ZARJA -THE DAWN URADNO GLASILO OFFICIAL PUBLICATION SLOVENSKE ŽENSKE ZVEZE V AMERIKI SLOVENIAN WOMENS UNION OF AMERICA NUMBER 5 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2005 VOLUME 77 □n the cover: Slovenia's vineyards cover a fifth of the land. Some wines are born on steep terraces that have withstood the last 2000 years. The beauty of Slovenia is seen not only in the mountains and valleys, the lakes and rivers, but also the cultivated land as we see on the cover picture of the wine region at Haloze, in Štajerska. The months for wine harvest are coming. The word for October is VINDTDK, (the word means TIME OF WINE), and Slovenians welcome the new wine of the season. The celebration continues to Saint Martin's Day, November IIth when the legend claims that on that day grape juice turns into wine. SLOVENIA, FROM WHERE YOUR BOUNDLESS BEAUTY? Everywhere my eye can see, O, beauty, I can only dream of tliee! Where can a more beautiful land be found? My home in Slovenia is the best for me. As I stare from my beloved hills Beyond the valleys and mountains, In the distance I can even gaze at the blue sea. My home in Slovenia is die best for me. Tell me, o white cloud of all the other lands you’ve toured have you found such beauty as ours, of which I’m proud? The wind sang happily with joy As it glanced the earth beyond. Such beauty it did not find as here where is my home. Slovenia, from where your boundless beautyI' We greet you deep from the heart Whence here is our home Slovenia, let us sing a song to you. Happiness elsewhere cannot be found. To my Slovenian home I am bound. SLOVENIJA, ODKOT LEPOTE TVOJE! S. & V. Avsenik Povsod kjer mi seže pogled Lepota zasanjana! Kje najti se lepši je svet, kje lepše je kot doma? Se s hribov v daljave zazrem prek gričev, dolin, gora, v daljevi se modro moije uzrem, kje lepše je kot doma? Pove se oblaček ti bel -obhodil že ves si svet. Je lepša dežela se kje kot naša, kjer sem doma? Je vetrič veselo zapel, preletel je prek sveta, in takih lepot ni našel nikjer kot tule kjer sem doma. Slovenija, odkot lepote tvoje! Pozdravljamo te iz srca In srečni tu smo doma. Slovenija, naj tebi pesem poje. Ne išči sreče drugot kot le doma. ZARJA-THE DAWN (ISSN 0044-1848) Postmaster: Send all changes of address to: SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S UNION, 431 N. Chicago St., Joliet, 1L 60432 No. 5 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2005 VOL. 77 Official Publication ol’tlw Slovenian Women’s (Inion <>l America -Uradno glasilo Slovenske Zenske '/ve/e. Published Bi-monthlv - šestkrat na leto. Annual Subscription for non-members, $20.00 - namfnina $20.00 letno /a nc-članice. Publisher: SLOVENIAN WOMEN'S UNION OF AMERICA 431 No. Chicago St., Joliet, II. 60432 Telephone: (SIS) 727-1926 Periodicals Postage Paid at Joliet, IL and at additional mailing offices AH communications for the next issue of publication must be in the hands of the Editor by the first week of the month - vsi dopisi za naslednjo izdajo mesečnika morajo biti v rokah urednice do I. v mesecu. Editor: COR IN NE LESKOVAR Editorial Office: 4X51 S. Drexel lil vil., Chicago, IL 60615-1703 Email: COR LESKO VAR(a]AOL. COM Telephone: (773) 54H-S87S - Fascimile: (773) 268-4HV9 English translation of this beautiful song by S.-V. Avsenik was made by Nandi Puc, (Br. 99) of Westmont, Illinois. The original Slovenian lyrics, right above, are recorded in many of Avsenik's albums; also available for sale at the SWU Heritage Museum Gift Shop, on a CD entitled: Ethnic Strains of the SINGING SLOVENES Marie T. Stelow, MS, LCPC Individual, Couple, Family Therapy 1000 Essington Road Phone: (815) 773-2303 Joliet, IL 60431 Fax: (815) 744-1623 LIVING OUR LEGACY IN SLOVENIA WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Twenty-one people from various cities in the United States traveled across the Adantic Ocean to “Experience the Wonders of Slovenia.” This trip was absolutely incredible. 1 find it difficult to express in words all that my heart felt during tliis 15 day extravaganza. We all had die time of our lives. We sang regularly, danced much, ate a lot, drank a huge amount, laughed until our sides ached, shared life stories, some of us met relatives, and saw die most beautiful country in the world in full summer’s bloom. This trip was all that we planned for and much more. We left the United States as individuals and arrived back home as one big happy family. We shared an incredible experience that will last a life time. I would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Kollander World Travel and Kompas Travel for their dedication and hard work to make this Uip so very exclusive and exceptional. This dip would not have happened with out their expertise and personalized service. And finally a very very special thank you to Manja Lilek, our tour guide and Luka our “chauffeur.” Their care, humor and friendship were outstanding. Our tour was totally complete with diese two very unique and extraordinary people. During the nip I asked our travelers to jot down their thoughts and feelings so that they could be shared with all of you. Enjoy their comments, and next time Slovenian Women’s Union plans a tour you may want to join us. We make it happen. Here, and on the following pages are some of these comments and pictures of our n ip. “I loved the trip. It was beyond my wildest dreams of how beautiful the country is čuk! the people aie. I can’t wait to visit again. ” Renee Kiml, Rohnert Park, CA “Slovenia has made me proud to be a Slovenian! Beautiful people and places. ’’Irene Kiml, Mdlbg. Hts., OH “What a beautiful country - the landscapes and people are fantastic. To see my cousins, their hums, and my parents ’ birthplaces was an emotional and spiritual high. It is an experience ;md trip that will always be close to our hearts. ” Bob and Clarice Pawlicki, Shelby Twp., MI '+ NATIONAL PRESIDENT Kathleen Dorchak-Hall This month, Living Our Legacy takes us to the entire country of Slovenia, back to where our grandparents and some of our parents were born. How proud we are to be Slovenian and to be able to say our forefathers came from such a beautiful and outstandingly scenic country. One cannot pick just one place-it was all so incredible! -Kathy Dorchak-Hall “Slovenia is a lot nicer than I thought. The food was the best pait and the good looking women topped it off. I was glad to have met all of the people on the tour."Nick Marchetti, Brecksville, OH “This was my best graduation present. Being with family mul new friends and experiencing part of my culture with everyone, is a memory' that I will hold close to my heart forever mid remember, always laughing, drinking, and having fun. "Jess Marchetti, Brecksville, OH “What a beautiful country. Everything is so green! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. It was tiring but I wouldn ’t have changed a thing. We were able to see so many beautiful and interesting sights. We had a great group of people and had a lot of fun: eating, laughing, drinking and dancing. The things we did and the places vi e visited really gave me a feeling of the traditions. This is a memory I will cherish forever! Our guide ;uid driver were the best - I especially liked one daily legend. ” Debbie Marchetti, Parma, OH “The country was so beautiful and I had a marvelous time with family and new friends.” Ann Werstak, Willoughby, OH “It has been a wonderful experience to be in this beautiful country of Slovenia, the birthplace of both of my parents. It’s been a beautiful time.”Theresa Marchetti, Brecksville, OH “How can I ever express the magnitude of this beautiful country and its people? It is so incredible in every way and more than I dreamed possible. This was a once in a lifetime trip and I am so glad I got to share it with my mother. We now understand, with humility and pride, what it means to be Slovenian. Thank you - each and every one of you for making this experience so unbelievable. Hvala.” Karen Taylor, Champaign, IL “What a wonderful experience spending my birthday with my daughter and new extended family in my mother’s and father’s beautiful homeland. Words can not express the memories of a life time. ” Valeria Taylor, Sun City Center, FL “There aie 110 words to describe the beauty of Slovenia and its people! Luka and Manja took such good care of us and are so knowledgeable about everything. From one end of Slovenia to the other we shared good food, good drinks, much laughter and wonderful new friends! Thank you for the trip of a life time!" Bob and Sue Ukovich (Branch 20) Joliet, IL 4§- View from Mt. Vogel View from Žii/.i iiiIhth C 'asiU- “What an exciting, super trip. Making such wonderful new friends and meeting with family is extraordinary. The beauty of the country and its people are beyond words. It’s a place that must be seen to be truly appreciated. Hvala za vse” Elsie Spellacy, Union town, OH “I cannot get my fill of the beauty and sights that make up Slovenia. It is truly a land to savor and treasure. ’’Olga Dorchak, Sagamore Hills, OH “Slovenia is the most beautiful country I’ve seen - such lush green kuid. Our tour was great as we saw all different cities. We also met our family ;uid what a treasure it was. Hope to be back soon. ” Julie Davian, Hinckley, OH “This trip has been so awesome. The scener}- has been breath taking, but I have to say the best part was having the pri\ilege of meeting my family and the wonderful opportunity to sing, dance and drink with them. I can’t wait to come back again!” Mary McGowan, Brunswick, OH “Slovenia Invigorates! The beautiful landscape is breath taking and we had a gieat time with family and our new friends. Thank you, Kathy for making this trip so special. ” Diane Fornaro, Mantua, OH “We have four days left and I get tears in my eyes thinking it’s ;dmost over. ” Sandy Cerny, Rochester Hills, MI “I came here with my best friend to celebrate our upcoming 60 birthdays. It has been the trip of our lives! The scenery is breath taking, food is fabulous, ;md people are friendly and caring. We visited the ullages of my grandparents - Zužemberg and Sežana, which has fulfilled my dreams. Thank you Kathy for coordinating this tour. Our tour guide and driver are fabulous. I made new friends and look forward to our reunion. I loved the chance to play a couple of times on the accordion in Slovenia. I am the first one of my generation to visit Slovenia. It is a remembrance to behold. Next time I will bring my husband to experience the wonders of Slovenia. ” Marie Zimmer, Aurora, OH I hope this tribute to our tour encourages you to join us on our next tour. We are planning a Tour Reunion for Saturday, September 10, 2005 in Cleveland. All travelers will be notified of the time and place. And, guests are welcome! o MARIBOR SLOVENIJA GOR1ZIA (GORICA) o LJUBLJANA TRIESTE (TRST) AUSTRIA vil l ar H KLAGENFURT Ibeuaki J ,UDINE (VIDEM). CROATIA Adriatic Sea CROATIA Slovenian name is Slovenija - English name is Slovenia SLOVENIA - “A Green Piece of Europe” Slovenia is Europe’s green treasure. This colorful land with its well preserved natural environment situated in the very center of Europe at the junction of three geological regions, the Alps, the Mediterranean, and the Pannonian Plain, will surely surprise you with its special attractions. There’s probably no other place on earth with such diversity in such a small area. The animal and plant diversity is amongst the highest in the world. Numerous endemic species live here. * Slovenia is one of the most heavily forested countries in Europe, with half of the land under tree cover.. * The Karst boasts over 6000 subterranean caves, of which 110 can be visited. The endemic “human fish”, Proteus Anginius - the largest animal that lives completely underground - makes its home in some caves. * The proud white lipizzaner horses originate from Lipica in the Karst. * Decorated beehive covers, with 50,000 varieties featuring over 600 different motifs, are a special form of folk art, and demonstrate the importance of bee-keeping in Slovenia. The Camiolian Bee, a type of bee is native to Slovenia. Kozolid (drying racks for hay or corn) are special wooden constructions used for storing hay; they can be found all over Slovenia, but nowhere else. * The Slovenian Academy and the Slovenian Philharmonic Society are among the oldest in the world. Honorary members have included Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. * Planica was the site of the first ski-jumps beyond 100 meters and 200 meters. Skiing in Slovenia has a tradition dating back centuries. * Wine lovers will be delighted to learn that Slovenian vineyards lie on the same latitude as Burgundy and Bordeaux, while the wine tradition dates back to the Roman era. Slovenia is a beautiful land. Our heritage began there and will continue to help us Live Our Legacy. 2č SSSr SLOVENIAN FACTS Surface area 20,256 km (7,820 sq. miles, approx. the same size as New Jersey) No. of inhabitans 1,994,084 Population density per km: 98,4 No. of persons employed: 800,000 Nationalities: Slovenian, in parts of Prekmurje also Hungarian, and Italian on the coast Religions: 82% Catholics in three dioceses, the remainder protestants, orthodox, muslims Gross national income per inhabitant: $6,015 US (1993) State borders: Italy 235 km, Austria 324 km, Hungary 102 km, Croatia 546 km, and the Adriatic coast 46,6 km National Anthem: “A Toast”, a musical arrangement of the poem written by France Prešeren (1800-1849) with the text: “God’s blessings on all nations/Who long and work for that bright day/When o’er earth’s habitations/No war nor strife shall hold its sway...” Political system: Slovenia is a republic with a parliamentary democracy; its bodies are: a two-house assembly, the president of the republic, the government. CUISINE AND WINE Various pasta, dough and meat dishes, particularly sausage and salami, are characteristic of the whole country of Slovenia. More than a hundred different types of dumplings are made in Slovenia, while potica, a sweet made from rolled pastry stuffed with nuts, raisins and spices, is another speciality. In eastern Slovenia, the outstanding dish is the delectable layered cake Prekmurska gibanica, best with a fragrant semidry or semi-sweet wine from north-eastern or eastern Slovenia. In the Karst, you must try air-dried ham pršut - prosciutto - which goes very well with a glass of ruby-red Teran wine. In western Slovenia, meals combine meat, fish and vegetables that go well with pleasant fresh red wines and a variety of white wines. Others are Zelen, Pikolit, Pinela. The best way to get to know Slovenian wines and food is by visiting one of the Slovenian “wine roads” (cover photo). Slovenia offers good wines and good food. ‘JAZ PA TIPA ŽIDANA MARELA” uYou and I and the Silk Umbrella ” HOW SAY IT? Useful words and phrases which you might need if you visit Slovenia: (Quiz for your next meeting!) * Good morning - Dobro jutro, dober dan * Good evening - Dober večer * Good night - Lahko noč * Good bye - Nasvidenje * Yes-Da * No-Ne * Please / Yes, please - Prosim * Thank you - Hvala * How are you? - Kako vam gre? * Very well, thank you - Hvala lepa *Do you speak English? - Ali govorite angleško? * I don’t understand - Ne razumem * What time is it? - Koliko je ura? * Where is toalet? - Kje je toaleta? * Today - Danes * Yesterday - Včeraj * Tomorrow-Jutri * Good appetite - Dober tek! * Where is a good restaurant? -Kje je dobra gostilna? * Have a nice day! - Lep dan! * Where is the Bus station? -Kje je avtobusna postaja? * Where is die Railway station? -Kje je železniška postaja? * Where is die Airport? - Kje je letališče? * Where is die Bank? - Kje je banka? * Where is the Post-office? - Kje je pošta? * Where is die Hotel? - Kje je hotel? * Departure - Odhod * Arrival - Prihod * When answering the phone: ____________pri telefonu. Name National Secretary Bonnie Fohar Prokup: The Legacy of Our Slovenian Homeland In this issue we highlight our SWUA sponsored trip to Slovenia. Be sure to read about the fantastic time our members had traveling together in June. I for one wish I was there as Slovenia is one of the prettiest countries I’ve ever been to. Travelling has always been a must for me. Ever since I was 18 years old I’ve been hopping on and off planes all over the world. And even till this day with a husband and two busy daughters we travel to Europe at least two times a