Zarja
Official Publication Slovenian Union of America
Uradno Glasilo Slovenske Zveze v Ameriki

$8.99 U.S./$15.99 International

The Dawn

ZarjaFest

THEN - NOW - ALWAYS
SLOVENIJA

Volume 90 Issue 3
Fall 2018

2018

Slovenian Union of America Letter to the Editor
431 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432-1703
TELEPHONE: 815.727.1926
WEBSITE: slovenianunion.org
2015-2019 National Board of Directors
PRESIDENT: Mary Lou Deyak Voelk
(Branch 23) ottolou@gulftel.com
VP OF OUTREACH: Annette Charron
(Branch 3) amtcharron@gmail.com
VP OF HOME OFFICE: Diane Hohenwater
(Branch 20) dhohenwater@comcast.net
VP OF MARKETING & FUND-RAISING: Norm Setnicker
(Branch 109) normas188@msn.com
VP OF CULTURE & HERITAGE: Beverly Kochmann
(Branch 109) bbkochmann@msn.com
NATIONAL TREASURER: Robert J. Kuhel
(Branch 16) rjkuhel@sbcglobal.net
CORRESPONDING/RECORDING SECRETARY:
Denise P. Bartlett (Branch 43)
denisepbartlett@wi.rr.com
STANDING COMMITTEES
RESEARCH & ADVISORY
Chuck Debevec (Branch 109) cfdebevec@live.com
Richard Terselic (Branch 103) rat1@verizon.net
EDUCATION GRANTS
Barbara Bruch (Branch 89) barbarabruch@yahoo.com
Frances Kovatovich (Branch 35) velike2000@yahoo.com
Bill Zerial (Branch 99) billzer@sbcglobal.net
PRESERVATION
Carol Novak (Branch 20) sua@slovenianunion.org
Carole Terlep (Branch 20) sua@slovenianunion.org
Georgene Agnich (Branch 20) sua@slovenianunion.org
WEBMASTER: Vacant
FACEBOOK EDITOR:

Mary Risner Glaize (Branch 30) tankandfrog1@yahoo.com
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS: Alisa Tugberk
(ISSN 0044-1848)
Postmaster: Send all changes of address to this location:
SLOVENIAN UNION OF AMERICA
431 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432-1703

© Copyright All Rights Reserved

I am Eddie Adamic, and my wife Frances is a member of the
SWU. We look forward to your outstanding ZARJA publication, and we are more than grateful for the dedication and hard
work of all who are involved in the production of the this
publication.
I am writing to bring your attention to an error in the Summer
2018 issue. On page 5, in the right hand column of donations,
the name listed under Frances Adamic, Barbara Baish, should
have been spelled Barbara Baloh.
Eddie Adamic

Front Cover: ZarjaFest 2018
We experienced firsthand the people and culture from
the land of our ancestors with a road trip through the
unspoiled back roads of Slovenia.
We were introduced to locals where we heard and
tasted the Slovenian language, music, and food. We
toured the beautiful cities of Slovenia, such as Bled,
Portorož, Piran, Ljubljana, Ptuj, Novo mesto, and
Bohinj. We explored the little villages and strolled
their narrow streets as we sang, danced, and created
lifetime friendships!
See pictures on pages 10-11 of this issue.

Zarja - The Dawn
EDITOR: Bonnie Pohar Prokup
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN: Debbie Pohar
CONSULTING EDITORS: Annette Charron and
Bernadette K. Fitzsimmons
EDITORIAL OFFICE: 3119 Carrie St., Peru, IL 61354
PUBLISHER: Slovenian Union of America
Vol. 90, No. 3 Fall 2018 Published quarterly
Periodicals Postage paid at Joliet, IL and additional mailing offices.
Communications for the next issue of publication
Do you have something you would like to share with readers? We would
love to hear from you! Please e-mail the editor at wprokup@aol.com. We
reserve the right to edit any article submitted. Articles must be related
to Slovenia, SUA events, or members. The deadline for articles is the
10th day of the month, two (2) months preceding the issue. For example,
articles for the Winter issue must be received by October 10. Thank you.
Submission Guidelines
E-mail your photos attached as jpeg files. If you have an old photo
that is irreplaceable, please make a good-quality copy to share with us.
(Scanned copies must be a resolution of 300 or higher.)
By submitting material for publication, you grant the Slovenian Union
of America the use of the material including your name, hometown, and
state. We may modify, reproduce, and distribute it in any SUA authorized
medium and in any manner or appropriate place.

Living the Legacy of our Slovenian Heritage

Slovenian Union of America, Inc (SUA)

THE STATE OF THE UNION

Coming to the National Convention in 2019… Slovenian DNA Pool Project
A DNA project involving the Slovenian Union of America and Slovenia has been on my mind for several years.
At the March 2018 SUA Representative meeting, the
mention of such a project with Slovenia created excitement! Through a connection of persons, I was introduced
to Vlasta Knapič of the Slovenian Genealogy Society
(SRD - Slovensko rodoslovno društvo) in Slovenia. The
result is the Slovenian DNA Pool Project.
The Slovenian DNA Pool Project is twofold: We acknowledge that SUA members are interested in their
DNA breakdown and in finding extended family. Submitting your DNA results will allow the SRD to build
a database large enough to focus on the territory in Europe where Slovenian-speaking people lived in the past
millennium. The results of the database will document in
detail a more precise definition of our Slovenian origins,
and SUA members will learn of generations of extended
family.

