built and elements of other seine vessels. These unique design innovations enhanced the "Waldero's" performance as a drum seiner. Those years when he was a fisherman on the B.C. coast gave him the opportunity to steadily refine vessel design and the"'Waldero" was the result. This can be seen in the way Walter Jr. affectionately talks about her... "She was one of the first vessels of her displacement to pack over 100 tons; her hull displaced under a 100 tons. She's not a monstrosity of a vessel. Nice lines, low, nice handling vessel." (Herman 1995)

 

CATANICH, PETER Goldminer-Hotel-Restaurant

Peter Catanich from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia, pioneer goldminer, settled as hotel and restaurant proprietor at Livermore, California.  His son, Peter Catanich, Jr. is living in San Francisco and is associated with the McCarthy Bros. Coffee Company.  Mrs. Peter Catanich, Jr. is at the present President of the American Slav Women’s Club. 1932.

 

CENGIA, PETER Insurance-Croatian Activities

Mr. Cengia came to America in 1913 at the age of 17 from the Island of Lastovo, Dalmatia, Croatia.  In Trieste he purchased a third class ticket for a 26 day trip for $25.00.  He was still clad in his shabby field work garb.  He had no other possessions. He arrived in New York with 30 cents and famished from having little to eat for several days.  He had no one to go to so spent his first night sleeping in a field with the cows near 42nd street.  The man tending the cows I discovered him in the morning, felt sorry for him and gave him some bread and beans. The next morning he was directed to the dock, where many immigrants worked and secured a job rolling heavy filled barrels.  This difficult job paid $14.00 a month for 7 day work weeks or 16 to 18 hours a day.  He found a Croatian family with whom he could board for $4.00 a month. In April of 1915 he went to Los Angeles where he had heard that he could earn $10.00 a week working in a restaurant, which he did until September of 1916 when he came to San Francisco and secured a job working at the Palace Hotel as a bus boy earning $30.00 month plus tips bringing his pay to an all time high of $50.00 a month for 7, 12 hour days. He soon realized the disadvantage of his inadequate education.  He had only one year of schooling in his native Lastovo, because he was always need for helping with the farm work and later fishing.  He learned of private classes being conducted at the Golden Gate Y.M.C.A. and enrolled for $10.00 a month and attended school from 9:00 to 11:00 each morning before going to work.  He learned rapidly. He attended Saint Jerome’s church near his work.  One day the Monsignor asked if anyone would serve as an alter boy. The Monsignor was very grateful.  One day several weeks later he commended Peter to the congregation and because he felt Peter should have an opportunity for a better job, asked if anyone had a better job to offer this fine young lad.  Fortunately, Mr. Henley, the man in charge of the Palace Hotel Restaurant, was in the congregation and asked Peter to report to his office at the Hotel.  Upon his first arrival Mr. Henley praised him and offered to start training him that first day as a waiter in the main dining room.  He remained a waiter for several years serving the many famous people who frequented the hotel. He continued his education while working.  He completed preparatory school and then continued at Lincoln University in San Francisco in 1922.  He married Katherine Domich from Lastovo, who arrived in San Francisco in 1922.   They bought a home near lake Merritt in Oakland where they lived for 50 years.  They had two children Mary Ann, a realtor and Peter Jr. who became a teacher. Mr. Cengia established himself in a very successful insurance business which he continued with until his retirement.  He was helpful to all of his countrymen.  Helping them in many ways.  Also he organized people to collect and send badly needed clothing and other supplies to Croatia after World War II.  He and his wife sponsored and paid for 14 young people to come to America from Croatia and established them in jobs.  Many people are grateful for the helpful hand extended to them by the Cengias. 

 

CEPERNICH, IVAN Florist

Ivan was born on the Island of Brac and migrated to South America and then to San Francisco in 1927. He worked in the restaurant trade and then for several florists before he founded Ivan's Florist on Polk Street. He met and married Katherine, a young lady from Mountain View in 1939 and they resided in the Polk Gulch district until recent years when they moved to Belmont. Ivan was a friendly and joyous man, who had a vast circle of friends. He was a member of the Slavonic Society since January 4, 1940-52 plus years. Ivan died on November 29, 1992.

 

CERIN, VLADIMIR Horse Racing-Soccer-Kinesiology

Born 1960 in Croatia.  Cerin's father directed a large  farm  which  had a variety of domestic animals, including horses.  So it’s no wonder Cerin has fashioned a successful yet relatively obscure career as a thoroughbred trainer. He left his native Croatia for Canada at age 14.  In 1974 he moved to California where he received a athletic scholarship in soccer at UCLA and was co-captain of the team.  After graduating with a degree in Kinesiology (The study of movement) He worked for four years with professional athletes, including former tennis star Tracy Austin and basketball greats Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes and Kiki Vandeweghe, before taking out his trainer's license in 1981.  Vladmir's experience in coaching ranges from training professional stars to coaching club, high school and college soccer. Always fascinated by the grace and power of thoroughbred horses, Vladimir knew that the training principles he imparted to his professional athlete clients could benefit these animal athletes, Some of his professional athletes purchased some thoroughbred horses and asked Vladimir to train their horses with the same zeal he brought to their training.  Thus began the Vladimir Cerin Racing Stables. Vladimir's training techniques and his creative ideas for thoroughbreds proved successful.  He learned what worked as well as from what didn't work and over the last 20 years developed Vladimir Cerin Racing Stables into one of the best performing operations in the highly competitive southern California racing circuit.  Now Vladimir’s horses win at tracks across the country.  Over the years he is somewhere between 20 and 25 percent winner first time out after a trainer change. Cerin's best known client is Frank Stronach, the owner of Santa Anita. It's rare to see trainers at the races in the afternoon unless they have a horse entered that day.  Cerin is usually at the races every afternoon, whether he's running a horse or not. He believes training horses is a 24-hour a day job.  He is easy to recognize as he always seem to be accompanied by his Golden Retriver Kayla during morning workouts. His horses in 1999 were 31% winners second in the standings behind Bob Baffert the number one trainer in the country. This story is far from complete - Could there be a Kentucky Derby winner in the future or perhaps the elusive triple crown. Contributed by John Mark.

 

CERREZIN, MICHAEL Attorney     

In the celebration of the observance of the 50th Anniversary in the practice of law, Mr. Cerrizin was feted by the Cleveland Bar Association at a testimonial luncheon given in his honor in Cleveland, Ohio. This luncheon was attended by his family and friends and many men and women prominent in city of Cleveland. A citation was presented in special services at the Georgetown University 167th Annual Commencement program which was held in Washington, D. C. on June 7th. Mr. Cerrizin attended the ceremonies with Mrs. Cerrezin and during their stay in Washington they were housed at a University dormitory along with a score of other guests - graduates of the Class of 1915. One citation which brought a pleased expression from Mr. Cerrezin came from the city of New Orleans, the place where he first set foot on American soil after leaving his native Dalmatia, Croatia. The good fathers of the New Orleans sent him a beautifully printed certificate attesting to the fact that - Michael S. Cerrezin was named as an "Honorary Citizen of New Orleans" and the proclamation was signed by the Mayor and the seven members council of the city. Along with the citation, there was a "key to the city" presented by the Mayor. In addition to this special honor from the city of New Orleans he received, also, a citation and an appointment from Orleans County, or Parish, as the subdivision is known in the state of Louisiana. He came from a sea-faring family - in fact most of the people from the Peljesac Peninsula in Dalmatia, where Michael Cerrezin was born, are engaged in the fishing industry.Mr. Cerrezin's family, too, were people who made their living from the sea, Mr. Cerrezin could trace his ancestry back to the 17th century, and proof of this is recorded in the book titled " Peljeski Jedrenjaci" by Stjepan Vekaric, which mentions a young seaman, Miho Cerrezin by name, who completed his nautical science studies as a cadet seaman back in the year 1664. Michael Cerrezin is a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union.

 

CESAREO, KATARIN Fisherman

Katarin Cesareo was born May 1, 1890 on the Island of Vis off the coast of Dalmatia.  He made his living as a fishing boat captain plying the waters of the Pacific after relocating to San Pedro in 1912.  Katarin married Marija (Mare), nee Marin Kovich and they had five children: John, Vinnifred, Jakotina, Katarina, and Andro.  Katarin was a successful ship owner who owned several fishing boats and became a member of the Moose Lodge.

 

CESAREO, LUKA Fisherman-Mariner-Musician

Luka was born in Komiza, Vis, Dalmatia, Croatia. He came to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1948. He was a professional musician, playing the bassoon, clarinet, and saxophone. He finished music school in Croatia and played in the live theaters in Split, Croatia. He was a warrant officer in the Royal Navy in Croatia  and when he came to Vancouver, he worked in  the fishing industry. After a month, he was offered a job with the Vancouver Symphony playing the bassoon for two seasons. He came to Bellingham, Washington in March of 1950 and made his living fishing, cooking, and then playing in the Western Washington State College orchestra for many years. He also worked at Georgia Pacific, Bell Boy Boat Building Company, and the Bellingham Shipyard. Luka has been a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church for many years. Luka died on November 3, 2003 and is survived by his wife Jerka (Todorovic), his daughter Mary (Mile) Ples and -three grandchildren; step-daughter, Nevena of Bellingham and many other relatives. He was preceded in death by his aunt and uncle, Frances and Matt Kuseli who brought him to Vancouver. (Sleasman 2003)

 

CETINA, RAY R. Teacher

Ray Cetina was born in Eureka, California on Sept. 1, 1924.  He was educated and lived here until World War II, when he served with the 20th Air Force  in India and worked several years with the State Highway Department. He graduated from Humboldt State University in 1952, majoring in education.  He began teaching in Eureka City school system, where he remained for 28 years, serving as principal for several elementary schools, and retired from the position of district office coordinator in 1980.  After retirement from the school system, he worked part time and enjoyed some traveling before his untimely death. He belonged to various educational organizations, was a member of Croatian Fraternal Union most of his life, first as a junior member and then transferring into St. Helena Lodge 249, and was very proud to have been an active charter member of the Humboldt Bay Kiwanis Club of Eureka. It is with deep regret that St. Helena CFU Lodge 249 reports the death of brother Ray Cetina, who passed away on June 29, 1984 in Eureka, CA at the age of 59. Mass of Christian Burial was offered at Sacred Heart Church, Eureka, with Father Gary Lombardi officiating.  Internment followed at the Croatian Plot in St. Bernard’s Cemetery.  The grave side reading was given by sister Matilda Susich. Brother Cetina is survived by his wife of 37 years, Luella; his son, Raymond James Cetina; two sisters, Mary Bertalla and Margary Bandy; nephew, Walter Bertalla and brother-in-law, Paul Bandy, all of Eureka.  He was preceded in death by his son, Michael Allen Cetina, who passed away in 1976 and his parents Frank and Mary Cetina.

 

CETINICH, GEORGE Professor-CIA

I was born in Blato, Island of Korcula, Croatia on May 27, 1929 and emigrated to America in May of 1931. My early years were spent in Portland, Oregon where I attended grade school and high school and in 1947 enrolled in the School of Engineering at Portland University. After two years I transferred to the University of Oregon in Eugene, where I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in History in December of 1952. Then followed a 3 year stint in the Army in Germany. I was stationed in Berlin and Oberammergau, where I attended a Russian language school. From 1958 to 1962 1 studied in Germany at the University of Heidelberg and in 1963 enrolled in the Germanics Department of, the University of Washington in Seattle, receiving a Master of Arts degree in Germanics 1964. 1 again matriculated in the same  university in 1969 and was a candidate for a Doctor of Arts Degree in 1971, but never completed the disertation. In 1965 1 joined the faculty at Seattle University as Assistant Professor for German Language and Literature and taught there until 1971. We left for Munich, Germany in 1972, where I was hired to teach German and English at the Staatliche Fachoberschule until my retirement in 1995. 1 am married and have a son and two daughters, all of whom still live in Germany. I fill my spare time with reading, writing, walking on the beach, entertaining guests and listening to classical music.

 

CHARGIN, DON Boxing Promoter

Don Chargin has the face of a successful man.  He has fine white hair, a friendly manner, and distinguished features.  He looks like he might be the mayor of Portland, but the 57-year-old Chargin is a boxing promoter...the most prominent one on the west coast. Chargin and his wife, Lorraine, live in the fashionable Bell Canyon district outside of Los Angeles.  It is an area with large homes with swimming pools and big lawns. He knows the exact mileage from home to the Olympic Auditorium.  Since high school he has had a fascination with promoting and boxing.  There were times when he promoted wrestling, wild west shows, rodeo, motorcycle racing, and even tennis.  But he always came back to boxing.  Now he wouldn’t even try to count the fight cards he’s put on. Born in San Jose, his parents would have liked him to become a lawyer, and if his father hadn’t taken him to a few fight cards when he was a kid he might have ended up practicing law.  After years of working on shows around the San Francisco area, Chargin backed an expensive boxing card only to have the main-event fall apart days before it was to take place.  Facing financial ruin, he desperately tried to save the card, and in the kindness of fortune, he struck a deal with famed  Los Angeles promoter Eileen Eaton.  They made money as co-promoters and shortly afterwards Eaton offered Chargin the job of matchmaker at the Olympic Auditorium.  Without blinking an eye, he accepted and moved to L.A. Though it was his baptism, he stayed for 19 years, in a swarm of comedy and drama.  he survived so much that he sees little difference between the two extremes.  In Los Angeles he was known as “War-A-Week” Chargin. What is unique about Don Chargin is his knowledge of the sport.  It pays the bills and it’s made his reputation.  Like a person gifted in math, he isn’t troubled by complexity.  He can assess a match between two fighters in an uncanny manner.  And despite all the failures and flaws of prizefighters, Chargin has never lost his admiration for the way two fighters acknowledge one another after the fight.  Sometimes they embrace, sometimes they just touch gloves. His wife Lorraine works as a real estate agent.  “There is one difference between boxing and real estate,” she says.  “You can trust people more in boxing that real estate.” Don has no doubts or second thought about his work.  None of the allure has worn off.  “My wife and I have made a lot of friends in boxing,” he says, gratefully, “and I don’t get upset now when there’s problems. His people came to California during the gold rush from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia.

 

CHARGIN, JOSEPH Restaurant-Orchard-Goldminer

Joseph A. Chargin, of San Jose,  was born in Mirca, Island Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia, on April 10, 1865, the son of Anthony and Frances (Lebedina) Chargin, vineyardists in Dalmatia.  He was educated in part in his native country, and continued his studies in America, at night schools and through private teachers.  In 1881, he first came to California, and goldmined in Amador County.  Then he removed to San Jose, but not until he had tried restaurant management in San Francisco, and somewhat similar work in Hollister.  For a quarter of a century he has been in San Jose, and he is probably the oldest merchant in his line here, and Chargins Grill, through his enterprise and affability became one of the most popular restaurants in the city.  However, catering was not the limit of his capabilities, for Mr. Chargin had become interested in farming and owned several ranches, which began to take so much of his time that in 1920 he turned the management and development of his orchards in which he is ably assisted by his sons.  Associated with his sons he owns thirty acres in Evergreen district devoted to raising prunes and apricots and with his son-in-law, another ranch of twenty-four acres in the Quito district, where he grows prunes, and with his brother Jeremiah, he still owns another eleven acres a short distance south of Morgan Hill.  Mr. Chargin is also a member of the California Walnut Growers Association of California.  He was one of the organizers and has been a director of the Growers Bank of San Jose since its incorporation, and is also interested in other financial and manufacturing establishments. In 1890 Mr. Chargin was married at Plymouth, Cal., to Miss Josephine Smith of Amador County.  A daughter, Frances, is a graduate of both the San Jose Normal and Notre Dame College and is now the wife of Dr. D. H. Lawrence of San Jose;  Victor A., a graduate of Santa Clara University is an attorey-at-law practicing in this city; Joseph A., Jr., is also a graduate of Santa Clara University as a civil engineer.  He was with the county surveyor and during the World War was commissioned a first lieutenant in the U. S. Army and served overseas for two years.  He is now engaged in ranching; Lawrence J., a graduate of Santa Clara University, is now engaged as a horticulturist here; the younger members of the family are Madeline J.,, Gerald J., Maryon and John M., Maryon passing away at the age of eight years.  Mr. Chargin resides with his family at his comfortable residence, 167 Vine Street, and they attend St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.  He belongs to several fraternal orders and civic organizations and was several years president of the Slavonian-American Benevolent Society.

 

CHERBERG-CURBEG, JOHN Lt. Governor-Coach-Fisherman

John Cherberg, son of Ive Curbeg, was a famous football coach in his youth at the University of Washington. He later became Lt. Governor in the Washington State Legislature, and is now retired. His brother, Frank, is one of the officials in the Seattle Post Office. Ivo Curbeg fished in the waters off Florida, and came to Seattle with a large family.

 

CHERSKOV, ANNA Sales

Anna was born as Ana Jureskin in the village of Kastel Gomilica, one of the seven romantically heralded Kastel villages on the Bay of Kastela just south of Split, Dalmatia, Croatia. As the bride of Benedikt Cherskov, she traveled to the United States with her husband in 1932, stopping briefly for a few months in Chicago before continuing on to Seattle, Washington. In April of 1942, in order to help pay for a newly purchased home, Anna quit her previous job (washing, sorting, and packing vegetables for 17 cents per hour) to take a more lucrative job working the sales counter for the Milwaukee Sausage Co. at the Pike Place Market. "What a difference," recalls Anna. "Most of us spoke Croatian in the vegetable plant, so I had no problems there. But I had to face the public and speak English for Milwaukee. I was scared to death, but it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me." Eventually Milwaukee became the Pure Food Shop (with Barb's Deli as a side counter). Anna, although she's down to two days a week now, has been there 44 consecutive years. She is selling to the third generation of some families. When asked if much had changed at the market during  her employrnent Anna respsonded. "Oh my God you wouldn't believe It. We used to be so busy that we would be exhausted. But them were only a couple of stores of that type then, and now there are eleven, And there are 27 restaurants. Another thing, the oldtimers are gone. There used to be groups of old Greeks, Italians, Croatians, etc, standing around talking. Lots of those old Lican bachelors used to live in the old hotels around here and there wasn't a day that went by when, I didn’t speak my own language with someone. Anna added that our people have always been represented in the businesses in the market. In, addition to Mary Medalia, the Stilnovich ProduceStand has come and gone, as have the Tolmich Bakery. and Slavic Imports. Mary Medalia is still there at least on Saturdays and John Sarich runs the year old Restauran Dalmacija. Anna, a member of the Croatian Fratemal Union for 38 years, rarely misses an opportunity to attend lodge functions or those staged by the Seattle Junior Tamburitzans. Her husband died in 1948, but she enjoys the company of her two daughters, four grandchildren, and four. great-grandchildren. She keeps In regular touch with tier four brothers in Kastel Gomilica, but isn't sure that she'll return for another visit. (the last, one having been, in 1978). "After all," she says, "this place with Alki Point - Elliott. Bay, and all is just like the Bay Kastela. I'm right at home here.".

 

CHESAREK, FERDINAND J General

Ferdinand J. Chesarek, has been promoted, by President Johnson, to the lofty rank of Lieutenant General, United States Army. This makes him the highest ranking member of the Croatian Fraternal Union in the armed forces of our country. He is a member of Charter Lodge 4 of Etna, Pennsylvania. This promotion in rank came simultaneously with the assignment as Comptroller of the Army and, to have come in peace time, and at the yet early age of 50, is testimonial to the fact that he is a most competant and extraordinary military leader . . destined, we are certain, for even higher honors though rank-wise there is but one more step left. General Chesarek is a 1938 graduate of West Point and in his meteoric rise has compiled an impressive record of service to the Army and his beloved America. He commanded a field artillery unit in Europe during WWII; and was wounded in action and received the Purple Heart. With the promotion to full Colonel, after the war, he attended a special course at Stanford University and at the National War College in Washington and at Harvard. He was then made 1st Assistant to the U. S. Undersecretary of Defense. In that capacity he attended NATO and SEATO meetings with the then Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, and later the Foreign Ministers Conference at Geneva with Secretary Christian Herter. In 1959 he was trouble shooter for the U. S. in the Middle East, Africa, Manila, Tokyo and Formosa. On July 1, 1961 he was upped to the rank of Brigadier General and just a few years later he was promoted to Major General. The proud parents of Gen. Chesarek, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Chesarek, live in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, near the old Croatian Fraternal Union Home Office. The elder Chesarek, now retired, was for many years a clerk in that Home Office and in addition to his clerical duties wrote many an interesting and informative article for the Zajednicar . . on his own time. General Chesarek is a resident of Los Altos, California.

 

CHEVESICH, CHARLES Saloon

Charles operated a saloon with Nikola Barovich at the corner of Davis and Washington Streets in San Francisco in 1856.  He later moved to Contra Costa County and opened a saloon.

 

CHIELOVICH, ELIA Wine House

Mr. Elia Chielovich of Boka, Dalmatia was a very prominent San Francisco liquor wholesaler. He married Jane Tewel from Ireland in 1858 in San Francisco. He traveled to Virginia City in 1869 and again to Eureka, Nevada in 1878. He had business interests with Marco Medin at Virginia City. He also owned the famed Wine House in Reno during the 1870's. Most of his life was spent in San Francisco and he died in 1901 at the age of 76 and was buried at the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.

 

CHUVALO, GEORGE Boxing

When Nat Loubet of The Ring used the word "courage" to sum up George Chuvalo's career in 1970, he could not have known how much this description applied to the entire life of one of Canada's boxing immortals.  Chuvalo has been described as "the finest prizefighter Canada has produced in this century.  He fought in ninety-seven professional bouts and had a record of seventy-nine wins, fifteen losses, two draws and one disqualification. Seventy of his seventy-nine- victories were by knockout. He gained an international reputation for his remarkable stamina, his imperviousness to pain and for never having been knocked down. When Nat Fleischer, boxing historian and founder of The Ring, published his fifty year review of the sport, Chuvalo was the only heavyweight to be named among the three "most durable" boxers in history. In 1964 boxing legend Rocky Marciano commented that: 'If they still fought bare-knuckle, George would reign as champion for the next twenty years.  The same opinion was held by Don Dunphy, boxing broadcaster and correspondent: In the 19th century George [Chuvalo] would have been a shoo-in to win the title, and he would have held it forever. In the old days of fights to the finish nobody could have outlasted Chuvalo... Not even the great Joe Louis could have gone toe-to-toe with Chuvalo in a fight to the finish. Nobody could.

George Chuvalo was born on 12 September 1937 to Croatian immigrant parents in the Junction, a tough working class neighbourhood in Toronto. His father Stipan (Steve), like his uncles Jure and Ante, emigrated from Ljubuski, a predominantly Croatian populated region of Herzegovia. At the age of twenty-three and married to Kata Kordic for only seven months, Steve chose the difficult road of emigration in 1926. Ahnost ten years later, during the Great Depression, his wife joined him and the following year their son George was born. Chuvalo, was the apple of his mother's eye and a self-described "mama's boy." On the other hand, his relationship with his father can best be described as distant. The pressures to assimilate into Canadian society for a second-generation Croatian-Canadian, who grew up in the 1940s, could not have been insignificant. Despite these pressures, awareness of his Croatian ethnicity was important to Chuvalo. This he confirmed in a 1975 interview with University of Calgary professor Anthony W. Rasporich, who was conducting research for his book on the history of Croats in Canada: You know they say, "Croatian-what the hell is that?"...not like you were Anglo-Saxon ... right? So you are aware of your background in history ... So far as Croatian goes, when I was a kid it all seemed pretty nebulous, very hazy, my folks were Croatian and I really didn’t know very much about the history, except, I knew the language and that, but I wouldn’t know where they came from originally, or what happened in that part of the country. But when I went back, I find out a little more about it. My folks there and the church, and a few other things, but I really didn’t understand it that well. It was a chance to study it and to find out the richness of the history and the romance to it, then you can get some sense about it and you can feel it. This is what I want to do with my kids. My kids are only half-Croatian, but they still feel Croatian...If they can hear Croatian spoken they can master it a little and they can take pride in being Croatian, and they can feel more Croatian, you have to feel more aligned with the nationality that you are. By the age of ten Chuvalo had seen his share of street fights and became increasingly interested in boxing, picking up the basics from the magazine The Ring.  The primary motivating factor to enter the ring seems to have been his relationship with his father, who worked at the slaughterhouse at Canada Packers. When his father learned of Chuvalos interest in fighting, he tried to discourage the youngster saying he would quit the first time his nose was bloodied. As Chuvalo would explain: that's what motivated me to become a fighter. I wanted to show my pop, who was a very tough guy, just how tough I could be.  It was only many decades later that Chuvalo gained some insight into what his father must have gone through as an immigrant during the Great Depression and how this affected him. Although he never remembered his father taking holidays, a 1990 chance encounter with someone who knew his father during his Canada Packers days would bring Chuvalo closer to his dad. This gentleman explained that during his yearly two week holidays, Steve Chuvalo would nevertheless show up at work to sit and watch over the two men who replaced him, fearful that his job would be taken away.  As Chuvalo explains: When I heard that, I did’nt know what to think. I was stunned. It almost made me ill to think how ignorant I was ... and how paranoid he must have been about losing his job. It must have been almost unbearable for him, how he struggled for his family and worked so hard to keep things together .

At fifteen, Chuvalo was six foot tall and weighed 195 pounds and two years later was to win the Canadian national amateur championship. Although he was chosen to the 1956 Canadian Olympic team, Chuvalo instead turned professional: I didn’t know what the hell the Olympics were. We didn't have a TV set and unlike today, they never made a big deal about being on the team. If you went, fine. If you didn’t, that was okay too. His first four fights took place at the Jack Dempsey Novice Tournament at Maple Leaf Garden. On 23 April 1956, at the age of eighteen he knocked out four opponents in twelve minutes and thirty seconds, and earned 500 dollars.  Looking back on his career Chuvalo, would recognize that he advanced too quickly as a heavyweight fighter, entering eight and ten round main events fight away: 'I was skipping too many grades ... They had me in against guys with thirty and forty pro fights right away. I should’ve eased into it with four-rounders, then sixes. In 1958, with thirteen professional bouts behind him, Chuvalo won the Canadian heavyweight championship after knocking out James J. Parker. Later he lost, recaptured and again lost the title to Bob Cleroux. By 1963 he was ranked in the top ten heavyweights of the world and reached number two in an era that was dominated by such fighters as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, and by contenders like ex-champion Floyd Patterson, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell, Oscar Bonavena and Jerry Quarry, all of whom Chuvalo faced. After facing Chuvalo, in Madison Square Garden in a 1965 fight that he won on a close decision, Patterson would explain that: Fighting Chuvalo was like trying to chop down an oak tree.

Although he entered the ring to make a living and to provide for himself, his wife Lynne Sheppard and his children, the family struggled to make ends meet. In Shadow Box, we learn how the American poet Marianne Moore, who came to the Patterson-Chuvalo, fight cheering for Patterson, was moved by, and endeared to, the Canadian boxer, almost to the point of changing allegiance after hearing this story: Chuvalo was so incredibly poor at the start of his ring career that on one occasion he drove across Canada with his wife in a car so decrepit that the accelerator pedal had come off, and a part of the accelerator arm; Mrs. Chuvalo, had had to crouch under the dashboard and at a signal from her husband depress or raise what was 21 left of the accelerator by hand. Chuvalo's earnings for his first fight with Ali was 25,000 dollars and after deductions, he pocketed 8,000 dollars; the most he earned for a fight was 65,000 dollars, before expenses, for his rernatch with Ali in 1972 . On 12 March 1966 Chuvalo was offered a title shot against Muhammad Ali who was in the middle of his battle with the United States government and public opinion over his failure to report for military duty during the Vietnam War. The

George Chuvalo fight, scheduled for 29 March at Maple Leaf Garden, gave Chuvalo a mere seventeen days to prepare to face Ali who was physically at the peak of his career.  In the 1966 fight, his greatest moment, and one of the greatest moments in Canadian sports history,  Chuvalo was the first to go the distance with Ali. He did it again in 1972, when he faced Ali in Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum. Although Ali won both fights by unanimous decisions, he would gain a great deal of respect for Chuvalo: I don’t know of anyone who was ever tougher on me physically than "Granite Jaw" George Chuvalo. He gave me two tough distance fights for a total of 27 rounds, took everything I had to dish out and kept coming for more. On only two occasions in his ninety-seven fights career was Chuvalo stopped inside the distance, once when he faced Joe Frazier in 1967 29 and the other when he fought George Foreman in 1970. Despite sustaining serious injuries in'both fights, he never went down as the referee stopped the fights. Recalling his battle with Chuvalo two decades later, Foreman would say: If I hadn’t got lucky and cut his eye I don’t know what would have happened. He hit me with a left hook early in the fight that I felt all the way down to my toenails. Although Chuvalo thought of retiring after the second Ali fight, nothing else provided "that same adrenaline rush, that same sense that your fife can turn around with one fight, with one round, with one punch."" For twenty years (1958 to 1961 and 1964 to 1979) Chuvalo, held the Canadian heavyweight title and for eight years was ranked among the worlds top ten heavyweights, until his second loss to Ali in 1972.  Following his second loss to Ali, Chuvalo continued to defend his Canadian title for eleven years until he retired from the ring in 1979, he was forty-one.  Chuvalo certainly enjoyed boxing to the end and in later years when he looked back on the violent nature of his sport he explained that: I never thought about inflicting pain during my fights. The kick for me was the win. Once the final bell sounds, it's over. There’s a kind of false emotion that comes over you once you sign a contract for a big fight because you and your opponent want to inflict damage, but when it's over you leave it there. What makes boxing different from baseball or football or hockey is that there's so very little room at the top. In those other sports there's a lot of opportunity to make a decent living without reaching the very top, but that's not true in the fight game. When you're a world champion you're up there by yourself. That's what makes it special. Like many professional athletes, Chuvalo found it difficult to adjust and settle into a "normal" life after retirement. While his wife worked as an electro-cardiogram technician, Chuvalo was unable to find a niche. The routine working life just did not seem to fit his personality. For a season he hosted his own television show, George Chuvalo Presents Famous Knockouts, where he screened classic fight film footage and conversed with his ex-sparring partner and co-host Chuck (Spider) Jones. He also managed to appear in some commercials and eventually found his way into movies with minor parts, such as in the 1986 remake of The Fly, Stone Cold Dead and Prom Night . He also dabbled in the commodities market and did well in real estate for a while. The regimented and disciplined fife he had as a boxer seemed to disappear after his retirement from the sport and he appeared unable to focus on any one area and

try to make a go of it. For several years in the mid- I980s he was involved in boxing as a promoter and as the trainer-manager of Donovan (Razor) Ruddock,

whom Chuvalo managed successfully through several victories in 1986 and 1987.

Over the years Chuvalo has received several awards and honors related to his boxing career. When he arrived on the scene in the 1960s, the decade often described as the period of Canada's national coming of age,  and based on who he fought Ali, Frazier, Foreman and Patterson--an opposition unsurpassed by any other Canadian [boxer], he simply became larger than life. As Stephen Brunt underscored, in terms of name recognition, "the only comparison is with hockey players: Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Bobby Off, Bobby Hull." Despite his national and international status, the Canadian sports establishment was slow to recognize Chuvalo’s place in Canada's sport history. In response to this lack of recognition, international and national boxing legends from Patterson to Ali appeared at a 1988 tribute dinner organized in Chuvalo's honor in Toronto. Two years later Chuvalo was finally inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

 

CIBILICH, DOMENICA Oysters

Domenica Tesvich Cibilich was born in 1955 in Port Sulphur, Louisiana, to parents who were both born on the Dalmatian coast. Her father, Ante Tesvich, was raised in the town of Donja Vrucica, but immigrated to Louisiana in 1931 at the age of 16 to fish oysters with his brother. On a visit back to Dalmatia in 1954, he met and married Tereza Jurevic, from nearby Sucuraj. Domenica and her three brothers spent much of their childhood at the family's camp at Bayou Robinson. When the children reached school age, the family moved to Port Sulphur, but continued to spend summers at the camp. In 1967, when Domenica was in the seventh grade, the Tesvich family spent a year in Croatia. Although their Croatian house had no running water and they had to wash their clothes by hand, she says that she loved living there, because it was "such a free life." Domenica is fluent in Croatian as well as English, and her four children can also speak Croatian. Her husband, Luke Cibilich, is a Croatian born oyster fisherman who has lived in Louisiana since 1969. Today her brother, John Tesvich, and her husband are partners in their oyster business. Like many Croatian and Croatian American women, Domenica raises many of her own vegetables in her backyard garden. Her large yard also features a grape arbor and several of the fig trees traditional to Croatian gardens. Her mother always had gardens both at the camp and in Port Sulphur. Domenica also keeps a cow and three goats, and from her goats' milk, she makes a traditional pressed goat's milk cheese. Croatians usually make a hard goat's milk cheese which is aged for months and has a strong taste, but Domenica says that her cheese never gets that hard or strong tasting, because her family eats it before it can really age. The cooking she does for her family is "just stuff that I learned from my mother's way of cooking," she says, with "a lot of fish, oysters," and collard greens, which her mother always raised in her garden. Other staples include beans, cabbage, chicken soup, and beef soup. She describes a dried codfish which the family traditionally served on Church days when "you had to fast and only eat one meal a day." She helps to organize the St. Anthony's Day celebration each year at St. Patrick's Church in Port Sulphur. St. Anthony is the patron saint of her mother's village, Sucuraj. Her mother and mother-in-law both do needlework, a traditional skill among Croatian women. Domenica is interested in (and knowledgeable about) textiles, and has a collection not only of her mother's and mother-in-law's work but also some older linens from Croatia. Domenica herself is a self-taught quilter.

 

CIBILICH, LUKE and DOMENICA Fisherman-Folk Arts

Domenica Tesvich Cibilich was born in 1955 in Port Sulphur, Louisiana to parents who were both born on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. In 1931, at the age of sixteen, her father, Ante Tesvich immigrated to Louisiana from Donja Vrucica. He became an oyster fisherman with his brother. On a return trip to Dalmatia in 1954, he met and married Tereza Jurevic, from nearby Sucuraj.

In 1967, when Domenica was in the seventh grade, the Tesvich family spent a year in Croatia. Although their Croatian house had no running water and they had to wash their clothes by hand, she says that she loved living there, because it was such a free life. Her cousins in Kuzma taught them to catch and prepare birds and snails for food.

Domenica is fluent in Croatian as well as English, and her four children can also speak Croatian. Her husband, Luke Cibilich, is a Croatian born oyster fisherman who has lived in Louisiana since 1969. Today her brother, John Tesvich, and her husband are partners in their oyster business.

Like many Croatian and Croatian American women, Domenica raises many of her own vegetables in her backyard garden. Her large yard also features a grape arbor and several of the fig trees traditional to Croatian gardens. Her mother always had gardens both at the camp and in Port Sulphur. Domenica also keeps a cow and three goats, and from her goats' milk, she makes a traditional pressed goat's milk cheese. Croatians usually make a hard goat's milk cheese which is aged for months and has a strong taste, but Domenica says that her cheese never gets that hard or strong tasting, because her family eats it before it can really age. She says the meals she prepares for her family are, "Just stuff that I learned from my mother's way of cooking, with a lot of fish, oysters, and collard greens." Collard greens were always raised in her garden. Other staple foods include beans, cabbage, chicken soup, and beef soup. She describes a dried codfish meal, which the family traditionally served on church days when, "You had to fast and only eat one meal a day."

Dominca is an active member of Louisiana Citizens for a Free Croatia, a relief organization formed to aid children in Croatia. She helps to organize the St. Anthony's Day Celebration each year at the St. Patrick's Church in Port Sulphur. St. Anthony is the patron saint of her mother's village, Sucuraj.

Her mother and mother-in-law both do needlework, a traditional skill among Croatian women. Domenica is interested in textiles and has a collection not only of her mother's and mother-in-law's work, but also some older linens from Croatia.

 

CICAK, ASTRID Z. Teacher-Artist

Astrid Cicak nee Frlic is an educator at Hobart Senior High School, Hobart, Indiana. Born August 25, 1923 in Zagreb, Croatia; married with five children. Educated at Gymnasium, St. Vincent De Paul; Stadtliche Schule fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Saar, W. Germany; Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana M.A. 1959  with a major field in art. Member of  American Association of University Women; American Federation of Teachers.

 

CICAK, FEDOR I. Professor

Fedor Cicak is Professor of Government and Chairman of the Department,  Indiana University, Gary, Indiana. Born June 17, 1916 in Pozega, Croatia; married with five children. Education includes Classical Gymnasium, Zagreb, 1935; University of Zagreb, Dr. of Law, 1940; Indiana University, Bloomington, M.A., 1956; Indiana University, Bloomington, Ph.D., 1965. with a major field in International Politics and Political Parties. Thesis completed 1965 The Communist Party of Yugoslavia Between 1919-1934: An Analysis of its Formative Process. Published Catalog of Source Materials; Part II, Printed Material; Bloomington, Indiana, 1952; Collectivization as a Basic Vulnerability of Communist Yugoslavia in colloboration with Prof. D.A. Tomasic, Bloomington, Ind., 1952. Member of Croatian Academy of America; American Association of Political Science.

 

CIGANOVICH, JOSEPH F. Croatian Activities

Joseph was born October 3, 1914 in Kenosha, Wisconsin to John and Ann Ciganovich.  With his wife Eleanor, Joseph raised a son, Joseph Frank Jr., and a daughter, Martha.  Always proud of his heritage, he made several trips to visit the old country and the relatives he still had there.  He also made sure his two children were aware of their heritage by encouraging them to learn to play the tamburitza, and to perform in a tamburitza orchestra that traveled all over Southern California.  He also supported them in their desire to learn the dances of his homeland.  Joseph served his country well as a member of the U.S. Third Armored Division in WW II and after the war was an active member of the V.F.W, the Disabled American Veterans and in the Croatian Fraternal Union Lodges 692 and 588.  Joseph and Eleanor relocated to San Pedro in 1959, where he passed away March 24, 1989.

 

CIKLIC, PETER M. Priest-Professor

Peter Ciklic was born February 25, 1911 in Dobropoljana (Dalmatia), Croatia.  His field is philosophy and is a graduate of the University of Zagreb. He received a Ph.D. from the Gregorian University, Rome, in 1941.  He is a professor and chairman of the Psychology Department at Loyola University. He has published “Caracterologia” and “El hombre y su personalidided.”  He presently resides in Los Angeles, California.

 

CIKO, ANTHONY Librarian

Anthony Ciko is a Medical Librarian at E.J. Meyer Memorial Hospital Buffalo, New York. Born June 6, 1919 in Studenci, Dalmatia, Croatia; married with three children. Education includes Franciscan Classical Gymnasium, Sinj, Croatia, Graduate 1939; Franciscan School of Philosophy, Theology, Makarska, Croatia 1939-41; 1941-43 and 1945-47, University of Zagreb, School of Law, Zagreb, Croatia; Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. M.S.L.S., 1959 with major field in Library Science. Member of Special Libraries Association; Medical Library Association;  Croatian Academy of America.

 

CIKUTH, LUKE Ranch Packer Businessman

One of the senior members of the prominent Croatian-American community at Watsonville, Luke Peter Cikuth, has been engaged in raising, packing, and shipping apples, and in banking and building and loan connections.  Although now retired from his other activities, he still serves on the board of the Bank of America and the Pajaro Valley Savings and Loan Association.  He also manages his downtown properties in Watsonville. A native of Konavle, Dalmatia, Croatia, he was born on February 18, 1873, and is a son of Peter and Nikoline (Sabadin) Cikuth.   Mr. Cikuth came to this country in 1889.  He came directly to Watsonville, and there Mr. Cikuth was first employed  by M. N. Lettunich.  A rancher since 1897, Mr. Cikuth developed  forty-eight acres near Watsonville, chiefly devoted to apple orchards.  

He also became a large-scale buyer of crops raised in this area.  He organized a cold-storage firm in Los Angeles under the name of Growers Cold Storage, and remained active in its management until he sold it. Mr. Cikuth became a director of the Bank of Italy, and later when the Bank of America was formed from it by the Gianini interests, he continued on its local advisory board.  He has been chairman of this board since 1958.  He took part in organizing the Parajo Valley Building and Loan Association, and has since served on its board of directors. In Watsonville, on December 6, 1903, Luke Peter Cikuth married Catherine Scurich, who is also of a prominent Croatian family of Watsonville.  Her parents, Antone and Anna (Stolich) Scurich, were of Dalmatia.  Mr. and Mrs. Cikuth are the parents of four daughters: Rachel March, Anna Louise, Lucille Agnes, and May Catherine. Rachel is a secretary, and now lives in San Francisco.  Anna, Lucille, and May followed the teaching profession.  Anna married “Bud” A. Rowland, a teacher at the Watsonville High School and head of the Social Studies Department.  They have two children, Thomas A. and Mary Catherine.  Lucille married Joseph Sheaff, superintendant of schools in Orinda.  They have two children, Peter J. Sheaff, M.D. and Joseph L. Sheaff.  May married Millard A. Beckman, who has large ranching interests in Lodi. Mr. and Mrs. Cikuth have one great-grand-daughter.  She is Catherine Sheaff, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Peter J. Sheaff, and was born on July 21, 1961.

 

CINDRICH, JOSEPH Transportation Admin-Cultural Activities

Joseph Cindrich, the vice president of the National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA), is an administrator with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This university professor is a close associate of the U. S. president, and he is greatly involved in the activities of Croatian organizations.

 

CIZMIC, IVAN Professor-Author-Croatian Activities

Dr. Ivan Cizmic graduated from the University of Zagreb in 1959 with a degree in History and from its law school in 1963. He obtained his Ph.D. at the Faculty of Arts in Zagreb in 1973. His scholarly research has been in the field of emigration from Croatia. Four of his books on Croatians in the United States and one on the history of Croatian settlements in New Zealand have been published. Dr Cizmic is a scientific advisor at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar in Zagreb, Croatia.

 

COE, PETER (KNEGO) Actor

Peter, son of parents from Dalmatia, was a character actor who appeared in numerous films, including “Gung Ho!”, “Gypsy Wildcat”, “Alaska Seas”, “Smoke Signal”, The Ten Commandments”, “Desert Legion”, “Snow White and the Three Stooges”, “Tobruk”, and others.

 

COGNEVICH-KONJEVICH Clan

The Cognevich-Konjevich family has the distinction of being one of the first and largest families of Dalmatian descent in Plaquemines Parish. Though several Cognevich-Konjevich’s came into the Greater New Orleans area during the nineteenth century, Stephani (Steffano,Stephan) Cognevich-Konjevich seems to be the only one to leave surviving descendants. His descendants number over one thousand.

The first record of Stephani found in Plaquemines Parish appears in the Plaquemines Parish Court House conveyance book No. 10, Page 143, entry No. 1716 dated March 1844. This was a record of a purchase of land from Pierre Jean Pierre Buras to Giavani (John) Vidacovich and Steaffano Chognevich (Cognevich). They were purchasing land in Nairn for a citrus farm. 'Stephani was from the Konavle Valley area of Croatia near Herceg-Novi.

Stephani married Mercisse Alexandrine Huguenard before 1848 presumably in Louisiana. Alexandrine, a french woman, was the daughter of Richard and Francoise Remy (or Bremy) Huguenard of Courchaton, Haute Saone, France. Her family owned and operated the village coffee house. Alexandrine left her home to come to America in the service of a Baroness. Presumably Alexandrine's younger sister, Virginie, either came in service of a noble or came to work for Alexandrine in her home. Alexandrine and Virginie seemed to be the only members of the family to come to the United States. Virginie married Philicien (Felix) Ragas of Buras.

Stephan and Alexandrine had at least six chilren. Simon, born about 1845, died 1850-1860; Jean Alexander, born 27 July 1848, died 1850-1860; Nicole, born April 1851, died before 1920. He married Marcelline Victoria Buras on 24 February 1872 at Our Lady of Good Harbor Catholic Church in Buras. They had twelve children;  Phillip, born September 1853, died 3 July 1930. He married Elizabeth Sylve about 1875. They had five children; Marc, born 10 March 1856, died 7 October 1935. He married Maria Rose Pelas on 25 December 1875 at Our Lady of Good Harbor Catholic Church in Buras. They had ten children; Constantine, born 1859, died about 1887, no issue.

On October 18, 1860 Stephan died due in part to a long illness that caused severe stomach pain. The pain would get so intense that he would go to the back of his orange field beneath a large oak tree so the children could not hear his crying. He died and was buried beneath this shade tree. As time went on other family members and friends were buried beneath the oak. It became recognized as the community  cemetery - The Nairn Cemetery. The big oak tree was killed during Hurricane Betsy, but its dead trunk remains. Stephan's tomb still lies the stump of that ancient oak. The inscription on Stephan's tomb is written in French, by his wife, Alexandhne.. . The translated inscription reads:

"Here lies the remains of my beloved husband Ettinne C. Cognevich New World born at Cattarega Austria near B         on December 28, 1812 died on October 18, 1860. Father of Marc. -Alexandrine Cognevich"

Ettinne is French for Stephan, Steven,,, Stephani, Steffano. Stephani's middle name was Constantini. Cattarega is thought to mean Kotor region, since we know the Cognevich-Konjevich family still lives in the area just west of Boka Kotorska. Croatia was part of the Austrian Empire until World War 1. Since Alexandrine was French and not Slavonian, she spelled Croatian words the way they sounded in her in French. Thus the spelling on Stephani's tomb is very undependable.

 

COMAICH, FRANK J. Judge

San Mateo County Municipal Court Judge Frank J. Comaich,  served on the bench in the Southern District for 13 years, died Sunday at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz.  He was 79. Comaich, who lived on the Peninsula for more than 30 years, retired from the judiciary on Feb. 1, 1973.  He was appointed to the bench by Gov. Edmund G. Brown in 1960, succeeding Judge Edward I. McAuliffe, who had retired.

At the time of his retirement, Comaich was the senior judge of the three-member Southern District Municipal Court Judiciary. A 1930 law graduate of St. Ignatius College, (now University of San Francisco), he was in private law practice until his bench appointment.  During World War II, he was a lieutenant commander in the U. S. Navy.  He was a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West and the San Mateo County Bar Association. A native of San Francisco, he and his wife, Audrey, lived in Redwood City for many years.  In recent years, he has made his home in Belmont and Capitola. In addition to his wife survivors include three sisters, Grace O’Keefe of Redwood City and Elizabeth Comaich and Sarah Kelly, both of San Francisco.

 

COMPLITA, CHRIS Fisherman

Chris Complita, 87, a retired commercial fisherman, died in 1958 at his home in Seattle Washington. Chris was born in Prijevor near Dubrovnik, Dalmatia in Croatia. He married in Croatia and came to America and to Oregon on honeymoon in 1905; moved to, California, 1906, and to Seattle's Ballard district in 1908, remainIng in Ballard ever since; They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary three years ago. His family included his wife, Vice; three sons, Louis J., Eddie D., and Joe, G. Complita, all of Seattle; one daughter, Mrs. Ann Milatich, Everett; one brother, Dan Complita, San Jose, California, and four grandchildren.

 

COPRIVIZA, PETER Farm Grocery

Peter George Copriviza’s major business interest has been the managment of George Coprivizia and Son.  His father founded this firm many years ago, as a dealer in groceries, and the family has also operated ranching properties. A native of Watsonville, Mr. Copriviza was born on January 14, 1904, and is a son of George Peter and Anna (Veselich) Copriviza.  Both parents were born in Dalmatia, Croatia.  The father came to this country at the age of eighteen and immediatley settled in San Francisco.  He became a citizen, and after some varied business activity in San Francisco, came to Watsonville and opened  a grocery store.  In 1928 he began leasing ranch properties which he operated. To combine his varied interests, he formed the  George Copriviza and Son Company in that year. Peter George Copriviza attended local public schools and Heald’s Business College in San Francisco.  he then joined his father in business in 1928 and when the elder man reitred in 1938, became fully responsible for operating the business.  His faher died in 1939.  Peter George (retired in 1946) managed his personal interests and the firms properties and rentals. Mr. Copriviza is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Native Sons of the Golden West.  Both he and his wife attend the Catholic Church, and both are interested in civic affairs. At Carmel Mission, Carmel, California, on June 4, 1933, Peter George Copriviza married Thelma Henriette McHenry.  her father, who came from Missouri, became an orchardist in the San Joaquin Valley.  Mrs. McHenry was a native of Iowa.  Mrs. Coproviza is an expert millinery designer.   Her birth date was October 30, 1906, and she is a native of Santa Barbara.  The couple are the parents of two children: 1. Caroann Louise, born April 30, 1938.  2.  Patricia Ellen, Born on August 19, 1940

 

CORAK-CVITKOVICH, MATILDA Restaurant-Saloon

Matilda (Tillie) Corak was Seattle, Washington Croatian Fraternal Union  Lodge 439's oldest member--passing away the day before her 99th birthday. Tillie was born March 14, 1902 in Prizna, Croatia not far from Karlobag on the northern Adriatic coast. She was the daughter of Juraj and Marija (Matijevic) Prpic. Because her mother died at childbirth and her father left for America when she was only 5, Tillie was raised by her paternal grandparents, Ivan and Eka Prpic. Tillie came to America in 1921, joining her father in the coal-mining town of Roslyn, Washington. Following her marriage to Croatian miner John Cvitkovich, the couple left Roslyn and moved to Seattle. John and his brother Joe opened a restaurant in Pioneer Square (the oldest part of Seattle) where Tillie cooked and served meals to mainly loggers and seamen. It was there that she developed the "colorful" vocabulary that was to remain one of her trademarks. On weekends these same customers, mostly Croatians, would gather at the Cvitkovich home to feast, drink homemade wine and enjoy the Cvitkovich family tamburitza orchestra made up of daughters Mary and Helen, son Joe and nephew John. Tillie's husband John died in 1945 and shortly thereafter she married Nick Corak. The couple, in turn, operated the Sunset Tavern in the Pike Place Market area of Seattle for many years. Sister Corak was always intensely proud of her Croatian origin so it followed that she joined the Croatian Fraternal Union in 1923, shortly after her arrival in America. She had thus been an adult member of the Society 78 years at the time of her passing. Tillie Corak is survived by her daughters Helen (Rick) Richter, Rose (Bob) Badda, five grandchildren, five great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. She was also survived by her sisters Mary Irby of Montana (subse-quently deceased) and Dora Gibson of GoIdendale, Washington.

 

CORIC, KAT Artist

Artist, activist/ extremist, Kat Coric never ceases to amaze. This young Croatian Canadian phenomenon has effectively penetrated the Montreal art community with intuitive, philanthropic works that address the most current issues at hand. Racism, homophobia, AIDS and drug addiction are just some of the topics she has tackled, with the ultimate goal of changing peoples' negative attitudes to the subject(s). Born in the historic walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, she has made Montreal her home since 1973. She speaks four languages, has a background in archaeology and art history with many interests in the visual arts and special multi media artistic fund raising events. Her interests have evolved with over ten years of painting behind her. Her work is part of private collections in Montreal, New York, Boston, Chicago, Palm Springs and Croatia. She has published her work in Circuit Noize magazine, and the Black & Blue souvenir programs of 1996-2000. Her creative drive has enabled her to create art exhibitions and auctions for the benefit of the BBCM Foundation since 1997. She founded and curates the annual Black & Blue Art Exhibition and Auction which has included works from such artists as David Morgan (New York), Moody Mustafa, Kevin Aviance, Susan Morabito, and Johanne Corno to name a few. She has also tirelessly donated her works of art to raise money for AIDS and young gay kids in trouble (LIGALY,). Her latest projects include working in prevention and harm reduction with the Electric Dreams Foundation, and the BBCM Foundation for which she is the Director of the Prevention Program. Some of her duties include the publication of a brochure on the dangers of recreational drug use and a comprehensive prevention program for the Foundation. Her art will also be featured on the "'Virginie" televison program on Radio Canada in September of 2002. Kat Coric can be reached at: Kat@arobas.net.

 

COSCINA, MARTIN Restaurant Police Officer

Martin Coschina, native of the Island of Brac, was a partner of the famed Delmonico Restaurant in Treasure City, Nevada. Martin appeared on the Nevada State Census of 1875 with a white wife, aged 16, born in Africa. He was in business with Viscovich and Merlich at Pioche in 1870 and again in business with Gustianovich at Pioche in 1876. Martin had two young men both named V. Coschina living with him in 1875. In 1884 at San Jose, California  Martin Coschina was a police officer. He was a citizen. These two fellows from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia came a long way to open their Delmonico Restaurant at Treasure City, Nevada. At least they felt at home, Brac is all rock and so is Treasure City.

 

COSOVICH, PETER Mayor-Mariner

If Pilot Thomas Doig had not attempted to cross the Columbia River bar and enter the river one night in April 1879, Astoria, Oregon would not have had Peter Cosovich as mayor. The ship that Pilot Doig plowed straight into Sand Island was the Great Republic. One of the seamen on board was Pete's father who was only fourteen years old. Perhaps this was been enough adventure for the boy who, after being rescued from the shipwreck, settled in the area. The genial Cosovich was mayor of Astoria from 1951 to 1958 and a worthy recipient of the George Award. (This award is given to those locally who are not afraid to act when help is needed.) The river has been home to many families from the land we have known for many years as Croatia. (Pincetich 1999)

 

COUPLES, FRED Golf Champion

Fred Couples is one of Amenica's most successful and well known professional golfers. Among the top performers during the 1980's and 1990's he has won many prestigious tournaments and been recognized both in America and internationally as one of golf's elite. What most golf officianados don't know is that Fred Couples is a Croatian American. Fred was born on October 3, 1959 in Seattle, Washington to Violet Sobich Couples and Tom Couples. Fred's father is of Italian descent and changed the family name to Couples from Coppola. He worked for the Seattle Park and Recreation Department and introduced young Fred to golf at an early age. Fred participated in and won many youth golf tournaments and refined his game in college at the University of Houston where he roomed with fellow golfer Blamie McAllister and CBS-TV Broadcaster Jim Nantz. After turning pro in 1980, Fred participated in 25 tournaments and won a modest $78,939, ranking 53rd on the pro tour. By 1992,  Fred was the number one golfer in America, participating in 22 tournaments, winning three, including the prestigious Masters, and earning more than $1,300,000. 1996 was another extraordinary year as Fred won nearly $1,250,000. Fred was the PGA Tour Player of the year in both 1991 and 1992. His 12 PGA tour victories include the 1983 Kemper Open, the 1984 Tournament Players Championship, the 1987 Byron Nelson Golf Classic, the 1990 Nissan Los Angeles Open, the 1991 Federal Express St. Jude Classic, the 1992 Nissan Los Angeles Open, the 1992 Nestle Invitational, the 1992 Masters, the 1993 Honda Classic, the 1994 Buick Open and the 1996 The Players Championship. His International Victories include the 1991 Johnnie Walker World Championship , the 1994 World Cup, and the 1995 Dubal Desert Classic, Johnnie Walker Classic and Johnnie Walker World Championship. Fred honors his late mother and his Croatian roots having established a charity in her name, the Violet Sobich Couples Fund. The Fund is supported by Fred's annual charity golf tournament. Fred is single and still lives in Texas and resides in Dallas. His hobbles include all sports, vintage cars and antiques.

 

COVICH, IVAN Croatian Editor

Native of Makarska, Dalmatia. Moved in America as a young man and during almost the entire stay in this country he has been engaged in cultural activities, especially in the  Croatian Sokol organization. Volunteer in  World War I. Owner and editor of monthly magazine "Zora" "Dawn" during the 1930’s in Sacramento, California. One of the most prominent pioneers in the Croatian colony in Sacramento.

 

CRLENKOVICH, HELEN Swimming Champion

Former National Amateur Athletic Union and World's Diving Champion, Helen Crlenkovich is about to make a perfect entry into the water after a dive from the highboard. Known popularly as "Clenkie", Crlenkovich was National Outdoor Springboard Champion in 1939, 1941, and 1945; National Platform Champion in 1941 and 1945, and the National Indoor Three Meter titleholder from 1939 to 1942. The former University of California student and native of San Francisco died of cancer in 1955 only one week after learning that she had been named to the Helms Foundation Diving Hall of Fame.

 

CRLJENICA, PAUL Music-Tambura

Paul CrIjenica, the youngest brother of the CrIenica Brothers Orchestra (Continental Five) died in July 2000. Paul started playing bugarija (rhythm) with the CrIjenica family orchestra about 1930, and soon became one of the best. While playing with the Crlenica Brothers Orchestra in the movies "Storm At Daybreak" and "Balalaika," he had to attend school on the motion picture set because he was still in high school. Of course, Paul did not mind this, as there were several MGM starlets also attending. After high school, Paul played saxophone and clarinet with the Carlos Molinas Orchestra. Later he had his own jazz combo under the name of Paul Carson. He was the mainstay of the CrIenica Brothers Orchestra well into the 1980s, when he moved from southern California to northern California. Paul played clarinet with the Redding Community Band and a jazz combo until just last year. His survivors, wife Florence, daughter Loretta, brother Steve and his daughters, Linda and Stephanie are all members of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 177 Los Angeles, California.

 

CRNEKOVIC, STEVEN  Engineer

Steven Crnekovic is a Senior Structural Engineer for A. Epstein and Sons, Inc.,

Chicago, Illinois. Born August 21, 1916 in Sarajevo, Bosnia; married with two children. Education includes Male Real Gymnasium, Zagreb, 1935;  Technical Faculty, University of Zagreb. C.E. 1942; Tech. Hochschule, Vienna, Austria 1942-43 with a major field in Civil engineering-structural design and design of high rising buildings in reinforced concrete and steel. Member of International  Association for Shell Structures; National Society of ProfessionalEngineers; 'The American Society of Civil Engineers; American Concrete Institute,

 

CRNIC, IVO D. Accountant-Editor

Ivo Crnic is an Assistant Treasurer for the Near East College Association Inc. New York, N.Y. Born October 22, 1906 in Svinjarevci-Vukovar, Srijem, Croatia; married and an American citizen. Education includes Gymnasium, Sr. Karlovci, Graduate 1925; Economic-Com. College, Zagreb,Econ., 1929; University of Cologne, Germany, Dr. Rer. Pol., 1938; New York University, New York, N.Y. M.A., 1959; New York University, N.Y. M.B.A. , 1959 with a major field in Accounting and College Accounting. Thesis completed 1938 Die Jugoslavische Eisenindustrie in Rahmen der Jugoslavischen Volkswirtschaft, Doctorate University of Cologne; Accounting, M.A., New York University 1959. Editor of monthly review Ekonomist, Zagreb 1935-38.

 

CRNOBORI, JOSIP Painter

Josip Crnobori was born October 22, 1907 in Banjole, Istria, Croatia. His parents are Ivan C. and Ursula nee Sebeglia and his wife is Marijana nee Golac. He attended the Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Zagreb. His first individual exhibition was in 1937; exhibited in Trieste (1946); went to Argentina (1947) where he painted and exhibited (until 1978); went to the USA, lives in New York where he portrayed Milka Trnina for the Metropolitan Opera (1985). 

 

CUKELA, LOUIS (Army Medal of Honor)

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 66th Company 5th Regiment. Place and date: Near Villers-Cotterets, France, 18 July 1918. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: I May 1888, Sebenes, Austria(Sibenik, Croatia). G,O. No.: 34, W.D., 1919. (Also received Navy Medal of Honor.) Citation: When his company, advancing through a wood, met with strong resistance from an enemy strong point, Sgt. Cukela crawled out from the flank and made his way toward the German lines in the face of heavy fire, disregarding the warnings of his comrades. He succeeded in getting behind the enemy position and rushed a machinegun emplacement, killing or driving off the crew with his bayonet. With German handgrenades he then bombed out the remaining portion of the strong point, capturing 4 men and 2 damaged machine guns. Sgt. Cukela was born in Sibenik, Dalmatia and the origins of Cukela come from the Island of Solta. My good friend, Ante Jakovcevic, from Solta proved that he is a Croatian Catholic with origins in Solta. He is one of the few that received two Medals of Honor.

 

CUKELA, LOUIS (Navy Medal of Honor)

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 66th Company, 5th Regiment. Born: I May 1888, Sebenes, Austria (Sibenik, Croatia). Accredited to: Minnesota. (Also received Army Medal of Honor.) Citation: For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 66th Company, 5th Regiment, dur ing action in the Forest de Retz, near Viller-Cottertes, France, 18 July 1918. Sgt. Cukela advanced alone against an enemy strong point that was holding up his line. Disregarding the warnings of his comrades, he crawled out from the flank in the face of heavy fire and worked his way to the rear of the enemy position. Rushing a machinegun emplacement, he killed or drove off the crew with his bayonet, bombed out the remaining part of the strong point with German hand grenades and captured 2 machineguns and 4 men.

 

CUKELJ, MIRKO Machine Tools

Mirko Cukelj, born in the Croatian region of Zagorje, close to Zagreb, came to Cleveland, Ohio to stay with his brother in 1959. In the beginning, he worked as a carpenter and moved on to manufacturing in 1962. In 1983, he founded his own company, 2M Manufacturing, and in 1989 he founded another company High Quality Tools Inc. Both firms produce parts for machines and have their own patents.

 

CULIC DRAGUN, M. Opera

Mateo Culic Dragun was born in the coastal city of Split in Dalmatia situated on the shores of the beautiful Adriatic sea In Croatia.  After completing his studies under the tutelage of the noted Italian Professor, Alessando Vezanni, of the conservatory of music in Bologna, he graduated in 1914, making his debut at the Verdi Theatre in Trieste in the opera, “I Pagliacci.” His European engagements have been made in practically every music center of note on that continent, principally in Italy where he has frequently appeared in the leading opera houses.  He has sung in such famous theatres as the Pergola Theatre in Florence; San Carlo Theatre, Naples; Messimo Theatre, Palermo; Petruzalli Theatre, Bari; Verdi Theatre, Trieste and several times at the Costanzi and the Adriano Theatre in Rome. While famed in Europe, he was yet to make his first appearance before the American public.  Soon after his arrival to the United States he made his debut at the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was greeted by critics as an artist of rare talent.  Following his engagement there, he appeared in concerts in Detroit and Chicago, where he was acclaimed for the beauty of his voice. His first concert in the West was given in Fresno where hundreds of Croatians welcomed him with shouts of appreciation.  His interpretation of the Croatian songs won him special applause, and no doubt the demonstration of warm approval served to bring back memories of Dalmatia, his home, and the home of many who had gathered there to hear him sing. In 1929, he became a member of the Pacific Coast Opera Company of San Francisco, scoring him immediate success on the part of Georgio Germontt in “La Traviata.”  Upon the close of the opera season, M. Culic Dragun turned to the concert stage.  Any doubt as to whether he would meet the necessary requirements was settled, when he gave a recital, assisted by Audry Farncroft, at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in San Francisco. His performance surpassed the expectation of the most optimistic of the concert goers. When the opera season opened again on February 27, 1930, Mateo Culic Dragun was again a member of the Pacific Coast Opera Company, scoring with great approval in his roles in the operas: “La Traviata”, “Carmen”, “Cavalleria Rusticana”, “Rigoletto.”

 

CULJIS, NICHOLAS SR Businessman-ViceMayor

Mr. Culjis founded the N.G. Culjis and Son Funeral Home in 1938.  In November 1959 he conducted the funeral for former world heavyweight boxing champion Max Baer. He served as a city councilman from 1952 until 1960 and was vice mayor in 1959 and 1960. A native Sacramentan, Mr. Culjis sponsored 20 years of night and winter league baseball teams and served on the board of directors of the Sacramento Solons baseball team in the 1950s. He has a son, Nicholas George Culjis Jr. of Sacramento; daughter Jane of Laguna Beach; his mother, Millie Culjis, and brother, George.

 

CUMBELICH CLAN

Alex Cumbelich reported storm damage from a hurricane at New Orleans, Louisiana in 1874 while H. Cumbelich from San Francisco and John Cumbelich were mining gold in Placer County, California in 1879. John Cumbelich reported to the Census taker in 1880 that he was hauling goldminers across the Sacramento River as a boatman. John Cumbelich turned his bag of gold into the Morning Star Restaurant in Oakland in the 1880’s. This started the rush of islanders from Mljet to Oakland. Three brothers from Babino PoIje, Island of Mljet, Croatia Vicko, Petar and Ivan Cumbelich-Regio, went to California in 1907. Petar Cumbelich, born in Babino Polje in 1887, died in Oakland in 1909, and Ivan Cumbelich also died in Oakland in 1920, also as a young man. P., P.J., and Vicko were members of the Slavonic Society in San Francisco in the 1900’s. The Cumbelich Clan were also members of the Croatian Fraternal Union. Catherine and Maria Cumbelich were witnesses at the Croatian Church of nativity in San Francisco in the 1910’s and Maria Cumbelich-Novak baptized John, Lucretia, Maria and Nikola at the church.

 

CUMBELICH, JOSEPH Community Activities

Joe was the 60-year sweetheart and husband of Sophia Psihos Cumbelich. He was the devoted father of children Bill, Chris, P.K. and John Cumbelich; and loving grandfather of Jack, Will and Peter Wrensen & Joseph, Anna and William Cumbelich. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other family members both in the United States and in Croatia. Always proud of his West Oakland upbringing, he was educated at Saint Patrick's Grammer School, Prescott Junior High School and Oakland Technical High School, Class of 1941. A lifetime Roman Catholic he was an alter boy at Saint Patrick's; he and his wife sent their children to De La Salle and Carondelet High Schools and the University of Notre Dame. A great sports enthusiast, in 1964 he was one of the founders of the Clayton Valley little League, which still thrives. He coached youth sports for many, many years positively influencing the lives of countless young people and their families. He was also active in scouting, CYO basketball and other youth activities. A big man with great generosity, humanity and love he will be remembered for his dedication to his wife, children and grandchildren and for the many friends whose lives he touched. Joseph William Cumbelich passed away April 3, 2001 at  age 77years. Born November 6, 1923 inOakland, California the fifth child of Vicko ('Bill') and Anna Cumbelich-Regio, natives of the island of Mljet, Croatia. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Vincent and Leo and sisters Christine and Anne.