year. And that is exacdy where we are at diis moment - in London, England. We spent the past week here visiting my childhood friend and now are off to the Croatian coast for a week and then, we’ll enjoy a second week in Slovenia. I can’t wait to get back to Slovenia. The country has so much to offer in a compact size. I am also eager to show Bekki and Barbi the home of their great-grandparents. They are looking forward to the country diey hear so much about. We will report more on this in another Zarja issue. Wish us luck! Please read below for some important items concerning your membership: • BENEFICIARY - Please be sure your beneficiary is updated. We are finding too many times that die beneficiary' listed is no longer alive or the address has changed. Please contact the Home Office in Joliet with this change. • DUES - If for some reason you did not pay your 2005 dues please do so at diis time. • ADDRESS CHANGES - All address changes go direcdy to the Home Office in Joliet. Are you receiving Zaija-The Dawn issues in a time ly fashion? Delivery varies in every state but the editorial team is trying to verify that everyone is receiving their issues. Please let us know as soon as there is a delivery problem. I hope you enjoy this issue as much as you enjoyed die last issue, focusing on our Slovenian Cuisine. We heard back from so many people that we are anxious to deliver more Zarjas like the last issue. Thank you for your compliments. Sincerely, Bonnie Pohar Prokup, 3119 Carrie Street, Peru, IL 61354, Wprokup@aol.com * , W:- i* : Lauren receives her trophy Adorable Matthew Cihler Lauren and Danielle Burich New Juniors of our SWU! New members of SWU, Br. 99 are the talk of the town! Little Lauren Burich, (10) and her sister, Danielle (()) of Hinsdale, Illinois are playing championship tennis! Lauren started competing in January, winning numerous trophies and plaques. This spring, the two sisters trained at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida where such celebrities as Monika Seles, Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova, etc., got their start In June, Lauren won 3 tournaments, being the #1 place winner in the Girls 10 Singles. She is ranked both in Illinois and in Florida. She also participated in soccer, swimming and takes piano lessons. Danielle is an excellent soccer player, too. She has been playing for two years at the AYSO in I linsdale and is a leading scorer for her team. Besides showing great promise in tennis, Danielle also takes piano lessons and swimming. Our youngest member, Matthew Cihlar was born in December. His even-temperament, big blue eyes and charming mannerism endear him to everyone. These diree are the delightful grandchildren of our member Jennie Valent and dianks to her, we now know all about them. Congratulations and much more success! CQUET CLUB How does your Branch compare with other branches in the 2005 membership campaign? If the first seven months have been slow for your ranch don't worry, this is the best 2 of the year to catch up. With all > special anniversaries, annual con- 5 and special events this fall it is a great time to showcase our organization. Remember, the SWUA is a Legacy left to us by our ancesters. It is for each and every one of us. By recruiting new members you are guaranteeing the future of our organization. If each branch could recruit just 5 new members - we will more than reach our goal of 500 for 2005. Let’s make this happen. 2005 MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN, JANUARY 1-MAY 9, 2005: BR CITY NEW 25 CLEVELAND, OHIO 2 1 SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN 33 12 MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN 2 99 LEMONT, ILLINOIS 29 5 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 2 24 LASALLE, ILLINOIS 20 13 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 2 20 JOLIET ILLINOIS 20 102 WILLARD, WISCONSIN 2 23 ELY, MINNESOTA 13 103 WASHINGTON, DC 1 108 OLNEY, MD 12 79 ENUMCLAW, WA 1 109 TWIN CITIES, MN 7 63 COLORADO 1 43 MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN 7 54 WARREN, OHIO 1 30 HOME OFFICE 6 47 GARFIELD HEIGHTS, OHIO 1 100 FONTANA, CALIFORNIA 6 14 EUCLID, OHIO 1 93 NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK 6 10 CLEVELAND, OHIO 1 33 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 6 6 BARBERTON, OHIO 1 38 CHISHOLM, MINNESOTA 5 105 ORION, MICHIGAN 0 2 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 5 101 BEDFORD HEIGHTS, OHIO 0 39 BIWABIK, MINNESOTA 4 95 SOUTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 0 32 EUCLID, OHIO 4 71 STRABANE, PENNSYLVANIA 0 35 AURORA, MINNESOTA 3 68 FAIRPORT HARBOR, OHIO 0 26 PITTSBURGH, PA 3 57 NILES, OHIO 0 3 PUEBLO, COLORADO 3 55 GIRARD, OHIO 0 89 OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 2 40 LORAIN, OHIO 0 50 EUCLID, OHIO 2 34 SOUDAN, MINNESOTA 0 42 MAPLE HEIGHTS, OHIO 2 16 SOUTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 0 Total 216 New Member Report September/October 2005 Branch Name 1 Wallace, Bill 102 Lemerande, Christine 102 Lemerande, Rose 13 Dearborn, Julie 2 Naudziunas, Paul Jr. 2 Wagner, Mia Marie 20 Barich, Diane 20 Buckner, Irene M 20 Crotty, Terri 20 Egger, Jean Marie 20 Peppard, Gerard 20 Smrekar, Jennifer 20 Tomich, Margaret J 24 Ficek, Bob 24 Kasik, Frances 24 Kostellic, Bemadine 24 Pohar, Frank 24 Pohar, Ron 38 Baron, Patricia Baron 43 Janezic, Josef 99 Antich, Anne M 99 Jacobson, Nica 99 Pecaric-Jacobson, D. 99 Taylor, Elaine New member application form is on page 32. “Ask Tončka ” a\oQV Gene Search ELIAS ISLAND, THE SLOVENIAN IMMIGRANTS’ FIRST STEP TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS Bernadette Kovacic Fitzsimmons, President of SYVUA Branch 108, Olney, Maryland recendy wrote of her children’s library visit with son Matthew. They were preparing for a vacation trip to a Slovenian mining community in Wyoming. This is dieir experience diat special day in June 2005: “I regularly take children to the local library to I;ike out books of all different topics. One book in die juvenile section yesterday caught my eye, “A History of Multicultural America, The Great Migrations 1880s-1912, by William Loren Katz, published in 1993 by Steck-Vaughn Company. I figured it might be interesting for my son Matthew to learn about different immigrant groups that came from Europe and settled in mining towns, etc, since we were going out west in a couple of weeks and may visit “Slovenski Dom” in Rock Springs, Wyoming. When 1 first glanced through the book I noticed Jewish, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, German, Lithuanian, Estonian, Armenian and Irish immigrants highlighted. I checked die index for the fun of it to see if Slovenians were mentioned - they were not. When I opened the book to Chapter 1, “The New Immigration”, I read about how 22 million immigrants entered the US between 1880 and WWI, many on awful steerage accommodations. It was unbelievable to learn that on some days in the years from 1905-1914 more than 10,000 immigrants were processed per day. I read on page 7 in that short chapter, die following: But on the day they landed in 1906, Marie Prisland (Ceme at the time) and 100 other Slovenian women found Ellis Island an exhilarating experience. A guard brought them a pail of water but some Slovenian men stepped forward first The guard firmly pushed them back saying, “Ladies first”. The women were shocked, Prisland said because: ... In Slovenia, as in all of Europe, women were always second to men. Someone dramatically explained it this way: “First comes man, then a long time nothing, then comes woman.” Happy at the sudden turn of events, one elderly lady stepped forward, holding a dipper of water and proposed this toast “Long live America, where women are first” I immediately recognized these words from Prisland’s book “From Slovenia to America “ and was happy to see that this was mentioned and wondered how the audior found tliis particular information. Nothing else is mentioned about Slovenian immigrants in this book written for young people. But my guess is diat die audior found diis interesting piece in “A Nation of Nations” by Louis Adamic, a Slovenian writer which is included under furdier reading on page 94 in tliis book. Who would think of looking for Marie Prisland’s name in an index of a book if they were researching Slovenian immigrants? This was an eye opener for me. We are certainly blessed to have had Marie Prisland provide a leadership role for establishing the SWUA and document so much during her life. This simple amusing incident is now documented for further generations to read. The introduction to this book indicates die author was particularly interested in ordinary people and women immigrants, since he states in his introduction: “Some groups, women and minorities in particular, had to vault legal barriers and public hostility in order to make their contributions to the American Dream, only to find that school courses taught little about their achievements. The valiant struggle of minorities and women to win dignity, equality, and justice often was omitted from history’s account. Some believe this omission was accidental or careless, others insist it was purposeful.” Do share this book with your children and grandchildren. It includes many fabulous photos. ISBN 0-8114-6278-1 Ellis Island, New York City, New York, where millions of immigrants from die late 1890’s to recent times first stepped on American soil is a big tourist attraction today. The huge Wall of Honor on the Island lists names of millions of immigrants, including the parents of Maria Kranjec, Branch 99, Lemont, Illinois. Maria’s parents Matija and Angela Vlasic came to America in 1950 and setded in Chicago, where the family flourished. Maria recendy visited Ellis Island and was elated to walk in her parents footsteps dirough this historic building and find her parent’s names proudly engraved on die famous Wall of Honor. On die photo: Maria at die Wall of Honor and in the Great Hall. To find information on your ancestor who came to America visit die Ellis Island website at http://www.ellisisland.org A record will include a passenger list, place of birth, age, amount of money carried by immigrant, destination, and name and address of his or her sponsor in America. Various spellings of names should be considered while doing die search. Married women often used dieir maiden names. Mk Castle Garden is opening a new web site with information on immigrants that arrived before Ellis Island came into existence. The Castle Island web site http://www.CasdeGarden.org. WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY GENEALOGY? To get a Genealogical Workup sheet that will help you as an easy biographical guideline send your request with $6, to: Mary Turvey, 52 Oakridge Dr., Marquette, Ml 49855 SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S UNION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Fall has arrived and students of all ages from the very young to mature are either entering or returning to school, not only because it is required in order to attain a successful career, but also to become aquanted with many fascinating aspects of history, society, the sciences, networking, and most importantly, to meet new people, many teachers, who will deeply affect each individual student’s life forever. Many students of all ages find this coming year of schooling not only a challenge, but a good, successful experience. Margaret Mead writes, “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” The Slovenian Women’s Union membership has a small group of new college freshmen this year who will make good changes. Six SWUA Scholarship recipients of2005-2006 have written essays to express and share their thoughts on how their Slovenian heritage has affected their lives. We proudly present them on the following pages. Donations of June and July 2005 $20.00 donation: Joan Gergisch Daniel in memory of her Mother Agnes Gergisch All donations are acknowledged and deeply appreciated. Mary H. Turvey, Director ATTENTION SWUA Scholarship Program http://swua.org FORMER SWUA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS! 52 Oakridge Dr., WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Marquette, Michigan 49855 mturvey@aol .com SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S UNION SCHOLARSHIP ESSAYS Submitted by our 2005-06 Scholarship Winners “What My Slovenian Heritage Means to Me” Lindsey Stratton: When asked about my heritage, I always proudly answer “Slovenian.” The usual response to diat is, “What’s Slovenian?” and I love to be die one to inform diem. All four of my great grandparents on my mom’s side immigrated to northern Minnesota from Slovenia in the early 1900’s. My grandma, Phyllis Kukar still lives diere, but her diree daughters, including my mom have spread out around die country. I didn’t grow up in a Slovenian community, but that doesn’t mean I forgot my heritage. One diing I love about my heritage is eating potica on holidays widi my family! I have always enjoyed watching my aunts roll out the dough to construct one. In fact, one of my first memories from my childhood was looking at a table whose surface was a long sheet of dough, and my aunt dropping brown goop into its center. When I asked her what it was she was making, that was my introduction to potica. Hopefully I will someday memorize its recipe. Just recendy my mom spent die afternoon teaching me how to make strudel. Not only did diis serve as a day getting closer to my mom, but it was also a chance to learn about Slovenian cooking. You may wonder why my ties to my culture are through food, but what can I say? I’ve worked at a German/ Swedish bakery for the past 3 " years, I pick up on these things! These seemingly small events have served as an essential reminder of my heritage. My mom and her relatives recendy took at trip to Slovenia to visit family. I plan to travel tiiere in die near future to learn more about my heritage and meet my family. Maybe I can even pick up some of the language. This fall I will be attending die University of Wisconsin La Crosse, majoring in a liealdi care career. Both my 1110111 and grandma were nurses, so I plan to carry 011 a similar profession. Lindsey is a member ol Br. 39, Biwabik, Minnesota, daughter of Timothy and Maige Sti~atton, Lodi, Wisconsin, recipient of the Rose Marie Princ Award. Tony Perko: Growing up, I have met many people and experienced many tilings that have been connected to my culture which taught me a good work ethic. Probably more than anything else in my life, I have been influenced by die way my family has explained to me what it means to be Slovenian. The attitude that was taught to me w'as more than simply trying to do well in school to impress grandparents; I was shown to actually care about whatever I was doing, and to do a good job. An attitude like diat will help me to work hard to achieve my goals later in life. One day I plan to become a teacher, so diat I can give die same attitude to my students. Much of what I have accomplished in my lifetime has come from hard work, and for that I can only thank my heritage and die people that have taught me to be proud of it. Tony is a member ofBr. 3, Pueblo, Colorado, son of Charles and Ursula Perko, recipient of die Josef Princ Award Andrew Kuhar: My Slovenian backround is possibly my most definitive trait. Nearly all the friends I have know me as “The Slovenian Kid”. I always love to hear stories of the old country from either my parents or one of my many uncles. I am vigorously involved at St. Vitus Church, which is a Slovenian Parish and keeps me surrounded by my culture every day. When I was younger, I didn’t have an interest in my Slovenian roots. However, as I’ve matured throughout high school, my curiousity lias grow'ii exponentially. All of my grandparents came here to Cleveland from Slovenia, but only one is still alive today. That is my Staramama, on my mother’s side. Her diick accent and rich Slovenian atmosphere really bring the culture to life when I visit her 011 Sunday’s after nine o’clock mass. She is always glad to greet me with kava and potica. When I had the chance to visit Slovenia many years ago, it was quite an experience. The landscapes are breathtaking and the people diere were very hospitable. Seeing die great mountain Triglav and my great aunt were memories