The SUA and SRD follow the common goal: discovering
as many Slovenian donors as possible, their relatives, and
geographic origin. New tools available only since 2000
can help find your ancestors even though you do not have
written records. In the era of the early 21st century, we
might have the last chance to reveal our ancestral origin to founding populations from just a simple saliva or
cheek tissue sample before there is a complete melting of
Slovenian genes in the US population. With each generation, our Slovenian genes are cut in half. Testing of our
relatives needs to begin with our oldest relatives.
As your SUA president, I see great potential in cooperation with the SRD. Recently, a new SRD website has
been established to support seekers of Slovenian origin in
English: https://dna-slovenia.com.

Mary Risner Glaize, Branch 30, has taken the position as Editor of the SUA Facebook Page. Mary brings knowledge
all wrapped up in enthusiasm for our heritage.
Mary encourages branches to participate. She says, “If you or any of the SUA branches have photos or news, please
send in your information. Let’s tell the world who we are!” E-mail Mary with any branch news here: tankandfrog1@
yahoo.com.
So that Mary posts the event correctly, consider these questions when submitting: What? Where? When? Why?
Example:
1. Branch #, Name and Location: Branch 20, Diane Waters, Somewhere, IL 815.888.7777
2. Why/Event Name: Tour of Slovenia Movie
3. When/Event Date: October 20, 2018 4 p.m - 8 p.m.
4. Where/ Event Location: St. Peter Hall 431 N Chicago St.
5. Who/Include Names: Joe Josephs will narrate
If sending photos, please identify names: Example: L to R: Joe Josephs, Rita Lucas, and John Jones
By the way, the posting of the Slovenian folk costumes originally posted by Branch 89 includes 29 photos and a
written historical background of costumes. The photos are exquisite and the historical dialogue very enriching. Take
the time to read.
Congratulations Mary! Viewing numbers are waaaaay up!

Fall 2018

1

Branch 100, Southern California
It started with a phone call to Teresa Koci, Branch 100
with a question regarding the Gift Shop at the 2019
Convention! Not only did we have a conversation, but
within four days Branch 100 members had been involved,
and as per our conversation documented items they would
like to see in the gift shop:
1. Sets of aprons (one for each season)
2. 7-pack dish towels with days of the week
3. An apron for children
4. Adult apron for men or women with all sayings
in Slovenian

Zarja Summer 2018
In this past issue, names of donors filled an amazing four
pages. The members of the national board thank you for
your generous donations. Each donation is a precious gift
to our heritage organization.
Congratulations to our new members listed on page 2.
You now are part of our living history as we near our
92nd Anniversary in December 2018. The SUA National
Board welcomes you!
To All Members:
Consider your membership as “giving back” for the
treasured family traditions your families celebrated
together.

Theresa’s e-mail was written up in a 611-word e-mail,
complete with sayings and images to be used. To Branch
100, what extraordinary spirit! THANK YOU.

•

These ethnic traditions differed from the
routines of daily life.

•

October 20 - 21, 2019; Bojan Cvelfar,
Director of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia
The visit of Bojan Cvelfar was most gripping for all
gathered. Bojan, historian, with a PhD in history from
the University of Ljubljana, was at the museum to view
our scanning project. Carol Novak and Carole Terlep,
the forces behind our scanning who have spent 12
years working on this project, explained the project as
Bojan stood by and keenly listened. He recognized the
inadequate technology they have to work with, and he
did offer several interesting suggestions. For the SUA,
it was certainly an honor to hear his amazement at the
accomplishments all led by Carol and Carole.

They had a purpose; they elevated, and they
were spirited.

•

They told you who you are.

Consider each celebration as a living story about your
family.
The slogan “Families that celebrate together, stay
together” can be referred to as becoming necessary in our
fast-paced world. It means belonging to a group that is
bigger than yourself.
to ye to,
Mary Lou Deyak Voelk
President, Slovenian Union of America

Please turn to the Branch 20 report by Georgene Agnich,
for the remainder of our time with Bojan while he was in
Joliet.

Bojan and Carole in discussion.
2

Seated (L to R): Carol Novak and Carole Terlep.
Middle Row: (L to R): Diane Hohenwater,
Georgene Agnich, and Mary Lou Voelk.
Back Row: (L to R): John Vidmar, Bill Zerial, and
Bojan Cvelfar.

Zarja - The Dawn

Donations
Thank you! -Hvala lepa!
$100 Donation
Robert Nauheimer, 2, +Dolores Nauheimer
Therese Freiberg, 43, +Raymond Freiberg
Anthony Kochevar, 109, SUA
Barbara Nash, 103, +Anne Perhay (my mom)
$25 Donation
Dorothy Andrews, 50, +Margaret Slavec Ostroska
Julia Pohar, 24, +Bill Prokup
Christine Polzin, 102, +Josephine & Edward Bayuk
Corey Kathleen Holden, 20, Educational Grant
Trudy Argubright, 89,
H/O Florence Grdih Argubright
Helen Baumann, 1, +mother, Doniella Zagozen
$20 Donation
Rosemary Ribich, 35,
Cultural Grant - +Frances Ribich
Catherine Maxin, 50, SUA
$15 Donation
Susan O’Block Kellen, 26,
Honor of Phyllis A. O’Block
$10 Donation
Suzanne Pecharich, 99, +Maria Vlasic
$5 Donation
Alyssa Tate, 3, Educational Grant

Thank you for your generosity.
Many donations continue to arrive in the
mail and will be listed in the next issue.
Fall 2018

Bring in 3 New
Members and Get
Yours FREE.
Complete the membership
form on our website
(slovenianunion.org) and
submit with a $75 check or 3
separate $25 checks and send
to 431 North Chicago Street,
Joliet, IL 60432-1703.
If you already paid 2018
dues, we will defer for free
2019 membership.

