\ttJA NUMBER 6 VOLUME 77 HE DM NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2005 mm UiiAUi'lO QLAilU.9 3LIW2HUKA žšiBKA Z’;=i\ V OrrlCIAL PUilLlCAlKli'l ULOVSt'liAi'i VWiiai’3 Ui'IKJi'I Or A&lSHiCA I * k @entifccate t&e SCoveniatt TlatOM GlvVOOllT-f fcHK.'ii [LcD^A. ZlO UftjL-rf gtrčfrcrcA' mn'p iFn uvi • srrZtf mei grct-*- I Xue-rernu creZxu I luexn «nmr- liu^. (* * irmu mrc7nt«-ir* luuuTem crtlUrxem. J&ofirm • {viuerrtn*i> pp ■mi’ Intern "Lrlom \ et4*<^ni*ru\ ferncoMi bo/!fm • 1 v4icirt ruemiwrn bofiern • I«L*m* cf^vu%, _ tztLj-cl^oTrn - h/ vptJ^A^oLtni- lU ftpr- »ti nclpc lli Wi~ le-lem* nc X»*.vV»aI • nedci* ■ ni Xuera —vvecrm - m Ji' r poTrcn • 1 • ino^a*mru» • efe prvnoboju- i-prrfiu tnr mu cr^fu- Ti edin befir* vu^I-c«tco mi ■tP’gT* parr*11' b*v vuelic-\- Bofir «jx»Xprnvi* trtf »nil Txionv- ocI-VmI; poflre.nik l-odioek l> vui-nfiW* i minfiU- fY«r iHLem 'trycm t ^ rtr^i •\f.Trtf' mil-ruonv- I- Vine «ri »n.ini- I-vlfm *£» vrnm - 'iuifl *p*ieČ4Č*t

t"' mi -rtnrn V*f>r*n. lather? nuifrniii^ »Mf»-'iii#»n IvMton Julfm- Ac vwxin iik I**1"«* b+timkr . tltmrwJm- « 1 vuci u m - lunr • infr n.t on tmtrr f tkilir u'fri.m njtMM* frjrfrn* 1 ir**n*«i*f#vinrr • I n »II ir ft I’“’•*»< Ro(r pnmi m*'ivil|t«vurW- m*.J> qmhiu-ifInifril Xlti■ f'<*TJm ffnjfCM* kil> ".rfi JLvurr vuumkrw* i rtf km (it pvowjp* ih nr in vu»lu di nr »iiWm lii *i'«Us -lin*!# . Ill i«*u*.pnM>..' ini mr ul A < 111 «!>♦/ il. v, uii*«^U- III »»imflmvU* Hr mijHTwnmlmrrif m*l»i nt4m\ Uj »r#ni. lU Afr- 4 n#lpr lit tft ic-lrm- n# itrtlrf^ ni Im* m • m •wyqx rik frotwWju-inu crW*rv ■ Ii fxlin iurfe rtftl u<>' mi «j» (wirf C*a »in-in.« R#ič jjvlfu^i miltfVnvi' trbr lr »*«1 ■™#nv- oJ V*il» twk irmfXej*- I rumAb' i »nrtkttW- (& irlrtn \r0ibr' tmlruenv- 1 *ur txt «v*m- I *l(m These bound parchment sheets belonged to Bishop Abraham of Freising who also had estates in Carinthia, the cradle of Slovenia. Bishop Abraham required the liturgical texts to be written in Slovenian during his pontificate, as this was the language of the people. Abraham is closely viewed by linguists as being the author of the Freising Manuscripts, and without any firm evidence, was also suspected of being Slovenian. The first manuscript is a general confession formula and is written on two pages. Ex: First Manuscript: Oh God, Merciful Lord, God the Father, to thee / confess alt my sin, and to the holy Christ, and to St. Mary, and to St. Michael and to all God’s angels, and to St. Peter, and to all God s messengers, and to all Gods martyrs, and to all God's confessors, and to all righteous virgins, and to all the righteous. All Manuscript photos from: Exhibition hall of the National and University Library, Ljubljana The second Freising Manuscript is a sermon on sin and repentance and probably the most important. It covers four pages. It is a priest’s address about the Christian doctrine of sin and salvation. The sermon was probably adapted from an old, 8th century Bavarian sermon. Because of its neat order and rhetorical elements, this manuscript already has the qualities of an artistic, literary text. Ex: Second Manuscript If our forefather had not sinned, then he would have lived for ever, not receiving old age, nor ever having sorrow, nor having a tearful body, but for ever he would have lived. As he was by the evil one s envy cast outfrom the glory of God, therefore upon the human race came pain and sorrow, sickness, and eventually death. The third Freising Manuscript, also a confession formula, covers 3 pages. Ex: Third Manuscript That 1 have knowingly committed or unknowingly, under compulsion or willingly, sleeping or awake, in vain swearing, in lying speeches, in theft, in fornication, in avarice, in gluttony, in excessive drinking, in defilement, and in all intemperate acts. What I have done against God from that day when I was christened even unto this day. The manuscripts are still kept at the Bavarian State Library in Munich and have left it only twice. In the 1970s they were exhibited in the Vatican City and in May and June 2004 they were exhibited at the National and University Library in Ljubljana. PART 11: KLAGENFURT/CELOVEC MANUSCRIPT (Ratschach/Rateče) place of origin Date: 1362-1390 The Celovec Manuscript is the second oldest medieval Slovenian literary document after the Freising Manuscripts. Its double name is derived from the place where it is stored, Klagenfurt, and is of the early archives of the Carinthian History Society. The place of origin is presumed to be Ratschach/ Rateče, though this has not yet been confirmed. The Celovec Manuscript consists of a single leaf of parchment, and contains three-prayer formulas; The Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, and an Apostles Credo. Like the Freising Manuscripts, the conditions for its origin were established with the conversion of the Carantanian Slavs that took place in the latter half of the 8th century, and it was after the Synod of Mainz (813) that prayers were allowed in native languages other than Latin. The wording of all three prayers is the same as we use today. PART 111: STICNA MANUSCRIPT Date: 1428-1440 *** * yt~ twfh *v&/h f'JfC /Z+&1+G tc kttri* y»« o tech /ur. r»> +''vc+’fhr*-*c W' , The Stična Manuscript consists of Slovenian texts written into a manuscript book containing Latin text. Slovenian text were written on the last five pages of the book: two formulas of General Confession, the beginning of an Easter hymn, several word pairs of Latin-Slovene expressions, an invocation to the Holy Ghost and Mary, and a Salve Regina prayer. The General Confession is the longest of the texts. It belongs to a group of similar church texts, which enumerate all kinds of sins, even though the person who delivers the text has not committed all of them. The verse of the Easter hymn deals with the liturgical idea of the resurrection and its significance for the salvation of mankind. Though it is certainly an adaptation of a German hymn, the differences in expressions, rhythm, and in the structure of sentences suggest an affective and linguistically independent adaptation of a well-known medieval theme. The Salve Regina prayer is a deeply emotional, medieval church hymn that is normally recited by priests in the liturgy. Its Slovene version is witness to the beginnings of the Marian devotion in Slovenia. EXAMPLES: Stična Manuscript Hail Mary, Holy Queen, and Mother of Mercy, our life s sweetness and our comfort! Hail Mary; to thee we do cry poor banished children of Eve........... I confess that I have never kept holy nor honoured Sundays, Saturday evenings, other holy days as I should have done by right. That during the Holy Fast, the holy ember weeks, and other fasting days I have not done my penance as sincerely as I should have done by right......... PART IV: C1VIDALE/ČEDAD (Cergneu/Černjeja) Manuscript Date: 1497 The Čemjeja manuscript is a small book, consisting of 16 leaves with short entries (a total of 102) on both sides, listing names of parishioners and visitors of the church of Sv. Marija in Černjeja, and their pledges and endowments. At first, all the entries are in Latin, and later in the North-Italian dialect that was spoken around Čemjeja. Towards the end of the book’s first half, a Latin note states that the notary Johannes from Vegla (on the island of Krk) had started to translate the Latin records into Slovene in 1497. Jtltr- «■ n 9 Jew«.-« JK*rMp>- 9fY Wv* *■»«**»>>€*- «• b wnjviui ^ ^ .niiLid ,i,.w U, p^L. rtUj. jSfeSjBr- |««.w ■ mm Johannes made the next 25 entries and 12 or 14 writers then continued his work. The manuscript contains 52 records in Slovene. Every entry has three to five lines; the written form uses the same general format. First listed is the name of the parishioner, followed by a relative of, from the village of, to whom bequeathed, the gift/item bequeathed, and finally, the petition. It is worth emphasizing that, in spite of the standardized form, these notes contain precious toponymic and anthroponymic* material that are important for the study of the history of Slovenia as well as for the interpretation of its role in Venetian Slovenia in the 15th and 16lh centuries. The Černjeja Manuscript is kept in the Archaeological Museum in Cividale (Slovenian Čedad) Italy. **toponymic and anthroponymic English form of foreign people and place names with their equivalents in the corresponding local language, both in original script and in transliteration. Example: Černjeja Manuscript Menija, daughter of the late Mikel/Mihel Kandit from Černiče bequeathed to the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Černjeja an endowment of one kinc of wine to say a mass for her soul every year. Petar, son of the late Maver from Subit, bequeathed to the Brotherhood of Our Lady one third of his property in a place called “v Pekol”, to say two masses for his soul every year. Suzana, wife of the late Pavlin from Černjeja, bequeathed to the “fradaja” (brotherhood) of Our Lady of Černjeja one quarter of wheat to say a mass for her soul............. The Legacy of the Written Word will be continued. NATIONAL PRESIDENT Kathleen Ferrante ^ V V “Life Comes at You Fast!” There is an insurance television commercial that shows a number of accidents occurring in rapid succession. While my life has not been a series of “accidents”, it has been full of experiences in rapid succession. Many of you may remember that last December, my husband of 27 years died as a result of a tragic accident. It was a difficult time for me; however I believe my faith, family, friends, and Bob’s memory kept me motivated. Little did I know that a favorite saying of mine would come true - Out of bad situations, good can result’’. Shortly after Bob passed away the wife of a friend of ours also died. From a mutual sharing of experiences and stories, we were able to overcome our grief and find joy and love in each other. Since we all know that “life comes at you fast”, Lou Ferrante and I were married October 29, 2005. 1 think of one’s life as a book having many chapters. I took a leap of faith and now I know another chapter of my life is beginning. The one thread of my life that is constant is my love for my Slovenian heritage which guides me to maintain a home full of love, hope and special family traditions. I plan to have many special experiences with my new family. At this holiday season, I wish everyone a blessed and safe season with your family and friends. Remember what a special time of year this is, to share our Slovenian traditions with those who touch our lives, as we leave a legacy to those who follow. May you always love and be loved. May you find peace in your days, May there be laughter in your heart. NEW CONTACT INFORMATION; 178 Gaylord Dr., Munroe Falls, Ohio 44262 Tel. 330,688.4949 Love and Blessings, Kathleen Ferrante A beautiful life filled with happiness and peace is our wish for newlyweds, Kathleen and Lou Ferrante! SWLIA Board of Directors 80th Anniversary - Limited Edition WOMAN’S GLORY XfTe Kitchen Slovenian W omen's Union o f A merica 80th Anniversary LIMITED EDITION -reprint of the original " "N WOMEN’S GLORY The Kitchen From 1951 Only 1,000 copies were printed. Be the first one to purchase a copy of this famous cookbook that has been out of print for decades. Front cover of 1951 Cook Book (left) Order form Please send me Name number of cook books Woman's Glory - The Kitchen Address City State Zip Remittance enclosed, $ 20.00 plus $ 2.00 Shipping and Handling (per book) $ Sent to: Slovenian Women’s Union 431 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432 www.swua.org National Secretary Bonnie Pohar Prokup: Dober dan, The Christmas season is upon us. I hope each and every one of you has an enjoyable holiday. I know I am really looking forward to it. Not too long after Christmas will come the 2006 invoice billing. It is very important that you look carefully at your statement. Effective March/April 2006 issue we will automate our address system. What this means is that whatever address I have for you will be the address where your Zarja will be delivered. Example: If my invoice is sent to your address of record, the Zarja will go there. If payment for an adult member that I am receiving is sent to my address below in the time allotted - so will the Zarja be sent to that address. You will have a box to fill out if you need Zarja to go to a different address. For many of you this will not be an issue. It is only a concern for those paying for other adults which includes certain branches paying for members over the age of 80. This important change will help save a considerable amount of money for SWUA. Besides the postal charges of 70 cents every time a change occurs it costs us approximately 50 cents for each metal plate that is fed into a machine, one by one, with each Zarja address. With today’s technology this is not necessary. Another cost saving is that Zarja will only be mailed to those whose dues are paid within 30 days. The invoices should arrive at your home around the third week of January. If you did not receive them by February 1, please let me know. As always if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Have a wonderful holiday! Bonnie Pohar Prokup 3119 Carrie Street, Peru, IL 61354 Wprokup@aol.com SWUA “500” Membership campaign The 2005 membership campaign is almost at an end. It is not too late to enroll your friends and family. This would make a great Christmas gift. The best part is they won’t be billed again until the January 2007. Membership growth is vital for the continued existence of SWUA. Welcome New Members July - August, 2005 Branch First Name 1 Virant, Carol M 109 Pucel, Joanna 1 Glazer, Shirley 1 Virant, Victor A 109 Setniker-Eschiti, Shelby 1 Glazer, Tony 1 Wiltzius, Agnes H 109 Vidas, Mary C 1 Gorton, Jim E 1 Zaletel, Josephine 12 Remshak, Brady 1 Grasse, Susan J 10 Urankar, Florence 12 Remshak, Gabrielle 1 Kotnick, Frank M 108 Engelhardt, Brooke K 13 Talmadge, Robin 1 Stueber, Mary 108 Engelhardt, Perry J 20 Cheville, Virginia J 1 Sullivan, Victoria 108 McGuckin, Laurie A 20 Peterson, Joan M 1 Suscha, Joseph F 108 Pausic, Bonnie Lynn 23 Jamnick, Theresa V 1 Suscha, Joyce K 109 Alexander, Jo Marie 23 Voelk, Camille Margaret 1 Suscha, Marilyn 109 Bjorgo, Benita 23 Voelk, Claire Louise 1 Suscha, Stan J 109 Bjorgo, Karen 32 Kalac, Josephine M. November-December, 2005 1 Hendricks, Marilyn J 20 Boucher, Jim 35 Trost-Hapeman, Ellen 1 Lopour, Cheryl A 20 Fabbre, Deno 43 Janezic, Josef 100 Bucar, Edie 20 Forsyth, Mary Jane 47 Davian, Julie 100 Bucar, Nina 20 Kambic, John J 47 McGowan, Mary 100 Steller, Kristina 20 Kozmerl, Gizela 5 Kashman, Terri 103 Eckert, Ruthana 20 Talchik, Anne K 5 LaPosa, Josef M 103 Eckert, Sarah C 3 Charron, Annette M 5 Swails, Mary Louise 103 Eckert, Tabitha 3 Reinhardt, Katherine 50 Križman, Andrea L 109 Haspert, Desiree A 30 Hanc, Mary 93 Hočevar, Suzanna 109 Sherek, Andrea 30 Hicks, Bernice 95 Lotito, June M 16 Bamaby, Helen 30 Ryczek, Karen 99 Kemperle, Paula 2 Morris, Deborah 30 Urankar, Stanley 99 Kozar, Frances 2 Tasic, Mary A 34 Jandrey, Corrine 99 Schwab, Lavergne 20 Anastopoulos, Annette 35 Hanka, Henry K 99 Sopcic, Milena Nancy Henkel, SWUA National Auditor: A suggestion to branches - distribute the new SWU brochures that tell the features of our organization and contain a membership form. Pass them around and encourage members to enroll their family members. How about it, members? Can you take this on as your volunteer activity for this month? Sign up your Slovenian family members and friends. Everyone should be a member of our wonderful organization. Sometimes people don't know about us. Give them the information -show them a Zarja - and you will have a new member, for certain. Our membership encompasses so many different people. We have professors and teachers, doctors and nurses, students of every kind andfrom every place, and ofcourse, lots of just plain wonderful people in our communities. We are all together in one thought, to preserve our heritage for our children and for the generations to come. It s a wonderful feeling to be a part of something so good and worthwhile! “500" MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN UNTIL DECEMBER 3IST Lwvking for you ! Have you moved? Your invoice was returned to us for wrong address. Please let us know your new address. BRANCH NAME 2 Ceferin, Rose 2 Muller, Sandra 2 Novak, Judith 20 Hamilton,Mary S 20 Cambic, Marcus 25 Sneed, Charlene 25 Scharsu, Eileen 30 Ponikvar, Mary 30 Templin, Larraine R 35 Reini, Patricia A 40 Thanosauras, Sophia 42 Pomfrey, Tina M 50 Hrovat, Allison 50 Kozar, Betty 102 Lemerarde, Christine 103 Hlebanja, Cecilia V________________________________J FROM THE SWUA BOARD OF DIRECTORS: f -.... -................