I will never forget. My heritage is one diat has surely grown on me, but left a lasting impact. Andrew is a member ofBr. 2.5, Cleveland, Ohio son of Stane and Marge Kuliar, Wickliffe, Ohio, recipient of the Frances Cimperman Award Robert Koncar: From die time I was born, I have awoken to die sound of my dad playing the button box, eaten blood sausage for breakfast, smokies for special dinners, and spent the Sundays of my summers at fairs, parties, or picnics where polka music played from start to finish. Not much has changed over die last 18 years as my family and I have kept our Slovenian heritage a focal point of our lives. Even more importantly, our pride in our culture is no secret. My neighbors are well aware of what a polka as well as a button box sound like. I am now used to the curious looks I receive when I tell my friends that I’m busy this weekend because I am playing a polka-mass (I play die saxophone and clarinet). I am also involved in my parish, St. Joseph, which was founded by Slovenians. I have worn traditional Slovenian attire for parish functions since before I could walk and have devoted much time to promoting and cherishing the Slovenian culture. My Slovenian culture and heritage have helped shape who I am today and I value diem gready. I firmly intend for my Slovenian culture to always remain a central part of my life and I hope to gain an even greater appreciation for it on my two-week summer visit to Slovenia, die homeland of my grandfather and great-grandparents. Robert is a member ofBr. 20, Joliet, Ulinios, the son of Raymond and Annette Koncar, and recipient of die Frances Barman Award. Michelle Goldman: While most children were coming home to die inviting smell of chocolate chip cookies and apple pie, I was greeted widi die aroma of fresh potica and strudel baking. Isay diat not out of regret but instead coming from only die fondest of memories. I have never felt obligated to learn about my heritage. I have always been proud to embrace my roots by visiting Slovenia numerous times, learning how to cook authentic Slovenian foods and trying my best to participate in die Slovenian language. Coming trom a small yet unique country most people don’t get die chance to experience makes me feel privileged. I am part of a petite yet proud number of people whose customs and culture lay in such a beautiful and friendly land. I consider myself lucky to come from such a diverse background. How many people can come home at dinner time to feast upon bodi American hot dogs AND Slovenian ajdove žganci;’ Michelle is a member of Br. 43, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Paul Goldmann, Greenfield, Wisconsin recipient of die SWUA Culture Award. Kevin Mangold: Being Slovenian has always meant a lot to me. My family is very close and is always in touch widi each odier. Every year we take a trip togedier. This is nice because it makes it easy to keep in touch widi relatives and keep up to date. A few years ago, I got the opportunity to visit Slovenia and meet my extended family. This was a really good experience for me. It introduced me to a different part of die world with different customs. This intrigued me and I wanted to learn as much as I could. I was introduced to a less city-like life, that most people in the DC area are used to, and I loved it very much. I would love to go back again and visit. Kevin is a member ofBr. 103, Washington, D.C., and is the son of Charles and Helen Mangold, Rockville, Maryland, and winner of the SWUA Heiitage Award ofo (Hefp (Keep the (J)ream y\iive SCHOLARSHIP NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT Your gifts are deeply appreciated. I (we) enclose $_______________________________ In honor of ________________________________ In memory of ________________________________ As a Contribution __________________________ Donor’s Name _______________________________ Donor’s Address _____________________________ City________________State_________Zip__________ Mary Turvey, Director SWUA Scholarship Fund 52 Oakridge Dr., Marquette, Ml 49855 CHURCHES IN SLOVENIAN COMMUNITIES V __________________________________ Brief Historic Overview: St. Mary Assumption Parish Exterior of St Mary Assumption Church with overlay of its beautiful interior St Mary Assumption Church, 15610 Holmes Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44110 St. Mary Assumption church (Cerkev sv. Marije Vnebovzete) was the fourth American Slovenian Roman Catholic parish founded in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area. It was originally designated by two neighborhood areas, north and south Collinwood and physically divided by a series of railroad tracks. As arriving Slovenian immigrants moved further east from the downtown Cleveland area in the late 1890s and throughout the 1900s the need for a parish and a school were self-evident: approximately 118 students attended St. Mary’s in 1915 while 433 students attended the school by 1930. The first St. Mary’s church was completed in December, 1906. Fr. Marko Paki/, is considered as the founding pastor of St. Mary’s, Fr. Andrej Smrekar was appointed as the second pastor in 1908 and succeeding pastors were Fr. Paul Hribar, Fr. Joseph Skur, Msgr. Vitus Hribar and then, Fr. Matija Jager in 1952. He is credited with the construction of the current and second church structure. In 1956 plans were made to construct the new church diat would be able to hold over 800 people. St. Mary’s church has a graceful and colorful “Spanish clay tile” roof with a mix of colors and a light-colored brick exterior. On February 8, 1958 the first mass was held in the new church. Following the retirement of Fr. Jager in 1967, Fr. Victor Tome became the pastor and provided good spiritual leadership for the parish for nearly 20 years He still resides at St. Mary’s as the Pastor Emeritus. Fr. John Kumse came in 1986 and has been the beloved pastor for 19 years. Under his leadership much of the focus at the parish is in keeping (he Slovenian vernacular in liturgy and traditions. He has provided the leadership to keep and increase the school enrollment while at the same time encouraging and promoting Slovenian culture for the parish, the school and the broader neighborhood. He provided die vision to plan and complete a new $2 million parish center that is used as an auditorium and gymnasium as well as a social center. Beautifully maintained landscaping around the church has become newsworthy recently because of Fr. Kumse’s attentive gardening. Slovenians of the parish are particularly proud of their Saturday Slovenian language school that offers language, singing, drama, history, literature and appreciation for Slovenian heritage for elementary school aged children. Note: Sources: Diocese of Cleveland archives, and Slovenes of Cleveland (Dr. Matjaž Klemenčič). Edited and complied by Stan Kuhar. St. Mary Assumption Church co-hosts with St. Vitus Church, the annual Bishop Baraga Days weekend pilgrimage September 3-4, 2005 in Cleveland. This annual celebration is dedicated to the anticipated beatification of our most renowned Apostle of the Lakelands, Bishop Frederic Baraga, missionary among the Native Americans and first Bishop of Marquette, Michigan. . In connection with the pilgrimage will be the re-dedication of a new sculpture of Bishop Baraga that will take place on Saturday, Sept. 3d, at the completely renovated Rotunda of the Slovenian Cultural Gardens in Cleveland. Photo on left: Palm Sunday at St Mary’s Ambassador Samuel Zbogar Visits Indianapolis By Phyllis Fon, President Br. 5 On June 25th, 2005 the various Slovenian groups in Indianapolis got together to celebrate die anniversary of Slovenian independence. Hosted jointly by the Indianapolis/Piran Sister City committee and the Slovenian Cultural Society, the celebration was held at the Slovenian National Home. On the agenda was a beautiful pitch-in luncheon, with the famous Fon sausages as the main attraction, and two guest speakers. The first speaker was a repeat visitor to Indianapolis, Dr. John Cox, Professor of History at Wheeling Jesuit University. Dr. Cox is an eloquent speaker well versed in 20di Century Eastern European Nationalism. He gave an interesting and very informative talk on Slovenian politics and their role in Europe. As always, his question and answer time was too short and we will welcome him back in the future. As everyone enjoyed the luncheon and Dr. Cox’s speech, a welcoming committee was out at the airport awaiting the arrival of the Slovenian Ambassador, Mr. Samuel Zbogar. As usual these days, his flight was delayed, and delayed, and delayed. What should have been a nice six hour stay in Indianapolis, was shortened to three hours. When he finally arrived, we were so happy to greet him. Anna Fon presented him with a red carnation boutomer, while Stephen Fon pinned a flashing Slovenian flag on his lapel. As SWU Br. 5 President and IPSCC Secretary, and on our airport ride I found him to be a very pleasant and talented young man. He speaks five languages and has been in the political arena for almost twenty years. What a wonderful representative for Slovenia! When we arrived at the Slovenian National Home, a small ceremony started with a beautiful poetry reading by Milan Stefanciosa, ZDRAVLJICA by France Prešeren, DUMA bv Oton Zupančič, and my favorite LIPICANCI by Edvard Kocbek. Milan did a wonderful job with readings in both English and Slovenian, making them all very moving. Joanne Sanders, City Councilwoman and IPSCC Vice President, presented the Ambassador with a Proclamation from Mayor Bart Petersen, declaring Slovenian Independence Day in Indianapolis. Joanne spoke of her visits to Slovenia with the Sister City committee and with her family, and that she wants to visit again. She spoke of how Slovenia has mountains, the beautiful Adriatic Sea, the wonderful Lipizaners...but Indiana has the Indianapolis 500!!! She presented him with a beautiful crystal bowl commemorating the Indianapolis 500.1 diink he will be back for a visit to the Formula One race! Ambassador Zbogar gave a very interesting and entertaining speech, although shortened by his delay. He then went out and spoke to the people who came to meet him and had many photos taken. I feel he was very grateful to the many people who came to welcome him, and we have his assurance that he will be back with his family for a longer visit to Indianapolis. We look forward to that visit in the future! L-R Steve, Anna, Phyllis Fon, Ambassador Zbogar, Mary Fon, little Stevie, Larry and Linda Fon VENIAN CULTUR^' SOCIETY iMSfiK KULTUfTjpfilpVSTVO luniANflPOLi: By Mary Lou Voelk - Director of Special Projects Legacy of Food: Slovenian Culinary Society! The timing was perfect,, the Chicago Tribune came out with the awesome issue, A Taste of Slovenia! This newspaper article was printed in the July/August 2005 Zarja. It was in this same issue that the Slovenian Culinary Society introduced the first commemorative charm, the POTICA with charter names being inscribed in the Slovenian Culinary Archive Ledger! A Taste of Slovenia certainly did “preheat memories”. 250+ cookbooks have been sold, visitors are showing up at the museum every day. Many never knew of the SWUA, the Slovenian Heritage Museum OR More Pots and Pans! Food is the most visible custom of any heritage. This is especially true for our Slovenian heritage To say the least, our foods are unusual. They are homey! With one bite, you will never forget! Add the accordion music and the singing and the scene is unforgettable, We have a legacy, of smells, tastes, memories of great family times. The Potica, the first charm issued by the Slovenian Culinary Society SLOVENIAN CULINARY SOCIETY The design for the potica charm/pin was taken from an actual potica, and was photographed by Linda Ford, a professional photographer and our first SWUA web master. President Kathy Dorchak-Hall supplied an array of poticas from which this one was chosen. The potica is printed on metal and is approximately 1 inch in size. The colors clearly define the “nut roll”. It was felt that the potica needed to have a real image look. When viewing the photograph please realize that the size you see is for your viewing only, that is NOT the actual size. There is a gold “circle” around the charm at the edge of the design.. They are very lovely! The charm can be worn as a pendent or added to your charm bracelet. Remember all those Slovenians on your birthday, anniversary, and friendship list. And then there is Christmas, and Easter. How about this idea! Bake up or purchase a potica, and gift wrap it in some lovely plastic wrap. To a decorative ribbon, add a potica charm or pin. Now that is a gift worth receiving (eating and wearing)! The next charm/pin is now in the planning stages and will be issued July 2006. Could it be the krofi? Ideas anyone? We would love to hear from you. 20th September 2005 is the last day to order! Slovenian Heritage Museum, 431 N Chicago St. Joliet, IL 60432 Tel. SI.1).727.1926 www.swu.orgswuhome@msn.com Our Favorite Slovenian Recipes by Members of the SWU Board of Directors Bev Menart: Hope you tried the MOČNIK recipe in last month’s “Our Favorite Slovenian Recipes” feature (pages 16-17), but it was not Bev Menart’s favorite Slovenian dish - it was Mary Lou Voelk’s. Sorry for the mix-up , girls. Beverly submitted Segadin Goulash and Žganci... yum... AJDOVI ŽGANCI wooden spoon or spatula pick up portions of the mixture and with a fork scrape crumbles off the spoon and pile them Huffily into a bowl. Do not press down. SEGEDIN GOLAŽ S KISLEM ZEIJEM 2 large onions, chopped fine 1 tbls shortening 2 lbs cubed pork 1 tbl flour 1 16 oz. can saurkraut 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tsp paprika 1 pinch caraway seed 2 cup boiling water rinsed in cold water and drained 1 quart boiling water 1 tsp salt 2 cups buckwheat flour 2 tbs. butter, melted To briskly boiling salted water slowly add buckwheat flour without stirring. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 15 minutes without stirring. With a wooden spoon make a hole in the center of the flour to allow the water to come up over die flour, again, do not stir. Continue to cook over low heat without stirring for another 15 minutes, covered. Pour off half die water and with a wooden spoon stir the flour and remaining water until smooth. Melt butter, pour over die mixture, cover pot and let it simmer for a few minutes. Lighdy mix . With a Chop onions and in skillet saute in hot shortening for a few minutes (until transparent). Add meat and simmer (covered) for one hour, or until meat is tender. Add 1 tablespoon flour and brown. Stir in sauerkraut, salt, pepper, paprika and caraway. Add water and let simmer 10 minutes. Serve over the žganci. Both recipes are found in the More Pots and Pans. They are my favorites, the closest to the ones made by my dear friend Tina Zupančič who passed away last fall. We would ask her to make them and she loved doing it. She never used a recipe and they were wonderful! She truely lived her legacy. I Qualifications for I membership and to I receive a pin/charm: Check one: 1. Those who have mastered at least one potica 2 Those who have assisted making a potica 3. Those who have observed the making of a potica 4. Those who have good intentions of Name:_ City: _ SLOVENIAN CULINARY SOCIETY Order form Branch # State: Zip: Telephone: E-Mail: I making a potica I 5. Those who love | eating potica Please place the number of Charms or Pins you are requesting on the line(s) below: # Charms #_________Pins REMIT $10 FOR EACH PIN OR CHARM ORDERED The Pins and Charms are being issued as collector items by the Slovenian Heritage Museum.. Only the sum total of orders postmarked September 20, 2005 will be purchased as a limited edition. Delivery will be October, 2005. Post the above order no later than September 20, 2005. For any questions, e-mail Mary Lou: ottoIou@cheqnet.net SLOVENIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM Heritage Bequest It is with sincere gratitude that the Slovenian Heritage Museum accepts the burial insurance bequest of Mary Lou Crotty Branch 39, as a gift in memory of her Slovenian heritage. Mary Tangren of Duluth, MN described Mary Lou as a bright woman with many friends, generous, and an excellent social worker, a true professional. It is obvious that Man1 Lou’s journey through life was rooted in her Slovenian heritage. She is survived by two sisters, Sylvia Bezek of Virginia and Jennie Germann, of Minneapolis, MN. NOVEMBER IS THEATER MONTH AT THE SLOVENIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM: Each week during the month of November, videos from the Slovenian Magazine television program will be shown at die museum with a discussion period following each presentation. Each showing is a mosaic, of three 2.5 minutes shows. Themes are current events in Slovenia, its cultural and historical heritage, landscape features. The finale of “theater month” will be an Open House die week end of Thanksgiving. Program titles will appear in October: in the New Neighborhood or www.suw.org PIAN TO ATTEND, SUPPORT YOUR MUSEUM November 2th, 9th, 16th (2.