ZARJA - THE DAWN - URADNO GLASILO OFFICIAL PUBLICATION SLOVENSKE ZENSKE ZVEZE V AMERIKI SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S UNION OF AMERICA NUMBER 5 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2002 VOLUME 74 A 4 fjna 1 1*1-■ 1 EL J Designed by Suzana Zupancic-Brathwaite, May 2002 — Stmdesigning.com Slovenian steps in NYC - Slovenske stopinje v New York-u On the Cover: The sccnic design on the ZARJA cover illustrates the idea of New York City - Branch 93 members exploring their Slovenian heritage in “the big apple!” Brooklyn branch 93 was reorganized in February, 2002 as the New York City branch. Events have been scheduled on a regular basis. There is a unique sharing of information with members who are native Slovenians or first, second or third generation Slovenians. Members are from Slovenia, different areas of the United States and even Australia! Branch 93 thanks member Suzi Zupancic-Brathwaite for the beautiful design she created - it will also serve as a branch flyer and a mailing piece. L.Z. Suzana selected the color green for her cover design to convey the promotional idea of Slovenia as a “Green Piece of Europe.” Slovenian Women’s Union of America 24th National Convention Dates: June 12-16, 2003 Place: Duluth, MN ZARJA - THE DAWN (ISSN 0044-1848) Postmaster: Send all changes of address to: ZARJA - THE DAWN, 4851 S. Drexel Blvd., Chicago, IL 60615-1703 NUMBER 5 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2002 VOLUME 74 Member, Illinois Fraternal Congress Official Publication of the Slovenian Women’s Union of America — Uradno glasilo Slovenske Ženske Zveze. Published six times per year - šestkrat na leto. Annual Subscription for non-members, $15.00 — naročnina $15.00 letno za ne-članice. Publisher: SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S UNION OF AMERICA 431 No. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432 Telephone (815) 727-1926 Periodicals Postage Paid at Joliet, IL and at additional mailing offices All communications for the next issue of publication must be in the hands of the Editor by the first-week of the month — vsi dopisi za naslednjo izdajo mesečnika morajo biti v rokah urednice do I. v mesecu. Editor, CORINNE LESKOVAR Editorial Office: 4851 S. Drexel Blvd., Chicago, IL 60615-1703 Email: CORLESKOVAR@AOL.COM Telephone: (773) 548-8878 - Facsimile: (773) 268-4899 In this Issue: President’s Message Secretary’s Message “New Neighborhood” Membership Campaign Genealogy Search “Slovenski otroci” Magic Month Calendar Raffle Scholarship Awardee Essays Marjana’s Language Comer Slovenia Trip Travelogue Birthdays Articles from the Branches Membership Application 2 4 6-7 7-8 9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-18 18 22-32 Back Inside Cover COMING EVENTS SEPTEMBER 8 MINNESOTA STATE DAY, Aurora, MN, Br. 35 8 WISCONSIN STATE DAY, Willard, Wl, Br. 102 18 PICNIC, Euclid Clubhouse by the Lake, Br. 50, Cleveland, OH 29 GRAPE HARVEST DANCE, St. Joseph Park Hall, Br. 20, Joliet OCTOBER 6 IL-IN STATE DAY, Indianapolis, IN. Br. 5 12 ANNUAL MASS, Br. 5, Indianapolis, IN, 5:30 p.m. 13 0HI0-MICHIGAN STATE DAY, Br. 32, Euclid, OH 29 75th ANNIVERSARY BANQUET, Br. 13, San Francisco, CA NOVEMBER 28 CHRISTMAS PARTY, Br. 10, Cleveland, OH JUNE 2003 12-16 SWU NATIONAL CONVENTION - DULUTH, I , Br. 33 Come, Look Through My Eyes A promotion video for the Slovenian Women’s Union Heritage Video. copies $23.00 including mailing costs $20.00 if purchased at the Museum (Includes shipping and handling) Send to: Internet webpage: www.swua.org e-mail: swuhome@msn.com On line newsletter: lzalokar@yahoo.com SWU Home Office, 431 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432 115478 8 NATIONAL PRESIDENT Kathleen Dorchak Friendship — one of our most valuable resources!” Xsn’t this just a glorious summer? I know it has been a little hot for some of us, but for most the weather has been perfect for outdoor events and functions. I hope all of our branch members have taken advantage of these beautiful days to visit with other members and share in the summer fun. If the hot summer days are not one of your favorites, coming up in September and October are the regional conventions. These events are always opportunities to see old friends and make new ones. Please mark your calendars now to attend your Regional Convention. Your Regional President will be discussing the upcoming National Convention in June 2003 and what changes should be considered in our Bylaws. As a member, your suggestions and comments are extremely important. Check the calendar in this issue of the ZARJA for the date and location for your Regional Convention. I would like to extend a special thank you to the Minnesota members and friends that were at the Slavic Celebration in Chisholm, Minnesota on July 13th and 14th. What a wonderful event! Some of the activities included Mary Lou Voelk’s