New
Members
Welcome - Dobrodošli
3, Slaten, Diane
3, Tatinski, Petrecia A.
16, Beezhold, Filip
16, Minton Kutz, Janice
30, Meados, Tom
33, Owen, Caden
50, Hrovat-Burke, Levon Kenlyn
50, Maxin, Andy
50, Maxin, Debby
3

Let’s Sing & Dance!
at
at the
the

S.U.A.
S.U.A. National
National Convention
Convention
Cleveland,
Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio

Thursday,
Thursday, June
June 13,
13, 2019
2019 -- Sunday,
Sunday, June
June 16,
16, 2019
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44

Zarja
Zarja- -The
TheDawn
Dawn

a family-style meal of Slovenian favorites. Then, later
that evening, join us for the crowning event of the
weekend - the SUA National Convention Banquet.
We’ll gather before dinner for a few cocktails at the
cash bar and then spend the evening dining together
and dancing to Cleveland-style polka and other party
hits from The Frank Moravcik Band. Saturday’s banquet will be your chance to sample the entries from the
potica contest. That night, we are all sure to go to bed
with full hearts (and stomachs!) from three memorable
evenings of entertainment and togetherness.

Saint Vitus Church

On Sunday morning, we will gather once again in the
hotel to start off the day with a breakfast spread before
heading to Slovenian Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Vitus
Church. St. Vitus, founded by the first documented
Slovenian immigrants to the city, has been an integral
part of the Slovenian community in Cleveland since
1893. Today it remains at the heart of the Slovenian
community of Cleveland, offering a weekly Slovenian
Mass and celebrating Slovenian culture with various
events throughout the year. Sharing Mass together in
this beautiful and iconic church will be the perfect
ending to our time together.

Meet our entertainment for the 2019 SUA National Convention!
We’re so fortunate to have the
talent of Joey Tomsick and The
Joey Tomsick Orchestra at our
opening reception on Thursday
and at our Friday evening Zarja
90th Birthday Celebration. This
year, Joey Tomsick and The Joey
Tomsick Orchestra will mark
their 34th year anniversary of
entertaining audiences nationwide. The group, known as “The
JTO,” was organized in 1984 by
Joey and has since become one of
greater Cleveland’s most popular
all-occasion bands, performing
a wide range of music for all
types of audiences and social
events from weddings, festivals,
“polka parties,” inaugural balls,
and presidential visits! The JTO
frequently performs at the Hofbrau House in Cleveland, as
well as at festivals all through the region. In reviews, the
band is described as “fantastic,” “fun,” “exceptional,” and

Joey Tomsick and The JTO

Fall 2018

“amazing,” and is frequently noted for having brought joy
to audiences through its energetic polka and party music.
5

Saturday evening we’ll welcome
another legendary Cleveland
band, The Frank Moravcik Band!
Frank Moravcik has headed up
his Cleveland, Ohio-based band
since 1995. The band is best
known for “Cleveland Style”
polka music; however, it has the
ability to perform a wide variety
of different styles of polka music
including Czech, Polish, and
German polka and waltz music
in addition to popular dance and
party songs. Frank’s inspiration
to play accordion comes from
his family of numerous accordion players including his mother
who played in a polka band. He
has been playing accordion and
keyboard since age 16 and in his
earlier career had a wedding band.
The band has received honors
from various organizations including awards from the National
Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame for “Best New Band”
when they were first formed. Throughout the years, the
band has also been recognized by numerous Hall of Fame
nominations in the categories of Band of the Year and Album of the Year. Frank is also a recipient of the “Musician
of the Year” designation by the Collinwood Slovenian

Linda and Frank of The Frank Moravcik Band
Home in Cleveland, Ohio. The band currently consists of
Frank on midi accordion, electronic bass, and vocals, and
Linda Hochevar on the button accordion, accompanied by
drums, guitar, and banjo. They generally keep a very busy
performance schedule at local venues, private parties, and
taking their music on the road.

Attention! We need your assistance!
We are asking members and branches to donate an item for the Slovenian Raffle at the National
Convention or a monetary donation. If you are able to donate an item, please let Lynn McKittrick
(information below) know what item you will be bringing and the approximate value.
You can then simply bring the item to the convention.
If you or your branch are able to make a monetary donation,
please make the check out to SUA and send to Lynn McKittrick.