-.00 p.m.) November 5th, 12th, 19tli, 26th (2:00 p.m.) $3.00 suggested donation Family Photo Gallery Come visit the SWIJA Museum and see the new photos and exciting story of the Perme and Meglen families from Colorado who are now featured in the Family Photo Gallery. These early Slovenian pioneers ran the Crystal Palace Saloon and Boarding House in Leadville, Colorado for many years. We thank Beverly Phillips from Las Vegas for sending this family story to us. Two brothers of the Ribich family and their wives made a special trip from Minnesota in August to see their mother’s wedding dress they donated to our museum where it is on special display. They are very proud of their heritage and their lovely mother. The SWUA Museum greatly appreciates their gift wonderful gift. ALSO...Janice Bedenko Mueller and her sister, Marilyn Bedenko Temple, members of Branch #24 La Salle, donated $200.00 to the museum in honor of their mother who passed away May 30,200.'). We greatly appreciate their generous gift. PROGRESSIVE SLOVENE WOMEN OF AMERICA Progresivne Slovenke Amerike May 14, 2005 Dear Members: The members of Circle 9 of the Progressive Slovene Women of America are pleased to include the Slovene Women’s Union Museum of Joliet as one of die organizations worthy of receiving a charitable contribution from PSWA Circle 9 serving die Chciago area. The Progressive Slovene Women of America has been in existence for over 70 years. Due to many factors making it impossible for die Progressive Slovene Women to continue, our organization dissolved December 31, 2004. In February 2005, the members met to discuss distribution of its remaining funds and voted to include die Slovenian Women’s Union Heritage Museum of Joliet. Enclosed you will find our check in the amount of $450. The ladies of Circle 9 recognize your organization as one worthy of our contribution. We wish you continued success in your future endeavors. Sincerely, Marlene O’Connell, Secretary/Treasurer Progressive Slovene Women of of America - Circle 9 Jean Železnikar President Grace Doerk Rec. Secretary Congratulations! In May 2005, Bernadette Kovacic Fitzsimmons, Branch 108 was nominated and named to serve on the Committee for Edmic Affairs for Montgomery County in the State of Maryland. Bernadette will serve from June 2005 to April, 2008. Congratulations, Bernadette, for your willingness to serve your County. Our Slovenian heritage could not have a more appropriate delegate. It was Lynn’s idea! “Would an on-line newsletter of and about Slovenian people be of interest?” And it was her father, William Zalokar, who would refer to “old and the new neighborhood” in his conversations. A family affair, an idea and a title, The New Neighborhood! Lynn’s incite and vision has given us inspiration and growth. With her help she has brought the Slovenian Women’s Union of America in to a new age of technology and information. From die 1st issue of the New Neighborhood in September 2000, not one issue has been missed. You can read them all on www.swua.org On behalf of the entire National Board and die members of SWUA, I would like to thank Lynn for her outstanding contributions over the past five years. Lynn, we wish you luck in your future endeavors and once again, express our heartfelt thanks for all you have done for us. Love & Blessings, Kathleen Dorchak-Hall, National President Thank You, Lynn! Lynn Zalokar Inaugural Editor of The New Neighborhood THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF WOMEN IN PRESERVING OUR SLOVENIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE Branch 93 was pleased to learn we obtained some funding from die Slovenian government! We are planning to have Mirjam Hladnik give a lecture series in New York City to discuss the project she has been working on for the past several years “The Role and Impact of Women in Preserving the Cultural Heritage Among Slovenian Immigrants and Their Descendants in the USA.” Sociologist Miljam Hladnik, Ph.D., is a researcher for the Institute for Slovenian Emigration Studies in Ljubljana, Slovenia. (Mirjam was a branch 93 member while living in Brooklyn, but returned to Slovenia last summer.) Since many SWUA members participated in the interviews (on tape and/or on film) we are inviting everyone to die “Big Apple” this fall! Please start making your travel arrangements now. We are planning two dates: WHO: SWTJA members, friends and guests WHAT: “Slovenian Women in the USA and Their Role in die Preserving of the Slovenian Cultural Heritage” WHEN: Thursday, November 3rd 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., reception with light refreshments 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.; lecture, question & answer period Suggested donation: $.5.00 WHEN: Saturday, November 5di 1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., reception with light refreshments 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.; lecture, question & answer period Suggested donation: $5.00 WHERE: The Slovenian Cultural Center at St. Cyril’s, 62 St. Marks PI. (or 8th Street), between 1st and 2nd Avenues RSVP BY OCTOBER 25TH: Contact Sonja Knezevic-Kong at ski 17@cornell.edu or (201) 413-5411 and indicate which lecture date you plan to attend along with die names of those attending. Please leave a detailed message if you get Sonja’s answering machine so she can return your call! Registration is limited. Please note: There is a good possibility the lecture will include the filmed interviews which is a documentary with the working title “Američanke” (Female Americans). Please check the branch 93 website for updates as we get closer to the date (die website is also listed under the branch section of the www.swua.org website) http://nycbranch93.cubixsoft.com We are hoping to see members and friends who participated in the project, national and branch officers, and members from near and far! A trip to NYC allows for a visit to The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, ethnic dining and a jump start on holiday shopping. Enjoy a meal before or after the lecture. The Slovenian Cultural Center is within walking distance of many inexpensive Eastern European restaurants (Polish, Russian, Ukraine) along with Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe (Italian) which “has been a part of NYC’s legendary East Village since 1894". This event offers branch 93 members a first-time opportunity to connect with SWUA members from across the country. We hope you can attend! Alice Kuhar Food Editor RYE BREAD (RŽENI KRUH) 3 oz. cake yeast 1 cup warm water 1 tsp sugar Crumble yeast in water, add sugar and let stand until foamy. 6 cups white bread flour such as Sapphire 3 cups medium rye flour (Robinhood) 2 tsp salt 2 tsp salad oil Lukewarm water Caraway seeds (optional) In a bowl lightly mix together the white and rye flour. Make a well in center, add salt and oil. Add yeast mixture. Add enough lukewarm water to form a non-sticky dough. Add optional caraway seeds. Mix well. Cover and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Knead dough on floured board, adding more white flour, if necessary. Knead until dough is smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. When dough is doubled, punch down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Form dough into 4 round loaves. Grease and flour 4 pie plates or loaf pans. Set in warm place to rise until doubled in size. Brush tops of loaves with milk. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 1 hour. BUTTER HORNS 1 cup milk, scalded 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 Small cake fresh yeast or 1 pkg. dry yeast 3 Beaten eggs 4-1/2 cups flour In hot scalded milk, combine shortening, sugar and salt; cool to lukewarm. Add crumbled yeast and stir well. Add eggs, then flour and mix well to make a smooth, soft dough. Knead bowl; cover and let rise until at least doubled in bulk. Divide dough in thirds. Roll out each third on lightly floured surface into a 9-inch circle. Brush with melted butter. Cut each circle into 12 to 16 pieshaped wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting with the wide side. Arrange on greased cookie sheet or baking pan and brush with melted butter or oil. Cover and let rise until very light. Bake in a preheated 400 degree to 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. For crescents, shape into a curve on baking pan. Makes 3 dozen rolls. May be frozen. DINNER ROLLS 1 cup scalded milk 1 Stick (1/4 pound) butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt 1/4 cup lukewarm water 1-1/2 pkgs active dry yeast 1 tsp. sugar 2 Beaten eggs 5-1/4 cups bread flour 1 Egg yolk 2 tbs. cold water or melted butter Place in a large bowl: butter, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and scalded milk; stir well and cool. Mix lukewarm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar togetherl, set aside for 10 minutes, then add to milk mixture. Add 2 beaten eggs, mix. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time - last 2 cups may need to be folded by hand. Place dough in oiled bowl - brush oil onto dough, cover and set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and form into rolls and place into muffin pans (oiled) or loaf pans. Let rest for 1 hour or until doubled. Bake in 350 degrees preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Crust: brush with egg yolk mixed with 2 tbs. cold water, or melted butter for a soft layer crust. Bread in Slovenia...was first mentioned in written sources in the 13'1' century. Among the older types are particularly unleavened breads, which are known under various dialect expressions like “presnec”, “mlinci”, “tepke”, “gibice, “povalnik" and others. From all the ancient types of un-leavened bread not much has remained. The most widespread are “mlineF (More Pots & Pans cookbook, page 79), a fiat cake used today as a side dish, and some kinds of decorated honey-breads. Unleavened bread was even made for a number of years after WWII in some agriculturally passive areas while even earlier the making and baking of leavened types of bread prevailed elsewhere in Slovenia. Among all types of bread white bread from wheat flour was rarely served. It represented one of the most important dishes for festive occasions. Special was its almost magically symbolic role in customs and habits of the lilecyle (birth, confirmation, marriage) and individual customs of die festive year (e.g. Christmas or Easter breads and loaves for Valentine’s Day, /VII Saints’ Day, Three Kings, caroling, Shrovetide, etc. (More Pots & Pans, pages 94, 95, 316). In some environments, particularly poorer ones, white bread on holidays represented the finest dish, meaning a sort of “desert” or festive cake. In connection with white bread we can speak of a kind of national stereotype, even a complex. During centuries of feudalism, the view that “wheat is too good for die locals”, was quite understandable as it represented a consolation in need, when the dependent peasants had to deliver dieir best harvest in the form of obligatory duty to landlords. SLOVENIAN HERITAGE RECIPES Features Include: 600 Great Recipes with easy formats 171 NEW recipes from our members Favorites of three generations Detailed Instructions Origins of regional recipes Historical Information Maps and notes of interest! Heritage illustrations by renowned artist, Nancy Bukovnik “MORE POTS AND PANS” Please send me copies at special price of $ 12.00 per copy or 2 for $ 10 each for cash and carry. If mailed from Home Office, cost is $15 or 2 for $25. Name_______________________________________ Address____________________________________ City_________________State_____Zip_________ Make Check payable to and send order to: Slovenian Women’s Union 431 North Chicago Street Joliet, IL 60432 Bread Treasures of Slovenia, (Janez Botogaj, 2003) & SLOVENIAN - AMERICAN For our young readers, here's a letter from our Julie! Hello Readers: I know it’s been a very long time - but, I have completed my nursing school now and graduated in June. I am now a Registered Nurse, working at a local hospital. I “float” between general med/surgunit and die cancer center. I truly can say I love my job. I have followed the dream of my late great grandmother, Frances Zibert and die career of my grandmother, Frances Schultz and aunt, Barbara Block. Truly, they have been and continue to be my inspiration / role models! Professionally speaking, I am now rotating to and from numerous units throughout the hospital and this has brought me to the following points that may help you remember to be safe and avoid ANY accidents. These come from my personal hospital experiences. BIKE SAFETY: Helmets, knee, wrist and elbow pads are a must! MOTORBIKE SAFETY: Helmets, always! ROLLER BLADE SAFETY: Reflectors for evenings and/or white/ light clothing. SWIMMING Safety; Children must be supervised and have proper protection (water wings, life jackets) and always, wear SI INSCREEN. Bug spray at this time of year, too! And, please wear SEAT BELTS. 1)() NOT DRINK AND DRIVE! Nonetheless, enjoy time in the sun with your families and friends! 1 have learned a lot over the past two years of nursing school, more about life, love and the pursuit of happiness. I learned that I am who I am. I won’t change me to satisfy the requests of others. Diversity and individuality are often lost in the desire to become part of a group, especially young kids in middle Dream - dream big. Live life!. Love your family, cherish your friends. There were days for me when the thought of flipping burgers sounded like a great job. But, later, I began to realize diat in my heart, I was made for a better intention. The human touch is magical. A touch on the hand, a warm hug, a pat on the back - can mean the world to someone. Reach out to someone every' day. - share die human touch! And, share die fun. Am just thinking, we will have fun at Br. 99’s BUNCO PARTY on October 31st (Halloween!) at 1 o’clock at the Slovenian Cultural Center. I’ll try to be diere, too. Congratulations to all graduates of 2005 - to my family and friends -thanks for all the continuous support. Thanks to you, READERS! See you soon! Love, Julie and high school. I learned that you should never laugh at anyone else’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much! Great love and great achievement involve great risk. Nodiing in life is for sure. The trick is to hold your head high and be true to your decisions. Life is short - if you don’t look around once in a while, you might just miss it! More importantly: People will forget what you said, what you did, but NEVER forget how you made diem feel. Whatever happens, it happens for a reason. And, I have learned one thing: I still have a lot to learn. We all do. Hey, this is not intended as a lecture, but rather something to ponder on especially when you think everything is turning its back on you. Chances are, you probably turned your back on the world. HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN SEPTEMBER President: Sepl. 5 - Ann Kapel, Br. 100, Fontana, CA Secretaries: Sep. 2 - Joanne Ponikvar, Br. 54, Warren, OH Sep. 9 - Jerry Sherek, Br. 109, Mips., MN - SWU Webmaster Sep. 10 - Rosemary Donald, Br. 33, Duluth, MN Sep. 16 - Gerry Petrich, Br. 23, Ely, MN Sep. 22 - Rosemary Mlakar, Br. 100, Fontana, CA Sep. 28 - Patricia Adamic, Br. 105, Detroit, MI HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN OCTOBER National Officers: Oct. 9- Corinne Leskovar, Editor of ZARJA, Chicago, IL. Oct. 11 - Jonita Ruth, National Treasurer, Joliet, IL Oct. 13- Olga Dorchak, State President, OH-MI, Sagamore