---------- ......................................................... Look for the new Zarja of the future! It’s going to be an exciting and interesting year in 2006! Members of Slovenian Women’s Union will celebrate the 80th anniversary of this organization! And, the SWU Board of Directors proudly announces that taking the helm of our publication ZARJA-THE DAWN, in its 78th year, will be a brand new Editing Committee: Editor, Debbie Pohar, and Design & Production Editor, Bonnie Prokup, and as Consultant, Corinne Leskovar. Godspeed and good luck to them as they undertake this new venture that we know will bring success and continuing prestige to our organization. We have had many years of outstanding service from all the editors of Zarja, especially 54 year veteran, Corinne, who leaves her post but will give continuing guidance. Heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for good health to her for many more years! We look forward to the new, active phase in our history that will begin in 2006! Slovenian Women’s Union of America 2004 Financial Report Sources of Funds Dues $ 72,055,00 Donations $ (465.00) Misc Income $ 2,015.00 Transfers from Trust $ 36,000.00 Board Approved Transfer $ 20,000.00 Total Interest from Chck/sav $ 565.25 Convention Fund $ 6,179.79 Uncategorized $ 325.00 Zarja / Advertising $ 2,810.00 Rental $ 5,000.00 Zarja Donations $ 8,916.00 Total Sources of Funds $ 53,401.04 Death Claims $ 12,350.00 Salaries of Officers (4) $ 9,940.00 Salaries of Ees $ 16,892.00 Travel $ 4,249.93 Ins Fees $ 200.00 Taxes - RE $ 2,357.04 Taxes - Payroll $ 6,846.84 Adver, print $ 9,623.50 Postage, $ 1,664.37 Bank $ 681.67 Office $ 3,700.53 Misc $ 1,828.00 Insurance $ 2,002.00 Utilities $ 4,674.07 Admin Stipend $ 2,996.00 Other Officers $ 100.00 Total Uses of Funds $ 150,105.95 Net $ 3,295.09 Bonnie Prokup, National Secretary SLOVENIAN WOMENS’ UNION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Announces 2006 Scholarship Awards GREAT NEWS ! The SWUA Scholarship Foundation Trustees met recently and with hope of assisting more college students is offering the following awards for the 2006-2007 scholastic year: $2,000 Scholarships will be dispersed to those attending a college or university full time during the 2006-2007 school year, nominated by the SWUA Scholarship Committee. All applicants must hold a three year paid membership prior to application. “Average” students with financial need are encouraged to apply. For more information and to download application forms visit http://www.swua.org Deadline is March 1, 2006 $500.00 Continuing Education Awards are being offered to adults returning to school either part or full time. The SWUA Travel Award Committee, headed by Anita Vovk, Chair, will not be offering SWUA Travel Award for 2006. They are in process of reevaluating the program. If you have time and are interested in scholarship work, the SWUA Scholarship Foundation Trustees would very much like to hear from you. There is need to expand the program. Anne Kemmerling, a student at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a member of Branch 47, recipient of a 2005 SWUA Travel Award attended the Students of the University of Ljubljana Seminar which was held during July 2005 in Slovenia. She found the Seminar to be an excellent opportunity to learn of one’s ancestral home, and has written an interesting account of her visit to share with you. Her assessment of the American relationship to students from other parts of the world was only one interesting aspect of this informative report. Article and Reflection on My Trip to Slovenia My name is Anne Kemmerling, but for purposes of this article and the demands of my grandmother, Mary Taucher my last name is maternally, Bubnick and paternally, Taucher. My recent trip to Slovenia was one of discovery and rediscovery, one of familiar and unfamiliar, one of comfortability and uncomfortability, and particularly one of appreciation and gratitude. In conjunction with the Slovenian Women’s Union Travel Award and the University of Ljubljana I was honored to travel with a group of young Slovenians from across the United States and Argentina, on a two-week cultural tour of a country I had heard so much about and lived the heritage throughout my life in Cleveland, Ohio through the eyes and actions of my grandparents and mother. I went to Slovenia to discover a country familiar to me by way of food, Slovenian fraternal organizations, church, holiday traditions, music, and familial traditions. I rediscovered so many of those traditions: polka, potica, the Slovene language, but of course, they were different. 1 discovered the heart of where all of these traditions began and the people who perpetuate them in their August and September 2005 Donations: $10.00 donations: Branch 42, Maple Hts, OH (+Margaret Zupancic)(+Louis Champa), Branch 1, Sheboygan, Wi (+Ann Golichnik, +Carol M. Virant) Marge Church (+Louis Champa), Josephine Smith (+Mary Maxim) $25.00 donation: Marge Church (+Mary Zupančič) Sincere thanks to those who have generously gifted and supported the SWUA Scholarship Program during this past year. It was a tragic time of flooding for those of the southern United States and in Slovenia as well. Yet, with disaster comes the most wonderful human response to the suffering of others. May this Christmas bring peace and comfort to all. For information, donations, or comments, write: Mary Turvey, Director SWUA Scholarship Program 52 Oakridge Drive Marquette, Michigan 49855 mturvey@aol.com everyday lives; the young, stylish accordion player who plays for weddings or for their friends’ entertainment, the distant cousin who still makes homemade dumplings with flour and water, the university students who listen to pop music in Slovenian. I was familiar with so many of the above traditions, but there were so many aspects of the country/heritage, unfamiliar to me. I was unfamiliar with the variety of landscapes throughout the country. From Lake Bled, a fairytale scene with a island church in the midst of an ice blue lake (it was not until I visited Bled did I realize the painting above my grandparents couch was the very place I would have the honor to visit) to the coastline of Piran resembling people’s romanticized vision of Europe. The landscape so many Slovenians enjoy skiing, hiking, biking, kayaking, and rafting. I was unfamiliar with the people. After having a variety of cultures and people through traveling, the Slovenians are extremely un-invasive, yet helpful. They are full of expression in their own subtle ways. They are educated and knowledgeable. I was comfortable throughout the trip. I was comfortable with 9-person, European van we traveled in, the hostels/hotels we slept in, the meals we ate, the people we met, the attractions we visited, and the humidity/heat we endured. I was uncomfortable with my long-time American friends who had never heard of Slovenia, my fellow American travelers who sometimes misrepresented their wanting to be there by perpetuating negative, American stereotypes, being able to visit my distant family, the family my grandparents did not take the opportunity to visit, the lack of effort on the part of other young, Slovenian-Americans to travel and learn about their heritage in the up-and-coming European hotspot, uncomfortable with my lack of language knowledge preventing communication. The trip was amazing and I was honored to visit a place once lived vicariously through the American version. I cannot describe walking up to my great, great grandfather’s house or seeing a United States Declaration of Goods with my grandfather’s writing: “lib flour, penicillin, 1 men’s suit” sent to distant relatives and the recipient saying the penicillin saved her life or sharing an 11:00 pm snack of prosciutto and cantaloupe with distant cousins, or discovering this undiscovered jewel of Europe with a group of other young Slovenians. The program is invaluable and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. Thank you!! Anne Kemmerling SCHOLARSHIP NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! cJo (Hcfp LKeep the (JJream y\five I (we) enclose $_______________________________________________ In honor of____________________________________________________ Name and Occasion In memory of___________________________________________________ As a Contribution _____________________________________________ Donor’s Name___________________________________________________ Donor’s Address________________________________________________ City________________________State___________Zip Code__________ Send to Mary Turvey, Scholarship Chairman, 52 Oakridge Dr., Marquette, MI 49855 Heritage News: By Mary Lou Voelk - Director of Special Projects Bits and Pieces! The Heritage Museum has had some busy times. Our museum and More Pots and Pans cookbook have been made known by the Chicago Tribune! 257 cookbooks were sold during the summer months and visitors continue to stop by. The Berlitz Slovenian Phrase Book and Dictionary’s sold out, the second shipment is in. New clothing merchandise, just in time for holiday gift buying, has arrived and a Slovenian doll dressed in costume awaits your order. Eunice Kernz Zupan, Branch 89, has donated a collection of china, crystal and lace accessories to be used in museum exhibits. Local branches, have you considered meeting at the museum, or sponsoring an open house? To far away branches, have you considered a road trip, perhaps meeting with some of the local branches? The Slovenian Culinary Society, the potica pin/charm, has been a raging success. Each person purchasing a charm/pin will have their name inscribed for archive purposes in our museum. Planning is in the works for the 2006 charm/pin. Does anyone know of a master krofi maker? In August, Branch 39, Biwabik, hosted a picnic at the home of Rosemary Ribich. What a feast of Slovenian foods and what a joy to meet and mingle with members. While there is Zarja, New Neighborhood, e-mail, and the web site, I am now convinced such personal encounters need to become a tradition in this organization. By the time this goes to press, Branch 39’s 75th Jubilee will have occurred. Congratulations Branch 39! Keep that enthusiasm flowing. BTW, if you are ever in the area, a visit to Rosemary’s Slovenian House is a must! Minnesota State Convention, SWUA, September 2005 Branch #23 Ely, MN was the host for the annual Minnesota State convention of the Slovenian Women’s Union of America. 103 people were in attendance. From start to finish one felt the Slovenian touch. To set this “Slovenian Stage” each guest received a program and memorial written with Slovenian translation and included folk art. During the Mass the lustrous voices of the Slovenian Choir echoed throughout the church. Kudos to all those members who continue to come together to perform Slovenian music from so long ago. What a legacy they are preserving. For his homily, Fr. Scheuer combined the readings of the day with historical information on Monsignor Buh, a Slovenian priest. Fr. Scheuer made mention of the book “ Masinaigans” or “ The Black Book” which is a biography of Monsignor Buh, and an excellent history of the Slovenian settlements in Minnesota. You can find this book in the church library. “Dobro”, a trio from the Iron Range entertained with a sing-a-long. One could not resist singing out Pod Mojem Okencem and Jaz Pa Ti. , The prizes had that Slovenian touch: potica, strudel, wine, and foods. A beautifully crafted round tablecloth crocheted by Mary Mavetz was a tribute to our ancestry’s love of crafting. What a labor of love! Most important, Slovenian coleslaw was served! Two important issues were discussed at the Convention meeting: 1. A later starting time for the convention should be considered, as there are people whose travel time are several hours away. 2. A Heritage Festival in 2006, a collaboration of all Minnesota branches is in the planning stages.. Congratulations Ely, for making this a “Slovenian Convention”. Oh, kako je lepo, če je jasno nebo! Oh how beautiful it is if the sky is clear! Theatre Month at the Slovenian Heritage Museum Each week during the month of November, videos from The Slovenian Magazine program will be shown at the museum. Theatre Month will conclude on the last Saturday of November with an open house, “Christmas With a Touch of Slovenia”. This will be your chance to view the beautiful Christmas exhibits, and purchase gifts for those special Slovenian people on your shopping list. Schedule of videos: Wednesday, November 2nd, 9th, 16th (2:00 p.m.) Saturday, November 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th (2:00 p.m.). $3.00 suggested donation. A special thank you to Branch 20 for including the schedule for the Museum Theatre Month in the annual letter to their members, and for sending out advertisement on this event to area churches and media. This firm effort is an example of “working together” for the betterment of our organization. In the concluding months of 2005, the busy days begin. The Gift Shop at the museum can be your one stop shopping center for those on your list. Again, support your museum! Your museum depends on your