No contribution is too small!
We greatly appreciate your participation in making the
2019 SUA National Convention an event to remember.
Lynn McKittrick
5521 Carol Jean Blvd, Garfield Hts OH 44125
Phone number: 216.663.0305
Email: lmckitt@sbcglobal.net
6

Zarja - The Dawn

Please make your plans NOW to join us
for the 2019 SUA National Convention!
Convention attendees are currently able
to book deluxe standard rooms at the
discounted convention rate of $129.00
+ taxes. This is a great rate available to
conference attendees only!
To m a k e y o u r r e s e r v a t i o n , c a l l
216.378.9191 and mention that you are
with the “SUA Group.” Please make your
plans early to ensure that you can take
advantage of the convention rate! Also,
please note that dates extended beyond
the duration of the convention may not
be eligible for the convention rate.
If you have any questions or concerns about the 2019 SUA National Convention, please contact:
Kathy Ferrante, 2019 National Convention Chair
Call or text: 330.730.8951
Email: kjferrante@gmail.com

Member Representative(s) –
Delegate(s) from Your Branch
Your branch should have already elected its Member Representative (Delegate) to participate in teleconferences. The Member Representative also serves as the Branch Delegate to attend the National Convention. While all are welcome and encouraged to attend the important business meetings, only the Member
Representative(s) sent by the branches may vote on matters presented to them.
Serving as a Member Representative is an important, rewarding, and educational experience. Member
Representatives are to come prepared to represent the interests of their branch, take part in all meetings
and activities of the convention, and return to their branch to give a full report to those that were unable
to attend. Branches with a membership of 200 or less can select one (1) Member Representative. Branches with 201 up to 400 adult Members shall have two (2) votes, and branches with 401 or more adult
Members shall have three (3) Member Representatives and shall have (3) votes.
Members of each Branch may also elect an alternate(s) – and are encouraged to do so – to serve in the
Member Representative’s stead if necessary. It is important to review carefully the sections of the SUA
Corporate Bylaws relating to the Member Representative position – Article II Members, Section 2.3 thru
2.15.
When selecting Member Representatives or alternates, keep in mind a few qualifications.
• Do they have enthusiasm for their Slovenian heritage?
• Do they support the purpose of SUA?
• Do they understand the organization and its programs?
• Are they reliable?
• Are they good communicators?
• Candidates must also be at least 18 years old and have paid their annual dues.
Fall 2018

7

Thoughts on
A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples
A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples was written
by a historian, Fred Singleton,1 and first published
in 1985. It is about 300 pages long. I chose to write
about the book because it provided me, as a person
of American-Slovene heritage, a view of my ancestry that I hadn’t previously appreciated.
To start, the recent wars in the Middle East provide
strong evidence that politicians can’t just draw international boundary lines without creating important implications on the peoples that live within the
lines. This is particularly true when the lines impact
distinct ethnic groups. It may work reasonably well
when the lines enclose the whole of civilizations,
such as Egypt and Greece. However, it doesn’t work
well in cases such as the Kurdish people. In modern times, the Kurds have not been included within
national boundaries that encompassed the majority
of their people. Rather, their population has been divided across several national boundaries. With the
exception of the last 100 years, the Slovenes have
had a situation much like the Kurds. That is, being
divided across national boundaries. For support of
that statement one has to go back into the history of
the Slovenes.
Going back to pre-Christian times, the area in which
modern Slovenes have resided were previously occupied by Thracian, Celtic, and Illyrian tribes. The
Illyrians were conquered by the Romans, and subsequently, the Romans were invaded by waves of people from the east and northeast, such as the Slavs,
Goths, Avars, and Lombards.
If Slovenes of today have their saliva analyzed for
genealogical tracking purposes, the results would
likely indicate they have ancient ancestors from
northeastern Europe and the Middle East. One of
the genealogical groups to which I provided saliva
informs me of “matches” involving newly tested
individuals. Those “matches” include persons from
northeastern Europe and the Middle East. I am told
that Croats and Serbs show patterns that suggest a
8

By Rich Terselic

different lineage.
After centuries of having invading groups going
back and forth, the Slavs who settled into the large
area of southern and eastern Europe divided into
various modern day ethnic groups such as Slovenes,
Slovaks, Czechs, and Croats. The rampaging by each
outside group contributed to degrees of differentiation. That is why we Slovenes share some common
elements yet differ in appearance, language, and culture from other Slav groups. The split between the
Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Byzantium
also added importantly to the differentiation. Slovenes remained with the western Church.
A source of the rampaging that had very important
impacts was the Ottoman Empire. While southern
Slovenes were devastated, those living at the northern end of the Ottoman conquest routes were impacted to a lesser degree. With the help of the Croatians,
Austrians, and others, the Ottomans were repelled.
However, large numbers of young Slovenian men
and women were kidnapped, taken back to the seat
of the Ottoman Empire, and raised in the Muslim
society.
While the Slovenes were influenced by numerous
wars, the impact was minor compared to that impacting Slav groups located to the south and east,
such as the Serbs. These groups were devastated by
wars over hundreds of years that led to millions of
deaths.
The Slavs that settled into areas that came under
control of northern European powers benefitted from
being controlled and protected, although at a cost.
For hundreds of years, Slovenes lived as peasants
under feudal control of nobles and other powerful
northerners including the Hapsburgs who controlled
vast tracks of land. As feudal subjects they had to
pay a share of their products to those in control but
could keep the balance for their own sustenance. The
people were subject to continuous efforts to “Germanize” them and to homogenize their culture and
Zarja - The Dawn