Hills, OH Oct 15 - Mary C. Vidas, Br. 109, Mips., MN Oct. 26- Kathleen Dorchak-Hall, Nat’l. Pres,, Munroe Kails, OH Branch Presidents: Oct. 4- Joan Simmons, Br. 108, Olney, MN Oct. 15 - Rose Bradach, Br. 68, Fairport 1 Iarhor, Ol I Oct. 17- Charlene Kohe, Br. 20, Joliet, IL Julie Partyka, her mom and aunts, are all members ol Br. 2 Chicago, IL SWUA STATE EVENTS BR. 43, MILWAUKEE, WI 75™ ANNIVERSARY WISCONSIN STATE CONVENTION □ Branch #43, Milwaukee, WI, will celebrate the branch’s 75th Anniversary and the Wisconsin State Convention on Sunday, September 25, 2005. Location: Klemmer’s Banquet Center, 10410 West Oklahoma Ave., Continental Breakfast 8:30 a.m., followed by a business meeting ($ 15.00 per person). Mass, 11:00 a.m. and die Uspeh Chorus will sing. Dinner will start at 12:30 p.m. Look for many surprises. OHIO-MICHIGAN STATE CONVENTION HOSTED BY BRANCHES 42, 47AND 101 Sunday, October 2, 2005 MASS: 10:00 a.m. St. Lawrence Catholic Church 3547 East 80"' St. Cleveland, Ohio 44105 BISHOP EDWARD PEVEC, CELEBRANT DINNER: 12:00 p.m. NOON Slovenian National Home 3563 East 80"' St. Cleveland, Ohio 44105 MEETING: 2:00 P.M. Featured Speaker: DR. EDWARD GOBETZ, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Kent State University and founding director of Slovenian Research Center of America. Business meeting to follow. Tickets are $20.00 each for the day. Reservations are a must. Contactyemec@earthlink.net for tickets or additional information. ILLINOIS/INDIANA STATE CONVENTION OCTOBER 2, 2005 SO. CHICAGO, IL Gen Buol, Gladys Buck, Vida Kumse, Rose Mary Petrich, Fr. Juan I enjoyed my visit ot St. George’s for Br. 16 Marija Pomagaj Celebration (photo above), and cordially invite you to experience South Chicago hospitality with Branches 16, and 95. Cost $25 per person. RSVP to your branch secretary by September 26th. 9:00 AM MASS AT ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH 9546 South Ewing Avenue, Chicago, IL Registration - Coffee an -Annual Meeting & Banquet following Mass THE CROWBAR RESTAURANT 4001 East 106th, Chicago, IL (773) 768-6985 75th DIAMOND JUBILEE Branch #39, Biwabik, MN Sunday, October 9th, 2005 St. John's Catholic Church, Biwabik, Minnesota Mass at 11:00 AM, Dinner and program to follow Members, guests and visitors, please unite with us to celebrate 75 years of our beloved Slovene heritage. We are "LIVING OUR LEGACY." For more information, contact: Jeanne Korsman I-2I8-8G5-B020 Vida Lanari I-Z18-74I-I970 e-mail vmlfjl@uslink.net Rosemary Ribich I-2I8-8B5-GG00 e-mail rribich@lcp2.net Looking forward to seeing you there. Hvala lepa. Rosemary (Sertich) Ribich Activities of our Branches BRANCH 1 - SHEBOYGAN, WI Organized 12/1/1926 Meetings: 3rd Sunday after mass Location announced in the St Cyril -Methodius Church bulletin On May 26'*' it was a beautiful cool and sunny day for die group of approximately 75 people who walked in procession to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Led by the Processional Cross, Father Glenn Powers, Pastor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and Immaculate Conception Churches, carried die Holy Eucharist from St. Cyril to Immaculate Conception, a distance of two miles. What a beautiful sight as the group walked silendy and devotedly showing their love for our Lord in the Eucharist. The SWU was well represented. A brief stop was made at St. Peter Claver Church where Parish Director, Deacon Mike Burch, who was also in the walk, led the prayer. Upon arrival at Immaculate Conception Church, Benediction was celebrated, and a social hour concluded die memorable day. We continue our support of the SWU Scholarship Fund and contribute $10 in memory of deceased members of Branch 1. This year’s donations were from Mary Germ, Mary Ann Fuller, Louise Ribich, Sophie Caspar, Ruth Sheck, and Frances Fritz. By way of a fund raiser, we continue to encourage members to contribute $5 in the month of their birthday lo our treasury. This can be given at a meeting or sent directly to Kathy Schroeder, 160.5 Carmen Ave., Sheboygan, WI .'33081. SWU State Convention hosted by Branch 13 will be held in Milwaukee on Sept. 2.5, 200.5. Our bus transportation has already been arranged. PLAN NOW TO ATTEND! ANGELINE FRIT/ Meet you at the State Convention! BRANCH 2 - CHICAGO, IL Organized 12/1/1926 Meetings: 3rd Sunday - 1 p.m. St Stephen’s lower hall Our summer went by too fast. Although diis year was a tough summer, we were busy with vacations. It was very hot so we had to find ways to keep cool and keep our plants and trees from dying. Even though we had water restrictions, it was always a joy to see the flowers bounce back as a repayment for our efforts. May we all enjoy a cool fall. I do not look forward to winter. The 1st weekend of October will be our IL/IN C onvention in So. Chicago. Please try to attend (call Fran Morison or Dolores Puhek for pickup information). Our Zarja Picnic in July was an absolutely great day, thanks to everyone who was there to help make this day one of the best picnics. Especially, Martin Hozian, who BBQ’d and donated die chicken. If you were lucky enough to get some, you know how delicious it was. Thanks to Frances Fritz, who organized the kitchen, Phyllis Fon and her family who drove from Indianapolis to bring poticas, which the ladies from their branch baked, and to the ladies who helped with the kitchen, bingo and tickets. Katie as always, was our sweet bar hostess and we can’t forget Vince Rigler, who entertained us with all the beautiful Slovenian songs we love - he brings il all together. Mass was celebrated by Father Metod at St. Mary’s Church with lovely organ music by Father Vendelin, and this year we had “Mladinski Folklorna Skupina Beltinci - Slovenija with us. They sang in church and later performed on the hill for everyone to enjoy. We are sorry to report that we lost 2 members this summer. Our condolences to the family of Albina Rasp (Kavic) - to her daughter, Loretta and son, Iarry and their families, and the Rasp, Kavic and Father Chcmazar families. Albie was a member for many Reports due first of month jpT preceding publication years; she was always diere to help SWU. Also, our condolences to the family of Elsa Alda Antoniolli (Cozzini) - to her son Isidore, her sisters and brother and dieir families. Elsa will be laid to rest at her home in Santa Lucia, Guistana, Italy. We will miss them bodi. May diey rest in peace. Please remember our ill members who have been in die hospital for operations: Ann Margaret Masiulewicz, Gertie Kramer, Mary Foys Lauretig, Jean Zubek, Ann Podlesnik, Jean Hrastar, Elsie Reich, Rose Mary Densa, Dolores Nauheimer, Marie Tiedmann and Ann Bunetta. Also remember diose who are home-bound. On a cheerier note: Mr. & Mrs. Joe Skala are grandparents for die 1st time. A baby boy, Josh Thomas was born to dieir daughter. Congratulations - you will be great baby sitters! Filmmaker Danijan Kozole, from Brežice, Slovenija, had a Red Carpet Premier and reception of his first film showing in Chicago. A few of our members attended and he was so happy to see us. We enjoyed conversation with him and his wife. November - Penny Social. Hope to see you all there. Please keep our fighting men and women in your dioughts and prayers diat diey be safe; diey need us all. Love, DAISY BRANCH 5 - INDIANAPOLIS, IN Organized 1/15/1927 Meetings: October - April Slovenian National Home Greetings Branch 5 members. The summer was entirely too hot and humid, so now hopefully we are in for some nice autumn weather that we can enjoy! Our family is just days away from celebrating our daughter Betsy’s wedding at Holy Trinity Church. It will be wonderful to have their marriage start in the church built by her great-grandparents. I know that many smiles and blessings from above will be with them. Ladies, MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! Saturday, Oct Is1 will be our annual SWU Mass. It will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m. at Holy Trinity. The big change will be that we will have a light pitch-in dinner after Mass at Bockhold Hall!! I will bring die “Krofi and Koffee” and also provide meat and drinks. Make sure you mark your calendars to join us! I went to Lemont for die SWU picnic in July and had a great rime! The reason for my trip was to deliver 10 of the famous Holy Trinity poticas to serve with their luncheon (Thanks, Dorothy!). Mass was beautifully celebrated in St. Mary Chapel, with singing provided by a Slovenian youdi dance group diat gave a concert at the Slovenian Cultural Center. Anna and Stephen had a surprise when one of die songs at church sounded familiar, they sing it in Spanish at dieir school masses. What a small world! Although we did not win die big raffle prize, we sure walked away witli a lot of prizes from the instant win booth (Thanks Mary and Joanne!) All in all, we had a lovely time! Please remember all our members in your prayers. Hope you are doing well. Dolores, we miss you at our meetings!! No one can read Mary’s minutes!! Hurry up and get better!! As always, take care and pray for me...I need all die help you can give me. Your Prez, PHYLLIS BRANCH 12 - MILWAUKEE, WI Organized 10/31/1927 Meetings: Third Thursday St Peter’s Episcopal Church Hall We send greetings to all from the sweltering midwest; it has been a brutal couple of weeks. Winter overstayed its welcome and lingered on into almost June. With very little spring il rapidly turned to a hot summer and we are finally getting a break from die extreme 90’s and 100’s which have enveloped our area. We ended our 2004-200.5 season with a June picnic lunch prepared by our very capable cook, Virginia Strukel. We briefly discussed our plans for the upcoming 2005-2006 season, which includes attending the State Convention being hosted by Br. 43 of Milwaukee, planning our Christmas luncheon and, of course, trying to get new members for our lodge which is an ongoing challenge. We try to stress the benefits of continuance of our edinic heritage and also die scholarship benefits as well as the comraderie and hope this will eventually make an impact; so we will continue to push on. The first matter for our new season will be the election of a president. I have been given the title of Honorary President and A1 Jelinek graciously agreed to assume the duties of President until our election in die fall. We all signed Get Well cards for our missing members, Sylvia Kotze and Julie Pesec. Our Bakeless Bake Sale has been successful and donations are still being accepted by sending in “the cost of making a cake” to our Treasurer Fran Remshak at 2159 South 93"' Street, West Allis, WI 53227. We would prefer to have you bring your cake to one of our meetings, but if diis is not practical, we do appreciate your sending a monetary donation. THANKS EVER SO MUCH to all who have contributed and we certainly appreciate die fact that so many of you who have moved away are still with us in your hearts and thoughts by sending in your donations. Since our last meeting we were saddened to hear that one of our dedicated and loyal members, Ann Grambow took an unexpected fall which resulted in a broken hip. After surgery she is now recuperating at Heritage Square, 5404 W. Loomis Rd. Room 224A- Greendale, WI 53129. Her phone number is 421-2938. She must be a pretty busy lady as I have tried several times to reach her and she is never in her room??? In the meantime, we are trying to get to as many of our various Slovenian lodge picnics as possible, but the extreme heat has also managed to keep attendance at a lower dian usual number. So until next issue, here’s hoping that everything is just right in your little corner of die world. STAVI A DOBERSEK Join the SWUA “500” BRANCH 13 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA Organized 10/30/1927 Meetings: First Thursday of the month except Jul and Aug Slovenian Hall in San Francisco I am sorry I missed writing in the last Zarja issue, but I w'as on vacation. I have had a lovely summer, but very busy. My daughter and I spent a week in Lancaster, PA, which I adore, as I am an avid quilter. The quilts are magnificent and the scenery and countryside is gorgeous. We then went 011 to my favorite place in die world, Cape Cod, MA. In June, my sister Barbara Chiodo, a friend and I drove to Las Vegas for die Red Hat Society Convention. Six thousand women in purple outfits and red hats. What fun! We had a wonderful Mother’s Day Brunch at die Marriott in S.F. and a great attendance. I was delighted to see so many of our young people, Peter and Kelly Pecavar, John Pecavar and his friend Nada, Frank Pecavar and Melissa Gray and of course all the Pecavar parents. Happy to see Sandra Farrell, Lynn Yager and Jenny. We did miss Agnes Kurnick who was ill. A special thank you to die generous members who donated wonderful raffle prizes and to everyone who bought tickets and supported us. It is our only fund-raiser and helps pay our rent. “Bouquets” to President Louise Petrusich, who stepped in at die last minute to finalize all die plans. We had a “short moment” to remember dear late President Josephine Aiuto. It was a truly lovely day! We do not meet during die summer, so we are looking forward to getting together in September. Our prayers go out to the family of Dorothy Zaharin, who passed away. She was a long time member and dear friend and neighbor of Anna Fabian who will miss her terribly. Rest in peace, Dorothy. Happy September birthday wishes to: Alice Allison, Patricia Griffin, Mary Jo Kahn, Dorris Lovrin, Lynn Shaffer, Ann Sustarich, Lisa Hutar, and Alexandra Prieto. Halloween birthday wishes to: Anna Nanut, Karen Pera, Sonja Stimach, Isabel Lahane, Joanne Curtis,— and Joseph Govednik. I hope everyone had a lovely summer and looking forward to fall. There are three kinds of people: those who make tilings happen, those who watch things happen, and those who say “what happened?” And, instead of pointing a critical finger, try holding out a helping hand. BEVERLY JACKSON BRANCH 14 - CLEVELAND, OH Organized 10/31/1927 Meetings: 1st Tuesday of the month Apr, Jun & Nov 7 p.m. Recher Hall Slovenian Home We’ve weathered through record cold and rainy days of spring, and then we were immediately flung into hot dry sweltering days! I try to remind myself that before we know it, we’ll soon fire up our furnaces instead of the air conditioner! So hang in there, folks. We’re a fortunate community in that we have so many Slovenian festivals and fun days to look forward to. The beginning of August was our big East 185th St. Community Festival, the largest in the city of Cleveland, with 5 days of polkas, fun, good eats, and a parade, followed by a Polka Mass on the last day. This year we were delighted to have Minnesota’s Father Perkovich to celebrate the Mass accompanied by the Joey Tomsick Orchestra. The Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame is busily working on our upcoming 2nd Slovenian Sausage Festival, held at Slovenska Pristava Recreation Farm, in Harpersfield, OH. The Polka Hall of Fame tries to support all our Slovenian organizations with events at various locations and is looking forward to another smashing success. Next it’s the big Tony Petkovšek Thanksgiving Day Polka Weekend on Nov. 24-26. It is the Polka Hall of Fame’s annual awards show at Eticlid High followed by our “Meet the Winners” dance back at the Marriott Hotel. Hope to see many of our members there! Here’s a date to remember, Tuesday, Dec. 6,h at 6:00 p.m. is our annual Christmas party and dinner, which also is St. Nicholas Day, so don’t forget to put out your plates the night before, so that he can fill them with all kinds of goodies. Don’t forget to bring gifts for door prizes for the party. To make reservations for you and your friends, call Stana Grill at 440-944-0598. We always are assured of a fun evening with some of the best home cooked food available prepared by Sophie Mazi. Hope to see you all there! Stay well ladies and stay cool as you enjoy a restful Labor Day! ALICE KUHAR BRANCH 16 - S. CHICAGO, IL Organized 2/13/1928 Meetings: 2nd Saturday, 1 p.m. (except Jan, Jul & Aug) St. George’s Hall Our thanks to the Chicago Tribune for the article “A Taste of Slovenia” and the pictures that appeared with it on 6/15/ 05. It was a scramble for us in Chicago to get copies of the article from family, friends and neighbors. Now all of our members across the country