patronage! Please see back cover for Museum Gift Shop Merchandise. “NORTH COUNTRY” - A Movie The Iron Range was buzzing when Warner Bros, began filming a movie titled “The Untitled Niki Caro Project” in Chisholm. The movie stars included Charlize Theron, Sissy Spacek and Woody Harrelson, The March/ April 2005 issue of Zarja, had a story about the movie. Sissy Spacek, of Czech heritage made the local papers as she practiced making an apple strudel for the upcoming movie. Our web site, www.swua.org also has a link to this newspaper. http://www.compleatseanbean.com/classaction-press5. html The movie entitled, “North Country”, was released to the public on October 14th. Look for this movie in your local movie houses. Hopefully we will be able to watch a strudel dough being strettttccchhed. Special thanks to our Museum “Models” See them on our website To our photographer, Brian Dobczyk of Joliet, who gave of his time and talent, you are truly a polka dancer! Hvala Lepa (thank you very much). And to our models, Pat and Robert Figurowski, Charles Franze, Theresa Burns and Nicole and Alexandria Wicks who volunteered their time and smiling faces for this endeavor. JUST RECEIVED AT THE HERITAGE MUSEUM GIFT SHOP My Life in Three Countries By Ana Skopec The life story of our own Ana Skopec Br. 103, written in her own words. A great idea for gift giving, or a book for your personal collection. Cost: $20 plus P & H To order, call or email the Gift Shop. (815)-727-1926 swuhome@msn.com To you all: Vesel Božič! - Srečno Novo Leto! May your holiday dreams be filled with visions of potica, štrudel, šunka, krofi, žlinkrofi, pickled peppers, and a sip of vino? To je to, Mary Lou BOOK/VIDEO REVIEW Slovenian Magazine Thanks to Vesna Straser, I have a video of three episodes of “Slovenian Magazine”. I appreciate the opportunity to see some Slovenian television, but both my husband and I were disappointed in the video. The sound track was not very good so we found the hosts difficult to understand. It might have helped us if the places visited were identified by having the names printed on the screen. The first episode was by far the most interesting and well produced. The Museum of Forestry and Timber Industry was shown well as were the weaving and pottery crafts. Seeing the early photography was enlightening. We enjoyed seeing the folk dancing in Adlešiči and the beauty of the Bela Krajina area. Even the work of the stone masons was okay to see and the young skier a pleasure to watch. But in the second edition it was unclear if the Cistercian Monastery was still functioning. The bird life may have been interesting to environmentalists. It was hard to understand just what the children were portraying in their folk lore dramatizations. And I think the section about the canals and bridges could have been a little clearer. There was way too much coverage on the modem art for our taste. The showcasing of Koper in the third episode was well done and great to view. The stone cutting, bag & basket weaving, bee keeping and wine making we thought was a little vague. The young lady with the black belt is someone in whom the Slovenians can surely be proud. At this time in the tape there was an insertion of some American commercials and some “snowy” tape before the band appeared on the screen. There were several puzzling items in view; one being the white post that appeared sometime when the announcers were speaking and the other being the chicken that flashed on at the beginning of each episode. I’m sure there is an explanation for these things but we are just ignorant about them. All in all, I think reading the “Slovenian Magazine” gives me more satisfaction than viewing the video. But then, I’m not a big television fan. We are going to show the first episode for our Slovenian Heritage Celebration Sunday at the Strawberry Hill Ethnic & Cultural Museum. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the viewers there. Bernice Martinčič Fairway, Kansas HERITAGE IN ACTION Corinne Leskovar: Baraga is back with us -at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens! Seventy years ago, there was a park of Cleveland named the Cultural Gardens, built in a lovely park setting, in honor of the heroes of many of the ethnic groups living in Cleveland, Ohio. I don’t know how many of our members remember this occasion, but many of you were there in Slovenian national costume, parading down St. Clair Ave. to the Park, and participating in the dedication of three busts of famous Slovenian men: Bishop Baraga, Ivan Cankar, and Simon Gregorčič. It was one of the glorious days in Cleveland history with hundreds of Slovenians there. Through the years, the park and garden suffered damage, but now, yes, now, it is restored and in a beautiful way. The Slovenian Cultural Garden now lives again, thanks to a committee of Clevelanders, headed by Mary Ann Vogel, who took it upon themselves to collect the necessary funds to provide new statues. The city is providing the setting. Some of us witnessed the re-dedication of the park during the recent Baraga Days pilgrimage in Cleveland , Sept. 3rd, and the unveiling of the first of three new busts that are to be place in the new garden, now called the Slovenian Cultural Garden. Two photos accompany this article. The first is the original Baraga bust of 1935, from the archives of Zarja, and the second is the new one of Baraga on a pedestal remarkably similar to the original. Several bishops and clergy are seen at the ceremony. The statues of Cankar and Gregorčič are to be installed soon. Bernadette Kovacic Fitzsimmons: The Presence of Slovenians in Rock Springs, Wyoming The opportunity to travel to the western United States this past summer led my family and me to discover a Slovenski Dom listed under Rock Springs, WY in a travel guidebook. Surprised to find the presence of Slovenians listed in a seemingly remote area of the US among fascinating natural phenomenon, sparked our curiosity to leam more about Rock Springs. The significance of Slovenski Dom (Slovenian National Home) is documented in a booklet from the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce; included is a photo and brief history of the Slovenian National Home on 421 Bridger Avenue built by Slavic immigrants in 1913, where immigrants who came from nearly 60 different ethnicities by way of the Union Pacific Railroad to work in the coalmines attended social functions in the Slovenski Dom. Annual Grape and Wine Arbor Festivals by Slovenians and other ethnic societies were held there for the first time in 1922 and the last in 1988. It was poignant to read that a first International Night was held in Slovenski Dom during the 1920’s and immigrants in national costume lit candles with one another stating in their own language, “As light begets light, so love begets love the world around.” The annual Rock Springs International Festival, including a Slovenian booth and music was scheduled in town for July 9, the day we would be passing through if we were to make the side trip on route to our Montana destination hundreds of miles away. After posting a note on the on-line newsletter, seeking Slovenes in Rock Springs, I received a kind invitation from SWUA member Dori Jereb to stop by the Slovenian booth at the festival if possible. The side trip that seemed a world away became a reality! From Salt Lake City, UT we started our drive through awesome scenic byways towards Fossil Butte National Monument and continued alongside the Union Pacific Railroad route, noticing the continuous rumble of trains on this busy stretch. We learned from travel literature about the popularity of people working in the mines for the wages and relatively safe working conditions. Documentation reveals how the need for labor from immigrants from around the world escalated in the early 1900’s, The Union Pacific Railroad line through Rock Springs served as the gateway for immigrants from all corners of the globe, including approximately 40% of [ BiSHOP BARAGA the population from the city of Škofja Loka in Slovenia. We visited the Rock Springs Historic Museum in the center of town to learn about the importance of coal mining and spread of local ethnic diversity within the last century in Rock Springs. Of interest in the museum to those of Slovenian descent, is a list of 56 countries represented in Rock Springs and a welcome greeting in the native language - included is Slovenia - Dobrodošel -A photo is exhibited of possible Slovenians in national costume on International Night. The vestments of Slovenian priest, Monsignor Albin Gnidovec of Ljubljana are displayed. He came to the United States in 1925 and served at St. Laurence’s Church in Cleveland, Ohio before coming to Rock Springs in June 1931 in answer to a request from Bishop Patrick McGovern for priests who could speak Slovenian.. The annual Rock Springs International Festival event was going on at the city Park with international booths, a center stage of music and dancing from the diversity of nations representing Rock Springs, including a Slovenian booth -’’Slovenski kotiček” (Slovenian corner). We introduced ourselves to Doris Jereb, her family and Slovenian husband Mario who provided travel information, CD’s, hats and Slovenian cookbooks. In the short time we had to visit, people of Slovenian descent kept stopping by the booth for information. Doris is a member of SWUA, but not of a particular branch, so I encouraged her to pursue beginning a new branch in Rock Springs. The desire is there, but apprehension to try something new was evident. I invited Doris to join Br. 108 in Olney, MD in the interim and we would help her formulate a plan to successfully launch a new branch in Rock Springs, since there appears to be great potential there. Let us all welcome Doris and provide positive examples of the vision, mission and purpose of our SWUA. East met west like the railroads once did; we hope the new lines of communication will produce a harvest of cultural and social opportunities for people of Slovenian descent in Rock Springs and neighboring areas in the western United States in the future. Our last stop was a walk through Slovenski Dom. Local artisans who are all well versed about the history of the building currently occupy it. We were given a one-page summary about the historical background and a tour of the building It is interesting to note that the building is included on the National Register of Historic Places. To learn more about making Slovenian contacts in Wyoming, write to Doris & Mario Slavinec, PO Box 354, Rock Springs, WY 82902 or e-mail to Slavinec@sweetwaterhsa.com. Doris Jereb (Left) at the Slovenian booth during the Rock Springs International Festival July 9th 2005, with Bernadette Fitzimmons and her children, Juliana, Thomas and Matthew Great Annuity Rates! 5-year Guaranteed Interest 4.40% KSKJ AMERICAN SLOVENIAN CATHOLIC 2439 Glenwood Ave., Joliet, IL 60435 7-year Flexible Annuity 1-800-843-5755 5.40% guaranteed first 12 months WWW.KSKJLife.COHl L UNION CHURCHES IN SLOVENIAN COMMUNITIES An historical focal point in the heart of Slovenian Row was built in 1905 of Indiana limestone with its distinctive dual spires reaching high into the blue sky and its silver hue shining in contrast. The exterior is beautiful and takes up the entire comer of Chicago and Clay Streets, and the interior is breathtaking in its simplicity and grandeur. When filled, the church can The Main Altar is a seat 750. A side altar is dedicated to Marija Pomagaj beautiful focal point where we often stop to light a candle and offer special for meditation, prayers to our Slovenian Patroness. Today the church has an ethnically diverse parishioner base, but is still predominantly Slovenian . The parish was actually organized in 1891 to serve the large and growing community of Slovenian immigrants who settled in the Joliet area at the end of the nineteenth century. The original small church building was where the rectory now stands. The Reverend Francis Sustarsic from Slovenia was appointed by the Bishop of the Chicago diocese to lend his expertise to organizing the new parish and to serve as the first pastor of St. Joseph church. One of the longest pastorates was that of Msgr. Mathias Butala under whose leadership the parish acquired the St. Joseph Park grounds and cemetery. St. Joseph School was founded in 1895, and has been an integral part of the parish for over 100 years providing an excellent Catholic education for its students. A celebration was held in 1995 in honor of the school centennial. For our church’s 100th anniversary in 2005, the parishioners, under the spiritual guidance of pastor, Rev. James Radek, began a campaign to fund the total renovation. A Centennial Committee has been in charge of the current yearlong celebration with many activities planned. The culmination of this momentous occasion just recently took place, October 16, 2005, with a solemn high mass followed by a grand banquet at the Renaissance Center in Joliet. The SWUA Home Office and Heritage Museum are located directly across the street from the church, making it possible for the Museum visitors to walk over and see for themselves the magnificent St. Joseph Church, our historic landmark in downtown Joliet. (Submitted by Jo Lustik, SWU Br. 20, Joliet. Auditor) The first St. Joseph Church was built in July 1891, Joliet's fifth Catholic community. The present historic Church with 1064 registered families was built in 1904-05 by Daprato -Rigali Studio whose descendants are restoring it now in 2005. St. Joseph Church, 416 No. Chicago St., Joliet, Illinois St. Joseph Church. Joliet, Illinois 1905-2005 MAKSIM GASPARI PICTURE POSTCARDS Christmas Art in the Slovenian Motif Maksim Gaspari ((1883-1980) is a unique personality in Slovenian art history. His oil paintings, illustrations or combination of water-color and pastel have gone to the luckiest art collectors; others have had to be satisfied with reproductions dispersed in books, magazines, occasional printings and especially in picture postcards. Without exaggeration we can estimate that these little “swallows-of-artA have reached most every Slovenian home and contributed to art education and publicity among our people. Quality illustrated picture postcards also made his friends happy in his older age. Thus, Gaspari’s picture postcards started their triumphant way at the very beginning of this century and even nowadays -especially on holidays - they are still seen in many homes where Slovenians live. Gaspari was most inspired for his picture postcards during the First World War. In their basic plan, these cards are “diphthongalA - it means there are two scenes on each, the main and the lateral scene, both supplementing each other. Suitable verses of national songs or Simon Gregorcic’s verses are often added. In 1918, when the war was over, Gaspari moved to his wife’s home in Koroška. His posters, leaflets and postcards did not lack caricature