talk about Splasher Cloths; music and entertainment from outstanding groups such as the Del Sinchak Band, Beanie Boben and the BBQ’s, Ritchie Yurkovich Band, Triglav Slovenian Dance Ensemble, and the Joey Tomsick Orchestra; and Father Perkovich’s Original Polka Mass with Joe Cvek and the Polka Masters. “Chickentown Old Time Neighborhood and Pub” gave you the feeling of how it used-to-be done! These memories included: hay racks, cabbage cutting, sauerkraut making, grape stomping and the old sausage smokehouse. There were also demonstrations of weaving on the range, heritage cooking, and bobbin lace. Jean Korsman, Pres, of Br. 39, Olga Dorchak, Pres, of Br. 47, Charlotte Laurich, State President of Minnesota and Kathy Dorchak, National SWU President at the Slovenian Miners and Laborers Memorial, the work of Slovenian artist Lillian Brule, our member of Joliet, Illinois. The photo taken at Ironworld, Chisholm, MN during Slavic Days in July. ~ Photo, Veda Ponikvar The Slovenian Women’s Union featured a film series of our latest promotion video “Come Look Through My Eyes” as well as highlights from our 75th Celebration and Mass. This wonderful event is educational and fun for all ages. My mother and I thank you, the Minnesota members, for making us feel so welcome. A special thank goes to Charlotte Laurich and her family for providing us her home as our “Bed and Breakfast.” It was a weekend my Mother and I will never forget. Many times we don’t think something is important until it is too late. This has happened when loved ones are no longer here to tell us about our heritage and family customs. Do you realize belonging to the Slovenian Women’s Union of America can give you the opportunity to learn about these Slovenian traditions through other members and their families? We are a wealth of knowledge. It’s not too late to start to celebrate all that is Slovenian with our families in our homes. Start now to preserve all that is Slovenian within us. In the words of Barbara Bush, “Cherish your human connections; your relationships with friends and family.” That’s what belonging to the Slovenian Women’s Union of America is all about. Love, peace, and laughter, Kathleen 3088 Markle Drive Silver Lake, Ohio 44224 Telephone: (330) 686-1336 Fax: (330) 688-6203 Email: kdorchak@neo.rr.com National Secretary, Bonnie Pohar: m EACH ONE - REACH ONE! Hello again! Last issue I asked each of you to take the SWUA Challenge - EACH ONE - REACH ONE! I hope by now each of you were able to give it a try. Our members are our best advertisement. And in order to go on another 75 years we must continue to build and reach out. Last week I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman who is involved in a 100 year old ethnic organization. I asked him what challenges they faced and were they similar to our own. Needless to say they were very close to ours. Just like ours - their membership was dwindling and the younger generation was not attracted. But just like ours they started making additions, not necessarily changes, that helped reshape this 100 year old ethnic organization. When I asked what their success was he told me that they brought on new programs for the younger person but held onto the ways of the elderly member who happened to be the backbone. They highlighted their heritage and delivered all they could to their members. And in no time they tripled their membership. What a great story! Sound familiar? I had to sit back and think how much like them we are at SWUA. I am now entering my tenth year as a member and I strongly believe that much has changed for the better in SWUA. I remember one of my first conventions where I was told we would not be around much longer and that we were “bleeding to death.” It was said that we may not make the 75 years. Its hard to believe that it was once this way and the best part of it - we did make the 75 years and we will make many more. I do think all of that has changed in the recent past. I am sure many of you can see the changes and improvements, too. No longer are we reading depressing reports in the ZARJA about how the interest is not there. We are now reading about this Slovenian activity or that Slovenian recipe. We are now learning Slovenian words or how to find our ancestors. And for those that want more and love the computer we have the newsletter and the website. We also have many branches out there bringing in new members. A few of our branches for the first time in years have done some awesome recruiting! And the list goes on and on. Things are looking good here at SWUA and we do have a bright sunny future just like the Sunny Side of the Julian Alps. And, the success is all because of each and every one of you. We all did this together and we will do much more together! With the National Convention right around the comer we will hit another all time high in our SWUA history. I hope