are able to read and enjoy it. There were no meetings in July and August, please attend our September meeting to finalize plans and arrangements for the IL/IN State Convention on October 2nd in So. Chicago. Mass is a 9 a.m. at St. George Church (9546 S. Ewing) with registration, rolls and coffee in the church hall after Mass. Lunch is at noon at the Crow Bar restaurant (10600 Ave. C). Please make reservations with Vida Kumse (773-734-4830) or Gladys Buck (773-221-0475) if you intend to attend. Tickets for the luncheon are $25.00. Gen Buol, Regional Pres., Dolores Henley, Pres. 95, Helen Price (95) and Branch 16 members are all working together to make this convention a success. Please help them in any way you can, especially by attending. There will be a Sept. meeting to wrap up loose ends. Greetings and get well wishes to all our shut-ins, especially Ana Lustig, Mary Puterko, Julie Vrlich, Clara Saviano and Fran Zupanchich. Fran just spent 6 months with her son in Texas and is now with her son in Crown Point. Sister-in-law, Olga Kowalkowski will try to bring her to a meeting soon. Just heard that Olga Castiglia has been hospitalized; remember them in your prayers. Hostesses for September are Gen Marco, Julie Pastor and Sylvia Spretnjak and in October, Rosemary Petrich and Olga Kowalkowski. Hope to see many old and to meet many new friends on Oct. 2nd. Thank you for coming. SYLVIA SPRETNJAK BRANCH 20 - JOLIET, IL Organized 6/11/1928 Meetings: 3rd Tuesday monthly except Jun, Jul and Aug St Joe’s Park Hall Upcoming events for Branch 20: The Grape Harvest Festival Dance, sponsored by our branch, will be held Sunday, Sept. 25"' at St. Joseph Park Hall on Theodore St. The public is invited, admission is $7.00, children under 16 are free, with the doors opening at 3:00 p.m. and dancing from 4-8 p.m. to the music of Bob Doszak Band. Refreshments will be available. Our past mayors are invited, as well as our newly elected honorary mayor , Father James Radek. Come and have a wonderful time, proceeds from the dance help to pay dues for members 85 years and older. The Calendar of Events and chances will be out soon; take a chance, you may be the lucky one! The Calendar of Events has a lot of information for you each month. Please attend our meetings. Come and celebrate our St. Joseph Church centennial, Sunday, October 16, with Mass at 2:00 p.m. followed by a banquet at the Renaissance Center on Ottawa St. at 5:00 p.m. Check St. Joseph bulletin for details. Saturday and Sunday, November 19-20, Branch 20 is holding a Bake Sale. For our out of town members, we have the Bakeless Sale. Proceeds will be for Branch 20 scholarships. The SWU Heritage Museum in Joliet, IL has new t-shirts and there are interesting tilings to view and purchase in the museum. By the way, did you see the article about Slovenian Cooking in the Chicago Tribune recently? Corinne Leskovar, our Zarja Editor and Maria Petek were featured. Slovenian charms and pins will be on sale in late Sept. Remember to visit the museum; we have visitors from all over the country. How about you being one of the visitors? While you are there start your Christmas shopping early by purchasing Slovenian articles for family and friends. The IL/IN State Convention is Sunday, Oct. 2nd. For more information, call Jonita (815-727-1926). Congratulations and God’s Blessings to SWU Branch 43 of Milwaukee, WI on their 75th Anniversary and the 50th Wedding Anniversary of A1 and Diane Feigerle and Frank and Marie Muster. We pray that Joyce Korst and Mary Tomasic get well soon. If everyone in the U.S. purchased a pink car, what could we call our country? Ans. - A pink car nation “Farming is a continuing miracle wrought by the hand of God” -Benjamin Franklin God Bless You! SISTER MARLENE AMBROSE BRANCH 24 - LASALLE, IL Organized 10/17/1928 Meetings: 3rd Thursdays except Jan, Feb, & Aug Eureka Savings Bank Dober Dan! Summer has really gotten a good grip on us in die midwest this year with a lot of heat and very little rain. The only good tiling resulting from this extreme heat is die lack of mosquitoes! Our branch held its annual summer picnic on Sunday, June 12* at die Pohar home with 61 members, 12 junior members and 7 members from Oglesby Branch 8!) present. A great time was had by all. LORETTA STORY BRANCH 25 - CLEVELAND, OH Organized 11/22/1928 Meetings: 2nd Sunday, St Vitus Well, it seems like we are getting to die end of summer. It goes so fast, we are all so busy and we don’t know where die time goes. Many of our group has been attending tours to the casinos, some of us are lucky and some just have fun on the bus going and coming - just enjoying the ride. Hello’s to all our shut-ins. I have a group of ladies that aid me each Wednesday in June, July and August widi a bingo session for die residents at the Slovenian Home for the Aged. These ladies are very dedicated and I want them to know diat I appreciate they are taking the time to help widi die bingo games. The residents are so happy when they see us; after the session we have a litde treat of pastry and punch. To the ladies, I diank you with all my heart. God Bless! Many thanks to all who sent good wishes in the form of phone calls, prayers, cards, gifts and rides to my many meetings and social engagements during my plight widi a fractured wrist. It was a very long nine weeks. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I was so happy widi the last Zarja, die favorite Slovenian recipes were terrific and most enjoyable. A cooking session among our branches is a super idea, I hope it gains a lot of attention. Happy July birthday to a fellow' SWU member, Rose Mary Toth, President of Branch 50. She is a busy person and is so helpful in many lodges. Blessings and a great day from all die SWU members! Please remember to attend all the Baraga festivities in September. The Federation of Pensioners held their annual picnic at the SNPJ farm on August 31st. Till w'e meet again, let me leave you with this thought: “Our home is just a litde house, but God knows where we live.” Na svidenje. Luv you all! EMILEE JENKO BRANCH 32 - EUCLID, OH Organized 8/25/1929 Meetings: 3rd Wed., 6:30 p.m. except Jan-Feb-July-Aug Euclid Public Library It has been a great summer thus far widi the sun, heat and breezes. Hopefully you did get out to enjoy the beauty of summer. To our ill members, may God Bless you daily. To our deceased members’ families, “We care”. Our May/June meeting w'as combined into a grand picnic, w'e all enjoyed die feast and games. The raffle went smoothly and Rudy, our baker, made a lovely cake that we all enjoyed with ice cream. It was so nice of our past Vice- President, Adrienne and her newborn son to attend our picnic as this was her first mom’s af fair as a new' mom - return as V.P. Adrienne, w'e adore you! President Pam does a great job and her mom is our Secretary-Treasurer, Charlotte; what a team! “Go, you two”. Our next meeting is September 21s1 at die same place and time. We will be discussing die upcoming convention, be there for your input! Please pay your dues; if you have any questions, call Charlotte at 216-289-6316. I am so proud of Stephanie Kneisley now in medical school and Ashley Hejedus who will be going to M.U. tliis fall. Bodi graduated with high honors. To all graduates, we extend wishes for a fruitful school year in whatever you decide to pursue! So long for now! Peace and Love. DOROTHY LAMM BRANCH 35 - AURORA, MN Organized 10/15/1929 Meetings: 1st Sunday of Feb, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Dec and Wed. in Aug. Aurora Community Center We haven’t had a meeting since my last report, so I haven’t much to report now'. I do want to welcome Josephine Trost’s daughter, Brenda Anderson and her two sons, Joshua and Joseph who became members of our branch. They are from Garrison, CO. This summer President Anita Vovk’s daughter, Therese Mickelson and Brenda Anderson enjoyed a trip to Europe. They visited relatives in Slovenia and Italy. Therese has been there several times, but this w'as Brenda’s first time and they had a wonderful time. Mary Vidas of Minneapolis was at our 2004 Stale Convention and talked about starting a SWU branch in the Twin Cities. It has become a reality, but diere was no report in die Zaija. I found out about Branch 109 from a newsletter my daughter sent me. Please consider sending a report to the Zaija. You are an active and interesting branch. Our members, who don’t get the newsletter, would enjoy reading about you. 'Die Twin Cities picnic you are planning sounds like fun - enjoy! We are looking forward to meeting you and healing your Branch 109 report at the State Convention in Ely on Sept 11, 2005. Please note this correction, Dr. Dan Soular’s name was misspelled in my last report Take time to enjoy the fall and the colors. See you at die State Convention. ANNE M. ORAZEM BRANCH 39 - BIWABIK, MN Organized 2/3/1930 Meetings: 1“ Sunday monthly St John’s Church The beautiful hot summer is nearing its end and our branch is gearing up for our season of activities. We had our annual fall luncheon meeting at Alden’s Cafe in Biwabik on Aug 811'. We are planning a bus trip to Ely, MN for die Minnesota State Convention on September lllh. If there is enough interest die bus will pick up members in various cities in the vicinity of the Iron Range and travel to Ely for the day’s events. It not only is a convenience, but also an enjoyable time for die members to reunite with branch members from odier communities. Discussion will follow regarding the 75U| Diamond Jubilee of our branch to be held on October 9th. We will begin our celebration with Mass at St. John’s Catholic Church in Biwabik, MN at 11:00 a.m., followed by a dinner and program. Some plans for the day’s events are still pending. We hope members and friends from other branches will unite willi us on this special day of recollection and inspiration for our future. Our members have been diligently at work archiving our branch history. One of our newer members, Phyllis Lamkin, took on die task of doing an illustrated album of our “Mother/Members of die Year” to be on display and Vida Lanari guided us into categorizing our history in sequence to be sent to the main office for archiving. It was a monumental task, but we now have a plan to continue our yearly archiving as we continue “Living Our Legacy”. A long-time member, Phyllis Kukar, had the opportunity to visit the Slovenian Cultural Center in Lemont, IE and the SWUA Museum in Joliet She attended the graduation of her granddaughter and branch member, Lindsey Stratton (recipient of the 2005 SWUA Rose Marie Princ Award) in Lodi, WI. Following the graduation festivities, Phyllis and her daughter Margaret drove to Lemont to meet with relatives from Australia and accompany them to Joliet to visit die SWUA Museum. Phyllis returned with fond memories of the trip, especially enjoying w'atching her Australian relatives who were delighted widi the SWUA Museum. In doing some research for Slovene student scholarships, I discovered a Francis Kosmerl Scholarship fund that is awarded to full-time degree-seeking undergraduates of Slovenian ancestry who reside in the Diocese of Duluth and attend die University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Applicants must be nominated for die award by dieir parish priest to Father Dale Nau in the Archdiocese of Duluth. Amounts vary from year to year depending upon die demonstrated financial need of the candidate. Awards are renewable providing students make satisfactory academic progress. More information is available for Duludi Diocese students attending die University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN by contacting Susan Brandy in the Office of Student Financial Services at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. There seems to be much interest and excitement about our newly formed Culinary Society and the release of limited editions of charms and pins. Mary' Lou Voelk, our Director of Special Projects seems to have unlimited ideas on keeping our legacy alive. I hope everyone will pass these wonderful recipes on and enjoy displaying the charms or pins. How perfecdy fitting that the first release is die POTICA pin. Happy baking! ROSEMARY (SERTICH) RIBICH BRANCH 40 - LORAIN, OH Organized 4/21/1930 Meetings: 2nd Wednesday St Cyril & Methodius Church One hundred years is a long time when you think of all the changes in technology, transportation, health care and communication, among other things. It boggles the mind. Yet when Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church celebrated their 100111 anniversary, values from die past were very evident This church has remained a constant and secure presence in our community for 100 years! The centennial celebration took place on July 10th, a beautiful sunny day. The solemn procession into the packed church included children dressed in Slovenian costumes followed by Father Paul Krajnik and Fadier Joseph Yelenc, Bishop Edward Pevec, Bishop A James Quinn, and Most Rev. Andiony Pilla, Bishop of Cleveland, who was chief celebrant. In his homily, Bishop Pilla spoke of how' we as Slovenians should be ever proud of our heritage and be appreciative of our past parishioners who started our church. He also thanked Father Krajnik for his hard work and dedication to his parish. The singing lead by die church choir was inspired! They sang several favorite Slovenian hymn, Marija Pomagaj nam sleherni čas, also a hymn to Sts. Cyril and Methodius and finally Hvala Večnemu Bogu — Holy God We Praise Thy Name. Just beautiful! Fadier Yelenc, master-of-ceremonies at die brunch, kept tilings moving at a rapid pace with only brief remarks by Bishop Pilla and Fadier Krajnik who dianked everyone for their presence. It was a grand re-union with friends greeting each other that lasted well into the day. Among the attendees were several sisters who had taught at our school and also Notre Dame Sisters Mary Jane Vovk, Patricia Vovk, Marilyn Zgonc and Rosemary Janezic, all from our parish. A very nice wooden cutout replica of the church was offered as a souvenir. Many were heard to express the wish diat the church would be filled again as it was today. Congratulations and thanks to all who worked so diligendy to make this such a success and congratulations to Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church on their first one hundred years. “This is the day the Lord lias made, let us rejoice and be glad.” In June we lost two members. Mary Rohatina died at age 95 after a brief illness. A lifelong member of Sts, Cyril and Methodius Church, she and her husband Frank who died in 1979 enjoyed traveling and had visited every State in the Union and had even flown over the Arctic Circle. She is survived by daughter Mary Ann Masiowski of Hudson, OH, one sister Johanna Stiglin, brothers Frank, Tom and John Ivancic. In addition to her husband, she was also preceded in death by daughter Joan Rohatina and brother Bill Ivancic. To her family we extend our sympathy. She was a kind and loving person. Rest in peace, Mary. Angie Voytko, 85, died on June 24 following a lengthy illness. She was a longtime officer of our branch having been enrolled at an early age. Angie was known for her activity in perpetuating Slovenian culture. She organized and trained Slovenian folk dancers who participated in the Lorain International Festival and other events. She was named Woman of the Year by the Slovenian Heritage Association. Twice she was a delegate to SWU conventions. She was also a member of AMLA , KSKJ and of the former Lorain Slovenian Home. Angie is survived by her son Dennis of Vermilion, OH, daughters Arlene Englert of Plano, TX, Pat Billick of Amherst, OH, Georgine Campbell of Lambertville, MI, and Nancy German of Vermilion, OH. She was preceded in death by her husband George and brother Edward. Her funeral mass was at Holy Trinity Church in Lorain. Rest in peace my dear friend. I will keep you close in memory. Please remember to come to our meetings and be good to each other. Love, STEPHANIE POLI JTNIK BRANCH 42 - MAPLE HEIGHTS, OH Organized 5/31/1930 Meetings: 2nd Saturday in Feb, May, Aug, Nov & Dec Maple Heights Library______________ Greetings of summer everyone! As we go to press, the heat wave we have been experiencing for so long is showing signs of finally relenting. What a welcome relief] September birthday greetings