sharpness and he often featured portraits of saints and political heroes of the day. In the postwar years Gaspari started producing picture postcards in series mainly of home genre showing people dressed in national costumes and showing the traditional holiday customs . He developed his typical style in them and firmly established his favorite themes. Such an artist he remained all his life. The world that that was enlivened in his cards is rather idealized, and traditional themes are adapted to a certain extent. It is the world of our peasants, the world which had already disappeared by the time Gaspari painted it.. Gaspari may be considered to be a warm link among people. No doubt the artist managed to accustom himself to the people’s sentiment to such an extent that the time difference between the date of painting and present time cannot wipe out actuality and popularity. Gaspari’s art will remain a beloved companion of the next generations with its depiction of the Slovenian land and its people. Editor Tam u štalci na ni škalci ena svetla luč gori. Tam Marija si povija lepo Dete Jezusa. stara božična kolednica There, in the stable hums a shining light. There, Maria wraps the beautiful baby, Jesus. Old Slovenian Christmas Carol Favorite Gaspari Christmas postcard themes: A humbly dressed Madonna with Child before a group of Slovenians dressed in their national costume (left)\ and, cherubic angels heralding His birth (below). SREČEN BOZIC MERRY CHRISTMAS To All Our Members! Zl > * * % (Exceptedfrom MAKSIM GASPARI’S PICTURE POSTCARDS, Ljubljana, 1989). POTICA IN A BUNDT PAN Thank you, Alice, for a year of great recipes! We wish you the very best in all your endeavors! addition. Add optional vanilla. Folk stiffly beaten egg whites into cooled walnut mixture. Divide dough in half. On floured surface, roll one half to 18x20 inches. Spread with half the filling to within 1 inch of edges. From wider side roll up dough, pricking it frequently with a toothpick to prevent air pockets. Place seam side up in Bundt pan bringing ends together. (The roll will be floppy.) Prepare second half of dough with filling and place on top of first roll, seam side down. Cover; let rise 30 minutes. On bottom shelf of oven bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before turning out. When cool, dust with powdered sugar. Note: This potica can also be baked in an angel food pan or loaf pan.. This recipe is from “More Pots And Pans”. APRICOT CRESCENTS (Cookies from Marijana P oropat) 1 lb. butter, softened 1 lb. cream cheese, softened 4 cups flour 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoons milk 1 can Solo Apricot Filling apricot preserves Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add flour, yolks and milk. Blend these in a mixer with a dough hook. If you don’t have this type of mixer and hook, knead together as if kneading bread dough. Make 8 balls, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Next day: from each ball, make 10 individual balls. Roll out the individual 10 balls separately, and with a glass about 3 inches in width Alice Kuhar Food Editor press into dough to form a round shape. (Lightly knead together the leftover ends and roll them out to make more rounds.,) Repeat process with remaining balls of dough. Mix together a can of apricot Solo Filling with an equal amount of apricot preserves. Place about /2 teaspoons of the apricot mixture into the center of the dough round. Fold over the dough and press together firmly around the curve with the edge of a fork. Make sure the sides are pressed firmly together to prevent filling from escaping. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes. When cookies are cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 80 cookies. If you wish to make some crescents with walnut filling use the recipe below: Walnut Filling: Blend together, Vi lb. ground walnuts 1 ol. butter % cup hot milk 1 tablespoon cinnamon or vanilla Potica v kolačevem modelu If you’ve never attempted to make a potica, and you only want to make one potica, then this recipe is for you. Prepare this dough the day ahead. Dough: 1 cup butter or margarine Vi cup milk 2 packages dry yeast % cup warm water 3 egg yolks 4 cups sifted flour (preferably bread flour) % teaspoon salt V* cup sugar Heat butter and mile until butter is melted. Set aside to cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat egg yolks with a fork into prepared yeast. Blend in the cooled butter and milk mixture. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar. Add liquid mixture, and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Filling: 2 cups ground walnuts 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons sugar % cup milk 3 egg whites, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional) Grease a Bundt pan. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand, covered, 30 minutes. Grind nuts. In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook the nuts, cinnamon, 3 tablespoons sugar and milk. Stir until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes or less. Cool. Beat egg whites until foamy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar, beating after each Kathy and Pete Schroeder carry the SWU banner. A large group of Branch #1 members took part in a, Corpus Christi walk through the streets of Sheboygan, Wisconsin on May 29, 2005. Our members joined Fr. Glenn Powers, pastor of SS. Cyril and Methodius and Immaculate Conception parishes, and Deacon Mike Burch, parish director of St. Peter Claver church, on a two mile walk which began at St. Cyril's. Fr. Powers led the way to St. Spyridian Greek church wnere Deacon Burch read and lead the group with prayers, then on to St. Peter Claver for another reading. The procession ended at Immaculate Conception with a short service and benediction. Leading the SWU group was a banner carried by Kathy Schroeder, our branch treasurer, and her husband, Pete (left). The entire event was such a success Fr. Powers hopes to make this an annual event. Slovenian Culinary School was held successfully in September and October. The members of Br. 99 hosted this event in Lemont, Illinois at the Slovenian Cultural Center. Learning how to make strudel included making a good, stretchable dough and then, spreading the delicious filling to make a roll ready for baking. Our photos show scenes from the Strudel class: (left) Diane Barish “struggling” to whip that dough into shape. Some doughs did really form up quickly, but some were stubborn, according to Mary Ann Hafifey and Mihela Simrayh (bottom left). Maria Petek (right) kept the students occupied at large tables where the dough was stretched veeeerrry thinly! Below we see the finished product - baked and ready to eat. Parishioners and Branch #1 members march through the streets of Sheboygan for the Corpus Christi walk. At a recent meeting, Theresa Dagg, secretary of Br. 10 in Cleveland, Ohio (left), and her mother, the president, Stephanie Segulin help plan their fall activities. For a reality trip to Slovenia, see this video! Many thanks and praises go to Vesna Straser, President, Branch 93, NYC. Vesna took the initiative, the energy and the time to tape, to multiple copy and ihen to send out the video tapes of Slovenian Magazine to the branches and individuals who placed an order. (See Zarja - The Dawn, May-June, 2005) Thank you to those branches and individuals who took interest in ordering the tapes for their membership. Members are in for a wonderful treat at some meeting time that will be filled with Slovenian Heritage! Talk about a reality trip to Slovenia! Vesna, again, Thank You. Mary Lou Activities of our Branches Reports due first of month preceding publication BRANCH 1 Sheboygan, Wisconsin We arrived by bus on September 25, at Klemmer’s Banquet Center to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Branch 43 and the State Convention. We enjoyed a breakfast and renewed acquaintances and friendships that we also enjoyed throughout the day. Mass was celebrated with music and song provided by the USPEH Chorus. A beautifully decorated dining room awaited us for a very good dinner with wine and homemade strudel for dessert, prizes were numerous. The entertainment was great by the USEPH Chorus and a soloist with accordion accompaniment. Why does the music and song make one so teary, is it because of our strong feeling of our Slovenian heritage? Again, congratulations to Branch 43 and an extra plus for having the entire event under one roof. ANGELINE FRITZ BRANCH 2 Chicago, Illinois Many of our SWUA members were fortunate to attend the Bishop Baraga weekend in Cleveland, Ohio. We had 50 travelers on our bus from Chicago, Joliet, Lemont, Milwaukee and South Chicago. We began our trip with prayers and songs led by Father Vendelin. Snacks and drinks were served up and down the aisle, and Virginia Strukel (Milwaukee) kept us laughing with jokes. As we were arriving in Cleveland, we were lucky to see the Air Force Thunderbirds performing on the lakefront before heading for our hotel. We had an early dinner at Sterle Country House, a Slovenian restaurant that made you feel like you were in Slovenia. Then we went for the rededication of the Baraga bust, as we arrived we were met by a young couple dressed in Narada Nosa and they passed small pieces of bread to us to dip in coarse salt (this is an 20/ZARJA-The Dawn old Slovenian custom of welcome). We followed this with Mass at St. Vitus celebrated by the Auxiliary Bishop of Ljubljana. St. Vitus had a delicious buffet supper immediately following in the church hall prepared by various church members and groups. Sunday we attend Mass at St. Mary Assumption Church celebrated by the Bishop of Cleveland. Mass was followed by a banquet at St. Mary’s Center then the annual meeting of Bishop Baraga Association followed. One of the co-celebrants of both masses was The Most Reverend Roger Foys, Bishop of Covington, Kentucky. As a youth he was a part of St. Stephen’s congregation with his parents and grandparents. Monday we enjoyed going to a picnic sponsored by the Slovenian Belo Krajnski Club at the Slovenska Pristava Recreation Center where we enjoyed good music and food, then we headed home from there. God blessed us our weather was perfect, we met and made friends with many Slovenians and we prayed hard for the beatification of Bishop Baraga. We had fun this summer at picnics, etc., but this year, Americans have suffered greatly from nature’s fury with the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hitting our Southern States. Please remember them in your prayers and give help to those people and pets whatever way you can. Congratulations to Ann Bunetta as she’s a great grandmother again. Gen Buol had eye surgery and is doing fine. Please pray for Jean Hrastar, who had to have surgery again. It’s hard to believe Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching; and yes, the Penny Social will be here soon. It’s the second Sunday of November. God Bless our military, please remember them in your prayers and perhaps with a Christmas card if you can. Merry Christmas to everyone. This month’s news brief comes to you from the Cardiovascular Care Unit at Hinsdale Hospital where I had triple bypass surgery just four days ago. Modem medicine is truly miraculous. One of my gifted caregivers was Sue, a Slovenian nurse, whose roots are in Wisconsin, her maiden name was Dergance. I gave her a “More Pots and Pans” cookbook and am sending her an application; hopefully she will join. DAISY BRANCH 5 Indianapolis, Indiana The holidays are upon us once again, it seems like every year goes by quicker than the one before. Autumn into winter is my favorite time of year, the cool crisp mornings and the clear cold nights keep me going! I can’t wait for the first snow and since I work nights I love being the first car to leave tracks on the snow-covered roads.. .ah, it’s the little things in life that need to be savored and enjoyed! People should be enjoyed also, not just at the holidays, but everyday. Take the time to call someone today and maybe listen with your heart to all they say, you may be surprised at how much you may get from the conversation. Give the gift of yourself this holiday to someone who may be alone, they’ll love you for it. Holiday blessings to all. Looking back on the past year, it sure was a busy one for all of us. We had several meetings that were a lot of fun and lots of good food. We met the Ambassador from Slovenia at a Slovenian Independence Celebration and had lots of good food. We changed our Memorial Mass to Saturday evening and added a “light supper” afterwards and had lots of good food....do we see a pattern here?? Everything is better shared at a table with food and friends! Our Memorial Mass and dinner was wonderful, it was so nice to see so many join us at Mass and also for the dinner. It seemed that a meeting after Saturday Mass was very convenient for many. Karen and I have such a hard time getting time off work to have the usual Thursday morning meetings and this worked very well for us. We need some feedback on this, could we change from the Thursday meetings to Saturday evening Mass at 4:00 p.m. and pitch-in afterwards? Spouses, friends and carpools are always welcome to join us. Drop Karen or myself a note to let us know what you think of this change for our meetings. Our beloved Holy Trinity Church turns “100 YEARS OLD” in April and the Centennial Committee is still in need of funding. Please spread the word, especially if you know of someone or an organization that is able to donate some money to this very worthwhile cause to help renovate the church building. Giving is a very good thing! Have a wonderful and safe holiday season. Keep our servicemen and women in your prayers, and pray for all travelers for a safe journey. Remember, this holy time of year started with a husband and wife on a trip to Bethlehem..... PHYLLIS BRANCH 10 Cleveland, Ohio Hope you had a nice summer, 1 am sorry to report that many of our members passed away and many are in the nursing homes. Please pray for Lucy Romich, Mary Pierce, Bea Zimmerman and Danille Susel, these ladies need God’s help and our help. 1 have gone to visit them and tried to cheer them up. On a brighter note, we have a member who was born on July 29, 1905, God bless Martha Batich, 100 years, congratulations from all of us. Martha lives in Akron, Ohio with her lovely daughter Carol Yassivand and her wonderful son-in-law, Dr. Zouhair. We wish Martha a few more years of happiness. Our Christmas party will be on Wednesday, November 16 at 1:00 p.m. It will be at Kristy Restaurant on 200 Street, please call me S. Segulin at 1 -216-451 -1876. We invite our members and guest to attend. Happy Birthday wishes to my youngest daughter, Tina Collins, who will be 50 years old on September 30. May God grant her many more. (I wish I was 50). Please pray for our Armed Forces and services people. I just received a call that my grandson is going overseas. Please God, protect him and all others so that they will come home soon. STEPHANIE SEGULIN BRANCH 12 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Is it possible that the summer of2005 has passed and we will have very few summer like days to relish before we get into the Christmas season? I would like to congratulate Josephine Janezic and her committee on a well organized Wisconsin State Annual Convention and 75lh Anniversary of Branch 43. I also would like to thank Josephine for acknowledging my recently bestowed title of Honorary President of Branch 12, a title held by our 1st National President, Marie Prisland. I will treasure the wonderful memories of this day as well as the beautiful Crystal Table Cross from Slovenia which she presented to me. Ironically, sitting at our table was Marie Prisland’s granddaughter, Katie Gordon, which made it especially meaningful. Our September season opened with a luncheon and the election of Officers; President - Nell Zietlow, Vice President - Rose Luebke, Recording Secretary- Connie Lewandowski, Secretary/Treasurer-Fran Remshak, Auditors- A1 Jelinek and Virginia Strukel and of course I will remain as Honorary President. 