you are deciding now who will be the delegate for the 2003 Convention in Duluth. From what I am hearing and reading it will be a great time that no one will want to miss. I am truly looking forward to it as we move forward. I would like to end with a special recognition to “Daisy” Jean Železnikar, Branch 2 and Jonita Ruth, Branch 20 for their help at the Home Office. The two ladies spent many hours cleaning up the water leakage in the basement. Your help is truly appreciated. Bonnie Pohar Prokup Mary Lou Voelk, right, with Anita Vovk show one of the Slovenian Splasher Cloths on display at Slavic Days in Chisholm, Minnesota. MISSION STATEMENT We, the National Officers of the Slovenian Women’s Union of America, will be guided by our Constitution, Bylaws, and Regulations, and with God’s help, pledge to: * Unite American-Slovenian women and their families * Enhance the presence of the Slovenian community in America * Inspire our youth in spiritual and moral values * Promote the legacy of our heritage We ask the members to join us in the success of our mission. We ure remembering Just one year ago our freedom in America suffered great losses of life and great anguish of spirit. As we fly our flags this September 11th let us pray in thanksgiving for God’s most precious gifts, and pledge to live our lives deserving of them. C ^ Minilo je že leto dni odkar smo v Ameriki doživeli tragedijo, v kateri smo izgubili veliko nedolžnih življen, in za trenutek zgubili tudi upanje. Ta september bodo naše zastave plapolale njim v spomin. Molili bomo zanje, molili pa tudi zase, da naše upanje ne ugasne, in da bomo vredni njihovih žrtev. V__________________________________) H u m a n s Humans We are the most intelligent beings on earth We think rationally We form bonds of friendship and love We laugh We cry We build towers over a hundred stories high Humans We are the most intelligent beings on earth We invent new weapons to gain more power We kill the people we call our friends We laugh away at others pain We cry only because our greed is too strong to satisfy We destroy our race Humans We are the most intelligent beings on earth... Juliana Fitzsimmons, age 3, a junior member of Br. 103, Washington, D.C. says “God Bless America, my home sweet home.” She can sing it, too. Her mom, Bernadette teaches music and is our SWU former National Youth Director; grandmother, Nika Kovacic is a dedicated member and often contributes to ZARJA. Juliana, what a darling smile you have! The author of this poem, entitled HUMANS, is Michelle Goldmann, the granddaughter of our Wisconsin State President, Josephine Janezic of Milwaukee. Michelle has written many poems and her grandmother says, “they always say what her heart tells her." This poem was written on September 11, 2001, the day of the Attack on America. We think it is an appropriate memoriam for this issue, one year later. Michelle is a sophomore this fall at Pius XI High School and a life-long member of Br. 43. Even though she is very young to be a published poet, several of her poems have been awarded recognition. We congratulate her and wish her many more literary successes! C. by Lynn Zalokar Second Anniversary! - “The New Neighborhood” online newsletter (monthly) continues to offer information for all ages about our Slovenian Heritage. Here are examples of items that have appeared in the newsletter. A site written by young people, telling us about their holidays. All have submitted their e-mail addresses. May 1st is coming up, and a special holiday will be celebrated in Slovenia. Log onto this site and read all about it! http:// www.kidlink.org:80/KIDPROJ/MCC/ ***** I saw this magazine for kids at the dentist’s office. It’s called “Kids Explore” and the May issue is on Ellis Island! See if your library has it. Copies of this issue can be purchased: $3.50 each for 1-19 copies, $2.50 each for 20-199 copies or $2.00 each for over 200 copies. Great for kids, grandkids, junior members of our branches or a family reunion! Orders go to: Kids Discover, 149 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. ***** Here is a little story I’d like to share with you about the newsletter. One of my cousins teaches Social Studies at St. Raymond’s in Joliet. In one of the newsletters there was a posting about the immigrants being at Ellis Island and a man coming around with water and the men pushing to the front and the man with the water saying something like “In America ladies first.” I sent the newsletter to her because I knew she would enjoy it, little did I know that at that time she was teaching 19th century immigration, and she was able to share the stories with her class. Her students also enjoyed the stories. (Ed. note: In Marie Prisland’s book, “From Slovenia to America," the author quotes the same incident adding that one of the ladies in the group then stood and shouted "Long live America, where