SF Chronicle April 7, 2001

 

CUMBELICH. PAUL J. Warehouseman

Paul Cumbelich was a member of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 121 of Oakland, California. He died on January 11, 1984. He was the only son of Mary and John Cumbelich, the third of their four children, Paul was born in Oakland, CA on Nov. 2, 1895.  He lived here all his life with the exception of one year in his early youth when the family visited Croatia. Paul worked for the Bank of America, and as a warehouseman for over 25 years in Jaffe Brothers Tobacco and Candy wholesale house. Brother Cumbelich was also a member of Native Sons of the Golden West for over 50 years; Croatian Fraternal Union of America since 1925 and Dominican guild and Dominican Associates. In 1926, Paul married Angela Strazicich of Watsonville, California.  They had two children, Ellen Marie, who later became a Dominican Sister of Mission San Jose and John, who was killed in the Korean War. He enjoyed reading and watching baseball on TV.  He loved to travel and visited many places.  A highlight of his retirement  years was a trip to Europe and a visit to relatives on the Island of Mljet, Dalmatia, Croatia.

 

CUMBELICH, VICKO Railroad

Vicko arrived in America in 1907 from the Island of Mljet, Croatia and lived in Oakland where he worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. In 1909 he married Ana Srsen-Boskovich, who was born in Babino Polje, Island of Mljet in 1891, They had five children: Vicko, born on April 28, 1911,  Leo (Ilija), born on November 6, 1912, Kris (Kril), born on October 21, 1914, Anne, born on June 10, 1917, and Joe (Jozo), born on November 6, 1923. Their son Leo had a son Leo (Ilija), and a daughter Kris (Kril) married Brugge and had daughters Carol and Callen and a son Calvin. The daughter Anne, married Anthony and had a daughter Barbara. Joe Cumbelich with his wife Sofia, of Greek origin, still live in Concord, California. They have four children: William, born on January1,1954, Cristina, born on October 20, 1956, Patricia, born on June 26, 1959, and John, born on May 20, 1965. Their sons and daughters all finished higher educations - universitiy. Joe Cumbelich- visited Mljet and Dubrovnik with his wife in 1990, and their son John was in Mljet in 1988.

 

CUMPANAS, WILLIAM L. Actor

Billy was born in Gary, Indiana on May 2, 1946. Following the death of his grandfather, Thomas Ante on February 2, 1949, the family moved in 1950 to California were Violet and William J. Cumpanas raised their family. Imbued with an athletic physique which would later serve him well in his chosen profession, William was a standout football player for North Hollywood High School in the early 1960 s. As talented and physical as he was on the field as an offensive tackle, he exuded a caring and sensitive demeanor off of the field of play. With his football career cut short by a serious head injury at the University of Nevada, young William went on to begin a career in Hollywood first as a stuntman and then as an actor. Among his screen credits was the featured role of "Johnny Boz" in the movie Basic Instinct which starred Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone. Some of my fondest memories of Billy were centered on interaction with family. How he genuinely enjoyed family gatherings and opportunities to share in each others company. While never having children of his own, Billy spent  countless hours of time with crippled children, providing a quick smile, sparkling eyes and generous heart. Billy's life was changed and ultimately lost due to a tragic vehicular accident in which he sustained massive injuries to his body including fractured vertebrae in his neck leaving him paralyzed from the mid chest area down. His mother Violet stayed by his side, at times alternatively, full of despair, hope, resignation and faith. All through his convalescence she provided a sense of stability and undying love for her son. I remember well her words to me in which she described how Billy worried about her in spite of his own grave condition and the attending pride in which she so often spoke of him, her "little Dalmatinac." Billy succumbed to his injuries on March 7, 1998 passing peacefully to his eternal rest at the age of 51. The William L. Cumpanas Memorial Fund, with an initial endowment sum of $10,000, joins the impressive list of thirty-six funds previously established within the ranks of the Croatian Fraternal Union Scholarship Foundation, Inc. This particular fund holds a special place in my heart, as well as my family's, since it was established in loving memory of my cousin Billy by his mother Violet Pazo Anderson, member of "Croatian Sons" CFU Lodge 170, Merrillville, Indiana. Billy, as he was affectionately known, was the grandchild of Thomas Ante and Katherine Pezo. His grandfather became a member of the former Hrvatski Sinovi CFU Lodge 396 of Gary, Indiana after his arrival from the village of Klenovac, near Imotski, located in the region of Dalmacia, Croatia in 1914, serving for a time in the early part of the century as its president. Uncle Tom and Aunt Katie instilled in their four children, Ann, Violet, Thomas and Elizabeth, a strong sense of family values and a will to succeed. This was imparted by Violet to her son William.

 

CUPICH, BLASE Bishop-Priest-Professor

In Rapid City, South Dakota, Msgr. Blase J. Cupich of Omaha, Nebraska was solemnly ordained to the office of Bishop by Archbishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul, Minneapolis, with co-consecrating Bishop Elden Curtiss of Omaha, Nebraska, and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, Colorado. Archbishop Chaput preceded Bishop Cupich in Rapid City. Representing Pope John Paul 11 was the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan. Among the many family members, relatives, and friends at his ordination were several who came from Croatia to support Bishop Blase Cupich on this momentous occasion. As a bishop, he is successor to the apostles; a role that calls him to make the words and life of Christ felt and understood in the world.

Blase Cupich was born to Blase and Mary Mayhan on March 19, 1949 in Omaha, Nebraska. Both parents are Croatian-Americans bom to Croatian immigrants, and both families were members of the Sts. Peter and Paul Croatian Parish in Omaha. The parents of Blase Cupich attended the grade school of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, as did Blase and his eight brothers and sisters. They were an brought up to respect their Catholic faith and Croatian heritage and participated in organizations to promote these values. Blase's maternal great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Majhan, immigrated to Omaha at the turn of the 20th century from the area near Karlovac, Croatia. They brought their small son Ivan, who would later meet Barbara Bahun from Varazdin. The personal and family name Ivan Majhan was later Anglicized to John Mayhan. John and Barbara were married in Sts. Peter and Paul Church. Their daughter Mary would marry Blase Cupich in the same church. Of this marriage came nine children, among them Blase, now Bishop Cupich. The paternal grandparents of the Bishop Cupich were also Croatian and likewise met in Omaha. In 1914 they were married and became life-long members ot Sts. Feter and Faul Croatian Parish. Blaz Cupic originated from Donji Andrijevci near Slavonski Brod, while his wife Ruza Gradicek came from Greda near Varazdin.

Bishop Cupich is proud of his Croatian heritage, and in fact has designated in his official Coat-of-Arms a red-and-white checkered section modeled after the centuries-old Croatian "grb." The most famous version of the Coat-of-Arms is on the roof of St. Mark's Church in Zagreb. Blase Cupich received his elementary education at Sts. Peter and Paul Croatian Parish School in Omaha; he attended Bishop Ryan High School, also in Omaha. Upon graduation, he enrolled in the College Seminary of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he earned his degree in Philosophy. His theological studies were completed through North American College and later the Gregorian University in Rome. He returned to Omaha to be ordained to the Priesthood in Sts. Peter and Paul  Church by Archbishop Daniel E. Sheehan on August 16, 1975. He would celebrate his first solemn Mass there the next day. After serving in various pastoral assignments and teaching high school in Omaha, Father Cupich went to the Catholic University of America to earn the S.T.L. degree in Sacramental Theology in 1979. His doctoral degree, S.T.D., was conferred upon him in 1989. His doctoral dissertation was entitled Advent in the Roman Tradition: An Examination and Comparison of the Lectionary Readings as Hermeneutical Units in Three Periods. Fr. Cupich returned again to Omaha to serve as Pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish. He became Chairman of the Archdiocesan Office of Divine Worship, as well as Instructor at Creighton University in the Department of Continuing Education for Priests. In 1981, he was called to Washington to serve at the Apostolic Nunciature as Secretary. to Cardinal Pio Laghi. This was the highest post a Croatian-American priest had held. After six years of service to the Nuncio, Fr. Cupich returned to serve for two years as Pastor at St. Mary's Church in Bellevue, Nebraska. In 1989, Fr. Cupich was called upon by the Church to assume a role of great responsibility and honor: President and Rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He served in this capacity until 1996. As President and Rector, he also created a chair for renowned visiting professors of scripture and theology-another avenue to exchange. He was honored for these and other achievements by being raised to the dignity of Domestic Prelate with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor. He returned briefly to Omaha to serve as Pastor of a large urban parish, St. Robert Bellarmine. After less than a year, once more he was called to higher duties when Pope John Paul 11 named him to become Bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota.

As the new Bishop of a Diocese that includes 63 parishes of diverse membership and covers almost half of South Dakota, Bishop Cupich introduced himself humbly and warmly, again referring to culture and faith. At a press conference, tells The Catholic Voice, Cupich said, I come to you from the Archdiocese of Omaha. Like Rapid City, it is a western church blessed by the rich cultures of native and immigrant peoples, blessed by urban and yet mostly rural parishes. That common bond, plus the deep historical ties between the Churches of Omaha and Rapid City, is a great source of encouragement to me as I make my home with you."

 

CUPICH, MADELINE Catholic Sister-Teacher

Sr. Mary Blaise. Teacher at St. Bernard's School, Omaha, Nebraska. Born June 5, 1931, in Omaha, Nebraska. Attended College of St. Mary, Omaha, Nebraska 1951-64, B.S. in Education 1960. Taught at Holy Cross, Omaha, Nebraska.1955-56 ; Taught at St. James Orphanage, Omaha, Nebraska.1956-1957; Taught at St. Peters, Kansas City 1957-1959; Taught at St. Patrick's, Council Bluffs, Iowa 1959; Teaching at St. Ann's School, Independence, Missouri, 1964 to 1968; Taught at St. Michael's Sch. in Kansas City, Missouri, Sept. 1968-1969; Teaching at St. Bernard's School, Omaha, Nebraska Sept. 1969 to present.

 

CUPIC, STEVE Fisherman-Longshoreman

Steve Cupic was born in Komin, Dalmatia, Croatia near Metkovic in December, 1894. As a 17 year old, he came to the America in 1911, going directly to Wilkeson, Washington where he worked in the coal mines for four years. There was a strong nucleus of Croatians in Wilkeson in those days, centered around Lodge 189 of the old National Croatian Society. Steve Cupic joined the Society in 1914 and remained with it although he later transferred to Seattle Lodge 439 until his passing July 15, 1975, making him a 61year member. From Wilkeson, Steve Cupic went to Everett, Washington in 1915 where he resided the most of his life. He was a retired longshoreman and fisherman, having gone north to Alaska to fish, for salmon 36 seasons. He refused to go north in 1934, bowever, because he strongly supported his fellow longshoremen who were in the midst of a lengthy and bitter strike. Brother Cupic,a strong union man just didn't think it would be fair for him to go to Alaska to make money fishing while those left behind suffered in their fight for better conditions. Steve Cupic returned to Croatia in 1970 to visit his brothers and sister, of whom only his sister now survives. In addition, brother Cupic leaves his wife Kata, two sons Martin and Steve (Pete), a daughter, Helen Stone. and six grandchildren. Besides his membership in the C.F.U, Steve Cupic was also a Golden Age Member of the Eagles, and a member of the International Longshore Workers Union Pensioners.

 

CUSANOVICH, LOU State Senator

Lou Cusanovich’s grandmother was a member of the first wagon train to reach California after the tragic experience of the Donner Party.  His grandfather reached California from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia, via Cape Horn during the 1850s and settled in Sutter Creek.  He was born in Los Angeles and attended Southwestern University prior to opening his own business in the San Fernando Valley.  He was elected to the Sate Assembly in 1957 where he served until 1966.  In that year he was elected to the State Senate where he is now the fourth senior member.  He is Vice-Chariman of the Finance Committee and is well-known for his legislation concerning youth and education.

 

CUVALO, ANTE Professor-Author

Ante Cuvalo came to the United States in the 1960s.  He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Francis College, Burlington, Wisconsin; a master’s degree in history from John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio, and a doctorate in history from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.  He is presently teaching at Joliet Jr. College, Joliet, Illinois.  He has written many articles dealing with Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the former Yugoslavia.  He is the author of The Croatian National Movement 1966-1972 (1990), and co-author and editor of Croatian and the Croatians (1991).  His Historical Dictionary of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1997) was selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Book of 1998. His latest book is Removing the Mask - Letters and Statements Concerning Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina 1989-2000 (2000). Presently, he is doing research on the history of Croatians in Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS), vice president of the Croatian Academy of America (CAA), and president of the Association for Croatian Studies (ACS).

 

CVETNIC, BILL Tamburitza Hall of Fame-Engineer-Military

Bill Cvetnic started playing the tambura at the age of nine with East Pittsburgh Sloboda Junior Tammies, under the directorship of the late George Beleg. He is the son of the late Joe Cvetnic who played with the Sloboda Tamburitza Orchestra of East Pittsburgh during the 1920's and 1930's. While attending Turtle Creek High School, he joined the Nick Naglich orchestra, along with Nicks son, Walt, a neighbor and schoolmate. Bill remained with this orchestra until he was asked to join the Balkan Serenaders of Trafford. he was a regular with this group until going into the Army in 1951. He was discharged from the Army in 1953, after the Korean War, and attended engineering school until 1956 and then was employed as a mechanical engineer by the Aetna Standard Engineering Company. Bill again rejoined the Balkan Serenaders and stayed with the group through 1955. It was then that he left to play with the Danny Kukich orchestra from 1955 until 1972. Bill also made recordings with this group. In 1972, Bill and Walt Naglich decided to form their own tamburitza orchestra. They called the group The Balkan Four. Bill played Bugaria and was the lead singer with this group. After Walt Naglich moved to California, Bill kept the Balkan Four together until 1985. He then became a member of the Dunav Orchestra of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania and played with this group until 1993. In 1994, Bill became a member of the Novi Glas Orchestra, playing the Prim instead of the Bugaria, which he played for many years. While playing with the different groups, over the years, Bill has performed in many areas of western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, New York, Washington, DC and Las Vegas, Nevada. He accompanied Vinka Ellison and other singers when they performed in the Pittsburgh area with the Danny Kukich Orchestra. He also played for a banquet with this group at the Roosevelt Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the late King Peter of Yugoslavia. His love of music and Croatian heritage is apparent. He has been self-employed for the last few years with his Mr. Bill's Home Remodeling business. He lives in East Pittsburgh with his wife Sandy and their dog "'Freeway". His mother, Rose Cvetnic is now 92 years young and he has a sister, Caroline (Cvetrdc) Polesnak. His son, Dr. Bill Cvetnic also lives in the Pittsburgh area. Not only is Bill a musician, but he also makes tamburitza instruments and most recently did his own sound on sound recordings, playing all the instruments, which he made, and singing three-part harmony. Bill would like to thank all of the musicians he has performed with throughout the years and most especially all the people who came to see these groups play.

 

CVITANIC, JAKSA Professor-Mathematics

He’s one of the world’s leading experts on the sophisticated, probabilistic financial-market techniques used by Wall Street arbitrageurs and investment bankers. Even so, USC’s newest full professor of mathematics says students who hope to learn to beat the market need to adjust their expectations. “The basic models we use don’t teach you how to take advantage of the market, but that you cannot take advantage of the market,” explains Jaksa Cvitanic, who arrived at University of Southern California this semester from Columbia University. Center for Applied Mathematics Director Boris Rozovsky, a member of the search committee that recruited Cvitanic, calls him “the best younger researcher in the field in the United States.”

Rozovsky expects the new professor to become a nucleus, as early as the year 2000, for an interdisciplinary group in computational finance involving mathematics, economics and business, with a research laboratory in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and a trading laboratory in the Marshall School of Business. Cvitanic is already working with fellow Columbia University emigrés Fulvio Ortu and Fernando Zapatero, both assistant professors in the Marshall School’s department of finance and business economics, and with professor Michael Magill of the department of economics.

The field of computational finance is in high academic demand, and so are its graduates. Cvitanic’s former graduate students are found at such firms as Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. Cvitanic’s research grows out of the work of 1997 Nobel laureates in economics Myron S. Scholes and Robert Merton, who showed how (in a perfect, “frictionless” market without transaction costs) money managers could insulate themselves from risk using sophisticated hedging strategies. Scholes and Merton subsequently gained non-Nobel fame as principals in Long Term Capital Management, the multibillion dollar hedge fund that almost collapsed in 1998.

In an influential paper, Cvitanic showed that if the market imposes any transaction costs, however small, optimal strategy changes. A static, one-time, one-transaction strategy, while expensive, works better than a dynamic one involving multiple trades. (“There is No Non-Trivial Hedging Portfolio for Option Pricing with Transaction Costs,” Annals of Applied Probability, vol. 5, pp. 327-355.) Cvitanic is now co-editing a “Handbook on Mathematical Finance” and serves as associate editor of three journals, the Annals of Applied Probability, Asia-Pacific Financial Markets and the Mathematics of Operations Research. A native of Croatia, Cvitanic received his B.A. in mathematics from the University of Zagreb and his Ph.D. from Columbia University, where he subsequently became an associate professor before moving to USC. He lives in Manhattan Beach. “It’s different,” said Cvitanic, “but I like it better than Manhattan.”

 

CVITANOVIC CLAN

Great-great Grandfather Simun Cvitanovic, born in the 1800’s, was a fisherman all his life in Croatia. Great Grandfather Jakov Cvitanovic married Tonka Skansi.  He spent a better part of his time fishing off of Gig Harbour in Washington. He came to Tacoma twice prior to WW I, first time being approximately 1906, and fished onboard the fishing boat "Confidence" to earn enough money to take back to Sumartin on the island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia and help the family. He went back 5 times to America. His voyages took him as far as Alaska for fishing. My Grandfather is Josip Cvitanovic born in February 16th, 1915 in Sumartin, Brac. He did not do much fishing on the larger boats but instead fished onboard many of his smaller boats that he built himself. He finished his apprenticeship at the ship yard in Sumartin "Lucica".  After WW II he worked for several years at the shipyards in Split. My grandparents had three children....my dad Petar Cvitanovic born December 15, 1943,  my aunt Inda born July 7th, 1946 and my uncle Vinko Cvitanovic born September 24, 1947. My Grandparents immigrated to Canada in 1972 and  my grandfather worked at the Serka shipyards along with a few other locations when needed. He did in fact fish for one year here in British Columbia, Canada but preferred to work at the shipyards. My Grandfather also had several brothers and sisters and the following are their names:  Simun, Vicko, Petar, Marija and Kleme. I know some of his brothers were fishermen and fished off the coast of British Columbia in the early 1900's. Petar Cvitanovic (my dad) was born of course in Sumartin, Brac December 15th 1943. He finished his apprenticeship "ship building / welding"  also at the shipyard in Sumartin. He immigrated to Canada in 1967 first finding work on the East Coast (Newfoundland / Nova Scotia) in 1968. He spent over three years fishing off the Grand Banks onboard the seiner "Ocean Leader" and then moved on to the west coast (Vancouver) in 1971. He would eventually meet his wife, my mom, Ruzica (Vujnic maiden name) and in November of 1972, they would marry. My dad till the late 80's work as a fisherman on many of the larger seiners such as the Nordic Queen, John Todd, Teresa I, Vanisle,  to name a few. In the early 1980's with the decline of the commercial fishing industry, my dad Petar decided to work at the shipyards where he's been ever since.  Over the last 20 years, dad has been working at the Vancouver dry-dock / shipyards.  They had two children, my younger brother Kresimir Cvitanovic born January 31, 1979 and myself Tom Cvitanovic, born July 3, 1974. Both my brother and I have been working in the healthcare industry here in Vancouver. I've spent over 10 years working at the BC Transplant Society, dealing with solid organ and tissue transplants. My brother Kreso has worked for a pharmaceutical research company for the last 3 years doing clinical studies on various types of drugs. Both Kreso and myself recent went back to school to complete our computer engineering degree through Microsoft. We plan to enter the IT field at Network administrators as well as opening our own computer / Network consulting company in the not too distant future. (Cvitanovic 2003)

 

CVITANOVICH, DRAGO Restaurant-King of Mardi Gras-Oysterman

The City of New Orleans is world famous for the annual Mardi Gras celebration which draws millions oF people there for this grand pre-Lenten festivity. This year has special significance for Croatians, not only in the Louisiana and Mississippi areas but everywhere. For the first time ever, a Croatian, Drago Cvitanovich, a prominent restaurantuer and businessman in that area was named "King of Krewe of Argus" and in this role, led one of the major parades on Mardi Gras day, and was accorded the highest honors of the community throughout those festive days. For a person to be named "King of Argus" as was Drago Cvitanovich, you have to be a well established and respected citizen of the area. Also you need to be recognized for your contributions for the welfare of others there and elsewhere. When Drago was selected this year, there was universal rejoicing. I could not believe the great number of people who showed up for the parade to cheer him on, but they also came to special events honoring him, such as the gala and formal "King's Ball" at the Hilton Hotel (more than 800 invited guests attended!) and the pleasant country club brunch prior to the parade as well as the informal gathering, at the Drago Restaurant afterwards. Drago and his wife Klara have been leaders in the Louisiana area in promoting awareness of the Croatian cause and working with Archbishop Hannan, they have been responsible for obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of humanitarian aid for our people in the homeland. They are proud to be Croatian and speak fondly of their birthplaces there. They as well as their sons and countless relatives who came from as far as California for the celebration, all speak Croatian. Everyone knows who they are and where they came from. While all of the Mardi Gras celebrations were taking place, thanks to the leadership. of Drago Cvitanovich, another significant thing happened for Croatians. One of the oldest organizations for our people in the United States (125 years old) the Slavonian benevolent association in Louisiana officially changed their name to "Croatian Benevolent Association! Drago Cvitanovich is president of this great group and led them to a recognition of their true identity as Croatians. Drago was born in Igrane near Makarska on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. It was there that he learned his skills as a fisherman and culinary artist, especially with the preparation of oysters. He loves to tell that since his days on Adriatic until today he must have shucked 10 million oysters. People still flock from far and near to his restaurant for this specialty. If you are ever in Louisiana, a visit to Drago's restaurant in Metairle is a must. He migrated to Canada in 1954 and in 1961 went to Louisiana. He married his lovely wife, Klara Buconic, who was born near Dubrovnik in 1958 in Lousiana. They are the proud parents of two fine sons, Tommy, who runs the Drago restaurant and Doctor Gerry who practices emergency medicine at a large local hospital. They are likewise proud of their membership in the Croatian Catholic Union.

 

CVITANOVICH, PETER Oyster Beds-Orange Grove

Peter Cvitanovich spent a number of the best years of his, life in Plaquemines Parish where he established an oyster business some twenty-six years ago and continued to gradually expand  his operations until his untimely death as the result of being kicked by a mule on the twenty-eighth of September, 1930. Mr. Cvitanovich started in the oyster business in New Orleans and later removed to Triumph in Plaquemines Parish where he built a home for his wife and children and lived there for a little more than a year prior to his tragic death. Mrs. Cvitanovich has continued to live in the home place and since the death of her husband has success fully operated a small sized orange grove, raising principally navels and sweets with a few of the other three leading varieties of oranges. She has five acres of  land thoroughly developed with full bearing trees and under an intensive state of cultivation. Peter Cvitanovich was born in Croatia on the twenty-seventh of May, 1896, and was educated in the schools of his native country. At the age of sixteen he came to the United States settling in New Or leans where he started an oyster business that grew to fairly extensive proportions. The last few years of his life the business was operated as a community proposition in co-operation with others of his nationality. Mr. Cvitanovich made one trip back to his native land and while there was married on the second of August, 1926, to Miss Origa Sinivich, a daughter of Thomas Sinivich, who is, still a resident of Croatia. Three children were born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Cvitanovich, John Thomas, born the sixth of June, 1927; Frank, born September 14, 1929, and Ringa Ann, born August 7, 1930. Each of the children are now in school at Buras. Mrs. Cvitanovich who is a courageous and determined woman, has never recognized any measure of defeat but has reared her children and made a home for them and herself in a manner that has elicited the unstinted admiration of her friends and neighbors. Mr. Cvitanovich was a hard working, industrious man, honest in all his dealings and had a host of friends in the Triumph community of Plaquemines Parish.

 

CVITANOVICH, TOMMY Restaurant

Croatian Restaurateur, Tommy Cvitanovich, son of Drago and Klara was named Restaurateur of the Year for 2001 by the Louisiana Restaurant Association. New Orleans is a mecca of fine dining and home of the world's most fanious restaurants. It has the second largest Restaurant Association in the USA. Drago's Seafood Restaurant was opened by Drago and Klara Cvitanovich 32 years ago and very soon became one of the finest seafood restaurants. Drago's is famous for serving the best oysters anywhere. Oysters are a Croatian tradition in Louisiana. Croatian Fisherman have been the best oyster cultivators for over 130 years. Because of this connection with Croatian fisherman it is not a surprise that Drago's has the best oysters around. Drago's signature dish is Charbroiled Oysters, which is Tommy's brainchild. It has put Drago's --on Travel and Leisure, September 1996 list of the World's Best Restaurants. It is a great honor for all Croatians in Louisiana that Tommy excelled:to be named the best. Louisiana's Governor, Mike Foster, appointed Tommy to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board in the year 2000. He is working very hard in his business and also in seafood industry for advancement for all. He is a director  on Louisiana Restaurant Association State Board. He is hundred percent Croatian American, born in Vancouver B.C. Canada to Croatian immigrants. With his parents and brother he immigrated to the United States to New Orleans at the age of three. He speaks Croatian and has Croatian and American passports. Tommy has kept Croatia near his heart all his life. He has visited Dalmatian Coast multiple times. During the war he assisted in collecting and shipping over one hundred containers of relief supplies to Croatia. Last summer he took his wife and four children to Croatia to visit his grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins. He plans to visit Croatia again this summer. Tommy, congratulation and thanks for putting Drago's and Croatians on the culinary map of the United States!

 

CVITANOVIC, VINKO Fisherman-Shipyard Worker

Vinko followed the footsteps of his forefathers, not to mention his dad and brother and also completed his apprentiship in shipbuilding / welding. Vinko was born in Sumartin, Brac on 24th of September, 1947 and eventually followed his brother and sister to Vancouver, British Columbia. Vinko immigrated in 1971 and also found work as a commercial fisherman. At one point, he owned his own Gill-netter / Troller by the name of "Ocean Rainbow"  With the decline in the commercial fishing industry in British Columbia, Vinko reluctantly sold his boat and also went to work at the Vancouver Dry-dock / Shipyards in North Vancouver, where he works to this day. Vinko married  now Edita Teresija and had two children, Ante Cvitanovic born June 13, 1979 and Martina Cvitanovic born March 6th, 1982. (Cvitanovic 2003)

 

CVITKOVICH, ALEXANDER Priest

The first cleric to become a member of the Redemptorist Order in America, Blessed John Neumann professed his vows in St. James' Church, Baltimore, in 1842 to the Very Reverend Alexander Czvitkovicz. Though the surname of Rev. Czvitkovicz is Slavic in nature, the Redemptorist scholar, Rev. John F. Byrne, refers to Rev. Czvitkovicz as a Hungarian who on March 11, 1841, arrived at Baltimore as Superior of the American mission. It seems that the name Czvitkovicz might well indicate one of the Slavic nationalities of Austria-Hungary and might not be Hungarian per se. He is Croatian.

 

CVJETANOVIC, PERO Storekeeper

Pero Cvjetanovic was born the oldest of five children to Vlaho and Mara (Marlais) Cvjetanovic.  His father (Clan name Knez) was a farmer and trader of horses from neighboring Bosnia.  Pero left Dalmatia, Croatia in 1906 emigrating to New York City.  He worked in various capacities including saloon owner (speakeasy) and later in the grocery Business.  He became an American citizen in 1924. He married Frane Cvjetanovic, also from Parogovici, in 1929 following his only return trip to Dalmatia.  With Frane, he had three Chilren: Charles (Vlaho) born in March 1930; Katherine (Kate) born in May 1932; and, Peter Born in January 1943.  The family moved from the Croatian center of New York City (10th Avenue) to the heavily Croatian city of West New York, New Jersey in the late 30’s.  Frane’s health problems prompted a move to Fresno California in 1948.  Fresno has many Dalmatian families and there were former neighbors who convinced my parents to move west.  Pero was employed as a storekeeper at the county hospital.  Pero died at the age of 70 (1960) of heart failure. France was born the second of 16 children to Antun and Mare (Frankovic) Vodupija.  In 1929, she was 19, she first met and then married Pero Cvjetanovic whose family lived about 200 yards from the Vodupija home in Parogovici. In 1947, the entire family moved to Fresno California following a brief visit with friends (the Lucich and Dubsich families) who has also emigrated from Peljesac in the 1920’s. Frane lived in the same house in Fresno for almost 35 years.  Frane died in 1995, at the age of 86  and is buried near her husband, Pero, in Fresno, California.

 

DABELICH, NIKOLA Boxer

In 1909 Nikola Dabelich-Grmusko went to America. He spent his first 10 years in Oakland. He was married to Ana Market-Pasa, with whom he had a son Nikola, who to this day lives in Oakland. After their divorce he married Ana Milich-Kunich, the widow of Karlo Kunich, while Ana married Fred Foster and had a son Mike. From 1910 to 1920 Nikola was a professional boxer. He fought in Oakland, San Francisco and other California cities under the name of "Papki". When his boxing career ended he moved to Monterey, where he worked in a restaurant, whose owners were Mljetan.

 

DABELICH, NIKOLA

Nikola Dabelich-Gruje, born 1885 in Babino PoIje, Island of Mljet, Croatia went to America in 1902. He married Kate Milich from Majkovi on March 22, 1922 in Oakland, where he lived and worked. There they had two daughters, Annie and Mary who both both died as children. After that the family moved to Monterey where they had two more daughters, Olga born on March 24, 1927, and Zita, born on October 12, 1932. Olga has married Nick Castelan and Zita married Tony Ujdur.

 

DABELICH, PETER Restaurant-Hotel

Peter Dabelich came to Oakland in 1906. He quickly acquired his own restaurant and an additional two the following year. After that he became the owner of the hotel "Sutters" in Oakland. His first wife was Nike Hajdich of Babino Poije. He lived with her for five years. They had a daughter Mary who died in 1987 in San Diego. His second wife Emilia was of Portugese origin. In 1948 he sold all of his real estate, put the money in the bank, freed himself of the daily responsiblities of work and then travelled around the world. He also visited the island of Mljet.

 

DABOVICH, LOUIS Priest-Vatican Radio

Father Louis Dabovich died  at Mount Diablo Hospital on March 24, 2001.  Bishop John Cummins, who delivered the homily at the March 28 funeral, said the Pittsburg parish's name was an appropriate metaphor for its founding pastor. "He was a strong shepherd, a good shepherdand sometimes a noisy shepherd" said the bishop, with a chuckle. "He was a big, big personality, lively and very intelligent" he added. "He was a man formed by great suffering. While some people collapse under suffering, others grow through it. Home for Father Dabovich was Kostanjica, Croatia, where he was born and grew up. He was sent to Rome at age 16 to complete. his education. There he earned a doctorate in Church history and was ordained a priest in 1946. But he could not retum to his homeland because it had come under Communist control. He remained in Rome, continuing his studies and landing a job as a broadcaster in the Croatian language department of Vatican Radio. In 1948 he moved to the Bay Area and lived year to year not khowing whether he would be able to return to Croatia, Bishop Cummins said. Father Dabovich spent nine years as associate pastor at San Francisco's Croatian Church of the Nativity, a parish for the Slavic community. During that time he learned English. He later served as associate pastor at St. Leander Parish, San Leandro; St. Bede Parish, Hayward, and Sacred Heart Parish, Oakland, before being named founding pastor at Good Shepherd in 1965. In Pittsburg the priest, who had learned Italian during his years in Rome, fit in well with the large Italian community there, Bishop Cummins said. In a 1996 interview with The Voice, Father Dabovich Warmly recalled that the community was ready for the challenge of forming a new parish. After setting up a temporary chapel in a furniture store, 100 men spread out in the neighborhoods to solicit pledges to build a new church. Even after 30 years the priest foundly remembered the excitement of the men who returned to the parish center with the pledges. "I'll never forget that'" he said. Father Dabovich credited the parishloners for building the church in 1970 and a parish hall 10 years later. He presided over the parish that grew into an "international parish" of more than 2,500 families that included Catholics of Filipino, Vietnamese, and Latino, descent. He retired from active ministry in 1996 and continued to live on the parish grounds in an apartment built for him by longtime parishioners. He will be missed, said Father Helmut Richter, who succeeded Father Dabovich as pastor in 1997. "He made a tremendous Impact in the community. He touched a lot of families through his sacamental ministry and in the lives of numerous people over the years.  In addition to his pastoral ministry, Father Dabovich served as a judge of the diocesan marriage tribunal, member of the Senate of Priests, chaplain to the Italian Catholic Federation, and moderator of the National Council of Catholic Women, East Contra Costa Deanery. An 1985 he received the Benemerenti medal, established by Pope. Pius V111 for "Outstanding service to the Church."

 

Catholic Voice

Oakland, California

April 9, 2001

 

DAIL, MARIJA (MILETIC) Animator

Marija, a well-known film producer and animator, was born in Zagreb, Croatia on June 9, 1934.  She earned a degree at the University of Zagreb and a Master’s degree at UCLA.  She worked at Zagreb Film starting in 1956.  Moving to Canada, she found work as an animator.  Later, she settled in Hollywood, freelanced for Disney Studios and did animation for Hanna-Barbera Studios.  She lectured briefly at UCLA, Cal Arts and Los Angeles City College.  Marija won the “best of animation” award at an International film Festival in Switzerland.  A prolific illustrator of books as well as an animator, Marija completed a feature film on the legendary and mythical Pittsburgh steel worker “Joe Magarac-Man of Steel”.  She started her own studio, “Animation Cottage”, producing several animated specials for the ABC network.  In 1995-96 she produced and directed the series “Cave Kids” for Hanna-Barbera, which was acquired by PBS.  Marija’s recent endeavors include the production and direction of a series of half hour shows of “Casper” for Universal Studios.

 

DALEY, JOHN Music Song and Dance

John Daley's grandfather, Ivan Matijevich, left Senj, Croatia as a stowaway in 1904. Arriving in New York City, he worked his way down to Corinth, Mississippi, a major railroad crossing. He set up a shoe repair business and bought a farm nearby. Like many immigrants he anglicized his last name, choosing Benny. He was joined in the USA, by his two brothers, Steve and Mike. Steve, his twin, was a miner in Minnesota. Mike, his older brother, was a river pilot on the lower Mississippi. Mike evidently returned to Croatia in later life. He married August Maine Blankenship from an old Tennessee family and quickly had four children. Carolina, John's mother, was the eldest child. After marrying Woodrow Daley, they migrated to California in the 1950s. Carolina loved history, music, and dance and shared her enthusiasms with John. Since her father, Ivan, died when she was six, and many records were destroyed by fire in the family home, Croatia was a special fascination for her. After moving to Berkeley, California, Carolina joined the Slavonic Society in San Francisco and later persuaded her son to join. John at the time was dancing with a Croatian dance group in San Jose called Matija Gubec Croatian Folklore Ensemble. Working with Adam Eterovich, John helped revive the traditional festivals at the Slavonic Cultural center. In the Fall of 1987 the first Marco Polo Festival was held celebrating the Croatian heritage of the famous explorer from Korcula. Chinese dance was performed with Croatian dance from Slavonia. John helped organize a dance group to perform for the occasion, Slavonijo Kolo Ensemble. In the Spring of 1988, the Poklada, or Croatian prelenten carnival, was revived. Aided by a grant from the National Endowments for the Arts, traditional dances from Olib Island, Korcula Island and Glamoc in present day Bosnia were revived. Slavonijo Kolo Ensemble worked closely with the noted folklorist from UCLA, Elsie Dunin to insure authenticity. Master musician, George Ruzich, also formed a tamburitza orchestra to perform for the occasion, the Bay Area Tamburitza Orchestra. Slavonijo Kolo Ensemble went on to perform Croatian dances from Dubrovnik, Istria, Bunjevacko, Krk, Korcula as well as gypsy and Macedonian dances. The dance from Glamoc was chosen for performance at San Francisco Ethnic dance festival. To provide music for dancing, a musical ensemble was formed by John. It was soon called the Slavonian Traveling Band. John and Betsy, his wife, learned the fundamentals of playing the tamburitza from George Ruzich. Tamburitzas are long necked lutes, which come in different sizes, shapes and numbers of strings. The Band also plays the instruments found on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, including the mandolin, mandola and guitar. As the band's repertoire features Macedonian and Romany (gypsy) music, the often include the sax, and the small drum or dumbek. The band began performing on friday evenings at the Slavonic Cultural Center, and developed an extensive repertoire. The Band also organizes multimedia performances under the title "Ivo's Diaspora cabaret". These events are special programs which encourage the participation of new immigrants. The band is in demand at festivals, picnics and weddings throughout the Bay Area and has made three recordings.

After receiving a grant from the California Arts Council Traditional Arts programs, John worked with ethnomusicologist, Rajna Klaser, to organize an ongoing music series at the Slavonic Cultural Center featuring Master Artists of traditional music and dance who lived in the USA featured among the master Artists were Tommy Yeseta and the Yeseta Brothers Orchestra as well as Alma Plancich and Binki Spahi with Ruze Dalmatinke. These Masters of Croatian music were joined by Hungarian, Bosnian and Bulgarian artists in the series. All of these performances have been digitally recorded with both audio and video and will be made available on the webpage of the cultural committee of the SMBS at www.slavonicweb.org.

 

DAMICH, EDWARD Federal Judge-Attorney-Professor

The newly appointed judge of the Federal Court of Appeals in Washington, Edward Damich, was sworn in at a ceremony held last Friday ( January 1999). Judge Damich, born in Pittsburgh fifty years ago, is of Croatian descent. His parents, John and Josephine, provided him with the opportunity to study at Columbia University, where he obtained his Ph. D. in law. In his inaugural speech he said he was proud of his Croatian roots and thanked his parents and family who taught him love and respect. The term of office of each of the 16 judges of the Federal Court of Appeals, one of the four federal courts directly subordinate to the US Supreme Court, lasts 15 years. Edward Damich was an advisor in the Senate's Judiciary Committee, a member of the US delegation to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a university professor and the first president of the National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA) founded on January 2, 1994. At the official lunch held after the ceremony, Judge Damich was congratulated by Miomir Zulul, the Croatian ambassador to the United States, who was happy to wish him success in his future work as a "representative of one of his two homelands." The celebration at the Federal Court of Appeals was attended by, among others, George Radanovich, a congressman of Croatian descent.

 

DAMJANOV, IVAN Professor-Doctor-Author

Ivan Damjanov is a professor of pathology, Jefferson School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born March 31, 1941 in Subotica, Vojvodina; married with three daughters, wife Andrea nee Zivanovic. Education includes Zagreb School of Medicine 1964 with a specialty in pathology; Doctor of Sc in medical sciences, Zagreb 1971; American Board of Pathology diploma 1975.  Instructor at Department of Pathology, Zagreb School of Medicine 1966-1974. Published Pathology of Infertility 1993; Pathology of Human Germ Cell Neoplasia; more than 130 original articles and 85 clinical studies in the field of pathology, 32 review articles and 6 monographs. Member of American Association of Investigative Pathology; US-Canadian Academy of Pathology; International Society of Differentiation.

 

DAMJANOV, ZVONIMIR Professor-Priest

Teacher of Greek and Philosophy at the Diocesan Seminary, Immaculate Conception, Springfield, Illinois. Born February 14, 1915 to Croatian parents in Chicago Illinois. Education includes Classical Gymnasium, Split, Croatia, Graduate, 1933; School of Theology, Split, Croatia, Graduate, 1937; Croatian University, Zagreb. S.T.L., 1940; Gregorian University, Rome, Italy, Ph.D., 1949. Major field in Theology and Philosophy. Thesis: "Hervaei Natalis Doctrina de Demons trab ilitate Infinitatis Dei in Perfectione et Vigore (Iuxtra Quaestionem Hucusque Inediti iractatus de Cognitione Primi Principii) " Gregorian University, Rome 1953.

 

DEDINSKY, ELEANORA  Croatian Mother of California Wine

Agoston Haraszthy in 1856 bought a vineyard in Sonoma and organized the Buena Vista Winery. In 1861 he traveled to his homeland, Hungary, and other parts of Europe and collected vines and trees for planting in California. His collection was published by the State of California as a Catalogue of Vines and Trees.

Croatia was a part of Austria and Hungary at that time. All cuttings were listed as Hungary with a few from Illyria; others were listed by country. He was proclaimed The Father of California Wine. Agoston Haraszthy was born on August 30, 1812 at Futak, Backa, Vojvodina to a noble family. Vojvodina is not in Hungary, it was a part of Austria and was ancient Croatian territory. In 1834 he married a noblewoman, Eleonora Dedinsky, from Dedina. The Dedinsky coat of arms is registered as Croatian arms. The Haraszthy and Dedinsky arms are similar in design indicating relationship. A genealogy Haraszathy shows related families of Horvat, Balasovich, Kubovich, Burian, Halas; all found today in Croatia.

 

DEMARIA, PETER Sea Captain

Peter Demaria was born on the Island of Vis, off the coast of Dalmatia in1876.  The sea was his conduit to America and in 1905 Peter, who was an experienced sea captain, relocated to California.  Peter’s heroic actions in saving his crew of the Diamond in 1923 after a collision with the Indiana made him a respected member of the community.  The loss of the Diamond occurred a year after his marriage to Lukra, nee Zankich in 1922. San Pedro.

 

DEMEREC, MILISLAV Professor-Doctor

Dr. Milislav Demerec, geneticist was born. on January 11, 1895 in Kostajnica. After his education in Croatia he continued graduate studies in Grignon, France. He arrived in America in 1919 and received his Ph.D. at Cornell University in 1923. Then he joined the research center of the Carnegie Institution at Cold Springs Harbor, Long Island. From 1942 to 1960 Dr. Demerec was director of the biological laboratories of the Long Island Biological Association in Cold Springs Harbor and also taught at Columbia University. For years he did research in antibiotics. He published many studies and scholarly articles in the field of genetics. He was the editor of Advances in Genetics. In 1960 he was appointed senior geneticist at Brookhaven National Laboratory at Upton, Long Island. For his discoveries and contributions he received many awards and honorary doctorates. He was also an honorary doctor of the University of Zagreb and a member of the South Slav Academy in Zagreb. He died on April 12, 1966 in Laurel Hollow, Long Island.

 

DEMETER, STEVEN Architect

Steven Demeter has never been bored in his life, and that is not likely to change now that he has retired from American Medicorp. Born in Croatia, Steve joined AHM in 1981 and was vice president, facilities design and construction when he retired in January.  He directed all hospital design related programs for AHM’s owned, leased and managed projects. Steve received his advanced degree in architecture from the University of Zagreb, Croatia in 1947.  He was an assistant professor of the university’s architecture department, and participated in the winning groups of several national architectural competitions before emigrating to the United States in 1954.  During the 1950s and 1960s, Steve was a partner in leading architectural firms in Wisconsin and California.  While with these firms he was responsible for all architectural phases of several multi-million dollar projects, including apartment houses, schools, clinics, office buildings and shopping centers. In 1970, he joined American Medicorp as project designer and project architect for major hospital projects in four states. In January 1987, the Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects honored him with a “Commendation” in recognition of his outstanding services to the profession of architecture. As for Steve becoming bored in retirement, it isn’t likely.  He enjoys music, having been an active musician in his youth, camping, boating, horseback riding, skiing, hunting, dancing and photography. AHM will miss steve’s daily presence, but he has left a legacy of professionalism that will remain with the company for many years to come.  Better still, AHM will continue to benefit from his abilities in construction managment in California, where he has set up shop in AHM’s Orange office.

 

DEPOLO, ANTHONY Grocery Store

Anton Depolo was born on March 7, 1892 on the island of Korcula, Dalmatia, Croatia. He had two brothers, Vincent and Jakov, and four sisters, Carmela, Rajka, Vinca, and Frana. Korcula is considered to be the place where Marco Polo was born, and it is believed that the Depolos, which lived on the island, are his descendents. Prior to his death Anton and Brownie took two trips to Korcula. He spent $2,500 to have a professional genealogist trace and connect the family to Marco Polo who is supposed to have been born on the island.  Shipbuilding was a major industry on the island, and his father, Viko, was a blacksmith who worked in the shipbuilding industry. According to Dusan Kalogjera, author of the book "Shipbuilding in Korcula", Viko in the early 1900's  came to Tacoma, Washington to learn how to begin using more steel in the construction of ships which up until that time were made mostly of wood. He took one of his sons with him, Vincent, and left him in the United States.

Anton went to Trieste to find work and eventually earned the money to take a ship to the United States. He arrived in New York on Steamer ship "Carpathia of Cunard Line" approximately Aug 22 1907, alien passport 910571/282. Anton found his way to Oakland, California to join his brother Vincent, and got a job washing dishes. Later he became a waiter at Louie's Mexican Grill. He then bought a grocery store on 7th Street in Oakland with his partner, Milton Avila. Later they sold that store and bought another on 71 st Street in Oakland just off E. 14th Street. He later later  purchased a small store on Church Street at the end of Avenal in Oakland. That was expanded, and he ran it for many years. He and his sons lived in the small unit above the store.  He married Antoinette Ivaness in about 1913. She was also born on the Dalmatian Coast in the Boka Kotor. She left Anton in about 1928 with the three younger children: Frances, Mary, and Raymond. The four older children, Vincent, Anthony, Eugene, and Milan, remained with Anton and were raised by him. Anton was a small man, always well tanned, and always with a mustache. He raised chickens on Lewelling Boulevard and sold eggs. His second wife "Brownie" worked side by side with him from sun up until sun down taking care of the chickens, gathering and sizing eggs. Brownie had a daughter by her first husband whose name was Diane who lived with them. In the the living room above the store he had hanging a flag with four blue stars, which indicated how many of his sons were serving in the military during WW 11. Gold stars were used for anyone who died in combat, and fortunately he had none of those. On Thanksgiving Day feasts he and Brownie would prepare for the entire family. The day usually started in the early afternoon with Anton and his sons playing bocci, or sometimes horseshoes. It usually ended late in the same evening with the same group playing poker or Pedro. Sometimes Frances's husband Norm would join them for the card games. Anton had prepared the risotto, an old country rice dish made with several whole chickens. After the salad course, we would have the risotto, which was a meal in itself Then, Brownie would bring out the turkey, always at least 30 pounds, Anton would carve it, and we were ready for our second meal. Afierwards of course was pie, usually brought by the daughters-in-law. Unfortunately, once the grandchildren started to come, and Anton and Brownie got older, the annual Thanksgiving Day feasts came to an end. That was a sad day in our household. Similar events were usually held on my Anton’s birthday, March 7, and on Fathers Day. Anton was a member of the Croatian Sokols of San Francisco in 1915 and a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union 356 in Oakland in 1909. His brother, Vinko or Vincent, was also a resident of Oakland and active in the Croatian Fraternal Union. Other members of the Depolo clan from Korcula were up in the Amador mining gold and were members of the Slavonian Society in San Francisco prior to 1900. He died on October 9, 1971.

 

DEPOLO, GARY Corporate Vice President

Gary Depolo was born on November 23, 1935 at Merrit Hospital in Oakland California.  His parents were Vincent and Edith (Baldwin) Depolo both born and raised in Oakland.  His grandfather was Anton Depolo who was born on the Island of Korcula, Dalmatia, Croatia, and came to the United States in 1907 when he was 15 years old. Gary was raised in Oakland until 1951 when he and his family moved to San Lorenzo.  He attended San Lorenzo High when it first opened, and was a good student, particularly in math and science.  He was also on the baseball anfootball team, and active in student government. He received an athletic scholarship to play baseball at UCLA.  He played there during his freshman and sophomore years, but injured his kidney and had to give up his scholarship.  He enrolled in UCLA as an engineering student, but didn't take to it and ended up majoring in business.  He did well in accounting and business classes, and actually passed the CPA exam while in his senior year.  While at UCLA he met Carolyn Smyser, and shortly after graduation and a six month tour with the Army they were married.  He entered UCLA in 1953, graduated in June 1957, and was married in December 1957. Gary and Carolyn immediately located to San Francisco where he went to work for Ernst & Ernst, and she taught school.  Carolyn's career ended with the birth of their first son in 1959, followed by another in 1960 and a third in 1964.  All three boys later married and are presently located in the East Bay.  They too have each had children, and today Gary and Carolyn are the happy grandparents of five grandsons and one granddaughter, ages ranging from one to ten. Gary worked for six years as a CPA with Ernst & Ernst (now Ernst & Young), and then left in 1963 to become Assistant Treasurer of Transamerica Corporation.  He had a very successful career there, and retired in 1991 as Executive Vice President responsible for almost all of the corporate staff. While at Transamerica, in addition to his staff responsibilities, he was on the board of directors of all of Transamerica's subsidiaries, and participated in almost all of Transamerica's acquisitions that occurred while he was there. Since his retirement he has served as a board member of Foster Farms Poultry Company, Crowley Maritime Company, Hexcel Corporation, Standard Brands Paint Company, and Jones Sand Company.  He has been involved as a volunteer with  local hospitals for almost twenty years.  Presently he is on the board directors and chairman of the planning and development committee of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, which is the east bay acute care hospital of the Sutter Health System.  He also was on the board of directors of Orinda Country Club, and served as President in 1994. Gary has a strong Christian faith, and has served three terms as an Elder in the Presbyterian Church.  He meets regularly with Christian men in small groups, and on many occasions has chaired fund raising campaigns for his church. He is also a board member of the Lowell Berry Foundation, a private foundation that benefits mainly other Christian non-profit organizations.

 

DEPOLO, VINCENT Grocery Store-Sales

Vincent was the oldest of seven, whose mother left the family when he was about eleven years old leaving him to take care of his three  brothers while his Dad ran the store. His mother took his two sisters and his youngest brother with her. At the time they lived above the store that his father owned on 69th Avenue in Oakland, Californa. Vincent, married Edith Baldwin on March 24, 1934.  They had two sons,  Thomas Anthony, born September 7, 1937, and Gary. His family and older friends refer to him as Vinc. He was a hard working man, who always provided for his family, and never was without a days work. He began driving a milk wagon right out of high school for a man he always referred to as "Pope", and later did the same thing for Golden State Farms. He bought the grocery store from his father in about 1943 and did that until he sold it in about 1954. Vincent took bookkeeping classes. He did this so he would have a proper set of books for the store.  He then ran a small store in Piedmont for a year or two in about 1955, and then went to work for Arden Farms as a route supervisor. Finally, he left there and went for to work for a friend at Quick Stop Stores as a Vice President of Sales. Vincent loved sports, especially golf.  In high school he was a triple threat single wing tailback with probably a pretty good arm and was called "Bullet Arm Depolo".  He golfed almost every Wednesday and Sunday from the time he owned the store until he retired. When he was young he played mostly at Chabot Municipal course in Oakland, with occasional rounds at Alameda and the Hayward Muni courses. Since retirement he has played 5-6 days a week, except for the year after his wife died which left him uninterested for a while. He has had 15 hole-in-ones and even at age 85 shot his age almost weekly. As mentioned above my he was one of seven children. For a short time in 1994 all seven were in their 70's.  He was catholic, and he says he was an altar boy when he was young.

 

DERADO, IVAN Professor

Professor Derado was born December 24, 1929 in Split, Dalmatia.  His field is Physics, and is a graduate of the University of Zagreb. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Munich in 1959. In 1970 he was a Associate Professor working at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford University. He has published in the areas of physics and nuclear structure.  He presently resides in Stanford, California.

 

DERPICH, NICK Restaurant

A cheerful and happy man, loved and respected by all who he ever met.  He was born on the Island of Brac in Dalmatia, Croatia and came to live in Watsonville at the age of 20 where he worked with his brother on a ranch. He then moved to San Francisco, worked in restaurants and joined the Slavonic Society July 3, 1921.  He returned to Watsonville and with former Slavonic member Peter Knego operated the Royal Grill for 19 years.  He then founded and operated the Miramar Restaurant till his retirement. Nick married Katie in 1928 and they were inseparable throughout the years.  They had a daughter Geri and also raised a niece, Frannie Derpich Colendich.

Nick was extremely proud of this Croatian roots and traditions and did his most to promote our culture. Throughout the years he maintained close ties with his native Brac and was active in helping others come to the US; sending money and aid and tutoring them in English and helping them become US citizens. Nick was a small man in stature but had a magnetic charm and personality always sporting a great smile and sparkling eyes that set him apart from others.

 

DESPOL, ANTON Banker

Anton Despol was born on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, in 1884.  As a youth he migrated to the U.S. with his father Ivo, son of one of the oldest Despalatovices of Split.  They located in New York City.  In 1899 Anton, leaving his father, temporarily, returned to Dalmatia.  He was immediately conscripted into the old Austrian Navy, where he spent four years in the Engineering Deptartment.  In 1901 he returned to America joining his father who, in the meantime, had located in Southern California and San Pedro where he engaged in the insurance business.  Recently he became Slavic representative of the Bank of America.  He was organizing Chairman of the Los Angeles Branch, Slavonic organizing chairman of the Los Angeles Branch, Slavonic Alliance of California, and is an active member of that and other Croatian organizations. He was president of the Dalmatian Club of San Pedro, of which he is past president.  Anton Despol is a banker who makes chemistry his hobby.  He is married and the father of one son John, aged 21.

 

DEVCICH-DAVIS, JOHN Goldminer-Saloon-Restaurant-Farm

John Davis was born in the village of Sumartin on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. September 20, 1825.  There he resided for the first eleven years of his life, when he took up the labors of a sailor, proceeded to Trieste, and afterwards with an uncle, to Constantinople.  From the City of Constantinople he found his way to Odessa, in the Black Sea, whence sailed down the Mediterranean to Marseilles in France, where, taking on board a cargo of wheat, a return to the Adriatic was made.  The next cruise was along the ports on the Northern Coast of Africa, and, touching at the island of Cyprus, loaded with wine and sailed for Trieste, whence he once more found himself in Turkey’s capital; and finally loading wheat at Odessa for Liverpool.  From this last port our subject visited the Cove of Cork, in the south of Ireland, when he went to Ardossan, Scotland, then back to the Black Sea; subsequently to Naples, Genoa, the Black Sea, and Belfast. He shipped on board a British ship bound for Rio de Janeiro.  This was in 1837.  He there left his ship, and, after a month, proceeded to China and Liverpool returning to the Celestial Empire-- in short, he made eight voyages in all between China and England.  He then shipped in Liverpool for New Orleans, in 1838, returning to England in the Spring of 1840.  He then engaged in the China trade until the discovery of gold in California, when he came to the Pacific Coast in the ship Antelope, arriving in San Francisco on June 16, 1849.  Mr. Davis almost immediately proceeded to the mines at Auburn, on the American River, Placer County, but at the end of three months forsook the pick and rocker and established a pack-train between Sacramento and the mines for the purpose of supplying the gold-seekers with groceries.  Ill-luck now commenced to make itself felt.  Our subject was stricken with mountain fever; during his illness his mules were stolen, and on final recovery, so disgusted was he, he gave a Mexican his packing fixtures, and started to the Mariposa Mines, ultimately returning to Stockton and San Jose, The Mission Dolores and San Francisco.  Between the last two points naught prevailed but a wild wilderness, through which he passed on foot, his horse having been stolen.  Here he met several wagons laden with victims of cholera, which was an epidemic during the summer of 1850.  After remaining three months in San Francisco, he erected a house on what is now Commercial Street, and opened a restaurant and lodging house,  the Miner’s Exchange Saloon at 6 Commercial Street in 1851.  In 1851 he sold out and came to his present residence in Contra Costa County where he owns four hundred and forty-two acres of land. He marred a girl from Scotland and had a large family. Married in Oakland, this being the first wedding of Westerns to take place in that city, Anna Connor, a native of Scotland, and has six surviving children, viz: Frank, John, Geovienia, Connor, Mary, and William.  Mr. Davis, and his son John are members of the Society of California Pioneers.

 

DEVLAHOVICH, ANTON  Fisherman

Most of the boats Anton owned on the Pacific Ocean carried the name of his own hometown, Bol, on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia.  Born on March 15, 1884, as a child he was introduced to the hardship of a fisherman’s life and the dangers of the sea.  From the Bering Sea, to Cape Flattery, then to California and Mexico were Anton’s yearly routes.  But his greatest success was his family.  In 1913 in Tacoma, Washington he asked for the hand of Kate, nee Pakusich.  Five children were born to them: John, Dobrila, Vicko, Jelka (Eleanor), and Zlatica (Goldy). San Pedro.

 

DIMTER, VJEKOSLAV Tamburitza Music-Song Writer

A native of Osijek, Croatia, Vjekoslav ('Vjeko') began studying music at an early age. He was an active member of the Milica Krizan Folk Dance Ensemble of Osijek. While touring North America with this group, Vjeko auditioned for and was accepted by the Duquesne University Tamburitzans of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Vjeko has proven to be a great influence in our culture, helping to improve the quality and diversity of our music. He has written approximately 50 songs, many of which are performed by tamburasi throughout the United States. The Jerry Grcevich Orchestra, Boduli, Peter Kosovec, Sarmeri, Gazde, and Slanina perform songs for which Vjeko contributed the lyrics. Vjeko is an accomplished musician, exceptionally talented on bugarija and guitar. In addition to writing and playing music, Vjeko has also helped many tamburasi produce CDs and audio recordings, including Boduli's 'Ti dobro znas', Sianina's 'Vrijeme za spek' and Harmonia's 'Ciganska krcma: In a Gypsy Cafe'. While living in Zagreb, Croatia, Vjeka achieved great success as a composer and performer. In 1997, he was awarded the equivalent of a Grammy for his song 'U snu i ljubavi', performed by the popular group Gazde. He also collaborated with the Croatian pop band Sarmeri on two albums and was critically acclaimed for his musical and lyrical talents. Vjeko currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife Lisa and plays bugarija with the Jerry Grcevich Orchestra of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 

DIOMARTICH, FELIX Priest

In the 77-year existence of St. Anthony's Croatian parish in Los Angeles, Monsignor Felix Diomartich has been its pastor for 36 years, half of his life and longer than any previous pastor. During those long years, he dedicated his outstanding capabilities to the spiritual and temporal growth of St. Anthony’s parish and its parishioners. At the time of his retirement on August 18th, 1986, the parish was situated in an excellent financial condition as well as the entire facilities: the Church, the parish haIl, the new rectory, a house for the Sisters and two parking lots. St. Anthony's parishioners gratefully acknowledge Monsignor Diomartich’s dedicated and unselfish service, and wish him good health and a very active retirement. At the same time they express their warm congratulations on the occassion of the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood which will be celebrated in St. Anthony's Church on Sunday, August 9th, 1986 with a Thanksgiving Mass at 10 O'clock followed by a reception in the parish hall.

 

DIVANOVICH, PETER Restaurant

Peter Djivanovich-Barisa went to California in 1905. He was the coowner of two restaurants, the first with Baldo Haidich and the other with Nikola Lazo. He was joined in 1910 by his brothers, Ilija-Zigerica and Nikola-Sarko. Ilija Djivanovich-Zigrica first worked in Oakland, then moved to Monterey. In Monterey he lived with the family of Nikola Dabelich-Gruje, worked with them in their restaurant and he never married. Petar Djivanovich Barisa returned to live in Babino PoIje after the end of the First World War. There he built a new house and got married.

 

DIVIZICH, PETER Vineyard-Fruit

This is a testimonial to the American Dream. It is the story of a young Croatian emigrant who came to America in the 20's and single-handedly parlayed a passport and a few hard earned dollars into a multimillion dollar vineyard empire of national and international. fame.

His name is Peter John Divizich, a legendary figure in California's San Joaquin Valley, one who turned a wasteland of sand and tumbleweed into a productive farmland and left an indelible imprint on the progress of American agriculture.

Peter, or Pete, as he is generally known, was born on June 16, 1897, in the small village of Gruda in Konavle, east of Dubrovnik, in the Republic of Croatia. 

As a boy, Peter Divizich had been the proud possessor of a subscription to four Croatian newspapers, a gift of a generous uncle. Peter read avidly, acquainting himself with the events happening in his homeland and in the world, in general. From his youthful perspective, certain English speaking countries appealed to him. Now, at home, the dream took shape. He would go, God willing, to either Canada, New Zealand, Australia or America.

He decided on America. Others of his nationality had gone there and had made out. There had been letters.

In such fashion did a 23 year old Croatian emigrant climb down the gangplank from the steamer that slid past the Statue of Liberty on a cold November day and docked in New York. There was a dream of vineyards ... and Westward was the dream.

With that train ticket, his savings and his passport, the man and his suitcase arrived in Watsonville, California, in 1921. It was for awhile. Watsonville, at that time, boasted a population of about ten thousand people. Of them, thirty-seven hundred were Croatians.  In the few years that Peter worked there he was literally at home. Peter was popular with his employer and Croatian friends. He became a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union Branch 352. By modern standards, laboring pay was low in Watsonville in the 20's. An indication of that was Peter's decision to leave Watsonville in the Spring of 1923 to accept a job at the large Irvine Ranch in Orange County in Southern California. He had read in the paper that one job as tree surgeon at $3.50 was eventually available. Peter applied for the job; he got it.

In the fall of 1924, he journeyed to Porterville in the great Central San Joaquin Valley. A year of earnings as foreman at the local Rosecrest Ranch, added to what he had already saved, served as down payment on a thirty acre deciduous orchard northwest of town. The expenditure was $1000 down payment. Peter Divizich, the Croatian emigrant, had his land on which to anchor his dream, the grapevines that would multiply until they would one day become one of the largest vineyards in the world.

The heartland of California is the Great Central Valley. Geographically, it is divided into two great regions: the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys.

Peter Divizich's choice of that area for conquest is understandable. There was a small colony of Croatians who were trying a hand at farming and who could make him feel at home. On his thirty acres on the northwest side of town, Peter Divizich, the immigrant, took his stand.  On the ten acres of the bare land he planted cantelopes, watermelons, cotton and vegetables. He marketed the returns himself in the neighboring towns along with the produce of other ranchers. He tore up the ten acres of non-productive prune and peach trees and replaced them with a vineyard. The planting of those first grapes was to signal a forty-two hundred acre spread of table and wine grapes in time. Nonetheless, Peter's efforts began to pay off gradually. He was marketing his dried fruit, prunes and raisins, in nearby Fresno. He was selling his other produce, along with that of neighboring ranchers, in Los Angeles. Others recognized that the Divizich knowledge of marketing methods paid financial dividends. To meet transportation demands, Peter bought trucks on credit.

From 1928 to 1929 the years were good to Peter Divizich. Aside from his own ranch products, Peter leased land and sold fruit, prunes and raisins, dried in the open air beneath the hot San Joaquin sun. He shipped the crops to Los Angeles and Sacramento at good market prices.

Peter Divizich was beginning to command attention by those with a stake in Valley farming. With his ranching profits, Peter considered a new project. The volume of business in produce and dried fruit that he was handling convinced him that newer, quicker methods of drying were in order. He was looking forward to the building of a dehydrator plant in the San Joaquin Valley. His reasoning was right. The fruit drying process would be quicker, would profitably speed delivery to markets. It was more sanitary than the old method of drying prunes and raisins in the open fields.

His proposal to build a dehydrator plant would have invited a few skeptics even in good times. To attempt such a venture in the Depression would seem to most an impossibility. Peter Divizich had three things going for him: his power of persuasion, his friends and his past performance.

Peter had become a well-liked member of the Porterville Chamber of Commerce. He was also an active member of the local Farm Bureau. Peter Divizich turned to his friends in Porterville with his idea of a dehydrator plant. He asked for support, arguing the practical merits and the value of a fruit dehydrator in terms of the Valley's future. People listened. Peter's friends came to his support in the construction of his dehydrator project. The dehydrator for drying Valley fruit successfully reached completion in the summer of 1930. At that time it contained two tunnels, fed by electricity and gas, through which the fruit passed in the drying process. Whereas it had taken twenty days to process prunes and golden bleach raisins in the past, it would now take approximately 10 to 16 hours. Peter had demonstrated the latter qualities. He continued to capitalize on them profitably. He moved his own fresh fruit to the markets in Los Angles and San Francisco. He contracted to prune the local orchards, to pick the fruit and to market it, along with his own. There were dividends from his sale of fruit and of other produce. His golden bleached raisins found a fair market in England. Rosenberg Brothers' Dry Fruit Company and Del Monte Corporation in Fresno, California, were his dry fruit outlet. He delivered to them prunes, raisins and peaches, dried in his Porterville dehydrating plant. Rosenberg Brothers Dry Fruit Company in Fresno helped him in that direction. They were in the business of processing dried fruit, crating it and delivering it to national outlets and to such international markets as the United Kingdom and the Scandinavian countries. They struck a bargain with Peter. They would agree to a mortgage on his 400 tons of bleached raisins at $35-00 a ton. However, there was a condition attached to the transaction. He had to purchase a 160 acre ranch that they owned in Poplar, west of Porterville. They would offer $3,500 as down payment.

On May 18, 1934, Peter Divizich became a citizen of the United States. It was a proud moment for him. The years of night school and study had paid off. The independent Croatian emigrant farmer, Peter Divizich, now citizen in 1934, would never lose his love of Croatia. No one ever does. He would, however, make no mean contribution to the land that was now providing his living. It would be, largely, a legacy of grapes that would boost American agricultural economy. In 1934 Peter bought another 42 acres, comprised of prunes, peaches and oranges. He planted 24 acres in grapes.

Peter constructed buildings along Porterville's Main Street during 1936 and 1937. They still stand today, visible evidences of his foresight and of the profit that they brought to himself personally and to the town. Peter's new building put it squarely into the 20th century. If Peter Divizich was engaged in building in 1937, he, assuredly, was not neglecting his primary occupation, that of ranching. He purchased another 160 acres of land in Delano, located some 25 miles southwest of Porterville in the vicinity of Tulare County. His new acquistion added up to 60 acres of peach orchard and 100 acres of bareland.