language into that of the group controlling them.
In addition, groups of Germanic people were transplanted into Slovene areas, such as in Kocevje. A
similar situation existed with regard to treatment of
Slovenes in areas controlled by the Italians. A bright
spot for Slovenes in the reign of the Hapsburgs was
the influence of archduchess Maria Theresa, who
promoted education and health care for her subjects.
Prior to World War I, the Slovene population was
divided across national boundaries under the governance of different rulers, as in the case of the Kurds.
World War I changed the governance situation dramatically. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, which
contained the majority of Slovenes, was dismantled
by the Allied powers. In 1918, the Allies decided
that the population (primarily Slavs) should be given
nationhood in a new State of Slovenes, Croats and
Serbs under the direction of a Serbian noble family.
The king, Alexander, declared it the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in October 1929. The kingdom lasted until
April 1941 when it was dismantled by the invading
Axis powers.
In 1918, for the first time, Slovenes (with the exception of those living in the south of Austria, in coastal
Istria and the area west of Trieste in Italy) had territorial boundaries that included the majority of their
people. While the exclusion of considerable numbers
of Slovenes from those territorial boundaries was a
disappointment, the decisions were at a political level beyond the Slovene’s control.
Going back to the period before WWI, the Prekmurje section of Slovene lands was under control of the
Hungarian portion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The uneducated Slovene immigrants to Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania and Bridgeport, Connecticut were influenced by Hungarian authorities to identify themselves as Windish rather than Slovenian. It took until
the 1990s, through the work of Stephen C. Antalics,
to correct this misnaming.3
Territorial boundary disputes with Austria over the
area in Carinthia in which Slovenes lived were active from well before the end of WWI. Elections
were held after the end of WWI to decide how the
border would be drawn but did not lead to a shift
Fall 2018

of the bulk of those “Slovene lands” into the new
post-WWI Slav state. The Journal of the Society for
Slovene Studies devoted the entire 2017 first issue to
papers written by Dennison Rusinow dealing with
the situation involving Slovenes in Carinthia and the
fight for retaining their identity.2 Other boundary disputes persist to today between Slovenia and Croatia.
The most important dispute involves Croatia’s proposal to deny Slovenia’s access to the Adriatic.
In June 1991, the next step took place related to Slovene control of its national boundaries through the
declaration of independence and nationhood. Interestingly, while for hundreds of years most Slovenes
had been under Germanic control, the first important international recognition of their independence
came from Germany. Sadly, the United States and
the balance of European states were late in granting
recognition.
Citizens of other Yugoslav states have resided in Slovene territory for a long time. An example involves
Serbs who sought refuge from the onslaught of the
Ottoman Turks in the Bela Krajina area. Over time,
the refugees accepted Slovene identity. Hundreds of
years later, the wars of independence in the other Yugoslav states led to in-migration of large numbers
of non-Slovene refugees to Slovenia, primarily Muslims from Bosnia. They gained citizenship rights as
the product of legal contests. Whether later generations of these refugees will choose to adopt Slovene
identities, as did the Serbs in Bela Krajina, is yet to
be seen.
Unlike the Kurds whose prospects of achieving
nationhood remain dubious, Slovenes - with some
exceptions of its population - have achieved nationhood.
Bibliography
Singleton, Fred. A Short History of the Yugoslav
Peoples. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge UK, 1985.
2
Journal of the Society for Slovene Studies. Slovene
Studies, V39, 1-2, 20173.
3
Antalics, Stephen C. Pokrajinski Muzej, M.
Sobota, pgs 125-145, 1998.
1

9

Z

arjaFest

10

2018

A Road Trip Through the Homeland!

Zarja - The Dawn

Slovenija
THEN - NOW - ALWAYS

Fall 2018

11

d
i
D
They Part
r
i
e
h
T

Yes, the war years of the Slovenian
Women’s Union of America did us
proud! We did indeed do our part.

I

By Staff Writer David Sodac
Branch 89 Oglesby, Illinois bdsodac@gmail.com

n the early years of World War II, Zarja - The Dawn
magazine published a motivational plea from the
Secretary of War, Henry Louis Stimson, whose words
captivated the heart and incited action. He wrote, “An
army is as good as the folks back home. If they are interested in the men in active military service, then the men
will acquit themselves well. If the spirit behind the lines
languishes, that of the men with the army will languish. If
the men are abandoned by their home folks, they will in
time forget their responsibilities and neglect their duties.”
The over fourteen hundred women that comprised the 104
branches of the Slovenian Women’s Union of America
creatively and generously responded to his plea! Thousands of handwritten letters were composed and sent to
soldiers overseas, thanking them for their bravery fighting
for peace. But this wasn’t the only patriotic project that
the SWUA membership became feverishly engaged in to
aid the war efforts and war victims.
SWUA branches proudly reported on the members’ aid
and war projects throughout the war years 1941-1946.
12

Slovenian Americans worried constantly about their
motherland’s dire situations, way before America joined
forces with the Allied Powers. Aid projects benefitted not
only the military forces but the Slovenians families and
relatives that were living in the devastated war zones.
In the July 1941 issue of Zarja, Mrs. Marie Prisland,
SWUA National President, sent letters to all 104 member
branches urging them to work cooperatively with the Red
Cross organization in helping the unfortunate Slovenian
victimization committed by the “haughty conquerors” of
the Axis powers. Her own Sheboygan, Wisconsin Branch 1
related in the same 1941 Zarja issue that their members of
the Slovenian section of the American Red Cross had been
busy sewing ninety dresses, making surgical dressings, and
knitting sweaters, proving that they have many ambitious
members who are even willing to do this kind of work in
the hot summertime. In the early spring of 1941, a meeting
was held for various Chicago Slovenian organizations
where it was resolved to do all in their power to help the
motherland Slovenians. On May 10, 1944 in Cleveland,
all the Slovenian, Croatian, and Serbian organizations had

Zarja - The Dawn

joined hands at an organizational meeting to form a Central Jugoslav Relief Committee of America. Various committees had been elected for both the Slovenian
section, as well as for the Central Committee. These had followed through on
their promise to work together and assist in every way possible to bring aid to
our people across the ocean in Slovenia.