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 93rd Street, West Allis, WI 53227. We elected a committee to plan our 2006 Annual State Convention and will keep you apprised of our efforts. Our birthdays include Nell Zietlow, Mary Ann Cimermancic, Fran Remshak, Theresa Fedran, and me. Toni Vodnik, Mary Evanich and I went to see our member Ann Grambow who was in rehab following hip replacement; she was in excellent spirits and was happy to see us. She has now been transferred to Franciscan Villa at 3601 South Chicago Rd. South Milwaukee, Wl 53172. Mary Bucovnik is still wheeling her chair around at Mt. Carmel Nursing Home, 5700 West Layton Avenue, Greenfield, WI 53220. She is 93 years old and we hope to see her again this year at our Christmas luncheon. Please send them a card and say hello. If anyone else is in a nursing home or assisted living facility, give us a call and we’ll drop you a card or give you a call. So until next issue, here’s hoping that everything is just right in your little corner of the world. STAVI A DOBERSEK BRANCH 14 Cleveland/Nottingham, Ohio Another season of heart-wrenching hurricanes and their aftermath makes us realize how fortunate we are. This is certainly one time when we won’t complain about our hot and dry summer in the Cleveland area, Lord help us all! Members in the news: a charming color photograph of Joanne Bowman marching with the Polka Hall of Fame float appeared in The Plain Dealer newspaper at our East 185th Street Northeast Shores 5-day festival and parade. Her sister Louise Formica and mother Fran Prijatel, all in colorful Narodna Nosa costumes, bravely marching with their smiling faces accompanied Joanne. These gals have participated each year in this parade, rain or shine for many years, certainly a tribute to Slovenian women! A Polka Mass is held on Sunday and this year we were fortunate to have Minnesota’s amiable Father Perkovich on hand to celebrate the Mass. Unfortunately, Father had a mishap while here and is now on the mend at home. Send along speedy recovery wishes to Father Perkovich. A Slovenian Sausage Festival was held at Slovenska Pristava, a Slovenian farm in Harpersfield, Ohio. Even though we were inundated with rain, which started in late afternoon, we had an overwhelming crowd who enjoyed themselves sampling all the goodies, dancing and listening to the sounds of six orchestras. We all look forward to Tony Pekovsek’s Polka Weekend November 24-25 at Cleveland Marriott Hotel Downtown, followed by the Polka Hall of Fame’s 18th Annual Awards Show at Euclid High School and Meet the Winners Dance Celebration. Our condolences to member Shirley Valenčič, whose husband Steve, passed away after a lengthy illness. Steve was always on hand at our parties to help with passing out door prizes and was active in many organizations. Our members have been saddened with the news of the death of Addie Humphreys who had been secretary of our branch for many years. Addie was very conscientious about her duties with our branch and her smiling face is greatly missed. Our deepest sympathy to the families of our departed, may our dear Lord and His Mother welcome them with open arms. It’s time again to remind you that the date for our popular Christmas Dinner is Tuesday, December 6 starting at 6:00 p.m. at Slovenian Society Home on Recher Avenue. Call in your reservations for yourself, family and friends to Stana Grill at 1-440-944-0598. We all look forward to the delicious home-style dinners prepared by Sophie Mazi and the fun atmosphere among friends and family. Don’t forget to bring along a wrapped gift to be used for door prizes. Greetings to all of our house bound ladies, please know that we think of you and miss you and send along best wishes. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas with family and friends. May your New Year be Happy and Healthy! Vesele Bozicne Praznike in Srečno, Zdravo Novo Leto 2006! ALICE KUHAR BRANCH 16 South Chicago, Illinois Branch 16 and Branch 95 were hosts to the Illinois/Indiana State Convention October 2, 2005 in So. Chicago, Illinois. Father Juan Sanchez welcomed us in Slovenian at the 9:00 a.m. Mass. Kolachy and cookies from Calumet Bakery and potica ordered from the Slovenian ladies in Indianapolis were served after Mass. The meeting, followed by lunch, was held at the Crow Bar Restaurant where 63 members from 6 branches were represented. Our thanks to Gen Buol, who helped us plan and guide us through the day. Thanks to Vida Kumse and Marjorie Mitchell (our delegate) for decorating the main and Mary’s altars with carnations and Slovenian artifacts (compliments of Vida). The ladies wore their Narodna Nosa outfits and participated in the Mass. Also thanks to organist, Tom Marks, who played Slovenian hymns and to the choir who was joined by members from Branch 2. Evelyn Driscoll(Br. 95) who with the help ofTina Sertich, Mary Jane Strus, Gladys Buck and myself, decorated and set the tables, Bill (Evelyn) for doing all the fetching and carrying, Jim (Dotsi) Rossi our coffee maker and John (Helen) Battista who helped Jim with K.P. The theme was red and white vases of red carnations. After the meal, poticas baked and donated by Vida Kumse, were raffled off, thank you Vida. The afternoon was topped off by Herman Simrayh, playing and singing Slovenian “Oldies but Goodies” on his button box, and the ladies dancing the Polka. Thank you, Herman and thank you Kristin Hoffmann, Grand-daughter of Dotsi Rossi, for designing the place mattes used at the Crow Bar for the Luncheon. On the Labor Day week-end, Vida Kumse, Gladys Buck and I joined the group assembled at Lemont for the bus trip to Cleveland, Ohio for the 57lh Anniversary of the Bishop Frederic Baraga Association annual meetings. It was very spiritual (2 Pontifical Masses and out-door Stations of the Cross) and fun (Slovenian food, food, and more food - picnic). We even saw the Flying Tigers that were cancelled in Chicago. Our Christmas Party will be held December 8, at Steve’s Lounge, 13200 Baltimore Ave. (Hegewisch) at 1 p.m. Call Mary Therese Ehnat 773-646-5758 for reservations. Hostesses for November are Dolores Franko, Kay Jurincie and Andrea Krai. Happy Thanksgiving and a Joyous and Blessed Christmas. SYLVIA SPRETNJAK BRANCH 20 Joliet, Illinois Gianna Blachowski, who presented “Tastefully Simple” ways of preparing foods, was a guest speaker at our meeting on September 20. On September 16, Branch 20 hosted a delicious spaghetti dinner that was a great success. Many members and friends enjoyed the Slovenian Grape Harvest Dance on September 25, the previous honorary mayors were in attendance along with Rev. James Raek, honorary mayor in 2005, he is the pastor of St. Joseph Church here in Joliet. Refreshments were served by Lillian Cepon and volunteer helpers. Music was provided by Bob Doszak Band. On Sunday, October 2, Branch 20 members went by chartered bus to the IL-IN Regional Convention in South Chicago, 1L. At the October 18, meeting, the nomination of officers took place. Robert and Susan Ukovich shared their photos and memories of their June 2005 trip to Slovenia. November is Theater Month at the Slovenian Heritage Museum. Each video has a theme of current events in Slovenia, its cultural and historical heritage and landscape features. Plan to attend. Dates are November 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19 and 26 at 2:00 p.m. Election of officers will take place on Tuesday, November 15, at 7:00 p.m. during the meeting. The guest speaker will be Walter Keener Jr., Curator for the Joliet Area Historical Museum. We will have a bake sale November 19-20 at St. Joseph Church before and after the masses. Come and get some delicious bakery. On November 20, there will be a Christmas Bazaar at St. Joseph Park Hall. Branch 20 will have a booth. The Christmas Dinner-Family Style will take place at Al’s Steak House, 1990 W. Jefferson St. Come and spend a part of your holiday with us. Reservations must be made by December 16. Family members and friends are invited. Congratulations to: Otto and Grace Doerck - 50,h Anniversary, Robert and JoAnne Horvat - 45th Anniversary, Ray and Darla Tomac - 25th Anniversary, Bob and Kathy Hotuyec - 25th Anniversary and Carlene Kambic - 8th great grandchild, Alyssa Michelle. Get well wishes to Joanne Legerski. We extend sympathy and prayers to the families of: Charles L. Welz, brother of Audrey Chumovic, Jerry J. Mutz Sr., Louise M. Kuhel, and Irene, wife of Raymond J. Vicic, and Margie Gasperich, sister of Joseph A. Cohil, Dennis, his son and to the family. “Let us sing a new song, not with our lips, but with our lives. ” - St. Augustine SISTER MARLENE AMBROSE BRANCH 24 LaSalle, Illinois Dober Dan! Due to my inexperience with the computer, I submitted an incomplete report in the last Zarja. Hopefully, I can incorporate some of that omitted article into this one, even though the news is old, it’s still news. Evald Flisar, a prizewinning author from Slovenia, and his wife Jana were guests at our annual summer picnic. They had been touring the United States and were able to spend some time in our area. The ladies out did themselves, once again with an assortment of Slovenian dishes that even amazed the Flisar’s. It is so wonderful to see our members using their talents and gifts as Slovenian cooks and passing this tradition down to the younger generation. I think we, along with everyone else who might read the Chicago Tribune, were ecstatic to see “A Taste of Slovenia” featuring Maria Petek. When you stop to think about it, food is at the center of everything - weddings, funerals, baptisms, holidays, family “pow-wows”, neighborly “coffee clatches”, etc. Food and different ways to prepare it consume so much of our lives and it seems at last the Slovenian cooks are getting some richly deserved recognition. I find it amusing that half of ladies magazines are dedicated to recipes and the other half to diets. We know of two people that will be walking with a little more “spring” in their step - Father Bernard Horzen and Barb Pohar. We hope they are recuperating well and will keep them in our prayers. Speaking of prayers, I thank all those who have remembered my husband Joe in their prayers, after a rough summer, he had major surgery at Loyola Medical Center in Chicago on September 1. He is recuperating nicely and the prognosis is very good. Congratulations to Branches 16 and 95 for a tremendous job in hosting the Illinois/Indiana convention on October 2. Among other things, the Mass in St. George’s was beautiful. Those who attended enjoyed the day with old friends and acquaintances. We look forward to our October meeting because our junior members have been invited to come in costume. I hope the little “goblins” won’t scare anyone away. Also, plans for our annual Christmas party will be discussed. How vital it is to remember where we came from so to pass it on to our children. It’s up to us to keep our heritage alive! You know the saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”. Pray for our men and women in the armed forces and for their speedy return home. As this year comes to an end let us all reflect on how each and every one of us can make a difference in making this world a better place. Until next time, may your hearts be filled with peace and love. LORETTA STORY BRANCH 25 Cleveland, Ohio Hello to all our shut-ins and the residents of nursing homes, especially to Josie Perpar, Mary Urbančič and Albina Pozelnik, you are always in our thoughts and prayers. Please remember to attend the St. Nicholas Evening with Bishop A. Edw Pevec at Borromeo Seminary Euclid Avenue, Euclid, Ohio. Baraga weekend was very well attended, at both St. Vitus and St Mary’s Church. Father Curtis did a wonderful narration of explaining the Baraga group. Many priests and bishops were in attendance at the banquet held at St. Mary’s Church, catered by Julie Zalar and her magnificent staff. Our Slovenian cooks are so generous with their pastries and donations, God bless them all! Julie Zalar and Bishop A. Edw Pevec were the recipients of the Baraga award. The potica charms and pins are wonderful, what a great idea. October birthday wishes to Kathy Dorchak Hall and her lovely mom, Olga, and to Corinne Leskovar, our wonderful editor. Congratulations to Sister Mary Avsec SND, St. Vitus Pastoral Minister, who celebrated her golden jubilee on August 7. We received a note that all is well after hurricane Katrina from Gene Drobnič, in Cape Coral, Florida. We must keep all the people who have lost everything and suffered in this terrible tragedy in our prayers and thoughts. Till we meet the next time, wishing you Happy Holidays and blessing to all. Remember this: Take care of yourself and each other. Sevid mo. Love and Blessings. EMILEE JENKO BRANCH 32 Euclid, Ohio Our September meeting was well attended and plans for the convention and upcoming dates took place. Our branch will donate a large basket of goodies to be raffle off. If you need updated news, payments, or to find out about our branch be sure to call Secretary Charlotte at 1-216-289-6316. Our Christmas party will be on November 16 (3rd Wednesday) at 6:00 p.m. We will have cakes from the Branch treasury, please bring a dish to pass. We will not meet in the winter months but we will meet again on April 3 at 6:30 p.m., same place. So mark your 2006 calendars! In closing Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all. Stay well and be careful! Love and peace. DOROTHY LAMM BRANCH 35 Aurora, Minnesota We opened our luncheon meeting on August 17, with prayers for all our members. We were happy to have our members, Margaret Cina, from Arlington, Minnesota along with Marilyn Smith and Bernadette