women are first!") ***** An exciting page, listing all of the stamps issued in Slovenia. The Folklore Maska are beautiful, just click on the stamp and it will enlarge. The written motif is a study in Slovenian folklore. http://w ww. posta. si/eng/dz/filatelija-z. asp?Ni vo = ZN99 ***** This is a wonderful site: you can download these ebooks onto your computer! They are all written in Slovenian! For those who can read the Slovenian language, what a find this is!!! There are many books by Ivan Cankar! http://cgi. algonet. se/htbin/cgiwrap/omnibus/beseda. pi ...The Christmas holiday also gave me an opportunity I’d long been waiting for. Having recently purchased a camcorder, I brought it with me to my grandmother’s house and taped her talking about her parents, her family and their traditions. For Christmas, my sister and I had copied a couple of pictures - one of my great grandfather with his but-ton-box and one of my grandmother’s family when she was about 3 years old - which my grandma did not have copies of. The photos provided an opening for us to ask questions about her family - and tape record it. Plus we taped her identifying all the people in the family picture, which included aboiut 20 people -her cousins and aunts, etc., that we would not readily recognize... Grandma told me about some of the traditions her parents brought with her to this country - foods they would eat, religious practices, and other traditions. And I got it all on tape. I highly recommend others do the same. Camcorders can now be purchased for under $300 and using pictures to stimulate memories and get the talking started really works. If you can’t afford a camcorder, use a tape recorder or good old-fashioned note taking. ***** Second Request The online newsletter is a success, but I am losing quite a few people each month due to invalid e-mails. This is not unusual as people change e-mail addresses and internet service providers quite often. However, many are not contacting me with their new e-mail addresses! Here is how each branch can help. Please form a committee and call every member of your branch to collect e-mail addresses. This will get more people on the newsletter, plus each branch will see how many memebrs are on e-mail. You might be able to do more communication via e-mail which saves time and money! It’s also a way to reach out and communicate with your members - you might get some interesting feedback from the phone calls. Let’s see which branch is the most “wired”! To receive the monthly online newsletter send an e-mail to lzalokar(a yahoo.com What they’re saying to us! Lynn, please tell everyone involved with the 75th Anniversary that they did a wonderful job. Parties like this do not just happen, they take a lot of hard work. The food was excellent, the entertainment and presentations were simply great. We had our own table of 8 for our family and really enjoyed the evening. I hope that the next gathering of this type is not 25 years from now. I believe that we now have the interest to attend more events. The people of Slovenia are special people! Jerry Zakosek (See another e-mail message on page 36.) A day in the Park__________________________________ Members of newly revived branch No. 93 took a moment for these photos at their summer outing in New York City’s Central Park... Top photo, Janja Lupse holding Jakob, Lynn Zakokar, Marjana Lavrenčič, Lipitz, Anita Erzetič and Suzana Zupančič Brathwaite; Lower photo. Tea Rozman Clark, a friend from Maribor, Janja, Lynn, Marjana and Anita. Janja is originally from Maribor, Anita is from Sydney, Australia and Tea, Marjana, and Suzana are from Ljubljana but all live in New York now. Lynn, as we know, is our Online and The New Neighborhood editor, lives in New Jersey but is a native Chicagoan! We welcome two new columnists in ZARJA who began their features in the last issue, namely, Marjana with the Slovenian Language Lessons and Suzana with a column for our youth who want to know more about their Slovenian heritage. We are so fortunate to have these young new members becoming active in the Big Apple! MINNESOTA - “What a gorgeous State!” the SWU, joined the women on a tour of Ironworld, a luncheon, and visiting with citizens attending the All Slav Days Festival. “I’m so glad I came,” said Kathleen. “Everything is so beautiful and the people are so warm and friendly. I would like to come back again.” We truly enjoyed having Kathleen and her mom visit Minnesota. Our Minnesota branch’s Membership Booth was a success, and we gave out many brochures and membership forms. Hopefully, those who took the forms will join. Jean Korsman made 3 luscious strips of potica, for which we sold chances. A total of $100.00 was made from the sale of those chances. The lucky winners were: Marcy Zupec from Ely, Jane Yadlosky, also from Ely and Marian Bill from Aitken, MN. Thank you, Jean for your