The following statistics
summarize the contributions of SWUA to the war
effort in America:

SWUA branch members and their families eagerly delved into supporting patriotic projects such as purchasing war bonds, letter writing to the men and women
fighting overseas, and collecting
clothes and foodstuff to be shipped.
Each month’s branch reports detailed
their members’ efforts in aiding the
cause and doing their part. Joliet
Branch 20 members were anxious
to share that the profits from their
Victory Celebration netted $1,164.06
in helping to stir patriotism. Branch
52, Hibbing, Minnesota collected five dollars that was donated to the Red Cross
fund of SWUA and purchased a twenty-five-dollar war bond.

• Our Union, branches,
and members purchased
bonds for approximately $3,800,825.00.

In the January 1943 Zarja issue, Marie Prisland wrote in her New Year’s message,
“It is our duty to buy United States war bonds and stamps, and to buy them as
often as we can. I appeal especially to the branches of our Union to invest all
surplus funds in war bonds. Over fifty branches have reported thus far on their
investments, but I am awaiting the report of forty others. The Slovenian Women’s Union is investing exclusively in United States war bonds, and was doing
so long before Pearl Harbor. I am urging our branches and all our members
to assure victory to ourselves and to the peoples of the world by supporting
our country in buying war bonds.” The Zarja March 1944 issue reported that
Branch 17, West Allis, Wisconsin held their Milwaukee County Slovenian Fourth
Bond Rally Day at Tivoli Hall and had record sales which netted $56,000. They
also sold eighty-four war stamp corsages. Branch 6, Barberton, Ohio, packed
two boxes of mixed clothing; Branch 14, Cleveland, Ohio, two hundred thirty
pounds mixed clothing; Branch 20, Joliet, Illinois, two hundred pounds mixed
children’s clothing along with pins, needles, shoes, and canned goods; Branch 36,
McKinley, Minnesota, fifteen pounds of food, incidentals, and slippers; Branch
52, Kitzville, Minnesota, thirty pounds of food and seven pounds of clothing;
Branch 56, Hibbing, Minnesota, thirty-three pounds of food; Branch 23, Ely,
Minnesota, (weight not reported) food and clothing; Branch 68, Fairport, Ohio,
thirty-four pounds of food, clothing, and two pairs of shoes; Branch 84, New
York, New York, $125.00 in cash and donations of clothing; Branch 93, Brooklyn, New York, $213.00 in cash and
old and new clothing for women and
children; and Branch 96, Universal,
Pennsylvania, eleven pounds of clothing, buttons, pins, and needles, plus a
hundred pounds of food, coffee, sugar,
canned meat, rice, cocoa, and milk.
In Zarja’s February 1946 issue, Josephine Erjavec, Supreme Secretary,
expressed SWUA’s appreciation for
all of the branches’ noble and charitable heeding of the organization’s
call for help.

Fall 2018

• Donations to the Red
Cross and U.S.O.
amounted to $22,095.00.
• Blood was donated by
3,871 members with
many donating more
than once for a total of
8,092 pints.
• 2,874 members worked
for the Red Cross, totaling 173,322 working
hours to their credit.
• 810 members volunteered as nurses, nurses’ aides, and workers
for the Civilian Defense.
• 214 members of Women’s Auxiliaries served
in the various branches
of military service.
• Finally, 9,709 sons, husbands, brothers of our
members served in the
military, and 286 of
these made the supreme
sacrifice for the defense
of our country and the
defense of our future
generations.
13

Probably the biggest of the patriotic projects presented
to Americans at home was the creation of the WWII war
bonds. War bonds were a way to rally Americans on the
home front to financially support defense efforts as well
to reduce inflation by removing money from circulation.
Issued by the U.S. Government, they were first called
“defense bonds” but renamed “war bonds” once the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. War
bonds were known as debt securities with the purpose of
financing military operations during war time. The bonds
yielded a mere 2.9 percent return after a 10-year maturity,
but they did stir nationalism like we’ve never seen before.
On a national level, there were thousands of varied promotional events from the professional sporting world to
Hollywood encouraging Americans to buy bonds. One of
the most successful single events was a 16-hour marathon
radio broadcast on CBS during which nearly $40 million
worth of bonds were sold. The marathon featured singer
Kate Smith, famous for her rendition of “God Bless America.” Patriotism and the spirit of sacrifice could be expressed
with the purchase of war bonds. The sports world did its
part as well, holding special football and baseball games
with a war bond as the price of admission. An unusual
baseball game took place in New York City with the New
York Yankees, the New York Giants, and the Brooklyn