He purchased another 160 acres in Delano later in 1939. He planted that in grapes also. So began the Delano chapter of Peter Divizich's ranching career. The Delano area, along with ranch land in Ducor to the northeast, eventually were to serve as the primary base for the operations of the P.J. Divizich Fruit Corporation. The two initial parcels of grapeland planted in Delano became part of the largest vineyard in the world which was owned and developed by one man.

As Peter states it, with the growth of his Delano enterprise, by the late 60's he had expended over a million dollars in just leveling land in the Delano Ducor area. Further, he had laid approximately 70 miles of irrigation pipe line, along with pumps, costing over a million dollars. In addition, he had constructed over 70 miles of private roads.

At any rate, the years 1938 and 1939 saw Peter launched into a vineyard career of considerable magnitude. He would continue growing and marketing cotton and deciduous fruit. His golden bleached raisins would be dried in his Porterville dehydrator to which he added another drying tunnel by this time. If his investment was to grow, as it did, to 3500 acres, that fact is understandable, considering the nature of the man.  During the war years that ended with the surrender of Germany and Japan in 1945, Peter worked his holdings, expanding his vineyards and shipping his dried fruit to American markets and to the European war areas. The volume of production from his acreages persuaded Peter to rent a packing house in Delano. Following the construction of the Ducor Packing Plant, Peter built three warehouses in which to store his fruit while awaiting transportation to major markets. Meanwhile, his golden bleach raisins and dried prunes continued their sales abroad in the United Kingdom and in the Scandinavian countries.

In 1947 Peter was supervising a ranching business that had grown to approximately 1200 acres, chiefly vineyard.

However, in 1947 Peter was not thinking merely in terms of standard shipment of grapes. He had another idea. He decided to build his own self-contained storage plant in Ducor to service his grape territory. His motive was entirely practical. Cold storage of grapes can provide two important benefits to the grower: extension of the markeing period or relief of market congestion.

Peter had the largest vineyard and orchard operation as an individual in California. Peter was raising twenty commercial varieties of grapes and was experimenting with fifteen other types. His Crystal grapes, an early, sturdy, white fruit, which he had experimentally developed over seven years, were finding popular markets in Hong Kong and Singapore. With the California Fruit Exchange acting as his marketing agency, Peter was selling his grapes widely throughtout the United States. The Divizich "Highland" brand was being shipped to Hong Kong, Singapore, Penang, Manila, Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba, Costa Rica and other South and Central America countries.

The P.J. Divizich vineyards are operated as a fully integrated enterprise involving the growing, storing, shipment and marketing of a wide variety of grapes. The vineyards are located on approximately 5500 acres of ground (4300 acres presently planted to vineyards.) The operations are served by complete packing house and cold storage facilities. A rural community consisting of dormitories, multiple unit homes and single farm houses are all located on portions of the property. An extensive maintenance shop to provide for all normal requirements, including major mechanical overhauls of the extensive fleet of farm equipment, including tractors, trucks and buses all owned and operated by the ranch, is also owned and operated on the property. Twenty-seven major irrigation wells with production averaging 100 gallons per minute each are available for service of water through an extensive system of irrigation pipelines to allow service of water to the total acreage. All lands are connected by the ranch pipe-lines excepting a block of 260 acres located within and served by the Delano -Earlimart Irrigation District.

 

DJUROVICH, KARLO Artist

Karlo Djurovich was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 1945.  In 1969 he  graduated from the National Academy of Pedagogy for Graphic arts in Zagreb.  In 1972 he established his own atelier in Dubrovnik and began work on serographs and tapestries. Mr. Djurovich is represented in public and private collections in Croatia, Greece, Italy, France, West Germany, Switzerland, Holland, England, Finland, Israel, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Mexica, Australia and the United States. A well-traveled, meticulously cultured gentleman, hand-weaver of Medieval and Abstract tapestries, fresco-painter, cat-lover, cook, and gypsy, has come to Sacramento looking for congeniality, new horizons and a saner, more balanced    lifestyle that he found in San Francisco, his first American home. In October, 1983, Mr. Djurovich established his own Atelier in Sacramento, California, where he is now a permanent resident.

 

DOMANCICH, SAM Fisherman-Combat Correspondent-Teacher

We've been enjoying Sam Domancich's columns in the newspapers for six years. With humor and love, he recalls the lives of friends, relatives and his particular ethnic group, the Croatian community in San Pedro, California which arrived here early in the last century, labored and often prospered in the fishing industry. Sam, his brother Matty (Kuzma) and sister Nellie attended the local schools, and, notably, Sam was elected president of the student body at Dana Junior High School. He served in the Army during the Korean War as a combat correspondent, returned to work in a variety of jobs, including longshoreman, cannery worker and commercial fisherman, and graduated from Long Beach State College in 1955 where he was captain of the track team. He taught high school English and Journalism for eight years and was a Child Welfare, and Attendance Counsellor for 21 years. Through all these years he participated enthusiastically in sports and also wrote sports articles for the San Pedro High School Fore 'n'Aft, the San Pedro News Pilot and the Long Beach Press Telegram. In 1956 he married "wonderful, patient" Jackie Chutuk and they have three children: Mike, Danny and Susanna; and three grandchildren: Hayley, Holly and Hannah. He retired in 1987 and moved back to his hometown San Pedro in 1996. (Baker 2002)

 

DOMICH, ANNA 101 Years Old

Mrs. Anna Domich of Oakland, California will celebrate her 101st birthday on February 11, 1956. She came to this country from the Island of Vis, Dalmatia, Croatia in 1922 and has lived in Oakland since then with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Peter Cengia. She has six other children still in Croatia.  And there are 36 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 23 great-great-grandchildren. The children are Mrs. Domich’s greatest interest, her family reports, and she annually spends a few weeks at the home of her granddaughter, Mrs. George E. Vance, 179 Arena St., San Lorenzo, to be near Kathy Vance, 3, and George, 5. Great numbers of picture books overcome the language barrier between then youngsters and Mrs. Domich, who speaks only her native Croatian. Her birthday will be celebrated quietly tomorrow at the Vance home, with only immediate members of the family attending.

 

DOMICH, DINKO Restaurant

Justice Scotland is the grandson of Dinko Domic of the village of Lozisca on the island of Brac and Anna Cervoni, also of Brac. Dinko Domic came to the United States in1910 and his wife, Anna, followed him in 1913. He worked first as a miner in Minnesota and in Colorado. Then he went to work in the kitchen of the Brown Palace Hotel of Denver in 1914. Justice Scotland's mother, Matilda, was born in Denver in 1914. In 1921 the family Domich moved to Lodi, California and later to Sacramento. Dinko Domich worked as a chef in various restaurants and clubs in Sacramento, and at one time owned and operated his own eating establishment, The Market Cafe, located at 14th and J Streets, in Sacramento. Justice Scotland's grandparents died in the 1960's. His mother resides in Sacramento.

 

DOMINIS, JOHN Sea Captain

John Dominis, son of Captain Dominis-Gospodnetich, grew up in Hawaii in the 1840's and 1850's.  His father is said to be from the Island of Brac in Dalmatia, or have originated from there.  Captain Dominis was an early pioneer to the Oregon and Washington Coast in the 1830's as a whaling ship captain.  On September 16, 1862 the son, John, married Miss Lydia K. Paki who became the last Queen of Hawaii, Oueen Liluiokalani.  John became the prince Consort.  There is a large boulevard named after Dominis in Hawaii.

 

DOMINIS-GOSPODNETICH, JOHN

In the 1830’s Dominis-Gospodnetich operating out of Hawaii barreled and shipped the first salmon out of the state of Washington to the Eastern United States and established the Salmon Trade. His son John Dominis-Gospodnetich married an Hawaiian princess who became the last queen of Hawaii-Queen Lilioukalani and Dominis-Gospodnetich became the King-Consort.

 

DOMITROVICH, STEPHANIE Judge

Stephanie Domitrovich was born and raised in the Western Pennsylvania town of Aliquippa in Beaver County. Her mother escaped Nazi occupation in Greece and immigrated to the United States, where she met Stephen Domitrovich, a World War 11 veteran and owner of a small grocery and soda shop. Stephanie and her younger brother literally grew up in the store, waiting on customers and serving coffee. After graduating from Quigley High School, Stephanie enrolled at Carlow College, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1976. Following graduation, she enrolled at the Duquesne University School of Law, where she met her husband of 22 years, Attorney Ron Susmarski. After graduation from Duquesne in 1979, Stephanie began practicing law in Erie. After practicing law for eight years and serving as Assistant Co-unty Solicitor for Erie County, Stephanie heard the call to public service and embarked on a campaign for judge of the Common Pleas Court in Erie County. Judge Dpmitrovich shocked the establishment by going door-to-door and person-to-person to win a huge upset. She was overwhelmingly retained for another 10-year term in 1999. Judge Stephanie Domitrovich has served both as a Family Court Judge of the Family/Orphan's Court Division of Erie County. She is currently assigned to hear civil and criminal, cases as a judge in the Trial Division of the Common Pleas Court. Stephanie Domitrovich is the only judge in Pennsylvania to hold two masters degrees from the National Judicial College, where she is also a faculty member. She also serves her community as an educator at Penn State Behrend. Judge Stephanie Domitrovich and her husband are the proud parents of two teenage boys. Her civic and community involvement includes bringing school children to the courthouse to conduct mock trials to learn more about how the courts work for them. She hosts "Meet Your Judge" for citizens to understand how the courts serve their everyday needs. Judge Domitrovich conducts reading programs in local elementary schools. She serves on the Board of Directors at Gannon University and belongs to the American Association of University Women, and she is a volunteer for the Girl Scouts of America. "For 12 years as a Common Pleas Court Judge," Judge Domitrovich said, " I have worked to demonstrate that judges serve as leaders. We work with our communities to set the standards for right and wrong, to hold those who harm us accountable and to protect those who are vulnerable. As Superior Court judge, I want to continue to serve Pennsylvania."

 

DONICH, VICTOR Construction-Logger

Victor Donich was born April 26, 1940 in Aberdeen to Victor "Mike" and Marie (Gateson) Donich. As a youngster, he attended St. Mary's School in Aberdeen, Washington and was an altar boy. He also attended Aberdeen High School. Victor Donich was the owner of the Norwest Construction Co. on the Harbor. Before that he worked in logging, including seven years in Alaska, and the house-moving business. He was a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union Zrinski Frankopan Lodge 271 in Aberdeen. He was known as an expert clam digger and a creative woodworker. He had many projects and spent countless hours doing home remodeling. Victor Cyril "Skip" Donich died on  October 24, 2001, in Aberdeen. He was 61. He is survived by his mother Marie Yeary and Aunt Rosemary Gateson Barker and many cousins. A brother Kenneth, died before him.

 

DORCICH, STEPHEN Farm-Real Estate

Stephen Dorcich, beloved husband of the late Mary Dorcich; loving father of Stephen N. Dorcich, Mrs. Lucille Tersigni, Mrs, Helen Pavicich and Mrs. Mary Ellen Czarnecki, all of San Jose, California; dear brother of Louis Dorcich of Saratoga, Mrs. Mary Amstutz of San Jose and the late Roy L.Dorcich; devoted grandfather of 10 grandchildren; a  native of Croatia; aged 66; a member of the National Association of Realtors a lifetime director of the California Association of Realtors, past president of the San Jose Real Estate Board, past president of the National Farm and Land Brokers, The Farm Bureau, Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara Pear Growers Association. Stephen Dorcich died March 27, 1977 in a plane accident in the Canary Islands.

 

DRAGICEVICH, MATT City Councilman-Produce Business

On the Island of Hvar, Dalmatia in the Adriatic, old men drink slivovitz by salt-spackled driftwood fires. Bridging decades, they sometimes talk of the Dragicevich family who were smugglers, mostly, but olive oil and grape people too.  They recall the Dragicevich boy who sent across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic to America. And how he, too, had boys and one, Matthew, grew to own a fine business and good gun dogs and sits high in the councils of a shining desert city.  They wonder how such things come to be in those fable States-from breaking laws to making them in shot years. That boy Matthew is the produce magnet and a city councilman in Palm Springs.  he is flat-bellied and just over middlesized.  He has Popeye forearms and a Coalshovel chin.  He wears a neat but not gaudy peper-and-salt mustache.  he’s a fine wing shot, a tireless hunter, and a man for a fish to reckon with.  He has become the most discussed figure in the city. As a topic of conversation, he’s head and head with the weather and two lengths in from of whatever is third.  In the most recent impartial survey, he is shown to pull more words daily than Sinatra, sex and one-way streets combined. “He’s a whirling dervish.”  There is much opinion but little agreement concerning Matt.  Except that everyone calls him by his first name to keep from tripping on their own uvulas. Some think him the the greatest advance since tree surgery.  “He browbeat the council into zoning his own land his way.”  “He led us into incorporation and out there and saved us from blighted environs.”  “He has brilliance, sometimes genius.”  “His story is really yet to be told-he hasn’t come into his own yet.” His father, a Dalmatian of outsize strength and proportion, landed in San Francisco in ‘98.  He moved on to Los Angeles after the fire and quake.  Throughout his life in the States he was a master painter for Southern Pacific railroad.

Matt was born in 1916, the second youngest of three girls and two boys.  He grew up in the Boyle Heights district which, then, wasn’t such a strange place for a boy to become a gun and dog man. He ranged the foothills winter and summer, usually with his kid sister as a companion.  Often, he cached his 15-cent lunch allowances, walked five miles to the old Army and Navy store at Fifth and Main, and blew his poke on shotgun shells.  They were a penny apiece, any gauge, and shot. Later, he invested in a bike and, for awhile, held the sprint record at the Winter Garden.  Telegrams came straight from the key then and Matt delivered them-sometimes 10 or 15 miles per message. Graduation from Roosevelt High coincided with the loud pop of the Stock market plug and the gurgle of the economy going down the drain.  It was raining brokers on Spring street and Matt’s father went on a two-day week at the shops.  Like most across the nation, the Dragicevich kids went to work or out on their own. To Matt, it was a good time to see the elephant and eat his ears.  He was of a good age to hear the owl hoot. For four years, he bummed the world.  Alaska.  The China Coast.  South America.  Europe.  Dockhand.  Stowaway.  From Boston to New York on a three-master carrying potatoes.  Apprentice gunner on a whaler off the Pacific Coast.  Come quick periods of schooling around the Bay area, studying engineering.  the Embarcadero picket lines during the waterfront strikes.  A lad called Ballbat Brennan was banging out base hits on enemy skulls in those gentle days.  (Come to think of it, with Juan Marical playing Batman up there now, San Francisco has come full circle.) Next, a quieter period, working steel in Los Angeles and San Francisco. When the war came, Matt was working on dry docks in Chavez Ravine. He married Virgie Osa Arnold about then, a railroad man’s daughter who grew up in the Indian Nation of Oklahoma. They both went to China Lake at the inception of Cal Tech’s rocket-testing installation there, Matt as a draftsman and Virgie, so help me, in charge of the powder magazines.  Later, Matt was a project engineer on the final tests of the proximity fuses for the atom bomb. “If a man ever had the help of a good wife, Matt has.”  “There’s a fine lady and a bright one.” “For every pound of produce he’s thrown, she’s thrown a ton.” Matt is her greatest admirer.  No one knows more surely, or speaks more often, of her strong an pleasant role. During the China Lake period, he more or less backed into the produce business, pantering his brother-in-law in the Redlands Produce Company.  In 1947, he came to Palm Springs and, with Warren Coble, opened a branch.  They worked out of a tin warehouse on Section 14, where the Spa Hotel now stands.  Shortly, Matt sold Redlands, bought our Coble, and opened a Tahoe Branch.  He worked his trade.  Six nights a week, at midnight, he climbed into his truck and pounded the road to the Los Altos produce market.  Virgie kept the books and ran the dock.  Matt did the selling then and sells now. Prospering, he bought 40 acres in a cone just off Highway 111, burned the warehouse by the Indian Springs, and moved headquarters. Matt and Virgie have always lived in trailers.  With no children of their own, they helped raise two nephews and saw then to college.  Both boys have since served in Viet Nam as Seabees. Matt had energy left over.  He parlayed it into more businesses, civic endeavors, and politics.  He’s a partner in 750 acres of prime Jackson Hole hay land.  He had a run at the shrimp business in Mexico.  He talked Frank Bogart into running and managed his council campaign.  He was the powder charge behind the successful elections-at-large drive.  In the first such election, two and a half years ago, he bought a Stetson with a pheasant band a leat in, in his own name.  He campaigned mightily and won one of the two seats open.  He defeated, among others, well-entrenched and popular Ten McKinney. Seated on the council, Matt exploded into prominence.  He became a gadfly and a goad.  He was sometimes bombastic, sometimes effective.  Mouths sagged or wagged.  Blood pressures rose into the paint numbers.  Bull churned. Matt talks well, often and much.  In turn, they talk about Matt-his role, influence and future. “He’ll be our best asset of a flop.”  “He’s and instant expert on everything.”  “Matt has to be the center, he can’t be left out.”  “Where else can we get drive and spirit like that”  “He never knows what he’s going to say until he hears himself.” So it’s love-hate.  It’s rising interest in the promise of this vitality and versatility.  “He’s got guts enough to go against the general public when he thinks they’re wrong.” Recently, he was asked if he’s bucking for mayor. He said, “Absolutely not.” He didn’t even smile.

 

DRAGICEVICH, NESAN J. Writer-Accountant

Of Oakland and San Francisco, California, Public Accountant and writer, was born in Trpanj, Dalmatia, Croatia, on September 6, 1894.  Early in the year 1898 his parents moved to San Francisco where he obtained his early education.  Moving to Oakland to reside after the great earthquake and fire in San Francisco in the the year 1906. He graduated for the Polytechnic College of Oakland in the year 1917, and from the San Francisco Institute of Accountancy in the year 1925.  His first articles on History, Sociology, and Economics were published in many of the large American journals and magazines and recopied by reviewers in America, Europe and South America. He has also contributed to many of the greatest American publications on Accounting and Finance, and delivered many lectures on a variety of economic and liberal subjects in all of the principal cities of the Pacific Coast. In Croatia his biography is included in “Zasluzni i Znameniti Hrvati, Godine 925 do 1925,” and in the “Narodna Enciklopedija” of which the noted scholar Stanojevic was the chief editor,  In the year 1932 he was honored with the Order of the Crown of Jugoslavia.

 

DRAGICEVICH NESAN, MARY Croatian Activities

Mrs. Nesan, who lived at 512 Crofton Avenue, Oakland, California was a native of Trpanj, Dalmatia, Croatia.  She came to San Francisco in 1898 and moved to Oakland in 1906. Her late husband, John, was the son of Manda Kacich, member of the Croatian royal family. In 1932 Mrs. Nesan’s son, James, Oakland accountant and writer, was honored by King Alexander I of Yugoslavia with bestowal of the Order of the Crown for his services as a writer on World War I topics. Mrs. Nesan was the sister of the late Salvador Nesanovich, several times Mayor of Lima, Peru.  He was chairman of the commission which welcomed General Pershing when he was sent to Peru during the Hoover administration to arbitrate a historic boundary dispute between that country and Chile.  She was also the sister of the late Vincent  Mirko of Oakland. Mrs. Nesan was a member of the Croatian Society Tomislav and was founder of the Croatian Church of the Nativity in San Francisco.

 

DRAGICH, PETER Fisherman

Petar was born in Crikvenica, Dalmatia 1873.  He followed his yearnings for the sea and fishing to the new world and relocated in the United States in 1893. Dragich is credited for his innovations in the San Pedro fishing industry, primarily the introduction of large boats in the early Twentieth Century.  His fishing boats, which sailed as far as the Bering Sea, set the pattern for adventure that Peter’s five sons, Nick, Pete, John, Josip, Mato and Raymond also pursued.

 

DRAGOLICH, JOHN Fisherman-Restaurant-Goldminer

John Dragolich, one of the oldest and best known pioneer fishermen of the Columbia River, died last evening at a local hospital in Astoria, Oregon. Mr. Dragolich was born in Boka Kotor, Dalmatia, January 13, 1850. He began fishing in the Columbia River about 50 years ago.  In 1897 he tried his luck in the Alaska gold fields; he ran a restaurant at Skagway, Alaska for about a year, then returned to Astoria. About 35 years later, he became the proprietor of a local restaurant and continued in active business until recently when failing health caused him to retire from active work. The decedent was a member of Concomly Tribe, No. 7, Improved Order of Redmen. He is survived by four children: George Dragolich of Centralia, Spiro Dragolich of Tacoma, Bella Dragolich of Astoria, and Mrs. Mary Pincetich of Portland; a nephew Joseph Dragolich of Aberdeen. (Morning Astorian 1929)

 

DRASKOVIC, YUL B. Architect-Croatian Activist

Yul was born January 2, 1926 in Gruda, Konavle, Croatia.  His parents were Bozo Draskovic and Luce Paljetak Draskovic.  He studied architecture and civil engineering at the University of Zagreb where he eventually earned the M.A. degree in architecture. Arriving in the United States in 1957, he worked as an architecture employee, then associate.  In 1978 he started his own practice, specializing in architectural design, planning, construction, supervision and investment.  Yul has received many awards and citations, among them the City of Long Beach Award in Architecture for the design of Circle Motors Automobile Agency; the Western U.S.A. Golden Nugget Award in architecture for the design of the Kirkwood Electric Building in the City of Cerritos; a letter of commendation from U.S. Senator from California George Murphy for U.S. Post Office buildings projects—the Laurel Canyon Boulevard station in Studio City, the San Vicente Station in West Hollywood, and the Barrington Station in Brentwood.  He also received the Concrete Industry Award of Excellence for the “Metal-R-Us” project in Santa Fe Springs.  Draskovic is a board member of the National Federation of Croatian Americans, President of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 1987 “Marko Marulic”, executive board member of the Croatian National Association (Udruga) of Los Angeles, board member of Konovosko Dobrotvorno Drustvo and present member and past board member of the Croatian-American Club of San Pedro.  Yul has been very active promoting Croatian causes—he has received various citations from the late President of Croatia Tudjman and others from his native Konavle for assistance to Croatia.  Yul has published articles on Croatian causes in the Zajednicar, Los Angeles Times, Vijesnik, Vecerni List, Slobodna Dalmacija and Dubrovacki Vijesnik.  Yul has two children, Yadranka and Marina, both of whom completed graduate studies at Loyola-Marymount University.  Yul’s brother Niko Draskovic, sadly perished October 2, 1991, during the Serbo-Montenegrin assault on Konavle.

 

DREZGA, ANTONIA  Librarian

Antonia Drezga nee Palian was a Librarian at Alliance College, Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. Born December 5, 1922 in Gorenci, Gorski Kotar, Croatia; She is married and has been an American citizen since 1957.  Education includes Real Gymnasium, Ogulin and Karlovac; Gannon College, 1963-65; Alliance College, 1965-69, B.A. in Slavic Studies. Membership in the Croatian Fraternal Union.

 

DREZGA, GRMISLAV Doctor of Medicine

Grmislav Drezga is a doctor at New York University Medical Center, New York, New York. Born August 14, 1936, Zagreb, Croatia; He is a permanent American resident. Education includes Classical Gymnasium, Zagreb, Diploma, 1954; University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, 1954-61, M.D., 1961 with a major field in Medicine and a specialty in     Obstetrics - Gynecology.

 

DREZGA. LJERKA  Doctor of Medicine

Ljerka Drezga nee Balenovic is a doctor in Flushing, New York. Born January 18, 1941 in  Zagreb, Croatia she is married and an American citizen. Education includes  Gymnasium, Zagreb, Diploma, 1960; University of Zagreb, Medical School, 1960-67, M.D.,  with a major field in medicine.

 

DREZGA, TIHOMIL Professor-Attorney

Professor of Comparative Slavic Literature at Alliance College, Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. Born December 10, 1903 in Sibenik, Dalmatia, Croatia; married with two children, children. U.S. citizen since 1957. Education at Gymnasium, Sibenik, 1922; Law School of University of Paris, Licence endroit, July, 1927; Law School of University of Paris, Etudes Superieures de Droit Public, June, 1928 (Summa cum laude); Law School of University of Paris, Docteur en Droit, titre d'Etat, May, 1931 with a major field of Political Science - Literature and a specialty of International Law Philosophy, Comparative Literature. Post doctorate work at Vatican Library School, Diploma, June, 1949. Theses: Les ProbAmes Fondamentaux du Droit des Genset la Cour Permanente de Justice Internatinale, Ph.D, dissertation, May, 1931, Paris. Essai Bibliographique sur la Genese Conceptuelle-du Droit International, M.A. thesis. June, 1949, Vatican City. Books and Articles: Medjunarodni Uori N.D.H. (International Treaties of the Independent State of Croatia) 3 vols., Zagreb, 1941, 1942, 1943; editor, as Director of the Law Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Pravni Polozai Hrvatske Drzave u Medjunarodnoj Zajednici (Legal Position of the Croatian State in the International Community). Spemnost, Zagreb, Christmas, 1944. Les Problemes Fondamentaux du Droit des Gens et la Cour Permanente de Justice Internationale, Sirey, Paris, 1931 "I Croati nel Sistema Internazionale di Grego"rio VII'11 L'Osservatore Romano, Vatican City, Nov. 3, 1950, no. 258. "I Croati nella Letteratura Italiana," L'Osservatore Romano, March 24, 1951, no. 68. The South Slavic Epic, at the Sept., 1960 meeting of the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association held at Gannon College. King Agiello and Prince Arjunal at the Polish Cultural Clubs Convention held at Alliance College, August, 1965. Member American Association of International Law; American Political Science Association; American Comparative Literature Association; American Association of University  Professors. Practicing law 1941-1945 -Director of the Law Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Independent State of Croatia; 1943-45 Professor of International Law at the University of Zagreb; 1955-56 Teaching at Alliance College; 1956-1965 Teaching at Gannon College Erie, Pennsylvania; 1965 Teaching  at Alliance College.

 

DRVARIC, EMIL J Doctor-Professor-Sports

Emil Drvaric is a Physician - Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born March 18, 1924 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; married with four children. Education includes Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, B.S., 1949; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, M.D., 1953 with a major field in Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Member of the American Colllege  of Obst. and Gyn; American Board of Obst. and Gyn.; American Medical Association. Clinical Professor in OB-GYN, Marquette University Medical School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All Eastern at guard while playing football for Harvard University 1946.

 

DUGANDZICH, GEORGE AND VINKA Ranch

She came to America as a young bride in 1923. She was born  Vinka Popovich, in August 1905, in the village of Gdinj on the Island of Hvar, Croatia. She married George Duganzich just before her departure from Croatia.  They settled on a cherry orchard in Mountain View and after the death of her husband, she continued with the orchard.  Vinka was very active in the Croatian Fraternal Union  in many capacities.  She loved to travel and on numerous occasions she and her two daughters, Vivian and Berry, traveled to Croatia and lived there for some time.  She has numerous relatives in New Zealand and spent many a month with them also. She loved to crochet and made exquisite tablecloths, and her finished items are treasured by her children, grandchildren and friends.  Her garden was a show place and she spent many a blissful hour tending to it. Besides her two daughters, Vivian Gerahart of Mountain View and Berry Evans of Portland, OR, she is survived by seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

 

DUICH, MARY S. Catholic Sister-Professor

Sister Mary was born June 10, 1906 at Colfax, Iowa and educated at Creighton University,1931-35, Omaha, Nebraska, and  St. Mary, Xavier, Kansas, with an A.B.,1937, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, A.M., 1946. She specialized in American literature and English. Her experience includes: 1937-38 Principal, Holy Trinity School, Des Moines, Iowa; 1938-44 Assistant Principal, Assumption High School, Granger, Iowa; 1944-52 Principal, Superior, Holy Family School, Council-Bluffs, Iowa; 1957-59 Assistant Professor of English, St. Mary, Omaha, Nebraska; 1959-60 Principal, Mount Loretto High School.

 

DUJMOVICH CLAN

Sacramento was the starting point to the California gold country. George Dujmovich owned the pioneer Alabama Chop House restaurant and the Alabama Saloon in Sacrament during the 1860’s. He probably came from Mobile Bay, Alabama where many Croatians settled in the 1830’s. George Dujmovich up in the Amador goldmining region was arrested by the sheriff for selling whiskey to Indians at his saloon. This was reported in the Amador Independent news in 1873. George was from the Island of Brac.

Another Dujmovich had a boarding house in the Amador gold mining region in 1877 while Luka Dujmovich was out in the foothills seeking his fortune in the gold fields. Luka was a member of the Old Slavonian Society.

Jerry Dujmovich, a patriotic Croatian Sokol, volunteered  and went to the Balkan Wars to free his Croatian homeland in 1915. Jerry lived in Sacramento, California and was from the Island of Brac.

Los Angeles’ oldest restaurant, the Goodfellows Grotto, will end the year next Thursday, December 31, 1953 by locking its doors forever. “I guess we’ve been here too long.  The town has moved away from us,” explained John L. Dujmovich yesterday. He is the son of Mateo C. Dujmovich, born on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia who founded Good Fellows in July, 1905. John Dujmovich assumed operation of the restaurant after the death of his father, and with the assistance of Curley Arnerich and Mike Kovacevich, ran the Grotto until it closed for good on December 31, 1953. Mateo owned a restaurant, oyster saloon and saloon in pioneer San Francisco during the 1880’s. The elder Dujmovich  ran a gambling hall and variety show in Phoenix. He tried restaurant work again in San Diego and returned to found Goodfellows Grotto in Los Angeles when Main St. was the hub of the theatrical and sports world.

 

DUJMOVICH, MATTEO Restaurant

Los Angles’ oldest restaurant, the Goodfellows Grotto, will end the year next Thursday, December 31, 1953 by locking its doors forever. If its faded paintings, corroded metal chandeliers and crumbling walls could speak to today’s throngs on Main St.. they would recall nostalgic memories of famous guests. Long decades ago- the divine Sarah Bernhardt.  Two weeks ago- Jack Dempsey at one table and John Wayne’s wife, Esperanza, at another. And in between these years- every Los Angeles Mayor, every District Attorney, every Governor, every Senator and hundreds of other public officials have eaten in the steak, chop and seafood house which has only a 20-foot frontage at 341 S Main Street. With them have been stars of the sports world- Jim Flynn, the only man who ever knocked out Jack Dempsey (Flynn ran bar at 3rd and Main) and Jim Jeffries (who ran a bar right behind Good Fellows on Spring St., beside the old Empress Theater). And in the little curtained booths behind the private door marked “Family Entrance” have sat the stars of yesteryear who appeared in the Grand Opera house, two blocks north on Main St., or in the Belasco, two doors north of Goodfellows, or the Adolphus (later called the Hippodome) across the street.

“I guess we’ve been here too long.  The town has moved away from us,” explained John L. Dujmovich yesterday. He is the son of Matteo C. Dujmovich, born on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia who founded Good Fellows in July, 1905. John Dujmovich assumed operation of the restaurant after the death of his father, and with the assistance of Curley Arnerich and Mike Kovacevich, ran the Grotto until it closed for good on December 31, 1953. The elder Dujmovich was second cook at the old Baldwin in San Francisco before he ran a gambling hall and variety show in Phoenix.  He tried restaurant work again in San Diego and returned to found Goodfellows Grotto in Los Angeles when Main St. was the hub of the theatrical and sports world. Within two or three blocks, mostly on Main and Spring, were the city’s great stores- the N.B. Blackstone Co., F. B. Silverwood, Desmond’s, Hale’s, Hamburger’s (predecessor of the May Co.), the J.W. Robinson Co., Harris & Frank and the Coulter Dry Goods Co. When Goodfellows opened the Orpheum behind it had vaudeville, the Belasco had a stock company playing “What Happened to Jones” and the Mason was boasting of Nat. C. Goodwin “and an excellent supporting company.”  (Only three decades ago the Mason was still in its prime, with David Warfield playing Shylock in “Merchant of Venice.”)

The older Dujmovich, a Croatian, proved a successful restaurateur from the start. All his steaks were charcoal broiled.  His bouillabaisse, lobster thermador and boiled crab were quick favorites.  For luncheon, his filet of sole and cracked crab remained popular to the end. Joseph Scott and the criminal trial wizard, Earl Rogers, led parades of lawyers from courtrooms to the restaurant. It survived competition from neighboring Mme.  Zucca’s and the Victor Hugo.  (Columnist McIntyre once pointed out that Los Angeles’ most expensive and cheapest restaurants were next door to each other.  One was the old Victor Hugo’s; the other was a 5-cent hot dog stand.)

As years passed, some customers died.  But the rest kept returning. George (Curly) Arnerich, 68, who has been with Goodfellows for 42 years as a waiter, recalls many. Lewis Stone and H.F. Sinclair used to come often,” he said.  Joe E. Brown, Zasu Pitts and Edward G. Robinson still come in.  I’ve served Clark Gable, Adolphe Menjou, and Chiefs of Police all the way from Chief Sebastian to Chief Parker.  I remember Mayor Snyder and Mayor Porter well.  Mayor Cryer used to come in almost every day.  Mayor Poulson hasn’t appeared so frequently. “Governors?  I remember Jim Rolph, Gov. Young and Gov. Merriam well.  They always brought friends.  “Movie people?  Louis B. Mayer has eaten here many times- and still does.”

Catholics like Joe Scott and Appellate Justice Thomas P. White have patronized the Grotto often because it is near St. Vibiana’s Cathedral.  Board Chairman Victor H. Rossetti and other officers of the city’s oldest bank, the Farmers & Merchant, found it only a few steps from their doors at 4th & Main.

Only the Goodfellows’ walls know how many big business deals or lawsuits have been settled at the tables seating a total of 75 in the main room or the booths holding 75 more.

I decided to tell my crew of 22 that we’ll have to close Dec. 31  I gave notice to the bank, which represents an estate owning the building. “I suppose they’ll tear it down and make this another auto park,” Dujmovich said wistfully.  “I’ll be sorry...I don’t have any plans to reopen anywhere else at present.”

Los Angeles Times, 1953

 

DUKAN, NATASHA Pianist-Professor

Dukan, a native of Split, a city on Croatia's Adriatic coast, brought many in the audience of more than 200 to their feet in rousing applause on Thursday evening, August 23, 2001 in Washington, D.C. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) invited the award-winning musician to perform on the stage at Andres Bello Auditorium inside the bank's headquarters on New York Avenue. The concert was part of a series of lectures and concerts organized by the IDB Cultural Center. With great skill, and, at times, with commanding authority and, in other moments, with only gentle touches upon the piano keys, Dukan took on the selected works of the three composers and truly made them her own. "She was fastastic," said Anne Vena, concert and lecture coordinator for the Cultural Center at the IDB. "We don't often get to present Rachmaninoff and Scriabin." "Over the nine years that we've been presenting concerts, lectures and art exhibits, Croatia has never been represented, because it's not easy to find a Croatian artist in the United States," Vena said. The series, she explained, represents the nations, which are members of the IDB."There are 46 countries and Croatia is one of them," Vena said.  Croatia became a member around 1993. Vena said she was lucky enough to talk to some music colleagues who knew of Dukan as a student at Johns

Hopkins University's Peabody Institute in Baltimore. "When I talked to her a few months ago, she said she'd be delighted to come." Vena said. In 1996, Dukan left her post as an assistant professor of piano at the Art Academy in Novi Sad in Vojvodina to study in the United States. She came to Peabody to study under a full scholarship with faculty member Julian Martin. During her university years in Novi Sad, Dukan appeared with national orchestras and in recitals. After performing at the Tchaikowsky Competition in Moscow in 1986, she went on to win first prize in Stresa, Italy, and her appearance at the 1995 Chopin Competition in Warsaw led to numerous subsequent concert engagements throughout Poland. Her festival appearances include the Split, Ohrid, Skopje and Hvar summer festivals, and she has traveled to Germany, Spain, Poland and Russia to give concerts in those countries. She has recorded for radio and television in her native country and in Italy. Asked what she misses about Split and Croatia, Dukan said, "Seafood, my parents, great weather and summers." After earning a Graduate Performance Diploma in 1998 at Peabody, Dukan was admitted (on full scholarship) to the prestigious Artist Diploma Program there. Her North American appearances include the 1998 American Liszt Society Festival in Hamilton, Canada, and the Texas Festival of Young Artists. After her first appearance there in 1997, the organizers invited her to return in 1998. Currently, in addition to her studies, Dukan teaches piano at the Academy of Music in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Frank Mustac.

 

 

DULCICH, FRANK Pacific Seafood

The West Coast seafood industry has long been the scene of comings and goings: independent fishermen and small retailers, laborers, processors as powerful as Mafia dons, labor unions and the fish themselves. In the late 1970s, Pacific Seafood Group could have been one of the goings. But faced with a series of setbacks, Frank Dulcich and family responded with a string of rapid acquisitions--several on a "go for broke" basis that would either position the company to survive future hard times or finish it off. Pacific Seafood Group earned $220 million in 1996. It has 1,500 employees and distributes a diverse product mix that includes--but will never again totally rely on--crab, shrimp, groundfish, crawfish and razor clams. Dulcich, 41, now company president, oversees the diverse operations from airy headquarters offices on Southwest First Avenue in downtown Portland, Oregon. Although he says his purchases "weren't brain surgery," Pacific Seafood's turnaround through acquisitions can serve as inspiration for small-business owners in a jam.

Frank Dulcich Sr., a Croatian immigrant, started Pacific Seafood in the 1920s. His son Dominic joined the company in 1940, and by 1978 grandson Frank had returned from a psychology internship at the State Hospital in Salem to join the family business on Powell Street. Pacific Seafood had about 18 employees. In Frank it had a new man on the floor and a new restroom attendant. Dominic surprised Frank, who had graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in clinical psychology, by handing him the scrub brush. At Pacific, Frank started his own sales company, American International Food Co., consisting of little more than a dream and a phone number. He also studied business at Portland Community College at night. But the family business was floundering. "Obstacles? Oh, you can't even imagine the obstacles," Frank recalls. First, they faced "product flow and systems difficulties" in their new 20,000-square-foot warehouse in Clackamas, "that darn near broke us," Dulcich says.

Interest rates, meanwhile, had climbed to 22 percent. Out on the Pacific Ocean, El Ni–o created current and temperature havoc between 1981 and 1983 that ruined fishermen and sent seafood processors into bankruptcy, quickly effecting a 37 percent drop in Pacific Seafood's supply of fish. Dominic's right-hand man was hired away by a competitor. Two key suppliers, Ocean Beauty and California Shellfish, decided not to supply Pacific Seafood but instead to compete as distributors, a loss of another 50 percent of Pacific's supply. Then company founder Frank Sr. died. The family business was moving about $15 million in seafood and making less than $50,000 a year. It was time to shutter the store, park the trucks and go home--or make radical changes. Frank Dulcich admits to liking a good fight. His company's crisis sent adrenaline coursing through the former international-level karate competitor, who by 1981 was serving as general manager. He went into acquisition mode. In 1983, Pacific acquired its first processing facility in Warrenton at the mouth of the Columbia River. El Ni–o and subsequent mismanagement had put Sno-Mist on the block, according to Dulcich, and Pacific was able to purchase it from U.S. Bank for $500,000 at $5,000 a month. Although the Sno-Mist facility was in poor shape, Pacific had secured a niche as a processor. The company's small fleet of gas delivery trucks (called peddle trucks because the drivers were also salesmen who loaded and then peddled the fish) were nonrefrigerated and expensive to operate. Since 1980, the fleet has been replaced twice, and now consists of more than 100 refrigerated diesel rigs. As the Warrenton plant underwent upgrades, Dulcich concentrated on the distribution side. In 1985, he purchased a former Fircrest poultry plant in Grants Pass. In 1986, he purchased the only razor clam processing plant in the United States in Kenai, Alaska, ensuring that Pacific would become the dominant producer and distributor of a seafood delicacy whose price was sky high.

Next, Dulcich looked southward, and found Lazio Fish Co. in Eureka, California, a third-generation family fish-processing plant that had been losing a million dollars a year. "We bet the company on that acquisition," Dulcich says of what had been the largest family-owned fish company on the West Coast. As in the Sno-Mist acquisition, the Dulciches found great support in their bankers. "Banks are extremely important as financial partners," says Dulcich, who took over banking relations for his companies in 1993 and admits to having had less-than-optimal relationships with some of his father's bankers. "They need to know the good as well as the bad on a timely basis. They want you to do what you say, period." He recommends that businesspeople take as long as a year to develop good relationships with loan officers. "Find someone who has similar beliefs," he says. "And tell them what's happening with your business before it occurs." As Pacific grew dramatically, Dulcich worked to develop relationships with fishermen, employees and banks.

"Every business we've bought has been in pretty tough shape," he says, "in attitudes as well as financially. You don't have much time. We usually have a weekend for the transition and then 30 days, tops, to turn things around."

After the crucial Lazio acquisition, Pacific started its own food service distribution in June 1989 with Pacific Fresh Seafood, a company that has moved from $1.5 million the first year to an estimated $50 million in sales this year. In November 1989, Pacific took over Jake's Crawfish, the distribution, air freight and international crawfish business that was a subsidiary of McCormick and Schmick's of Portland. In January 1990, Pacific snatched Pacific Choice in Charleston, Oregon, from bankruptcy, purchasing the processing business once owned by Charter Oil Co. for $275,000. Then came Stuart Seafoods in Washington state, Fitts Seafood in Salem, and Washington Crab Producers in Westport, packers of the noted Sea Rock Dungeness crab. Dulcich continued expanding markets and marrying processing and distribution in Pacific's growing family of companies.

Pacific built the $1.5 million Pacific Oyster Co. in Tillamook and opened another distribution operation--this one in Fresno, California, a growing and largely ignored market. It wasn't until the Pacific Group bought Pacific Fish Co. in Seattle, Washington in 1995 that Dulcich could say he came pretty close to stumbling. In fact, he says "It was the worst mistake I ever made." Pacific Fish Co. had a 40 percent share of one of the strongest fish markets in the country, and Dulcich's Pacific had 37 percent of the Seattle market through other acquisitions. It looked like a sweet--though admittedly expensive--deal. It soured as transition troubles plagued the companies, sales slipped, and Dulcich had "the wrong managers in place." Since then, the Pacific Fish acquisition has been made profitable, and Pacific Seafood Group companies are positioned for future successes as Dulcich turns more attention to marketing and brand development. Today, Dulcich has nothing but praise for his father's insistence that he begin at the bottom, even with a scrub brush in his hand. Through all the acquisitions, he's seen too many managers who didn't know their businesses well enough to make them succeed. Although he says successful acquisitions don't require a killer instinct or an obsessive drive, he admits: "I'm driven. I can't stop. Not to be the biggest. That's never been important to me. But to be the best."

 

DULCICH, J. B. Farm-Goldminer

Mr. Dulcich is a native of California, born in Hunter's Valley, Mariposa County, July 9, 1883, the youngest of two sons born to George and Adelaide (Spagnoli) Dulcich. His brother, Jaciamore, died when eleven months old. His father was born in Dalmatia, Croatia and died at his home at Merced, January 8, 1914. The mother was born in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, and died in Hunter's Valley in 1903. The father left home at the age of twenty and went to sea and, after traveling the seven seas of the world, left his ship at San Francisco in 1861, went to Stockton on a river boat, and by stage from there to the home of his cousin near Hornitos, crossing the ferry at Merced Falls. For twelve years he worked in the Washington Mine. He became a naturalized citizen and a prominent figure in mining circles. In 1873 he took up Government land in Hunter's Valley, built a house there and engaged in stock and fruit production, planting one of the earliest orchards in that section.

J. B. Dulcich received a good education in the Hunter Valley school, then attended by some twenty people.  He was married at Merced to Miss Eloise N. Wickham, born at West Point, Calaveras County.  They have four children: Harold, Verna, Orval, and Elma. Mr. Dulcich is a member of Merced Camp, W. O. W. he left the home ranch to work for the Exchequer Mine and Power Company at Exchequer, and three years later he went to the Barett ranch at Merced Falls, where he was occupied until 1913. He then moved to Merced, and in 1915 came to his own ranch property.

 

DULCICH, JELICA Boarding House Worker

Happy or disenheartened, no immigrants to America found the imagined gold-paved streets of trees leafed with money. "My first impression after greeting relatives and then stepping on a board that threw one of my traveling companions into the mud was, wood and more wood, mud and more mud, we came to a wooden, muddy America," said Jelica Dulcich-Mullan of her arrival in Old Town, Tacoma, Washington on December 25, 1906. When daylight arrived, she was heartsick. In her beloved hometown of Starigrad, Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia the streets were paved with cobblestones and wood was used only on the doors and shutters of the stone houses. America seemed to have only wooden houses, wooden buildings, wooden streets and sidewalks, that is, those that were not mud!"

Jelica Dulcich-Mullan was born in Starigrad, Dalmatia, in October, 1892. The family farmed and raised horses. When she was six years of age, her father died, and a brother and an uncle shouldered the responsibility of the mother and six children. When she was young, a cousin, Perina Radonich, her godmother, had said, "Don't worry about Jelica, I will bring her to America one day." The years passed and she matured. One day the priest visited the family home and said to her mother, "You have five daughters, why couldn't Jelica become a nun?" Mother and daughter visited the convent and Jelica decided, "This is no place for me." When the call to America came, she was ready. Perina Radonich sent the fare. Jelica left Trieste in the company of seven boys from the isle of Vis and five girls from her home town. "The trip wasn't nice," she said of their Atlantic crossing. It took them a month to reach their destination.

Jelica Mullan recalled later in life, "America wasn't the way I expected it to be." The people in Old Town lived in shacks, there was no water, no lights. "There were about fifty cabins spread throughout the waterfront area, these were barren and cold. There was not a Croatian who lived above 30th Street." The boarding house where Jelica worked had been an Indian long house and was located a few feet from the railroad tracks. "It had a large dining room, kitchen, and one bedroom on the first floor. There were four large bedrooms or dorms on the second floor." All the boarders were Dalmatians. The boarding house was not very large, so the men slept in tents out in the back of the house.

"The washing and cleaning were well supervised and had to be just so," Jelica related. "The floor boards were so warped and separated that when the scrub water was thrown on the floor, it would seep through before Mrs. Radonich could get the brush to it. It took four of them to scrub the floor, but they kept it clean. There were beds to make, dishes to wash, and water to fetch from a block away."

Jelica daily cleaned the chimneys and baked bread. A forty nine pound sack of flour was used for the bread baking every day, and on Saturdays this was doubled. She would bake sixty loaves of bread each day and one hundred and twenty on Saturdays. Some of these were sold to the neighbors as no bakeries existed. Wine was also made and sold.

Cooking for the boarders required stamina. Arms would be blistered when forty to fifty pounds of smelt were fried on the logging camp stove which had to be warmed for two hours prior to its use. Besides the fish, greens of kale, chard, and spinach were served with olive oil. On Sundays, a leg of lamb, a leg of pork, chicken, or chicken soup was served. "Whatever was on the table had to be eaten because there wasn't a peanut butter sandwich after you were through," jelica said.

The women stayed home, sewed all of the clothes and knit stockings for the children. Much of the clothing was made out of flour sacks and everything was made over and over again, for money was scarce. Aprons and skirts were starched and ironed by a hand iron that had been warmed on the stove. It was also Jelica's responsibility to care for the six boys of the family and see that they did not get run over by the train. No salary was paid for this work. Passenger fare, food, and clothing were payment enough. Boarders were charged fifteen dollars a month.

Need of one another brought close relationships. The boarding houses were filled with young men who were seeking their way in new surroundings. They were all by themselves, single men who knew only the language of their birth. They were brawny and used for hard labor for the least amount of pay. Being lonesome, they congregated together, and the few women of their own nationality who were running these boarding houses mothered them, nursed them, fed them, and saw that they were clean and got to work on time. In the same way, the women also congregated together. "The Croatian people were very close," Jelica related. "We were always trying to help each other, we were like sisters and right there if you needed help, we couldn't say no. 0h, she assisted in the delivering of babies when she was fifteen years old.

In spite of all this work, there seemed to be plenty of time for dancing, singing, visiting, weddings, and holidays. Work, pains and aches, disappeared or were danced away to the music of the accordian. All the boarding houses in that area had what they called bowling alleys. These were about fifteen feet wide and twenty feet long. They would use nine wooden balls, very much like bocce balls, but not quite as large. These would be spaced in a certain pattern, then they would go to the other end of the alley and throw one of the balls at the rest. Somehow they scored this by the ball it hit. The loser would buy wine for the rest, or sometimes they put money on each ball and the winner would take all.

A new boarding house was built by the Radoniches by 1910, when the people in Old Town began to build houses in front of the existing shacks. This dwelling had twenty bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large dining room, kitchen, a wood stove, running water, and could house forty boarders. It was here that Jelica, who was engaged to marry Nick Mullan, fell down the stairs and heard of his affection for her. Kate Radonich had asked Jelica to wash the clothes and starch her apron, in preparation for a wedding that all were to attend in Seattle the following day. "I made the starch and moved toward the yard to pick some greens. I took a step and away I went. The woodpile saved me, but the pan of starch hit my face, arms, and chest, and all were blistered. I hollered," Jelica told. Matt Vodanovich asked what was wrong and told her to take a towel and dry herself. She did as he suggested, and blisters and skin all came off. Mr. Radonich was on the back porch and wanted to know what all the hollering was about. Matt said, "She fell down and burned herself." Mr. Radonich answered, "Ah, that's 0. K., if she had half a face, Nick would take her anyway!"

Jelica (Helen) Dulcich and Nick Mullan were married in a ceremony at St. Patrick's Church in Tacoma. A horse and buggy took them to the church and back to the boarding house, where they were toasted at a reception of over one hundred people. There was much to eat and drink, and this and the bride's clothing were paid for by the bridegroom. The honeymoon began on a scow on which they traveled as far as West Seattle when the bride said, "I can't take it," so off to 14th they went to find a room. In 1911, their first child was born.

 

DULCICH, JOHN Farmer

Lucia, his wife, was born in Velo Grablje, Island of Hvar, on February 12, 1887.  About 1905, Antone brought his sister, Lucia, to America.  There was a colony of Hvarani in Sacramento, one being John Dulcich , a native of Brusje, a village not too far distant from Grablje.  John had arrived  in America in 1902 at the age of 24. Lucia and John were married in Sacramento in 1907.  Three children were born of this union: Katy 1908; Mary 1911, and John 1912.  John and the children lost Lucia in 1914. The years ahead were difficult for the family, as Papa John had to make many moves to find work.  it became necessary to place the children, for a time, in a Catholic Sisters’ Home, first in Los Angeles and then in San Francisco.  It wasn’t too long before they were united as a family.   They then moved into the San Joaquin Valley, living for short periods of time in the Strathmore, Cutler, Dinuba, and Orosi areas.  While living on a ranch near Dinuba, there was outdoor field work for John, while the sisters tended to the housework.  This family typified the struggles of many Croatians in the farmland of California.

 

DULCICH, JOHN Silverminer-Farm Worker

There was a colony of Hvarani in Sacramento, one being John Dulcich Blaine, a native of Brusje, a village not too far distant from Grablje on the Island of Hvar. John had arrived  in America in 1902 at the age of 24. Lucia and John were married in Sacramento in 1907. Lucia was born in Velo Grablje, Island of Hvar, Croatia on February 12, 1887, to Ivan and Marija Zoranich Zaninovich.  About 1905, Antone brought his sister, Lucia, to America.   Three children were born of this union: Katy (b. 1908); Mary (b. 1911), and John (b. 1912).  John and the children lost Lucia in 1914, who succumbed to an illness at the age of 26 years.  The years ahead were difficult for the family, as Papa John had to make many moves to find work.   They then moved into the San Joaquin Valley, living for short periods of time in the Strathmore, Cutler, Dinuba, and Orosi areas. In the year 1924, their Papa went to Globe, Arizona to work in the Old Dominion Silver mine, leaving the children in Navelencia (Fresno County).  Their Uncle Vincent took them to Cutler, where he and his wife, Bonica (native of Grablje), and 2 small children had their home.  Soon they got word from their Papa to join him in Phoenix.   With their papa, they journeyed by car to Globe by a steep and widening Apache Trail.  Shortly afterwards the family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where an unfortunate job-related accident to their “Papa John’s” life in 1928. “It was a sad experince...we missed Papa, and we loved him.” They were alone again.   Katy had a job with the telephone company just a few days before her Papa died. Mary and John were students at the Phoenix High School.  Mary was a senior, graduating in 1929, and then began to work for the Commercial Credit Corp., a job she held from 1929-1943. Katy moved to Fresno, California, where she had requested and recieved a job transfer to the Fresno telephone company.  For a while, she lived with Visko and Kate Tomicich.  Kate Zaninovich Tomicich had been a first cousin to their mother Lucia.   In 1948, Katy married George Zaninovich, who parents were from a small village, Selca, near Starigrad, island of Hvar.  George and Katy live in Fresno. Mary, Lucia’s second daughter, married Estel Johnson in 1932 in Phoenix, Arizona.  They have 3 children: a son, Blaine; two daughters, Susie and Karen.  In 1948 the Johnsons moved to San Louis Obispo, where in 1950 Mary was employed at the California State Polytechnical College. In 1935, John, Lucia’s youngest child, married Gladys Pruitt.  John experienced a deep and lasting relationship with his lord after he and Gladys were baptized in the Grace Baptist Church in Phoenix in 1938, where he later ordained as a Deacon.   With their 2 children, John and Lora, the Blaines moved to Lemon Grove, California. Together, they organized a new church.  From the original 6 members, the congregation eventually expanded into 600 members!  We cannot but think of Lucia Zaninovich Blaine, the immigrant girl from the village of Grablje, who dreams of her little family, ended while in her 26th eyar. She would be proud of their achievments as a family.  In combined lives of Katy, Mary, and John, there exists a living memorial to Lucia, a mother they barely knew except in spirit.

 

 

DUNATOV, THOMAS Fisherman-Mariner-Sea Captain

Thomas Dunatov was born in 1Z Mali on the Island of 1Z, Dalmatia, Croatia. Together with his mother and two brothers he came to the United States in 1947 to join his father who was already here, Following service in the U.S. Navy, Tom fished commercially for a few years before taking a job as a seaman aboard the government research vessel George B. Kelez. (The Kelez, as a point of interest, was named after a prominent Croatian-American fishery scientist who lost his life in an Alaskan plane crash.) While working as a seaman, Tom studied and graduated from the esteemed Kildahl School of Navigation - obtaining his first mate's and eventually his captain's papers. Tom retired from government service in 1990 but worked another 12 years - skippering fishing tenders and processing vessels in Alaska. Tom married Alenka Morovich from Zman, Dugi Otok, Dalmatia in 1956. The couple has two children Paul, a commercial fisherman, and Valerie who lives in Zman with her husband and three children.

 

DUPLANCIC, NENO Corporate President

President and CEO of Locus Technologies, Neno Duplancic, seems to have achieved the impossible: a vibrant company and $10,000,000 in sales in just one year of business in the 1990’s. Locus Technologies is an environmental clean-up company that specializes in treating contaminated groundwater at industrial sites. With offices in Mountain View and Newark, it has operated at sites all over the US. Presently it is handling the clean-up of an EPA Superfund site in San Jose where a supermarket is to be built as well as the site of a former semiconductor plant and future site of Netscape corporate headquarters. With a highly trained and experienced staff, a market niche that is short on capital requirements, and clients such as Xerox and PGE, Dr. Duplancic brings a promising future to Locus Technologies.

 

DZEBA, IVAN Croatian Book Store

Croatian Book, a bookstore in Cleveland, Ohio at 6313 St. Clair Avenue, is the life’s work of its owner Ivan Dzeba, whose achievement is establishing the most successful Croatian bookstore outside of Croatia anywhere in the world. Ivan  arrived in Cleveland in 1954 and started to work in the Cleveland Twist Drill Co. as many of his compatriots did. He remained in Twist Drill for 25 years. Before arriving in Cleveland, he owned and managed a general store in Sarajevo, Bosnia and having business experience he did not want to remain a factory worker for the rest of his life, which would have probably been more profitable and less complicated. Ivan Dzeba was aware that the Croatian community in America had a rich tradition of publishing activity in the fifties. Many Croatian newspapers emphasized that every American Croatian should be an ambassador of Croatia and her interests in the new homeland. His initial idea was to start collecting everything that was published among Croatian emigrants outside Croatia and in Croatia itself. He started to collect books, periodicals, newspapers and other publications and opened the Mail Order Bookshop in his own apartment. He advertised his bookshop in the Croatian newspapers. He realized he could not conduct business out of his apartment and decided to buy a house and open a Croatian bookstore where he could work free of any constraints. The result was his store Croatian Book, in the heart of the Croatian settlement on St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland. Ivan Dzeba realized from the very beginning that Croatian Book would not fulfill its mission if it did not stock books published in Croatia itself.  Later, he started working with the Croatian publisher Mladost and with other publishers in Croatia. As Ivan Dzeba often states, all his earnings from his factory work were invested in the growth of his bookstore business. American university and public libraries started ordering Croatian books from his bookstore, which established a unique reputation among libraries with large Slavic collections. Croatian Book published a catalog of its holdings and sent it to university and public libraries that have collections of foreign language books. This impressive 150 page catalog of Croatian books is updated with supplemental listings of the newly acquired books. Croatian Book sold both Croatian works published outside Croatia and books from Croatia. Books in stock number over 25,000 volumes and some 3,000 different titles. Bookstore patrons can buy daily newspapers and various magazines from Croatia one day after their publication. Croatian language audiocassettes, videocassettes and compact discs with popular and folk music attract younger clientele to the Croatian Book. The bookstore also imports Croatian folk handicrafts, flags, coat of arms, chocolates and other items. Croatian Book participated in several book exhibits in various cities during the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies, where thousands of visitors had an opportunity to see the rich cultural heritage of Croatia presented by this unique store.

 

ELIAS, CHARLES Tamburitza Hall of Fame

Charles Elias needs no introduction to the followers of tamburitza music, since the name Elias and the tamburitza are practically synonymous. His grandfather and his father were both tamburitza musicians, composers and writers of some of the original folk songs. So Charles Elias is the third generation of tamburitza musicians in the Elias family. Being the only son, his father started him on the tamburitza at an early age. Besides the tamburitza, Charles took up the study and playing of the violin, playing in the high school orchestra during his school years and with the college symphony orchestra, while receiving his education at the University of Wisconsin. During these years the family tamburitza orchestra was organized, and the "Elias Tamburitza Serenaders" became a reality. After many years of hard practice for perfection, the family orchestra started out what was to be over twenty years of continuous travel, presenting programs and educational school assemblies in every state in the Union, Canada, and Mexico. Their affiliation with the Extension Divisions of the Universities of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, California, and Texas, took them to the higher Institutions of learning, introducing the American people to the tamburitza. With the untimely death of Father Dragutin Elias, young Charles took up the leadership of the "Elias Serenaders". During the Second World War years, Charles, with his group of musicians, entertained troops in various camps all over the U.S., under the auspices of the State Dept. U.S.O. After the war, Charles turned to teaching, writing, and arranging music. The Elias Tamburitza Serenaders, with new personnel kept the tamburitza popular in the Midwest, playing for dances, weddings, social events, picnics, and concerts. In recent years, Charles has devoted most of his time teaching junior groups and writing and arranging music. He organized and founded the well known "Silver Strings Tammies" of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. During the past 24 years that he has directed the "Silver Strings Tamburitzans", they have achieved many goals - performances in various sections of the United States, Canada, and Croatia, and yearly concerts in Milwaukie. They have also had appearances on many TV shows and released two long play records. Ten years ago, he organized adult and junior groups in Waukegan, North Chicago area. They have been active in concerts and recordings - also having played around the United States and Croatia. In 1969, he was chosen Guest Conductor of the "Junior Cultural Federation Festival" held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Then in 1973, he was honored by the Milwaukie Croatian Civic Club, being chosen "Man of the Year" for his contribution and dedication to further promoting our beloved songs and music. His catalogue of fine tamburitza music, expertly arranged, has brought responses from many of our fine orchestras around the globe. Charles Elias has devoted his life to the preservation and advancement of the tamburitza and is dedicated to the fine art of music.

 

ELICH, ANTON Croatian Activities

A native of Utah, brother Elich was a 42 year resident of San Pedro, a 50 year member of the Croatian Fraternal Union and also a member of the Dalmatian American Club.  He was an active member of the Croatian Fraternal Union lodge and the San Pedro Community.  He was survived by his wife, Margaret of Rancho Palos Verdes; father, Dan Elich of Utah; daughters Janice and her husband Mike Histon of Arizona and Nadihe and husband Jim Riley of Santa Ynez; brothers, Martin and wife Mary and Joe and wife Carletta, all of Utah, Nick and wife Vida of Lomita; sister, Helen Penok of Utah; grandchildren, Michael, Kathy and Kevin Histon and Danny, Erin and Anton Riley; and niece, Jean Mogus of Utah.

 

ETEROVICH, ADAM S.  Publisher-Author

Recognized as the leading historian and source of information regarding Croatians in the USA.  Adam has devoted nearly all of his adult life to expounding Croatian culture whether through his writings, publishing, leadership in sponsoring Croatian social events, and his sharing of information whenever  requested. His father and mother were born on the Island of Brac; her maiden name was Cvitanich. Adam was born in San Francisco and his wife, Danica, was born in Zagreb. Adam and Danica Kralj married at St Mark’s Church in Zagreb in 1958  after attending the University of Zagreb for one and one half years on a Matica scholarship. Adam graduated from Balboa High School in San Francisco and from San Francisco State University where he obtained the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business and History. He was a four year Korean War volunteer and served 41 months in the Army of Occupation, Germany, Headquarters Southern Command, Sergeant First Class. His duties included responsibility for top secret military records at Headquarters Command and at Landsburg War Crimes Prison and other Posts.  He worked with Croatian refugees and was involved in transporting them to Italian and German ports for shipment to Australia, Canada and America. He is the author of several books including Croatian Pioneers in America, 1650-1900, Croatian Coats of Arms, Croatians in the New World, 1492-1650, Croatian Popes and Saints and the Croatian Checkered Arms including numerous articles on Croatian pioneers in America.   He maintains a file of over 90,000 Croatian pioneers in America. He has been active as a  leader in Croatian organizations, including the Croatian Fraternal Union for 40 years; he organized the Croatian Genealogical and Heraldic Society and the Ragusan Press. He is Vice-President of the Old Slavonian Society of San Francisco,org 1857;  a member Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian Church of Nativity in San Francisco. Adam is a past member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the California Historical Society.  He was active during the recent war, devoting many hours to organizing relief supplies, mainly foods and clothes and public relations. Adam Eterovich is a person who was and is proud of his heritage and one who has devoted his life for the good of America, Croatia and Croatians wherever they may be.

 

ETEROVICH, ANA Investments

Ana Eterovich was born March 23, 1900 in Nerezisca, Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Her parents were Frane Cvitanic and Ana Bezmalinovic. Her brothers and sisters were Petar, Franka, Lucretia, Paulina and Andrija. Ana’s maiden name was Cvitanic and her Clan name was Baka. The Bezmalinovic Clan name was Grguricic. The Cvitanic and Bezmalinovic Clan settled on the Island of Brac in the 1500’s and had come from the Poljica Republic in Dalmatia. Petar Cvitanic was registered as Nobility in the 1600’s; others were Priests and District Attorneys. From 1400 to 1800 the people of Brac were free citizens and subjects of the Republic of Venice; from 1800 to 1920 subjects of the Austrian Empire; from 1920 to 1991 subjects of Yugoslavia . In 1991 Croatia became a free, democratic country. Ana is an ethnic Croatian. The family maintained vineyards, olive groves, gardens and sheep for wool and meat. Their father died at an early age and they had to fend for themselves. Ana was talented at sewing and weaver of wool, she made the saddle blankets and other straps for their animals and sold the rest to other townspeople. At the age of 14 Ana became sick with typhus and did not grow beyond age 14. Ana did attend school for six years. Her older brother Petar, or as we know him, Barba Pete, was sent to San Francisco, sister Lucretia went to Argentina, Andrija and Paulina married on Brac, Franka went to Watsonville and San Jose, California. Ana’s odyssey was to begin...she was sent to her brother, Pete, in San Francisco. A friend of the family, Jimmy Vlahovich, returned to Brac after WWI to marry, Jimmy accompanied 20 young ladies (brides, girlfriends) to America. Ana left Brac by ferryboat to the city of Split thence to Trieste and by train to the port of Le Harve in France. She boarded the liner France to New York and then by train to San Francisco. Ana arrived in San Francisco on December 12, 1920. Ana would attend Mass with her brother, Pete, at the Croatian Catholic Church of Nativity and here she met her future husband, Ivan Eterovich, a restaurant owner in San Francisco. They married on March 24, 1921. Ana had five children, Winnie-1922, John-1923, Kay-1924, Frances-1925 and Adam-1930. Ana and Ivan built their first house, two apartments and a store in 1922 on Mission Street in the Excelsior District and later built another store. Ana busied herself with sewing in and out of the home to earn her spending money as she was extremely independent and self reliant and Ivan made wine and tended to his gardens when not attending to his restaurant. Ana was a very social person and belonged to many clubs and associations through out her life...she saw to it that her children completed all their Christian and scholastic obligations.

 

ETEROVICH, ANTHONY W. Teacher-Artist

Anthony was born on April 2, 1916 in Cleveland, Ohio. He is married and has one child. His parents emigrated from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia at the turn of the century to Cleveland, ohio. He is head of the Art Department at James Ford Rhodes High School in Cleveland. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio and graduated in 1938. He also has a B.S. from Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio in 1940. His art awards include: 1944 First Prize Oil, Second Prize Watercolor, Florida Tri State Competition; 1951 Critical Appraisal, Howard Degree, York Times, May 6, 1951; 1951 First Prize Purchase Award, Butler Institute for American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; 1956 Second Prize, Oil, Ohio State Fair. Received awards in figure portrait, etching, oil, watercolor, chalk, in thirty years of exhibiting in Cleveland Museum May shows. His exhibitions: 1951 Downtown Gallery, N.Y. Y.M.C.A., New York, N.Y.; 1955 Chatauqua, N.Y. Tri State; 1964 "30 Cleveland Painters."