Andeachi from Biwabik at our meeting. Nine members attended the SWUA State Convention in Ely on Sunday, September 11. Our thanks to the Ely branch for another successful convention. It was decided that we would have a SWUA Heritage Festival in Minnesota in 2006. Many interesting ideas for the Heritage Festival were exchanged at a meeting held on September 24, in Virginia. A date and place will be decided at the next meeting in Chisholm in November, this project will take a lot of cooperation from all of us to be a success, and I know we can do it. Our branch has started a fund raiser for the festival, Dorothy Jamnick is the chairman. We are selling mini-gourmet cookbooks, for more information call Dorothy or Anita. Our sympathy is with Phyllis Turk on the loss of her brother, Eugene Kulaszewiez, and to all his family. May he rest in peace. Happy Holidays to everyone. ANNE M. ORAZEM BRANCH 38 Chisholm, Minnesota Aloha, after an unforgettable two-week vacation in Hawaii and a beautiful hot summer it’s time to get back to our group meeting of the SWUA. Several of our members traveled to Ely for their Minnesota Days, we had a great day and saw many members from across the Iron Range. Our first fall meeting had a nice turn out, the theme was Halloween. The hostess. President Adrienne Micklich, brought a decorated cake for her birthday. We discussed methods to make our meetings more interesting. We also discussed Founders Day and the declining of membership. The prayers were offered for Joe Zavodnik of Soudan who is coming home from Iraq for good. Keep your prayers for all members, remember to do good deeds for the sick and lonely and try to help one another. God Bless the USA and the SWUA. ADRIENNE MICKLICH BRANCH 39 Biwabik, Minnesota Several members met at the home of Bob and Rosemary Ribich on Monday, August 29, for a pot luck picnic and day of planning for events of2005/2006. With all the hot summer days everyone was looking forward to spending the day by the lake, but as luck would have it. Mother Nature would not cooperate. Overcast skies and windy breezes made it necessary to gather inside the “hisa” for the days meeting, but the weather did not squelch the conversations and reuniting of friends and members. Mary Lou Voelk drove from Wisconsin to attend and inspire all those in attendance with her enthusiasm and vision for SWUA and the SWUA Museum. We all know that when Slovenian women gather, there will not be a lack of good food, music and drink. Junior members, Aubri and Anna Ribich, helped serve while Bob made sure the wine was served with the meal. We hope to make this an annual event as a kick-off for the season. Eighteen members from our branch attended the Minnesota State Convention in Ely, Minnesota on September 11. Hvala lepa to Char Laurich of Chisholm and Anita Vovk of Aurora who organized a bus to pick up members in various locations for the trip to Ely, it is always a task to coordinate such an effort and we hope that we can continue to use this means of transportation for future events. We all know that with the sky-rocketing price of gas and the difficulty some members have driving long distances; the convenience of the bus was well worth it. The members of the Ely, Minnesota branch did a great job of organizing the day activities, we discussed many issues of concern regarding our Minnesota branches and as always, the dinner was enjoyed by everyone in attendance. Nice job, ladies. We celebrated our 75,h Jubilee on Sunday, October 9,2005 at St. John’s Church in Biwabik, Minnesota. The day began with the praying of the rosary for deceased members at 11:00 a.m. and was followed by the celebration of Mass by Father David Forsman. Several Slovenian hymns were sung with the accompaniment of the accordion played by member Judy Stuntebeck. Prayers of petition were read by Branch Vice-President, Eleanor Indihar. After the ceremony the 55 women assembled downstairs to enjoy a sumptuous chicken dinner prepared by Mary’s Morsels of Eveleth, Minnesota along with servings of ethnic delicacies of potica made by Jeanne Korsman and flancati made by Milka Škorjance. Member, Carol Sherek entertained with background music of Slovenian melodies. Jeanne Korsman, Branch 39 President, welcomed members from McKinley, Aurora, Tower, Ely, Virginia, Eveleth, Gilbert and Chisholm. A brief history of the branch’s 75 years was given by Rosemary (Sertich) Ribich. It was the grandmother of Bob Ribich, Johanna Ribich Sever, who was instrumental in organizing the branch. It is noted in archival research that Mrs. Sever visited homes of other Slovenian women in Biwabik to help her in this endeavor and with twenty women, chartered the Biwabik Branch 39 in February of 1930. Johanna Ribich Shain, daughter of Mrs. Sever, was the first president of the branch. The women of McKinley, MN organized Branch 36 in November of 1929 under the direction of Johanna Steblay Zallar, mother of our dear Jennie Ahlin. Soon, a few of the members transferred to the Biwabik branch and Johanna Zallar served as branch president for over 20 yrs. We were honored to have Mrs. Zallar’s daughter, Jennie, with us as a charter member. Imagine 75 years a member, is that dedication? Our membership now includes branches from McKinley, Gilbert, Eveleth and Virginia. We were honored to have our own Director of Special Projects, Mary Lou Voelk with us to speak to those in attendance about the changes in our organization and our vision for the future. She captured member’s attention with her unlimited knowledge and history of SWUA and left them with enthusiasm and positive ideas. God sends angels to you when you need them, thank you Mary Lou, for being with us. The day ended with drawings for raffle items and the women enjoyed viewing several Slovenian artifacts that were on display. The archival history will be sent to the home office and Museum in Joliet, IL and will be there for access and preservation for future generations. I want to thank all those involved in issuing our beloved “Zarja”. We all look forward to its arrival and many positive comments have been made about our previous issue. It must be that we are getting better with age, just like a fine wine. Nice going, ladies, 1 hope you know how much you are appreciated; it is our connection with “Living Our Legacy”. ROSEMARY (SERTECH) RIBICH BRANCH 40 Lorain, Ohio After a hiatus of several months, we held a meeting in September with a very good attendance. Francine Pavlovčič treated us to a delicious dessert which was enjoyed by all, thank you, Francine. Our meeting in October will be a luncheon at Steeltoe Sam's Restaurant. I hope many of you will be there so we can have your input as to our Christmas Party. That seems so far away, but it really isn’t. Speaking of attendance at our meetings, I want to single out Martina Woefl one of our most faithful members who never misses a meeting come rain or shine, plus she has the longest drive to get here, a truly gracious lady. We love you, Martina. Thank you for all you do and for just being you. My son Michael, his wife JoAnne and daughter Stephanie are in the midst of a dream vacation, they flew to Dubrovnik, Croatia, then made it slowly north along the Adriatic coast by ferry, stopping two or three days at five coastal cities before arriving at Koper where they picked up a car and drove to Ljubljana. In his e-mail he tells of the beauty of what they have seen and of the friendliness of the people and marvels at their ability to speak the English language .One day they drove just outside of Ljubljana to Vrhnika where 1 was born and had a picnic with our relatives making me wish 1 were there, it seems just thinking of “ Moj rodni kraj, moj rodni dom, kako si te želim” brings tears to my eyes. Translation —The place of my birth, the home of my birth, how I long for you. 1 remember it all so well, it is a beautiful song!!! Everything is still green but there has been a chill in the air these last few days. It reminds us that autumn with all its beautiful colors is almost here for us to enjoy. Do you remember how much fun it was raking leaves and the children hiding in the piles and scattering them for us to rake up again? Small pleasures!!! Nice memories. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here, we might as welt dance. STEPHANIE POLUTNIK BRANCH 42 Maple Heights, Ohio Can you believe that we are now in the waning months of 2005? It was a busy summer that saw the demise of yet more Slovenian stalwarts. I reported in the last issue on the loss of Marge Zupančič, which occurred just as we went to press, since then Mamie (Glivar) Champa’s husband, Lou, passed away in August. We extend our deepest sympathy to her and the Champa family. To the Franetič, McHenry and O’Neill families we extend our condolences on the loss of Josie Franetič Zupančič. Prior to that I was able to attend the wake of Mary Hrovat Gerdon who our elder members will recall as the sole survivor of the John Hrovat family. Yet another Franetič cousin as well as mine, was Vicki Kamalic, sister of Mary Shamrov. I had in an earlier issue written about the longevity in this particular family where the 4 sisters were well into their nineties. Vicki leaves us at age 99 and now only Malei remains at age 96. I was personally affected by the man with the scythe when my sister, Antonia Matis, succumbed on the day after I left for my long planned trip to Slovenia. Antonia was an active S WU member for many years serving as president of Branch 42 some 30 years ago. Her daughter, Marie Zimmer, is our branch member as are Marie’s grandchildren, Frankie and Madelle Zimmer. We also received word from Laddie Trattar that his mother, Ann Trattar, had passed away at age 89. She was a transfer from Newburgh’s Branch 15. May all these faithful departed rest in heavenly peace. On September 5, Marge Church, Dorti Zidar and 1 traveled together for our long delayed trip to Slovenia. 1 had heard from many who went before us about its beauty and hospitality, by actually being there made it all real. My sole purpose for this trip was to establish permanent roots with relatives of both my mother’s and father’s families, it was an absolutely unbelievable experience. I started out having one name of a cousin and before it was all over I had a personal journal of information on almost 30 people. None of this would have been possible if I had not been able to communicate in Slovenian, as none of them spoke English or understood it. They say their children speak English but I found this to be very limited and was constantly referring to my Slovenian/ English dictionary. I will be a long time coming down to earth after such a rewarding experience seeing new found relatives, meeting their families and observing their life styles, all while enjoying “the sunny side of the alps” and “the jewel of the Adriatic”. It is certainly understandable how this small country and its people through the ages survived wars and invaders to finally win independence. 1 only wish our parents could have lived to see it. Mvijo Slovenijo! Mary Jo McHenry O’Neill who works part-time for Notre Dame College made a proposal to the institution to accept learning disabled adults into its educational program. Her proposal was accepted and now includes the first student who is doing so well that more will be accepted in January. Way to go, Mary Jo. Grandma Mary Fink would be proud. Happy November birthdays to Jo Stoltz, Elizabeth Gravier, Marie Zimmer, Elyse Harr, Betty Gawor, Edmund Yemec, Aggie Haslup and Teresa Gorup. Happy December birthdays to Joe Offutt, Nicholas Lipnos, Beth Carroll, Chris Gravier, Eleanor Lipnos, Albina Skocaj, Jenny Lockard, Mary Lipnos, Marjorie Church, Teresa Stanonik and Christine Stropki. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and make it a really Merry Christmas by joining your fellow members, relatives and friends at our annual Christmas party at Sterle’s Country House on Sunday, December 4, at 12:30 p.m. Cost is $20.00 payable at the party, however, RESERVATIONS ARE A MUST! Call Marge at 330-467-0696. Adio. L1L SADOWSK1 BRANCH 43 Milwaukee, Wisconsin On the outside the day was dreary, wet, and muggy, but on the inside were smiles, hugs, and renewed friendships. That’s the description of Sunday, September 25, 2005, as Branch 43 celebrated its 75th Anniversary and hosted the Wisconsin State Convention. I’m sure we all appreciated having the festivities all under one roof. Our guests began arriving about 8:30 a.m. and we welcomed a bus from Sheboygan. The meeting began at 9 a.m. presided over by State President, Josephine Janezic. Each branch gave their respective reports: Branch 1-Agnes Gruenke, Branch 12-Virginia Strukel, Branch 43-Mary Bregant, and Branch 102-Betty Frait, in the absence of Rose Pakiz. All reports were accepted and some issues will be brought up at future board meetings and at the convention. A commendation was given to Branch 1 from Sheboygan for successfully recruiting the most new members during the last campaign. Agnes Gruenke gave a report on their strategy and one of the reasons was that men were encouraged to join. Congratulations to Branch 1. Congratulations were extended to Stavia Dobersek on being only the second person to receive the title of Honorary President, the first being given to Marie Prisland. Josephine presented Stavia with a beautiful crystal cross purchased in Slovenia. We wish Stavia only the best. Mass followed the business meeting and many thanks to the Uspeh Chorus for the singing at the mass, to Milka Menchak for preparing the altar and to our readers, Danielle Dovnik, Katie and Becky Kaye who all wore Narodna Nosa, and to Frank Menchak who read in Slovenian. Last, but not least, to Father Joseph Cunningham who was the celebrant. Now the real fun began, a delicious dinner was served as we listened to the strains of button box music played by Bill Bregant and ending with delicious strudel made by Mary Coffelt. Many prizes went to our guests and a special thank you to all of our donors. Now it was time to sit back and relax as our emcee, Dave Bevsek, introduced each performer. Dolores Ivanchich, ably assisted by accordionist Tony Gorenc, sang some beloved Slovenian melodies and even a couple favorites from The Sound of Music. The Uspeh Chorus sang familiar songs and did themselves proud wearing Slovenian Scarves and the Men wearing traditional Slovenian Vests. Rita Majerle/Klug read a poem written by Mary Stangl Mum as her family proudly looked on. Closing the program was a cello solo played by Phil Bregant who is quite a talented young man. I am proud to tell you that Phil is a member of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony. Many thanks to all of our performers, you certainly helped make this day special. It was a wonderful day and many thanks to the committee for all the planning and hard work. I would be remiss if I did not mention their names; Josephine Janezic, Yvonne