generous contribution. We also sold 17 More Pots and Pans cookbooks during the 2-day festival. If we do not gain many members from our efforts, I still feel the booth was a great success, as it made those attending the celebration aware that there is a Slovenian Women's Union, and we are a very active organization. Charlotte Launch Minnesota Regional President So exclaimed Kathleen Dorchak, National President of the Slovenian Women’s Union, as she stepped out of her car upon entering Ironworld and the All Slav Celebration. Kathleen had been invited to the annual event at Ironworld by Minnesota president, Charlotte Laurich. Accompanying Kathleen on the trip from Ohio was her mother, Olga Dorchak. Jean Korsman of Biwabik, Past National President of Charlotte wore her beautiful Slovenian national dress - seen here with Olga “Reaching Up and Beyond” Each One-Reach One The 2002 Membership Committee is on the move! “The Minnesota Branches joined forces and had a booth at Slavic Days in July to recruit new members. We gave out many brochures with application forms.” Charlotte Launch, Branch 38, Chisholm, MN “My mother, Barb Pohar, has been recruiting new members at the softball games I coach (two teams). It looks like we may be getting some new members!” Bonnie Pohar-Prokup, Branch 24, LaSalle, IL “Branch 20 has a goal of 75 new members to mark our 75th anniversary!” Jonita (Erjavec) Ruth, Branch 20, Joliet, IL “The Slovenian Consulate in New York City has Branch 93 flyers and SWUA brochures for distribution.” Lynn Zalokar, Branch 93, New York City, NY Other SWUA Board members are involved in the 2002 membership campaign, too... “I feel it is very important to always have information about our wonderful organization, so I keep cookbooks and membership brochures in my planner as well as the trunk of my car for quick and easy access. Once you are talking to someone it is vital to show them the benefits and all that we offer our members. Membership brochures are always available at the Home Ofice. Keep them handy - you never know when you can reach another Slovenian.” Kathy Dorchak, Branch 47, Garfield Heights, OH “We had a fund raiser turkey dinner and had membership brochures on each table.” Bev Menart, Branch 33, Duluth, MN “My main way of getting new members is to invite those who send in genealogy queries, and at genealogy workshops, I always have recent editions of ZARJA on display along with membership forms.” Mary Turvey, Branch 1, Sheboygan, WI “The Slav Festival was held at Ironworld July 13-14. The Slovenian Women’s Union and the Slovenian Genealogy Society (I am a member of both) were featured in the same area. As a guest speaker at Ironworld, I presented 2 sessions on the Slovenian Splasher Cloths, promoted the SWUA Heritage Museum, and passed out literature for membership.” Mary Lou (Deyak) Voelk, Branch 23, Ely, MN Please share your membership recruitment ideas with us - together we can do so much! T * ■R. B A C H- ( N e Y o AN£> N UP * Please help us to preserve and promote the legacy of our heritage. Here are some simple ways we can all help with the 2002 membership drive: * Tell at least one person a day about the S.W.U.A. Many times we have opportunities but say nothing, we need to remember to promote the S. W. U. A. a little bit every day! * Wear a Slovenian t-shirt to the mall, airport, health club or community event. * Utilize “Silent Salesmen.” Try to display flyers, posters, and calling cards at public locations: employee lounges, bank lobbies, churches, laundromats, post offices, town and city halls, health clubs, libraries, schools and universities, bars, barbershops, beauty salons, etc. * Request copies of the membership brochure from the home office or xerox copies of the membership application (back page of the July/August issue of ZARJA-The Dawn) and distribute to family, friends and other prospective members in your community. * Donate your extra copies of ZARJA-The Dawn to your local library. * Sell the S.W.U.A. cookbooks (with a membership brochure tucked inside) at a community event, family reunion or branch picnic. * Hold a “Membership Madness Party” - Invite prospective members and show the S.W.U.A. promo video, serve Slovenian appetizers, display Slovenian family keepsakes or souvenirs and distribute those membership brochures! There are many ways to win!” Ask Tončka! *The top three individual recruiters. *The branch that brings in the most new members. *The branch that increases its numbers the most with new members. The membership committee is pleased to announce over $150.00 in gift certificates and merchandise has been collected for the top five recruiters in this year’s campaign. We wish to thank the following supporters: DRB Imports, Lemont, IL (Slovenian wine) The Kobe House Bakery, Sugar Creek, MO (mail order potica, gift certificate) Mericha’s Restaurant, Joliet, IL (gift