 

ETEROVICH, FRANCIS Priest-Professor-Author

On October 29th, 1981 Father Francis H. Eterovich passed away. He died, as he lived, working. Father Eterovich was born on October 4, 1913 at Pucisce, on the island of Brac in his native Croatia. He graduated from the Dominican School of Philosophy in Dubrovnik in 1937 and was ordained in 1938. He attended the Dominican School of Theology at Louvain, Belgium in 1939 and took his Master's degree at the Croatian University of Zagreb in 1944. He earned a Ph.D. from the Dominican Theological University of Etiolles, France in 1948 and a licentiate in theology from the State University of Olomouc, Czechoslovakia in the same year. After coming to America, he earned a second Master's degree in Philosophy from the University of Chicago with a specialization in social and political philosophy.

Father Eterovich taught at the University of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the College of St. Catherine and-the College of St. Teresa prior to coming to DePaul university in Chicago where he taught philosophy from 1962 until 1979 when, in a manner of speaking, he retired. In fact, Father Eterovich did not know the meaning of retirement or rest. Even after suffering heart attacks and the implantation of a pacemaker, he continued to work, study and travel at an almost unbelievable pace. It would be impossible to compile a list of all of his works as an editor, writer or lecturer. It would be perhaps simpler to list the fields in which he was a recognized scholar: Theology, Philosophy, Ethics, Natural Law, Classical and Medieval Intellectualism, History, Sociology, Ethnicity and Political Science. At the time of his death, he had at least a half dozen major works in progress to be published in at least three languages.

It is the dates and the degrees and the publications that a person leaves behind that epitaphs, eulogies and memorials are made of. But mere facts and figures do little to explain the depth of feeling that so many held for Father Eterovich. If I may, I would like to share my own story concerning this great man.

Some dozen years ago, when I first undertook the study of the Croatian nation and her people, I sought out books in the English language concerning Croatia and the Croatians. In the library of the college I was attending, there were but two books dealing with Croatia, both were titled Croatia Land, People, Culture, volumes one and two, and both were edited by Father Eterovich. I read those books and began my quest for further knowledge. I wrote to Father Eterovich and he was the first Croatian with whom I had any contact. When I was invited to speak in Chicago in 1974, 1 learned that Father was in the hospital with one of his frequent bouts with a troublesome heart. But he insisted that I be brought to his bedside. I found not a sick and frail man as I had expected, but a fountain of energy, giving guidance, reading mail, writing and directing a dozen activities from what was supposed to be a sanctuary of rest and recovery.

Croatia Land, People, Culture, an eight volume history of the Croatian people and their nation was a life's work for any mortal man; for Father Eterovich it was but one of many. A year later I returned to Chicago for the opening of the Croatian Cultural Center, a hall dedicated by Chicago's Croatian mayor Michael Bilandic, but built only through the love and dedication of Father Eterovich. I saw him more often, worked with him on several projects and came to know him as a friend as well as an esteemed colleague. Only a month before his death, he flew to California to attend a symposium on Croatians in the American West. As always, his conversations were filled with plans for the future. The third volume of Croatia Land, People, Culture was ready for final editing at the University of Toronto he told me; the Croatian Information Service was ready to begin publication of a manuscript for next Spring; the Biographical Index of Croatians in North America has over two hundred entries as it goes to press he pointed out; his latest philosophy book to be called American Paradox, a guide for Croatian newcomers to America. It made the mind swim, to think of this man, twice my age, balancing so many projects at once. As if his writings were not enough, there was the Croatian Cultural Center and his parish, yet he looked forward to working with other parishes in Nevada or New Mexico this winter. Even though we knew the medical reality of his mortality, it is still difficult to believe that this fountain of youth and energy has been silenced.

Father Eterovich's contributions to the Croatian people and nation, as well as his gifts to America and the scholastic world, will be heralded from every forum in the coming months. The English speaking world has learned much about the Croatian people through his dedication and energy. I add my praises to his public record titles and honors for his unmatched service and scholarship. But I also add my personal thanks for his dedication and love. Were it not for a single book, published by that single individual, my life might have taken a different course. It was his work that guided me in the exploration of Croatian history. And, for better or worse, whatever contribution I have made or can make is built on his foundations. And I am but one of houndreds, perhaps thousands of students, friends, countrymen, who were touched in a very personal way by this quiet and hard working gentle man.

We will all try, in our own way, to build memorials to him, some chisled in stone, some printed, some through the spoken word. And while these memorials may satisfy our own needs to verbalize our sense of loss, it would not have satisfied him. The only meaningful memorial to Father Francis H. Eterovich will be the continuation of his work. We must see that each of his many undertakings is completed and that his contributions go on to serve future generations as they have served us. The only fitting memorial to the contribution of knowledge is the continuation of the quest for knowledge in the many areas he pioneered.

Through his work, he will live or as a philospher, a writer and a scholar. Even so, we will miss his kindness, his keen wit and humor and his love, for he was also a friend.

 

ETEROVICH, IVAN Restaurant

Ivan Eterovich, clan name Faraun, was born on March 21, 1888 in the sea port town of Pucisce on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Being the oldest child of Nikola and Vice Plastich followed by Mateo, Roko, Stipe, Nikola, Jure, Zamaria, Maria, and Andria. At the age of 16 in 1905 Ivan went via Italy and the Suez Canal to Australia. He went to the goldfields of West Australia and was in Mount Magnet, Kalgoorlie near Perth for five years. After three years his father, Nikola, joined him and encouraged him to return home. His father had also been in Chile, Bolivia and Peru earlier. Ivan had been befriended by an old Dalmatian who had been in California during the gold rush and told him to go to California. Ivan did go to San Francisco, California. In 1910 he worked in various Dalmatian restaurants and in 1913 went to the Arizona gold and silver mines in Bisbee and Lowell. While in Arizona Ivan purchased land in Texas at a land lottery. In 1918 he returned to San Francisco and opened the New Age Restaurant at Mission and Steuart; had a short partnership with Pete Valerio at the Rosemont Grill in Sacramento; returned to San Francisco and opened a restaurant on Market Street; and then opened his successful Maple Coffee House and Restaurant at 2601 24th Street. He later included his brother, Nikola, as a partner. It wasn't long before Ana Cvitanich from the Island of Brac met young flamboyant Ivan and soon thereafter they were joined together by Father Franjo Turk at the Croatian Church of tie Nativity in 1922. Ivan then built a large apartment house with a commercial store under at 4843 Mission Street. He also built a commercial building at 5082 mission street. The post war I depression made difficult times for the young couple, but they used their old country skills growing vegetables and raising rabbits, chickens and making the most of life's offerings. Soon there were John, Winnie, Frances, Katie, and Adam. Ivan tended his garden and chickens.  Like all Dalmatians of that day Ivan made fine wine and had his own copper coil. Yes he was known to have sold a little beverage in his time. His greatest pleasure was outings with the family at Ocean Beach for swimming and preparing barbequed lamb on a six foot stick. At least thirty Dalmatian “Bracani” would gather at the sea shore each weekend. Ivan died in San Francisco, California on October 4, 1977 at the age of 89. The husband of Ana Eterovich; loving father of Winnie Biocina, John Eterovich, Kay Biocina, Frances Bulanti, Adam Eterovich; beloved father-in-law of George Biocina, Pete Biocina, Charles Bulanti, and Danica Eterovich; loving brother of Nikola ; survived by three brothers in Brazil, two brothers and one sister in Croatia, survived by 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild also survived by many nieces and nephews. Ivan had joined the Slavonic Society in 1910 and was a devoted member and when the society wisely accepted women, Ana, was one of the first to join. When the Slavonic Society was to build the Cultural Center and were unable to acquire the institutional financing, we turned to the members for financial commitments. I well recall Ivan and Ana being the very first to rise and pledge $ 10,000. SMBS's largest investor. The years have gone by and Ivan has gone ahead, buried at the Croatian Slavonian Plot in between Father Vodusek and Father Turk.

 

ETEROVIC, IVO Photographer-Author

Ivo Eterovich was born in Split, Croatia in 1935. He spent almost a year as a special photographer attached to the United Nations forces in the Near East. On his return to, he worked three years in the editorial offices of Front and Narodna Armija. From 1961 to 1963 he worked for the review Globus published by Vjesnik in Zagreb. Since 1963 he has been Vjesnik special photographer and reporter, and has worked on the magazine Start, published by the same house, since 1976. He has been a regular member of the Association of Pictorial Artists of the Applied Arts since 1961 and has the highest rank of photographer Master of Photography  and the international Hon. EFIAP. He has been involved in photography since 1950, and professionally since 1956, when he published his first photographs in the newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija in Split. He uses Leica and Hasselblad cameras. He has exhibilted at a great number of exhibitions of artistic, newspaper and applied photography in Croatia and abroad, on all continents, and has received over 200 prizes, among which the most important are the Order of Labour with a Silver Wreath of the President of the Republic 1971, the prize of the October Salon of Painting,  In 1974 he received the prize of the editorial office Delo in Ljubljana and the Gold Plaque of the Photographic Association for the best collection of photographs at the exhibition of newspaper photography.  He was also awarded the annual prize of the  Photographic Association for 1977. He has arranged six one-man exhibitions of photography to date, the exhibition The Cornati Islands in Cologne (the Federal Republic of Germany) and the exhibition Women in Moscow and Verbilka. He has participated in the illustration of several monographs including: The Adriatic, Sea of Peace, Trogir, Makarska, Croatia, Zagreb,  Dubrovnik, The Adriatic Islands and others and his own monographs entitled Brac, Split, Their Days.

 

ETEROVICH, KAREN Actress

A member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors' Equity Association, Karen has toured extensively throughout the United States. She played Mariana in All's Well That Ends Well with Theresa Wright, directed by Michael Kahn, and appeared in The Merchant of Venice with Brian Bedford and Kelly McGillis, directed by Michael Langham, both at the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger in Washington, D.C. She was named "Best Actress in a Comedy" for her performance as Babe in Crimes of the Heart at the Phoenix Theatre and was twice a regional favorite for the American College Theatre Festival's Irene Ryan Award. Some favorite regional roles include Hero in Much Ado About Nothing and Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Indianapolis Shakespeare Festival); Miss Havisham in Great Expectations (Indiana Repertory Theatre); Masha in The Three Sisters and Alma in Summer and Smoke (both directed by Paul Giovanni). Other regional theatre credits include appearances with the Cleveland Public Theatre and a national tour with Art Reach Touring Theater. Karen was a member of the Resident Professional Acting Company at Cornell University, where she first became 'acquainted' with Aphra Behn while playing Angelica Bianca in Behn's The Rover. She began developing Love Arm'd in 1994 at the Womenkind Festival in TriBeCa. Other New York City credits include her highly acclaimed portrayal of Viv in Tom & Viv with Prufrock Productions, and Jane Austen in Innocent Diversions by Lynn Marie Macy at Theater Ten Ten. With Kings County Shakespeare Company she played Florinda in The Rover at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, as well as Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream; and her Fabienne in Twelfth Night was praised as 'wonderfully funny' by The New York Times. Karen's film work includes the part of Mirabel in Modern Love, directed by Robby Benson.

 

ETEROVICH, NICK Policeman

Policeman-Politics-Big Al’s , the Mayor, Nick Eterovich and Law and Order

San Francisco Examiner, March 5, 1977, Remember last week when the morning daily reported KPIX’s Tim Findley taking a swing at news director Joe Russin?  The item stated: “The Beef was over the transfer of the popular North Beach cop, Nick Eterovich, and Findley’s suspicion that this happened because Nick was leaning too hard on encounter parlors owned by a gent with heavy City Hall connections.”

Well, yours truly and New West Magazine’s Phil Tracy were tracking the same story, bumped heads and- in the best Jack Newfield tradition- joined forces to come up with the unabridged version of the Eterovich transfer.  Its not the type of story that will cause anyone to resign in disgrace, but it does provide interesting insights into the character of a few local politicians.

For openers, the transfer was never effected.  A couple of days after the FIndley item appeared, the police brass reversed itself, reassigned Eterovich to Central Station but banned him from the Broadway beat he has walked for the past five years- all of which accomplished the same thing as a transfer and seemed to indicate the fix really was in. Taylor told me that by the time he heard the rumor the decision to transfer Eterovich, along with five other Central Station patrolmen, had already been the move was in keeping with Chief Charles Gain’s standing policy to rotate officers with more than five years on the same beat. When Findley heard the news he figured he had a big story and highlighted it to North Beach to interview Eterovich, after which he ran into Brown and Conti at Enrico’s.

From all accounts there was some unpleasantness.  Findley got up to call his cameraman and encountered Moscone and his campaign manager, Don Bradely, on the sidewalk outside.  Moscone denied he was there to meet with Brown and Conti, or that he had any prior knowledge, in fact any knowledge, of Eterovich.  He also refused to restate his denials on camera but finely called his cameraman anyway and waited outside Vanessi’s, where Moscone dined, until the mayor came our around midnight.

Moscone again refused comment, Findley persisted, Moscone started shouting, the camera began whirring, Bradley stepped in front of the camera and was jostled, voices grew louder, a crowd gathered, and so on.

Two days later, Taylor made the decision, and Gain approved, not to transfer Eterovich, just keep him off Broadway, where Conti runs Big Al’s.

Brown says he sees nothing wrong with his representation of Conti, who has directed this week by the police permit review board to show cause why his licence should not be revoked.  Moscone emphasized, ‘Willie has never, never asked me to assert any influence on Conti’s behalf,” but he also admitted, “this is bad business, at least it looks bad.”  That it does.

Right now, I have no evidence that WIllie Brown influenced George Moscone to influence police brass to get Eterovich out of Conti’s hair.  But neither am I 100 per cent certain that something of the sort didn’t take place.

 

EVICH-IVCEVICH, MATTHEW Fisherman

Matthew (Mote) Evich was in the US for a few years before going back to the island of Vis, Croatia in about 1905 where he met and eventually married Barbara Borcich. Then they migrated to Bellingham. On their trip over to America, he sympathized with his wife's sea sickness, but added with a grin, "I did get to eat her portion of the ship's-food."  Before they got married and Mote was courting Barbara one of her younger brothers warned her - "Don't marry Mote - he didn't give us a pet solde (five cents equivalent) like the other one did". (an earlier suitor)

When Mote and Barbara left Komiza for the U.S., (Barbara was the oldest sibling in the family and had taken over the household duties at age 11) she left an ailing mother and seven brothers and sisters. She felt very sad about this, but of course her husband and marriage came first. She did have some elementary school education in Komiza and wrote to her brothers and sisters in Croatian. She also learned to read and write in English. She sent used clothing and small amounts of money to her family, they were very appreciative and corresponded with Barbara by letters. Mitch and Mary never saw any of their grandparents, but had three aunts and three uncles with many children as first cousins and second cousins this helped fill any void.

A brother and a sister of Mote remained in Komiza, but Mote and his two brothers and sister brought two of their nephews to Bellingham in 1937 - John J. Evich and Peter Tolich. These two lived with their uncles for a few years, then both moved to San Pedro. Mitch said that one of the fondest memories of his upbringing was the lovely home-made bread his mother used to bake. 'The aroma is still with me, today." he said. "Then there was the home-made Slavonian soup and the Hrustele, Pasurate, and anise flavored Christmas cookies!"

Mitch said, "Because of having asthma at an early age, I didn't always attend Mass with my parents. As a result . I was in disbelief when one of my classmates at Lowell School announced that he attended Sacred Heart Church. I thought only people from Vis and Komiza were Catholic!" (His classmate was of Irish descent).

Mote had the purse seiner "Independence" and it was built in 1917. He retired in 1952 and his son, Mitch, took over the boat in 1944. Mote also fished as a crew member for 8 years for his son. He owned and/or partnered three other purse seine boats. He said he didn't really like running a boat, but preferred crewing. He did operate the "Lion" for six seasons in Alaska (False Pass, Bering Sea, and Puget Sound). He was once praised by his skipper Nick "Labot” Vitalic as "Moje Najbolje covik" ("He's my best man!") Mitch said he believed he changed his attitude toward running a seiner after he first operated the "Independence". Mote was a good man - overly serious, perhaps (an introvert), but insisted that both Mary and Mitchell have a college education. Barbara whole-heartedly endorsed this plan. Barbara was a petite person - very kind and friendly - (more of an extrovert). The best tribute that Mitchell heard about his mother was from a Mrs. Bakke (a neighbor from across the street) "Barbara is such a nice neighbor that I'm jealous of Mrs. Bidwell who lives closer and visits more often than I with Barbara." Mitch had the advantage of a "tutor' to learn his English (his sister Mary) because Mary was three years older than he. Both of them grew up speaking both Croatian and English (as all the Croatian offspring did). Mitch recalls as a small child when he attended a wedding with his parents, he gathered off the floor, pennies and jelly beans the guests had showered on the bride and groom.

During the period of about 1915 through the early 30's many of the Croatian women worked at the Pacific American Fisheries (which was the largest salmon cannery in the world at that time), and Bellingham Canning Company during the salmon season. In the earlier days of commercial salmon fishing, Mary (Ive's wife) and Barbara cooked for their husbands while they fished salmon at San Juan Island. (The women didn't fish with their husbands, but cooked ashore).

A quote from Mitchell Evich - "At one time there were about three hundred purse seine boats in Puget Sound and I believe over 80% of them were owned and/or operated by men of Croatian descent. The Bellingham fleet was operated largely by men from Korniza and Vis. The reason for this large number is that the cannery owners realized the experience, seamanship, etc. of the Croatians and offered them boats (which they eventually paid for). Many of the immigrants, after living in Bellingham for a few years, moved to San Pedro, California where there was year-around fishing as opposed to only summer and fall (salmon) fishing in our area. At one time during the thirties there were more people from Komiza (and their children) living in San Pedro than there were in Komiza itself!"

One evening in the late 1930's there were 32 young Croatian-American men seated around a large table at a local restaurant enjoying a few brews. Some of those present were Mitchell D. Evich, Peter Pecarich, the Karuzas, the Zuanichs, the Kinks, the Kuljis' and the Sarichs. Quite a group, don't you think? When Mitch was in the eighth grade at Lowell Elementary, six of the five starters on their football team were boys whose parents came from Komiza and Vis. They were: Mitch Evich, Martin Stanovich, Mike Karuza, Emil Mardesich, Dominic Mustappa, and Nick Mustappa. (Sleasman 1999)

 

FABIJANIC, NICK Priest-Editor

Father Nick is a Pastor and Bishop's Secretary, St. Patrick's Church, Newburgh, New York. Born June 1, 1913 in Omisalj, Island of Krk, Croatia. Ordained Priest in 1937; U.S. citizen  since 1955. Educated at Gymnasium, Visoko, Grad, 1932; State University, Ljubljana 1932-37; Fordham University, New York, N.Y., A.M., 1955 with a major field of sociology, philosophy and family. Editor of Krcki Kalendar - 1952-55.

 

FABRIS CLAN Fishermen-Music-Hotel

The Fabris Clan came from the Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia. They emigrated to San Francisco, California with the first coming in the 1870’s. Four brothers came. Anton, born in 1860, was a cooper and died in Asti, California; Nikola, born in 1861, married Margaret Vranizan in Fresno, he was a shoemaker and businessman and died in 1942; Vincent, born in 1859, was a  fisherman and a pioneer in Alaska. He had a son named James. Vincent died in San Diego in 1949; Frank born in 1857 married Cora Politeo and had four sons: Vincent, Ivan, Vladimir, Cyril, and a daughter named Marie. Frank owned the Colombo Hotel in San Francisco. He died in 1930 in San Francisco. Cousins of the four brothers also came. Gerolomo had the Fabris Band in the 1890’s in San Francisco; Geremiah was a dealer in hotel supplies; Dominic married Alice Tiret of Paris, France and had a son, Vincent, and a daughter, Margaret.

 

FABRIS, IVAN  M. Priest-Professor

Ivan Fabris was born January 17, 1892 in San Francisco.  His field is Philosophy and is a graduate of Gonzaga University, Spokane Washington. He was ordained in 1924.  He currently works as a Public Priestly Counselor for the University of San Francisco. He speaks Croatian.  he presently resides in San Francisco, California.

 

FABRIS, NICK Property Owner-Shoemaker-Vineyard

The oldest businessman in Firebaugh is Nick Fabris who has been active in the building up of and improving the place and a continual booster for Fresno County. He was born at Starigrad, Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia,  February 14, 1867.  His father, Vincent Fabris, was a shoemaker, who died in his native country.  His widow survived him, coming to San Francisco where she resided until her death.  Nick Fabris  learned the shoemaker’s trade under his father and became an exceptional shoemaker.  He came to San Francisco arriving April 22, 1885.  Here he worked at the trade for a time but it was not long before he had a shoe store of his own, his business place being located on Broadway between Dupont and Stockton streets, San Francisco until 1894.  During this time he took out his naturalization papers and became a citizen of the United Staes.  He came to Firebaugh in 1895 with only fifteen cents in his pocket. He immediately found work on the Miller & Lux ranch and a month later he bought a building only 8x10 and here he started a shoe shop.  His masterful workmanship was appreciated and his business grew, making him so successful that a few years later he purchased a liquor establishment- and still later he built a store and started in the general merchandise business in which he has met with success.  He has prospered and invested in Firebaugh property where he owns thirty-six lots and has built six residences.  he also owns two residences in Fresno and two acres on Milton Avenue, the same city, devoted to raising Thompson seedless grapes. he also owns The Five Mile House in South San Francisco. In Fresno, in 1901, Mr. Fabris was married to Miss Margareta Vragnizan who was born in his native place, a woman of much business ability.  Mr. Fabris was one of the original trustees of the city of Firebaugh and is still serving in that capacity having served as chairman of the Board two terms.  He is an active member of the FIrebaugh Merchants Association and aslo a member of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. Fraternally he is a member of Mendota Lodge Knights of Puthias, the order of Druids and the Foresters of America, having joined the latter order in San Franicsco nearly thirty years ago.

 

FACCIOLLA, FRED Football

A native of Dubrovnik, Croatia, he came to the Untied States at the age of 3, and settled in Palo Alto, California. He was a contractor and designer of homes and had resided at  Incline Village, for the past 12 years. He had played football at the University of Southern California and subsequently played professional ball with the old Clippers in San Francisco and with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1940’s. Fred Facciolla, 55, of Incline Village, died  following a lengthy illness. Surviving are: his widow, Betty, of Incline; a daughter, Elena, of San Francisco; sons, Bogie and Benjie, both of Incline; a sister, Mary Guthoerol, of Stockton, Calif.; and a brother, Don, of Incline.

 

FARAC, WILLIAM  Policeman-Military

William N. Farac born April 1, 1928 in San Francisco, California.  Father was Nicola Farac (Ban) born in 1888 and mother was Jerica (Anich) Farac born 1901.  Both parents were born in Blato, Island of Korcula, Dalmatia, Croatia.  Other siblings were:  Elsie, Helen and Nickolas born in San Francisco.  Nicola Farac (ban) worked as a blacksmith for the Southern Pacific Railroad during World War II, as did Jerica. WIlliam served in the U.S. Navy as a Radio Operator on a destroyer in the South Pacific.  After the Navy, William joined the San Francisco Police Deptartment in 1950.  He began his career as a SF policeman, detective and chose the Mounted Patrol in Golden Gate Park to work days and he was promoted to Sgt. of Police.  During his career he received a 1st Class Meritorius Award for entering a burning apartment building saving the lives of all the occupants.  For apprehending a bank hold-up man, murderors, and other felons, he received numerous citations.  As his children were growing he volunteered many years working with the S.F. youth in sports, (PAL & CYO) Youth Fishing Programs, Counselor at Camp High Sierra, Community Programs involving institutionized youth (Good Sheperd Home).  After thirty-one years of service in the Police Dept., he retired. In 1952, married Rosemany Cetinich, her parents Jura and Palma were born in Blato, Korcula. There are five children: Stephen, Robert, WIlliam, Karen and Lynda.  There are ten grandchildren. WIlliam and his family worked on fundraisers during the Croatian  war (1991-1994) for the refugees.  He has been affiliated with the Blato Club, Slavonic Society, Croatian Fraternal Union and other clubs thoughout his career.

 

FATOVIC, JOHN Electronics Engineer

John is an engineer for XCO Corporation in Englewood, New Jersey. He was born on December 29, 1932, in Sestruni, Croatia. He completed his education at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, 1956-60, B.E. Degree, and M.S.E.E. in 1964 with a specialization in computers and application of computer techniques. His experience includes: Design and develop several projects for the applications in airplanes such as solid state mode switching for the C-141 autopilot system; Digital design of correction for the compass systems; Weapons release system; Digital guidance computer for Persian missile; Digital air data computer. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc, Computer memories and applications. Military service included American Army, Korea, 1955-56. He is also President of St. Cecilia's choir at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, New York and President of Croatian Folklore Ensemble, New York.

 

FELANDA, ANDREW Fisherman

Andrija Felanda and his wife Margarita was blessed on August 22, 1913 by the birth of a son in Komiza on the Isle of Vis and they named the baby Andrew Felanda. Within the next year, as World War One was approaching, they decided to leave for America. Andrija left first and on April 19, 1914 Margarita and her son Andrew, who was a very active young boy, were about to disembark, as passengers, to Ellis Island, New York. At this moment, young Andrew got away, luckily Margarita's friend Nina Demaria ran after the boy and caught him just in time, saving Andrew from leaping off the boat's gang plank. After arriving in New York the small party traveled on the train across the continent to Everett, Washington where Margarita and her son Andrew would join her husband. By 1916, the family grew with the birth of Katherine Felando on May 17, 1915 and then John Felando on August 16,1916 in Bellingham, Washington. By 1920 the family left the Pacific Northwest and arrived in San Pedro, California, joining Eve Felando, Andrija's brother, who had previously arrived in the United States in 1891 at the age of eleven years when his parents visited and allowed him to stay with the Petrich family on 1302 Centre Street, San Pedro. At age 20 Eve Felando lived with Evich Family and was not only a fisherman but later became an interpreter for foreign groups in the San Pedro Community since he was well educated and spoke five languages. Andrija and Margarita Felanda's family eventually settled and lived at 1411 Centre street and by March 9, 1920 their fifth child, Nick Felando was born. On October 27, 1921 their last child, daughter Pearl Felando, was born. While living in San Pedro, John remembered his mother preparing to wash the family clothes, since there was no washing machine, she had to heat a large galvanize tub outside on rocks with a fire in order to have hot water. Then she carried the hot water into the house and placed it in a wash tub attached to the wall where she washed the clothes by hand. Katherine also remembered her dad Andrija who, while walking to work, was standing on the corner at 14th and centre in San Pedro, when a car turned over and the person inside the vehicle was pinned underneath. Immediately, Andrija went over to help and began to lift the car while the surrounding people rushed over and pulled the person out. From that day forward Katherine's father's back bothered him but he continued to work as a longshoreman and later went fishing.

 

FELANDO, GERALD State Assemblyman

Born December 29, 1934 San Pedro, California. Practiced dentistry in the South Bay in October of 1977 but this was terminated due to spinal injury. Elected to the California State Legislature and member of the Assembly. Held this position till 1992. In June, 1993 Governor Wilson appointed Gerald Felando to the "Youthful Offender Parole Board (1993-June 1995). Resigned this position and became senior assistant to the Speaker of California Assembly. January 1, 1996 retired. On October 24, 1953 married Sonna Rae Murrey. Cynthia was born in 1954 and Nicholas in 1956 in San pedro, California.

 

FELANDO, NICHOLAS Fisherman-President

Born April 25, 1909 San Pedro, California Died November 29, 1998 Palm Springs, California at age 89 yrs. Fished as a young boy on his fathers boat "Nightingale". Also, fished on the "Magellan, the "Western Sky", and with Vince Cimitich. Part owner and Captain of the fishing vessel the "Treasure Island", and President of the Fisherman Cooperative Association. Became a buyer for Van Camp Seafood Co. and traveled from Alaska to Panama and Central America.  Nicholas married Winifred Stanojevich, born in Astoria, Oregon, on March 19, 1931. Their sons Gerald a dentist, born 1934 and Wilfred born in 1937.

 

FELLER, WILLIAM Mathematician-Professor

William Feller (1906-1970) is a well known name among mathematicians dealing with probability theory. He was a Jew born and educated in Zagreb, where he started his university study of mathematics, a professor at the University of Kiel, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Lund, Providence, Princeton etc., a member of many scientific organizations. Many important mathematical notions bear his name: Feller's process, Feller's transition function, Feller's semigroup, Feller's property.

 

FERICH, JOHN Skipper Inn

Born near Slavonska Pozega, Croatia in 1900.  John arrived in Gary, Indiana in 1925 and found work at the Gary Steel Mills.  Moving to San Pedro in 1949 he and his brother-in-law Charles Pavlich opened the Skipper Inn.   For many years Ferich was a member of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 588, Dalmatinska Sloga. He died in 1982.

 

FILCICH CLAN Croatian Activities

Frances Filcich died on June 29, 1998 at the age of 98 in Hayward, California.  She was born Francika Blazic on May 14, 1900 to Dragica and Frane Blazic in Rijeka, Croatia.  She married Ivan Filcich in Rijeka in 1929 and then migrated to the United States to Gary, Indiana in 1931.  In 1946 Francika, Ivan and their three children John, Rose and Tommy Filcich moved to Oakland where they lived for 16 years.  It was during their first year in Oakland that the family became members of  Croatian Fraternal Union Tomislav Lodge 121.  That was 52 years ago this year. Frances Filcich’s husband, Ivan passed away in 1953. Frances moved to San Lorenzo, just outside of Oakland to be near her daughter Rose and son-in-law Marko Skorup and her twin granddaughters Karen and Sharen and little Francine Marie.  “Francika’s life revolved around her family, her Croatian heritage, social gatherings, faith in Our Lord and the Blessed Mother, and her garden.  First and formost in her life was her family- John, her first son, his wife Kay and their two children Jana and Mark Filcich.  Francika frequently visited them in Los Angeles and they visited Francika several times a year. He had several record shops in Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles where he sold Croatian music and all muticultural music.  Frances worked in his shops for many years and participated in selling records at the Kolo Festivals and baked oranaca and apple strudel for his festivals and workshops where he taught kolo dancing.  John’s wife, Kay printed a recipe book entitled Mama Filcichs Recipes in honor of her mother-in-law who had taught her so much about Croatian cooking. Frances’ daughter Rose and her late husband Marko Skorup were her backbone in San Lorenzo during her last 30 years.  She was so proud to have seen two of her grandaughters marry and enjoy the lives to two great-grandchildren- Brian and Stephanie Anderson.  Grandma and Great-Grandma were a big part of the Skorup children’s daily lives. Tommy, her youngest son, frequented trips to Croatia with his mother numerous times, and this was her greatest heartwarming- being with her many brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews who all resided in Rijeka, Croatia.  The Filcich family brought many nieces and nephews to visit Francika on may occasions throughout her later years and these were indeed treasured moments of her life. Besides her family, her Croatian heritage was her fountain of life.  Even though she lived in the U.S.A. for 67 years, she never forgot her ethnic heritage.  Her daily life revolved around her Croatian language, Hrvatski prayers, recipes and music.  Whenever we would visit Francika wou would hear records palying kolos, Frankie Yankovic Polkas, waltzes, Istriani and Dalmatian songs- always singng along and tapping out the music. Francika belonged to many social clubs: Oakland Tomislav Lodge 121, Saint John’s Leisure and Bingo Clubs, Pinochle Card Parties and the San Lorenzo Socialbles.  She loved attending the CFU picnics and Napredak Club functions in San Jose and always donated her delicious cakes in behalf of our lodge.

 

FILKOVICH-FILL, JOHN T. Croatian Chorus

John Fill was born in a small country town in upper Michigan, the son of Croatian parents, Tom and Rosa Filkovich. The mother tongue and love for music was deeply instilled in his early childhood. As a young boy he became an accomplished pianist. In Detroit, as his father directed the Croatian Chorus, John would accompany the group at the piano. Due to the illness of his father, John, though only seventeen years of age, directed the Chorus at a public appearance. From this successful performance he continued as his Father's protege. (Tomo Filkovich was already world renowned as a great choral director, organizer and propagator of Croatian music and culture.) At the age of nineteen John was presented with the baton, and his father stepped back into the bass section to sing under his son's direction. It should be noted that during his senior year in high school, Mr. Fill was Student-Director of their 70-voice Glee Club. Mr. Fill continued to teach and direct the Croatian Chorus, which had from sixty to ninety voices, for another fourteen years. (During this period he directed a combined Chorus of 500 voices as a part of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.) It was in 1943 that Mr. Fill and his family decided to make their home in Los Angeles, California. In 1948 he collaborated with his distinguished father in the birth and organization of the Croatian Chorus of Los Angeles. He became the first Teacher-Director.

 

FILKOVICH-FILL, THOMAS Croatian Chorus

"Tom," as he was lovingly called, first set foot upon the shores of the new continent in 1904 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, later Pittsburgh, and Monessen, Pa. He finally settled down in Detroit, Michigan, where in 1923, he founded the Detroit Croatian Singing Society "Nightingale", which will soon celebrate its 45th anniversary. In 1943 he came to Los Angeles. He founded and was the first President of the Los Angeles Croatian Chorus "Slavulj" which is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Many of our Croatian Fraternal Union Lodges and cultural organizations have much of gratitude to offer for the living presence of such one whose warmth and understanding seems born of capacity of deep friendship which in fullest measure could be felt, and transmitted only in part, to others, with words and voices in tones and accents bordering on music. Whenever Tom went he could dismiss an ever-present and consuming urge to plow dormant soil in his desire to spread the growth of musical appreciation. His son John became the first Director and obviously inherited the love for music as well as the desire to propagate our treasured Croatian culture. On Saturday, December 6, 1952 his "family" as he lovingly called the Los Angeles "Slavulj", stood at his grave, with family and many friends to say "Rest in Peace in your final resting place." Although gone from this earth, and his dynamic personality stilled forever, we will carry on, as he wished. During the time of his confinement Brother Filkovich never for a moment lost interest in what he fondly called his "Second Family" - the Los Angeles Chorus "Slavulj." All he asked is that we work diligently, in order that we may promote our culture of the ages and preserve the qualities and characteristics of ancient Croatian compositions and traditions. This is both our duty and our privilege. With the help of his talented son John, our great Director, we will never shy from our promise. Mary Milakovich Pickard.

 

FINDRIK, LOVRO, J. Artist-Professor

Lovro Findrik is a professor of Fine Arts at Immaculata College and Rosemont College, Rosemont, Pennsylvania. Born August 9, 1926 in Arilje; married with three children, Education includes Real Gymnasium, in Petrinja, Croatia, Graduate 1943; Teacher's College Petrinja, 1943-47; School of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia. 1947-48; Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb, 1951- 1959; Diploma of Academic Sculptor in February 1959 with a major field in Sculpture and Graphic, modern and classic; all media; all techniques;  Portrait, Human figure (Miniature, oversize, relief). Monuments all types, Art for churches, Mosaic, Grafitos, Intar8y, Fresco. Member of the Croatian Academy of America.       

Illustration and Scenography for the Theatre in Petrinja, Sisak, Croatia 1959-1960; Art Teacher in Teacher's College, Sisak, Croatia Large composition in metal, Sisak 1959-1963; Large Composition in plaster and copper "Defeat of Turks at Sisak" for City Hall of Sisak 1962; Built modern puppet theatre in Zagreb. Sculpture, "Benches" at Vienna, Austria 1963. Oversize figure for Szrall Pavillion, N.Y., N.Y. Art decoration in the Church of Hamilton, Ontario Canada; Nine feet Crucifixion for Immaculata Col., Immaculata, Pennsylvania; Art Teacher in Fletcher Art Memorial, Philadelphia 1966-68. Exibitions:        One Man Show. Sisak, Croatia 1961; Group Show of Contemporary Croatian Art, Zagreb 1962; One Man Show, Vienna, Austria 1963; Group Show of Graphics, (1st Prize). Augsburg, W. Germany 1963; Group Show, Chicgo. Illinois.1964; 19th and 20th Century Croatian Art, New York, N.Y.1965; One Man Show, Burlingham, Pennsylvania 1967; One Man Show Broomall 1968. First Prize for Graphic Augsburg.

 

FORENCICH, FRANK Police Inspector-Military

Retired San Francisco Police Department inspector, 76 years of age, died at home in his native San Francisco on May 26, 1999.  Devoted husband of Helen for 53 years: cherished father of Betty Hudak, Frank Forencich Jr. and Lynne Quadrelli; loving father-in-law of Nobert, Paula and Skip; proud grandfather of Norbert Jr.;, Kori, Jeffrey, Laura, Jason, Andrea, Melissa and Katelynne; beloved brother of Madeline Huffman; adored son to his late parents, Nicholas and Bepina Forencich born on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia; dear brother-in-law of Jim Huffman, Gladys and the late Dominic Puizina, Catherine and John McCann, Martin and the late Mary Barbero. Member of the Slavonic Mutual Benevolent Society for over 50 years: Intl Footprint Assn Chapter One; VFW #4103; DAV #144; Military Order of the Purple Heart; American Legion Post #456; 2nd Marine Division Assn; SFPD Widows and Orphans Assn; SF Police Officers Assn; Veteran SFPOA; SF Police Athletic Club; Crocker Amazon Bocce Club.  Veteran of WWII, ‘Semper Fi.”

 

FRANCESKI, ANTHONY Oyster Beds

Anthony Franceski, a well known resident of Triumph, has been associated with the oyster industry in Plaquemine Parish for some forty-five years or more or ever since he reached this country about 1895. Mr. Franceski started his oyster business on a small scale and at that time had his headquarters at Empire and still conducts his operations from there, maintaining his home at Triumph. With his two sons, who are associated in the business with him, Mr. Franceski has developed into a large scale operator and owns a splendid boat equipped with a new thirty-six horse power engine. Their equipment includes the latest and most up-to-date dredging devices which make for the greatest possible recovery from their oyster beds located west of the Mississippi River in theGulf of Mexico. Seed oysters are obtained outside of Quarantine Bay and are of the highest quality obtainable. Mr. Franceski also has his own oyster buildings located in the Gulf adjacent to his oyster beds. Mr. Franceski and his sons have made many notably large hauls and one haul made in a period of fourteen hours by only two men netted five hundred barrels or sacks of oysters, something of a record for the Gulf area. Anthony Franceski was born at Dalmatia, Croatia on the fourteenth of April, 1878, a son of John Franceski and Anne Franceski. He was educated in the schools of his native country and came to the United States when he was seventeen years of age, landing in New Orleans and settling permanently soon afterward in Plaquemines Parish where he has, remained since. On the fourteenth of December, 1903, Mr. Franceski was married to Miss Mary Dominican, also a native of Dalmatia, and they are the parents of three children, two sons, Sam and Andrew Franceski, both of whom are married, and a daughter, now Mrs. Tony Grama. Mrs. Grama is the mother of three children and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Franceski have one child. Mr. Franceski is well known in the Croatian colony of Plaquemines Parish and enjoys the highest standing in the community where he has lived for nearly fifty years. He is an exceptionally capable oyster man and the superior quality of his oysters has made Mr. Franceski a leading figure in the ranks of the local oyster producers.

 

FRANCIN, MICHAEL Fisherman

Michael Francin  (who was born on the island of Vis, Croatia) and Maudie Cepernich married in 1931. He fished crab in the winter, and fished salmon with the Martinis family for many years. They lived in Anacortes, Washington until the family moved to Eureka, California in 1953. Maudie's husband, Michael passed away in 1964. Maudie went back to school and worked for the county tax office until the early 1980's. She traveled twice to Croatia to visit the many cousins there and moved back to Anacortes, Washington in 1989. Maudie was born on November 2, 1909 in Anacortes, Washington to Spiro and Anna Cepernich. She died on June 5, 2003. Her parents were from the village Splitska on the island of Brac, Croatia. She was a member of the Anacortes Croatian Club and was also active in the Catholic church in California and Anacortes. She is survived by her son Joseph of Folsom, California; and her daughter Patricia of Nyack, New York She has three grand daughters and 4 great grandchildren. (Sleasman 2003)

 

FRANCISCOVICH, F.M. Senator

Coming from Astoria, Oregon in 1938 to San Francisco Croatian Day, Senator F. M. Franciscovich, presiding officer of the Oregon Senate, delivered the speech on “My Impression of the Croatian People” in the English language.  After listening to Mr. Francisovich’s masterful control of the English language, we are not surprised that he has risen to such great heights in the political machinery of our neighboring state. Croatians attending last Sunday’s Croatian Day in San Francisco have no need for such exaggeration, because there certainly was a packed house for the afternoon program, and twice as packed for the Grand Ball. A more enthusiastic crowd of both young and old people is hard to find at any affair- certainly it’s many a moon since such a crowd attended any Croatian function here on the west coast. The afternoon program opened by M.J. Tudja chairman of the committee, was excellent.  Senator “Andy” Pierovich’s treatment of the job as Master of Ceremonies for the entire day deserves commendation.  Starting off in the Croatian language, he showed he had as good a command of our language as any of our American born youngsters.  Most of the Senator’s speaking, however, was in English. John D. Butkovich, National President of the Croatian Fraternal Union of America, addressed the gathering in the Croatian language and Mr. Butkovich is certainly a master of the oratorical art. Milan M. Petrak, editor of the Croatian Fraternal Union official organ, also coming here with Mr. Butkovich from Pittsburgh, spoke on some of the work accomplished by the powerful organization of American Croatians.

 

FRANCISCOVICH, MITCHELL Restaurant-Boardinghouse

Mitchell Franciscovich ( wife Kirincich ) started a workingman's restaurant on Heron Street in Aberdeen, Washington. In addition he built a large two story house in East Aberdeen so that arriving county-man would have a place to stay while they found work. It was his practice to take a horse and wagon to the railroad station every day to greet the train and any Croatian immigrants aboard. If they had a local address to find he would see they reached there. If not, it was off to his home or a boarding house.

 

FRANCOVICH, ALBERT USS FRANCOVICH

Albert Anthony Francovich, born 23 January 1920 at Shamokin, Pennsylvania, enlisted in the Navy 8 March 1939.  As an aviation machinist’s mate first class with a patrol squadron in the Solomons Operation, he was killed in action 6 September 1942.  He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his great heroism in standing to his gun although mortally wounded in an engagement with a Japanese  seaplane. A naval fighting ship was named after him, USS FRANCOVICH Destroyer escort, APD-116, Displacement:  1,390 t., Length:  306’, Beam:  37’, Draft:  12’7”,  Complement:  204, Armament:  1 5”, Class:  CROSLEYM The first FRANCOVICH (APD-116) (ex-DE-606), was reclassified 17 July 1944, launched 5 June 1945 by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Mass.; sponsored by Mrs. Mary F. Edmunds, sister of Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class Francovich; and commissioned 6 September 1945, Lieutenant Commander M. Maclean, USNR, in command. After her shakedown training, FRANCOVICH arrived at Green Cove Springs 18 November 1945 to give assistance in the inactivation of ships being readied for reserve there.  She was placed out of commission, in reserve, at Green Cove Springs 29 April 1946. [Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 April 1964, the USS FRANCOVICH was sold in May 1965.

 

FRANCOVICH, ALLAN Film

On April 17, 1997, as he was going through customs at the Houston airport, documentary filmmaker Allan Francovich had a sudden heart attack. He died at age 56 with no history of heart trouble.  I've been watching and researching the films of Allan Francovich for a while now. After I first encountered his films I kept thinking to myself: “Why is it that I never see his name or films listed in film histories?” Here was a filmmaker who made these great films about the CIA and about U.S. intervention in Central America. These pioneering films are heirs to the counter-cinéma vérité film tradition that began in the '60s and '70s. They are very artfully crafted and ironic without being pretentious, the death knell for anything involving art and politics these days. Still, Francovich is virtually unknown in the art world circuit, and only marginally known in the activist and documentary world. But his last film, Maltese Double Cross (1994), about the 1988 terrorist attack on PanAm 103, has probably given him more press than he's ever had. Two suspects in the case are on trial now, after more than a decade of controversy and political maneuvering. Maltese Double Cross has been practically banned in the United States. It was denounced by the FBI, who were ordered to investigate the film and filmmaker. Francovich was also threatened with libel suits. The film makes the case that the two Libyan suspects are possibly innocent and being used as part of a larger cover-up of a drug running operation carried out by the CIA, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The operation involved, in part, negotiations to free hostages in Lebanon and the monitoring of the controlled shipment of drugs from Lebanon to the U.S. on airlines in order to track the movement of the drug trade in the United States. According to the film, this operation was infiltrated by a terrorist group in Syria, which was paid by Iranians to retaliate against the U.S. Navy attack on an Iranian passenger plane. President George Bush responded to criticism of the attack with the now infamous reply: “I will never apologize for the United States of America—I don't care what the facts are.”  Well, the fact is just a few months after the incident, PanAm 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. And as any good sleuth knows, such coincidences make for excellent clues. The United States and Great Britain originally assumed it was Iranian retaliation, but switched the blame to two Libyans in Malta after the Gulf War. The film argues that the West turned its investigation in the direction of Libya because it needed the support of both Syria and Iran in order to justify the intervention into, and subsequent sanctions against, Iraq. Libya had been a convenient target for anti-terrorist action on the part of the United States since Ronald Reagan came into office. One of his CIA initiatives was a well-documented disinformation campaign, then headed by the same CIA officer later in charge of investigating the Lockerbie case.

 

FRANICEVICH, ANDY Restaurant

Over a couple glasses of wine, Tony Markovich, Andy Franicevich, and Mike Stipic had the idea of building a grand and elegant restaurant on the Wharf at Jack London Square in Oakland.  Having worked as a trio for ten years at the Oakland Seafood Grotto, they had acquired a food clientele.  But rather than renovating the old site, they decided to embark upon a new and challenging adventure, which was not only to be costly, but would involve numerable plans- thus following their fathers’ footsteps. Andy’s father left the Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia. to settle in Louisiana where he worked the oyster farms.  It was San Francisco, however here he ended up owning a chain of restaurants, all but one fell victim to the Depression. Tony’s Markovich’s father migrated from the Island of Brac in Dalmatia and settled in San Francisco where he started as a dishwasher, waiter, and advanced to cook before he owned four restaurants. Somehow they all seemed to end up working at Maye’s Oyster House where Mike’s father was cook.  Mike’s father came from Montenegro and enlisted in the U.S. Army during W.W.I. when he met the sister of Andy’s mother, he married her- all three families were very close over the years. It was in 1955, when the sons of these immigrants became partners. The Grotto finally became a reality in 1966.  Upon entering this famous establishment, you are greeted by your congenial hosts (Andy, Tony, or Mike).  The warmth of their personalities, as well as the interesting decor makes on feel very relaxed and welcomed.  Sport memorabilia fill the walls for all three partners participated in athletics.  Tony was an outstanding pitcher for St. Ignatius, and Andy and Mike played football for Mission.  Their love and respect for sports is reflected in the displays of autographed photos of famed athletics, such as Joe Dimaggio and Croatian football star, George Blanda of the Oakland Raiders.  A football and shoe belonging to Blanda are enclosed in glass as tribute to him.  Also displayed are the golfclubs of Tony Lema, golf pro and a long time friend of Andy’s, who died in a plane crash. As your eyes scan further, you notice pictures of team members of the 49ers, Oakland A’s, and the Oakland Raiders who frequently visit the Grotto. With a large fireplace in the center of the room, the dining atmosphere is romantic as well as captivating.  It gives pleasure to look out upon the water at small luxury boats, and then to see tugboats guiding in a ship, while a large container ship looms in the distance.  And as night falls, and lights dazzle on the blackened water, the enchantment is total. Whether dining early or late, you’ll find the cuisine exquisite, and the help as gracious as the owners.  Rosemary Farac.

 

FRANICEVICH, BOBBY Fishing Marina

For generations, southeast Louisiana has been synonymous with some of the best fishing and hunting in the world. It is largely the result of the Mississippi River, which drains more than 40 percent of the continental United States. This powerful force disperses rich nutrients throughout the vast wetlands, making the lower Mississippi River Delta one of the most prolific regions on the planet. In the middle of it all, amid networks of meandering bayous, deep canals and bays, is the town of Buras. Here, nestled along State Hwy. 23 on the west side of the river, is Joshua’s Marina. Often referred to as the crown jewel of all marinas in Plaquemines Parish, hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts from across the southeastern United States are making a new home at Joshua’s Marina. Even before Bobby Franicevich purchased the property in 1982, Joshua’s has been long regarded as the gateway to the most productive fishing areas in the southern United States. From veterans, to professional guides, to "weekend warriors," Buras, and nearby Empire and Venice, are known as some of the best areas there are for saltwater, coastal fishing. Trophy speckled trout and tackle-busting bull reds literally swarm in spring and summer, and then invade the upper interior estuaries in the fall and winter months. So it’s easy to see why Joshua’s has become so popular. But one of the biggest reasons why so many have "discovered" Joshua’s Marina is that some of the best areas to fish are within a few minutes of the hoist. Through the 1960s and 1970s, many locals fished and hunted in this undeveloped area. One of the first people to realize the potential of this part of Buras was local businessman Bobby Franicevich, who purchased the property in 1982. At the time, Joshua’s was only a dirt road, a small hoist and a trailer. But Franicevich had big plans. And soon those plans were put into action.

 

FRANICEVIC, FRANE Sunce Winery

Sunce Winery (pronounced "sun-say', meaning "sun' in Croatian) originally One World Winery, was founded by Dr. Frane Franicevic. A native of the island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia Frane was born into a family with a centuries-old winemaking tradition. Frane, Janae, and their two daughters, Zora and Sunce, invite you to a down-to-earth, unpressured, and serene experience at their winery. Don't be afraid to bring the kids! Frane Franicevic has spent over eleven years in the wine industry and currently is owner and winemaker of Sunce Winery in Santa Rosa, California. After earning, a Ph.D in psychology, Frane turned to his love and passion which was winemaking. He developed this passion while growing up in Croatia because his parents and grandparents made wine and still do. Frane's wife, Janae, is in charge of marketing their wines. Sunce is located in Santa Rosa at 1839 Olivet Road. Their tasting room is open 10:30 to 5 every day. Sunce is the perfect small winery as you can meet the winemaker.) It might seem strange that the first thing Frane Franicevic wants to show a visitor to Sunce winery is an empty plot of land dotted with a scattering of little yellow stakes marking out a new addition to their existing 40'x6O' space. What he sees when he looks at the stakes is his brand new winery, where all operations will be under one roof: crushing, fermentation, barrel storage, bottling and case storage. Although the heavy rains have delayed groundbreaking, Frane says, with confidence, "the building will be completed by May."

Next he shares his excitement about the tidy four-acre home vineyard, planted with Pinot Noir in June 2001. Because the vines have been planted with tight spacing, Frane feels that the vineyard will furnish enough top-quality grapes for him to make about 1,000 cases of wine, which will be about half the total production of this tiny family winery. For ten years the winery has remained at about the 2,000 case level - making 14 different wines, each, obviously very limited - about 150 cases of each. Three white wines - a Russian River Sauvignon. Blanc, a Chardonnay and a blend of Lake County grapes called Mistral are made each year, and they usually sell out by the first weekend of March, at the Russian River Wine Road barrel tasting event. Sunce offers a diverse menu of unusual varietals and unique blends, such as Chardonnay, Symphony, Valdiquie, Mistral (a blend of 50% Chardonnay 40% Chenin Blanc, and 10% Sauvignon Blanc) and Mariage (a red Vintner's Blend). Frane produced two Pinot Noirs from the 2000 vintage. One, under the Nobility Franicevic label with the coat of arms of his family, granted in 800 A.D, was made from grapes drawn from a neighboring Piner Road vineyard. "It's a big, ruby red Pinot with a lot of character," Frane says. "We left a third of the berries whole, and fermented the wine for 26 days with extended maturation. There is a lot of spice in  the nose and in the flavor.

"It's a lot of work for Frane," comments Janae, Frane's wife and partner, "but this wine started winning medals almost immediately." Awards are common for the Sunce wines which win gold medals and best of class rankings in almost every competition into which they are entered. Frane, who tends to be very philosophical credits the soil, climate, clones and Mother Nature with producing the wines which are constantly evolving into something more exciting. "You can't eliminate the intervention of the winemaker," he admits, “and it is my place to look at the barrel of wine, taste and recognize what it needs to bring it to its ultimate excellence." The bungalow neatness of the tasting room provides an instant feeling of being welcomed as part of the family, and when Janae is behind the tasting bar, her sparkling enthusiasm for the wines, the winery and her visitors is contagious. Early in the winery's life the Franicevics followed the route of most new wineries, trying to attract distributors to handle their wines, but they soon took a step backward and now all marketing is through direct sales. "By meeting the customers in person, or having contact with them through our club," says Janae, "we learn what it is they are looking for in the wines they select.

 

FRANICEVICH, MATO AND SOPHIE Restaurant

Mato and Sophie Franicevich opened the first restaurant in what is now Oakland’s Jack London Square. She was married in 1914 to the late Mato (Franicevich, who operated the historic Maye’s Oyster houses in San Francisco until 1936, when he opened the Oakland Seafood Grotto on the Estuary.  Mrs. Franicevich remained active in the operation of that family owned restaurant until shortly before her death. She was a charter member and past president of the American Slavic Women’s Club; a board member of the International Institute of the East bay, past president of the Activities Council and a member of the California Club. Mrs. Franicevich, 81, was a native of Sucuraj, Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, who came to Oakland with her parents when she was 11.  She is survived by three sons: Andrew of Oakland, Thomas of San Francisco and Robert of Sacramento; a sister, Slavka Stipic; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

 

FRANICEVICH, MATT Restaurant

It was early morning several years ago.  Matt Franicevich, part owner of Mayes Oyster House on Polk Street, hurried to the restaurant conscious of a big day of the business ahead.  He opened the door and found a customer already seated, reading the morning paper.  It was the late Governor Rolph, himself, patiently waiting for his favorite morning dish.  Early though it was, Matt hustled around after greeting the governor. Not only has Mayes Oyster House been a rendezvous for the late Gov. Rolph and his official family and friends but the hospitality and good food of this eating center has been a land-mark in the San Francisco’s history since its opening in 1867.  In the begining it was one with Maye’s Oyster House in the California Market.  There were two partners, and they decided to divide the business.  One remained in the California Market, where it is operated today by Mrs. Stephen Millisich; the other moved on Polk Street and  Matt separated from it to operate at 1233 Polk Street, a few doors from his former location.  The three partners of the grill today are Dalmatians and people of this same nationality have been in control of Mayes’ for the past 30 years.  President of the firm is Matt Franicevich, secretary is John Vranjos and the chef is Louis Jelecich. When Matt Franicevich first came to the United States he was in the oyster business in the South.  Later he came to San Francisco, for he had relatives here and believed the city offered him greater opportunities.  He opened a restaurant in the commission district on Washington Street.  He has been connected with Mayes’ Oyster House since 1922. One of the famous persons who consistently patronizes Matt and his sea food cuisine is Gertrude Atherton Russell, and with friends who she has met on her numerous trips abroad and to whom she recommends the place.  Mrs. Atherton, as well as a number of society women, like especially the Olympia oysters breaded for which Mayes is famous. From automobile row come some of the important dealers to eat.  From the Civic Center come judges, lawyers, city, county and state officials and all these at the counter, at the open tables, in the dining room and in the private booths, total from 300 to 400 meals daily, morning, noon and night.  Mr. Franicevich is survived by his wife, Sophie, of 4131 Lincoln avenue, Oakland; by three sons, Andrew, Robert and Thomas, and by six grandchildren.

FRANICEVICH, TOM Brewery Manager

Tom was the second son of Matt and Sophie Franicevich, and was raised on 28th Street in the Mission District, attending Mission High in San Francisco. After graduation, he worked at the family restaurant, The Oakland Seafood Grotto. With the advent of WW11, he enlisted in the Army and attained the rank of Captain. Upon his discharge, he married his sweetheart, Kathyrn, and worked for the Board of Equalization and subsequently as the Industrial Relations Manager for Burgermeister Brewery until its closure. He was then associated with Sapunar Realty until his recent retirement. Tom was a gracious gentleman, quiet, yet the kind of friend we all seek. He was a member of the Slavonic Society of San Francisco. Tom died on November 23, 1992. He leaves his loving wife Kathyrn, his children, John, Joann, James, Robert, four grandchildren and brothers, Andy and Robert.

 

FRANICEVICH, ZELJKO Oysters

Franks was born in Sucuraj on the Island of Hvar, Croatia on December 26, 1917 and came to Louisiana in January, 1935. Upon arrival here he entered the oyster cultivating business with his father, Joseph Franks and his father's partner George Vujnovic. In 1941 he, his father and his brother Zvonko formed their own oyster company. During the years 1941 to 1969 that Franks was an oyster cultivator he actively promoted the preservation and improvement of the Louisiana oyster industry. He was a charter member of the Louisiana Oyster Dealers and Growers Association, served as its president 1958-1959, and as a member of the Board of Directors until 1969. He was also a member of the National Shellfish Association. Franks is also involved with other types of businesses. During the 1950s he organized, and served on the Board of Directors and as Vice-President of, a finance company. In the 1970s he helped organize a stevedoring company where he presently serves as a member of its Board of Directors and its Vice-President. He is very active in civic and social organization. The following are a few of the organizations to which he belongs. He held various offices in many of them: Chamber of Commerce of the Greater New Orleans Area, Apartment Association' of New Orleans, United Slavonian Benevolent Association, Slavonian Pleasure Club and Laca Club, a Carnival Organization. In 1941 Franks married Helen Pausina whose forebears came from the Peljesac Penninsula. The have two children a daughter, Mrs. Sidney F. Raymond, nee Helen Ann Franks, and a son Joseph V. Franks II, and seven grandchildren. New Orleans is one of the busiest ports in the United States (second only to New York) and as such is visited annually by hundreds of ocean-going vessels. Among those are many of Yugoslav registry. Recently a prominent Croatian immigrant in New Orleans Zeliko Franks (Franicevic) has been pointed an Honorary Consul of SFR Yugoslavia in New Orleans for the State of Louisiana.

 

FRANICH CLAN  

Another early immigrant was Frank Franich (wife, Katie Vlatkovich). A carpenter by trade, Franich wasted no time putting his tools to work and built many homes and buildings in South Aberdeen, Washington. Among the larger structures were the Liberty Pool Hall and Grocery, the Bay City Pool Hall and Grocery, the Zrinski-Frankopan lodge hall and the Croatian Workingman's Company Store. When Frank's brother, Andy Franich and brother-in-law, Steve Vlatkovich, came he put them to work as carpenters. A third brother, Steve Franich was a successful photographer. Three man who plied the same trade to Chehalis County in its infancy and did their part to help grow.

 

FRANICH, MARTIN Auto Dealer - Apple Grower Shipper

Mr. Franich is a native of Watsonville, and was born on March 17, 1912, the son of Martin, Sr., and Lucy (Brailo) Franich.  Both of his parents came to this country form Dubrovnik, Croatia.  The public schools of Watsonville provided the younger Martin C. Franich with his early education.  He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, where he took his degree of Bachelor of Science in 1933. He has been in the automobile retailing filed since 1938, when he became a partner in the firm of Secondo Mignola at Watsonville.  He secured his own franchise as a dealer in Lincoln and Mercury cars in 1948, and operates his sales agency under the name of Marty Franich. Since 1946, Mr. Franich has also been a partner in Martin Franich and Sons, apple growers and shippers. The senior Martin Franich has been in the apple business since the early 1900’s. He is a veteran of service in the United States Coast Guard in World War II.   From 1942 to 1944 he was an instructor and security officer at the Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut.  He held a commission as lieutenant at the time he received his honorable discharge in 1945. A roman Catholic, Mr. Franich holds the Fourth degree in the Knights of Columbus.  he is also a member of the lodge of the Benevolent and Protective order of Elks.  He is a founder-member of both the Elkhorn Yacht CLub and the Pajaro Valley Rod and Gun CLub, and is a past president of his Rotary Club.  He belongs to the St. Francis Yacht CLub, the Olympic Club, the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, the San Francisco Grid Club, and the Family Club.  He served the  two terms as councilor of the University of California Alumni Council at Berkeley. At New London, Connecticut, Martin Charles Franich, Jr., married Mary Margaret Corcoran, daughter of Joseph and Katherine (Fleming) Corcoran.   Mr. and Mrs. Franich are the parents of five children: 1. Mark, born November 13, 1943.  2. Steven, born May 11, 1946.  3. Joan born April 2, 1951.  4. Jill, born June 27, 1953.  5. Joy, born February 8, 1959.

 

FRANKOVICH, MIKE  Hollywood Studios

Mike Frankovich, son of parents from Dubrovnik, was born in Bisbee, Arizona.  He received a B.A. from UCLA and served as a flyer for the United States in World War II.  He had worked in the film industry for the entirety of his life, serving in numerous capacities, including manager, screen writer, and producer.  As a child he starred in “Rosita”.  Later he independently produced various films including, “Footsteps in the Fog”, “Joe Macbeth”, “Fire Over Africa”, “Decameron Nights”, and “Lucky Nick Kane”.  In 1955 Mike became a Vice President of Columbia Pictures International Corporation and was later elected as Chairman of the Board of Columbia Pictures Corporation Ltd.  By 1964, Mike had risen to the position of Vice-President of Columbia Pictures Corporation in Hollywood, gaining him world-wide responsibility for Columbia’s production activities.  Mike later owned his own production company, Frankovich Studios, and became one of the most active producers of films, some of which include “Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice”, “Marooned”, “Cactus Flower”, “The Looking Glass War”, “Doctors’ Wives”, and “There’s a Girl in My Soup”.  Mike was also an active fund raiser for charitable causes.  He was a member and Chief Barker of the Variety Club of Great Britain, tent 36.  He participated in the Royal Film performance, a motion picture industry fund raiser for the Cinematography Trade Benevolent Fund, and was active in the British Empire Cancer Campaign’s annual film premieres.  Mike was married to Binnie Barnes and is succeeded by his two sons and one daughter.

 

FRANULOVICH,GEORGE Fisherman-Military-Sea Captain

George Franulovich was born August 17,1914 in Vela Luka, Island of Korcula,  Croatia, to a seafaring family. His father was Pavao Franulovic-Njalo and mother, Marija Marinovic. George Franulovich was a master mariner, receiving his matriculation from the Royal Yugoslav Maritime Academy as the youngest graduate to command sailing ships. He served in the Royal Yugoslav Navy and upon finishing his tour of duty, returned to the 500-year-old family maritime shipping and wine business. During World War 11, he served as captain in the Yugoslav Navy and saw much action alongside allied forces. He saved the lives of many downed allied aviators from behind enemy lines. He and his family came to the United States in 1949, after a five-year odyssey through Italy, Ellis Island, Santo Domingo, and Venezuela. He joined relatives in Anacortes, Washington and turned to commercial fishing. His relatives, led by Rudolph Franulovich were already well established in salmon seining. His first seining vessel "Violet F" was named for his youngest daughter, Binki. He also owned the seiner, "Brigadier," the crabber "Flounder", the king crabber "Nautilius," and his present vessel the seiner "St. Peter". He was a pioneer in the king crab industry as well as local dungeness crabbing. He did considerable rudimentary work on the power block which was later perfected and known as the Puratic Block which revolutionized net seining. He had an early interest in the conservation of the anadromous fishery, advocating strict environmental respect of local rivers and habitat. He was a founder of the American Croatian Club of Anacortes, and a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 1021. He was the "father" of the Vela Luka Croatian Dancers, teaching its founders their-first dance steps. He was the subject of three documentaries; two films, and one text book. He was a supporter of Immaculate Heart of 'Mary Croatian Parish In Vancouver, B.C., Canada and a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Anacortes, since 1949. He was a leader in the local Croatian community. George Franulovich died December 4, 1986. George Franulovich was preceded in death by an infant son who died in Italy in 1944, sisters Vica and Jaka in Vela Luka, and a brother Tony also of Vela Luka. Surviving are his brother, Paul, of Arica Chile; sister Agnes Hrepich of Elk Grove, California; sister-in-law, Frana Franulovich of Vela Luka and Anacortes; his wife, Marija; children, Maria Petrish of Anacortes, Alma Plancich of Lake Forest Park, Binki Spahi of Mercer Island, and Anthony George Franulovich of Anacortes; sons-in-law, Nick Petrish, John Plancich, and Nader Spahi; grandchildren, Nick Petrish 111, Michael J. Petrish, Matthew Plancich and Maria Plancich; brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Ljubica Separovich and their children, Robert Separovich and Carmen Hardy. He was a great Croatian and American patriot, and a humanitarian.

 

FRANUSICH, JOHN Restaurant

From 1935 to 1939, Mr. Franusich operated the Marine Garden Fish Grotto at Polk and California streets in San Francisco and for the ensuing 17 years, until he retired, he operated a restaurant of the same name in Sacramento. He is married to Angela of Sacramento, brother of Luce Baca of Croatia and the late Antone Franusich. He is the uncle of Jack Franusich of Sacramento, Danny Franusich and Rina Miklausic, both of Canada; cousin of Frank Franusich of Sacramento and the late J. F. Franusich of San Francisco; a native of Ston, Luka, Dalmatia, Croatia.

 

FRIEDEL (CUPIC), CAROL Croatian Activities

Carol (Cupich) Friedel  was born in Oakland of Croatian parents. Her father came from Konavle and her mother from Frankfurt. She attended local schools. She obtained her B.S. Degree in Business Administration from St. Mary's College. Recently, due to the birth of her two sons (one is now nearly 3 and the other is 11 months old), she has temporanly interrupted her career. Carol has had several years of experience working in financial institutions. Her knowledge well equips her to serve as Croatian Scholarship Fund Treasurer.