Khaldy, Denise Bartlett, BettyAnn Kolesari, Lucy Kaczorek, Jacquilyn Smith, Rita Majerle/Klug, and Mici Bregant. THANK YOU TO ALL. Our September meeting was not very well attended, maybe it was because we haven’t gotten into the fall activities or perhaps you forgot since we were still basking in the after glow of our celebration. Whatever the reason, I invite you and remind you that our meetings are held each fourth Wednesday of the month at St. Mary Help of Christian Church Hall. You can enter through the alley in the back of church. Lunch is served at noon and our meeting starts at 1 p.m. Come join us. Maybe you have a friend who would like to join our branch, bring her or him with you. Happy Birthday to all our members celebrating in October and November. May you be blessed with happiness and good health. Special greetings to all of our sick and shut ins. I’m not sure I know where the summer went and now fall is gone and the gustle and bustle of year end activities has started. I hope you all have a very nice Thanksgiving. I guess now it’s time to get your poticas and strudels made for Christmas. See you at our next meeting. MARY BREGANT BRANCH 47 Garfield Heights, Ohio Our September meeting was held at Olga Dorchak’s home with 18 members attending. We had a picnic luncheon and talked about the forth coining Ohio-Michigan Convention on October 2. We also talked about the trip to Slovenia that Olga Dorchak, Elsie Spellacy, Kathleen Dorchak-Hall, and Diane Fomaro went on back in June, we recruited 5 new members for our branch with this trip. Our next meeting is November 13, at the Maple Hts. Library at 1:00 p.m. We will have election of officers at this meeting. Our Christmas meeting will be on December 3, at the Valley View Center at 1:00 p.m. Hope to see everyone there. Birthday wishes go out to our November members: Josephine Korman, Frances Romano, Sarah Huffman, Valentina Mervar, Angela Zakrajšek and Jo Walters. Our December members are Jodi Caultert, Ann M. Harsh, Karen Tolhurst and Elizabeth Wallace Best wishes to all. KATHERINE WALLACE BRANCH 50 Cleveland/Euclid, Ohio Our last meeting on September 21, was well attended after the summer break. After the pledge of allegiance and opening prayer, President Rose Mary Toth informed us that since 2001, we have lost 141 members for various reasons. She urged upon us the importance of getting new members, friends, and relatives to join. Out-of-town folks are also welcome. Sometime as in my case our Zarja article prompted Mary Ann Kwiecinski, a branch member from Minnesota, to drop me a note. Josephine Smith received a beautiful thank you letter for her generous scholarship donation to Zarja. A Slovenian magazine video is now available for $10.00 from Heritage Museum. President, Rose Mary Toth, Fran Kajfez, Evelyn Pipoly, and Josie Arko attended the Ohio-Michigan Convention on October 2,2005 at St. Lawrence Church, which included Mass celebrated by Bishop A. Edward Pevec, followed by a super dinner at the Newburgh Slovenian National Home. Featured speaker was Dr. Edward Gobetz, founding director of the Slovene Research Center of America. His wife, Milena, was also in attendance. Rose Mary Toth was presented with a thank you letter from the Heritage Museum for our donation of $2,692.53, which was put towards a computer for the Museum. The money was raised during the Slovenian Heritage Days last October held at the SNPJ farm in Kirtland, Ohio, with the cooperation of all our local branches. Good News: An announcement that Rose Mary Toth and her many volunteers from the other branches will hold the “Heritage Days” again in 2006! Godspeed to our “Polka Priest,” Father Frank Perkovich from the Iron Range in Minnesota who, at this writing, is on a tour visiting Italy and Slovenia. His tour takes him to the Vatican, with a possible audience with Pope Benedict XVI, Venice, Ljubljana, Bohinj Lakes, and the Avsenik Gostilna in Begunje, Slovenia. We all remember his famous saying, “Ko pjeva, zlo ne misli.” Get-well wishes to long time members Jane Berkopec presently at the Ray-Ann Suburban Westlake, Ohio, in rehab following hip replacement surgery. She misses all her friends. Recent travelers, Ivanka Matic fulfilled a promise to visit Medjugorje, and Rose Mary Toth visited relatives in Slovenia. A month has gone by since the 75th Annual Bishop Baraga days were held at Saint Vitus Church and Saint Mary's Church, but I must say how blessed we are to have attended many of the activities. The weekend began with a holy Mass on Friday September 2nd, followed on Saturday by the dedication and blessing of a bust of Bishop Baraga in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, by Most Reverend James Garland, Bishop of the diocese of Marquette, Michigan and a Solemn Mass at St. Vitus, with principal celebrant Most Reverend Andrej Glavan, auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Ljubljana, with 5 bishops and 15 priests in all concelebrating. A reception after Mass was attended by 800 people. The Baraga celebration then began on Sunday, September 4, with a holy Mass followed by a grand banquet in the new Saint Mary’s Hall. The Bishop Baraga Festivities then moved to Slovenska Pristava in Harpersfield, Ohio, on Monday, September 5 where again a Mass was said in petition. I feel that I must mention the Ohio Swiss Festival in Sugarcreek, Ohio. The annual four-day festival is a great way to spend a few autumn days. The parade lasted an hour and a half and attracted thousands of people. Musical entertainment included the Hank Haller Band, Joey Tomsick Orchestra, Bob Kravos and the “Boys in the Band,” Del Sinchek, Ken Zalar, and the Wolf Band returning after a ten year absence. Mom, Pat Wolf, is a member of Branch 42. In my last issue I mentioned how fortunate we are to welcome unexpected guests and visitors to our home on the hill—the latest being Dr. Zvone Zigon, Slovenia’s new Consul General in Cleveland, and his wife Irena. Dr. Zigon has a PhD in Anthropology from Ljubljana University and has been working in the Slovenian Foreign Ministry. It was a brief stop-over before attending a concert at Saint Mary’s Hall in Collinwood. Another news flash for 2006... Discover Joliet, Illinois by motor coach departing from Euclid and Solon, Ohio on Sunday, April 23, a chance to tour the Slovenian Women’s Union Heritage Museum plus hotel and casino stops, Mass at Saint Joseph’s Church in Joliet and much more. Information will be forthcoming. Debbie Pestotnik will speak at our October 19, meeting with interesting Medicare information. A Reminder!!! Our Christmas Party at Dubrovnik Gardens is planned for Sunday, November 13, and guests are welcome. There will be an auction. Donations for the auction would be appreciated. Respectfully submitted, ANNE TOMSICK BRANCH 54 - WARREN, OH Warren, Ohio Our group will have our annual Christmas luncheon on Wednesday, December 14, at 1:00 p.m. at the Cafe 422. The members enjoy having lunch there and the owner is very accommodating to us. Louise Vett, Fran Sainato and I will provide dessert, there will be no gift exchange and I will call you for reservations. It was nice to see Rose Mary Toth at the Cleveland Polka Hall of Fame where we were shopping for Slovenian CDs. Happy Thanksgiving and a Blessed Christmas to all. Pray for world peace - we have so much sadness too with Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita. Please pray for those victims to be strong. JOANNE PONIKVAR BRANCH 55 Girard, Ohio Dober Dan! While our reporter, Monica Selak, is studying in London, I will attempt to “fill-in” with our branch’s news. The September meeting was held at the home of Milka Kregar, my mama, and one of our auditors. We had a lively discussion concerning future events, all attending had a lovely evening. We enjoyed some delicious Slovenian cookies, wish more members would attend. September 3, 2005, St. Rose Church, Girard, Ohio, was the setting for the wedding of Brian Kren and Amy Haines. Brian is the son of Paulette Kren, one of our auditors, and the grandson of Sophie Kren, one of our dear charter members. We wish the happy, beautiful couple many years of marital bliss! God bless! Nase srene cesitke! As mentioned in a previous ZARJA issue my son, Mark, commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corp, has recently left for further training in Quanitico, Virginia. We wish him well and Godspeed! Mark was one of the 2001 SWUA scholarship recipients. We are very proud of him and all of our young people in the service of our country. Incidentally, Mark is the grandson of Milka Kregar and nephew of Anka Krakora, our branch secretary/treasurer. Our hearts and prayers extend to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Do your part to alleviate their miseries. The date for our annual meeting/ Christmas gathering was set for Wednesday, December 7, at 6:00 p.m. at Little Peppinos in Girard. The proprietors are always so accommodating and enjoy our singing of Slovenian and English Christmas carols. We will be joining AMLA lodge 42, Slovenska Bistrica, for this fellowship event. Joan Twaddle, Vice-President, has graciously volunteered to call our members for reservations. Come for a fun evening of song, good food, and some Slovenian traditions. With the approaching Christmas holidays, I wish all of our SWUA members and their families -Blagoslovljene Božične Praznike in Srečno Novo Leto 2006! Nasvidenje, MARIA SELAK BRANCH 89 Oglesby, Illinois Greetings to all from Branch 89. A great big THANK YOU goes out to our neighbors. Branch 24, LaSalle for inviting us to their annual summer picnic on June 12, seven of us were able to attend and needless to say it was wonderful! Warm welcomes, great food, good visiting, nice weather, and “foot tapping” polka music, all add up to a great Slovenian picnic! Our congratulations go out to Branch 43, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Branch 39, Biwabik, Minnesota on your 75"' Anniversaries! Wishing you a great time celebrating and many more years to come. Our Branch does not meet in the summer months, but several of us had the opportunity to attend a bibliography on Frank Yankovic at the LaSalle library on August 23. The film was very informative and interesting and we learned a lot about this self taught, very talented “Polka King”. Before heading for home we decided to stop off for a “cold one” (ice cream) and we could not quit talking about the things we learned about Frank. His polka music was running through our minds for several days. If you get the opportunity to view this film, try not to pass up the chance. On Monday, September 12, we kicked off our Branch 89 season with a potluck picnic. Due to the weather (92U) instead of meeting at our usual Slovenian shelter at Lehigh Park, we ran for the air conditioning at the Dickinson House. My Grandma Kernz did not have this luxury when she was with us, we need to be so grateful! We were honored to have Elsie (Frank) Stone, Darlene Wasielewski’s sister share the evening with us. Hope she will be able to join us again soon. As usual, food was not scarce and was enjoyed by all. It was so nice to see everyone again after the long, hot summer. To all of our homebound members, we love you and keep you in our thoughts and prayers. To our members living away from us, we think of you often and look forward to the time when we can be together again. Until we meet again Peace to All! ALICE EBNER BRANCH 93 Brooklyn & NYC, New York We are in a full swing of preparations for the upcoming Lecture Series event (please see the notice for the event in last issue of Zarja). We met on Sunday, September 18, to finalize our plans. Mirjam, who will be presenting the lecture, was also able to join us. She was in New York attending and presenting at the Slovenian Symposium, which took place on September 16 at Columbia University. The symposium entitled “Slovenia -Past and Present” was organized by Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs East Central European Center in collaboration with Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Consulate General of Slovenia in New York. It included opening remarks by Dr. Metod Mi lac, President of Society of Slovene Studies, and a keynote address by Dr. Dimitrij Rupel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and Chairman of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) followed by a number of interesting presentations on diverse academic topics. In his presentation “Slovenian History: Between Myth and Realty,” Dr. Oto Luthar spoke about power of myth and need for continuous examination of supposedly established historic facts, as well as numerous difficulties historians face when trying to decide on the actual course of events that concern politically sensitive historical periods. Dr. Mirjam Milharčič Hladnik gave a wonderful presentation outlining various common themes in her extensive body of research consisting of numerous personal and moving stories of Slovenian women who immigrated to the United States in ’’Slovenian Emigrants’ Perception of America.” Dr. Jeffrey David Turk spoke about the recent economic successes as well as current challenges facing Slovenia in a provocatively titled presentation “The Failure of Economics and Slovenia’s Remarkable Development.” Finally, Dr. Marina Grzinic Mauhler explored recent trends and raised interesting and intellectually stimulating connections between the Arts, creativity and politics in “Re-Politization of Art in Relation to Creativity and Resistance.” Following the presentations, discussion panels and Q&A periods, attendees were invited to the lobby for opening ceremony of the Exhibition of Slovenian Design and Architecture, including “Any sharp objects? Contemporary Slovenian Textile and Fashion Design” by SOTO (a group of nineteen designers), Martin Bricelj’s “Memory: A History of Slovenian Graphic Design,” and “Sixpack Contemporary Slovenian Architecture” featuring the work of six young Slovenian architectural practitioners. Warm welcoming remarks from Consul General Ms. Alenka Suhadolnik (SWUA Branch 93 member!) facilitated this wonderful opportunity for symposium attendees of diverse professional and academic backgrounds to chat over good Slovenian wine and tasty hors d’oeuvres. We also completed the project “Taping of Slovenian Magazine TV Show”. We sent out 18 tapes of which one was donated to the Slovenian Heritage Museum in Joliet. We were able to donate 60$ to the Museum as a part of this project. We hope to see some of you at the lecture in New York City this November. VESNA STRASER AND SONJA KNEZEV1C BRANCH 95 South Chicago, Illinois We had a meeting in September; it was a very good meeting, we made plans for the convention. Our guest speaker was Gen Buol, State President, it was great to have her, and she gave us so much support. Thank you Gen. Our next meeting will be October 12, 2005. I will be leaving October 17 for Florida. 