certificate) Santa Papers by Hunter, Inc., Fairview Park, OH (St. Nicholas Day cookie kits) (See pg. 36) Seasonal Creations, LaSalle, IL (embroidered dish cloths with a Slovenian motif) Smolich Brothers Homemade Sausage, Joliet, IL (gift certificate) Syl’s Restaurant, Rockdale, IL (gift certificate) Member benefits include: • The bi-monthly publication “ZARJA-The Dawn.” • The free monthly online newsletter “The New Neighborhood.” • Local branches and events across the country. • *S.W.U.A. Heritage Museum in Joliet, IL with exhibits, library and merchandise. • Scholarship opportunities for high school seniors and adult continuing education students of any age. Best of all, the opportunity to connect with others of Slovenian descent! We are tallying new members brought in January 1 to December 31, 2002. 2002 Membership Committee Charlotte Laurich, Branch 38, Chisholm, MN Jonita Ruth, Branch 20, Joliet, IL Lynn Zalokar, Branch 93, New York City, NY Geoea Many of you are concerned about how do genealogical research in Slovenia. In an earlier column we discussed the difficulty in reading documents written in Latin, German, and Slovenian languages, in various scripts. Older records as you will remember are held at Slovenian National Archives in Ljubljana, Koper, and Maribor. After reading Branka Lapajne’s book “Researching Your Slovenian Ancestors,” I asked her to trace some of my ancestors from the Celje region, for a fee, and was very pleased with the fine reports and translation work she did. I asked Branka to write up a little report to help you better understand what Slovenian research entails. (Page 8.) Branka was bom in Slovenia and immigrated with her parents to Ontario. She received a BA from the University of Toronto, and Ph.D. from the University of London, England. Her thesis was on Primoš Trubar and the Protestant Reformation in Slovenia. For the past 30 years Branka has been doing Slovenian research, making limited trips to Slovenia. At one point she discovered a collection of marriage contracts for the domain of Bled - there were several thousand dating between 1600 to 1810. Currently Branka is gathering information on the early immigrants of St. Stephens, Minnesota. In addition to historical and genealogy research, Branka has taken thousands of photos throughout Slovenia. Some have been published in various magazines and exhibitions of her work were held in Slovenia during the past few years. So, Happy Hunting! Želim uspesen lov! Tončka 904 Margaret Street Iron Mountain, Michigan 49801 Source of Slovenian research: Slovenian Genealogy Society of Slovenia http:llwww2.arnes.si/zjtopllrod.htm. They can refer you to professional genealogists who charge between $10 - $25 per hour. Contact: Peter Hawlina Lipica 7, 4220 Škofja Loka, Slovenia Srd@ guest, arnes. si Jana Colonna writes: Some of you already know about this site - it looks interesting, (read below) Pozdravljeni, The Slovenian Australian Institute is a great resource for people of Slovenian heritage. It has a great website. Check it out at: w w w. sloaus-inst. com Lep Pozdrav, Peter Marinič Genealogical Research on Your Slovenian Ancestors by Branka Lapajne, Ph.D. In genealogical research nothing is guaranteed. You may find a lot of information or very little. Similarly, you may be able to complete your family tree quickly and successfully, or you may get bogged down for years, trying to resolve an insurmountable problem. So much depends on luck. One of the largest obstacles to research in Slovenia is the occasional lack of records. Such is the case for a number of parishes where either all, or some, of the older records are no longer available having been destroyed during WWII. In these instances only duplicate records from 1835 onwards may provide any clue to your ancestors. However, before starting research in Slovenia, Americans of Slovenian descent first have to determine the place of origin of their Slovenian ancestor. This can sometimes be the first seemingly insurmountable obstacle. For those who have an original copy of either a birth or marriage certificate the question of place of origin is answered by these documents. Not only do these certificates provide the name of the parish where the event occurred, they also recorded the place of residence. For those who lack original documentation other avenues have to be investigated. The most important still remain the living source, a parent, grandparent or other relative who can tell you about your Slovenian origins. If they have no knowledge, or are no longer living, records in the U.S. have to be tracked down. Most Slovenian immigrants to the U.S. went to places where friends, relatives or neighbors had preceded them. Where large numbers of Slovenians congregated they usually established their own parish churches. These are one of the most important sources of information. Another possibility are the