to Dorothy Budimlic, Elizabeth Harr, Pat Wolf, Debra Zolyniak and Ann Marie Buehner. October birthday celebrants are Jeanne Offutt, Marjorie Lostaski, Nancy Thompson, Madeleine Yemec, Amy Thompson, Tracy Jones, Dr. Tom Jaras, Angie Zupančič and my daughter Lynn Kassakoski. We welcome Mary Anne Yemec to our branch as a transfer from Branch 105 in Detroit, MI. She is the sister-in-law of our Marge Church. Get well wishes go out to Josie Gruden and any other ailing members we don’t know about. Just this week we were all saddened by the sudden loss of our member, Margie Zupančič. You could always count on Margie and her sister, Annie to attend our meetings and social functions, plus the use of their cottage in Pymatuning to host our branch summer picnics. Margie will be sorely missed. We extend our deepest sympathy to Annie and cousin Josie Gruden. May she rest in heavenly peace. The recent SWU tour to Slovenia in June saw our member, Marie Zimmer, experiencing her lsl visit to Slovenia which she says will certainly not be her last. She was completely taken by die overwhelming beauty of the homeland of her maternal grandparents and will not soon forget the joy of sailing down the Ljubljanica River playing an accordion. She also could not believe it w'hen she ran into Bob Kastelic and his brother, Lou, husband of our member Betty Ann Kastelic. The Kastelic clan, a party of 14 travelers, w'ere enjoying a family reunion coordinated by Bob’s daughter, Lisa, using Lake Bled as their home base. It has been 4 years since my long aw7aited visit to Slovenia w'as aborted by the events of 9/11. Marge Church and Dorti Zidar were also affected by that infamous tragedy. The three of us leave for Slovenia, Sept. 51*1 so by the time you read this, we should be well on our w'ay. Plans continue for the Ohio/Michigan Convention on Sunday, Oct. 2"d with 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Lawrence Church in Newburgh. Bishop A. Edward Pevec is the celebrant and our featured speaker at the full dinner banquet after mass is Dr. Edward Gobetz, the founding director of Slovenian Research Center of America. The dinner takes place at the Newburgh Slovenian National Home with cost for die day at $20.00 per person. Reservations are a must, so please call Marge Church at 330-467-0696. If you have not been able to make any of our previous functions, please make an extra effort to attend this event and support Branch 42 with a good representation. Guests are welcome, so don’t let us down. Till next time. Zbogom! LIL SADOWSKI BRANCH 43 - MILWAUKEE, WI Organized 6/4/1930 Meetings: 4th Wednesday of the month except Jan, Jul & Aug St Mary Help Christian Church After several days of very hot and humid w’eather, we are experiencing some relief. I found myself, on one of die hottest days at Triglav Park enjoying a delicious chicken dinner and some liquid refreshments along with many odiers w'ho braved the heat to support the Slovenian Missions. If you stayed in die shade and didn’t move around too much you could enjoy die breeze diat was a God-send. The big news this month is the up coming State Convention and the 75th Anniversary Celebration of our branch. You w'on’t want to miss this event which will take place on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 8:30 a.m., followed by die meeting and then Mass at 11 a.m.. After Mass you will enjoy a delicious dinner, program and of course, prizes. It will be a packed day and you will be able to enjoy the entire day without leaving Klemmers which is located at 10401 W. Oklahoma Ave. (there is plenty of parking). Tickets are now available for the dinner for $15.00 and may be purchased from Branch 43 members or by contacting Josephine Janezic at 414-545-0691. Let’s all celebrate! Our experimental nighttime meeting in June was a success and we were able to see many members who are usually unable to attend daytime meetings. The supper served by the birdiday ladies w'as wonderful and very tasty. Remember our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sep 28th at noon at St. Mary Help of Christian Church in die downstairs meeting room. As usual, the meeting will follow a luncheon served by the birthday ladies. Let’s see you there. MICI BREGANT BRANCH 47, GARFIELD HTS, OH Organized 6/17/1931 Meetings: 2nd Sunday Maple Heights Library Hi every one! Our next meeting will be on Sep 1 lUl at Olga Dorchak’s House. It will be a picnic meeting where we will be talking about our OH/MI Convention on Oct 2nd. Mass will be at St. Lawrence Church at 10:00 a.m. with a meeting and luncheon to follow at the Slovenian National Home on 80* St. Congratulations go out to Elsie Spellacy and family who’s granddaughter Sarah Huffman, presented them with twin girls on July 2n<1. The girl’s names are Kaitlyn and Jacklyn. Big sister Destiny is helping mom with them. Birthday wishes go out to all September and October members. September members: Albina Jordanek, Madelyn Ann McKittrick, Bernice Novak, Barbara Sostakowski, Annette M. Yurotovak, Wanda Sever, Mary Ann Sray and Agnes M. Slak. October members: Josephine Godec, Josephine Klun, Dorothy Cabot, Kathleeen Dorchak-Hall, Olga Dorchak, Mary Ann Drobnick, Linda Ford, Allison Mundson, Elsie Spellacy, MaryTaucher, Stephanie Spellacy and Deborah Duris. Best wishes to all. KATHERINE WALLACE BRANCH 50 - EUCLID, OH Organized 9/15/1931 Meetings: 3rd Wednesday 1 p.m. except Jan, Feb, Jul & Aug Euclid Public Library On June 15,h 31 members, including all of our officers, attended our annual picnic. It w'as a great luncheon with a variety of pastries baked by our members. President, Rose Mary Toth, stressed tlie need and importance of recruiting new members to our organization. (lust show them Zarja! C.) Congratulations to Jean Miller on her 75th, and .’if)11' anniversary wishes to Mary Penca and husband. A meaningful heartfelt thank you note was read by President, Rose Mary Toth, for the “Mother of the Year” necklace given to her by the membership. The meeting was adjourned for the summer with farewells until Sep 21st. On July 26th as a tradition honoring St. Ann, and initiated by our member Ann Opeka many years ago, the annual Ann’s Day luncheon was held at the Dubrovnik Garden in I\astlake, OH. Ann Eichlor, Zahaas, Petrovich, Orlikowski, Cooke, Adams, Sintič, Oster, Tomsick, Thomas, Dus, Arhar, and Krajnc, were present. Here in the greater Cleveland area w'e are fortunate to have many Slovenian Homes with continuous cultural as well as civic activities and many musical groups from Slovenia who entertain at these facilities. The East 185,h Street Festival was August 3-7, the largest neighborhood festival in the city. Polka bands performed for five consecutive days on one of the largest stages, while along the avenue there was a variety of other music and concessions. Father Frank Perkovich from Minnesota had the polka Mass on August 7, and the Joey Tomsick Orchestra supplied the music, followed by a grand parade. How blessed are we! Our house on the hill on Chardon Road next door to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, always welcomes old friends and new. Recently, two Notre Dame nuns, Sister Myra Avsec and Sister Barbara Knuff visited with us, had lunch, and brought a number of photos of days gone by, where we remembered them growing up in our St. Clair/Superior Avenue neighborhood before entering the convent. They were just kids! It was fun to reminisce. Sister Mary Avsec, SND, St. Vitus Parish Pastoral Minister, celebrated her golden jubilee on Sunday, August 7th. Once more, congratulations, Sister! Just a reminder!! Hope you continue to read the Zarja issue from beginning to end. The July/August issue, with the articles “Slovenian Culinary Heritage” “Slovenian I leritage Recipes,” “Kuhar’s Carousel.” to name a few, are interesting and really informative. We invite all members and guests to attend our September 21", meeting and hopefully welcome some new members enrolled this summer. Remember, “Bring a Friend, a New Member!” Respectfully submitted, ANNE TOMSICK BRANCH 54 - WARREN, OH Organized 8/22/1932 Meetings: 3rd Wed. 5-6 times a year Our branch will have its first fall meeting on Sep. 2 Is'at 12 noon at Elsie Shine’s home in Niles, OH. Please try to attend; you can call me for directions. We will decide then if we will have a meeting in October or November. Our member, Karen Zuga, PhD. will be attending Ohio State for 2 years to be a program officer in Washington, D.C. for the National Science Foundation. This is quite an honor for Karen and we congratulate her! We know' her mom, Vic, our only charter member, is very proud of her. She will be celebrating her 91!l birthday in October and we wish her all the best. Get w'ell to Anne O’Block’s husband, Victor, who has been ill, and w'as in physical rehab at Hillside Hospital. Our sympathy to Isabelle Rek, on die death of her sister in Florida, and her sister-in-law, Matilda in Warren. She w'as a former member and her son is the well known Danny Sapiro, a local polka band leader for many years. Welcome to our new' member, Mary Lou Dale, daughter of our new' President, Louise Vett. After a very hot summer, die fall season will be a welcome relief. Good health and God’s blessing to you all. JOANNE PONIKVAR BRANCH 55 - GIRARD, OH Organized 6/8/1933 Meetings: 1” Monday of Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov & Dec 1575 Norwood Avenue Greetings from Branch 55! It’s been quite a summer here in Girard, much of the month of July has been full of sunshine and extreme heat. The arrival of autumn and cooler weather will be much appreciated by die many residents of the midwest. In Branch news, longtime SWU member Milka Kregar celebrated her 80th birthday on June 17th. The day was celebrated with visits from family and friends, with a special accordion concert performed by my aunt, Martha Rozman. It was a great time for all who were able to stop by and honor Milka on her special day. In other news, Mark Selak, son of Branch President Maria Selak, became engaged to Molly Hartman this past Fourdi of July. The couple is currently planning their wedding that takes place next June 17th at St. Edward Parish in Youngstown, OH. Congratulations, Mark and Molly! We wish you both many blessings on the upcoming nuptial celebration. The next few months will be particularly hectic for both the Hartman and Selak families as wedding details are arranged. Finally, I will be spending the next school semester studying in London, England with the University of Notre Dame’s London Program. Upon my arrival in August, I plan to travel around Europe, hopefully making a stop in Slovenia to visit my family. I will be certain to keep you all posted about my adventures in die months ahead. That’s all the news from Girard for now. Information about upcoming festivities will be available soon for Branch members. Enjoy die rest of die summer and God Bless! MONICA SELAK BRANCH 93 - BROOKLYN & NYC, NY Organized 11/26/1938 Meetings: 5-6 times a year at various locations We have held two meetings since our last report. On Sundayjune 16, we met in the Luna Park Restaurant within Union Square Park in Manhattan. Although many seemed to have been discouraged from venturing out into the City on a very hot summer day, three of us braved the temperature in the 90’s to discuss and plan upcoming events while enjoying a lovely Sunday brunch. On Wednesday July 27, on another sweltering 97-feels-like-102-degree day, four of us met to further discuss the details and put things in motion for our big, upcoming event this November. As we were happy to share in our last report that we have received grant money from the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia For Slovenians Abroad which will help fund a lecture by Mirjam Hladnik to present her project entided “Slovenian Women in the USA and Their Role in the Preserving of the Slovenian Cultural Heritage.” We have been busy working out die logistics of organizing this event, including securing the space, discussing options to promote it and assigning various responsibilities in order to effectively carry it out. Please see our special event notice in the Heritage section of Zaija on page 17 for more details and refer to our branch website for updates. We have had a very enthusiastic response to our initiative relating to RTV Slovenia’s program “Slovenian Magazine” (a 25-minute mosaic which presents current events in Slovenia, its cultural and historical heritage, beauty of the landscape, and the country’s economic and tourist potential). We have finalized the recording and die first batch of orders (numbering nine in total) has already been sent while die second batch will be sent by mid-August Two odier events in July, although not official Branch 93 gatherings, were of interest to us and attended by some of the members. On Tuesday, July 19, there was an outdoor performance in Central Park by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their Concerts in the Park series. We were originally planning to make this an official Branch 93 meeting in order to highlight the fact that Slovenian Philharmonic, which is over 300 years old, this year named an American, George Pehlivanian, as the first ever foreign Chief Conductor. However, since this event was taking place on a weekday and many of our members had work related responsibilities, we decided to make it an unofficial event In addition, on Wednesday, July 20, film Spare Parts (Rezervni Deli), directed by the acclaimed Slovenian director Damjan Kozole was shown in Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City as part of the Outdoor Cinema Series. This event was sponsored by the Consulate of Republic of Slovenia in New York and director Kozole attended the screening. If any of you happen to be in the New York Metro area and would like to join us for upcoming events, please let us know. YES N A BRANCH 95 - SO. CHICAGO Organized 3/1/1939 Meetings: 2nd Wed. of the month May, June, Sept & Oct Sacred Heart Church, 1 p.m. Greetings to all of you. I’m back from Florida and doing great. At our June meeting, about 10 of us went to Jovial Club and had a nice luncheon and good time. The IL/IN Convention is going to be on October 2nd Branch 16 and Branch 95 are going to go togedier. Helen Price and I went to die meeting in June to make plans for it! I will meet again in September at dieir branch. Our State President Gen Buol was at die meeting. Gen, thank you so much. Helen Cuckomski got married to a very nice man and seems very happy. Congratulations Helen and your new husband. Lucy Kapilash lost her husband, John on January 18, 2005. He was in a nursing home for about 9 months in Florida. Evelyn Driscoll’s brother Rudy Ashenbrener died November 31, 2004. He had been ill for a long time. Our condolences go out to both members’ families. Millie Poropat, sent cards out to die members who live out of state and got a lot of responses. Ladies, we were so happy to hear from you; we think of you all the time. I hope everyone had a nice summer. Our next meeting was changed to Wednesday, Sept 7th . Say a prayer for die ladies that are home-bound and sick. God bless you all. Love you. DOLORES HENNELLY BRANCH 99 - LEMONT, IL Re-organized 11/30/2003 Meetings: 5th Sun. of Month Slovenian Cultural Center The BIG REMINDER diis month is for our Bunco Party on Oct. 30*. Please come and enjoy the afternoon at the Slovenian Cultural Center, beginning at 1:00 o’clock. Our Schultz girls are planning it again. MANY THANKS! We know it will be wonderful as it was last year. Please bring some sweets for our refreshments table. You know how our ladies like to take care of that “sweeeeeet tooth!” We are doing well on sign-ups for the Culinary Classes - the first one is at 9 a.m. on Sept. 17lh for Strudel. In October we have two afternoon classes, Oct. 22nd for Flancati and Oct. 29Ul for Krofi. This will get you all set for die coming holidays. Call one of die officers for reservations if you still haven’t done so. Limited space, so do it now! Only $5 fee per student and we have the BEST instructors! Grace Doerk, a regular contributor to Prosveta (a former national officer of SNPJ) has been describing our Culinary Classes to her readers. Thanks, Grace. Another event to keep in mind is the Christmas Cookie sale, early in December. To make diis a success we all have to contribute our best