1 will be there until June, 2006. Ladies I want to thank you for your love and support of our branch. Evelyn Driscoll helps me a lot when 1 am gone, thank you. Mary Tapris fell and had shoulder surgery. She is staying with her son until she gets better. We are praying for you. One of our long time members in our branch, Mary Barcevac passed away. She lived in Texas close to her son for many years. Our prayers and condolence goes out to her family. When Branch 95 was organized on March 1, 1939, Mary’s mother, Mary Markezich, was the first President of our branch. The first meeting was held at their home on 95lh Street in South Chicago. I talked to Millie Cuzella, she is doing pretty well. Her two granddaughters that are long time members of our branch are Ana Marie and Christina Ana Marie. Ana Marie works for the Naperville Newspaper. She was in New Orleans reporting. Christina works for Nordstrom’s where she just received a big promotion. Millie, you should be so proud of them. Greetings to all of you that are shut-ins. I want to wish all of you a nice Thanksgiving and a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2006. God Blessing DOLORES HENNELLY BRANCH 99 Lemont, Illinois Greetings of the Season! When you get this message, it will be time for Thanksgiving and then, Christmas. We all wish you most happy holidays and holydays! We have arranged to start 2006 with monthly meetings every fourth Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. at the Slovenian Cultural Center, small hall. We hope this will make it easier for some who wished to meet more often and to be able to set our activities with proper discussion and timing. On the first meeting, on January 22nd we will conduct the “yearly” meeting, meaning elections will be held for officers and the plans set on the 2006 calendar. Hope to see you then. Another good reason for the new regular Sunday meeting time is that we can attend the monthly Slovenian Cultural Hour sponsored every 4lh Sunday after lunch. Thanks to all who took care of our Culinary School classes in September and October. They were fabulous and many people who wished to attend but couldn’t, made us promise to do this again next year! Making dough should be no problem for any of us after watching our demonstrators who were so helpful and showed us many tricks! Again, thanks to our members, Maria Petek, Mihela Simrayh, Mara Martinčič, Jožica Zudic and to Lilijana Cepon of Br. 20, who agreed to come help us out with her expertise. Remember Dec. 4th is our Christmas Cookie Sale after mass at the SCC in Lemont. Maria and Paula Mavec are in charge and will appreciate hearing from you with your promises to bake cookies, so we’ll have lots of them to sell. Call one of them for further information: Maria, 815 723 9003 or Paula, 815 729 9787. We enjoyed meeting many sister-members in So. Chicago on Oct. 2nd, at the ILLINOIS State Convention, but we missed seeing INDIANA members there. Thanks to Branches 16 and 95 for their sponsorship. It was a very well-planned event and we even got to see the very old St. George church that is well over 100 years old now. Thanks to Gen Buol for making everyone feel so welcome. CORINNE LESKOVAR BRANCH 102 Willard, Wisconsin Our meeting was September 11 with 14 members and 4 guests. We had a potluck lunch and the meeting then we played bingo and door prizes were drawn. Our next meeting will be December 3. We donated money to the Catholic Charities USA for the Hurricane Katrina victims, the money will be sent with our special collection on Sunday, September 18 with Holy Family. The hunters bake sale will be held November 19-20 after both masses. Members that can’t participate in it, we would appreciate a cash donation. You can send it to Sue Pakiz: W 6398 Sladich Road, Greenwood, W1 54437. Thank you. Our bazaar was a great success August 28. Potica is our biggest seller. Condolences to the families of Sophie Trunkel. Get well and prayers for Mary Stout. AGNES DEBEVEC BRANCH 103 Washington, DC Greetings from Branch 103, Washington, DC The September meeting began with a discussion of how our branch should develop and progress in the future. Everyone is asked to think about this subject, as we will revisit the matter in the near future. Our current plans are: October - the Slovenian Magazine video; November - no meeting; December - elections and Christmas celebration; January -installation of officers at the National Shrine after the Slovenian Mass. Our “Social Evening” will be at the end ofApril or beginning ofMay. Mimi Mejac will speak with Sarah Mejac about rental of Christ the King party room. Angela Stare will work on a collage and everyone is encouraged to search for photos of our 40 year history. Mimi has begun work on a history for the program. A thank you note was received from Fr. Sonj for our donation to his school in Slovenia. Angela Stare reported on her work with Fr. Sonj to request assistance from the Catholic Bishops “Church in Eastern Europe” fund. Thank you Angela for all the work you put into this cause. We should know more by the end of the year. Mimi Mejac shared some items of interest including: a report on Branch 93, Slovenian travel, and Slovenian Priest Fr. Rupnick who has created incredible mosaic’s for the Knights of Columbus. We concluded our meeting with a discussion of the summer activities of members present. It was very interesting to hear of the many activities of our group. Coffee and pastries, compliments of Ana Skopec, Ana Sonc-Jevtic and Ana Menapace were enjoyed by all. The October meeting included a short business meeting and the video “Slovenian Magazine.” This is a series of interesting vignettes on life in Slovenia today and a look back into the history of the country. We found it very informative and interesting. Delicious snacks were provided by Mimi Mejac, Valerie Bohince and Mary Lou Terselic. We wish you all a veiy happy holiday season and peace in the New Year. MIMI MEJAC AND MARY LOU TERSELIC BRANCH 108 Olney, Maryland Following our summer break, we welcomed members and new members back to our September and October meetings. Bonnie Pausic shared memories of her first travel experience to Slovenia with her husband Mike this past summer. Mike is preparing a video/photo documentary of this wonderful trip to be shared with our group soon. Bernadette K. Fitzsimmons shared her experience of traveling to the Rock Springs, Wyoming Historic Museum, Slovenian Home and International Festival recently. She briefly summarized the historical significance of Slovenian immigrants who settled in mining towns such as Rock Springs. Remember to send member John Klansek at least one Slovenian recipe, including a blurb about what this recipe means to you personally and how it has evolved in your family. John has volunteered to compile a collection of all our recipes and combine them in a booklet for all of us to share. So far we have an assortment of submissions, including original recipes not listed in the SWUA cookbook, and a Slovenian Christmas cookie recipe that won a ribbon at the Montgomery County Fair in Maryland for the “Ethnic desserts” category in August, 2005. Let’s get our recipes to John by the end of the year, so he can proceed with printing our Branch 108 cookbook. Send recipes to: 8024 Hawkins Creamery Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20882, or e-mail to: jk8024@aol.com. Plans are underway for some interesting Slovenian cultural family events in 2006! Check your mailbox, the on-line newsletter and ZARJA for future postings of dates. The second anniversary of our branch will be celebrated on Sunday, November 20 at 2:00 p.m. with a business meeting, followed by a potluck meal featuring a few Slovenian style dishes, music and guest speaker at the Olney Community Room. All members and guests are welcome to join us with their family and friends for this happy day. For more information and details, call Florence Engelhard! at (301) 879-8829, or e-mail flochuck@erols.com. Vesele božične praznike in srecno novo leto to all from members of Branch 108. OFFICERS OF BRANCH 108 BRANCH 109 Twin Cities - Minnesota Twin Cities Branch 109 held its Fall Kick-off meeting- September, 2005, members reported on the wonderful time they had, along with invited guests and family, at Branch 109’s First Annual Summer Picnic. The picnic was held in member Yul Yost’s beautiful backyard. Branch members are also interested in hosting a One Year Anniversary Gathering to be held in January including a possible Slovenian cookoff! 109’s Fall Membership Drive entitled “Bring One, Sign One” is in full swing. We are grateful to those who have helped get the word out about our new branch in the Twin Cities. A letter of invitation will be included to those who express interest in joining along with SWUA brochure, meeting dates and times. Committee updates will be posted on the branch’s website located at www.twinncitiesslovenians.com along with a schedule of upcoming activities and photos. MARY VIDAS Thanks to Zarja Fund Donors The following donations were received from members with their invoice payments. It shows their wonderful loyalty. We thank them for the v free-will donations sent in recent months , Name/Branch Amount Name/Branch Amount Kotler, Marija-103 100 Hurst, Betty-24 10 Cameron, Mary Ruth- 38 30 Katai, Valerie T-50 10 Gramc, Julia-32 30 Koporc, Agnes-25 10 Jagodnik, Irene-50 25 Kozak, Vera F-30 10 Burk, Mary-20 20 Leben, Barbara-20 10 Koncar, William F-20 20 Mach, Mollie-95 10 McCarney. Delores-20 20 Slak, Agnes M-47 10 Bayuk, Josephine-102 10 Swails, Mary Louise-5 10 Branch 16 for pictures-16 10 * in honor of my grandparents, Burkland, Thomas-99 10 & honor of Justina V. Sabotin Good, Deborah-33 10 Behrman, Alexis Anne-16 5 ‘memory of Julia Zgonc Deed, Albina Rose-20 5 ‘honor of Ms Camille Kopfensteiner, Kathleen-2 5 & Ms Claire Voelk Shisila, Christine-30 5 Hendricks, Marilyn-1 10 Starich, Rita M-43 5 ‘honor of Frank Yost, Yul-109 5 & Martha Kotnick Bonac, Helen-50 1 LIVING OUR LEGACY. The theme of the 2005 Membership Campaign is to invigorate our SWUA Mission, that is, to increase our ranks to make us a more vibrant and successful organization. Enroll your children and families and let us claim 2005 as the Banner Year for our SWUA enrollment! Mary Ann Koroshcc Setnikar: “ZARJA feature brings me fond memories...” As a member of SWU for many years and now transferring to our new branch #109, I’d like to mention the nostalgic pleasure I experienced reading the July-August issue of Zarja. It wasn’t just the content of the recipes in the article of “The Slovenian Table” and picture of a family at dinner that gave me such pleasure. I recalled when 1 was 6 years old, tagging behind on the tail of my grandmother’s apron strings, watching my grandmother making apple strudel and homemade egg noodles. Daily, she rolled out egg noodle dough, dried on waxed paper, hung over the backs of the ladder-back chairs and at 12 years of age, 1 tried to prepare many Slovenian meals a she did. My mom and dad were so proud of me! As a comment, I’d like to mention that I made “Rižot” for 40 people at our family reunion. I used both chicken and veal. I did not use up all the veal, so with the left-over veal, I prepared “Ajmoht” for my husband’s birthday. 1 haven’t made it for 20 years and now, here I was, proving to myself that even today, as a business working grandmother, 1 can still do it. I guess you can’t take the Slovenian out of me! Mary Ann recollects this typical scene Thank you again for the delightful memories. a humble Slovenian Home. Slovenian Women’s Union of America v Slovenska Zenska 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? Applicant’s signature:____________ S.W.U. member newspaper website other 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 -- webpage: www.swua.org Please allow four to six weeks for membership processing. In addition to my dues, I wish to contribute to the General Fund: $_____________________ In honor of In memory of_ For Office Use: Date Received: Membership No.: 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 The popular SWU Cook Book is a wonderful and thoughtful gift. ‘MORE POTS & PANS’ noRT-fbTS-PANS Please send me Name Address City_____ copies at $15.00 per book including postage and handling. State Zipcode Make check payable to and send order to: Slovenian Women’s Union 431 North Chicago Street Joliet, IL 60432 SLOVENIAN - AMERICAN COOKBOOK Zimmer FUNERAL HOMES Mark Zimmer, Funeral Director mark@zimmerl'uneralhomt\com 805 North 6th Street, Sheboygan, Wl 530X1 (92(1) 457-7012 - Fax: (920) 457-7013 W 2132 Oanton Rd., Sheboygan, Wl 53083 (920) 565-2331 www.Zimmerfuneralhome.com III*. First Midwest Bank Joliet, 1L (815) 727-5222 "» it SHEUGA DRUG INC. J/uul/aSut. 6025 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, OH 44103 (216) 431-1035 Serving our neighljorlioods' daily needs ZELE FUNERAL HOME, INC. 452 East 152nd St., Cleveland, Ohio (216) 481-3118 At Your Service During lifts Most Difficult Moments Louis ‘Ron’ Zefrnn Connie Rodriguez Frank J. Zetran Lois M. Zelran Debbie Zelran Jerry 1—800—249—9150 (773) 847—6688 ZZe-fxan '\3uric.xcX c^-fonzz, Pi A. 1941 West Cerrnak Road, Chicago. IL60608 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 DS II 54 788 2005 920052386,6 HERITAGE MUSEUM GIFT SHOP New merchandise has arrived and can now be viewed on our website, www.suwa.org To our membership, it is not too early to think of those Slovenians on your gift list, be it Christmas, birthdays, or just friendship. And again, do not forget “yours truly”. StMMf flmduuc yo* maJtc fe*ejiU tie Stoetda* WerUCofe TKmaook. Berlitz Slovenian Phrase Book and Dictionary The books are selling fast! Stop by the Slovenian Heritage Museum to purchase your copy. $15.00 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 Punc kas are all dressed in a beautiful Slovenian costume. Doll is 18” tall. Purchase one for a special birthday, for a newborn, a Christmas gift, or for yourselH (We won’t tell anyone, honestly!) This is your museum! Help support the LIVING LEGACY! Prices for all items on this page do TEE SHIRTS-CAPS • Men’s polo shirt: white, heather gray and putty with collar and Slovenian logo patch (M, L, XL, XXL) $ 18 • Men’s Tee Shirt with pocket: ash gray and sand beige with Slovenian logo patch (S, M, L, XL, XXL) $ 18 • Ladies’ polo shirts: azalea, yellow and white with collar and a new carnation logo on left side (S, M, L, XL, XXL) $ 18 • Ladies’ Tee Shirts: light blue, natural and light steel, with new carnation logo on left side (S, M, L, XL, XXL) $ 16 • Kids’ Tee Shirt: ash gray with Slovenian flag logo (6/8, 10/12) $ 14 • Baseball caps: with precurved brim (adjustable) navy with white or khaki with red script $ 10 not include shipping and handling. Slovenian Heritage Museum Gift Shop 431 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432 Tel. 815-727-1926; website: www.swu.org; email: swuhome@msn.com