 

FUCICH, SIMEONE Oyster Business-Fucich Bayou-Mariner

Simeone, the son of Simeone Anthony Fucich and one of 14 children, was born on the island of Losinj in northern Dalmatia on June 15, 1852. He died on August 27, 1914. He was educated in the marine academies of Dalmatia where he was trained to serve as an officer in the merchant marine.   He left his native country at age 14  to come to America to live with his  Uncle Antonio Fucich  in Hazelhurst, Mississippi.   Sam, as he was known, worked with his uncle in the produce business where he learned the principals of doing business with the public.

In 1869, he and his Uncle Antonio moved to New Orleans where they joined forces with  M. Popovich and opened a corner grocery store at the corner of Ursuline and Gallatin Streets.  Seeing a need for fresh seafood and a good source of supply he traveled to Donaldsonville where he later met Marie Caliste Martinez.  They were married in the Catholic Church in Donaldsonville on August 18, 1874.    He decided that there was a need for a good seafood shop in New Orleans, so he opened his first shop  in 1875,  on Calliope Street between Magnolia and Clara Streets. His Uncle Antonio and his brother Blazich ran the day to day business while he continued to search for a constant supply of fresh

seafood.  He soon found  that a better source of seafood could be obtained in Pointe a la Hache in Plaquimine Parish.  Business flourished and in 1883, he moved his seafood shop to a larger building located at  # 4 N. Front Street in New Orleans.  Business continued to grow; therefore, in 1885 he moved to an even larger building located at # 8 Dumaine Street.

With the increase in business and the constant need for even more fresh oysters, he purchased land in Plaquimine Parish, leased oyster beds, and constructed camps where the oyster fishermen could live.  He also went into partnership with Mr. Alvin Lee in a General Mercantile Store and Post Office in order to supply the oystermen with food, tools, and housing; and in turn they would sell their oysters to him.  He formed what is known today as the first oyster co-op, previously  none had operated in this manner or on such a large scale.

In 1892, to facilitate the deliverery and insure an ample supply of oysters, he had the Nestor Canal at Nestor Louisiana dug so that the fishermen could bring the oysters to the Mississippi River where the luggers S. S. Grover Cleveland, the M. V. Reliance, and other vessels could pick up the oysters and deliver them to the Picayune Wharf in New Orleans. Business continued to grow; he was shipping oysters, seafood, and produce throughout the area.  In August 1901 he purchased 532-36 Dumaine Street for his new shop which extended all the way to Madison Street. It was large enough to handle the volume of business he had established.  He had many employees, including his three sons.  The business was known as, "Crescent City Oyster And Fish Depot," later it became, "S. M. Fucich & Sons."Business was good and still growing, he began to slow down; and in 1914, while at his summer home in Lake Shore Mississippi, he died of acute indigestion.  He was an innovator in the fish and oyster industry.

Simeone M. Fucich joined the United Slavonian Benevolent Association in May of 1875, he served as its vice-president from 1895 to 1897.  He was president from 1901 to 1903, and again from 1909 to 1910.

Fucich Bayou near Pointe a la Hache was named in his honor. Other family contributions in southern Louisiana came from Sam and his father. In the early 1880's, the Catholics in Donaldsonville planned on building a new church.  They needed marble columns for inside the new church.  S. M. Fucich contacted his father living in Losinj Mali, Croatia who bid on the project, won the bid and proceeded to carve the columns.  It was reported in the Donaldsonville Chief newspaper  of September 17, 1881, that they were being carved by Simeone Anthony Fucich, father of the recent townsman, Simeone M. Fucich. In the May 5, 1883, issue of the Chief, it was reported that the twenty marble columns consisting of sixty-two pieces were in New Orleans waiting to be shipped to Donaldsonville by barge and delivered to a make shift dock across from the site of the new church.  These columns are in the church which still stands today.

 

FULGOSI, BERISLAV A. Doctor-Professor

Berislav Fulgosi is a Physician and Surgeon in Chicago, Illinois. Born June 1, 1922 in Livno, Bosnia, Croatia, Education includes Classical Gymnasium, Split and Zagreb, 1942; University of Zagreb, 1943-45; University of Granada, 1947-52, M.S. 1952. with a major field in Neurology and Surgery. Professor in Surgical Clinic, 1952-54, Granada, Spain; Fellowship Neurosurgery and Neurology, 1954-57, Madrid, Spain; Internship - Jackson Park. Hospital, Chicgo. Illinois, 1958; Residency in Surgery Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital, Chicgo, Illinois 1959. Psysiological         and Pathological Studies Following an Experimental Hemispherectomy Spain; Member of Colegio Medico, Spain; American Medical Association.

 

GABAY, ELIAS King of Knishes

Elias Gabay, former president of a major knish bakery and designer of machinery to make knishes, died Wednesday in Miami Beach. He was 82. Gabay was president of Gabila and Sons of Brooklyn until 1966, and served as a consultant to the firm after his retirement. The Company produced more than I million knishes a day - about half sold t h r o u g h delicatessens and the rest frozen for nationwide distribution. Knishes are a mixture of potatoe and spices with a light brown crust and are eaten hot. Gabay a Yugoslav immigrant opened a restaurant in 1921, but soon went into the wholesale knish business. He invented a machine to make knishes in 1932. Gabaj is found in great numbers throughout Croatia.

 

GABELICH, GARY Auto Racing-Boat Racing-Sky Diving

Gary Gamelich, born in San Pedro, California, set a world land speed record of 622.287 mph in the rocket-powered Blue Flame.  The record was set over a measured mile at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, on October 23, 1970 and stood for thirteen years.  The record was also listed in the Guiness Book of Records. In his initial competition at age sixteen, Gabelich won first place in the stock eliminator drag racing class at Santa Ana, California.  In 1959, when he was only seventeen, Gabelich won world’s first side-by-side jet dragster race, topping 250 mph.  Other accomplishments included his winning the first United Drag Racing Association in 1963 and being first man to break into drag racing’s seven second bracket, driving a Double A Fuel dragster at 7.05 seconds, in 1967.  In 1969, he drove the Beac City Chevrolet Corvette funny car to speeds over 200 mph, a first for a Chevrolet funny car.  Gabelich also took second place in Mickey Thompson’s off-road race at Riverside, California in 1975; first place in the Toyota Charity Slalom at the Rose Bowl in 1979 and second place in the Toyota Pro Challenge Race at the Michigan International Speedway in July, 1980.  Twice narrowly escaping death in dragster and boat accidents, Gabelich ironically died in an automobile accident in Long Beach, California in January, 1984.  In 1985 the Long Beach City Council named a park in his memory, Gabelich Park. In 1975 at Turlock Lake in California, the drag boat piloted by Gary Gabelich disintegrated at 180 mph.   Although he was best known for his land speed exploits, Gabelich won both the American Power Boat Association Blown Fuel and Gas National Drag Boat championship.  He was also the first person to win them both in the same year.  In 1969 Gabelich was the first man to surpass 200 mph in a quarter mile drag boat.  A lover of high speeds and dangerous challenges, Gabelich was working for North American Aviation in the early 1960s when he volunteered to do some sky diving from a 30,000 foot altitude to film some of the early Apollo space capsule drops.

 

GABRICH, JULIA Croatian Activities

Julia Gabrich came to Southern California area from Uniontown, Pennsylvania at the age of 19 to live with her aunt and uncle. This is where she met Mike Gabrich, married and had two daughters and now has five grandchildren. Mike and Julia were one of the first couples married in St. Anthony's Croatian Catholic Church. From the start of their marriage Julia has always helped her husband. She has worked with him in his business, keeping his books and all that this entails. In the middle forties, the Croatian colony, through 15 member lodges, formed the Croatian National Association and purchased a parcel of land located at 11626 South Budlong Avenue in Los Angeles. Subsequently there was built the Croatian recreation center. In order to help raise money for the Croatian national Association, Julia helped Mike with the first Croatian Day Queen contests in the early 1950's. This was held on the grounds before the construction of the main hall. In this queen contest there were 10 young ladies in competition for the title. All the girls raised approximately $13,000 on this first event. Julia also helped in two additional queen contests which helped reduce this debt for a total amount of $36,000. All this culminated in the pay-off of the mortgage in October of 1956. For many years after this, Julia worked for days at a time in preparation for these annual picnics. Julia had been a member of the Croatian Women's Club, a member of the lodge of the Croatian Republic Club for the past 50 years, also giving her time and efforts towards many picnics and other functions of the club to help preserve the traditions and culture of our people. She has been and still is a tribute to her fellow Croatian Americans and her family.

 

GAL, MIRO Travel Agency

President of Affiliated Certified Travel Agencies General Manager of Eastern Travel International,  New York City, New York. Born August 26, 1921 in Zagreb, Croatia; married with three children. Educated at Commercial Academy and State Gymnasium, Osijek,1939; High  Economic  Commercial School, 1939-42; L'Institute dle'tude Commerciale, Bordeaux, 1945-46; Haute etude Commerciale, Paris, 1946-47. Major field Business administration and organization. Member of Croatian Academy of America.

 

GALANTIC, IVAN Professor of Art

Ivan Galantic is a professor of art at Case Western Reserve University, Deptartment of History of Art, Cleveland, Ohio. He was born 1921 in St. Vid on the Island of Krk, Croatia. Education includes Gymnasium, Krk, Croatia, 1940; Academy of Art in Florence and Rome, Italy, Diploma 1945; Gregorian University, Rome, and University of Rome, Philosophy; Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, M.A.; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusets, M.A., Ph.D., June 1968. His major field has been History of Art and Art of the Italian Renaissance. Occupation and professional: 1953-60 Instructor of art, Marygrove College, Detroit; 1957-60 Lecturer in art, Wayne State University, Detroit; 1961 Emmanuel College, Boston.

 

GALE, MARTA (MITROVICH) Actress

Marta Gale, as she is known on stage and screen, was born Marta Mitrovic, in Dubrovnik, Croatia. At a very early age, she went to England with her parents. She received her education there. She showed great promise in her painting and dancing; her art teacher predicted a brilliant career as an artist for her, while her dancing teacher vowed it was the ballet in which she would startle the world. Fate had other plans for her however, and the death of her father compelled his beautiful and cultured widow to take her children to South America to look after his business interests. They lived in Chile but a few years, when the youthful Marta decided marriage and motherhood would be her career. She had an innate flair for drama that made the theatre a logical goal. Her theatrical career began in the Municipal Theatre in Valparaiso where she played the part of Elizabeth in "The Circle" by Somerset Maughan. This was followed by roles in " Pygmalion" by Shaw and "Discord" by H. Young. She won wide praise for her dramatic performances as well as for the fine bits of writing she was doing.  In nineteen thirty-five, her marriage annulled, she took her little daughter to England with her. There she planned to continue her theatrical career. She had little difficulty finding parts. Her performances were so outstanding that she won one coveted role after another. In London she will be best remembered in such parts as "The Chrysalis!' in the 1936 production of "The Insect Play" by the Czechoslovak writer Karel Capek, and as "Clytie"'in the later production of the same. She  won the critics' praise also in the role of "Azorah" in "Tobias and The Angel" at the Regent's Park Open-Air Theatre, and as "Therese Raquin" in "Thou Shalt Not." In this play, adapted from Emile Zola's novel, Marta Gale Mitrovic had the distinction of taking over the lead from Kathleen Nesbitt in 1938. However strong the lure of the theatre had been, the brutal encounters with life in a war-torn world made a peaceful home life the most desirable of things, She sailed to Chile with her daughter, fully determined to give up all thoughts of a career, all her time and efforts to be devoted to making happy the man who would father her child and secure her future happiness. Eventually she made her way to Hollywood and there attempted to pick up the scattered threads of her work. Her work in pictures, her talks and broadcasts during the two years she has been here, have finally dented -the hard surface of the film capital. Although alone and not backed by anyone influential, she so impressed Hollywood, that she is being considered for the most coveted role of the year, namely, the part of "Maria" in "For Whom The Bells Toll." She will be competing with Hollywood's brightest stars. Those who have witnessed her performances say that the role was made for her. She fits it physically, being as slender and sun-tanned as Maria. She also fits it spiritually, and emotionally, for she, too, has lived in a war-torn world. The precise, clipped English Marta Gale speaks, seems to be a barrier in convincing directors of the fluency and perfection of the other languages she speaks. This intangible quality will make success here instantaneous, if she is given the chance to play roles fitted to her.

 

GALETOVICH, JUSTO Contractor-Stonemason

Justo Galetovic came to the U.S. in 1919 from Pucisca on the island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia where he was born (1901) to a family which had 17 children. In 1921 he worked as a marble worker on several buildings in downtown Cleveland, Ohio including the Terminal, the Federal Reserve and the Cleveland Public Library buildings. He eventually became a successful builder and developer, building hundreds of homes in Parma and Seven Hills, acquiring an excellent reputation as a general contractor. He retired from building in 1964 when his son Allen Gale took over the business.

 

GARDENAL, JOHN P. Attorney-Trial Lawyer

San Francisco John P. Gardenal, prominent San Francisco trial attorney and citizen, died in San Francisco. Mr. Gardenal, the 1982 president of the state's trial bar, was 64 years old. Mr. Gardenal had been actively engaged in the practice of law. He was universally recognized as one of the most accomplished trial lawyers in America and was listed in The Best Lawyers in America in 1999-2000. Mr. Gardenal was one of the pioneers in the field of products liabilty law. He widely regarded in the Bay Area as a 'lawyer's lawyer'. He was unstinting in service to the seeking vindication of their legal rights. He was the recipient of a 'life achievement award' from the Consumer Attorneys of California in recognition of his many contributions back to his profession. Mr Gardenal was a member and officer of many professional organizations during his long career as a trial attorney. He was a past president of the San Francisco Bar Association, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association and the California Trial Lawyers Association. He was a member of The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. John P. Gardenal, the son of Croatian immigrants, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on February 24. 1935. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and attended the University of Denver Law School. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1961 in all State and Federal Courts in the State of California. Mr. Gardenal is survived by his wife Ursula Gardenal; his daughter Shawn Adams; his grandson Kyler Adams; his niece Carrie Shuman; his nephews Erin Gardenal: his brother Tony Gardenal: and his mother Volka Moore.

 

GARICA, MARIN M. Shipyard-Oysterman-Farm-Hunter

Some eighty miles south of New Orleans, Louisiana on the right side of the Mississippi River is a small fishing village named Olga.  Earlier Olga was named Salina, that's the name the fisherman christened this small village some eighty years ago. The residents are all Croatians of about sixty families and they are economically independent. Coming to Olga, one would think they came to some Dalmatian village, because all you hear is Croatian among children and grownups. There is one big difference. One of the prominent  people in this area is Marin Gerica. Gerica was born in Ston, Dalmatia, Croatia in 1894. He came to New Orleans 1904 at the age of ten. At that time he worked in oysters beds, grocery store and also in his uncle's Marko Gerica's shipyard. In 1917 he bought the Olga Shipyard Company from his uncle and continued to work and fix small fishing boats. He employs about ten of  people. He owns oyster beds, has several acres of land growing oranges and cattle. He is a hunter in the area of Olga  which has an abundance of wild life. He sells the furs in the New York market. He was married in 1918 and has one daughter. In Dalmatia he has his mother, brother and two sisters. He is a member of the Slavonian Society and very active among our fisherman in Louisiana.

 

GASPAR, ANTON Restaurant-Fisherman

Anton Gaspar was born 1889 on the Island of Dugi Otok, Dalmatia, Croatia. His father was Josip and mother Maria. He arrived to America in 1907. He owns the  Sea Side Restaurant, well known in Biloxi, Mississippi and the greater area. He was married in 1925, and has two sons. He is a member of Slavonian Society in Biloxi.

 

GAZI, STJEPAN Professor-Author

Stjepan Gazi is a Professor in History at Black Hills State College, Spearfish, South Dakota. Born August 9, 1914 in Peteranec, Croatia; married with four children. Educated at State Real Gymnasium, Koprivnica., Diploma 1934;  University of Zagreb, Law School. Croatia., M.L.L. 1939; Institut des Hautes Etudes Initernationales, Geneva, Switzerland 1942-1944; Georgetown University, Wash. D.-C., Ph.D. 1962 with a major field in Modern European History and Diplomatic History of Europe, Slavic Europe, Croatian History. Thesis completed in 1962 "Stjepan Radic and Croatian Question," Georgetown University, Ph.D. Published Croatian Immigration to Allegheny County. Pittsburgh: C.F.U. 1956; "The Beginning of the Croatian Peasant Party," Journal of Croatian Studies. November 4. 1964. Member of American Historical Association; American Academy of Social Science; Organization of American Honor Society of History; Organization of American Historians.

 

GECAN, VILKO Artist

Another Croatian painter who visited America and created here some of his best works is Vilko Gecan. He exhibited in November 1930 at the Art Center on 56th Street in New York. Many of his oils, now in private possession and in several galleries of Croatia, depict scenes from American life, landscapes and people of urban and rural America.

 

GEKIC, KEMAL Pianist

The other pianists of the 'younger generation will simply have to move over to make room. for Kemal Gekic. The Croatian born artist, now 38, offered his underheralded and often incendiary San Francisco recital debut Saturday evening, December 9, 2000,  at the Herbst Theatre, under the auspices of Four Seasons Concerts; his is a name and talent to remember. The ponytail and casual outfit suggested a contemporary sensibility, but make no mistake: This is a virtuoso of the old school. Like Ivo Pogorelich before him, Gekic earned his reputation by losing, rather than winning, a prestigious competition - in his case, two, the Chopin International in Warsaw in 1985 and the Montreal International in 1988. His recordings are still few, though a live Croatian recital on VAI Audio and his contribution to 'Naxos' continuing Liszt pro)ect are worth exploring.

 

GELCICH, VINCENT Doctor of Medicine-Civil War-Oil

One of the better known figures in Los Angeles in the latter part of the nineteenth centurey was Vincent Gelcich, a surgeon born in Starigrad, on the island of Hvar. Gelcich studied medicine in Venice and Vienna before participating in Garibaldi’s unsucessful revolution of 1848.  Shortly thereafter he sailed for San Francisco, where he practiced medicine and became active in the affairs of the growing Croatian community.  Gelcich was one of the chief organizers of the first Croatian society in America, the Slavonic Illyric Mutual and Benevolent Society of San Francisco which was founded in 1857.  Serving as Surgeon to the Fourth California Infantry, which was stationed at Wilmington during the Civil War, Gelcich was mustered out of the army there and settled in Los Angeles, where he became one of the city’s pioneer druggists and also its first coroner.  Not content to confine his activities to medicine, Gelcich soon became involved in the search for oil in the Newhall-Saugus area.  Knowledge of crude oil in the canyons in the western rim of the Newhall Basin dated back to at least 1842 when Francisco Lopez discovered gold in Placeritas Canyon, and “seep-skimmers” were active in the same canyons during the 1860s.  Therefore, Gelcich was reasonably optimistic about the oil potential when he organized the Los Angeles Petroleum Refining Company on July 30, 1873.  He was joined in this ventury by some of Los Angeles’s most prominent figures, and together they set up a primitive refinery at Lyons Station, about two miles south of Newhall.  The attempts to refine the crude oil ended in failure.  Nonetheless, Gelcich was correct in his belief that the ground underneath Los Angeles was rich in oil deposits.  In 1877 the Los Angeles Petroleum Refining Company was purchased by the California Star Oil Works which became the Pacific Coast ancestor of Standard Oil Company of California.  In 1871, Gelcich published an article in the California Mailbag extrolling the economic potential of Los Angeles, part of which reads: “Happy, indeed, will be the time when the brilliant sparks of fire will fly from the smokestack of the railroad engine as it passes over these luxurious valleys and through these rich mountains, carrying along the great treasure which has for ages been awaiting the arrival of industry and progress.”  Gelcich married Petra Pico, a daughter of Captain Antonio Maria Pico, a member of the old and wealthy Pico family of California.  There used to exist in downtown Los Angeles, on the west side of Pearl Street near the end of SIxth, a building known as Gelcich Place.”  Gelcich died on June 5th 1895.

 

GELCICH, VINCENT King of Petroleum

Croatian-born, Dr. Vincent Gelcich had studied medicine in Venice and Vienna before joining Garibaldi's abortive revolt in 1848, wherefore he sought the healthier climate of San Francisco. Practicing there and in San Jose for the next eleven years, he took unto himself a wife in the person of Senorita Petra Pico, daughter of Don Antonio Maria Pico, head of the northern branch of that prolific and puissant clan. The Civil War rekindled his marital ardor; he served as a surgeon to a California regiment at Wilmington where he was mustered out and settled in Los Angeles, serving the still compact hamlet as coroner and becoming active in its affairs. Gelcich had been involved in the oil boom of the 1860's without success and he succumbed again in 1873 to the lure of the canyons that seamed the western rim of the Newhall Basin.

These canyons, unnamed and unimportant until the first oil boom, spread from Pico, Moore and DeWitt southeasterly through Lyons, Towsley, Wiley, Leaming, Rice and East, all within a space of five miles. Within the canyons, shallow, oil-bearing sandstones gave rise to numerous oil springs and seeps that had been known at least since the discovery of gold by Francisco Lopez in Placeritas Canyon in 1842, and had been dismissed as of no value for watering either livestock or humans. During the oil excitement of the 1860's, "seep-skimmers" had been active in these canyons and perhaps a half-dozen shallow, "spring-pole" wells had been drilled and some tunnels run to augment the natural flows. These manifestations made the source of crude that Mr. Gelcich had in mind when he organized the Los Angeles Petroleum Refining Company on July 30, 1873.

This pioneer southern California refinery soon proved notable for its failure to solve the mysteries of California crude. Kerosene was the only commercial product worth making then, but the stuff that came out of the still at Lyons Station burned with a reddish flame, charred and caked lamp wicks, and gave off a stench like the mouth of the Pit. By July, the best that the Express could find to say about this substance was that it was "non-explosive," and even that seemed open to question. Moreover, forty barrels of this kerosene were returned by Los Angeles merchants in disgust. Just when it seemed that all was lost, the hearts of Dr. Gelcich and his associates were gladdened by the fortuitous appearance of Senor Rudolfo Carreras, origin and antecedents unknown, who possessed a winning personality and a miraculous, if somewhat bizarre, refining process which he was willing, nay eager, to demonstrate.

The directors of the Los Angeles petroleum refining Company gathered in Dr. Gelcich's rooms to witness the great event. Imagination conjures up the vision of serious, bearded and frock-coated man, the more affluent of them sporting miniature log chains of gold, bedecked with fobs and seals, across their waistcoats. Using more elaborate equipment, so 'tis said, Carreras repeated his experiment several weeks later before an audience of fifty solid citizens, each of whom was given a vial of the clear product to test for themselves. The "Temple Well, named for the president of the company, was spudded-in a Towsley Canyon, using a fifty-foot derrick at the first steam drilling equipment in the Newhall Basin. William H. Spangler, a veteran of the Pennsylvania fields, was the "tool pusher" on this rig, and soon found his life plagued by the faulted, fractured, twisted earth formation-teaming with "sand crevasses"-that was so unlike anything he had encountered in his previous experience. Cave-ins, lost tools, "fishing" jobs, all delayed his progress, Carreras became restive and spoke of taking himself and his process to the eastern fields where there would be proper scope for his remunerative application. Why he was not kept busy in the meantime by refining what could be skimmed from the seeps and dipped from the springs is an unanswered question. The prospective beneficiaries of his skills then sought to enlist additional financial support that would keep Carreras soothed until the well could produce enough to keep his mind off his lack of income. The man they approached was Thomas R. Bard of Hueneme in Ventura Country, from whom they had purchased the steam engine and other equipment for the Temple Well.

"Carreras has a very romantic story to tell of how he came into possession of his secret and says that the discoverer is dead and he alone knows his secret, which is very Spanish and fishy. He claims to do entirely too much, like the miller who promised to give 105 ponds of meal for each 100 pounds of grain... the Carreras Process is probably a swindle or on a large scale the chemicals will be so expensive that the discovery will be practically valueless."

On this note, Rudolfo Carreras effectively disappears into the limbo of petroleum industry.  The Temple Well was abandoned early in 1875 after pumping an alleged ten barrels a day, and the little refinery at Lyons Station became part of the natural habitat for the animal, insect and reptile life of the Newhall Basin. Despite the costs of its failure, the Los Angeles petroleum Refining Company nonetheless was the root of a distinguished petroleum family tree. Within two years, its refinery and other assets were acquired by the California Star Oil Works which made the Newhall Basin the true cradle of California's petroleum industry and which provided the Pacific Coast ancestry of the Standard Oil Company of California.

 

GENTILICH, JOHN Restaurant       

John P. Gentilich is the son of Anton and Kristina Gentilich and nephew of John Gentilich, one of the oldest Croatian pioneers from New Orleans, Louisiana.He was born in the village of Mulato, Dalmatia, Croatia in 1905. He finished grammar school in his hometown  and he attended three years of high school in Zadar. When he arrived to New Orleans he went to business college and after graduation he took over running his uncle's  restaurant business. The Gentiliche's restaurant is situated near City Hall and is over sixty years old. The restaurant is known throughout New Orleans. He is married and has a son. He is the member of the Slavonian Society of New Orleans.

 

GENTILICH, JOHN P. Saloon-Restaurant

 An era ended here Friday night. With the casual-but final-locking of a door, John P. Gentilich closed forever (1985) the Marble Hall Restaurant at 720 Lafayette St. New Orleans, Louisiana, a tradition-packet establishment which has hosted the great and the lowly who passed through its portals. When the lights were finally doused at the Marble Hall, a bit of history faded into the Crescent City's fabled past. For it was there that past New Orleans mayors and unnumbered other local politicos met and discussed issues of the day. Although the exact opening date has been lost to the ages, an 1856 edition of The Daily Piccayne records that gourmet fare was to be had at the Marble Hall. Since the early 20th Century, the bar, adjacent to the restaurant section, has been operated by the Gentilich family. Even during famine years of Prohibition, the business managed to thrive. Among its customers during the "Roaring 20's" was the Bambino himself-Babe Ruth. Called Sultan of Swat, Ruth and the rest of the New York Yankee squad were training in New Orleans at the time.  Although it is legend that multitudinous containers of moonshine whiskey changed hands in and about the Marble Hall Saloon during Prohibition, it is equally well known that no contraband was ever found there (legal dockets indicate). The list of those who dined and supped within the confines of Marble Hall is worthy of note - they include, to mention only a few: Mayors deLesseps S. Morrison, Robert S. Maestri, John Fitzpatrick (1892-96), W. C. Flower (1896-1900), Paul Capdeville (1900-04), Martin Behrman (1904-20), Arthur J. O'Keefe (1926-30), T. Semmers Walmsley (1930-36), Victor H. Schiro, Governor Huey, P. Long, Governor Earl K. Long, Governor Jimmie H. Davis, Governor Robert F. Kennon and Governor John J. McKeithen. Among other long-known attractions, the Marble Hall boasted what has been termed as the most imposing bar in the city. The mahogany structure-complete with huge mirror-has been there for some 90 years, having been-acquired from the old Flanders Bar at 3 Carondelet shortly after the Civil War.

 

GIKOVICH, HELEN Church Organist

Sister Helen Gikovich, who was honored last November as a 50-year Member of the Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 677, recently was honored as the “Woman of the Year” by St. Benedict’s Church. Today, and this week, we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Service to St. Benedict ‘s Church by our beloved Helen. The Altar Society membership has also named her the 1978 St. Benedict Woman of the year.  Literally, the Church has been part of her life.  Weekly practice, the Tuesday Novena, funerals, weddings, First Communions, Confirmations, Holy Week Services, extra holiday celebrations- all are a part of her day.  It all started when Mrs. Lucy Burke, former choir director, encouraged Helen to take organ lessons.  In 1927 Helen became organist for the St. Benedict Ladies Choir.  When Mrs. Burke retired in 1954, Helen was asked to assume the role of organist-choir director.  Mrs. Burke’s student was well prepared. On Friday, December 15, at the Altar Society’s Annual Past-Presidents’ Christmas Luncheon, Mrs. Gikovich will be honored for her fifty years of service to St. Benedict’s Church. In recognition of her long years of service, Mrs. Dolores Perez, Altar Society President, will also make a presentation to Helen as the 1978 St. Benedict Woman of the Year. The Scriptural quotation “No greater love is there than this- that a man lay down his life for his friends” seems to apply to Mrs. Gikovich.  May God grant her many more rewarding years in His service.

 

GILICH, ANDRIA Fisherman

As a young fisherman of 17 years, immediately upon his arrival in Vancouver, British Columbia,  Andria  became the skipper of the fisher boat, Renier. Though he was often seen in San Pedro with his purse-seine, the St. Mary, he resided in Gig Harbor, Washington. He was born in 1882 on February 25 in Sumartin, Island of Brac, Dalmatia.  Gilich was one of the organizers of the Gig Harbor First National Bank and Friday Harbor Canning Co.

 

GILICH, TONY-DON Fishermen

Tony Gilich came to America in 1915. He was just 20 years old and a stranger in a new land. Tony immediately went out fishing with his cousin and pioneer fisherman, top skipper Andrew Gilich, aboard the 50-foot Babare-built seiner Traveler. Tony paid attention and learned very quickly. Just two years later in 1917, he purchased an interest in the 62-foot Skansie-built seiner Commander, and he was officially in the fishing business.

Tony operated the Commander at the Salmon Banks in the San Juan Islands for two seasons. He did well right from the start, and in 1919, decided to sell his interest in the vessel and build a new fishing boat, the Victory.

Because of a small run of salmon in the Puget Sound that season, Tony headed the Victory straight for Kodiak, Alaska, and had an extremely successful season there. He returned to Puget Sound in time to fish the 1919 fall opening. We can only imagine what a challenge this undertaking must have been for Tony - a young man with just two years of experience in the fishing business taking his brand new boat to a far away fishing ground that he had never seen before.

Tony did extremely well at Kodiak, and paid his share in the Victory off that very first year. Tony didn't venture to Alaska to fish salmon again, and he concentrated his efforts almost exclusively in the Puget Sound. In just a few short years, it became universally accepted throughout the fishing community that Tony Gilich was one of the top skippers to ever fish the Salmon Banks.

Tony's son Don began his career in the fishing industry in 1935 when he was 15 years old. He went out with skipper Tony Novak on the Harmony, in which his father held part interest. The next year, when he was 16 years old, Don became a member of the crew on his father's boat, the Victory, and received a full share. He would go on to spend the next 58 seasons on the Victory as a crewman, and eventually as her skipper.

"I had always been interested in working on the net, and even at 16 years old, I was as accomplished a net-man as anyone else on my dad's crew," Don said.

During WWII, Tony chartered the Victory to the US Coast Guard as a patrol vessel. As part of the arrangement, Don would enter the Coast Guard Reserve and serve as the Victory's skipper. The Victory was stationed at Port Angeles. Don said, "We went out looking for enemy submarines or planes, and we also ran errands which kept us pretty busy." The Victory was back in the fishing business in 1943 after the Coast Guard acquired another patrol boat.

Don began running the Victory on a part-time basis in the 1940s. When Tony retired in 1971, Don began operating the boat on a full-time basis. Since that time, many improvements and additions have taken place aboard the Victory.

 

GIVANOVICH, MARCO Plantation

While reviewing the 1860 United States Census of Population for Natchitoches, Louisiana, a place not known as a Croatian Center, four Croatians were listed for the whole County. A. Marinovich, age 27, was a merchant worth $1000; F. Radisich, age 40, was worth $6200; Mattia Baziza, age 46, was worth $100; and Marco Givanovich, age 34 was listed as a planter with $150,000 in real estate and a personal worth of $250,000. This included slaves. One could easily come to the conclusion that this was undoubtedly the richest Croatian Colony for any county in America if you divided the $400,000 by four lone Croatians, making a per capita worth of $100,000 at least! Nicolas Gracich built the place in 1820 and called it the "Home Place." Its name was changed to "Marco Plantation Home" when it was purchased by his nephew, Marco Givanovich, in 1863, for the sum of $325,000. Marco Givanovich, a bachelor not nearly the cultivated gentleman that his uncle had been, led a free rollicking life with the result that many in the vicinity claimed to be his descendants. He had made a fortune and also, in his spare time, raised a family of quadroon children. The Plantation, located on the Cane River, was a going concern until his death in 1896. The will showed that the entire estate was left to a nephew in Dalmatia with the nephew dying in 1926 and leaving the estate to seven children. The will of Marco Givanovich was probated February 24, 1896. W. Hyams, Clerk at Natchitoches, La., No. 22918, Book 94, page 52 dated Feb. 24, 1896. The Marco House was of the high basement type plantation home, with very wide central hallways on both floors, the one on the ground floor being paved with brick, similar to the ones in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was a splendidly constructed old house with large rooms and French windows, with transoms and shutters, with a typical outside stairway on the right as one faced the building. The house was extremely attractive and held great allure for those interested in good architecture of an earlier date. Today his descendants own much land along Cane River. It is good to hear that a Croatian "made it" in America and "enjoyed it." Perhaps one or two of his descendants along the Cane River can still give us a "dobar dan" or "kako si" if we ever pass through. I have run across Croatian- Indians in the 1860's in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Colored Croatians are unique, especially with French blood.

 

GIVINS-GIVULINOVICH, STEVE Business

Steve was born in Seattle, Washington on May 28, 1903, the son of Lovro and Mara Givulinovic who hailed from the Dubrovnik area of Croatia. When he died December 15, 1999 he was 95 years old. He was a retired printing pressman from the University of Washington. Earlier, he had his own printing business. Steve was a member of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 439 (Sinovi Hrvatske Domovine) in 1927 and then transferring to the English-speaking Lodge 764 (Harmony) as a charter member and treasurer when the lodge was formed in 1931. He came back to Lodge, 439 when the two lodges merged in 1965. He enjoyed Croatian culture and at age 87 was among the enthusiasts who attended the Society's Junior Tamburitza Festival in 1990. Brother Givins and, his wife (the former Frances Manzoni) were married in Seattle's St. Margaret's Church in 1930, a few short years after her arrival from her birthplace -- the village of Punat on the Island of Krk. The Givins marked their 68th wedding anniversary in 1998., Inaddition to his wife, Steve Givins is survived by daughters Shirley Bergh and Laureen Young and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 

GIVULINOVICH CLAN Restaurants-Goldmining

Very few were able to emigrate with their immediate families in the early part of the century. An exception to this was made by Lawrence, Martin, Ann, and Mary Givulinovich, four of the five children of a family of restauranteurs from the village of Rozat near Dubrovnik, who came to America between the years of 1903 and 1905. Lawrence was the first to leave. He came to San Francisco in 1897. He was followed by brother Martin. Both worked in restaurants in that city and in Oakland before coming to Seattle in 1898. They traveled to Alaska to search for gold and then returned to Rozat. In 1903, Lawrence returned to Seattle with a wife and two children. In 1904, Martin secretly fled Rozat where he was about to be conscripted into the army, and returned to Seattle to work and await the arrival of his sisters and his future bride, Luce. Luce Antica Givins is the one hundred-year-old matriarch of the Givulinovich family. (The name had been shortened in the 1920s.) Luce, who had been educated in Dubrovnik as a school teacher, was twenty years old when she emigrated to Seattle. She married Martin in St. Mary's Church upon her arrival in 1905.  The brothers worked in restaurants in and about Seattle and in 1912 founded their own establishment, The Delmonico Oyster House, on First Avenue and James Street. Luce remembered: "There were so many oysters here, the men worked all day shucking sacks full of oysters around Washington Street." The brothers began to work independently. Lawrence had a series of restaurants. He operated one in the Bush Hotel in 1920 and another, the Fairfield Cafe, on Madison Street. He was forced to move from the Olympic Oyster House on Fourth Avenue when this was torn down to build the Bon Marche Building. Together they speculated in land purchases on the Denny Regrade where the Seattle Center now stands.

 

GIZDICH, NITA Farm-Women of the Year

Nita Gizdich will be honored January 19, 2002 by the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce as Woman of the Year. Gizdich is a native of Watsonville, California successful farmer and is recognized as a businesswoman who remembers and preserves the good things in the community. Gizdich runs an apple farm on land owned by the Gizdich family for four generations. Gizdich said she moved to the farm with her husband when their children were small. Now-a-days her 47-year-old son works on the farm; her grandson runs underfoot picking apples and finding fallen bird nests, and Nita sets her own-hours to arrange the store's antiques, bake a pie, or give a farm tour. "I don't have one job here," said Gizdich. Gizdich said she lives on the ranch and often accommodates visitors coming in right up to closing time. She credits her friendliness for making visitors feel like family. Regular customers often offer to buy her a piece of pie, so they can share her company. Gizdich said she began the upick farm with her husband 39 years ago. The Gizdich Farm, tucked off the road from Highway 156, just east of the fairgrounds is not a quick stop stand. The extra mile and gentle turns in the road make it an adventurous trip to the farm. People come for the day to pick apples and berries, have a picnic, and relax for awhile. "There is a haystack tunnel and picnic area," said Gizdich. "We want people to come out and enjoy the farm." Gizdich said she and her husband had the good business sense to listen to customers' needs and change with the times. There were 18 u-pick farms in Watsonville at the time Gizdich Farm opened for business, now only two of those farms are still open. Gizdich said she accommodated the change of homemakers buying berries to make preserves and bake pies to women in the work force buying readymade foods. "We saw change and kept changing," said Gizdich. "We listened to the customers and are still listening." Adding a pie shop and picnic area, along with other new ideas allowed the business to expand. Taking time to talk with customers is her favorite part of the job said Gizdich. She shared that she enjoys asking newcomers where they are from and hearing regular customers retell familiar stories of their last visit to the farm. Generations of families return year after year to pick apples and berries and enjoy the farm. Gizdich said she is active in local politics and attends and voices her opinions at local meetings. Her vision and leadership have led to her election asFarm Bureau President and State Delegate to the California Farm Bureau Federation. Gizdich said she has the political advantage of knowing the history of the area. She shared that she recognizes the need to change with the times and also values what should be preserved. “I was born and raised in Watsonville," said Gizdich. I have seen changes that are sometimes disturbing." Gizdich said she supports collaboration and encourages local farmers to voice their opinions,at public meetings and honor each other's success.

 

GIZDICH, VINCE AND NITA Berry and Apple Ranch

Watsonville’s Nita Gizdich,  a Pajaro Valley,  native, was named farmer of the year last night by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, becoming the first woman to win the annual award. Gizdich and her husband, Vince, run the 68-acre Gizdich berry and apple ranch in Peckham Road, property the family has owned for nearly 50 years.

The couple was one of the first in the Pajaro Valley to have customers pick their own produce.  More recently, the ranch has become famous locally for its seasonal pies and apple ciders. After 24 years of “U-pick” operations, the Gizdich Ranch is one of the most successful roadside businesses in the county, Farm Bureau Manager Jess Brown said.  It’s also made Mrs. Gizdich a national figure in the directmarketing techniques for farming, he said. But the talk of last night’s award ceremony was the Gizdich pies, which Mrs. Gizdich began baking seven years ago using seasonal berries and apples at the request of visitors to her ranch. Gizdich, whose farmer father immigrated from Croatia, received her award at the Farm Bureau’s 54th annual meeting before 125 farmers, farming families and politicians at the Chaminade Whitney Conference Center in Santa Cruz. The Gizdich Ranch, which devotes about on-third of its land to seasonal “U-pick” operations, is run by the Gizdiches and their sons, Vince and Mitch.

 

GLASINOVICH, GILDA Doctor

Gilda Alercon Glasinovich joined Croatian World Congress to support its aims in the United Nations- ECOSOC. Dr. Gilda Alercon-G1asinovich was born in Lima, Peru, and graduated from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San  Marcos, and Columbia University. Her extensive Iraining and education in the fields of medicine, psychology and public health have enabled he to contribute to our communities at the local and international levels. Dr. Glasinovich's work in the field of women’s health is widely known in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the United States. Since residing in New York, her work has focused on immigrant women with particular interest in domestic violence and health care access. She is considered one of the most influential health professionals and an active member at government, private and non-goveinmental organizations. At the local level, Dr. Glasinovich contributes with the Office for the Pmvention of Domestic Violence, the Arnerican Cancer Society, the AIDS Institute and civil organizations. In 1998, she founded the Council on the Status of Latin-American Women, a multidisciplinary. group that works towards forwarding human rights gender equality, and development for migrant populations. As UN Representative her work is commissioned on women's health and' educational programs. She is an active member of the Commission. on Human Rights. and the Commission on the Status of Women, and a world speaker on behaIf of women. She has become a strong candidate for the Women Building Peace, forwarded by many community-based organizations she serves. On a personal level, Dr. Alercon Glasinovich credits the influence of her two grandmothers and godmother for her dedication to women and their families. She is married for fifteen years to Emiliano Cadenilas and they have twin boys, Rafael and Rodrigo. Her strong spititual and social commitment makes her one of the most fascinating woman of our times in spite, of her youth.

 

GLAVICIC, OTTO M. Engineer

Otto Glavicic is a Design Engineer at Reeves Division, Reliance Elecrical & Engineering Company, Columbus, Indiana. Born July 2, 1941 in Zagreb, Croatia. Education includes XII Kuslan's Gymnasium, Zagreb, 1958; Technical School, Zagreb, 1958-62, Designer B.S. 1962; Naval Engineer,  Faculty, Zagreb, 1962-64; Mechanical Faculty, University of Beograd, 1964-66, Diploma, M.S. 1966 with a major field of Mechanical Engineering.

 

GLAVINA, MARTIN C. Professor

Martin C. Glavina was a professor of foreign languages at University of Santa Clara. He left his native country, Croatia, in 1909 for Peru.  He came to the United States in 1916 to study at the University of California where he received a master’s degree.  Then he moved to Santa Clara County where he lived for half a century. Mr. Glavina is survived by his wife, May, of Saratoga; four stepchildren and two sisters.

 

GLENOVICH, ANTONE Fisherman

In 1896, Antone Glenovich, a Dalmatian, became a United States citizen and the owner of a fishing boat. Glenovich had emigrated from the town of Komiza on the island of Vis, Dalmatia, Croatia. Letters were sent by him to relatives and friends, and this influenced many to come to Bellingham, Washington. Others from the islands of Korcula, Brac, Bisevo, and Solta also settled here. Bellingham was the haven of a great number of Croatian fishermen from 1900 to 1920 when the purse seiners sailed from Bellingham to Alaska, the Fraser River, the Bering Sea, and the far north." By 1923, less than half of the Croatians remained in the city of Bellingham. Seeking richer fishing grounds, many moved to fish for sardines and tuna out of San Pedro, California.

 

 

GLOVER-LJUBICH, ANDREW First policeman

Andrew, known as Andrew Glover, was the official Croatian-Slavonian interpreter in San Francisco.  He was also the first policeman in the colony and resided at 428 Vallejo Street.  He died in 1920 at age eighty-two. His wife was a native of Ireland.  Andrew Ljubich-Glover, who was born in Croatia, has been for forty-three years official interpreter of languages in the criminal courts of San Francisco having been for five years before that time a police officer.  His son, Dr. Glover, graduated from the University of California Medical Dept in 1894.  For five years he was a surgeon in the Emergency Hospital Service and is now autopsy surgeon to Coroner Walsh.

 

GLOVER, COSMOS A. Medical Doctor

Dr. Cosmos A. Glover is one of the most widely known of Native Sons.  He was born in S.F. on June 5, 1873.  His mother was a native of Ireland, while his father, Andrew Ljubich-Glover, who was born in Croatia, has been for forty-three years official interpreter of languages in the criminal courts of San Francisco having been for five years before that time a police officer.  Dr. Glover graduated from the University of California Medical Dept in 1894.  For five years he was a surgeon in the Emergency Hospital Service and is now autopsy surgeon to Coroner Walsh.  He is a Republican in politics, and is a member of the Native Sons, Young Men’s Institute, Red Men, Druids and Eagles, besides being a physician for each of these fraternities, he was married in 1897 to Lottie L. Bralica and has two children a boy aged 11 and a girl aged 9.

 

GLUMAC CLAN Farm

My father, Stijepan Nikola Glumac, or Steve Nick Glumac as he called himself in America, was born in Lisac, a selo (village) near Dubrovnik, of peasant people. His fathers name was Stijepan Glumac, and his mothers name was Ane Maric. He was born on December 16, 1875. I know very little of his life in Dalmatia, or of his family there, but I did find out at one time long after he passed away that he had a sister there who died at age 90.  His parents died when he was very young.

My mother, Stane Gjurkovic Glumac, Gjurkovic being her maiden name, was born in Konavle which is near Cavtat, a village not far from Dubrovnik. She was known as Stella Glumac in America; her fathers name was Gjuro Gjurkovic and her mothers name was Kate Selak. She told me that she came from a large family, 13 children, of which only 6 reached maturity. She was the oldest of the family, and when she passed away there were only two children still living in Konavle, a sister and a brother. The brother was the youngest of the family, and he was two years old when she left for America. She never saw him again, but did correspond with him through her lifetime.

Since I was unable to find out when either of my parents reached America, as not records exist, I can only guess. My father was in San Francisco in 1906 when the earthquake struck there so he must have arrived a few years earlier. He had been working in restaurants in San Francisco , however since the city was no more, hw moved to Santa Clara Valley, and went into farming. At that time he had no farm, and no money to buy one, but there was plenty of work to be had. he helped plant many of the trees in this valley which of course do not exist now except in somebody’s backyard. I don’t know who he worked for or where during this time, but he was in the Mountain View area.

My mother told me a lot more of her life than my father did, except I did not find the date when she left home. If she told me, I forgot, however she did tell me how she came to America. She was hired by a Czechoslovakian family as domestic. She lived in Czechoslovakia for a number of years for this family. When this family moved to America, she went along with them. They settled in Chicago, and later moved to some place in Indiana. I cannot remember the city. Chicago and Indiana did not suit my mother because of the severe winter there.She had been having a correspondance going with a friend in California at this time, and she told her what her plans were. I do not know the name of the friend. her friend suggested that she come to California as the climate here was similiar to that of Dalmatia. She did, and it was here she met my father and they were married. I think the year was 1912.  They were married in a Roman Catholic Church, Saint Josephs, on Market Street, in San Jose, California.

They were living in Mountain View at the time my brother Steve was born on June 4, 1913. he still did not acquire a farm, and was working for others. Between  the time of my birth, September 3, 1914, and my brother’s birth, they moved to Cupertino. I was born in a house on Homestead Road not far from Wolf street. That house was still standing around the early 1950’s, as I remember going there one day to take a photo of it. In 1918 my father, and John Vidovich, bought a farm in Sunnyvale. It consisted of five acres which was not very large compared to todays farm holdings. However there was a woodframe house on the property, and we moved in. John Vidovich lived somewhere else, but he was a good friend and visited often. Later he wanted to go in the business of buying fruit on the trees, but my father did not want to because he had a family to worry about, and was afraid to do any gambling in fruit. He bought out John Vidovich, and worked the farm himself, 1918 turned to be a bad year. A heavy downpour of rain ruined the prune crop that year. Then the influenze epidemic came along. We survived this in spite of the tremendous amount of deaths around the world at that time.

The farm was too small to get rich from so my parents worked outside of the farm for others. My father would prune trees in the winter, and worked as a foreman  when fruit picking time came along. My mother worked in the fruit cannery cutting fruit. As my brother and I grew older we did as much as we could. Our prune dippers, where we dipped  prunes into a caustic soda solution before they were put out in the sun to dry, consistes of a bit cast iron tub, and a basket attached to a long lever. It took my brother and I together to push down on the lever, and dip the prunes, while my father would dump the prunes on the tray. We had a horse and wagon, and used this to take the full trays out to spread in the sun. All I can remember was that everything out on that farm was hard work. We learned to cut apricots and pick prunes at a very early age. As soon as we were old enough to carry ladders we went into the orchard to pick cherries and apricots. We always made enough to buy our school clothes, and what was left over went to help pay bills, etc. There were no vacation for us at vacation time. We were lucky if someone who owned a car took us to the beach or mountains.

After the fruit season was over, there were still jobs to be done. We went to school everyday, but after school there were animals to feed, and wood to cut for the old wood stove. We raised two hogs every year, and slaughtered them in the winter. My father salted down the meat and smoked it. We also made sausages, “kobasica” (a pork sausage) and “djevenica” (blood-pudding sausage). This was a fun time for us children. My father also made his own wine which is also a time we enjoyed as we had plenty of grapes to eat before they got crushed. There was also a large garden in which we grew many vegetables. So with chickens, rabbits, pork, and vegetables we were self-sufficient. If there was not a lot of money to be had, there certainly was plenty of food. We never suffered, even during the great depression.

From all that went on in my life on the farm, I can see why the Croatians came to America. That four letter word “land” lured them here. Croatia is quite mountainous, except for the flat land in the north, and does not have much arable land.  I could go on to tell you more of my life with my Croatian parents, but this would take some time. During war time I was in the Army. My brother was not because  because he happened to be a farmer. In 1943 they bought a 20 acre fruit orchard on Fremont Avenue which was in Cupertino at that time. I got back from the wars in late 1945 when the war ended. I did not farm because I worked in the Sunnyvale Post Office, but I continued to garden, and that I still do today, but I wish I had more land. My mother passed away in 1951 and my father in 1954, and with them the old Croatian way of life.

 

GLUMAC, ANTHONY Priest

The first assistant attached to the Croatian parish of the Nativity in San Francisco was the Reverend Anthony Glumac, a priest from the diocese of Split, Dalmatia, who was on leave of absence from his Bishop.  He served from June 1, 1907 to May 1, 1908.  He returned to his diocese in Dalmatia  After the World War, during which he was interned in Italy by the Italian army authorities and kept in prison for over a year, he returned to California in June, 1920 and was appointed by Bishop John J. Cantwell pastor of St. Anthony’s Croatian Church in Los Angeles.  He remained there until August, 1930, when he retired to Cavtat, in Southern Dalmatia. 

 

GLUSIC, JOSEPH Police Chief

Joe was born January 28, 1924 in Waukegan, Illinois and lived in the North Chicago, Illinois area until he moved to Henderson, Nevada six years ago. He was an army veteran of World War 11 and a retired police officer. He was a past Police Chief of the City of North Chicago. Joe was a long-time member of St. Joseph Lodge 68 of the Croatian Catholic Union. Joe is survived by his sons, Joseph (Carol) of Henderson, Nevada and Frank (Donna) of Mundelein, Illinois; two grandsons, Christopher and Ryan; and brothers, Steve (Lorraine) of Waukegan and John of Lake Forest, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his wife, Frances, who died in 1993. Joseph P. Glusic, 76, died on December 23, 2000 at a Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

GOIC, CEDOMIL Professor 

Cedomil Goic is a university professor at Michigan University and is married to Margarita Kutulas Arzic with two daughters and three sons. He was born March 3, 1928 in  Antofagasta, Chile. His parents were Ivan Goic Kuscevic and Ivka Goic Kusanovic, originally from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Education was at the Faculty of Philosophy at Universidad de Chile (1953), DSc (1965). Head of the department, Universidad de Chile, Valparaiso (1955-1975); director of Institute for Literature at Universidad Catolica, Santiago; director at Institute for Historical-cultural Research; founder and director of journal La Resesta Chilena de Literatura; full university professor of literature; professor of Romance languages at Michigan University (1976); head of Department of Latin American literature at the same university (since 1982); chief of programme of University of Michigan and University Sevilla, Spain; lectured at North American universities at Texas, Wisconsin, California, Columbus, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland. Published: La novela Chilena, La poesia de Vicente Huidobro, Historia de la novela Hispanoamericana, Historia y critica. de la literatura Hispanoamericana, articles in Chilean and international literary journals; published discussion on participation of Dalmatians in discovery of America. Member of Chilean academy of Lnguages (abroad), honorary member of Chilean Association for Study and other national and foreign Latin American associations. Awards.: Award of the Town Santiago, Award Pedro de Ona.

 

GOJNARIC, FRANJO Priest-Editor-Union

Father Franjo Gojnaric was the second Croatian pastor at St. Nicholas Croatian parish in Allegheny/Northside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Born in Pregrada in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region of Croatia in 1864, he took the reins at St. Nicholas December 28, 1898 -- a very contentious time in parish history. Although a decision had been reached to build a new church, there was sharp division as to whether the church should be built in Allegheny or Millvale (then Bennett) a few miles away. Father Glojnaric favored the Millvale site and thus left St. Nicholas after a stay of only one year -- moving to Millvale to set up a fledgling parish there. He ultimately became the first pastor of a magnificent new church (also St. Nicholas) completed there in 1900. In 1902 he also helped found the Croatian Roman Catholic Workers' Union of America and edited the organization's newspaper "Glas Istine/Voice of Truth." The shortlived Workers' Union and its newspaper ceased operation in 1905. Father Glojnaric subsequently served five years at the Croatian parish in Rankin, Pennsylvania before passing away there January 3, 1911.

 

GOLIK, STANISLAUS Priest

Father Stanislaus Golik is a Pastor at St. Charles Church, North Bend, Nebraska. Born Novenber 13, 1915 in Mrkopalj, Croatia. Ordained for priesthood, June 25, 1939. Education includes Gymnasium, Senj,  Croatian Littoral. Diploma 1935; Theology, Theological Seminary, Senj, M.A., 1939. Assistant Director of Biskup Ozegovic Boarding School for Boys in Senj, Croatian Littoral1939-44; Asst. Pastor of Assumption Cathedral in Senj and Adm. of parish in Krivi Put, Croatian Littoral 1944-45; Appointed to the spiritual needs of Croatian refugees in Trieste 1945-47; Asst. Pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul Croatian Church, Omaha, Nebraska 1947-51; Asst. Pastor at St. Philomenas Italian Church, Omaha, Nebr.1951-54; Asst. Pastor at St Francis Polish Church, Omaha, Nebr. 1954-56; Asst. Pastor of St. Mary's Church, Omaha 1956,-1957; St. Stanislaus Polish Church., Omaha, Nebr. 1957-59; Adm. of St. Patrick's Church of Clyde and Dublin, North Bend, Nebr. 1959-1963; Pastor, St. Patrick's Church of Clyde and Dublin, North Bend, Nebr. 1963-1966; Pastor, St. Frances Cabrini Italian Church, Omaha, Nebr.1966-1968.

 

GOLUBIC, THEODORE Sculptor-Professor

Theodore Golubic is a Professor of Art, Department of Art, Central Missouri State College, Warrensburg, Missouri. Born December 9, 1928 to Croatian parents in Lorain, Ohio; married with four children. Educated at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 1947-48; Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, B.F.A., 1951; Art Students' League, New York, N.Y. 1953; Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, 1954-55; Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, Indiana, M.F.A., 1957 with a major field in Sculpture and Painting and Sculpture, Fine Arts - Professional. Thesis completed: 1957 Carving of "St. John the Baptist" - Master's. Member of Delta Phi Delta Art Honorary; Croatian Academy of America; Contributing member American Society for Aesthetics. Assistant to Ivan Mestrovic at his personal invitaton in 1954 at Syracuse University, and later in 1955 at Notre Dame University; Professional sculptor at Syracuse, N.Y., and South Bend, Indiana; Taught at Notre Dame, 1959-Summer Session; On television: Guest Artist - five one-hour lecture demonstrations (live) on the materials and methods of sculpture for the "Art School of the Air" WSJV (ABC) 28 Elkhart, Indiana; Sculptor-consultant to the Rock of Ages Corp., Barre, Vermont, 1965-1966. Was graduated cum laude from Miami University, Miami University, Purchase Prize Award. Honorable mention in sculpture, 18th Annual Natioal Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Mass. Sculpture: Angel in Mourning two limestone reliefs consisting of twelve over-life size angels for the altar of St. Joseph's Croatian Catholic Church, Gary, Indiana; Crucifixion, over-life size bronzed Christ crucified for the main altar, Little Flower Church, South Bend, Indiana; St. Joseph the Worker, 10 ft. limestone sculpture for the facade of St. Joseph Church, South Bend, Indiana; life-size relief in bronze for Mrs. Frederick Willkie of Elwood, Indiana.

 

GOLUBIC, THOMAS Disc Jockey-Movies

One of L.A.'s freshest nightlife events--a mix of classic films and progressive tunes served up by DJ Thomas Golubic--was born of questionable manners and small revenge. Thank goodness for bad behavior. Several months ago, Golubic, one half of the music supervision team for HBO's "Six Feet Under," was enjoying a quiet night at home when three friends dropped by. Not only were they uninvited, Golubic recalls, "they were not in their right minds." He didn't want his unexpected guests driving, however, so he plopped them down in front of the TV. Darren Aronofsky's dark 2000 film, "Requiem for a Dream," a favorite of his, was just beginning."I thought I should turn the sound down and put some music on to freak them out," Golubic says. He ended up DJ-ing through the final credits, basically rescoring the film while his friends watched and listened. "The next day one of my friends called and said, 'Dude, that was amazing.' So I thought let me try this thing and see if there's any validity," he says. The result is Synchronize, a free monthly--sometimes bimonthly--event in the plush, spacious lounge at West Hollywood's Moomba. Unlike Golubic's impromptu effort at home, these are musically scripted affairs; he spends hours masterminding in advance. "Most of the creativity is in how I move from one track to another," he says. The other difference is that in the club he layers the dialogue over the music. Synchronize debuted quietly in March with, appropriately enough, "Requiem for a Dream." Then came "Blade Runner." Earlier this month, Golubic rescored Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey." About 100 people, most in their late 20s and early 30s and mainly musicians, industry people, FOTs (friends of Thomas), or some combination thereof, showed up. Among the "2001" audience members who made it to the end of the often contemplative, nearly 21/2-hour film was Vickie Curea, a psychotherapist who'd seen it several times before. "I was totally surprised and pleasantly so," she said. "I thought the way he interpreted many of the scenes in the film, he heightened the sense of fun and absurdity." She also appreciated the comfy couch she and her friend scored by arriving early. "I think that anybody that's a fan of movies and eclectic music would groove on something like this. I don't know if it would hit in Fargo, but it would in Chicago."

After many years of producing desperately romantic and unsolicited mix tapes for a host of bewildered young women, Thomas has recently parlayed that otherwise fruitless ability into a career as a radio and club DJ and as a music supervisor for film and television. Thomas first cut his teeth at eclectically-minded Los Angeles radio station KCRW (89.9 FM), where since 1998 he hosts and programs "The Swing Shift", an ambitious late-night radio show exploring the outer limits of new hip hop, funk, soul and jazz. He also programs the electronic music backdrop for revered Los Angeles spoken word artist Joe Frank and his KCRW radio program "The Other Side". Following in the footsteps of fellow KCRW DJs turned music supervisors Chris Douridas and Gary Calamar, Thomas began working with veteran music supervisor G. Marq Roswell. This film & music boot-camp experience yielded contributions as music coordinator on the rock-heavy "Varsity Blues" (with a soundtrack certified Gold), the soul and r&b sound to the Denzel Washington film "The Hurricane", and the contemporary pop and country of the Kevin Costner film "For Love of the Game", among others. Striking out on his own, Thomas music supervised "Shadow Hours", collaborating with composer Brian Tyler to create a highly modern dark electronic soundscape deeply blurring the lines between score and source music. The film came and went with little fanfare, but the film soundtrack garnered quite a bit of attention for both Thomas and Brian and the innovative approach and compelling music has subsequently been used to temp a number of new films. Seeing a strong collaboration potential with old mentor and friend Gary Calamar, the two formed SuperMusicVision as a partnership in early 2000. The duo worked together on a PBS documentary and an independent feature prior to landing the coveted job of music supervisors on the celebrated HBO drama "Six Feet Under". The show, created by Academy-Award winning "American Beauty" scribe Alan Ball, has become an enormous ratings success, comparable to the HBO hits "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos". The show garnered almost universal praise in the press and has now been nominated for the Golden Globe "Best Drama", "Best Actor" and "Best Supporting Actress" awards.

The show turned out to be the pair's most creatively rewarding project, allowing them to bring the full breadth of their eclectic music tastes and knowledge into the texture of the challenging and ambitious show. A soundtrack deal was brokered with Universal Records, and remixes of Thomas Newman's haunting title theme have been commissioned with some of the most exciting new artists in hip hop and electronic music. The "Six Feet Under" soundtrack album will be in stores in March 2002 to coincide with the start of the second season. Thomas has held DJ residencies at several Hollywood clubs, including the Knitting Factory, The Oxygen Bar, Café Luna Sol and Café Des Artistes. He presently spins at various special events around town and hosts SYNCHRONIZE, a live DJ re-scoring of feature films like "2001: A Space Odyssey", old Hong Kong action pictures and even Bollywood musicals. He is also a contributing feature music writer and reviewer for Lotus Magazine. Thomas lives in a rooftop apartment in the Hollywood Hills where, on occasion, he catches a few hours of sleep.

Tomica is from my own experience, very proud of his Croatian heritage. He is warm, passionate, extremely intelligent and very talented man. His understanding of music was very impressive and I wonder, when I met him, why somebody like that kind of sensibility doesn't have an opportunity to impact a boring scene of music in Hollywood. And here we go, as we announced earlier on CROWN, Tomica is music supervisor for one of the most authentic show on TV today "Six Feet Under". Working with Alan Ball, the best filmmaker on a horizon.

 

GOMEZ (JURISICH), JEANNE Croatian Activities

Born in San Francisco of Croatian parents, Jeanne attended the city's schools in San Francisco. She and her husband, Joseph, have two daughters. Recently, Jeanne and Joseph moved to Santa Rosa from San Carlos. Jeanne owns and operates her own typesetting business. Although residing some distance from the center of CSF affairs, Jeanne continues to contribute valuable skills to help the Croatian Scholarship Fund.

 

GORNICK, JOHN Tamburitza Hall of Fame-Music Teacher

John Gornick was born on August 24, 1932 to John and Mae (Mitchell) Gornick in South Chicago, Illinois. By the age of 11, he was orphaned and sent to live at the Croatian Fraternal Union’s Children's Home in Des Plaines, Illinois. Although these traumatic circumstances altered John's life completely, it also marked the introduction of tamburitza music to him. This beginning opened up a life-long source of great joy and satisfaction. John's first tambura teacher was the late Professor Rozgaj, who taught him to play bass. Later at the Home, he taught himself to play bugarija. His first kolo dancing lessons were given by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Stefancich. The children were privileged to be taught choral singing by the late Stephen Pepich. All of these instructors were highly regarded in musical circles around Chicago. The children performed for many local functions and they also travelled to Detroit, Pittsburgh (Croatian Day at Kennywood Park), Milwaukee, and other cities. This was quite an experience for them. During his years at Maine Township High School he played in the orchestra. He remembers special help given to him by the orchestra director, Alexander Harley, who allowed him to take the bass home to practice. This orchestra was invited to play for many civic funtions. One special memory is the annual performance of the Messiah, with professional opera singers hired for the occasion. John played both bass and cello with the Sloboda Orchestra from 1951 through May, 1957 with the exception of a two-year period in which he served in the U.S. Navy. This orchestra was made up of young adults under the management of Mrs. Anna Kirin. The Kirin brothers, Joe and Steve, Mark Sarich, John Ivicek, Bill Novosel, Bob Pazulinec, and Ray Yankovich were the other members of the group. Even while John served in the Navy he managed to fit in time for music. At boot camp he played bass drum in the marching band and later he enjoyed some time on ship playing with a bluegrass group. He's never missed an opportunity to pursue his big love in life.

In 1957, John joined the Continental Orchestra under the leadership of Tony Muselin. He has continued to be a member'of the combo since then. With the Continentals, he has had many years of pleasurable performing, many miles 9f travel, and has recorded four albums. The group played with four members during the early years and always seemed to lose their "bugarija" man, so John was elected to move from playing cello to be the permanent bugarija player. They have been the only three-man group in the Chicago area during this time. The early members of the Continentals included Sam Cuzella and Ed Vucinic. Later additions were Tom Zakula, Ed Franciscovich, Dick Burick and John Miksich, who presently plays bass with them. John has also been a "fill-in" musician with other groups through the years on bass, bugarija and cello. In 1969 John started to teach tamburitza. His first group was the Sacred Heart Jr. Tamburitzans (1967-1971). He joined the teaching staff of the Sloboda Junior Tammies in 1971. These years of working with his youthful beginner students has been very gratifying to John. He's known as "Uncle John" to many of them even now. Another source of satisfaction and happiness to John has been to teach his fellow Children's Home friends to play tambura. This group called themselves the "Friday Night Guys". When this group slowly disbanded, John began to teach his adult tambura group, Prijate1ji. Some of the "Friday Night Guys" are also now in Prijatelji. Teaching of adults has enabled John to develop as an instructor and music arranger. He constantly challenges his students to perform more difficult music and occasionally he gives them music he has arranged himself. One of John's biggest accomplishments was teaching all six of his children to play tambura. They have inherited from him the strong love and appreciation of tamburitza music. John can take pride in knowing his music will live on through his family for many years to come.

 

GORSHIN, FRANK Actor

Frank Gorshin is the complete entertainer. His title includes impressionist, singer, comedian, stage, motion picture and television comedy and dramatic star, as well as night club and concert performance star. Although most people think of Gorshin primarily as an impressionist, he looks upon himself as a performer who does impressions, in addition to a vast array of other things. "I do not do hundreds of impressions", says Gorshin. "My entire repertoire of impressions numbers less than 50. I never set out to do an impression of a person. However, when something a star does suddenly sparks my imagination, I find myself doing an impression of him- first for my own amusement, later for my repertoire." What distinguishes the Gorshin impressions are their totality. Not only does he capture the voice, but literally seems to take on the facial and body characteristics of his subjects- no mean feat when they range from the young cocky Brando to the older Brando of Godfather fame, to the wacky and incredible physical transformation into Ed Sullivan. With a dimming of the lights and a mere expression of the face Gorshin can set chills up your spine as Anthony Hopkins’ eerie and frightening "Hannibal Lechter". When portraying Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Jack Nicholson Rodney Dangerfield and many others, the audience recognizes the characterizations even before he utters a word. Gorshin was the first to "break through" as a headliner in Las Vegas’ main showrooms with an act that emphasized impressions, but he also acted in literally hundreds of television and motion picture dramas and comedies. He has acted on Broadway and throughout the country on road company stages, and has received rave reviews for not only his theatrical finesse, but also for his superlative work as a singer. He recently told an interviewer, "I like to do all things, and hopefully do them well. I love to act, I love to sing, and I love doing impressions. I’m happiest when I’m on stage working, giving the audience my all."