Dodgers. Each of the teams came to bat six times in the
same nine-inning game. Their final score was the Dodgers
5, Yankees 1, and the Giants 0, and the U.S. Government
was $56,500,000 richer in war bond sales. Bond rallies
were held throughout the country with famous celebrities
to enhance the advertising’s effectiveness. Free movie days
were held in theaters nationwide with a bond purchase
as the admission. Hundreds of Hollywood stars such as
Greer Garson, Bette Davis, and Rita Hayworth completed
seven separate live rally tours across America to promote
war bonds. The easiest way to become a part of the bond
project was to purchase 10¢ or 25¢ war savings stamps
and paste them into a war savings stamp album provided
by the local post office. Another promotional offer was to
receive a cardboard holder that had slots for 75 quarters to
equal $18.75. When the album or card holders were filled,
they had the value of $18.75; you would then return them
to the post office in exchange for U.S. war bonds. After ten
years, the bonds would have the value of $25.00.
Our founder and enthusiastic SWUA supreme leader, Marie
Prisland, wrote in the June 1945 issue of Zarja, “We want
VICTORY - COMPLETE VICTORY in every movement for
the betterment of humanity the Slovenian Women’s Union
marches forward. We have enthusiastically subscribed to
every war bond drive, and we will continue to buy war
bonds and contribute to every humanitarian cause for we
are proud to be a part of our great American way of life.”
She would again become the vocal cheerleader to motivate membership with an earnest plea to respond warmly
to the nation’s call, reminding members that each one of
them has someone dear fighting for the preservation of
the ideals of the United States. Through eight waves of
war bond campaigns conducted in the US from 1941 to
1946, the SWUA and their families would respond and
find creative ways to squeeze out money from their meager
$2,000 median income during the World War II years. At
the end of the war, SWUA reported that its members had
raised $3,800,825.00 in war bonds!
The Zarja May 1945 issue urged branches to do their
part in collecting fat, skillet scrapings, and tin cans. The
writers pleaded that “getting blood out of a turnip” is what
homemakers need to be doing these days to fill up their
fat salvage cans. During the war years, there had been a
greater need for fat than ever before. Approximately three
out of four civilian items required fats in the manufacturing
process. Why fats? Well, the article detailed that the paratroopers who landed across the Rhine needed our waste
kitchen fats. The boots that they wore and the electrically-heated gloves of the men who flew the planes were made
softer and more comfortable by the oleic acid derived from
used kitchen fats. The extreme cold of the high altitudes,
from which our bombers operated, “freezes” ordinary

14

Zarja - The Dawn

lubricants. The drippings that
we gleaned from our meager
meat supplies helped to make
a lubricant that functions even
at 60 degrees below zero.
The salvaged fats helped to
make insecticides to destroy
them. The navy, we were told,
needed waste fats to protect
ropes against salt water and to
manufacture dripless candles.
Further, G. I. Joe got wet in
a mildewed, rotted tent, but
skillet scrapings furnished
materials to protect the tenting against deterioration and
weatherproofed it. The need
for tin cans also continued
long after the war had been
won on all fronts. A battleship required at least 76 tons
and a submarine three tons.
There was scarcely a motor
vehicle or a war weapon that
did not need tin. Stop to think
of the many cans required
for supplying an appreciable
amount of the precious metal;
it makes one realize the importance of everyone saving
each tin can and getting it into the salvage. The paper drive
had folks saving all the waste paper that could be salvaged.
It too was greatly needed by our war machine and for
civilian use. Waste papers, newspapers, brown paper, and
boxes were tied in compact bundles ready for carrying to
the first paper collection headquarters or for turning over
to the Boy or Girl Scouts.
Branch 79, Enumclaw, Washington proudly announced
that they had collected for a $100 war bond. Many of their
members helped to sell bonds and worked at their local
U.S.O. Center and with the Red Cross drive. Branch 17
of West Allis, Wisconsin worked hard on the seventh war
bond drive urging all members to buy bonds and save
scraps of fat to achieve victory much sooner. Housewives
were reminded of the urgent need for kitchen fats and instructed to turn them in to the grocer; the grocer paid them
for the fats in money and in the much-needed red points.
Even at the close of the war, SWUA branches continued to
aid the war’s aftermath of devastation. In the March and
April 1946 editions of Zarja, managing editor Josephine
Erjavic encouraged members to heed the emotional plea
of Dr. Neubauer, chairman of the Jugoslav Red Cross, to

Fall 2018

help the destitute children
of Slovenia with a milk
and clothing drive. So, the
SWUA responded. Branch
71 of Strabane, Pennsylvania bragged that members
had collected 120 pounds
of food and 30 pounds of
shoes. Branch 55 of Girard,
Ohio had asked for eight
more postage stickers for
shipping out their clothing
and supply collections.
Branch 78 of Leadville,
Colorado had collected 100
pairs of shoes and clothing.
Branch 20 of Joliet, Illinois
had completed their third
shipment of clothing and
shoes as well as $17.00
worth of powdered milk.
Branch 23 of Ely, Minnesota donated 172 pounds,
consisting of 152 pounds
of food and 20 pounds
of clothing; Branch 35,
Aurora, Minnesota, 100
pounds of food; Branch
31, Gilbert, Minnesota, 55
pounds, consisting of 40
pounds of food and 15 pounds of clothing; Branch 42,
Maple Heights, Ohio, 45 pounds of food and 31 articles
of clothing; Branch 50, Cleveland, Ohio, 22 pounds of
food, 5 pounds of clothing, and 4 pounds of incidentals;
and Branch 88, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 75 pounds of
food, 15 pounds of clothing, and 3 pairs of shoes.
Mrs. Erjavic would later request that every branch add
infant layette sets to their clothing drives. Each layette set
was to include twenty-four diapers, rubber sheets, three
36-inch by 45-inch flannel wrappers, three baby shirts,
three cotton receiving blankets, safety pins, soap, powder,
petroleum (Vaseline), two crib-sized sheets, three baby
bottle sets, and nipples.
In the June 1946 Zarja issue, Marie Prisland praised the
SWUA because its members had always and everywhere
proven their Christian duty in the giving of charity. They
collected money, clothing, and food which was shipped to
Yugoslavia and elsewhere. Even though our members had
lived in America for many years, their hearts had never
forsaken their place of birth. That is why they had wholeheartedly cooperated with every relief action requested
to help the war victims and especially the children. They
15