Ellis Island records on the internet. Where everything falls into place you can obtain not only the name, relationship and address of the person to whom the immigrant was traveling, but also their place of residence prior to emigration. However, there exist many mistakes in the transcribed records. Not only are surnames badly misspelled, but the place of origin is often so far from the original, they confuse or lead you down the wrong path. Another possible source of information or assistance are the message boards on various genealogy websites. If luck is with you, you may actually connect with a distant relative researching the same family. But be forewarned! Just because you may be researching what you consider an uncommon surname, this may not be the case. Add to this the common first names of Maria, Joseph and John, and three people looking for grandparents named Maria and John Zupančič may be looking for three completely different couples and not the one and same. Surnames such as Zupan, Gornik, Kolar, Hribar, Dolinar, to name just a few examples, can be found in many parts of Slovenia. On the other hand some surnames can be found in specific regions or parishes. An experienced researcher can usually steer you in the right direction. In addition to the official church records, land registry records are something most people can easily access. These records can provide data on where and what kind of property your ancestors may have owned. However, this is a source you can only access in person at the Slovenian archives (Arhiv Slovenije) in Ljubljana. The archives will not research the records for you. For those people who have the knowledge, time and inclination, local and regional Slovenian archives can, if you are lucky, provide a wealth of documentation on your ancestors. Some collections are catalogued and you can see quickly if there is anything relevant to your family. Other collections of books and bundles are, as yet, uncatalogued. A look through them could take months, or even years, and there is no guarantee you will find anything. But if you do, you may learn something about what your ancestors were like through marriage contracts, lawsuits and the like. However, here, as with the official church records, time, negligence or outright destructive human behavior have taken their toll over the years. Despite this, astounding collections are still preserved in archives throughout Slovenia. Before you begin researching your family tree, I would like to stress one important point. Do not begin research with the conviction that you are descended from, or related to, this or that famous individual. Rather, begin with what you know for certain and let the evidence lead you where it may. Do not cling unquestioningly to family lore, regardless if the evidence shows the truth to be something completely different. One favorite family story I have frequently heard points to descent from a French soldier who remained behind during the Napoleonic era. Considering the number of French origin stories abounding, Napoleon’s entire army would have had to desert and remain in Slovenia. Granted there are a few families who may be descended from just such a soldier, they are few and far between. The vast majority can be proven to be of Slovenian origin long before Napoleon and his French soldiers ever set foot on Slovenian soil. In conclusion, there are three ways in which you can conduct your research. On your own in Slovenia, through the assistance of the Archbishopric Archives in Ljubljana. (Nadškofijski Arhiv Ljubljane), the Bishopric Archives in Maribor, or with the help of genealogical researchers. If you follow the latter route, make sure it is someone who has the necessary experience to do a good job. Some researchers do not have the proper qualifications. For those interested in more information on researching in Slovenia and on advice on how to overcome brickwalls, I have written a guidebook entitled: ‘Researching Your Slovenian Ancestors’. Also included are famous events in Slovenian history, customs revolving around birth, marriages and death and examples of the kind of writing you may encounter along the way. The guidebook costs $16 U.S. (including postage) and is available from myself at: 108 Hollywood Ave., Willowdale, Ont., M2N 3K3, Canada. In addition to continuing research on my own family, I have conducted research for the last ten years for clients. A word of warning! Genealogical research is very addictive, better than any mystery novel, because you cannot look at the back of the book to see how it ends. You may think you only want to know where your grandparents or great grandparents came from. But once you have found that out, you will want to know more, until eventually you will want to find out everything that can be learned about your family. 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