The road to success for Gorshin for began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was born on April 5, 1934. His father and mother (who still reside there) were a railroad worker and seamstress, respectively. At age 12, Gorshin discovered an interest in performing, and began to school himself as an actor. While in high school, he worked as an usher at the Sheridan Square Theatre, and for fun began doing impressions of some of his screen heroes-Al Jolson, James Cagney, Cary Grant and Edward C. Robinson. Then, at 17, he won a talent contest in Pittsburgh, his prize being a one-week engagement at Jackie Heller’s Carousel nightclub, where Alan King was headlining. It was Gorshin’s first paid job as an entertainer. Two nights before Gorshin opened at the Carousel, his 15 year old brother was hit and killed by a car. At the insistence of his family, Frank went through with the engagement, which launched his show business career. After graduation from high school, Gorshin attended the Carnage Tech (now Carnegie-Mellon Tech) School of Drama, and during off-hours worked in plays and in nightclubs in the Pittsburgh area. Then in 1953, he entered the US Army. During almost two years in the armed forces during the Korean conflict, Gorshin served in Special Services as an entertainer. In the Army he met a Maurice Bergman who, when Gorshin returned to civilian life, introduced Frank to a Hollywood agent who quickly got him a job in the Paramount motion picture, "The Proud and The Profane". Roles in television dramas quickly followed.

In 1957, while visiting his folks in Pittsburgh, Gorshin was phoned by his agent to rush back to California to screen test for the Clark Cable film, "Run Silent, Run Deep". Gorshin drove 39 consecutive hours, fell asleep at the wheel, crashed, suffered a fractured skull, and woke up in the hospital four days later. He later discovered that the role went to Don Rickles, and considerably boost Rickles’ career. Gorshin also discovered that one of the Los Angeles newspapers had erroneously reported him killed. Although fate prevented him from landing that role, Gorshin subsequently appeared in the motion picture "The Bells Are Ringing" (which starred the late Judy Holiday and Dean Martin), in the part of a Brando-like method actor. This led to a role as myopic bass player in "Where The Boys Are", which led to co-starring with David Janssen in "Ring Of Fire"- all for MCM.

In 1958 Gorshin made his first Hollywood nightclub appearance at The Purple Onion. He was then signed for five appearances on "The Steve Alien Show" and subsequently, twelve appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show". In turn, this led to his landing the recurring role of a shore patrol sailor in the Jackie Cooper series, "Hennessy". Several years later, Gorshin was signed for his first Las Vegas engagement, at The Flamingo, opening for Bobby Darin. It was during the 60’s that a major breakthrough in his career occurred. He was signed for the role of The Riddler on the "Batman" television series, and received an Emmy nomination. "I could feel the impact overnight," Gorshin recalls. On the nation’s streets, youngsters began impersonating The Riddler. Gorshin found himself being hailed by strangers as well as friends. As a result of the major impact of Gorshin on television, he was given headliner status in Las Vegas at the MCM Grand, The Sahara, The International and The Aladdin.

In addition, Gorshin became the first impressionist to headline in the prestigious Empire Room of New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. He has since starred in major nightclubs and concert halls worldwide and has guested on numerous television variety and dramatic series, and specials. In 1972, he starred on the unique ABC- TV series "The KopyKats."

In 1970 Gorshin made his Broadway debut, as the star of "Jimmy", based on the life of New York’s Mayor James J. Walker. Gorshin’s personal notices were raves. He also starred in touring companies of "What Makes Sammy Run?", "Promises, Promises", "Peter Pan", "Prisoner of Second Avenue", "Death Trap", "Doubles", "Ah Wilderness", "On The 20th Century", "Breaking Legs" and "Guys and Dolls". His performance in "What Makes Sammy Run?" in Los Angeles earned him recognition as an outstanding stage performer in the Burns Mantle Yearbook.

In 1978, Gorshin, who achieved national recognition as The Riddler, re-enacted the role in an NBC-TV special, "Legends of The Superheroes". In 1978 Gorshin also starred as Ocran in the NBC-TV miniseries, "Stories From The Bible". In 1979 he starred in the CBS-TV motion picture, "Death Car on The Freeway" and as the space villain in "Buck Rogers in The 25th Century". In 1980, he starred in "Goliath Awaits" for NBC and for BBC in "Treasure Island" and "Princess Ida". In 1978 and 1979, Gorshin was named one of the "Ten Best Dressed Men in America" by the Custom Tailors’ Guild, and in 1979 he was named as one of the "World’s Most Desirable Men", by the International Bachelor Women’s Society. During 1980 Gorshin served as Honorary Chairman, Entertainment Division, for the American Heart Association. Gorshin is still hailed for his thought provoking Emmy nominated performance In the classic Star -Trek episode, "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield", a statement on modern day prejudice. He has guest starred on "Lois and Clark", and the Nickolodean series "Are You Afraid of The Dark?" Gorshins’ recent movie roles include "Meteor Man", "12 Monkeys" with Bruce Willis and the soon to be released "Twilight of The Ice Nymphs" with Shelly Duvall. Among his prized possessions is a review from the Hollywood Reporter: "Frank Gorshin is so talented, he has to be one of the greatest entertainers today. He is an actor- a line actor. He is a singer- a fine singer. He is a comic- a splendid comic".

 

GOSS, VLADIMIR Professor-Author

Vladimir Goss-Gvozdanovic is an art historian and publicist. Born January 3, 1942 in Zagreb, Croatia. Married  Anne F. Parks-Goss. Education includes: history of art and English at Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb; MA in history of art; PhD in history of art at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Professor of history of art at University of Michigan 1972-1982; senior research associate for East European and Russian studies, University of Michigan 1981-1982; guest professor at University of Tel-Aviv, Israel 1979-1980. Published Early Croatian Architecture, London, 1987; Antigone's Diary, novel, Zagreb, 1992. Member of College Art Association of America; International Society of Fine Art Appraisers; Croatian Academy of America; Croatian Fraternal Union.

 

GOVIC, VLADO Teacher

Vlado Govic is a teacher in Union City, New Jersey. Born August 29, 1937 in  Krapanj (near Sibenik); parents: Svetin G.  and Zorka (nee Tanfara); married  Meri G. (nee Bokun) with two daughters. Educated at Montclair State College BSc; MSc in education, Seaton Hall University. Awarded as  Man of the Year Croatian Business Association New York in1990. Member of AMA Croatica, Croatian Fraternal Union.

 

 

GOVORCHIN, GERALD G Professor-Author

A university professor, born August 12, 1912 on the Island of Mali Iz, Croatia. He graduated from the University of Southern California (1940); MA at University of Chicago (1942); PhD at Northwestern University (1946). He was an interpreter in U.S. Immigration Service (1944); lecturer at Northwestern University (194519-46); professor of history at University of Miami, Coral Gables (1964-1978); Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida (1978-1991). Most important books published :Americans from Yugoslavia (1961); From Russia to America with Love (1993); studies: The Little Entente (1947); The Struggle for Trieste (1955); Croatian Nationalism and the Revolution of 1848 (1976). He is married to Lillian and has a son and daughter. His parents were  Christ and Lucy.

 

GRACICH, NICOLAS Plantation

While reviewing the 1860 United States Census of Population for Natchitoches, Louisiana, a place not known as a Croatian Center, four Croatians were listed for the whole County. A. Marinovich, age 27, was a merchant worth $1000; F. Radisich, age 40, was worth $6200; Mattia Baziza, age 46, was worth $100; and Marco Givanovich, age 34 was listed as a planter with $150,000 in real estate and a personal worth of $250,000. This included slaves.  Nicolas Gracich built the place in 1820 and called it the "Home Place." Its name was changed to "Marco Plantation Home" when it was purchased by his nephew, Marco Givanovich, in 1863, for the sum of $325,000.  The Plantation, located on the Cane River, was a going concern until his death in 1896. The will showed that the entire estate was left to a nephew in Dalmatia with the nephew dying in 1926 and leaving the estate to seven children. The will of Marco Givanovich was probated February 24, 1896. W. Hyams, Clerk at Natchitoches, La., No. 22918, Book 94, page 52 dated Feb. 24, 1896. The Marco House was of the high basement type plantation home, with very wide central hallways on both floors, the one on the ground floor being paved with brick, similar to the ones in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was a splendidly constructed old house with large rooms and French windows, with transoms and shutters, with a typical outside stairway on the right as one faced the building. The house was extremely attractive and held great allure for those interested in good architecture of an earlier date. Today his descendants own much land along Cane River. It is good to hear that a Croatian "made it" in America and "enjoyed it." Perhaps one or two of his descendants along the Cane River can still give us a "dobar dan" or "kako si" if we ever pass through. I have run across Croatian- Indians in the 1860's in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Colored Croatians are unique, especially with French blood.

 

GRBAC, ELVIS Football

Another Cleveland, Ohio native, son of Croatian immigrants Ivan and Cecilia, is Elvis Grbac, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. He was born in 1970 and was a scholastic star at St. Joseph High School, excelling in football and basketball. He was the most successful quarterback in the history of the University of Michigan, leading the Wolverines to victories in the 1991 Gator Bowl and the 1993 Rose Bowl. His NFL career started with San Francisco 49ers in 1993. In 1997, he was signed by Kansas City Chiefs to a five-year $20 million contract. As Elvis often stated, he learned the value of hard work and dedication from his immigrant parents: I’m Croatian. My dad is from the old country. He came over in 1968 and didn’t know how to speak the English language and maybe had $10 bucks to their name. My father is a very hard working man. I remember times when I was a kid when he would be out of the door before I even got up for school and when I was going to bed he was just getting home from his second job. He has such dedication to his friends. He’s one of those people who has given me something that will stick with me always. I will teach my kids the same thing.

Free-agent quarterback Elvis Grbac agreed to terms of a five-year, $30 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens football team on March 7, 2001. The deal includes an $11 million signing bonus. Steiner said the Ravens' Super Bowl championship last season was the determining factor for Grbac. "Winning is the only thing on his agenda - playing in a Super Bowl and winning a Super Bowl," Steiner said. The Ravens were the only team negotiating with the former Kansas City quarterback after Cincinnati dropped-out of the bidding Monday. Grbac, who threw for 28 touchdowns and 4,169 yards with the Chiefs last season and earned a spot in the Pro Bowl was one of two highly sought free-agent quarterbacks, along with Brad Johnson. Grbac initiated the talks with Baltimore by visiting the Ravens on Friday and meeting with coach Brian Billick. Is Billick a Croatian American? When Croatian American Grbac was asked about his first name, he said that when his father was in Croatia he liked Elvis Presley.

 

GRBAC, PETER Croatian Activities

Born in 1901 in Lanisce, Istria. Migrated in America in 1921 and settled in Fort Bragg, California. He was an accountant of Lodge No. 17 of  Croatian Union of the Pacific in 1932.

 

GRBAVAC, ANTHONY Metal Working

Anthony Grbavac left Croatia in 1965 and emigrated to the United States in 1966 via Paris. Settling in the Cleveland, Ohio area, Grbavac was intent on utilizing his adroitness in the field of machine rebuilding to his advantage. Opening his first facility in 1977, he has managed to successfully increase operations. His firm, Associated Press Repairs Inc. specializes in the repair and rebuilding of metal working equipment.

 

GRBICH (GRBITCH), RADE Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S, Navy. Born: 24 December 1870, Austria. Accredited to: Illinois. G.O. No.: 13, 5 January 1906. Citation: On board the U.S. Bennington, for extraordinary heroism displayed at the time of the explosion of a boiler of that vessel at San Diego, Calif., 21 July 1905. Grbitch is Grbic and his origins are in Dalmatia, Croatia. He is buried at the Presidio Military Cemetery in San Francisco.

 

GRCEVICH, JOE Tamburitza Hall of Fame-Military-Saloon

Joe Grcevich was, almost literally, born with a tambura in his hand. Shortly before he was born, Joe's father and mother were evicted from their company home because of Joe's father's union organizing activity in the coal mines. On November 4, 1922 Joe was born in a tent in Luxor, Pennsylvania. The most important of the few items the Grceviches were able to keep with them, in the close confines of the tent was, of course, a tambura. The tambura became Joe's plaything until his father gave him a tambura of his own, on Joe's fourth birthday. Joe hasn't put it down yet. In 1932 Joe began playing regularly with the Jutarnja Zvezda orchestra made up of Joe, his brother Marko, his father Josip, Matt Marovich and Peter Mamula. They played for many weddings and other social gatherings but were probably best known for their Sunday morning programs on radio station WHJB, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Tambura orchestra Zora was formed in 1935 with Joe, his brother Marko, George and Nick Puskarich, Andy Capan and Paul Delivuk. Their 8 a.m. Sunday morning radio program was very popular in the listening area of WMBS, Uniontown, Pa. Joe traveled to Oakmont, Pa. in 1941 and formed the famous tambura orchestra Sloboda with his brother Marko, Joe Kucinic, Tony Cvetnich, Marko Sumrak, John Bozic and John Turcic. From 1941 to 1947 Sloboda played almost every Sunday on radio station WLOA, Braddock, Pa. Joe missed some of these performances during the time he spent overseas during World War 11. Prior to entering the Army in 1941, Joe attended Duquesne University where he was the First Brac player for the Duquesne Tamburitzans. During the war Joe was seldom without an instrument, even if he had to borrow a guitar from time to time. In 1945 Joe returned from the service to marry Rose Sumrak and take up where he left off with Sloboda. It was during the post-war years that Sloboda, with Joe and his brother Marko forming the nucleus, became one of the finest tambura orchestras in America. The excellent recordings Sloboda made during this period are still popular today. They played for literally thousands of social affairs and, on a regular schedule, at the Tropics Lounge in Braddock, Pa., and at the Grcevich brother's own place in East Pittsburgh, Pa., the Hilltop Cafe. Joe never does anything halfway, he always does his best. With typical enthusiasm, in 1963. Joe became the Director of the St. George Junior Tamburitzans in Cokeburg, Pa. The outstanding achievements of the St. George Junior Tamburitzans are testimony to Joe's dedication to teaching and preserving his cultural heritage. Joe taught many fine musicians including his son Djeri who is an outstanding recording artist. Joe no longer plays with any orchestra on a regular basis, but he never says no when asked to perform for charitable affairs or to participate in fraternal and civic functions. His home in North Huntingdon, Pa. has become a mecca for tamburasi from all over America as well as many from the old country. Joe's career as a tambura player and director is far from over, but he has already made his indelible mark on the history of tambura music in America.

 

GREDEL, ZDENKA Professor

Zdenka Gredel is a professor at the Department of History, Niagara University, New York. Born November 2, 1941 in Zagreb, Croatia. Education includes State Women's Real Gymnasium, Bamberg, Germany; D'Youville College, Buffalo, New York, 1958-62, B.A., June, 1962; State University of New York at Buffalo, MA., 1964; University of Munich, Germany, 1964-65; State University of N.Y. at Buffalo,  Ph.D., 1969 with a major field in History and Modern European History with emphasis on German History. Thesis completed in 1964, The Reaction to the German Unification Movement, 1867-1871. Buffalo Mirrors the Nation, M.A. thesis. The Problem of Continuity in German History as seen by West German Historians Between 1945-1953, Ph.D. thesis. Member of the American Historical Association.

 

GREGO, GEORGE Opera

Nikola Grego, from  the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia and his brother George were successful apple packers in San Francisco.  George had a fine bass voice and was under contract for several seasons in the chorus of the old Tivoli Opera House in the 1880’s.

 

GREGORIC, MICHAEL T. Theatre-Professor

Michael Gregoric is teaching at University. of Connecticut. Born March 27, 1933 to Croatian parents in Port Huron, Michigan; married with two children. Education includes University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, A.B., 1955; A.M., 1956; Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, Ph.D., 1961 with a major field in Theatre and Film; Aesthetics and Criticism. Thesis completed in 1956 "Swords on Stage," University of Michigan; "Principles and Practice in Modern Dramatic Criticism," Cornell University 1961. Member of American  Association of University Professors, Speech Association of America. Direction of plays in the U.S. and Germany, 1956-58 Germany - Residence U.S. Army.

 

GREGOV, JOHN Priest-Monsignor

Funeral services will beheld Monday for Monsignor Joh Gregov, associate pastor for nine years at St. Joachim;s Church in Hayward, who died July 6, 1980 while visiting his family in Preko, Croatia.  He was 79. A priest for 54 years, Father Gregov came to the United States in 1955 after serving as a pastor in Croatia and Argentina.  Before his retirement in 1973, he served as an associate pastor at churches in Martinez and Oakland as well as Hayward.  He was designated a monsignor by Pope Paul VI in 1976.

 

GREGURICH, JOHN Tamburitza Hall of Fame-Recording Artist Composer

Born of Croatian parentage February 9, 1927 in Library, Pennsylvania. Both his mother and father, who migrated to this country from Croatia, were tambura players; his mother played the bugarija; his father the bass and prim. John was the only child of five that survived beyond infancy. At age 6 he was already studying the violin with private lessons. Not long thereafter he began to pick up the tamburitza instruments that were available in the Gregurich household. All 5 of the instruments that comprise the tamburitza family - brac, prim, cello, bugarija, bass - were all eventually mastered through study. In addition to his love of music and his "tamburas," John was an outstanding athlete during his high school years. As a result, he was offered two football scholarships - one at the University of Southern California and also at the University of Maryland. Simultaneously, because of his versatility with the tamburas, he was also being rushed with a scholarship to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa., with the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, under the direction of Matt Gouze. Following his high school. graduation in June of 1944, he followed his heart and first love! He accepted the D.U. tamburitzan scholarship and became the well-rounded, versatilc instrumentalist while majoring in history and political science. A year of study at Duquesne University while performing the Tamburitzans, was interrupted by Uncle Sam who also sought his services. Following Gregurich's stint in the Air Force, he returned to his studies at Duquesne University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1953. He surged forward and began composing and arranging tamburitza music in the early 1950's. In 1952, one of his original compositions, Tamburitza Sweetheart was recorded on the 78 r.p.m. Then followed other original compositions including: Gypsy Music, Tamburitza Waltz, Mala Jadranska Ruza, Od Srca . . . all of which were recorded! Od Srca was so appealing and had made such a hit that a major music company in New York City saw fit to purchase it. Tamburitza Waltz became the beloved theme song for the Pittsburgh Tamburitzans and has remained so to the present day. Croatian lyrics to such songs as Milica and Tuzna Djeva were original inspirations of John Gregurich. As a musician, composer-arranger in his own right, and recording artist, his talents and enthusiasm spread. He became lead brac player for the Kossovo Tarnburitza orchestra who also then recorded three different albums on the Greyko Recording Label. Gregurich then formulated his own Greyko Tamburitza Recording Orchestra who not only recorded but who performed throughout the U.S.A. and Canada for 20 years. They documented and recorded for posterity some of the finest tamburitza music ever. In 1953, Gregurich became the assistant director of the All-University Tamburitzans, a collegiate 30-piece ensemble, under the capable direction of Matt Gouze. His tamburitza teaching and conducting of the Pittsburgh Tamburitzans is legend. With that group alone, his musical concert tours have taken him throughout the entire U.S.A., coast to coast; Canada from coast to coast; Europe on four different concert tours; New Zealand. Greyko Recording Company, under John Gregurich's direction, has become the largest manufacturer of Croatian L.P.'s, tapes and cassettes in the U.S.A., which includes tamburitza and polka music.

 

GRENKO, JULIAN Coal Mine Company

The death of this giant was a sad shock to all of us in the Croatian Catholic Union and a great "loss to his dear wife Ljubica, daughter Marietta and granddaughter Misty and family. The local newspaper in Gallup, New Mexico dedicated on obituary pages a quarter of a page with a title: "Julian Grenko The Last Independent Coal Miner". In many ways Julian was the last of his generation, but in many more ways he was the first, the pioneer and trail blazer. His spirit of optimism and faith, his enduring love for outdoors echoed from the chambers of his soul his love for fellow man, and his love of God. For all the good that he and Ljubica did whether for the CCU or for any other worthwhile cause Julian will remain first in our hearts and in our memories. Julian was born at the family's small ranch just south of Gallup. Although there were seven children by the time Julian was born there were only two brothers left. Together with their father they opened the Grenko Coal Company in 1924. It was coal which kept Julian out of the Second World War. Coal was badly needed to run the coal trains. He was kept from the draft because he was the only one that could run the underground equipment. One hot day during World War 11 he took time out from coal mining and went and bought a welding machine and welding books and set out to make an air conditioner and that he did. Julian later hired on with the city and became the foreman of the welding department; here is where he would retire from at the age of 70. After his many years of hard work he took on his hardest job yet, he set out to learn how to dance for his lovely wife Ljubica. He even took swimming lessons at 72.

Julian enjoyed weekends at McGaffy and chewing Copenhagen for 74 years of his life. He enjoyed traveling with Ljubica in their 66 years of marriage. The family came from Fuzine, Croatia.

 

GREY, GLORIA (DRAGOMANOVICH) Actress

Gloria was born in 1909 and died in 1947.  An actress during the silent movie era, Gloria was a 1924 Wampas Baby Star and was seen in silent films such as “Dante’s Inferno”, “The Millionaire Cowboy”, “The Ghetto Shamrock”, “Little Robinson Crusoe”, “Spirit of the U.S.A.”, and was the leading lady in the 1927 “Blake of Scotland Yard”.

 

GRGAS, FRANE Fisherman

Frank was born in 1873, in Zablance, near Sibenik, in Dalmatia and came to this country in 1901 and to San Pedro in 1919.  In 1899 he married Marija, nee Grgas. Five children came of this marriage: Stipe, Joso, Mary, Franka and Danica.  He was the owner of the 77 foot purse-seiner Costa Rica.

 

GRGICH, LUKA Restaurant

Luka Grgich was a man among men and for men. He had his "Luka's Club Cafe" on 419 Alpine Street, Los Angeles for over 50 years. Any Croatian who found himself in dire straits could go to Luka's for a meal. Several contractors used Luka's cafe as a place to choose day workers for the sewer contracts they were working. For these men it was the only contact of employment. There was no language barrier to overcome and dress was not important. He has a bakery in the rear of the club. Here on holidays he would bake whole lambs and at Christmas time whole pigs. If it had baked at Luka's you knew it was right. He gave many down and outers jobs. Many a Croatian would have been buried in potter's field if it were not for Luka. A man of business with a heart of gold. Today the old haunt has disappeared. The way that all the men who were the ones to come to a new bright land to seek and find their fortunes.

 

GRGICH, MIKE Winemaker-Vineyard

Miljenko Grgic experienced his first great victory on May 24, 1976 in Paris at the history-making blind tasting of best French against best Californian wines. Nine of the most qualified French wine experts and judges were assembled by Steven Spurrier,      a respected British wine merchant living and working in France, to  blind taste six of California's best Chardonnays against four of France's most famous white Burgundies. Blind tasting means that the identity and origin of the wines are unknown to the judges. The white wine winner, defeating esteemed centuries-old Burgundy properties, was 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. Croatian immigrant, MiIjenko Grgic, was the Montelena's winemaker. That was his contribution for the American Bicentennial, and a great tribute to his native Croatia where he was born and educated. Thousands of American newspapers and magazines proclaimed and celebrated the Grgic victory announcing a new age of American wine.

The youngest of eleven children, Mi1jenko Grgic was born April 1, 1923 into a winemaking family in the village of Desne, Croatia. The family, like most of the villagers, owned a small vineyard and winery. "When I was two and a half years old, I was getting wine whit some water in it, " Grgic says. At the age of three, Mi1jenko was stomping grapes besides his father who was already teaching him the skills of how to make wine of his own.

"Love for fine wine brought me to the University of Zagreb, Croatia" recounts Grgic. "I graduated in 1954, majoring in enology and viticulture."  When he needed only to pass a final exam to earn his master's degree in 1954, Mi1jenko fled to Germany without telling even his parents. From there, 18 months later he immigrated to Canada, landing in Halifax in 1956. Knowing very little English and almost penniless, he rode the train for five days to Vancouver, British Columbia where relatives arranged to find a job for him.  Finally, in 1958 he was granted an American visa and joined his relatives in Aberdeen, Washington Grgic's dream was California, vineyards, and winemaking. His relatives in Seattle and his American-born nephew who was a Catholic priest, made some connections for him in Napa Valley where he arrived in time for harvest, on August 15, 1958. He went to work right away for Lee Stewart at Souverain Winery and six months later for Christian Brothers in their Champagne-making operation.

In 1959 the first major step of his lifelong dream was realized when he joined Andre Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyard. "He was doing very important research into yeasts, into malolactic fermentation, into spoilage. At Beaulieu Vineyard, Mike Grgich spent nine years as chief chemist in charge of quality control, at that time a crucially important job to protect wines from bacterial problems. He recalls that 1960's were exciting years in the progress of California winemaking, and how at BV many new things were accomplished in the winemaking process. Another important achievement was, Mike says, that "BV wa's one of the first wineries to use millipore filtration for all wines, which made the wines biologically stable forever. This was very important in the development of great wine in Napa Valley." Mike and Andre also succeeded in finding a special strain of yeast that worked well for the Beaulieu wines. Through experimentation with American and French yeasts, they found the yeast called "French White", which produced exceptional wines.

In 1968 Grgic was offered the position to be quality control chemist and winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville, just three miles down the road from BV. His new salary was $1,000 a month. There, Mike had an opportunity to experiment with the most modern winery equipment in California - from roto tanks and centrifuge to vacuum filters. As chief enologist, Grgic was working together with Michael Mondavi and supervised all winemaking. After almost fifteen years of pioneering and mastering the technology of winemaking while working with and for somebody else, in 1972 Grgic turned over a new page of his life. He started the art of winemaking. He left Mondavi and accepted a challenging offer from Los Angeles attorney James Barrett and partners Paschich and Hahn, to launch the new Chateau Montelena winery. As a limited partner, winemaker, and vineyardist, Mike's job was to redesign and refurbish the 90-years old and neglected winery, and to install new equipment. His first wine at Montelena, a 1972 Johannisberg Riesling, earned the first prize at the Los Angeles Times testing in 1974. "We have been producing four wines every year," Mike recalls: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Johannisberg Riesling, and Chardonnay. Our first desire was to become a house of Cabernet Sauvignon only. Surprise came very soon when our Chardonnay won many first places in reputable tastings. In a blind Bicentennial tasting in Paris in May of 1976 our Chardonnay took first place over six California Chardonnays and four French Chardonnays." His 1973 Chardonnay stormed Paris in 1976 and he has been winning first, best, and gold medals and prizes ever since, especially after he established his own cellar. He always wanted to have his own winery. This dream came through in 1977. He sold back his limited partnership to the other owners of Chateau Montelena and in 1977 broke ground for Grgich Hills Cellar. His business partner was Austin Hills, a coffee taster and owner of vineyards in Napa Valley. The Hills family once owned the Hills Brothers Coffee Company, which was founded in 1878 in San Francisco.  He invested in Napa Valley vineyards, and along with Mike also in Grgich Hills Cellar, located on Highway 29 just north of Rutherford. Mi1jenko Grgic had the skill and expertise to make great wines, and Hills, owner of established vineyard had a back ground in business andfinance. Grgich Hills wines have been impressive since the very first vintage of 1977. The 1977 Chardonnay was declared the best in the world at the "Great Chicago Chardonnay Showdown". When it was over, the winner and still champion was Mi1jenko "Mike" Grgich (Grgich Hills 1977 Chardonnay Sonoma). Columnist and wine expert James Laube reported in The Wine Spectator (Dec. 31, 1992) how Mike Grgich uncorked 21 vintages of his Chardonnay for a tasting at the 1992 California Wine Experience. "Few California vintners can put on a show of more than 20 vintages of Chardonnay and hope to smile when it's over", he remarks and reveals that out of 21 vintages eleven scored each 90 or more points (outstanding), and nine 85 or more points each (very good). "Not only are his Chardonnays stylistically unique and appealing, but they continue to amaze with their ability to age gracefully, while many other California Chardonnays lose their zest within a few years of release," Laube stated. The Grgich Hills' 1979 Chardonnay was served at the White House on October 13, 1981, and 1978 Chardonnay was served to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11 at the White House in 1983. At various wine competitions and exhibits in 1988-1989, the 1986 Chardonnay received six Gold Medals. Grgich Hills Chardonnay has become a standard by which other Chardonnays are judged. Mi1jenko Grgic is truly "The King of Chardonnay. " Among his staff members are his daughter Violet, his nephew, Ivo Jaramaz, and several veteran employees. A luscious dessert wine, Violetta, is named after Mi1jenko's daughter, Violet. Made from grapes harvested very late in the season, and kissed by Botritis Cinerea (the noble mold), this wine is reminiscent of fine Sauternes in the nose and has a wonderful balance of sugar and acid.

When Croatia regained its independence, Mi1jenko returned to Croatia in 1990 to celebrate its Independence and to visit his relatives. "I always had a dream to come back if Croatia ever gained independence," repeated Mi1jenko to many friends he met again after 40 years. Mi1jenko made several post war trips to Croatia, always looking and studying what he could do to help rebuild his homeland. "I decided I had something to donate, and that is the knowledge that I have picked up abroad over 44 years", he concluded. When he decided to open a small model winery of his own in Croatia, he found and purchased in 1995 a stone building in the village of Trstenik on the peninsula Pe1jesac. Originally, the "karaula" was built by the military as a border post and was later used as a resort. The building was completely renovated in 1995 and outfitted as a modern winery. He purchased the best equipment and shipped by boat to Croatia: stainless steel jacketed tanks (made in Santa Rosa, California), an automatic bottling line, a micro-filter for sterile bottling, a complete laboratory setup, and an air-conditioning system for the entire winery to assure proper temperature control. New oak barrels were also imported from France to stock the aging cellar. The winery was given the name GRGIC VINA. Mi1jenko Grgic now intends to create the same world-class wines in Croatia as Mike Grgich did in California. The first harvest took place in 1996, producing a white wine called Posip (800 cases), and a red wine called Plavac Mali (1400 cases). The wine Posip was made from famous grape of the name Posip, which has been grown for centuries on the island of Korcula in the Adriatic Sea. The 1998 Posip, with 13.0% alcohol and .70 total acid, earned Gold Medal (Velika Zlatna Medalja) at GAST 2000 Sajam in Split, I March 2000. The 1997 Plavac Mali, released I March 1999, with 13.8% alcohol and .65 acid, has already captured many top prizes, including Gold Medal and Best Croatian Wine Medal at Vinovita International Fair in Zagreb 10 May 2000.

Is California Zinfandel originally Croatian Plavac Mali? In 1994, in celebration of its silver jubilee year, the International Wine and Spirit Competition inaugurated a new trophy award for Zinfandel. The 1989 Grgich Hills Zinfandel was selected as "The- Best Worldwide". The JWSC competition is in fact the Olympics of the wine and spirit industry, where the world's most experienced tasters are judging the best entries from over thirty different countries. When Mi1jenko Grgic came to California in 1958 and obtained his first job in Napa Valley with Souverain Winery, he noticed a remarkable resemblance between the Zinfandel grapes grown in California and the Plavac Mali of his native Croatia. Thirty-five years later, when returning again to Croatia in 1993, he took with him some samples of Zinfandel leaves, grape clusters, and canes to compare them with Plavac Mali. He was convinced that the two were actually the same grape. The University of California at Davis is being engaged in research to verify the origin of the Zinfandel. "If there is any significant difference between the flavor of Plavac Mali and California Zinfandel, the Croatian version seems slightly more elegant," reported Terry Robards from Croatia in his big discovery article "Zinfandel - the mystery solved" (Wine Enthusiasts, August 1996). "Obscured by history, politics and long-held misperceptions, the true origin of America's Zinfandel grape remained hidden - until now", says Robards and opens the mystery door of his and Grgic's discovery on Zinfandel. "Now the mystery apparently has been solved. An array of newfound evidence indicates that Zinfandel came from what is now Croatia." And MiIjenko "Mike" Grgic shows: "This is the area where Zinfandel was born." Robards noted how Mike Grgich, a native of Croatia who left in 1958 for California, uses the word Zinfandel interchangeably with Plavac Mali, Mali Plavac. "Mali Plavac, Plavac Mali, you can say it either way, it's Zinfandell. "..says' Miljenko. Yes, Mike from California is again MiIjenko in Croatia, MiIjenko Grgic from Croatia is Mike Grgich in California, Plavac Mali from Croatia is Zinfandel in California, and Zinfandel from California is again Mali Plavac in Croatia. MiIjenko Grgic (Mike Grgich) points out that the primary motive for opening his small "hobby-sized" winery in Croatia was to bring modern technology and winemaking skills with him from California back to his homeland Croatia in order to make world-class wines again from local grape varieties.

 

GRGUREVICH, LUKE Fisherman-Sheep-Brooks Island San Francisco Bay

Most people in the San Francisco Bay Area are familiar with Yerba Buena, Treasure Island, Angel Island and, of course, Alcatraz, but only a handful know about the other islands-The Brothers, The Sisters, east and West Marin Islands, Brooks Island and red Rock. Tiny outcroppings in the Bay, they range in size from Brooks Island, 45 acres of forest, to West Sister, little more than a rock. Two are privately owned, one is opened as a park this year. The rest are accessible by boat; in some cases permission from the Coast Guard is necessary. South of The Brothers, three quarters of a mile off Point Richmond, lies Brooks island a lush 45 acres with two fresh-water springs. East Bay Regional Parks bought the land for $625,000 in 1968 and plans to open it to the public this summer.

The island was the site of several Indian villages from about 3000 B.C. to 70 A.D., according to George Coles, an anthropologist at Contra Costa College who has been excavating on the island for many years. The first piece of Indian rope found in California was on Brooks. The fresh water has crated a marsh that is the home for cormorants, mallards, Canadian geese and mourning doves. Mussels, clams and oysters can still be gathered along some parts of the two miles of shoreline.

Records show a Mr. Brooks lived on the island in the middle of the 19th century. He constructed a four-room house and raised goats, then left the Bay Area around 1870. A Croatian immigrant, Luccas Gargurevich, and his wife moved in and raised sheep and 10 children. His son Anton claimed, in a short history of the island he wrote in 1965, that his father was cheated out of the land by one of the Big Four railroad companies. The family then moved to Berkeley.

Luke Gargurevich died in West Berkeley, November 30, 1919, Luke Gargurevich born in 1841, dearly beloved husband of the late Domencia Gargurevich, and loving father of Antone, Mitchell, Luke and Victor Gargurevich, Mrs. Annie S. Illich and Sophie E. Haiens, a native of the Island of Lastovo, Dalmatia, Croatia, aged 80 years and 10 months.  A member of Slavonic Illyric M. B. Society of San Francisco. Friends and acquaintances respectfully invited to attend the funeral tomorrow (Wednesday), Dec. 3, 1919, from the parlors of Ferrari & Alison 1548 Stockton, at 1 p.m.; thence to K. P. Hall, 115 Valencia st., where services will be held under Slavonic I. M. B. Society, commencing at 2 p.m., thence to  Croatian Church of Nativity for blessing.  Internment, Holy Cross.

 

GRGURINOVICH-GRINICH, VICTOR Engineer-King of Silicon Valley

Victor Grinich, one of the founders of Fairchild Semiconductor, the Silicon Valley company that helped start the computer revolution, died November 12, 2000 in Mountain View, California at age 75. An electrical engineer by training, Grinich went to work for Shockley Semiconductor in 1956. A year later, he and seven colleagues founded Fairchild.  Other members of the group were Jean Hoenri, Eugene Kleiner, Jay Last, Gordon Moore, Sheldon Roberts, Sherman Fairchild and Robert Noyce. Grinich began at Fairchild as head of engineering and applications and then was second in command of the research and development department, which was headed by Moore. Fairchild produced the first commercially viable integrated circuit, a forerunner of the modern computer chip. Fairchild has grown into a $786 billion company with more than 8,000 employees. The company's chips power electronic devices used in cars, computers and telecommunications equipment. Born Victor Grgurinovich in Aberdeen, Washington, to Croatian immigrant parents, Grinich served in the Navy during World War II. He changed his name after the war, to avoid the difficult spelling and went off to college, earning bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Washington and a doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford. After leaving Fairchild in the late 1960s, Grinich taught at UC Berkeley and Stanford. He was coauthor of the textbook, "Introduction to Integrated Circuits." He also headed some smaller Silicon Valley firms. He is survived by his wife, Helen Hood Grinich; two sons, a daughter and three grandchildren.

 

GRICH, BOBBY Baseball

Bobby Grich played for the Baltimorre Orioles from 1970 to 1976 before joining the California Angeles in 1977.  A talented baseball player, he excelled with both the glove and the bat.  A six time all-star performer, Grich established a major league record for the most putouts by a second baseman in one season with 484.  From 1973 to 1975, he handeled more chances and completed more double plays than any other second baseman.  Grich tied a major league record for fewest errors by a second baseman (800 or more chances) with only five, an amazing statistic, considering he played in all 162 games.  It is no wonder Grich a four time Gold Glove Award winner.  A lifetime .266 hitter, he had his best year in 1979 when he hit .294 with 30 home runs and 101 RBIs.  During the strike shortened season of 1981, Grich batted a career high .304 with a league leading 22 home runs.  He announced his retirement after California lost the 1986 American League playoffs to the Boston Red Sox.

 

GRMEK, MIRKO Professor-Author-Scientist-Doctor

Mirko D. Grmek, born in Krapina, Croatia, was professor of history of medicine at the University of Zagreb in Croatia. Since 1971 he has been full professor at the Sorbonne in Paris, then associate professor of many European and American universities ( Berkeley, Cambridge, Geneva, Lausanne, Rome), and finally Direstor of Studies at the Ecole Practique des Hates Etudes, Sorbonne, Paris. He was Director of International school for history of science in Naples, president of European center for history of medicine in Strasbourg, editor or editor-in-chief of several professional international science lexicons, author of about thirty books. Very important is Western medical thought from antiquity to the Middle Ages, a landmark work edited by Mirko D. Grmek. His monograph History of AIDS: Emergence and Origin of a Modern Pandemic, is winner of the George Sarton Medal of the History of Science Society. For his scholary achievements he was awarded with the order of the Knight of the French Legion of Honour. He also obtained Laurea ad Honorem from Università di Bologna. In the early 1990s he advocated Croatia's right to independence through several appearances on French television, and was the first president of Almae Mater Croaticae Alumni in Paris. With Louise Lambrichs he wrote a monograph Les révoltés de Villefranche-de-Rouergue, and with Marc Gjidra and Neven Simac Le Nettoyage ethnique. In 1996 the international scientific journal Eureka called him physician of the century. The journal portrayed him with the following words: Mirko Grmek is as famous among scholars throughout the world as he was unknown to the wider public. This Croatian lived supporting the ideals to which he dedicated his entire life, namely that medicine must be practiced with full sense of conscience, and that science is simply another word if it is not accompanied by humanism.

 

GROHAR, STEPHEN G. Teacher

Stephen Grohar is a principal at F. E. March School in Joliet, Illinois. He was born December 15, 1912 in Joliet, Illinois and educated at the University  of Illinois at Champaign, Illinois, 1932-1936. B.S., January, 1936. De Paul University, Chicago., Illinois, 1936-1944. M.A., June 1941. Major field of education was Social Science and Education with a sprcialty in history and physical Education. His thesis was A Study to Determine the Proper Sequence of Supplementary Reading on the Basis of Introduction of New Words and Repetition of Old Words. M.A., June 1941. He is married and has three children.

 

GROSETA, ANTHONY V. Ranch-Capitalist

Tucson could boast of no more public spirited citizen than Anthony Vincent Grossetta who had lived in Tucson, Arizona since 1880 and had been foremost in many undertakings which had materially helped its growth as a tourist center, and as a place to live. In political and social circles, the world of commerce, the Grossetta family originated in Croatia. Some of that name crossed the Atlantic. Matthew, the grandfather of A. V. Grossetta was a former stock raiser of Dalmatia, Croatia, and Vincent, the father of the subject was born near Dubrovnik-Ragusa where he was a shoe merchant. The only son who came to America was A. V. Grossetta. Native of Dubrovnik, Croatia, born April 27, 1856, was trained in public school, he learned German, Croatian and the Italian languages. When he was 12 years old he shipped aboard a sailing vessel, and for six years cruised the high seas. He crossed the Atlantic and worked on both English and American Ships. In 1874 A. V. Grossetta came to America. He worked one year for the New York Central Railroad. He went to Montreal, Canada, and connected himself with the Italian consulate for two years. In 1877 he went to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and drifted to Tucson in 1880. He worked for a grocer, then started his own business in 1882. He had a small store near the railroad station which was carried on until 1893. He was interested in the Tucson Grocery Company and the Tucson Hardware Company. Grossetta was identified- with the Tucson Building and Loan Association. He built several homes there. He owned much local property and a well irrigated ranch 123 miles north of the city plus a thriving orchard. He built the Tucson Electrical Light Power Company. He was influential in organization of the Hall Association of the Ancient Order of the United Workmen. He belonged to the Masons, Tucson Lodge'No. 4 F. & A. M. Tucson, Shp. No. 3 R. A. M. Arizona Commandery No. 1 K.T. Also belonged to El Zaribah Temple, N. M. S. at Phoenix. Both he his wife were members of the Eastern Star. Grossetta was a leader in the Republican Party. He was a member of the County Central Committee, and was a delegate to the territorial party convention. In 1900 he was the Republican nominee for the legislature, but he was defeated. He was in the City Council,  and represented the first ward. He was an influential member of the Board of Trade. He was approved by Governor Murphy a member of Board of Regents of the University of Arizona.

 

GROSETA, MARTIN Virginia Saloon-Oyster Saloon-Restaurant   

Martin Grossetta from Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia was proprietor of the Virginia Saloon in Virginia City in 1860. This was one of the first of approximately fifty businesses in Virginia City at the time. The Virginia Saloon was included in a prominent panorama of Virginia City. Martin had been in Mobile, Alabama in 1849 and had voted in that city prior to coming to the Pacific Coast to seek his fortune. He was one of many who had been established in the South prior to coming West. In 1859 Martin had a coffee stand in San Francisco at the corner of Sacramento and East Streets. He was in many business ventures during his lifetime in Virginia City and San Francisco. Martin was a citizen in 1849 at Mobile, Alabama and had voted in 1870 in San Francisco. He was Godfather to a child of Vulicevich in 1876 at St. Mary's Church in San Francisco. He was also a member of the Slavonic Illyric Society of San Francisco. Martin appeared on the Census in 1880 in San Francisco with a wife named Maria, also from Dalmatia. It is not known whether he had a family. Martin was typical of the hearty Dalmatian pioneers who ventured into the gold and silver mining boom towns as saloonkeepers or merchants. Martin had either brothers or relatives inSan Francisco at the time because a John Grossetta with a large family in the early 1860's and later a prominent commission merchant had a business on Kearny Street in 1858. Another A. Grossetta had a fruit store at 311 Dupont Street in San Francisco in 18S9. This A. Grossetta became a very prominent citizen of Arizona.

 

GROSETA, PETER Jr. Ranch

He was born October 22, 1917, in Jerome, Arizona, to Croatian immigrants Peter and Antonia Groseta. His family moved from Jerome to a ranch in Middle Verde in 1922, where he attended school and graduated from Camp Verde High School in 1935. He was a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 978 in Cottonwood and former member of CFU Lodge 138 in Jerome, Arizona where he served as vice president for several years. In 1936 his family moved to a ranch in Bridgeport and he started to work in Phelps Dodge Smelter until it shut down in 1953, where he was shift boss and "pulled the plug" on the last pound of ore that went through the concentrator. On September 18, 1946, he married Katherine Maglich in St. Cecelia's Catholic Church in Clarkdale. His father raised alfalfa hay and sold it to the local dairies, which provided milk to the entire Verde Valley, including the miners in Jerome. They also did a lot of custom hay bailing on farms and ranches throughout the Verde Valley. In addition, they raised cattle, sheep, chickens, turkeys, fruits and vegetables, of which they sold to neighbors and to families in Jerome, Clarkdale and Cottonwood. In 1948 he purchased the W Dart cow outfit where they raised commercial cattle. Four generations of the Groseta family have raised cattle in the Verde Valley from Tapco, above Clarkdale, to Camp Verde. Also, during the time that he ranched, he worked for Yavapai County Roads Department for several years Dad served on the school board of Willard School in Bridgeport. In addition, he has served on the board of directors of the Cottonwood Ditch Association where he was ditch boss, vice president, and secretary/treasurer. Also, he served on the board of directors of several agricultural organizations, including Farmers Home Administration (FHA) and the Yavapai Cattle Growers Association.  He was a member of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association and served on the Grazing Advisory Committee, representing the grazing permittees on the Prescott National Forest. He was involved in the origination of the Verde Valley Fair in 1964 where he has supported 4-H and Future Farmers of America youth for decades. He was also a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, where he served on the Parish Council. Also, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Peter Groseta Jr., 82, died May 4, 2000. Surviving are his wife Katherine, of 53 years, and a sister, Anne Mongini of Rohnert Park, California. He was preceded in death by brother Frank of Phoenix. He is also survived by his son, Peter Andrew "Andy" and wife Mary Beth and three grandchildren, Paul, Katy and Anna; George Stephen Groseta and wife Bernadette and four nephews and two nieces.

 

GUDAZ, ANDREW Tailor       

Andrew Gudaz ( wife, Amelia Blazich ) had learned his tailoring trade as a boy in the Old Country but the pay was poor and the hours long. So when his Godfather, Sam Baretich, offered him a chance to came to Aberdeen, Washington, he accepted with no questions asked. At first he worked for Baretich in his café, then in a sawmill and shipyard before opening his tailor shop. Later his godfather was to be his best man at his wedding with Amelia Blasich. Andy the Tailor operated his shop until WWII  when he closed it because so many of his customers had entered the service.

 

GUGICH-SMITH, ANTON Fisherman

From the Dalmatian island of Korcula, where he was born on October 11, 1893 in Racisce, Anton came to this country in 1913 and to San Pedro in 1920.  In spite of the fact that fishing claimed most of his time he always made opportunity for national and social activities and was a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union and the Dalmatian Club in both Seattle and San Pedro.  He owned several fishing boats.

 

GUICH, ANDREW Sanitation Inspector-Interpreter

Gig Harbor also beckoned Andrew Guich in the early 1890's. Guich was born in Milna, on the island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. At the age of twelve, he became a cabin boy on a sailing ship. Later, New York offered many job opportunities, but he found that operating a barge that carried bulk grain across the Hudson River to Hoboken was not any better than working as a saloon keeper. He tried operating a grain elevator and then a grocery store, but none of these proved to be suitable occupations. After a bout with pneumonia, Guich decided a warmer climate was more desirable. San Francisco offered no jobs, so in 1891 a four-day steamer voyage brought Guich, his wife, and four children to Tacoma. Again there was no employment, so he took his family to Gig Harbor. He worked in a mill long enough to earn lumber for a small home there. Andrew Guich moved back to Old Tacoma where a fifth child was born. At this time Dr. Spiro Sargentich established the Old Tacoma Emergency Hospital. Guich took the job of cook and here formed an alliance with the doctor that was to last for years. Dr. Sargentich and Guich were active in the election of Mayor John Linck in 1908. After taking office, the mayor named the doctor city health officer and Guich became his deputy. Those were the days when sanitation was more theory than practice, and Guich and the health department had their hands full ridding the waterfront of rats and the city of "greasy spoon" restaurants. With the advent of World War I, Guich was appointed as an interrogator for the draftees at what was then Camp Lewis because of his knowledge of the Italian, Croatian, and Greek languages. Following the war, he returned to his former job as a sanitation inspector. Andrew Guich was an active member of the Slavonian American Benevolent society and, in the years that the Tacoma Little Theater rented the theater portion of the Society's hall, he was a great help to them. In acknowledgment for his years of service to their group, Mrs. Erna Tilley, author of the history of the Tacoma Little Theater, wrote of him: One of the pleasant memories I am sure for all of us is that of Andrew Guich, the patriarch of Old Tacoma. Sometimes when the fishing fleet was out, he would be about the only man left in this Slavonian community. It was a part of their lodge hall and community gathering place that we rented for our little playhouse. Frank Carmody wrote: "He was a general favorite, always on hand to do a favor or say a kind word. One can only hope if there are Little Theaters in Heaven that he represents the owners as well as he did for us!" Mable Bergerson remembered that because in those days the hostesses for our productions wore formal clothes, Mr. Guich always appeared on opening nights wearing his best brown derby hat. I am sure he really felt himself to be a part of all that took place in the Old Town Theater. We were interesting people to him, he loved the theater and we all loved him.  Mr. Guich was honored by his lodge and his many descendants and friends on February 20, 1954, with a party in celebration of his one hundredth birthday. He had enjoyed good health for all those years, but a few weeks later he slipped quietly away.

 

GULDESCU, STANKO Professor-Author

Stanko Guldescu, born in Trieste (on an American ship) in 1908, is a historian. His grandfather who was born in Istria fought as a young soldier for Emperor Maximilian in Mexico and then made his way to Virginia. Stanko Guldescu earned his doctorate from the University of Chicago. He is author of History of Medieval Croatia (The Hague, 1964), contributor to the symposium Croatia (edited by F. H. Eterovich and published by the Udiversity of Toronto Press, 1964 and 1970), and has written many articles and studies. He is intimately acquainted with the history of the American Croatians. He has taught at several American universities.

 

GUNOVICK, MATT Fisherman-Cultural Activities

Brother Gunovick arrived in Ruston, in the north end of Tacoma, Washington in August of 1913. In January of the following year, he joined the Croatian Fraternal Union. The same year, he went to work at the local American Smelting and Refining Plant. It was from there that he retired. During the intervening years, he also worked as a commercial fisherman. Matt Gunovick was born Mate Grgurinovic in Pasicina, Dalmatia, on November 2, 1894, and he died on August 29, 1987. In 1929, he was married to his beloved wife, Mary. They lived In the same house for 56 of those 58 years. He was greatly saddened when his wife died unexpectedly just five weeks before his own death. They were a very close and loving couple so It was not at all surprising when, the week before his death, he told his children, "Your Mother Is calling me and I am going." Matt Gunovick derived a great deal of pleasure from working in his garden. The bounty of his vegetables and flowers were always shared with his family, friends and neighbors. Matt Gunovick’s devotion to the Croatian Fraternal Union was legendary. He served as President for 17 years and as the president of the sick committee for12 years. For many years as  representative on the Slavonlan Hall Committee. He was a participant in all lodge affairs and was always willing to give a hand wherever, It was needed. One of the highlights of his life was the two trips that he made to the Old Country with his wife. He went In both 1955 and 1970. He was overjoyed to once again be with his brothers and sisters and to be able to meet his nieces and nephews. He was a proud son of Pasicina, and on his trip in 1955, he hosted a lamb barbecue for the entire village. It was a proud moment indeed! Matt Gunovick's survivors include his daughter, Marilyn Botts, of Tacoma and his son, Robert Gunovick, of Kirkland; six grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren, plus many nieces and nephews in Dalmatia.

 

GURICH, JOHN E.  Real Estate-Library Commissioner

John E. Gurich, a prominent Republican leader and former San Francisco Library and Housing commissioner, died yesterday at Kaiser Hospital here after a brief illness.  He was 66. A native of San Jose, Mr. Gurich attended the University of California at Berkeley.  He was a founding member of the California Young Republicans while a young man. Mr. Gurich was a real estate broker.  He served as a Republican national committeeman from California and was a friend and supporter of former Mayor George Christopher. Christopher named him to the City Library Commission in 1959.  In 1962, he was named to the Housing Authority Commission on which he served until 1967. He is survived by his wife, Virginia, of the family home at 1010 Pacific avenue in San Francisco.

 

 

GUSDON, JOHN P. Doctor-Professor

John Gusdon is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio. Born Februaru 13, 1931 to Croatian parents in Cleveland, Ohio; married with three children. Education includes University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia B.A., 1952; University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, M.D., 1959 with a major field in Medicine and  Obstetrics and Gynecology Immunology. Active duty  in the U.S. Navy.

 

GUTUNICH, MARTIN J. Winery-Vineyard-Restaurant

Parents, Jack and Mary (Ostoja) Gutunich.  Born, Dalmatia, Croatia, August 29, 1893.  Married Josephine Kopatich (Born Eureka, Calif.) on January 19, 1920.  Children , Mary and Josephine.   Martin was a vineyardist, fruit buyer  and President of Delano Growers Co-operative Winery since 1940. He was in the restaurant business in San Francisco- (1912-19) in Eureka, Calif. (1919-1923) and in Los Angeles (1923-32).  He came to Delano and entered general farming, fruit buying, and vineyard development in 1934.   In 1939 he began the preliminary organization of the Delano Growers Cooperative Winery and succeeded in bringing together nine Delano area growers in 1940 and establishing the organization.  He was elected as the first President in 1940.   There were thirty-seven members of the co-operative in 1940. 

 

GVOZDANOVIC-CROWN, EMIL Politics-Councilman

Emil J. Crown held the position of Cleveland Director of Public Utilities for fifteen years, until his retirement in 1958, longer then any other person in the same office. He was first appointed to the position by Frank J. Lausche, then Mayor of the city of Cleveland, Ohio. At the time of Crownís death Lausche was U.S. Senator from Ohio. Crown served through several terms of Mayor Burke. Later, Mayor Celebreeze retained him even though Crown had opposed his candidacy for mayor. Before he took over as Director of the Public Utilities, Crown served for eleven years on the City council. The city’s water department and electric light plant were on the downgrade when Crown took over. He completely revamped the two city Departments, bringing them up-to-date, after many years of neglect. As a councilman, Crown was among the first to advocate the lake port development and the completion of the Mall. Under his prompting, the lake front boulevard was created and became the Memorial Shoreway. One of the city’s largest water filtration plants opened in 1958 at Clague Road in Westlake and was named after Crown, a part of a far-reaching expansion program that he had initiated. On December 1, 1961, both Cleveland papers reported the death of Emil J. Crown on November 30. Few people realized that he was the son of Croatian immigrants and that his original family name was Gvozdanovic} (or slightly changed: Gusdanovic). Crown’s father Krom Gvozdanovic} came to this country from Zumberak, Croatia in 1889. After a brief stay in Steelton, Pennsylvania, he moved to the west where he worked in the lead and silver mines of the Black Hills region of South Dakota. After work in the iron mines of the Mesabi range, he participated in the 1893 famous Oklahoma Land Rush when the Cherokee Strip was opened for settlement. He staked out a claim, and the Gvozdanovic family lived there until 1903. Emil Crown was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma in 1898. In 1903, the family moved to Cleveland. Emil Crown belonged to the Zumberak Lodge No. 859 of the Croatian Fraternal Union. He always stressed his national origin. As his friend John Badovinac described him: Crown was mild-mannered and soft spoken, but he was a fighter for what he believed in. He was a life-long democrat of the New Deal variety and was a strong advocate of public ownership of utility services. Perhaps, today in Cleveland, these words sound like a timely comment.

 

HABAZIN, JOHN Tamburitza Hall of Fame-Dairy-Boarding House

John Habazin was born in Polanice, Croatia near Zagorje on September 6, 1895. He came to America as a talented Brac player in the year 1913. John settled in the town of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where he immediately began playing with a local tamburitza group. He then moved to Lodgetown, Alliquippa, Pennsylvania, where he met and married a lovely young lady Ljuba Plodinetz. John and Ljuba opened a dairy and boarding house. And, as was the custom of the day, most of the tamburasi stayed at their boarding house. In addition to being a master of the Brac, John played all the tambura instruments equally well. He kept all the instruments hanging on the wall at his home, where all tamburasi of that day would congregate to practice. Every day was practice day as many of the players worked in the steel mills close by and would go directly to John's house after work. Because of this, John was able to get the kids interested in Tambura because they would come to his houso to listen to the old timers perform, and thereby also take lessons in the tambura. John himself had two boys and three girls all of whom played the tambura. John was a very accomplished song writer and teacher. Among the tambura greats he played with were Tamburitza Giants, Milan Verni, Pete Perez, Curly Celich, Matt Pregorac, Steve Pocevich, Big Vinko, Jim Kovacevich, John Vidak and Frank Toplak. You will note that three of the above mentioned are presently in the Hall of Fame. The groups that John played with performed in Vaudeville, recorded on the Columbia Label in addition to performing on radio station K.D.K.A., which was one of the top stations in the country and the largest in the Pittsburg area. John's groups last recording was "The Old Timers" in 1964. However, he passed away before this recording was released. We here honor and salute this great musician and his contribution to Tambura and Tamburasi. A deserving appointee to the Hall of Fame.

 

HABERLE, EDWARD J. Spanish Instructor-Military-Linguist

Edward Haberle is a Spanish instructor at Lincoln Community College inSpringfield, Illinois. Born August 25, 1923 in Springfield, Illinois of Croatian parents. Education included Springfield College, Springfield, Illinois, 1941-42, 1946-47, A.A., June, 1947; St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1950-53, B.A., (Spanish), June, 1953; Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 1953-55, M.A., (Spanish), June, 1955. Indiana Univ., Bloomington, Indiana,1955, M.A. (Slavic Studies), August, 1955. Major field was Foreign Languages. Experience 1955-57 Slavic Interpreter (Croatian, Slovenian, Macedonian) U.S. Government, Washington, D.C.; 1957-58 Latin Teacher, Bloomington, Indiana; 1958-59 Latin - Spanish Teacher, Washington Jr. High School; 1959-63 Spanish - French Teacher, Frariklin Jr. High School, Springfield, Illinois; 1963-69 Spanish - French Teacher., Springfield High School, Springfield, Illinois. Member of Alliance Francaise; Hispano - American Center. American Army in India 1943-46.

 

HAJDICH, BALDO Restaurant-Croatian Activities

Baldo Hajdich, son of Jozo, born on February 13, 1875 in Babino Polje, Island Of Mljet, Croatia went to America toward the end of 1899. He first worked in Oakland as a cook in a restaurant and then managed to get a restaurant of his own in that town. Later on he moved to Monterey where he also owned a restaurant. In America, on October 31 1912 he married Ana Kristina Hazdovac, who was born on September 14, 1889 in Babino Polje. They had five children: Mary Lucile, born on September 27 1913 (she died as a child), Nika Francis, born on December 18, 1914 (died as a child), Mary Anna born on August 11, 1918 (died at the age of six), Joseph William born on March 2, 1916 and John Mitchell, born on January 1, 1920. All these children were born in Oakland. Mr. Baldo Hajdich had frequent correspondence with his brother and relatives in Babino Polje and all his relatives in Mljet. He was interested in everything that was going on there. He was a very prominent citizen of Oakland and Monterey and an exemplary' husband and father as well. He worked diligently all his life in order to ensure a good education for his children. When he died in July 1940 the news of his death was received with grief in his family and among his numerous friends in Oakland, Monterey as well as among the Croatian Fraternal Union members whose active supporter he was, and among his relatives and acquaintances in Mljet.

 

HALLER, MARK Union Movement

Mark, with his wife Frankie, were co-founders of the Midway Democratic Club in 1961 to function as an issues oriented Democratic Party Club. Since that time, the Midway Club has met every month, and until recently, the Midway Newsletter has featured his monthly columns. Mark was born on June 27, 1913 of a Croatian immigrant mother newly arrived in Steelton, Pennsylvania. He was orphaned at the age ot five when his mother died of the flu and was raised by a foster mother in a boarding house with politically aware immigrant men from Croatia. Mark left his foster home as a teenager and hitched-hiked to Seattle, Washington, where he became active in grassroots politics. He was a "family man" and all life on earth was his family. He was active in the union movement the peace, civil rights and feminist movements of the '60s, which continue today. For the last six years of his working life, he was union representative for the members of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers at the Longview Fibre Company in Bell, California. Mark Haller died October 10, 2000,  in Bellflower, California. He was a member of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 588 in San Pedro, California. Surviving are his wife of 42 years, Frankie; sons, Michael and Marko; granddaughter, Regina Allen; grandsons, Michael and Kenneth.

 

HALLER, TOM Baseball

Tom Haller, Vice President of the San Francisco Giants Baseball Club, feels that the cost of housing, feeding and transporting a top-to-bottom conference of 40 of the organization's executives, managers, coaches, instructors and scouts at posh Scottsdale, Arizona is money well spent. The conclave was a "first" for the Giants designed to present and discuss system-wide philosophy, standard procedures and common goals. Says Haller, "We're establishing a policy of complete teamwork", from the top levels of the front office all the way down to the rookie club in Great Falls, Mont." Tom has been a player and his people came from Croatia.

 

HAZDOVAC, JOHN Killed in Action

Petar Hazdovac born on March 7, 1894 in the village of Blato, Island of Mljet, Croatia went to America in 1912. He lived and worked in Monterey and on  September 1, 1919 he married M. Nielsen born in 1897 in Salinas. They had four children: son John Claudius born 1919, Paul Peter born 1921, Peter Harold born 1923 and daughter Dorothy born 1925. The eldest son John Claudius Hazdovac joined the NAVY in 1941. He was a sailor on the warship "U.S.S. Arizona" which the Japanese sank with the entire crew during the battle of Pearl Harbor in Hawai, December 7, 1941. John Claudius died with more than 1000 sailors and officers.

 

HAZDOVAC, MIKE Fisherman

In 1912 Mike Hazdovac, born 19 July 1895 in Babino PoIje, Island of Mljet, Croatia sailed to America on the steamship "Argentina" from Trieste. The journey from Trieste to New York lasted 15 days, from 14 to 29 of September. Mike took a train straight from New York to Oakland and then to Monterey where he always lived. He worked in the fish industry and later had his own company which sold fresh fish. He married Catherine Sestich on 17 Nov. 1929. Catherine was born in New York on 15 Apr. 1907. In their marriage they had two sons, John Mitchell, born on 12 Nov. 1930 and Nicholas Matthew born on 24 Nov. 1935.

 

HAZDOVAC, NIKO Travel-Cultural Activities

Niko is a businessman in San Pedro, California. He was born on February 27, 1946 in Blato, Island of Mljet, Dalmatia; parents Petar and Pavla Hazdovac. Married to Luce Basor with two daughters and son. He attended Maritime school in Dubrovnik. He has owned Adriatic Travel 1974 and coowner, since 1986, of import-export firm Eurocal Inc; he is co-founder and president of Libertas Foundation (1991) for aid to Croatia.

 

HAZDOVAC, NIKOLA Saloon

Nikola Hazdovac, born on December 26 1886 in Babino Polje, Island of Mljet, Croatia  came to America in 1906. He lived all the while in Oakland where he owned a saloon. Later on he also was a supervisor of ship painting in the local shipyard. He was married to Nike Kojich born in Babino PoIje in 1890. Their marriage lasted just a year and a half, as Nike died toward the end of 1918 of the Spanish flu. They had no children.

 

HAZDOVAC, PETER

Petar Hazdovac born on March 7, 1894 in the village of Blato, Island of Mljet, Croatia went to America in 1912. He lived and worked in Monterey and on  September 1, 1919 he married M. Nielsen born in 1897 in Salinas. They had four children: son John Claudius born 1919, Paul Peter born 1921, Peter Harold born 1923 and daughter Dorothy born 1925. The eldest son John Claudius Hazdovac joined the NAVY in 1941. He was a sailor on the warship "U.S.S. Arizona" which the Japanese sank with the entire crew during the battle of Pearl Harbor in Hawai, December 7, 1941. John Claudius died with more than 1000 sailors and officers.

 

HAZDOVAC, PETER Restaurant

Petar Hazdovac-Piciko left for America in 1906 with his wife Maria, nee Radulj. They settled in the town of Tacoma, in the state of Washington. There Petar worked on the railway, then in a mine. When he saved some money, he opened his own restaurant. He and his wife both worked in it. The most frequent guests of the restaurant were gold diggers and miners. Petar would often play cards with them. There, in that distant land, Petar and Marija had two daughters: Marija in 1909, and Nike in 1911. Soon he was joined by his brother Vicko and Bozo. When the family of Petar Hazdovac saved enough money they all decided to return to Mljet. So that in 1912 via Naples and Dubrovnik they arrived in Mljet with their savings of 900 dollars. After their arrival in Blato, Petar soon built a new house and cultivated vineyards. In Blato they had another daughter Pave in 1913 and sons Petar in 1914 and Nikola in 1919.

 

HEMOVICH, MICHAEL A. Football Coach-Military-CIA

Born in1910 ln Bingham Canyon Utah, he moved at an early age to Miami, Arizona, where he excelled In all sports during high school. He has been called one of the finest athletes ever produced in the state of Arizona. After lettering for three years In football at the University of San Francisco, Mike entered the US Army and saw service In WWII. Immediately after the war he took a position as head football coach and history teacherat Saint IgnatIus High School in San Francisco. In 1952 he was recalled into military service, and for the next fifteen years served at various posts overseas and in the United States, with both the Army and the CIA. After service In Vietnam, he retired In 1967 as a Lieutenant Colonel. For the next twenty years he taught and coached football at Lincoln High School in San Francisco. Died at age 90, in Tucson, Arizona. Mike Is survived by his son Mike (Diana) of Tucson, Arizona; brother Joe (Jenny). of Tucson; sister Anne (Ralph) Gut of New York.

 

HERMAN, ANTHONY, Fisherman-Fish Dealer

For 24 years, Anthony Herman counted upon the surf for his survival, following in the family tradition of being a vessel owning fisherman. Skippering a drum seiner in British Columbia, Australia and Croatia, Herman found himself adrift in the late 90's laid low by a blown disk and a changing political scene. In 1998, Herman parted with his vessel, but not with the surf. In fact, as www.fishseller.com continues to grow, Herman is more involved with the surf than ever before, both online and at sea. Herman recognized an opportunity stay involved in the fish trade and in December 2000 he launched www.fishseller.com with strong support from local seafood processors with whom he retained close ties. As a result, Herman has no warehouse of his own, with orders being handled directly by such processors as Lions Gate Fisheries Ltd. and Fjord Pacific. This unique arrangement allows Herman to operate as a cyber-space fishmonger, offering the freshest seafood available at the most competitive prices. Better yet, the order is delivered directly to your door, residential or commercial.