home-baked cookies. On the basis of last year, when the demand exceeded die supply (we ran out of cookies!), Joan thinks we need 6 dozen cookies from each contributor. Please call one of the officers by November 1.5tli if you will be able to make cookies for die sale. This is such a great event - everyone’s comments last year were die best! Sorry we had to change the date of our July meeting to Aug. 21M. Thanks to Tom Zakosek who presented a great lecture at that meeting on the subject of “Working Towards Whiteness” about ethnic discrimination in America. Wow! What an eye opener this was. Thanks, Tom, for bringing this information to our attention. See photos of our three newest members, Jenny Valent’s grandchildren, in this issue of Zaija. Jennie, you must be a very proud grandma! CORINNE LESKOVAR BRANCH 102 - WILLARD, WI Organized 5/11/1941 Meetings: When convenient Parish Center We have not had a meeting this summer. Our next meeting will be held Sep. 11th but is apt to change. Our summer has been busy. The Polka Fest was June 2-1-26. Many people came to dance. Todd Pakiz, son of Larry and Sue Pakiz and Kaysie Benson, daughter of Lonna and Dave Benson exchanged wedding vows on June 25th at St. Paul Ludieran Church in Lewiston, MN. The young couple lives in Caledonia, MN. Todd is the grandson of Frank and Rose Pakiz. Rose is President of Branch 102 and Sue is Secretary/Treasurer. Our wishes for a long and happy marriage go out to them. Mary Djubenski, who served as Secretary/Treasurer of Branch 102 for 28 years was honored on her 90th birthday July 16th at die Willard home of Pat and Kay Plautz, son and daughter-on-law of Mary. The celebration wras planned by her family. Mary was very active in promoting die Slovenian culture and “Living Her Legacy”. We wish her many more years of happiness and good liealdi. Our Slovenian picnic w’as held July 30th and dien we planned our bazaar on Aug. 29Ul. It was a lot of work Prayers and get well wishes to Mary Staut. Condolences to die families of Mayme Cesnek, David Volovsek and Jake Barr. AGNES DEBEVEC LIVING YOUR LEGACY? BRANCH 103 - WASHINGTON, DC Organized 11/14/1965 Meetings: 1“ Sunday of Jan, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov & Dec St Columba’s Church At our last meeting before the summer break, we decided to postpone our annual social until the spring of 2006. We will resume preparations for that event at our September meeting. We have some interesting news about the activities of our members. We also had our share of members who were beset by ills, and we wish, and pray for all of them, a speedy recovery. Our president, Mary Lou Terselic returned from a visit to her son Robert and family in California. He is a US Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton. Her daughter Susan delivered her seventh child, Sarah Christina. Susan and family are missionaries in Niger, West Africa. Everything went smoothly, Praise the Lord. Tabitha, Susan’s oldest daughter (age 16), had die opportunity of a “youth-time” working at the outpatient department of the missionary hospital. She used her very good Hausa-and French-language skills to do translations for short-term doctors. In addition, she observed surgeries, did rounds on the wards and received lots of good counsel from highly skilled, dedicated Christian physicians about pursuing medicine as a career. Mary Lou was also able to visit with her daughter Nancy and son Richard and families at family events in Ohio tliis summer. Susan and Nancy are members of Branch 103. Angela Stare, our vice-president, and her family recendy returned from a trip to Slovenia. Mimi Mejac, our secretary', enjoyed a one-week stay at die beach widi her children, their spouses and grandchildren. Her daughter, Maria Thomas and family returned from a trip to London and Majorca to celebrate her mother-in-law’s eightieth birthday. They returned to the States, fortunately missing the first bombings in London. Helen Mangold, another daughter, is busy preparing for her son’s (Kevin) departure for his first year at college. Mimi’s daughter-in-law, Sarah Mejac was saddened by the loss of her grandmother, mother of another member Jim Cesnik. We extend condolences to both of them and their families. Maria, I lelen, Sarah and their children are members of Branch 103. Member, lea Zebot just returned from Duck, NC, where she spent a week at die beach with her family. On her return she is going to Walloon Like, MI to visit her son and daughter-in-law. After that she is off to Edmonton, Canada, to spend some time with her niece and then to Minneapolis to see her grandson. All of this traveling even though she has just recuperated from a nasty fall when she broke her kneecap. Auditor Ana Skopec is busy babysitting her 20-month old grandson Carsten, while his mother Marlene continues working at the National Institutes of Health. On May 20, Marlene received her PhD in Science (electrical engineering) from George Washington University in Washington, DC. Her husband Claus, who teaches economics at Seattle University, is going to teach for one semester at Brown University, Providence, RI, as a visiting professor. At die end of die year the whole family plans to settle down in Seattle. Meanwhile, they went to France and dien to Denmark to visit Claus’ family. Marlene is also a member of Branch 103. Our treasurer Molly Thomas was in a head-on collision and suffered a triple fracture in bodi bones of her right arm. She now' has two titanium rods in that arm and has been undergoing dierapy bodi in a rehabilitation facility and as an outpatient. Our former president and enthusiastic supporter, Sabina Bartol, underwent surgery recently and is on her w'ay to recovery. Mara Chokel, who moved to Arizona to be with her son and daughter-in-law', also had surgery and is undergoing dierapy in a rehabilitation hospital. Mary Bodling is recuperating at home from various medical problems that affected her vision, among other things. Cecilia Hlebanja is now' living in Villa Rosa, a nursing home in Mitchellville, Maryland. Ana Menapace had heart surgery but has recuperated sufficiently to attend several Slovenian events in tliis area. Our program chairperson Ana Sonc-Jevtic sent a message from Slovenia which I diink you will find interesting. “I am visiting my mother in Krško. It is very hot here also and not pleasant for older people. Many households have installed mini air conditioners similar to those on windows in the US, which cool one main room. It is a good thing diat nights are not that hot or humid. Yesterday I w'ent on a small trip to Kostanjevica na Dolenjskem which is surrounded by the beautiful l iver Krka. Many fishermen were fishing and hoping to catch a trout; if not, one can just stop by the nearest restaurant and order a good meal, perhaps fish. So we did also. In the cool area under the trees we had a delicious dinner starting with mushroom soup that is very common, especially at this time of year.” Doesn’t that sound like a very pleasant vacation? Valerie Bohince w'ent to die API Silver Theatre to see a film, “Labour Equals Freedom” by Slovenian director, Damjan Kozole. It was a very good movie, in the indy style, a little grainy. It show'ed great scenes of the city of Ljubljana and city living. The whole weekend w'as a mini-film fest of his work, five to six movies in all. Ana Menapace and Richard Terselic, husband of Mary Lou, were also there. The theatre is beautiful. We found the last Zarja issue, The Legacy of Slovenian Food, very interesting and informative. We wish diat you all have had a very pleasant, relaxing summer. MIMI MEJAC AND MARY LOU TERSELIC BRANCH 108 - OLNEY, MD Organized 11/16/2003 Meetings: 2nd or 3rd Sunday of month except Jun, Jul, Aug & Dec Mamma Lucia’s Restaurant Welcome to our most recent new members, Mary Ann Aker, Brooke Engelhardt, Perry Engelhardt, Doris Jereb, Laurie McGuckin and Bonnie Lynn Pausic,. We look forward to meeting you soon at a meeting or activity and introducing you to our diverse group of members of Slovenian descent. Members and guests are welcome to join us at luncheon meetings scheduled for Sunday, September 11 and Sunday, October 9 at Mamma Lucia’s Restaurant in Olney, MD. Several members have traveled to places such as Slovenia, Argentina, Ohio and Wyoming this past spring and summer. Please join us in sharing experiences of meeting Slovenians, sometimes in unexpected places throughout the world at our September meeting. OFFICERS OF BRANCH 108 “Alpine All Star Music Festival at Sea” with your Host: Tony Klepec JS With the Cleveland Area Alpine Players and ALFI NI PIC from Slovenia. You’ll enjoy the heat in *Oherkrainer”or Slovenia Alpine Music______________ uiilinf) the Star Princess Cfebruary 5-12,2006^) from Ft. Lauderdale to the Western Caribbean % P “folka Party at Sea" * P aboard the Carnival Conquest sailing from New Orleans! Cozumel-Grand Cavman-Monetgo Bay Marelj 1» - Zft, 2006 Join experienced musiriaire and hosts : Adam Ban halt. Steve Meisner, Joey Tomsick. Marc Bouchard, and Denny Pisz "Crichrating H2 Itan in hnt€ /. %itu c l*t2i ~ Kollandcr World Travel '171 I IK5 SI ♦ Cleveland OH *4119 (X00) X00-59X1 . (216) 692-1000 wvv w . kol I a nd ci -1 ravel coni VHome From yiSlovenia, Handcrafts, Gifts, and Heritage Shop online at www.HomeFromSlovenia.com Call or write for catalog: Post Office Box 193 Hawleyville, CT 06440-0193 Phone: 203-775-0853 Fax: 203-775-6413 THANKSTO ZARJA DONORS Name- Branch Amount. Spires, Karen (102) $10 Velikan, Judith (5) $10 Dobczyk, Agnes (20) $45 Jagodnik, Irene (50) $25 Slovenian Women’s Union of America Slovenska »enska Zveza v Ameriki Membership Application Yes! I want to join the S.W.U. I want to preserve and promote the legacy of our Slovenian-American heritage. As a member I will receive the publication, ZARJA-The Dawn; I can affiliate with branches and events across the country and best of all, I will come in contact with fellow Slovenes. Please type or print legibly. Choose type of membership: □ Junior (Birth to 18), Annual Dues $5.00 □ Adult, Annual Dues $20.00 Name and Middle Initial_______________________________________________ Street Address____________________________________________ City/State/Zip______________________________________________ Phone/Fax_________________________________________________ E-Mail______________________________________________________ Date of Birth_____________________________________________Do you speak Slovenian?______________________________________ Please describe your Slovenian ancestry________________________________________________________________________________ How did you hear about us? S.W.U. member newspaper website other Applicant’s signature:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date: Branch Affiliation No. (if known)_________________________________________________ Location:__________________________________________ Please make checks payable to the Slovenian Women's Union of America and mail to: SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S UNION OF AMERICA, 431 North Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432 - (815) 727-1926 e-mail: swuhome@msn.com - Internet webpage: www.swua.org Please allow four to six weeks for membeship processing. In addition to my dues, I wish to contribute to the General Fund: For Office Use: $___________________ Date Received:_____________________________________________________ In honor of_______________________________________________________________________Membership No.:. In memory of______________________________________________________________________Branch Affiliate: _ Send acknowledgement to___________________________________________________________ I would like to volunteer for the S.W.U. My area of interest or expertise is:____________________ Tell a Friend! If you wish us to send information to a friend or relative just fill in name and address here: My friend’s name Address City State Zip Insuring the Times o{ you* VlAiat is Whole Life Insurance? Whole life Insurance provides lifelong protection- Premiums remain level and do not increase over time Premiums ma>’ be paid over a lifetime if desired Dividends (sot guaranteed) What advantages does the Whole Life plant offer? This type of insurance accumulates cash value that builds over time on a tax-deferred basis, also provide for greater cash value growth and increase of death benefit. Premiums may be paid over a Lifetime or to a certain age. The cash build-up in the policy may be used in various ways such as children’s education, retirement final expenses, charitable giving or be received as income that can never be outlived. KSKJ also offers these Whole Life Plans: ♦ Single Premium - only one premium payment required 4 10-Pay Life - requires premium payments for 10 years ♦ 20-Pay Life - requires premium payments for 20 years Whole Life Insurance is best for people who want the option of lifelong protection and tax-deferred guaranteed cash value. Do I need insurance? If someone would suffer financially at your death you need life insurance Whether you are the family's primary bread winner or a stay-at-home parent, you provide valuable services that would be expensive to replace. How much insurance do I need? A general rule of thumb is to buy insuiance equal to five to ten times your annual income. A KSKJ Sales Representative can determine the precise amount and type of policy that’s right for you. Check out more about KSKJ at www.kskjlife.com or call 1-800-843-5755 SHELIGA DRUG INC. JfwZVaJLu. 6025 St. Clair Aw., Cleveland, OH 44103 (216) 431-1035 Sen’ing our neighborhoods' daily needs Zimmer FUNERAL HOMES Mark Zimmer, Funeral Director mark@zimmerfuneralhome.com X05 North 6th Street, Sheboygan, Wl 53081 (920) 457-7012 - Fax: (920) 457-7013 W 2132 Ganton Rd., Sheboygan, WI 53083 (920) 565-2331 www.Zimmerfuneralhome.com 452 East 152nd St., Cleveland, Ohio (216) 481-3118 ZELE FUNERAL HOME, INC. TEZAK FUNERAL HOME “First in Service Since 1908” Licenced Producer: Richard K. Tezak (815) 722-0524 American Slovenian Catholic Union (KSKJ) 1211 Plainfield Road Joliet, IL 60435 FDK First Midwest Bank Joliet, IL (815) 727-5222 Louis -Ron" Zefran Frank J. Zelran At Your Service During Lifts Most Difficult Moments Connie Rodriguez Lois M. Zelran Oebble Zefran Jerry 1—800—249—9150 (773) 847-6688 jZcAti/z <\3xxne.xa£ c^-foniz., /?£d. 1941 West Cermak Road. Chicago, IL60608 NARODNA IN UNIVERZITETNA KNJIŽNICA DS II 54 788; >2005 920052386,5 MUSEUM GIFT SHOP ANNOUNCES ARRIVAL OF NEW MERCHANDISE New merchandise will be arriving within the next two weeks. Keep checking the swua.org web site for the following items which will be shown on live models! All clothing items are top quality! Think ahead to Birthdays, Christmas, or “just be good to yourself’. Berlitz Slovenian Phrase Book and Dictionary TEE SHIRTS-CAPS The books are selling fast! Stop by the Slovenian Heritage Museum to purchase your copy. $1,5.00 museum purchase, $17.00 mail order To reserve a copy, or for mail order — call or email: (815) 727-1926 swuhome@msn.com Jumbo Tote Bags (with a Slovenian Potica Stamp logo) “It’s In Every SLOVEnian” (NEW logo): * Adult Chef Aprons and Towel * Children’s Chef Aprons and Towel * Chef Hats (Adult) Baseball caps Punčka, Punčka, Punčka (pronounced “poonchka”, Slovenian word for doll) These Punčkas are all dressed in a beautiful Slovenian costume. Each one lias been given a name. ()r to dress up your own punčka, purchase just a costume. Purchase one for a special birthday, for a newborn, a Christmas gill, or for yourself! (We won’t tell anyone, honestly!) This is your museum! Ik-lp support the LIVING LEGACY! • Men’s polo shirt: white, heather gray and putty with Slovenian logo patch • Men’s Tee Shirt with pocket: ash gray and sand beige with Slovenian logo patch • Ladies’ polo shirts: azalea, yellow and w hite with a new carnation logo on left side • Indies’ Tee Shirts: light blue, natural and light steel, with new carnation logo on left side • Kids’ Tee Shirt: ash gray with Slovenian flag logo • Baseball caps: navy with white or khaki with red script A thought on Kids’ Tee Shirts: Children's lee’s come in si/.e 6/H or 10/ 12. Order larger sizes for kids or order Indies ’ tee sis.es. Slovenian Heritage Museum Gift Shop 431 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432 Tel. 815-727-1926; website: www.swu.org; email: swuhome@msn.com