At the moment, Herman delivers the majority of his first-time orders in person, but this might not be possible for all of his customers, as fishseller.com gets set to expand across Canada. Working with Eagle Global Logistics, Herman will be able to guarantee 24-hour service across the country by the end of February. "I don't expect the East Coast to buy much in the way of Digby Scallops, but the Northern regions of BC and of course, the entirety of Alberta are very exciting markets for me," said Herman who shipped a pair of large orders to Dawson Creek over the holidays. "There are a lot of places in this country where salt water varieties just are not available. Now they will be."

By keeping the shipping costs to the bare minimum and utilizing the internet for publicity, Herman is keeping his costs low, while providing a high quality product mainlined directly from the fisheries. "I fished for those companies. Jack Waterfield, the president of Lions Gate Fisheries knew my father and those kinds of associations have helped," said Herman. "Since the fish plants are the starting point, I keep my overhead low and the quality high."

"While it might seem strange, the freshest fish you can buy is online. It comes out of their holds flash frozen at -50 and then gets packaged in a container with gel packs that hold it at -20. The fresh catch gets packed on ice. Either way, the fish is as fresh as you can get it, without catching it yourself."

Herman has watched the .com world boom then bust and knows that customer service is as important as the product. Herman regularly delivers the first order to each customer himself, a tactic which has won fishseller.com a return customer rate of 95%.

That approach to customer service is carried over to the site itself. Replete with over 80 items ranging from deepwater catch such as halibut to specialty items such as octopus, the site offers photos of each item, along with concise information. One click and the customer has recipes to match.

Not that all customers need recipes. Herman's fishseller.com has also attracted wholesale attention and he currently wholesales under a different label to a local delivery service Small Potatoes and quick.com. (Herman 2003)

 

HERMAN, VITOMIR and ANTHONY Fisherman-Fish Dealer

Anthony Herman was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1961. His father, Vitomir Fredrik Herman was bom on the island of Ist on the Northern Adriatic Coast of Croatia in 1924. Vitomir Herman purse-seined tuna on the Adriatic coast before coming to Canada and the British Columbia coast to fish in 1957. There he met and married Mary Lupis in Vancouver in 1960. Mary Lupis was bom in Vancouver in 1931 and was from a fishing family. Both her parents came from the Adriatic Coast. Her father, Milan Lupis, once owned and operated the purse-seine "Splendour". Milan Lupis was bom in the town of Viganj in Pe1jesac and her mother, Helenka Boskovic was born in the town of Selca, on the Island of Brac. Milan and Helenka Lupis also had two sons, Anthony and Nick Lupis, born in 1936 and 1944 who each own and run their own seiners the "Adriatic" and "New Liverpool". Victor Herman purchased the purse seiner "Lady V" in 1967 and ran the boat until1988 when his son Anthony started running the vessel during the summer salmon fisheries. Anthony Herman has been a commercial fisherman purse seining salmon for seventeen years and herring seining and gillneting for nine years. He has seined herring aboard the "St. Nicholas" run by Nick Jurinic and the "Waldero" run by Walter Carr and the "Royal Bounty" run by Ross Aleksich all of whom are of Croatian descent. From fishing on his father's boat the "Lady V" which he was first brought on when he was thirteen years old and also from fishing on other Croatian run and owned fishing vessels, he has been exposed to many older Croatian fishermen and their fishing experience on the B.C. coast. After eight years of commercial fishing, he enrolled at Simon Fraser University in B.C. where he took mainly history and English courses. He concentrated mainly on European history and occasionally the role of Croatians in European history. When he was going to university during the autumn, winterspring months, he still continued fishing salmon during the summer months. Fishing passed the way and with his university education, he was able to translate these fishing experience into writing. "Technological Achievments by Croats on the B.C. Coast", is his first writing assignment since he left university in 1988 to become a full-time commercial fisherman. His report is a result of over two decades of exposure to the west coast purse seine fisheries on the B.C. Coast, chronologically arranged with accounts from the people and their descendents who built the boat skippered them, and transformed the purse seining industry on the B.C. Coast of Canada.to what it is to-day. (Herman 1995)

 

HERZO, ANTONE Saloon

Antone (Tony) P. Herzo, was one of San Francisco’s most famous saloon keepers. Mr. Herzo, who for years operated the Little Shamrock at 807 Lincoln way, died in 1970.  He was 86. Mr. Herzo and his late mother and father were  San Francisco institutions. His parents at one time operated three bars- the Shamrock, which was on Ocean avenue at the east end of Ingleside race track gate; the Branch of the Little Shamrock, which was at Fulton street and fifth; and the Little Shamrock. Mr. Herzo’s Irish mother named all three bars.  The Little Shamrock was opened in 1893. The bar became a sort of old-fashioned, unpretentious meeting place for San Francisco’s municipal and Federal workers, post office customers and race track goers.  The old bay District track used to be at Fulton and Arguello. Surviving are a son, Antone Herzo; a daughter, Sister Anthony Marie Herzo, of the College of Notre Dame; five grandchildren and one great grandchild.

 

HERZO, JOHN Capitalist

John Herzo from Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia was consistently listed as in real estate and a capitalist.  He was an American citizen.  He maintained and office at 32 Clay Street, San Francisco in 1859.  he died in 1894 at age sixty-eight.

 

HERZOG, MILAN Business Executive-Attorney-Film Writer Producer

Vice-President Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation in Chicago, Illinois. He was born August 24, 1908, Vrbovec, Croatia and is married with two children; in America since 1947. He graduated from the University of Zagreb, Croatia1925-27; University of Paris, France 1929-30; University of Zagreb, J.D., degree in International Law, 1932. As writer-producer and director of 400 motion pictures in field of Education, exibited at all major festivals of the world such as "Christmas Rhapsody," "Medieval Knight," "The Crusades,11 "Art in the Western World," 1929-30, 1955, 1959-60 France; 1936, 1956, 1963 Germany; 1963 Mexico; 1966 Japan, Australia. He is a member of American Science Film Producers Association; Chairman, Sub-committee of Commercial Producers; Universal Film Producers Association; Society for Motion Picture Engineers. Taught History of Communication at Northwestern University, 1958-59, Evanston, Illinois; Audio Visual Fundamentals, Columbia College, Chicago. Illinois,1968; Worked in field of government as Head of Yups section, Office of War Information.

 

HIHAR, MARO Oysterman

I am married to Maro Hihar from Mali Ston, Dalmatia, Croatia.  His mother Jelka Franusic from Luka near Mali Ston is still living in Mali Ston.  His brother is Ivo Hihar lives in Chalmette, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans.  My husband's Grandfather, (Maro) and brother, (Rado), came to Buras to fish oysters.   His Grandfather returned to Croatia and the brother married here.  His wife was Catherine Jaspritza. They had three daughters and one son.  Francis, Katie, Antoinette and Rado who is Denise's grandfather.  All except Antoinette have passed away.  Rado was the youngest and first to die.  Then Francis and lastly, Katie in Jan. 2001. My husband, Maro came to America to fish oysters for Katie's husband Baldo Pausina.  Francis married Matto J. Bilich (Duba near Trapanj), who was an oyster dealer in New Orleans.  Katie and Baldo had a daughter, Domenica and a son, Ralph.  Antoinette married a Ragas from Buras.  They had 2 daughters and 4 sons, Philomena, Kenneth, Gary, Donald, John and a daughter that died shortly after having a son.  I cannot remember her name at this time.  Rado had two sons, Ralph and Bill.  They live in New Orleans.  None of the children except Katie and Baldo Pausina's children speak Croatian.  Domenica has no children, but Ralph Pausina has two sons Ralph and Randy and a daughter named Rhonda.  Ralph has one son and two or three daughters.  Randy none yet, he married a short time ago.  Rhonda has three sons. Maro and I have two sons, Maro Thomas and Ivo Wayne and a daughter, Suzan Jelka. For the past 3 years we have made trips to Europe to spend time with Baba and have the kids bond with their heritage.  Suzan is trying to obtain financial aid to travel to Zagreb and Dubrovnik to study Croatian for 6 weeks.  That is how I found your web site. I was looking for Father Paul at the church in Chicago.  I cannot remember the name of the church to save my life.  However, there is a picnic Sunday, held by the Croatian/American club and I will find out then. I hope this information helps you.  We have a book about Croatians in Louisiana that is a wealth of information and has photos inside. 

 

HODNICK, HAROLD V. Engineer

Harold Hodnick was born February 3, 1921 in Imperial, Pennsylvania.  His field is Chemistry and he is a graduate of Findlay College, at Findlay, Ohio. He received the 1963 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Findlay College.  he is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, and National Fire Protection Association. He has published 22 articles in safety and fire prevention.  he presently resides in San Jose, California.

 

HOFFER, FRANK Tamburitza Music

Apparently the very first introduction of tambura playing in America was linked with a man named Frank Hoffer. Born in Karlovac, Croatia, he immigrated to the United States in 1887 at the age of twenty-seven. He and his wife settled in Philadelphia where they proceeded to raise a family of four daughters. Being knowledgeable sornewhat in music and woodworking, he began making instruments by hand. In 1891, he moved his family to Steelton, Pennsylvania, and in that same year he and his troupe supposedly played in a vaudeville revue in Harrisburg. In 1893, Mr. Hoffer and his group are reputed to have appeared at the Chicago World's Fair. They also claim the distinction of performing at the first Croatian Fraternal Union Convention held in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Paval Kekic Hall. Mr. Hoffer taught the troup by rote; the group always played by ear. The performers were: (1) Mr. Frank Hoffer - Director and bisernica player; (2) Mr. Paval Pavlinac - berde; Miss Mima Hoffer - bugarija; Miss Katica Hoffer, bugarija. Later, the two other daughters, Anna and Frances, joined the group when they became old enough. Frances Hoffer placed a brac while sister Anna Hoffer played a kontrasica. All instruments appear to be home-made. The bisernica played by Mr. Hoffer is fretted Farkas-style in a series of whole and half frets. It had four strings in two courses of double strings, all tuned to the pitch of D. The berde, also home-made, consisted of four strings tuned in Gg and Dd, also of the Farkas system. The quartet contained two rhythm instruments in the form of three-toned bugarijas, one probably tuned D B G and the other tuned G D B. Thus, it appears possible that the Hoffer Family Tamburica group became the very first players of this Croatian National Instrument in America.

 

HORVATH, LES Football-Dentist

Winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1944, Horvath was elected to the Football Hall of Fame in 1969.  In 1942 he led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the national championship.  Horvath missed the 1943 season because of military training but returned in 1944 to lead the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and another national championship.  A great open-field runner, Horvath was also a fine passer and receiver.  After coaching duties with the U.S. Marines, he played professionally with the Los Angeles Rams (1947-48) and the Cleveland Browns (1949).  Horvath retired early from football to concentrate on his dental practice in Los Angeles.  He was named to the National Football Hall of Fame.

 

HRASCANEC, RUDOLF J. Priest-Professor

Professor at Villanova University, Department of Theology, Villanova, Pennsylvania. Born April 6, 1914 in Donja Dubrava, Medjumurje, Croatia. Ordained in 1938. Education included Archbishop's Classical Gymnasium, Zagreb, Croatia, Diploma 1934; School of Theology, Zagreb. S.T.L., S.T.D., 1940; Georgetown University , M.A. , 1961 with a major field in Moral Theology, Social Ethics. Specialty in Social Ethics.

 

HRGOVCIC, MARTIN Doctor-Professor

Cancer specialist, physician, humanitarian, freedom promoter, organizer, cancer researcher, family man, dedicated Catholic, Croatian-American, Texan, Dr. Martin J. Hrgovcic has been many things during the course of his life. Dr. Hrgovcic, Ph.D., F.A.C.N., consultant in  internal medicine and oncology, senior partner of the Diagnostic Clinic of Houston, Texas, came to the United States in l969 at the age of 43. Dr. Hrgovic is a former clinical associate internist in the Department of Internal Medicine, the University of Texas System Cancer Center at the M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, and a former clinical associate at the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical School, Houston. A native of Dubrave, a small Croatian village, nestled halfway between the towns of Tuzla and Brcko, in Bosnia, Dr. Hrgovcic was born June 22, 1926 to Jozo and Janja Hrgovcic, a poor farming couple. After completing elementary school, at the age of ten, he was sent to Franciscan Classical Gymnasium (High School) in Visoko, near Sarajevo, where he studied to be a priest, he reminisced.  However, he completed Tuzla High School (matura) in l947. He received his medical training at the University of Zagreb, where he was awarded his M.D. degree in l953. He became a Diplomate at the Board of Internal Medicine in 1961, earning his degree of Doctor of  Medical Sciences from the university in 1968 for his dissertation  “Clinical Significance of Serum Copper Levels in Hemoblastoses,”  (cancers of the blood forming organs).

Dr. Hrgovcic served as an instructor of medicine at the University of Zagreb Medical School, l961-65. After a friend, Dr. Robert Lange, a medical specialist of Knoxvillle, Tenn., helped him to get a scholarship with the Institute For Tumors at the University of Texas, Dr. Hrgovcic arrived for the first time in the United States in 1965. He said, at the time, his English was rather limited, and with a “broken accent.” Shortly after his arrival in Texas, he became a clinical fellow in the Department of Developmental Therapeutics, University of Texas System Cancer Center, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, l965-67. From l967-69, he served as chairman of Chemotherapy in the Institute for Malignant Diseases, Zagreb. Dr. Hrgovcic decided to immigrate to the United States in l969. Shortly after coming to Texas for the second time, from 1970-73, he was research and faculty associate in the Department of Medicine, Hematology Section, University of Texas System Cancer Center M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute in Houston. Since 1973, he has been in private practice, joining the Diagnostic Clinic of Houston as a consultant in the fields of  oncology/hematology and internal medicine.

During the war years in Croatia and Bosnia, Dr. Hrgovcic  and his family  were at the forefront of Croatian-American activity Houston, the largest Croatian-American community in the Southwest. The Hrgovcic family, with the help of other  Houston’s Croatians collected food, clothing, medicines, medical supplies and money. They also organized demonstrations, to inform world and national leaders, as well as the local and national news media concerning the genocide against the people in Croatia and   Bosnia-Herzegovina. In August 1991, Dr. Hrgovcic established Croatian Fraternal Union Bluebonnet Lodge 1836 in Houston, the first in Texas. He has served in various local and national Croatian-American organizations in the U.S., and was on the advisory council of the Republic of Croatia Embassy in Washington, D.C. For his contribution in public health, social care and promotion of moral values, he was honored with the “Danica Hrvatska”  (Catherine Zrinski) Medal by the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman.

He holds membership in the American Society of Internal Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, the Texas Society of Internal Medicine, the Texas Medical Association and the Harris County Medical Society and the Houston Society of Internal Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He received the Mike Hogg Scientific Paper Award for his research in “Serum Copper Levels in Hematologic Malignant Diseases” from the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, l966. Dr. Hrgovcic is the author or co-author of more than 30 publications and three chapters in medical text books, and one book entitled, “Copper and Lymphomas.” His major research interests have been in trace elements in patients with cancer with particular attention to copper.

He is happily married for 41 years to the former Ruzica “Seka” Loncarec of Josipdol, near Ogulin, Croatia. The couple has been blessed with three children and one grandson. Their older daughter, Dubravka Hrgovcic Romano who lives in Austin, Texas, is the associate executive director for the Texas Association of School Boards. Dubravka is the mother of their grandson, John Joseph Romano. Their younger daughter, Mirjana Hrgovcic, also lives in Austin, and has been employed by Southwest Airlines since l987 as a flight attendant. Their son, Hrvoje J. Hrgovcic, has a doctorate in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is employed by the Enron Corp., in Houston, as head of its research of weather risk management.  In his limited spare time, Dr. Hrgovcic enjoys gardening and works on his ranch outside Houston. He also frequently visits Croatia and his native village in the Posavina region of northeast Bosnia, where a number of his relatives still remain at their ancestral homes.

 

HUSNICK, FRED Tamburitza Hall of Fame

Fred Husnick was born to Fred and Katy Husnick and grew up in Farrell, Pennsylvania. Fred, joined by his brother Jim and sister Anne started playing with the local Junior group "ARIA" under the direction of Paul Pearman: Fred (prim), Anne (prim) and Jim (cello). As a teen-ager he played in Draganic Tamburitzan Orchestra which was comprised of his brother Jim, Vinko Prezgay, John Krizancic and Emmeric Bennett. Fred primarily played prim until his brother Jim bought him a Pearman brac to audition for the Duquesne Tamrnies. Fred was a dancer and musician with the Duquesne Tamburitzans from 1951-1955. He toured Europe with the Tammies in 1951. He is remembered for his prim rendition of "Shiney Moon." Fred met his wife Rose at Duquesne University where they were both students on full scholarship with the Internationally famous Duquesne Tamburitzans. Fred has a bachelor's degree in Education; they have been married for 32 years. Their daughter Diane and son Mark both were members of the Sloga Jr. Tamburitzans and the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. Rosie Husnick has been Assistant Director of the Sloga Jr. Tamburitzans for about 20 years and is currently director. Fred directs students in the Sloga Jr. Tammies. Together with his wife, Rosie they organized an adult kolo group about 10 years ago. They formed the Adult Tamburitzan Group (Veseljaci) about three years ago, Twice this group has performed at the annual Adult Concerts. Fred formed the famous Veseli Tamburitzans after his two-year tour in the Army. Veseli Tamburitzans are working on their seventh recording. Rose's golden voice and Fred's technical skills make their recordings a huge success. The Veseli Tamburitzans have made two tours to Croatia. In 1972 and 1975 they toured and were sponsored by Cleveland Radio host Eddie Buchar. Fred toured Europe with the Sloga Jr. Tamburitzans in 1976.

 

IFKOV1C, EDWARD Professor-Author

Edward Ifkovic has devoted his academic career to the study of the ethnic experience in America, with particular emphasis on immigrant and ethnic literature. A native of Connecticut, Dr. Ifkovic received a master's degree at the University of North Carolina and a doctorate at the University of Massachusetts. In 1972, he joined the staff of Tunxis Community College in Farmington, Connecticut, where he is now assistant professor of English and head of the English Department. Among Dr. Ifkovic's published works are an anthology of immigrant and ethnic writings and a study of the American popular novel. He has also written a novel of his own dealing with the lives of Croatian immigrants during the Depression years. As a member of such organizations as the Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States, Dr. Ifkovic continues to play an active role in the scholarly study of the American ethnic experience.

 

ILIC, MIRKO Art Director-Animator-Illustrator

Most moviegoers have probably not even noticed that the imaginative two minute computer animation for the opening title sequence of the hit movie You Have Mail, directed by Nora Ephron, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, which is these days being shown in Zagreb, was created by Mirko Ilic, Croatia's greatest designer abroad, who has lived in New York since 1986. For this 43 year old artist, film is only one in a number of creative steps into new genres which he explores with playful curiosity, intellectual discipline and innate irony which often blends into sarcasm. Although he is best known as a newspaper illustrator, Mirko Ilic has also made a name as a comic strip artist, a designer of LP covers, the art director of Time magazine, the production editor of The New York Times, the graphic designer of a large number of books and monographs and, recently, as the designer of the logo and entire iconography of The Time Hotel and the New York restaurant Palladin. In the mid 80's, with his modest savings, two suitcases and a firm belief in his own capabilities, he arrived in the world metropolis of art, design and the latest cultural trends. He made his career and became a world famous name in New York. His studio, Mirko Ilic Corp., is on the fourth floor of the well-known 19th century building situated between Second and Third Avenues. When he arrived in New York as a thirty year old, Mirko Ilic already had a decade of very successful artistic work behind him, for which he received a large number of domestic awards. He also had some international references: for the first time in its history, the Italian weekly Panorama published an Ilic illustration. His talent and versatility have never been disputed, but in New York everybody starts from scratch. The first New Yorker Ilic contacted in 1986 was Milton Glaser, a famous designer, who immediately offered him a desk to work at in his studio. Later, he recommended him to the editors of a number of magazines. Seven days after his arrival in America, Mirko received the order to design the Time cover, which was the beginning of a chain reaction. "In 1991 1 became the art director of Time, in charge of all international editions and spent six months in this position," says Mirko Ilic. It was the first permanent position in my life. The second, which followed after a year break, was the daily The New York Times." After a year and a half of working for The New York Times, as the production editor of the pages written by renowned columnists, so called opinion makers such as Kissinger, he ended, as he calls it, "his long march through institutions." Then, as an already reputable designer, he opened the design studio Oko&Mano, together with Mexican artist Alex Arce. Mirko was oko (the eye) and Alex was mano (the hand). They worked for Sony, MTV and a large number of respectable companies. In the beginning of his work in America, Mirko Ilic made mostly black and white newspaper illustrations with a political character. As his fame grew, he was given more and more opportunities to choose his own engagements and design techniques. "Sometimes, I must refuse important engagements, which happened in the case of illustrations for The Washington Post, because I was too busy with other obligations. Today, I can afford complete artistic freedom in my work and design some entirely unknown magazines or create alternative projects and enjoy new challenges. For example, I agreed to design a book on masturbation for a German publisher. I am the graphic designer of the magazine Scenario which will publish movie scripts. I am also editing a sociological book. The reason I came to America was exactly to gain artistic freedom and not to lose it for commercial reasons. I did not come here to make a fortune but to test my capabilities and see what I am really able to do and what I really know. Of course, my intention was to achieve it by comparing my work with the works of "the right guys," in a top-class competition and under normal conditions." Mirko Ilic has received an infinite number of awards. His works are included in the permanent collection of the famous Smithsonian Museum. Last year, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its graphics collection, the Museum included him among the twelve greatest American designers and dedicated a page to him. Ilic is also a lecturer at the School of Visual Arts and vice president and patron of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Croatia

 

ILLICH, JERRY Restaurant

Born in 1850 on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia, Jerry Illich sailed the seas for seven years before leaving his ship at San Francisco.  He then found work in restaurants before heading south to Los Angeles, where in the late 1870s he opened a small chop-house on North Main Street.  His business grew rapidly to the point where he became proprietor of the largest restaurant in the city.  Illich’s ownership of the Old Maison Doree on North Main made that resort extremely popular with politicians, businessman and club leaders. One of the several fine restaurants owned and operated by Jerry Illich.  “Jerry’s” was headquarters for political and social banquets and was celebrated for its elegant interior, oyster bar, “paste” and other foreign dishes that were served at midday luncheon.  In 1896, Illich moved to Third Street opposite the Bradbury block, and his customers enthusiastically followed.  Illich died in 1902.

 

 

IVANAC, JOHN Restaurant

Where to Go if You're In the Mood for Croatian. The setting is a Murray Hill townhouse. At the entrance is a long mahogany bar where a handful of men in open-necked shirts are quietly watching a baseball game on TV with the sound turned off. The strains of a piano playing "As Times Goes By" drift down a short flight of stairs that leads up to the dining room: a long room that feels like a first-class dining car on the Orient Express (except it's twice as wide). It's done up with dark wood, brocade banquettes, heavy beveled mirrors, candle-lit sconces, smoked-glass ceiling lamps and small framed Impressionist prints. The tables, set with white cloths, are decorated with brandy glasses stuffed to the brim with overblown red roses. Welcome to Trio, which claims to be the only restaurant in Manhattan that serves Croatian cuisine. As the pianist struck up "Fascination," we sat down in a booth under Monet's Water Lilies, near a middle-aged couple having an animated conversation in Croatian and drinking grappa. Trio is owned by a Croatian, John Ivanac, who is also the proprietor of Villa Berulia-a popular Italian restaurant just a block away that's been going strong for 21 years. His latest venture is a family affair: His wife Silva is the pastry chef, and his son, John Jr., is the general manager. Chef James Rich, who was formerly chef de cuisine at BrasserieBit and executive sous chef at Palio, runs the kitchen-he's not a member of the family, but his grandmother was from Croatia.

Croatia is a strip of land that runs along the Adriatic Coast. Mr. Ivanac grew up in a small coastal village. He left his family at the age of 16 to work as a waiter on a luxury cruise liner and jumped ship in New York. In Croatia, his family had produced wine and olive oil-not exactly a lucrative business in those days-but now the farm supplies the restaurant with cured meats, cheeses, olive oils and homemade grappas. There are also some impressive Croatian wines on the list, priced between $25 and $48, that are well worth trying. To get in the mood, we started off with a bottle of red Croatian wine, Dingac, from the Peljesac region, and dalma, a platter of charcuterie and cheeses from the coast.

"Let me explain you some dishes," said our charming young waiter. who told us he was half-Croatian and half-Italian. He was smartly dressed in a black shirt and dark striped tie. "That must be prosciutto," I said, pointing at some dark pink slices on the plate. "Great!" He looked surprised. "You like that! Are you Croatian?" It was prosciutto, but made from lamb, not pig, and it came from Mr. Ivanac's estate. It had a rich, meaty flavor, like duck prosciutto. The platter also held smoked beef; a sausage similar to mortadella (also brought in from his farm); a mild, creamy feta, manchego and sheep's-milk cheeses; and black and green olives marinated in garlic and herbs. It was the kind of simple dish you imagine ordering in a local cantina at sunset with a glass of the house wine. But the food at Trio is more ambitious, and the chef casts his net far

and wide. The grilled calamari took us back to the Adriatic coast: It's a little tough, but nicely charred and served with a wonderful, light balsamic sauce. The seafood salad is also fresh and clean-tasting, mixed with potatoes and onions in a red-wine vinaigrette.

Mr. Rich has altered some Croatian dishes for American tastes, such as the strukli, turnovers that are normally made with pastry. He uses a pasta dough instead, to make large ravioli that he fills with a seductive mixture of goat's-milk ricotta, salt cod, raisins and pine nuts, and serves with a roasted-garlic beurre fondue. The ravioli were a bit leathery around the edges, but the filling was wonderful. Just about every seafood dish seems to be on target here. Roasted whole Atlantic sea bream stuffed with herbs comes Croatian-style on a bed of melting braised cabbage. My favorite was the buzara, a subtle seafood stew in a tomato white-wine broth laced with chunks of fish, scallops, shrimp, potatoes and clams. On another night at Trio, we ordered a mixed grill for two that consisted of kielbasa, a Croatian sausage called cevapcici (a blend of pork, lamb and beef), lamb chops and steak. The dish was garnished with artichoke chips and a bright-pink coleslaw made with red and white cabbage marinated in a red-onion vinaigrette, and it came with three different sauces. Desserts include a feathery strudel (the fillings change daily) and rozata, a flan made with a purée of strawberries. The palacinka (crêpes) come filled with a berry mousse and were served cold; they were pleasant, but I prefer them hot. After dinner, Trio offers a digestif on the house (one of the restaurant's many nice touches). Of the dozen or so house-made grappas to choose from, we tasted the "fig," the "home blend" and what our waiter described as "wild grasses." They were all very good, but the fig was our favorite. Trio is a charmer of a restaurant. It's different, comfortable anold-fashioned in a thoroughly endearing way. When's the last time you said, "Let's go out for Croatian"? Now's your chance.

 

IVANAC, MARCO Restaurant

The owner and proprietor of Good Fellows’ Grotto, at 207 Vernon Street, Roseville, California is Marco Ivanac. He has fitted up a modern grill, and held his grand opening, with appropriate music by the Boys’ Band of Roseville, on September 17, 1924.  It is one of the best of Roseville’s many excellent eating places, being up-to-date in appointments; and he serves the best in eatables that the market affords.  Marco Ivanac was born at Zadar, Dalmatia, Croatia April 13, 1884, a son of Sime and Helen Ivanac. Marco Ivanac grew up on his father’s thirty-acre farm, and came to America in 1900, landing at Newport News, Virginia, December 29, 1900.  He worked his way across the ocean as a deck-hand.  Upon arrival in the United States he found work in the shipyards at Newport News for seven months, after which he came out to Hobart Mills, California, in 1901, where his brother was then foreman for the Hobart Estate Lumber Company.  Marco went to work for that company as swamper, serving as such for three years.  In 1904 he went to San Francisco and for several years worked as cook and waiter in various  restaurants.  he became the owner of the Strand Grill, at 419 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, and ran it successfully for three years, when he disposed of it and came to Roseville in 1919, and ran the P. F. E. Club Restaurant for three years. Mr. Ivanac was married at San Francisco in 1914, to Miss Ellen Kovacich, who was also born in Croatia.  They are the parents of three children: Annie, attending the Roseville Grammar School; and Clara and Helen.  Mr. Ivanac bought the residence property at 136 Clinton Street, and there he and his family enjoy the comforts of a modern home.

 

IVANCICH-DUNIN, ELSIE Dance Ethnology

Professor Emerita (Dance Ethnology), Department of World Arts and Cultures (former Department of Dance), University of California at Los Angeles, 1994.  Graduate of John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles, 1953; Master of Arts from UCLA, 1966. Primary research interests are continuities and changes in dancing and dance events. Publications (books, articles, presentations) have resulted from the following studies: Cross cultural comparative study of dance change among Croatian/Americans in the United States (California), in South America (Chile), and their source emigrant communities in Croatia.  (This is on-going, long-term research.) Dance of the Gypsies (Roma) in Macedonia, United States and Chile. Spontaneous participatory and organized performance dance in Macedonia, 1988-1989. Comparative studies: sword dancing in ritual complex extant in Adriatic coastal areas and among Sonora (Mexico) Indian cultures.  Selected professional activities include: 1957  Professional dancer with the Tanec Dance Ensemble in Skopje, Macedonia. 1984  Curator of museum exhibit: "Dance occasions and festive dress in Yugoslavia" a multi-media exhibit with costumes, slides and video showings, sponsored by the UCLA Museum of Cultural History, held at UCLA. 1990-1992  Directed Dance Database Project in coordination with Library of Congress (Washington DC), University of Hawaii Library (Honolulu), and network of local and national volunteers (dance students, dance faculty, alumni, dance scholars): to abstract and index English language literature published in the United States for years 1989 and 1990.  1998  Accompanied by a catalog-monograph , an exhibit of ethnographic photographs covering 30 years, 1967-1997 of the Gypsy (Roma) St. George's DayóErdelezi, , held in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. 1979-1993   Editorial advisor for UCLA Dance Ethnology Journal. 1991  Director/editor of catalog: UCLA dance sources located in UCLA libraries and archives. 1989, 1991, 1995 compiler/editor Dance research published or publicly presented by members of the Study Group on Ethnochoreology. 1995 - 1999  Dance research associate with Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research in Croatia.    Born in Chicago, Illinois, 1935; married to Stanley Dunin, 1958;  two daughters and grandchildren.  Parents were born in the Moslavina area of Croatia, and immigrated to the United States, 1920 (Ivancic) and 1931 (Pazman). 

 

IVANCICH, PAUL J. Restaurant-Military

Paul Ivancich was born in Ely, Minnesota to Paul and Mary Ivancich on June 4, 1924 and attended school in Ely and graduated from Ely Memorial High School. He joined the service before finishing high school and was a B17 radio bombardier in the 8th Air Force, 493rd Bomb Group out of Debach and Ipswich, England and flew numerous missions in the European campaign. Following the war Paul worked for the Ely Moose Club as a bartender, for the U.S. Forest Service; was a member of the construction crew that built Reserve Mining Company in Babbitt, MN and then worked for Reserve for 32 years, the majority as a supervisor in the tire shop. In 1962 Paul married Virginia Strukel of Ely and in 1967 they purchased the Ely Dairy Queen and are in their 35th year as the owner operators, currently with their son Paul. Paul was a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Ely, the Ely American Legion Post 248, Ely VFW Post 2717, Disabled Veterans, 8th Air Force Historical Society, 493rd Bomb Group, Ely Area Senior Citizens, former ADI chairman, Int. Dairy Queen, District 0328, Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 355 member and current president. Paul died on August 17, 2001. Paul is survived by his wife of 39 years, Virginia; sons Paul F. and fiancee Casey Velcheff, and Frank P.; grandchildren Kelsey, Mychal and Steven Ivancich all of Ely; his half brother, John (Savina) Vukelich, Babbitt; his father-in-law, Frank V. Strukel, Ely; a niece, Patricia (Eugene) Mandler, Little Canada, MN, a nephew, Dr. John (Linda) Vukelich, Inver Grove Heights, MN, grandnieces, Jennifer (Derrick) Morgan, Woodbury, MN, Stephanie Mandler, Little Canada, MN pnd great gran dnieces, Allison and Lindsey Morgan. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, son Joey Ivancich and granddaughter, Nicole'.

 

IVANCIE, Francis J. Mayor

Francis J. lvancie, mayor of Portland, Oregon, has become a member of "Porodjenje lsusovo" Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 130 in that Pacific Northwest city.  Mayor Frank Ivancie began his career in public service with the City of Portland In 1957- when he was named Executive Assistant to former Mayor Terry Schrunk, a position that he held for ten years. Mayor Ivancie was first elected to the City Council as a Commissioner in 1966 and was re-elected to that position in 1970,1974 and 1978. He won the May 1980 primary election for Mayor and assumed that office officially on November 24, 1980.  Mayor Ivancie has made economic development and job creation the priority of his administration. The trade missions that he has led to Alaska, Europe and Japan have resulted in the attraction of new development dollars and new jobs for the Portland area. Mayor lvancie's accomplishments include the city's first reduced General Fund budget in thirty years; a streamlining of city bureaus and service delivery; initiation of the construction of the award-winning Portland Building; refurbishment of Portland's Civic Stadium; the building of a successful hydroelectric project at Bull Run; the development of a self-sufficient emergency groundwater source for the city; the nurturing of downtown developments that have kept the city growing and provided many construction jobs; the implementation of an effective crimefighting plan; increased efficiency of city progress in. housing improvements and urban renewal; and the creation of a new high-technology training and research center for Portland State University to help attract more hightech industries to the Portland area. During his service on the City Council, Mayor lvancie has been Commissioner in charge of every major city bureau. His current responsibilities' include: Office of Fiscal Administration, Exposition-Recreation Commission, Portland Development Commission, Bureau of Planning, Portland Housing, Authority, Bureau of Water Works, Bureau of Hydroelectric Power, and Office of Emergency Services. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Minnesota and his Master of Arts in Education from the University of Oregon. The Mayor and his wife of thirty-three years, the former Eileen O'Toole of Eastern Oregon, reside In Northeast Portland and are the parents of ten children.

 

IVANCOVICH, G. Doctor of Medicine

G. Ivancovich, M.D. resides at Grass Valley. He was born in Croatia in 1848, and remained until 1866, attending college during his youth at Dubrovnik. He then studied medicine in London until 1870, when he came to California. He practiced his profession in Lake County until 1877, then to San Francisco until 1878, taking the degree M.D. and then to Grass Valley, and continue his practice here. In 1876 he married Miss Nellie R. Jones, a native of Illinois, and has one son and one daughter.

 

IVANCOVICH, GEORGE Organic Farmer

There are many organic growers in Santa Cruz County, but only a few like George Ivancovich make their living at it full-time. So Ivanovich decided not to spray. The reasons were partly economic: his fruit is more expensive to produce than non-organic apples, and he gets a good price for it. George Ivancovich is fifty-one, tall and lean, with closely-cropped curly hair and a beard beginning to turn iron gray. He grew up on an apple farm in the Pajaro Valley.  Everyone knows Watsonville as the lettuce capital of the World, but it is also apple country, producing 20 percent of the nation's pippin crop. He never intended to be an apple farmer. He studied acting in college and afterwards worked in New York professionally. Now he and his wife and three daughters are planning a home near their new fifteen-acre orchard in the foothills of the Pajaro Valley. Walking through his older orchard, twenty-five acres tucked in a bend of the narrow Aptos Valley, Ivancovich talks about what he does to produce good organic apples. By now, Ivancovich has an orchard even an apple-grower's son can take pride in: healthy trees, large green apples with little insect damage. Most consumers expect organic fruits to be a little scarred, but these pippins could almost compete with the pretty ones from Washington state. As for taste-well, he waits until October to pick, late in the season, so the apples will be ripe and sweet, not hard and sour like the pippins you often find in the supermarket.

 

IVANCOVICH, MATT at Discovery of Gold in California

Matt Ivancovich was born in old Slavonia (Croatia) near the city of Trieste in the year 1822.  His father was Slavonian (Croatian), his mother French or Italian.  His early schooling was obtained at Trieste, later at Milan.  When he reached the age of eighteen he joined the Italian navy, and while serving on a warship he was wounded while engaged in a battle with pirates.  As to the outcome of the battle, Matt made the following remark to the writer, “We shot them to pieces.”  After his one year with the navy, Matt continued the life of a sailor on merchant ships of Dutch, Norwegian and British nationalities.  He advanced in rank to boatswain.

On one of his voyages he was a sailor on board a British merchant vessel sailing from Southhampton to Sydney Australia.  On this ship was a band of sheep.  While waiting for some repair work to be done on the ship, Matt assisted in driving the sheep to the tableland, some hundred miles west of Sydney.  He thus got to see the Blue Mountains of the sparsley settled interior of Australia. 

Matt had an older brother by the name of John Ivancovich who was also a sailor.  In the year 1842 John was a sailor on board a whaling vessel, and during a storm on the pacific, he fell from the rigging, to the deck, breaking a leg and also received other injuries.  He was landed at San Francisco, and never returned to the sea.  His leg was improperly set which left him permanently lame.  John wrote to his brother Matt, and urged him to come to California, and take advantage of the higher wages then paid to workers in all lines.  In the meantime Matt was a boatswain on board a merchant ship on a long voyage.  He did not return to his home port until about three years later.  In the summer of 1847 Matt was a deck officer on a Dutch ship that sailed round the horn to San Francisco. Mr. Ivancovich reported  he had some difficulty with one of the Dutch sailors.  The sailor in question was both dull of understanding and stubborn, and Matt threatened to clout him.  When the ship arrived at San Francisco Matt and one other left the ship. 

The two sailors were later employed by Captain Sutter.  Matt had made prior arrangements to leave the ship at San Francisco.  Matt soon met his brother John, and through him found employment repairing boats and ships.  While he was thus employed he had the pleasure of meeting Captain Sutter.  It seams that one of Sutter’s launches had sprung a beam and was leaking badly.  Matt repaired the launch and delivered it to Sutter in a first class sea-worthy condition.  Matt returned to San Francisco and in company with his brother they did boat repair work and other carpentering.  Toward the latter part of December Sutter wanted his ‘Sailor man’, to go up to the sawmill to help him build the mill-dam.  Matt arrived at the sawmill a few days before Christmas, and began work before the first of the year, getting things ready for building the dam, brush, rocks and foundation timbers.  Matt intended to stay only until the dam was completed, but as things turned our he stayed there until the 13th of February, when he left for San Francisco to inform him brother of the gold discovery. 

He soon after returned to mine gold on Weber creek.  Mr. Ivancovich has received a good education in the Italian language.  He kept a diary in which he made entries at various times, while on the high seas, also at the sawmill, and in Australia.  Matt also had a fair command of the English language, having been in contact with English speaking people most of his life.  He had been a sailor on several British ships.  All his wring was in Italian.  From the time of the gold discovery in 1848, Matt did little else but mine gold.  He was a expert prospector and miner, in both placer and quartz, and he made considerable money during his life time. 

In the fifties, after he returned from Australia, Matt and his brother John mined in partnership in Calaveras county.  The two brothers discovered a rich vein of quarts, which they later sold for a rather large sum of money.  The two them dissolved partnership because a disagreement over the change of names.  John decided to shorten his name of Ivankovich to plain Evans, of Evens, not sure which.  Matt refused to make the change.  Said he,: I was born with the name Ivancovich, which suits me well enough, and I will be known under that name to the end.  Matt was annoyed to think his brother appeared to be ashamed of the name Ivankovich, and so they parted company.  With his half of the proceeds  from the mine, Matt went to San Francisco, and spent a year enjoying the good things of life.  Then having spent nearly all of his money he returned to the golden hills of Calaveras to again engage in placer mining.  Matt could seemingly discover gold in places where others searched in vain for the metal.

Matt made considerable money in the Ballarat mines in Australia, and also in the Caribou mines of British Columbia.

The writer’s first meeting with Mr. Ivancovich, who was present when gold was discovered in the tailrace at Coloma, California. On a bright sunny afternoon in the early part of September 1895, the writer and his mining partner, who was a veteran of the Civil War, were sitting on a log outside our cabin, resting in the shade of the pines for a few minutes before proceeding up the canyon to our placer mine.  Glancing down the canyon we could see in the distance a lone man plodding slowly up the trail.  He appeared to be carrying a heavy pack, for he stopped occasionally to rest.  Being that our cabin was at the end of the trail, my partner and I decided to wait until he arrived in out midst.  When the stranger arrived, he first unloaded his huge pack, which contained his camp outfit and mining tools, which totaled a weight of nearly a hundred pounds.  The man sat down on the log and introduced himself, saying he had arrived on the creek the day before. 

He had recently sold his placer mine near Angles Camp, where he had lived out most of the time since he returned from Australia in 1852, and from British Columbia in 1860.  He had now purchased a placer mine a short distance down the stream from our two placer claims.  There had been a log cabin on his placer claim, built in the early fifties, but it was burned down the previous year during a raging forest fire.  Being there was no cabin on his placer mine in which he could stay, Mr. Ivancovich asked permission to stay  until he could build a cabin, which permission was readily granted.  The substance of the matter was, he camped with us for nearly two years.  We found him to be a perfect gentleman, and a man of education.  During his seven years before the mast, Matt had visited nearly every major port in the world.  About the middle of January 1896, my partner ad I were ground-sluicing though a mass of earth and rocks, that at some time in the past had slid down the mountain into the creek, filling up the original stream, and turning it to one side.  We dug a ditch through the mass of earth in line with the original channel, just deep enough to start a stream of water through.  We groud-sluiced through the side until most of the earth had washed away.  The stones had been stacked to one side. Early one morning, the writer went up the canyon as usual to close the  gate, to shut off the water and allow the water to fill.  While returning by the slide area, considerable gold could be seen on the exposed bedrock.  A large stream of waster had been slowing through the slide during the night.  After eating a hurried breakfast, my partner and I prepared to go up to the slide and gather what gold is now in sight.  Mr. Ivankovich was not feeling well on this morning, and said he would not go to work in his mine, so he was asked to accompany us to the slide and view the display of gold.  He replied that he would like to see it and compare it with the display of gold he had the pleasure of seeing in the tailrace of Coloma.  In about twenty minutes we were standing on the bank gazing at the bedrock which was covered with gold mostly in nuggets ranging in size from the size of a pinhead to nuggets worth more than five dollars.  Said Mr. Ivankovich,; What a magnificent display of gold.  That’s just how the gold looked in the tailrace at the sawmill on that Friday morning after Marshall had picked up his ounce of gold only here the pieces are larger.  This was the first we knew of his being present when gold was discovered at Coloma, and my partner and I wanted to learn more about that famous discovery, so Matt kindly conscented to give us the details, and he also drew a rough sketch of the position of the gold in the tailrace from memory, and also the whole sawmill setup.  The sawmill then under construction, the approximate size of the saw, about six feet in length, the water wheel and the dam.  He had a diary written in Italian, giving it dates and other information.  Some difficult was experienced in making our translation into English, but a fairly accurate translation was finally accomplished. 

Mr. Ivancovich was anything but a miser, he spent his money freely, and considerable of it was exchanged for whiskey, wine and beer.  Said he,: Money is made to be spent, not hoarded, and no matter how much money you make, you can’t take any of it with you.  What folly it is for a man to store up a fortune to leave for others to quarrel over and squander.  Mr. Ivancovich spent the greater part of his life in California, and to the writer he made the following remark,: California is the best state in which to reside, to enjoy life and make money, and I want to live in no other.  They were his exact words.  As to the future of gold mining, Matt expressed the opinion that much gold still remains in the ground in California gold belt.  the writer last saw Mr. Ivancovich in the spring of 1898.  He was then hard at work in the placer mine.

 

IVANDIC, LOUIS A. Priest-Chaplain-Professor

Father Louis is a Chaplain at  Mercy Hospital in Grayling, Michigan.  He was born June 18, 1913 in Brezici, Maglaj, Bosnia, Croatia. Education includes Franciscan Classical Gymnasium, Visoko, Bosnia, Diploma Philosophy, 1934; Holy Scriptures, History, Franciscan  Theology, Sarajevo, Bosnia, Diploma, 1937; 1937-38 Fribourg, Switzerland 1938-39; Univ. of Zagreb, Croatia, S.T.D., 1943. Social and Economic Sciences, Fribourg, Switz. Baccalaureate Degree 1946-47. Major field in Theology and  Moral Pastoral Theology. Thesis in1943 "Pucko Praznovjerje kod Hrvata katolika, u Bosni" (Superstition Among Croatian Catholics in Bosnia). Published in Madrid, 1965. Occupation as Professor, Franciscan Classical  Gymnasium, Visoko, Bosnia, Croatia 1939-45. General Pedagogue at the same school 1942-45. Founder of the first Croatian speaking Catholic parish in Canada on August 20, 1950.

 

IVANISEVIC, GORAN Tennis-Olympics

Goran Ivanisevic was born on September 13, 1971, in Split, Croatia. He played tennis for the Croatian national Davis Cup teams and was awarded an Olympic bronze medal in 1992 in men's singles and doubles with partner G. Prpic. Goran won the Wimbledon Men's Singles Title in 2001. He had previously been a finalist for Wimbledon in 1992 anda semi-finalist in 1990. His best finish on the ATP Tour was in 1992 when he finished 4th overall. Goran was awarded the Sportsman of the Year of Croatia in 1992.

 

IVANKOVICH, JOHN Priest

John Ivankovich, from Lopud, wholesale fruit merchant.  Later he went to Dubrovnik, married into well known Givovich family, returned to San Francisco, and had a large family of children.  One of his sons is Father Ivankovich, S.J., a member of the Jesuit order of Santa Clara College.  John Ivancovich was President of the Slavonic Society for many years.  He was a man of high personality and a leader in our community.  He was reputed to be a man of considerable wealth.  His residence was at the southwest corner of Sacramento Street an Van Ness Avenvue, a very wealthy and select residential district before the fire of 1906.

 

IVANKOVICH, JOHN Fruit Merchant

John Ivankovich, from Lopud, Dalmatia, Croatia, wholesale fruit merchant.  Later he went to Dubrovnik, married into well known Givovich family, returned to San Francisco, and had a large family of children.  One of his sons is Father Ivankovich, S.J., a member of the Jesuit order of Santa Clara College. John Ivancovich was President of the Slavonic Society in San Francisco for many years.  He was a man of high personality and a leader in our community.  He was reputed to be a man of considerable wealth.  His residence was at the southwest corner of Sacramento Street an Van Ness Avenvue, a very wealthy and select residential district before the fire of 1906.

 

IVANKOVICH, TINA Opera Singer

Tina Ivankovic, a dramatic soprano, was born in San Pedro, California.  Her father Marin Batina came from Kastela, Dalmatia.  He brought with him from the old country not only know-how about fishing, but also love for Croatian songs and folklore music.  His daughter Tina inherited this love from her father and after learning about singing first from her teacher Miss Mansfield, and later from professor of opera singing Dr. Sterlizer at UCLA.  A singer of highly professional quality, she performed all over the USA.

 

IVANUS, THEODORE B. Professor-Attorney

Professor and Head of the Soviet and Eastern European Library, University of Notre Dame, Department of Goverment and International Studies, Notre Dame, Indiana. Born March 15, 1916 in Vilika Gorica, Croatia. Education includes lst Classical Gymnasium, Zagreb, Croatia, Graduated, 1934; University of Zagreb, Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1942; Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, A.M., 1957: M.S.L.S., 1963; Major field in International Relations: Western Europe, East Central Europe and the Soviet Union. Organization and administration of library resources in the area programs,  with a specialty in Government and politics of East Central Europe.

 

IVEKOVIC, OTON Artist

In 1909 when Rev. M. D. Krmpotic wanted to decorate St. John the Baptist Church in Kansas City, he invited Oton Ivekovic, a prominent Croatian painter from Zagreb, to do the job. The painter arrived in the autumn of 1909. For six months he painted huge frescoes on the walls of the church, creating works of enduring value. One fresco depicting Croatian peasants and workers was 39 feet long. This event, the artistic decoration of a Croatian immigrant church, attracted wide interest, and people from far away came to view and admire Ivekovic's work. In 1910 the artist returned to Croatia, where in 1911 he published his American impressions in the literary review Vienac. It is a great loss that almost all paintings in St. John's Church were later destroyed in a fire.

 

IVELICH, BERT Apple Grower

Bert Ivelich came to this country from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia in 1905.  He landed at New York’s Ellis Island with throngs of other immigrants and then took a train across the U.S. to San Francisco where his uncle ran a restaurant. At age 99, Ivelich realized a life-long dream. He became a United States citizen in a naturalization ceremony at the courthouse in Santa Cruz. According to his son John, Bert Ivelich “just wanted to die a citizen.”  Not knowing English and working and raising a family, he was simply too busy all these years to study for his citizenship. Ivelich went to work as a dishwasher when he arrived in San Francisco 73 years ago.  He was around for the great quake of 1906, but “slept through it,” he says. After two years in the city he came to Watsonville and got into the apple business from which he retired at age 85. John Ivelich told a newsman at the ceremony he felt that his father’s easy going nature and ready sense of humor regardless of the circumstances, probably were responsible for his longevity. He said his father “saw Halley’s comet and probably be around to see it twice.” Ivelich has five children, John, Tony and Jim all live in Watsonville, Madeline lives at the family home on Freedom Boulevard and Nina (Caldwell) lives in San Jose.  Ivelich’s wife Barbara died in 1948.  He has eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

IVICH-BAKULICH, VISCO Fisherman-Farmer

My Uncle Visko, his sisters, and brothers, had the same upbringing and consequently, had many of the same human characteristics that continued through their adult years. They had little education; but they had a built in stubbornness, toughness, good health, sharp minds, and welcomed hard work as their path to success. In time, Visko was ready to leave home; and to start his travels, he did so with the blessing of his mother and father. Uncle Visko was born on the island of Vis, Croatia  in the year 1893. The island is located about 45 miles from Split off the Dalmatian coast of Croatia.  My uncle's full name was Visko Ivicevich-Bakulich. It was then and is still common to have two last names to show family ties and trace family history.

Visko left Vis around the end of 1908 when he was 15 years old. His traveling companion was a man older than himself by the name of "Moskovita," first name unknown. There are Moskovitas in Bellingham, Washington maybe someone there can help trace this man's history. Their destination was New Zealand or Australia. Both countries have, to this day, a large population of Croatians. Both men hoped to find friends who could help or guide them to a new start. Among the reasons the left Europe was (1) that most peasant males would be taken for military duty in the Austrian army and this was not to their liking; (2) to seek a better life than what Vis or Europe had to offer. In Austria, once a peasant always a peasant, with very little opportunity for improvement. From what port in Europe or which shipping line they sailed to New Zealand is unknown. it must have taken over a year, because they arrived in 1910, working their way as cabin boys or deck hands. I don't know if they ever went to Australia. Uncle Visko had a sister living in Perth. Her name was Perina (Pearl); it is a question if he ever saw her again once they both left home. I can only assume he stayed in New Zealand for a few years, but we have no record of what he did there.

Around the end of 1913, Visko left New Zealand and headed for America. This was another long trip to the city of San Francisco, a port of emigration, arriving in the latter part of 1914. From there Uncle Visko made his way up to Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A. This time he was traveling alone in a strange country unable to speak the language. However, in Bellingham he was greeted by his sister, Yela Muliat, my aunt and the mother of Frank and Vince. Both men are still living in Bellingham. Teta Yela was the guardian angel of all the family who went to Bellingham and the American Pacific Northwest. Visko stayed with his sister about one and a half years, worked in the fishing industry and also in the local saw mill. He was interested in becoming an American citizen when World War I broke out in 1914 in Europe. America -was also preparing for war, and to become an American citizen, he had to join the army. In Europe when he was facing the army, he left. He was now in a position of trading salt fish and corn meal for beef jerky and hardtack, but either way it meant joining the army and fighting and killing, to which he was vigorously opposed.

After several months Of aggravation and deliberation, he made the decision to head south and live in Mexico. Mexico was a neutral country during WW I and perhaps he could make a life there. He left Bellingham around 1915, making his way through Washington, Oregon, and California to Tijuana, Mexico. There he met with nine other men. I don't know if these men were from Vis or he met them on the way south. They made plans for crossing Baja, California to a point on the other side of Baja called Santa Rosalia.

In Tijuana they bought 21 mules, this was the only means of transportation besides walking. The mules were also needed to carry food, water, and other provisions. These ten young men had nothing but their inherited strong youth, guts, and a desire for independence, freedom, and a better life. They started walking across Baja over mountains and deserts of complete desolation. Because of the heat, much of the crossing was in the cool of the night, navigating by the sun, moon, and stars. This was also easier on the men and the mules. Can you imagine - no maps, roads, or direction to help? This crossing took 40 days and the estimated distance was over 500 miles, not as the crow flies but by walking. They walked up to 15 miles per day. The provisions were running low and when a mule looked like it was going to die, they would slaughter it for food and use the meat until it was ready to spoil. Due to the rigorous crossing, all but one of the mules died. In the last days of the trip, out of desperation, they were forced to drink mule urine. The water was gone. This was a trip of adventure, courage, stamina, and perseverance that defies the imagination but was not over yet. When they reached Santa Rosalia they still had to cross the Gulf of California, by boat, to the mainland and to the city of Guaymas. Once across the gulf, my uncle had to work his way up to another city by the name of Hermossillo. This was his final destination. From the time he started his travels seven years had passed.

Waiting for him was a good friend from Vis who worked for the Mexican counsel, Felipe Pablovich, and helped him settle down. Felipe had two sons, Lucas and Felipe, who still live in Hermosillo today. Visko went to work for a group of World War I American draft dodgers. During this time, he was tutored by the Americans and learned to speak English. His name was temporarily Vince, soon to be Vicente. The name Visko, was in memory only. My father Petar always called him Brat (brother). After living in Hermosillo for a few years, my uncle moved south to the Yaqui Valley, a developing farming district, approximately 150 miles from Hermosillo. This was during the latter part of 1916, and he worked for other farmers in the Yaqui Valley. There was another little village called Pueblo Yaqui where he met his future wife, Senorita Esperanza (Hope in English), in 1920. The name was perfect and so was she - now was his beginning. He would have a new life, but he had to give up so much; his family, friends, and his place of birth. Esperanza's father Pasqual Avon was a village blacksmith, which gave my uncle plenty of cause to go there to get some ironwork done - and maybe to have a little chat with the blacksmith's daughter. Esperanza's father was also a revolutionary leader. Vicente and Esperanza were married in 1923 in the little town of Bacum, Mexico. He was 30 and she was 20 years old. This village was not far from Pueblo Yaqui. This was also a time of revolutionary days, especially in northern Mexico and the state of Sonora. American companies had large land holdings and owned most of the land after the Revolution. While working for one of the companies, my uncle acquired from the American Richardson Corporation, about 50 hectares. One hectare being equal to about 2 1/2 acres, and he started farming for himself.

He was required to hire guards armed with rifles and place them around the perimeter of the farm to protect the workers from marauding Yaqui Indians, who sometimes ambushed the working farm hands, killing them. The Yaqui Indians are brother to the American Apache, who roamed the southwestern states. Not only was farming tough in the years 1924 and 1925, it was also very dangerous. Vicente and Esperanza lived in the small town of Cajeme, also in the Yaqui Valley. Sometime during the year of 1926 my uncle wanted to visit

his friends in Hermosillo, Felipe'Pablovich and Stephen Brajcich who were both from Vis. He went by train to spend the day visiting. Close to evening when he was ready to take the train back home to Cajeme, his friends talked him into staying for the night and making the return trip the next morning.   That night somewhere along the track the train was attacked by the Yaqui Indians and everyone on board was massacred. Over 100 people were killed, and had my uncle taken this train he would have also been killed; but God, again, looked after him.

Due to the Indian uprisings and train massacre, the Mexican General, Alvaro Obregon, was sent to Sonora and the Yaqui Valley to control the Indians. He placed them on Indian reservations similar to the ones in the United States; and because of the success of General Obregon, he was elected President of Mexico. He purchased the farmland next to my uncle Vicente and became a large landowner. Vicente and President Obregon became friends. In the 1930's my uncle acquired more farmland and his holdings expanded to well over 1000 hectares. The story of Vicente's life in Cajeme Mexico closely ties in with the state's history in the early 1930's, he was truly a pioneer. President Obregon was assassinated while he was in office. Out of respect for what he did for the country and the Yaqui Valley, they renamed Cajeme the City of Obregon. To this day, the family of President Obregon and my cousins are good friends.

In 1933 Uncle Vicent'e became a citizen of Mexico and, at the same time he changed his name from Ivicevich-Bakulich to simply Ivich. The longer name, as you can imagine, was confusing to Mexicans,- Americans, friends, and the family alike.

The farm was hard work and he struggled for many years until the last part of 1940 to the early 1950's when roads were built in the farm areas and modem, mechanized farm equipment became available. Not only did it simplify the work, but it made farmin profitable. Tio and Tia (uncle and  aunt) Vicente and Esperanza had six children: three boys, Vicente, Pasqual, and Jose, and three girls; Ante, Kala, and Esperanza, who was named after her mother. All have Mexican first names and the Croatian last name of Ivich. Vicente was very fortunate that his father, mother, brothers, Gorgo and Petar (my father); and his sisters, Yela and Antica were all very close. Starting in the 1920's some lived in Mexico, San Pedro, California and in Bellingham, Washington. His sister Perina. lived in Australia and he never saw her again; however, they communicated often by mail. She was bom in August 1900 and died October 1986. No other family members remained on Vis or in Europe. Grandfather, Franje Ivicevic Bakulic, bom 1869 on Vis, died 1948 in Cuidad Obregon. Grandmother Antica Karusa Ivicevic-Bakulic born 1871, died December 1950 in San Pedro. His youngest sister, Anticia Bracich, born on Vis, died April 8, 2001 in San Pedro. Her husband John died in Bellingham in August 1961, while on vacation with their daughter Margaret Gazija. Teta Yela was born on Vis in 1896 and died in Bellingham in 1972. With the passing of Antica this generation came to an end.

Barba Vicente retired from farming in 1969 and died in 1981 at the age of 88, Tete Esperanza died in 1991, also at the age of 88. In 1973, I along with most of the families, attended my Aunt and Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary in Ciudad Obregon, and what a gala event it was! All the sons,- daughters, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews came from Mexico, Bellingham, and San Pedro. With friends, there were over 300 in attendance. The reception was held at a local country club, but what was outstanding were the decorations. Because of their success in farming, and the wealth produced by the wheat crop- throughout the reception room, and on each table were large baskets of fresh-cut wheat stems. They were painted gold to show everyone that from the land they received everything. Truly Tio Vicente and Tia Esperanza were the salt of the earth.

I believe that uncle (Vince) (Visco) (Vicente) found what he as a young boy was looking for, a peaceful, satisfying life; a good, loving wife and mother; and hard, honest work with just rewards; a family much like his own in childhood of three boys and three girls. Could any one of us ask or expect more? But nobody could say it was an, easy task. Because of Vicent's respected position in the community of Ciudad Obregon, and being the head of the Ivich family as was the custom; he was given the prestigious title of Don, Don Vicent'e Ivich. During his lifetime and after his death, his sons continued to acquire their own farm land and become successfal farmers. The daughters have all raised talented, loving children.

Story by Nephew, Peter Bakulich with details provided by Vicente and Esperanza's sons and daughters.

Footnote:    Although our grandfather, grandmother, fathers, mothers, aunts, and uncles have passed on, the second generation continues. In our families we have many first, second, third, and soon to be fourth cousins. We meet in Tucson, Arizona or in Ciudad Obregon, once a year for a family reunion. You have never seen so much hugging, kissing, and story telling. What a great time we have. We all look forward to each year and the reunion, and perhaps to remember our loved ones. Go with God; Hodite is Bogon; Vaya Con Dios. (Bakulich 2002)

 

JAGIELLO, BARBARA Attorney

Barbara was bom in Philadelphia. Her father's parents came from Zagreb in 1914. She is married to Robert K. Wilson and has practiced law in San Francisco for 20 years. Barbara is Croatian Scholarship Fund's Secretary. Her view of CSF is expressed as follows, “I cannot think of a nobler goal than assisting young people in obtaining an education. There is no better way to show appreciation  to those whose sacrifices have enhanced our lives than by helping those coming behind us to a better life. Education can't guarantee opportunity, but the lack of education will guarantee limited opportunities. Hopefully, through education the young will not only live fuller lives, but also live in a better world."

 

JAKOVAC. JACK A. Chemical Engineer

Jack Jakovac is of Manager Quality Control and chemical engineer at F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland. Born July 25, 1922 in Kansas City, Kansas; Married with one child. Education includes 4th Male Real Gymnasium, Zagreb, Croatia, 1941. University of Zagreb, 1941-47, Diploma-Chemical Engineer, 1947 with a major field in  Chemistry and a specialty in Brewing Technology and Packaging Supervision. Thesis on Minimum Fluidization Velocity and Minimum Bubbling Velocity , 1967. Member of American Society of Brewing Chemists; Master Brewers Association of America;The Institute of Brewing. Occupational experience Control & Research Chemist 1948-61. Research Chemist, pilot plant development, supervision of packaging quality control1961-66. Managing quality control in the brewing and packaging operations, 1966 to date,

 

JAKOVCEVIC, ANTE Cultural Activities-Electrical Engineer

Ante was born in Split, Dalmatia, Croatia on December 23, 1945. His father was Ante, deceased, mother Milena and  brother Drago. His parents were born on the Island of Solta. Ante attended primary schools in Split and graduated from the University of Zagreb with a degree in Electrical Engineering. After graduation  he came to San Jose, California.  Ante organized the Croatian American Cultural Association in 1983; Croatian TV in California in 1992; Croatian radio in 1983; amd Croatian News Service in 1991. He has contributed more to Croatian media and culture in California than any other individual or group. Ante met his future wife, Vesna Spadina, in San Jose and married on the Island of Solta in 1985. Vesna was born in Dubrava near Sibenik, Dalmatia. The have four children: Ivan, Tomislav, Antonia and Filip. Ante and his family returned to live in Split, Croatia in 1996.

 

JAKOVICH, PETE Farm

While living with her brothers, Ljubica met her future husband, Pete Jakovich. Ljubica was born March 3, 1903, in Velo Grablje, island of Hvar.  Her parents were Ivan (1857-1914) and Katica Tudor Zaninovich. (1863-1908) They were married in Fresno on May 3, 1925.  Pete and Ljubica bought their first farm in Terra Bella. Their son John, and daughters Irene and Katherine were born there.  After a period of time they purchased land in Delano and built their home there in 1938.   Marie was born on December 6, 1942.  Pete was charming, fun loving, kind, very courteous and generous.  he loved the land and farming, and his cigar.  His grape labels were “River Bend” and ‘White Rock”.  When Pete came to this country, he was a maitre’d for a restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco for many years.  It was there that he learned most of his cooking skills. One of Ljubica’s proudest memories was when she became a U.S. Citizaen.  She studied hard to accomplish this feat.  Pete and Ljubica both loved being in America and were thankful for their blessings and good fortune in this wonderful country. Other fond memories are of the family get togethers with her brothers’ families and all the cousins.  Both Pete and Ljubica were devout Catholics. Pete passed away at 80 years of age on March 25, 1970.  Ljubica moved to Santa Monica after Dad’s death, to her beloved beach.   Ljubica passed away on June 30, 1990, at the age of 87.  They are buried next to each other at Delano Cemetery.  They leave a legacy of three children, seven grandchildren, and  four great grandchildren.

 

JAKSA, LORETTA Sister

On August 15, 1952, Matthew and Katherine Jaksa's daughter, Loretta was received into the Order of the School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King. She took the name, Sister Catherine, and her final vows in 1957. On Sunday, June 30, Sister Catherine will be honored with other nuns who have reached so many years of service to Our Lord. The celebration will be held at the Motherhouse, 13900 Main St., Lemont, Illinois 60439. She graduated from St. John the Baptist Grade School, the Bishop Ward High School and received her B.S. in Education from St. John's College in Cleveland, Ohio. She has taught primary grades with some department teaching in higher grades in California, Ohio, Wisconsin and twelve years at her home parish of St. John's on Strawberry Hill. Her present assignment is at Our Lady of the Nativity, Joliet, Illinois. Sister will be in Kansas City on vacation this summer. She is a 50-year member of our St. Martin Lodge 14. We congratulate her on her anniversary and hope the Good Lord continues to bless her with good health to keep doing His work.

 

JANCOVICH, GEORGE And LUCO Coffee Saloon-Jancovich Troubles

San Francisco Evening Bulletin, May 23, 1870: George and Luco Jancovich, who are cousins, have gained much notoriety of late in the Courts and public press.  A short time ago, both appeared in the Police Court, on counter charges of misdemeanor, about a matter that took place in a coffee saloon on the corner of Clark and Davis streets in San Francisco.  In the trouble, Luco drove George out of the saloon, and has since remained in possesion.  George claimed that his (George’s) money, to the anount of $1445.45 was expended in the fitting up of the place, and Luco had no claim to open it.  The latter, on the other hand, claimed that he alone obtained the lease of the property, and also that he was not the poor individual his cousin represented.  He further alleged that George is a very quarrelsome and boistrous man, and has endeavored by trickery to gain possesion of the coffee saloon.  Further more, that George did not expend the amount of money on the refitting of the place that he represents.  Luco appeared before the Nineteenth District Court and prayed for an unjunction and restitution of the premisis.  His prayer was granted, and on the 15th instant  an order was served on George through his attorney, George W. Tyler, filed an affidavit setting forth the conduct of George, and asked that he be brought before the Court.  The affidavit contained several very vulgar, indecent and disgusting expressions, and immediately on reading it, William H. Rhodes, attorney for George, filed a petition praying that Luco be punished for contempt, and also that the injunction be dissolved.

The case was set for this morning, and on the assembling of Court, quite a number of persons were in attendence.  Mr. Rhodes opened with a few remarks on the affidavit, which had been prepared by the defendant, Luco, and hardly deemed it necessary to read it to the Court, saying that it contents were too filthy to be heard.  He believed that his Honor had perused it, and therefore would not shock the sensitive by reading it aloud.  He then read a petition, which alleged that the affidavit of the plaintiff contained certain scandalous, impertinent and indecent matters, which tended to insult the defendant wantonly, and also bring the administration into disrespectrul and repute contempt.  He prayed that the Court impose costs in such an amount on the plaintiff or his attorney or both, and after the same shape be paid to order, the said affidavit to be stricken from the records of the Court, or to punish said plaintiff and hsi attorney for contempt.

After a few remarks, Judge Wheeler stated he had not only thought the affidavit indecent, but several members of the Bar had spoken of its immorality.  He thougth it would be to no avail to punish either of the parties, but would cause it to be stricken form the record of the Court.  Judge Tyler whom the Court severly censured for filing such an affidavit, endeavored to vindicate his situation, but to no avail.

 

JANES, FRANK Barrel Maker-Organized Janesville   

The department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism in Louisiana approved and ordered five official state historic markers.  The second marker was for the Site of Janesville in West Carroll Parish. It was erected about five miles, as the crow flies, northwest of Oak Grove.

 

 Site of Janesville

          “Frank Janes came here c. 1908, followed by John Janes and other Croatians. The Frank Janes Company, produced and exported barrel staves for use in French claret production. Janesville flourished until company disbanded in 1928. Erected by Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism."

 

Janesville is no more. The community, as such, has vanished. There is little on the terrain today along Highway 586 to suggest that the strip of land along the highway was once a "little Croatia," with dozens of families living there, almost all came from Cabar (pronounced Chahbar) in the Delnice district and Zupani and environs in the southern Julian Alps of Croatia, some of the descendents of the original settlers, of course, still live along the road in the northern part of West Carroll Parish. But today they are engaged in farming, not making staves. The saga of the rise and fall of Janesville is a considerable one. In fact, a grandson of Frank and Brigita Janes has found enough material to write a 350-page book on the subject - and it's not even near the end of the story.

Frank Janes came to West Carroll parish because his good eye recognized that some of the finest stands of white oak in the South were here, and in some of the surrounding  parishes. The earliest land sale was in 1908; after that , the ledgers, over a three-year period or more, show staggering land sales adding up to about 120,000 acres. Land was also acquired in one or two other parishes. By, 1912 Janesville was well established. A private railroad ran into the Janes domain. The title of the railroad was almost as long as the railroad itself: it was called the "Janesville, Terry, and Southern Railroad." It was a little over six miles long, running almost to the Boeuf River. It was used for the logging operations conducted there. Frank also drove his special motor-car over the tracks. Janesville consisted of a large mill complex; a bakery whose cook, Stepko, made fine bread and delightful special confections; a mess hall for the dozens of stavemakers; a chapel; a schoolhouse; and many homes. This was near the Crossing, as it was known. Not far away, on a slight knoll, was the large white colonaded house where Brigita and Frank Janes lived (they were married in the summer of 1912).

Life was rosy. The stave makers made fine money for the time (up to $25.00 a day).they would begin the work-day early, taking lanterns into the forest. Some of the finest French claret staves in the nation were produced here for the shipment to Marseilles, France, Tangiers, and other parts of Africa and Europe. They fetched a handsome price. By now, about 150 men were working for the Frank Janes Company, Ltd. Frank Janes had risen fast. He seemed to exude invincibility. Success followed success. In addition to staves, the company produced pilings, tiles, and other products.

The Coatian community was close-knit. In the evenings they sang and danced; they wanted only the slightest excuse to whip out their mandolins (Tambura), accordions, and other instruments. (In 20's, in keeping with the times, at Frank and Brigita's dances, the music was replaced with the sounds of Bud Scott and his band.)

Then came the First World War. Shipments of staves ceased. But the decision was made to continue to make the staves and to stockpile them for sale after the war when the price was sure to rise. Or so they thought. The war ended. Staves were stacked up and down the parish, along the railroad sidetracks, waiting to be shipped to New Orleans and then overseas. The company continued with stave-making, holding out for an even spiraling price. Then, unexpectedly, the bottom fell out of the market. The price fell to a disastrous low.

Frank Janes was advised to declare bankruptcy, after waiting months for the price to revive. Frank could not bring himself to take this option. He held on. His brother, John, died of the heart attack in 1920; John was not only vice-president of the company, he was someone on whom Frank could lean. Then a trusted aide - a Frenchman who had acted as an interpreter in the early days before becoming the third officer of the company - stole all the available cash from the extent bank accounts. This was the final blow of "Act II" of this financial drama. On February 8, 1923, Frank formally signed away the company's shares in the staves to dozens of men: the Chops and Zagars and Ozbolds (his cousins) and many others shared in this division of the staves. Amazingly, operations continued. The mill continued to produce. Frank held on. Things seemed to be recovering. Then there was a fire at the mill, causing extensive damages. In the mid-20's the price-index of timber products fell. The land sales of the worker-over lands were going badly. (Cotton was not doing as well as before 1919 either.) There was too much to cope with.  Finally, Frank Janes decided to move to Wilmot, Arkansas, trading some of his lands and his home for a store-residence that was in terrible condition. His family suffered the aftermath of those golden Janesville years. (There were five children: Elizabeth, Dorothy, I. A. "Buddy" Janes, Catherine and Acele.) In 1928 they made the move to Wilmot, leaving Janesville and all it stood for behind them.

Gradually, the families began to disperse. The buildings, one by one, over the years, would begin to vanish. The white house that Frank and his men built remained until 1965, when it was torn down. Today, "Tony" Janes and his family live in the only original home in the Janesville area. All the others are gone. The surprising thing is: there are a large number of people -Croatian and non-Croatian alike - scattered throught Louisiana for whom memories of Janesville bring back icicle-clear images of that time and place. It was for this reason that a grandson, Antony Perot of Lafayette, requested this marker after extensive research. Perot found ample documentation to justify commemorating this colorful era..

 

JANKOVICH, NICHOLAS A. Accountant CPA

Nicholas Jankovich is a Certified Public Accountant with his business in Chicago, Illinois. Born January 7, 1924 in  Chicago, Illinois to Croatian parents; he is single. Education includes      Loyola University, Chicago 1946-1947; Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois          1948-1953; Major field in accounting with specialty in Federal Income Taxation. Received certificate from State of Illinios as Certified Public Account. Member of American Institute of Accountants.

 

JAREB, JERE Professor-Editor-Author

Jere Jareb, university professor, was born in Sepurine, Dalmatia, Croatia on May 3, 1922. He is married to Olga (Zivkovic) and has a daughter and three sons. Education includes a PhD in modern European history at Columbia University, New York City in 1964 and he is the head of Department for History and Political Science of St. Francis College, Loretto, Pennsylvania in 1966-1992. He edited the Journal of Croatian Studies, New York since 1960 and published Half a Century of Croatian Politics (1960); Political Memories and Work of Dr B. Jelic (1982); contributions to Croatian Review and Journal of Croatian Studies. His affiliations include American Historical Association, Washington; American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies; The Croatian Academy of America.

 

JASPRIZA,VINCENT OysterBeds-PoliceJury-Military-Superintendent Locks

Vincent Jaspriza, superintendent of the Doullutts Locks and the canal at Empire and also the Ostrica Locks on the Mississippi River, is also one of the best-known figures in the political circles of Plaquemines Parish. First chosen as a member of the Police Jury in 1932, Mr. Jaspriza has already served two full terms in this important office and at the elections in 1940 was again chosen to succeed himself for an additional four-year term. His devotion to the interests of the parish as a whole and uniform fairness displayed in the distribution of permanent improvements throughout the parish, has placed Mr. Jaspriza in a position of being one of the leaders of the Parish. Vincent Jaspriza was born in St. Charles, Louisiana, a son of the late Vincent Jaspriza, a native of Croatia, a former widely known oyster man who died in 1893, and Antoinette (Duprene) Jaspriza. The parents of Mr. Jaspriza removed to Plaquemines Parish when he was an infant of eleven months. He grew up in this area, obtained his education in the local schools and started life as an apprentice machinist in a New Orleans machine shop where he was employed for a period of five years. Returning to Empire, Mr. Jaspriza engaged in the oyster business and continued in that activity until 1938 with the exception of a year spent in the United States army during the World War when he was a member of the ordinance department of the 27th division and saw eight months service in France where he held the rank of Corporal. Following the conclusion of his period of military service, Mr. Jaspriza again resumed the cultivation of oysters but gave up the operation of his leased beds some two yelars or more ago to devote his entire time to other duties. On the sixth of April, 1921, Mr. Jaspriza was married to Miss Alva Despaux, a native of Empire and daughter of the late Leon Despaux. Mr. and Mrs. Jaspriza are the parents of three children, Alva, born November 27, 1921, a student in Louisiana State University; Warren, born April 4, 1929, and Melba Jaspriza, born the fifteenth of January, 1931.  Also prominent in the civic life of Empire, Mr. Jaspriza is a member of the Forty and Eight and American Legion, organizations of World War veterans, and in religious life is a communicant of the Catholic faith.

 

JELAVICH, WILLIAM Ranch-Farmer of the Year

Willian R. Jelavich, 32-year-old Mountain View farmer, was named “Farmer of the Year” in 1959 by the Farmers Market advisory board. Jelavich, who operates a 50-acre fruit and vegetable ranch in Santa Clara County, will be crowned with a garlic wreath on Dec. 5 at the Farmers market.

 

JELCICH, JOSEPH Park Superintendent Gold Miner

When Jospeh Jelcick took over as Sunnyvale’s first park superintendent, that city’s Washington Park was nothing but a 12-acre weed patch.  Using cuttings from Stanford Stadium, where he had worked as a maintenance man, Mr. Jelcick transformed the patch into a place of verdant beauty, a feat that led his fellow residents to call him “the Luther Burbank of Sunnyvale.”Mr. Jelcick came to the United States from Croatia in 1914 and worked in the Arizona gold fields before coming to the Bay Area.  he was the first honorary member of the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce and when he retired 20 years ago after 15 years as a city employeee, the parks picnic area and playing filed were named in his honor. He died at 84.  he leaves his wife Mila: a daughter, Helen Swensen of Sunnyvale: two sons, Evan and Gene, of Santa Cruz, and eight grandchildren.

 

JELETICH, NIKOLA Gold Miner-Farm

Nikola Jeletich came to California in the early 50’s and immediately went to seek gold in the foothills of California, In 1854 he bought  280 acres with fellow Croatians, Jordan and Simcich, in Amador County. He married Eliza Smith and had a son, John, born in 1860. Eliza died in 1867. Nikola returned to Croatia to get a wife; all burned to death in a fire in 1881.

 

JELINCICH, TONY Real Estate-Contractor

Tony was one of thirteen children born January 23, 1903 in the village of Postira on the island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. At the age 17 he migrated to America and like so many of the old timers his first job was washing dishes. It wasn't long before he was a cook at Coffee Dans a very popular place in the 20's in old San Francisco. Four days before his twentieth birthday he married his childhood sweetheart Mary Kalasich at the  Croatian Church of The Nativity. Incidentally, Tony has attended the 11a.m. mass at our church regularly for over sixty years and has passed the collection basket there for many years. In the 20's there was a great deal of construction going on in San Francisco and Tony became interested in this line of work. His first job was as a hod carrier and then as a cement finisher. Tony and his partner Tony Bell installed many sidewalks, driveways and patios in Westwood Park and in the Mission District of San Francisco. He was to work on the construction of Balboa High School and many of the downtown office buildings and hotels that were being built in the early 30's. After dinner Tony was to change into his private patrol uniform and police the business and residential areas of the Ingleside, Ocean View, and Crocker Amazon Districts. In the 40's Tony became a carpenter and then a foreman carpenter and worked on housing developments in what today is San Lorenzo. Between his various trades and lines of work he had a time to join the Slavonic Society originally in January 1930 but he was to drop out for several years. On February 20, 1941 he joined again and has been very active the past 44 years. He served as the Sick Committee Chairman and for twenty five years was the manager of the Slavonic plot at Holy Cross Cemetery. This was a far more important and active position in those days requiring exact record keeping and constant attention. In the 1950's Tony became interested in the Real Estate Brokerage Business and found time to attend night school to acquire his Real Estate Brokers License, his Casualty Insurance license and a General Building Contractors license. He operated Geneva Realty across from his present home in a small unique building that his son designed. There was just room enough for two desks, a phone and a file. He operate this successful business for some 18 years. On his 65th birthday Tony retired from his little office to give full attention to Mary his ailing wife and to spend more time with Lorraine his daughter and John his son and their families. Mary was to pass on in 1974.

 

JELOVICH, STANLEY Judge

Judge Stanley Jelovich-Yelovich was a native of Lomita, California and a twenty year resident of San Pedro. he was a municipal judge in the Torrance and San Pedro courts for 17 years. he was a member of the American Judicature Society and the California Judges Association. He died June 2, 1987 with services held at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic church in San Pedro.

 

JERISICH, SAM Fisherman-Jerisich Park

Gig Harbour is a small, picturesque maritime community. Nestled in the heart of Puget Sound in the state of Washington, near the major urban centers of Tacoma, Seattle, Bremerton and Olympia, it commands a breathtaking view of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. For much of its century-old history, fishing and boat building have been the lifeblood of this closely-knit coastal community. At one time Gig Harbour had one of the largest commercial fishing fleets in the Pacific Northwest. At the foot of Rosedale Street, in this historic part of town, is a small park - the Jerisich Park. It had been named after a Croatian fisherman Sam Jerisich who, along with his family and two fishing partners, rowed down from Vancouver Island some hundred and thirty years ago, to become the first white settlers in Gig Harbour. In 1976, city fathers placed a cairn at the entrance to the park. The text, carved in stone, reads: In 1867 Samuel Jerisich and two Vancouver Island fishing partners arrived in Gig Harbour. They had rowed a flat-bottomed skiff from British Columbia and like men of the Wilkes expedition 26 years before, found shelter from the storm in the Harbour. The bay was to their liking and thus they became the first white settlers. Farragut and Goldsmith later moved on, but Samuel, his wife Anna, and family remained. It was not until 1883 that other pioneers came. The family lived in a cabin on the east side before building on the west side near the bay entrance. Jerisich, a fisherman, also rendered dog fish oil and smoked fish, rowing his products to Steilacoom or Olympia to sell. The fishing industry begun by this Dalmatian native, continues to today through his and the descendants of other pioneers who settled in Gig Harbour.

Who was Samuel Jerisich? And how did he come to settle in Gig Harbour, thousands of miles away from his native Dalmatia? The most popular destination points were North and South America, Africa and Australia Sime Jerisic:, a young Dalmatian sailor, set his eyes on the gold-rich state of California. Jerisic: was born in 1833, in Dalmatia. When the  cry of 'Gold! Gold! Gold! come echoing out of California in 1848, interest in California's gold quickly spread beyond its borders and by the end of that year reached a fever pitch. A long list of ships were available in New York to carry people to the land of wealth. It was an Austrian ship, which was plying the waters from Europe via New York, to California. Our great-grandfather sailed from Dalmatia on a sailing ship - which would be a freighter of sort at that time - to New York, then round the Horn. It was a long haul from New York. He sailed this same route, round the Cape and into California, the second time a long haul, a couple of three years. The second trip he made he stayed in San Francisco, since his ship was only San Francisco bound. This was in 1854. 1 don't know how long he stayed in San Francisco and what he did there, before moving up the coast on another ship. The San Francisco Dalmatians were found in a variety of businesses ranging from coffee saloons, restaurants, to fruit and vegetable vendors, and wine merchants. Dalmatian pilots, captains, and mates, were known for their mastery of the treacherous waters of the San Francisco Bay and Delta waterways. 'We don't known what our great-grandfather did during his four-year stay in San Francisco. What we do know, however, is that during his stay in the city he changed his name from Croatian Simun Jerisic" to the more American sounding Sam Jerisich, and that he left San Francisco and moved up the coast, to Canada, when the gold was discovered there, in the 1860's.

In 1858, throughout California, the word spread like a brush-fire of the possible gold rush, this one to the north, on the Fraser River, in British Columbia. Among the many boats which entered Victoria harbour in 1861, the British Colonist recorded the arrival of a brig, the Ivich, from San Francisco. Captained by one Vacorsovich, possibly a Croatian, the vessel plied the waters between San Francisco and Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, hauling coal. The 260 ton Ivich was registered at the port of Trieste, and carried a crew of nine men. It was on one such cargo vessel from San Francisco that my great-grandfather Sime came to Nanaimo. As far as I know, he jumped the ship there to become a fisherman in Canada. The sea, channels, bays, rivers, and coastal waters of Vancouver Island teemed with fish and marine life in an endless variety; halibut, smelt, haddock and whiting, herring and herring spawn, shrimps and prawns, trout, rock and link cod, oysters, dog fish, seals and sea lions. A person with good knowledge of and respect for the sea could make a decent living extracting these sea bounties from the Island waters. Sam Jerisich wasted no time in entering the lucrative fishing business. He bought himself a boat and took in two fishing partners. The decision to become a fisherman was probably the most important decision he had made in his life. When my great-grandfather came to Nanaimo, aboard a cargo vessel out of San Francisco, he decided to go into fishing. That decision would change his life forever. He would remain a fisherman for the rest of his life. He would fish up and down the coast of Vancouver Island, and the whole Puget Sound. He fished for salmon and was harvesting dogfish for oil. He was making a good living. While in British Columbia, he married and started a family. Soon after, he rowed his boat from Vancouver Island down here, to Gig Harbour, where he settled with his family for good. His first home, a cabin, was right here across the Bay, above the sand spit; my home looks right at it.

Jerisich's first boat was a long, flat-bottomed skiff, built of well-seasoned cedar boards and powered by sixteen-foot oars. Until his death, in 1905, at age seventy two, the Dalmatian sailor turned fisher never used motors in his boats. He powered them in the old fashioned way - by pure 'muscle' power. He and his two fishing partners Petar Zlatarich (In English, Peter Goldsmith), a Croatian, and John Farragut (also known as John Farrague), a Portuguese, took turns at rowing and pulling in the catch. The nets were drawn in by 'muscle power', too. The trio fished either from the harbour shore, rowing out to corral the fish and returning to the beach to draw the nets in by hand, or by trolling with hook-and-line, a method of fishing which was practiced by native fishermen in virtually all areas of the North Pacific coast.  It is known that they often traded with the Indians and were frequent guests at their ceremonies and potlatches. In the Gulf Islands, on Kuper Island, Jerisic met his future wife, Anna (dimin. Annie). She was a full blooded Indian from Kuper Island. Due to lack of ecclesiastical, civil, or native evidence, the exact date of marriage between Anna Willesh Henemat and Samuel Jerisich, can only be estimated. It had probably taken place on Kuper Island in late 1866 or early 1867, that'is before the birth of their first child, Caroline, in Victoria, on May 12,1867. Less than six months following the birth of their daughter, the Jerisichs abruptly left Kuper Island for Gig Harbour, in the Washington Territory. They settled on the west side of the bay in a one room split-cedar board cabin. She maintained good and peaceful relations with all her neighbors; a small tribe of Puyallup-NisquaIly Indians, who lived at the head of the bay, in a village complete with a long house, and the two new Slavic arrivals, John Novak and Joe Dorotich, who with their Indian wives settled in the nearby Millville, now a part of Gig Harbour. The Jerisichs prospered and, in time, the family grew. In the Tenth Census of the United States for the Washington Territory, 1880, Samuel and Annie Jeresich are listed as having five children, three boys (John, Michael, and Samuel Jr.), and two girls (Caroline and Melissa). In the next decade, three more children, all girls (Catherine, Julia and Mary), were added to the pioneering Jerisich family. Samuel Jerisich, formerly known as Sime Jerisic, died in Gig Harbour, in 1905. He was seventy-two years old. His wife, Anna, died in 1926, at the age of eighty-two. Both are buried in the Artondale Cemetery, in the city which they helped found.

 

JERKOVICH, GEORGE C Professor-Author

George Jerkovich was born July 13, 1926 in Zastrazisce, Island of Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia;  Parents are Juraj and Nika; married with a daughter and son. Education includes Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb (1956); Alliance Francaise, Paris (1957); MA at Indiana University, Bloomington (1959); MA (1965) and PhD (1970) at University of Kansas, Lawrence. More important books published: A Thousand Years of Russian Christianity (1988); My Hvar (1993); studies: The Life of St Nicolas (1992); The Library's Slavic Collection (1966); works on the Life and work of J. Krizanic 1-11 (1981, 1983). His experience covers bibliographer, teacher of Croatian and Serbian language at Indiana University (1959-1962); bibliographer and assistant professor at University of Kansas (1962-1968); head of Slavic Department of Watson Library (1969-1979); professor of Soviet and East European studies, Slavic languages and literature at University of Kansas (1979). Member of American Association for the Advance of Slavic Studies; American Association of University Professors.

 

JERKOVICH, NICK Fisherman

Nick Jerkovich Jr.'s family has been fishing out of Gig Harbor, Washington since early this century, fighting bad weather, struggling with decreasing stocks of fish, competing with other fishermen. Jerkovich, 46, learned the purse-seining trade from his father, who learned the trade from his father before him. It's probably too soon to tell whether 17-year-old Nick Jerkovich III will follow in his dad's footsteps. But don't bet against it. Things have a way of pretty much staying the same in this cozy community nestled in an uncommonly beautiful northwest corner of Pierce County. Sure, the fishing has changed. The salmon aren't as easy to come by, says Jerkovich, who lives in the 65-year-old house once owned by his grandfather. The patriarch chose Gig Harbor as the place he wanted to carve out a new life after emigrating from Croatia. "My dad and grandfather did almost all of their fishing in Washington and around the San Juan Islands," says Jerkovich. "Now we roam everywhere from San Diego to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. We spend very little fishing time in the state of Washington." Gig Harbor's purse-seiners have had to diversify, too. Salmon no longer are their exclusive prey. They go after halibut, herring, tuna, cod, mackerel and other species. "We're down to about 16 or 17 boats. It has been as high as 25 in my lifetime," says Jerkovich, who spends about 180 days a year fishing on his 58-foot Pacific Raider.

But those differences aside, things haven't changed all that much in Gig Harbor since fishermen Sam Jerisich, Peter Goldsmith and John Farrago left their homes in Dalmatia and Portugal and became the community's first white settlers in 1867. There has been significant growth, but Gig Harbor still has the look, feel and fresh salt-air smell of a small fishing village. And residents still enjoy one of the finest views in the Puget Sound area. The calm waters of their tiny harbor, with Mount Rainier towering in the background, have inspired hundreds of thousands of photographs and postcards over the years.

 

JERKOVICH, NICKOLAS J. Fisherman

Nicholas John Jerkovich Sr., was a commercial fisherman and lifelong resident of Gig Harbor, Washington. He was born on May, 20, 1927 and passed away peacefully at this home, Sunday, November 16, 2003. Known to his friends as "Brud," Nick was an active member of the fishing community for over 60 years. Nick started fishing at the young age of 14. He fished from Alaska to California for mackerel, herring, anchovies, squid, sardines and salmon, as well as dragged for bottom fish. He built three boats, the "Nicky Lynn" and two "Pacific Knights," owned the seiner "Favorite" and skippered the "Sierra Madre" and "Glacier Bay." Nick passed his love for fishing on to his son Nick Jr. and his grandsons. He enjoyed having his entire family working together to prepare the boats each year. As Nick always said, "My life is my family and fishing." He was a life long member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church, a charter member of St. Nicholas Knights of Columbus Council 9238, Eagles Aerie 2809 and past board member of the Purse Seine Vessel Owners Association, current board member of the Seine Vessels' Reserve, past president of the Gig Harbor Fisherman's Civic Club and of the CFU Lodge 695. Nick was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Jerkovich, his daughter Jane Wilma Jerkovich and his brother Thomas Jerkovich. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Patricia M. Jerkovich, his son Nick Jerkovich, Jr. and wife Nancy; daughters Nancy L. Jerkovich and Julie Dahl and her husband Byron; grandchildren Jill, Nickolas III and Marc Jerkovich; Haldor, Anders, Gunnar and Kjersti Dahl; brother John Jerkovich and his wife Pat; sister Mary Ellen Gilmour and husband Mark; uncle and aunt, Nick and Olga Castelan of Walnut Creek, CA, sister-in-law Elvy Jerkovich of San Pedro, CA and numerous nieces and nephews. (Jerkovich, P. 2004)

 

JERKOVICH, TONI Vineyard-Fisherman

Toni Jerkovich was born in the village of Zatrazische on the Island Hvar, Croatia. He was only nine years old when he came to America.  He lived with his father in Bellington, Washington, and then he moved to  San Pedro where he was helping his uncle  fishing. There he met Mary Curin, a nice American girl whose parents were also from Hvar, from the village Gdinje. They  moved to Kerman in 1921. They live and work there on a farm, surrounded by their children, grandchildren and  friends. They told us that more than 200 families native of Hvar and other Dalmatian counties live in Fresno vicinity. Their family names are: Mateljan, Dulcich, Viskovich, Zupanovich, Santich, Hure. They often meet together to talk, sing and play bocci. They grow on their 145 acre large vineyard  "Thomson Seedless" grapes. The whole crop is used in production of high-quality dry grapes.

 

JEZIC, ZDRAVKO Waterpolo-Chemist-Inventor

Zdravko Jezic was born in Nis on August 17, 1931; parents Nikola and Julija; wife Bozena J. and daughter and 2 sons. Education includes Technological Faculty, University of Zagreb, BSc 1958; DSc in organic technology 1962. Author of thirteen American patents and nine research works; Member American Chemical Society; resides in Midland,  Michigan. Two Olympic Silver Medals 1952, 1956; second place at EP twice 1950, 1958; third place at EP (1954); played for  national team 113 times as member AVK Youth. Enlisted in International Waterpolo Hall of Fame 1981.

 

JONCICH, GERALDINE M. Professor

Geraldine Joncich is a Professor of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, California. Born April 17, 1931 of Croatian parents in San Pedro, California. Education includes University of California, Los Angeles, California, A.B., 1954; M.Ed., 1957. Columbia University, New York, N.Y., Ed. D., 1961 with a major field in History of American Education and Social and intellectual history of American public education since the Civil War. Thesis completed 1961 "Science, Psychology, and Education: An Interpretive Study of Edward L. Thorndike's Place in the Scientific Movement in American Education," Columbia University. Member of Phi Beta Kappa; American Historical Association; American Studies Association; Comparative Education Society; History of Education Society.

 

JONCICH, NICK Fisherman

My grandfather, Andrew Lubetich was born in Sutivan, Brac, and island village not far from the city of Split, Croatia. My grandmother, Tonino, was also born there. They had four children; Jerry, Maria (my mother), Domina, and Cannan. My grandfather came to the United States in the late 1890's by himself, leaving his family in Croatia. He settled in a little village called Clifton, near Astoria, Oregon. It was a village with many Croatians from the islands off of Split. All of the men were gillnet fishermen. Everyone saved their money, what little they made, so they could bring their families to America.

My uncle Jerry was the first of the family come over. My mother Maria was next to arrive at Ellis Island in March of 1911. She could not speak any English, so she would use her hands to express herself She told of someone trying to feed her a banana and she thought they were trying to poison her. At seventeen years of age my mother arrived in Clifton, Oregon. My grandfather had already picked out a husband for her by the name of Nick Mardesich; but my mother fell in love with Nick Joncich, my father.

My father was born in Komiza, island of Vis, Croatia. his father's name was John and his mother's name was Vizanza. My father was from a family of six children. Two of them died in childhood. My father along with his brother, Jack, came to the United States when he was 14 years old. They settled in Clifton, Oregon and "Bingo!" he met and married my mother. Mother and Father brought six children into this world. Me, Winifred Rose: born August 17, 1912; Johny, born March 6, 1914; Minnie Pearl, born November 2 1, 1916; and Andrew (Babe), born August 18, 1919. We had two sisters that died in their first year of life. My parents moved to Tacoma, Washington so my father could fish in Puget Sound. I remember I was 12 years old, November 1924 at 2:00 a.m. our house caught fire and if it wasn't for my brother Johnny calling out to my mother, we probably would have all died in the fire. We moved to Everett, Washington on December 6, 1924. We moved there, with the few things we had saved from the fire, in my father's fishing boat. We didn't have any furniture so we had to sleep on the floor. I remember it being very cold and there was a snow storm. Growing up was hard. There were a lot of times that we didn't have much food and only the clothes on our backs. But Mom was a wonderful mother and took good care of us. She was a wonderful cook and baker. She would get up early in the morning to prepare meals for us kids, do the household chores and then wash clothes in a tub. These were the depression years and my father would be gone most of the time trying to make some money in the fishing industry. My father was the strictest person I have ever known. For us kids, it was "do it his way or else".

I met my husband, Andrew Mardesich of Bellingham, in February of 1932. The first time I ever saw him was when I spotted him at church. I went home and asked my brothers who he was. He mysteriously showed up at our home that afternoon to visit my brothers. We dated secretly for about six months because my father did not approve of my dating. Then some fishermen sitting behind us spotted us in a theater and the word got out. In August, while Andy was out fishing he heard that another Croatian fisherman wanted to marry me. As soon as the boat got to the cannery to unload in Port Townsend, he called me long distance and asked me to many him. He told me he wanted an answer, yes or no, as soon as he got back to the dock in Everett. I said yes and we were married on November 21, 1932. No long engagements in those days - and that was the custom. I have a wonderful daughter Jeanne, three super grandchildren, Andy, and Tish and two outstanding greatgrandchildren Felicia and Alex. By: Winnie Joncich Mardesich. (Sleasman 2000)

 

JORDAN, ANDREW and JOSEPH Goldmine-Sheepherder-Grocery

Andrew Jordan, a Los Angeles pioneer of 1869, was listed as being an Austrian. It is known he was a partner with Nikola Bieladenovich and Andrew Bujan in the Illyrian Gold and Silver Mining Company of 1863. This venture was organized in the San Domingo District of Calaveras County with a capitalization of $60,000. The writer could state with some certainty that he was a Dalmatian by virtue of his association with Bieladenovich and Bujan and the use of Illyrian in the mining title. The name Jordan is found in the district of Dubrovnik and in Istria, Croatia. Andrew was a grocer in Los Angeles and married a South American girl and had one daughter, Victoria. Joseph Jordan, probably his brother, was a stock raiser of sheep in Los Angeles in 1870. He had a family of three and his wife was an American from Kentucky. He was an American citizen and mined gold in Amador County in 1859.

 

JOVANOVICH CLAN Fishing Supply-Teacher

JOHN JOVANOVICH: John is Tony's brother so their background is the same except that John was born in Centerville, Iowa (There are eight Jovanovich siblings it should be mentioned. All are members of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 439 in Seattle, Washington. Following service in Korea during the war, John worked several years as a private building contractor. Thirty years ago he founded "Jovanovich Supply" specializing in fishing nets and equipment. The company made a monumental contribution to the Croatian relief effort during the recent war by allowing the lodge to use their premises as a staging area for the dispatch of 19 containers of provisions.

TONY JOVANOVICH: Betty's husband Tony was also born in Roslyn -- again with both parents immigrating from Mrkopalj, Croatia Tony’s father, Fred Jovanovich, also worked some in the mines, but made his principal living as a baker. The family moved to Seattle during World War 11. Following duty in Korea, Tony obtained his teaching certificate and embarked on a career specializing in industrial arts. After retirement he put his skills to work in constructing a beautiful second home at Lake Cle Elum near Roslyn, Washington. Tony is a fifty year member of the Croatian Fraternal Union.

BETTY JOVANOVICH: Betty was born in Roslyn, WA where her father Mirko Pavlich, a native of MrkopaIj, Croatia was a coal miner. Her mother Ann's family came from Delnice. In 1935 Betty's family moved to the Earlington Hill district of Renton, Washington which has been her primary area of residence ever since. When she turned 18 she was encouraged by her uncle, lodge president Sam Mikulich, "to get involved." Fifty years have passed but Betty is still "involved" -working in the kitchen at our annual picnics. She retired from the Renton School District where she worked as an instructional aide. Betty is a 50 year member of the Croatian Fraternal Union.

 

JOVANOVICH, JOHN State Legislature-Fisherman-Business 

The name John Jovanovich received considerable public aclaim in the Seattle media recently as a result of John's successful campaign for a seat in the Washington State Legislature. But within a smaller circle, particularly those associated with the Croatian community and the fishing industry, John's name and activity have long been familiar. This familiarity stems from his work in the Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge, in the Seattle Junior Tamburitzans" parent group and as an independent businessman-first as a builder and since 1970, as the proprietor of the Jovanovich Supply Co., an outlet for commercial fishing equipment from California to Alaska.

John, 48, is the fourth of seven sons of Fred and Mary (Mataya) Jovanovich who hail from Mrkopalj, Croatia. Preceding John in order were, Frank, P'red Jr. and Jack while Tony, Joe and Larry came later-Larry with his twin sister. Mary Ann, the only girl in the family. Mary Ann, now Mrs. Anthony Marinich, is presently manager of Croatian Fraternal Union Nest 220. The travel of the senior Jovanovichs is depicted by the birthplaces of their children-Frank was born in Mrkopalj, Fred Jr. in Vancouver, B.C.; Jack in Missouri; John in Iowa and Tony, Joe, Larry and Mary Ann in Roslyn, Washington. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jovanovich Sr. celebrated their 55th Wedding Anniversary in 1978. They reside comfortably in retirement in their South Seattle home.

John Jovanovich moved from Roslyn to Seattle in 1943 and following his graduation from Highline High School in 1948, he spent a couple of years in the Army, including a 13-month stint in Korea during that war. Returning home, John married his personable wife, Joanne and launched his career as a carpenter and eventually as a builder. He pursued this livelihood for nearly 20 years, acquiring a reputation as an excellent craftsman and a 100 per-cent honest businessman. In 1969, looking for a little change of pace, he took a fling at commercial fishing in Alaska. During this venture, he encountered what he thought were questionable arrangements between the distributors of commercial fishing gear. Determined to do something about it, John tracked down untapped sources of supplies and set up the Jovanovich Supply Co. Today, the company is a major supplier of netting materials, twine and related materials up and down the West Coast. Brother Jovanovich's entry into the political arena is another example of his determination to get things done. Unhappy with the local school board's policies, he competed for a position on the board in 1976, only to be defeated. Undaunted, however, he raised his sights this past year and ended up being elected on the Democratic ticket as a state legislator from south Seattle’s 31st District. Predicably, his primary interests are school funding and natural resources management policies-particularly fisheries.

John Jovanovich joined the Croatian Fraternal Union in 1950, being first affiliated with Harmony Lodge 764 and then moving over to Lodge 439 when the two merged in 1965. He has always been active in Lodge work, particularly o n the entertainment committee which he served as chairman for a year or two in in he early 1970’s. You'd have to go back quite a few years to recall a Lodge picnic when John wasn't cutting and dispensing barbecued lamb. The Jovanovichs have four sons Steve, 23, Tim, 21, George, 18 and Tom, 15. Each, like their parents, is a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union. Strapping lads to say the least, each if the older three boys wrestled in the heavyweight or light -heavyweight divisions in high school, Tom will most certainly follow, next year. Following three years of specialized training in Baltimore, Maryland, Steve recently obtained his papers as a marine engineer. Each of the older three boys is a commercial fisherman. In concluding this profile. mention must be made that John and Joanne are charter members of the Seattle Junior Tamburitzans' parents group. dating back to 1970. There is rarely an event that goes by-concert, fundraiser or a group party-but what the couple will be pitching in to help. Here again, their activity relates to the involvement of their sons-Tim on the bass, George, bugarija and Tom on the brac or bass. The boys have also performed in the Group"s combo, "'Sasavi Becari" (Crazy Playboys) and Tim has contributed tremendously with his accordions. and excelling with the button box as well.

 

JOVIC, ANTHONY New York Fireman

In those first weeks after Lt. Anthony Jovic disappeared with other members of Engine Co. 279 at the World Trade Center, his wife, Cynthia, concentrated on being strong for his two boys, Matthew, 10, and Peter, 9. So she had a little psychological trick she played on herself to keep going. I'd say, ‘He's working today. He's going to come home tonight,'” she recalled. That night it would be, ‘OK, he's working tonight, he's going to come home tomorrow.' Every day I'd tell myself the same thing.” It was because Cynthia Jovic can't imagine morning coffee without her husband of 16 years, a big kidder and hugger-and-kisser who never got through a day without several times telling her and the boys he loved them. The son of a Croatian longshoreman who grew up in Hell's Kitchen, Jovic, 39, impressed all his friends as being smart enough to win the big one on “Jeopardy!” The couple met in Manhattan, when he was working at a butcher shop on Ninth Avenue and she, also a Croatian immigrant and longshoreman's daughter, was working at a deli nearby. When a cousin suggested they  all go to an Irish pub in New Hyde Park, Jovic drove to pick her up in Manhattan in the most formal manner, allowing plenty of time to chat first with her mother and father at the house. For her old-fashioned European parents, his wife said, “it was love at first sight.” For the couple, too. They married 2 1/2 years later. Jovic joined the city fire department 12 years ago, about the time the family moved from Elmhurst to Massapequa Park. He was aiming high, and once he made lieutenant was already spending every free day he could find to prepare for the captain's exam, which he would have taken in October. When not working or studying, it was miniature golf, bowling, and lots of swimming with the family in the backyard pool. They were so close, she could finish his sentences for him. “We were the happiest when we were together,” she said. Cynthia Jovic was watching CNN on Sept. 11; she knew it was bad, because her husband was working with the company in Red Hook, Brooklyn, that day. “When that tower came down, his soul went right through me. I knew it then, he just went through me and I knew he was gone,” she said. His burned and mangled shield turned up in the south tower in November, shortly before a memorial service was held, but no remains have been identified. The memory of that moment has become a source of warmth and comfort lately, now that it's no longer possible for her to pretend her husband is coming home tonight, or tomorrow morning, or the next day. Now, Cynthia Jovic knows, he's with her and the kids all the time.  “He always told me, ‘Every time they take an ID picture, I try to look nice, because you never know when they might be using it for a memorial.' I'll be honest with you, I think he looks wonderful in the picture that they have of him.”

 

JOVICK, ANTON Artist

Anton Jovick was born Anton Jovanovich in Krasnica near Ledenice in Croatia on December 23, 1896. His formal training as an artist began in 1957 when he enrolled in black and white portraiture under Professor Ugo Graziotti, the famous Italian sculptor and painter, formerly of San Francisco. Mr. Jovick's training in oils came from Arthur Palmer, the San Francisco portrait artist. Mr. Jovick works mostly from black and white and color photographs. His favorite subjects are peasants and oldsters whom he considers to be superb character studies. In the past years., he has had three one man shows and has exhibited widely in the Bay Area. He has received several awards. Mr. Jovick is a member of the Society of Western Artists and in December, 1974, received the Society's highest honor. In February, 1975, Mr. Jovick's photos of his original oil portraits, and his resume were accepted by the National Gallery of Fine Arts, 8th and C Streets, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., 20012, Room 256, to be placed in the gallery's files for possible use of his originals in future exhibits. In February, 1978, photos of Mr. Jovick's original oil portraits were accepted by Governor Jerry Brown's office of the State of California to be placed in a file of artists being considered to paint a portrait of the governor in the future. Mr. Jovick received a Proclamation in August, 1978, from the late Mayor George Moscone in recognition of his artistic accomplishments and commending him for his splendid contributions to the City of San Francisco. In January, 1981, he also received a Proclamation from Mayor Dianne Finestein, City of San Francisco. In September of 1978, he received a letter from Governor Jerry Brown commending him for his dedication to painting and his contribution to the timeless body of art. Mr. Jovick's biographical record appears in the Who's Who in the West Seventeenth Edition 1980/1981, and also in Who's Who in Art - Nineteenth Edition, 1980, Great Britain. Among Mr. Jovick's clients is the Bing Crosby family. A portrait of Bing Crosby by the artist now hangs in the Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, Mr. Crosby's Alma Mater.

 

JUGOVICH, PETE Mariner-Fisherman-Military

Typical of the New York arrival was eighteen year old Pete Jugovich, who left his native town of Bol, on the Dalmatian island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia where he was born in 1895. He sailed around the world several times in ships which were infested with cockroaches, harsh captains, indifferent men, and intolerable living conditions. Approaching New York Harbor, he made a difficult decision. Drawing upon all his courage, he silently dressed, carefully layering all the clothingle owned on his lean 6-2" frame. With downcast eyes, so no one could read the fear they held, he walked off the ship and into the night. The year was 1913. He sought out men who had come from his home town in the local boarding houses. Having secured a home base, he set out each morning to look for work, a shovel over his shoulder and a smile on his face. The cities of the East were built by men like Pete who were physically able, willing to work at any job, and eager to please and prove themselves. When he had earned enough money both to send home and to buy a train ticket, he traveled to Washington State where fellow countrymen had gone before him.

He sought shelter in a boarding house in Old Town, Tacoma. Fishing was the livelihood of most of the Croatians in the area, so, after jobs in the local sawmills, he looked toward the sea. When the First World War was declared, he was one of the firstCroatians to be called to serve his adopted country. Upon discharge from the army, Pete obtained his U.S. citizenship. Fishing was reported to be more profitable in California, so San Pedro became his home for three short years, where he fished and made many lifelong friends. He soon discovered that there was only one place he wanted to live and that was the Pacific Northwest.

There were some parents who had opposed letting their sons leave home in Europe. Those who ventured forth from such homes could not be of faint heart but men of determination and purpose, for the fainting of mothers and the weeping of fathers who felt they would never see their sons again was almost too much to bear. The memory of those partings and the need to prove himself sustained many an adventurer for years. Pete Jugovich had left such a family, and throughout the years did what he could to ease their burden. Most European families did not understand that it was practically impossible for immigrants to return home, for they barely made a living wage. The desire to sponsor brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends was there, but the funds were not. During the Depression, although he himself had a wife and two small children, Pete still managed to bring a nephew to America to live with him. Later two more nephews were to come. He was the only member of his immediate family of parents, six sisters, and one brother to emigrate to America. (Some eventually settled in South America.) He never forgot them; he wrote, he sent funds, but, because of financial and later physical impossibilities, he was never to see them or his native land again. He never bemoaned the fact, for he knew that this was where he belonged. Typical of those who become successful citizens, Pete Jugovich became an exceptional fisherman, captain, boat owner, and a leader of his people. His interests were diversified and his friends came from all walks of life. An avid reader and a student of history, he taught himself the language and instilled a love for learning in his children. Some Settled in Eatonville.

 

JURACH, JOHN Restaurant

Many features of life in the city of Sacramento contribute to make the California capital an earthly paradise, but none gives greater comfort than the Peacock Cafe, at 1020 Sixth Street, one of the best-appointed and best conducted restaurants anywhere in the Golden State.  Its proprietor is John Jurach, a native of Islan of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia, who was born on May 22, 1878, the son a captain of a sailing vessel. In 1901 he came to the United States and washed dishes in a restaurant at Denver; and later he worked as both a waiter and a cook.  With two partners, he ran a cafe in Denver, on Laurimer Street, for thirteen months; and in 1904 he came to California.  He worked in a cafe in San Jose.  After the big fire in 1906, he ran a small cafe in a shanty at the corner of Kearny and California Streets, San Francisco and later he conducted a restaurant opposite the Phelan Building, at the corner of Grant Avenue and O’Farrel Street.  After that, he was proprietor of the Plaza Cafe, at Mason and O’Farrel Streets. Going to Sacramento in 1910, he opened a small place on Third Street, between J and K and Streets, originally called the Mississippi Kitchen and one of the oldest places in the city, and later known as the Lounge Restaurant; and in 1912 he removed to his present place on Sixth Street.  At Sacramento on October 9, 1913, Mr. Jurach was married to Miss Minnie Valerio of Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia a lady with special gifts which have enabled her to become the best of helpmates and a most invaluable companion to her ambitious husband.

 

JURACOVICH, A. G. Dentist-Professor

Doctor  A. G. Juracovic was born in Zivogvosce, Makarska, Croatia; father Joseph and mother Franka. He finished three years of grammar school in his birthplace. Upon arriving to New Orleans, Louisiana he continued his schooling. After he finished high school he enrolled in Pharmaceutical  School and graduated in 1915. He worked in the hospital and stayed there until 1920.  The same year he enrolled in  University  and graduated 1924. From 1924 to 1930 he was a professor at Loyola University. He was married in 1924 to Dolly, the daughter of Bautovich, a very prominent businessman. They had two children. In 1930 Dr. Juracovich opened a dental office in New Orleans, and was very well known among Croatians in New Orleans. He was the member of American Dental Association, Louisiana State Pharmaceutical Association, Slavonian Society.

 

JURENOVICH, JEROME Sports News TV

Jerome Jurenovich is a sports anchor for Headline News. Jurenovich is responsible for reporting, producing and broadcasting sports segments at:20 and :50 after the hour. He occasionally provides sports reports for CNN International (CNNI). Jurenovich joined CNN in 1987. Before joining Headline News, CNN, Jurenovich worked as a sports anchor at WSEE-TV, the CBS affiliate in Erie Pa. He began his career in sports television as a videotape editor for WABC-TV in New York, N.Y. In 1981, Jurenovich received a bachelor's degree in communication arts from Gannon University in Erie, Penn.

 

JURICH, PETER  Peace Corps-Teacher

At the veterans' bar in Yurich's hometown of Oak Creek, Colorado, men his age line up at the counter, griping about the stock market and their medical woes. Yurich, a 66-year-old former fifth-grade teacher, has no time for either. He's traveling and toiling in his 14th year in the Peace Corps, and overturning perceptions of aging, gender roles and education. He's a child of Croatian immigrants who has lived in eight countries and acutely understands America's place in the world. He bakes Easter bread that he shares with neighbors, and in his right bicep sports a tattoo of his initials which he got in the fifth grade. His face flushes crimson when he laughs his playful laugh.

While the Peace Corps is often associated with adventurers fresh out of college, many older Americans also volunteer, bringing with them a lifetime of work and wisdom. They're past retirement age and their children are grown. Healthier and freer than seniors of earlier eras, they're too vigorous and curious to settle for being old. Describing the scene at the VFW bar in Oak Creek, a small former mining town in the mountains of northwestern Colorado, Yurich said, ''I just couldn't handle that. I don't fit in there.''Instead, he's on his sixth Peace Corps assignment, in this small former Soviet republic in the Caucasus Mountains. Every morning, he walks to work at Vanevan University, a tiny teachers' college that closes for the winter because it has no heat and retains a gnawing chill well into April. He walks past a defunct lamp factory and shuttered shops that testify to Armenia's economic decline over the past decade, blamed on the collapse of Soviet-era infrastructure and a 1988-94 war with neighboring Azerbaijan. He finds his name on the class schedule, a mass of squiggly Armenian script, and sets to teaching several subjects in English. Yurich may be the only man in Martuni who does his own laundry, washing it by hand in the bathtub as his female neighbors do, in an apartment lucky to have running water an hour a day. In a narrow kitchen lined with pictures of his four children, he prepares vegetables and noodles from the farmers' market. On a broken stove on his concrete balcony he's collecting empty vodka bottles for crafts. His living arrangement in Armenia, he says, is more comfortable than his previous Peace Corps stints: the Philippines in Southeast Asia, the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, and Liberia, Namibia and Lesotho in Africa. Psychologically, however, Armenia is tougher.

''In Africa, they were very receptive to new technologies. But here they were used to a higher level of education and financial security. It's very hard for them to accept the deterioration,'' he said. The Armenian language barrier is also formidable. His thick gray brows furrow when he gurgles out the guttural consonants, which he has learned to read in his nine months here but still struggles to pronounce. ''The younger volunteers pick up the language faster,'' he said. ''I'm trying not to let that bother me too much.'' Yurich is no stranger to languages. He was born the fifth of six children to a Slovenian mother and Croatian father. His father spoke only Croatian at home and in the Colorado coal mines where he worked with other immigrants.

Yurich then served in the U.S. Army in Augsburg, Germany, where he met and married his sweetheart Rita. When they returned to Oak Creek in the 1960s, Yurich was so concerned about their children's schooling, he said, ''Everyone told me to get a teaching degree or shut up. So I did.'' In 1987, divorced and with grown children, he saw an ad for the Peace Corps on late night television and called the Denver recruiting office. He's now their star volunteer. His family has cheered his adventurousness, but the last few months have highlighted the hardship of living across the planet from loved ones. In February, his 10-year-old grandson Zachary died of leukemia. In March, his brother-in-law died. And in April, his daughter Martina bore her first child, daughter Dakota. Yurich learned of the birth several days later, when he journeyed to Armenia's capital, Yerevan, to check his e-mail. ''I miss him. But I'm just thrilled for him. He has so much to give,'' Martina Yurich said from her home in Anchorage, Alaska. ''In Oak Creek people thought he was nuts,'' she said. ''Now they look forward to his letters. He's very good at writing letters - you get the feeling that you're there.''

 

JURISICH, LUKE King of Oysters

Oyster fishing has long been the  traditional occupation among Dalmatian, Croatians in Plaquemines Parish, particularly oyster fishing. Croatians are credited with developing the state's commercial oyster industry, and Luke Jurisich, who settled at Bayou Creek in 1855, is often called the father of Croatian oyster fishing in Louisiana. In the mid 1840s, Dalmatian immigrants moved to Louisiana and began fishing for oysters in the rich waters adjacent to the Mississippi River below New Orleans. Through careful observation and years of experience, the fishermen realized that an abundance of oysters grew on the eastern side of the river. They also began moving oysters from overcrowded reefs on the east side to areas on the west side where salinity was more favorable, current more steady, and food was plentiful. These oysters grew to a more round-oval shape, matured quicker, and developed tastier meat. The oystermen gather the seed oysters, plant them in a favorable spot, allow the seed to grow into mature, market-size oysters, and harvest the crop. Louisiana Croatians settled in or near Plaquemines Parish fishing communities like Olga, Empire, Buras, and Port Sulphur. Fishing families in Louisiana often spent much of the year in camps, which were built on posts driven into the marsh. The women might move to New Orleans or Empire so that their children could attend school. The oyster industry has undergone many changes in the last sixty years. Some older men like "Captain Pete" Vujnovich remember first-hand the life in the oyster camps and describe the transition from tonging oysters to dredging and the move from shovels to water pumps in seeding oyster beds. Fishing vessels have changed from wooden boats to fiberglass or aluminum boats and have become much more comfortable. Although fishing techniques and equipment have changed, men still make and repair their dredge nets by hand; as one says, "We all have to know it." Other occupational skills include building a reef, seeding oysters, operating a dredge, and oyster shucking. Oysters are now fished year-round, since they can be kept longer with refrigeration. Some Plaquemines Parish fishermen like the Vujnovichs once brought their oysters to market at the wharves in New Orleans, but today refrigerated trucks pick them up at the dock. (Vujnovich 1974) (Pausina 1970)

 

JURISICH, JOSEPH M. Oyster Dealer

Joseph M. Jurisich, for some years  a prominent and well-known factor in the oyster industry of New Orleans, is junior member of the firm of Popich and Jurisich with general offices and headquarters at 1039 Toulouse Street. This large wholesale oyster house was established in 1932 and has grown to large proportions with quantities of oysters being shipped throughout each season to all sections of the South. John Popich is the senior member of the firm and both men are thoroughly experienced and practical oyster men. The partners have a good sized oyster fleet, comprising one lugger and two smaller craft, together with a number of smaller boats used in gathering oysters from their beds in Grand Bayou, Plaquemines Parish. Joseph Mitchell Jurisich was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the twentieth of January, 1909, a son of the late John Jurisich, a native of Croatia who came to the United States, with his three brothers at the age of fourteen, and Contecella (Fredercio) Jurisich, who passed away in 1918. The father of Mr. Jurisich was also engaged in the oyster business for some years and at the time of his death in 1924 was the owner of a restaurant in New Orleans. Mr. Jurisich was, educated in the New Orleans school, graduating from Warren Easton High School, and after completing his studies worked as a tile setter for four years prior to the establishment of his wholesale oyster business in 1932. On the eleventh of March. 1928. Mr. Jurisich was married to Miss Leonie Eouver, a native of Oxford, England, who came to the United States with her parents at the age of six months. Mr. and Mrs. Jurisich have their home at 1457 Miro Street and are the parents of three children, John Eugene, born the twenty seventh of January, 1929; Eugene Emile, born May 11th, 1935, and Mildred Bettie, born the twenty-fifth of November, 1939. Mr. Jurisich is an active and aggressive young business man and is also well-known in the civic circles of New Orleans. He is a member of the Slavonian Benefit Society and for recreation enjoys hunting and boating.

 

JURJEVICH, ANTHONY S. Postmaster-Mercantile Business-Military

Anthony S. Jurjevich is a son of the first postmaster at Olga in Plaquemines Parish and today is filling the place first occupied by his late father when the local post office was established on the twenty-third of May, 1901. Mr. Jurjevich also has a large mercantile es tablishment at Olga and is one of the best known and most popular citizens of this thriving Plaquemines parish community. Anthony S. Jurjevich was born in Plaquemines Parish on the twenty-fourth of January, 1894, a son of Stephan Jurjevich, a native of Croatia. His father came to the United States at the age of twenty one and settled in Louisiana where for some years he fished for oysters, utilizing old fashioned methods which frequently necessitated diving overboard to recover the oysters singly. In 1884 when he was around thirty-five years of age, the elder Jurjevich started in the mercantile business which he continued to operate until a few years prior to his death in 1933 at the age of eighty-four. Mr. Jurjevich was educated in the local schools and worked for his father in the latter's store at Olga and in 1917 took over active management of the business and also served as postmaster until his enlistment in the United States Army on the thirtieth of September, 1917. Mr. Jurjevich trained at Camp Beauregard and was assigned to the thirty-ninth division and in May, 1918, sailed for Europe, landing in Liverpool, England, on the twenty-third of June, 1918, later going to France where he saw active service until the signing of the Armistice. Mr. Jurjevich was selected to go with the army of occupation in Germany where he remained until mid-summer of the following year. Returning to the United States Mr. Jurjevich received his honorable discharge early in August and reached his home at Olga after nearly two years service on the fifteenth of August, 1919. Mr. Jurjevich immediately resumed his place in the mercantile business and was again appointed postmaster at Olga on the twenty-fifth of September, 1920. On the fourth of July, 1930, Mr. Jurjevich was married to Miss Louise Ruth Wagner of New Orleans. Mr. and Mrs. Jurjevich are the parents of a daughter, Ruth Ama Melba Jurjevich, born November 1, 1935. Mr. Jurjevich has long occupied a prominent place in the civic life of Olga. He is a member. of the National League of District Postmasters, is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, John Dibert Post No. 351 and is a communicant of the Catholic faith.

 

JURJEVICH, JOSEPH Mercantile Business-Packet Boat-Police Jury

Joseph Jurjevich, for more than a score of years an outstanding civic leader of Plaquemines Parish, is also one of the most successful and widely known businessmen of Olga where with his brother, Anthony Jurjevich, he owns the grocery and general merchandise store established many years ago by their father. This business was formerly operated by the father and sons jointly and was taken over by the two brothers following the death of their father a few years ago. During recent years Mr. Jurjevich also has been interested in the construction of the new packet boat, "New Majestic," which was launched on the fifteenth of June, 1940. The New Majestic plies between New Orleans and Burwood and Port Eads, Louisiana, and carries a crew of six, not including ten roustabouts or helpers. The boat is eighty-six feet in length, twenty two feet and ten inches in width and has a gross tonnage of 101 and a net tonnage of thirty-seven tons. Joseph Jurjevich was born in Plaquemine Parish, Louisiana, on the ninth of August, 1898, a son of Stephen Jurjevich and Martha (Purgley) Jurjevich, whose father was a native of Croatia. His father came to the United States as a young man and worked in the rice fields and oyster beds of southern Louisiana and also at Fort St. Philip and later owned and operated the store at Olga now conducted by his sons. On the twenty-first of August, 1918, Mr. JurJevich was married to Miss Ethel L. Flick, a native of New Orleans and daughter of Emile Flick, a former well-known baker of the Crescent City who died in 1940. Mr. and Mrs. Jurjevich have two children, Leander, born the twenty-eighth of December, 1930, now attending the Annunciation School in New Orleans, and Joseph E. Jurjevich, born twenty-seventh of July, 1936. Mr. Jurjevich is a member of the United Slavonian Benevolent Society and for four years served as president of the Grand Prairie Levee District during the administration of Governor Parker. He has been a member of the Plaquemine Police Jury for sixteen years and in the elections of 1940 was named to succeed himself for a four-year term beginning the twenty-fifth of May, 1940. He also is president of the Grand Prairie Levee Board and has filled this place continuously for twelve years or more.

 

JURJEVICH, LEANDER S. Levee Inspector-Military

Born in Olga, Louisiana, Leander S. Jurjevich was named after Leander Perez. He was raised in Olga, and educated in New Orleans and Buras. He served two years in the U.S. Army, during which time he was stationed in Fulda, Germany where he met and married a German girl. A second generation American, he speaks English and a little German which he learned from his wife. He has three daughters, one of whom he adopted in Germany. He was 34 years old in 1965. He works for the Parish as a levee inspector.

 

JURJEVIC,(VLAHOVIC), NINA Croatian Activities-Real Estate

Nina was born and educated in Zagreb, Croatia and completed higher education in Oakland,  California. She is married to Ante Jurevic and has two children and three grandchildren. Nina has been involved in the Croatian community since her arrival in the States in 1958, and was the first speaker for the Croatian Radio Program in San Francisco. Nina has been in the real estate business for 15 years and is a Certified Residential Specialist. Nina has served the Croatian Scholarship Fund as an active Board member for eight years and has been instrumental to CSF on many levels. Her talents and energy are immeasurable.

 

JURKOVIC, JOHN Football

John Jurkovic, signed in March 1999, by the Cleveland Browns to a three year contract worth $3,45 million, is a son of Croatian immigrants. He was born in West Germany in 1967 where his parents came after leaving Croatia. Their next country was U.S. and John grew up in Illinois, playing football at Eastern Illinois University. Prior to Cleveland Browns, his NFL playing experience was with Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars where he had a devoted following. His immigrant parents worked hard to create a life in this country while John and his brother Mirko attended college on a football scholarship, making their parents proud of their success.

 

JURKOVICH, BOB Concrete Business

Nina Jurkovich was born to Visko  and Kate Tomicich Zaninovich. She married Bob Jurkovich, who was in the concrete pipe business in Porterville, California.  Nina had three sons- George (b. 1925), Vincent (b. 1927) and Pete (b. 1934). Nina came to the United States when she was 24 years old and met and married Bob Jurkovich a year or so later.  One of the most memorable events when we were growing up were the visits with Mother’s cousins- the Mandicini, John & Dome Zaninovich (Reedley), Bob & Madica Papac (Del Rey), and Mike and Pera Pavlovich (Fresno).  We would travel to their homes and spend the whole day and have lunch and dinner.  Mom and Dad would invite our cousins and friends for lunch and dinner, and we would spend the whole day visiting and having a good time.  We did this about two times a month. My mother’s aunt Doma Zetz (Sacramento), and her daughter Ann spent a week at our home every year. As a young boy growning up, I remember that my folks always had a big vegetable garden, a milk cow, and a goat that everyone was afraid of. We had lots of chickens, rabbits and pigeons; it was our job to take care of the animals and garden when we got home from school. My mother made sure my brothers and I went to church every Sunday, and that we graduated from St. Ane’s School in Porterville. I think the most memorable time, as a young boy growing up, was the three weeks each summer by brothers, mother, and I spent in Morro Bay. I remember my mother as being deeply religious and always having a happy disposition. Nina was born on November 14, 1899, and passed away on April 29, 1956. Vincent Jurkovich, son.

 

 

JURKOVICH, GEORGE Military 

George Jurkovich, Rm3/c USN, Japanese Bombing of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, Eyewitness Report: This account of the events I recall of the morning of December 7th, 1941 is presented without the benefit of any previous notes, which could have provided a more detailed description. Only the events which impacted me the most, remain in my memory after nearly six decades.

After attending the Fleet Radio School at the 42nd St. Naval base in San Diego, I was sent along with William Hughes and two others to the Battleship USS Utah as trainees (strikers) in the Communications Division. On board from November 8th 1940 to December 7th 1941, Hughes and I attained the rating of RM3/c.

The mission of the Utah was to provide multiple training facilities for both anti-aircraft gunnery and as a bombing target by aircraft. For the latter, it was necessary to protect the exposed areas of the ship with large timbers on the decks, and steel "dog-houses" over the guns. It was in this configuration that the Utah found itself when it was assaulted by Japanese aircraft on Sunday, December 7, 1941.

On that morning, I was asleep in the compartment adjacent to the radio room, along with several others who were off watch. When we were awakened by the explosions, we were advised by the watch supervisor--RM1/c Berry to take appropriate action, as we didn't yet know what had occurred.

When the ship started to list, we decided to go up to the main deck to find out what was happening. It was there that we first realized that we were under both torpedo and machine gun attack by Japanese aircraft.

The area of the main deck adjacent to the ladder from which we emerged was somewhat sheltered by the superstructure above it. I remained there for a short while to avoid the strafing by the aircraft, but it became apparent that the ship was going to capsize, so I ventured out into the open area. As the ship continued to list to the port side, I clambered  to the starboard rail and finally walked along the starboard side to a bulging structure that ran along the length of the ship, normally below the waterline. I believe it was sometimes referred to as a "blister".

As the ship assumed a mast down position, I stood on the bottom of the blister, until further settling of the ship forced me into the water. There was one of the large pieces of timber that had come loose from the deck, and I clung to it while pondering my next move. There was oil in the water, and I managed to get enough of it to become slightly nauseated.

I was on the side of the ship opposite Ford Island, and wasn't sure what to do, when a motor launch appeared on the scene. The only one in it was the Coxwain, who took me to Ford Island where many other of the Utah crew were assembled in a somewhat sheltered area. While I was in the launch, I had observed a group of planes passing over at a high altitude.

While waiting in the sheltered area, we saw a destroyer drop an "ash-can" on a Japanese mini-sub. I remember this vividly, because I had never seen a ship moving that fast before in the channel.

Eventually we were transported to the USS Argonne, the flagship of the Base Force, of which the Utah was a member. Warren Upton RM3/c and myself were attached to the radio group temporarily while awaiting further assignment. 

The night of December 7th was hectic. Late in the evening, we were awakened by the sound of gunfire. We went to a clear area of the mess hall where a large group had gathered, standing around waiting, and wondering what was happening. Suddenly, a bullet came through the side of the ship that faced the channel and hit a man standing to the left of me. I heard someone holler "get a medic down here". But it seemed quite awhile before he got assistance. The gunfire was from the USS California, located across the channel from the Argonne. They were firing at some planes which were returning from the USS Enterprise, thinking they were Japanese planes.

I remember my last evening watch on the bridge of the Argonne. It was the night of December 8, 1941. The Admiral of the Base Force was still there and he looked very sad as he gazed across the channel at the still burning Arizona, and made some comment about the fact that it was still burning.

The next day, James Mills RM1/c and myself were transferred to a radio transmitter station at Makalapa, which was located nearby, and was maintained by, NAS Pearl. [Ed. note. More than sixty one years ago, on 11-08-1940, George Jurkovich, Bill Hughes, Ernest Burhop and one other Radio Striker reported on board Battleship Utah at Pearl.]

 

JURKOVICH, WILLIAM Contractor

William Jurkovich was born in Sjekose, Croatia and once worked for Kovacevich in Arvin.  He was 16 when he came to the U.S. to join his brother, John.  They worked on railroads and aqueducts in Southern California before coming to Fresno.  William married Lena, the daughter of Louis and Lukra Suglian.  (Lukra was a Kovacevich.) Louis had a brother, John Suglian, who became a big man in the cattle industry.  In fact, John Suglian was known as the dean of valley dairy cattle breeders for 30 years.  A lot of champions carried his brand. Lena and William Jurkovich had three sons, Louis, Joe and Jim.  They were each star athletes but it was Jim who was the best.  He became a triple-threat Fresno High School football player, stright-A student and was the California Interscholastic Federation long jump record-holder (24 feet, 1/2 inch) for 10 years.  As a senior, he won an engineering scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley and everyone was betting he would become an All-American for the Golden Bears, but two brain concussions cut down on his playing time.  Among his collegiate highlights was selection to the East-West shrine Game. The talented Jurkovich was destined for other honors as well.  He took third place (worth $5,000) in a U.S. Steel-sponsored highway-bridge-design contest in 1959.  Seven years later he won the same international competition plus $15,000 and he now works for Caltrans. Old-time prep football fans consider Jurkovich as one of the best in valley history.  To substantiate the claim, Erwin Ginsburg, his FHS coach, recently named Jurkovich (1937-38) to his all-time backfield with Ray Patterson (1939), Leland Scott (1939), Mike Kershaw (1940) and Les Richter (1946-47).

 

JURLIN, DAN Restaurant

Dan Jurlin, restaurateur and onetime chef at New Joe’s on Broadway, died Sunday.  He was 70. Mr. Jurlin, known to thousands of San Franciscans as just Dan, was born in Dalmatia.  He owned the Rainbow on Mason Street in the 1950’s, was proprietor of Dan’s in the Alley in Maiden Lane, during the 1940s, and most recently owned Small Joe’s on Polk Street, which he sold three years ago. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, and a sister and nephew.

 

JURSIC, BRANKO Professor-Chemist

Branko Jursic is a professor of chemistry at University of New Orleans, Louisiana. Born March 9, 1957 in  Ceminac; parents Stiepan and Minka; wife Brigita with one son. Education includes Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Zagreb, Croatia BSc and DSc 1984;  postdoctorate  at Columbia University, New York 1988-1991. Published 42 scientific papers in internationally recognized journals. Researcher in the field of organic synthesis, mechanism of organic reactions, molecular modelling, design and synthesis of anticarcinogenic compounds; co-author of patents from the fields of cancer research. Member of American Chemical Society.