sent packages after packages to their needy relatives across
the ocean. Mrs. Prisland summarized the results of a mailed
questionnaire that all branches were expected to complete
on their war activities. She acknowledged the membership
with heartfelt pride and complimented all their time and
efforts spent on the many American war aid projects. The
following statistics summarized the contributions reported:
Our union, branches and members purchased bonds for
approximately $3,800,825.00; donations to the Red Cross
and U.S.O. from our branches and members amounted to
$22,095.00; 3,871 members donated 8,092 pints of blood;
2,874 members worked for the Red Cross, totaling 173,322
working hours to their credit; 810 members volunteered as
nurses, nurses’ aides, and workers for the Civilian Defense;
214 members of Women’s Auxiliaries served in the various
branches of military service. Finally, 9,709 sons, husbands,
brothers of our members served in the military, and 286
of these made the supreme sacrifice for the defense of our
country and the defense of our future generations.
After World War II, on January 3, 1946, the last proceeds
from the Victory War Bond campaign were deposited into
the U.S. Treasury. More than 85 million Americans, half the

population, purchased bonds totaling $185.7 billion. Those
incredible results have never since been matched. In addition to the success of the war bonds, 43,077,000 pounds of
clothing and foodstuffs were collected through the Catholic
churches of the United States and fraternal organizations
such as the SWUA. Beginning in 1943, an average of one
ship every 10 days left America and delivered the collected
cargo to the areas of need. Among the supplies, the quantity of milk, both powdered and fluid, shipped abroad by
War Relief Services was sufficient to provide 1,340,025
children with an eight-ounce glass daily for one month.
There was enough cod liver oil to provide 102,000 infants
with the necessary minimum requirements of Vitamins A
and D each day for six months. Six million nine hundred
eight thousand articles of clothing and bedding and 356,535
pairs of shoes, together with materials sufficient for the
repair of 120,000 pairs of shoes, were shipped. Materials
sufficient to stock 3,675 community first-aid stations was
also shipped. An amount of soap equivalent to 2,535,626
cakes of the household size were shipped.
Yes, the war years of the Slovenian Women’s Union of
America did us proud! We did indeed do our part.

The remarkable, patriotic contributions described in the above
article by David Sodac are of such historical significance for our
past SWUA branches that the topic will be further explored.
We at the SUA believe that it’s our duty and privilege to document
the brave Slovenian-Americans who have been part of the war effort, whether on the battlefront or on the home front.
Therefore, two former WWII surveys will be re-issued on SUA
family members’ Home Front Involvement and Battlefront Participation.
The surveys can be downloaded from the SUA Facebook Page,
and each branch is encouraged to stimulate involvement through
a planned activity to complete the surveys at a meeting.
President Mary Lou Deyak Voelk
16

Zarja - The Dawn

Slovenian
Union of America

Across America - Branch Reports
BRANCH 1 - Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Contact information: Mary Ann Schellinger
920.457.7946/rhmas@yahoo.com
A beautiful evening on
May 15 found members
of Branch 1 gathered at
Bourbon Street Pub &
Grill to celebrate our
Member of the Year,
Marilyn Hendricks. Her
husband and family
attended the celebration. She was presented
with gifts from Slovenia - candy, a handmade card, and ceramic
pieces from Topolšica.
President Mary Sandwick held a short business meeting during which time she
announced and presented Germaine Tesovnik a check for
being a winner of the April Showers fundraiser. A nice sur-

Fall 2018

prise for Germaine! Before the
evening ended, some members
“volunteered” to play the Match
Game with a Slovenian theme.
This was a fun way to learn
about our homeland country and
customs.
As we moved into summer, we
gathered for some Slovenian
cooking. I met with Marilyn
Hendricks who volunteered to
teach me how to make štruklji using some of her family
recipes. It was a lot of work, but the result was worth it.
We rolled the dough, wrapped it in the cotton towel, boiled
it for the allotted time and then, after a bit of cooling,
could unwrap the finished product in one piece. And, it
also tasted great.
July 8 was a busy day for parishioners of Ss Cyril &
Methodius and many members of SUA as they gathered
for the annual Slovenian Festival held at Deland Park. The
weather couldn’t have been more perfect. The day started
with a Polka Mass followed by food and fun. The available
Slovenian goodies included kranski, strudelj, flancati, and,
of course, potica.
The photo of the potica bakers was provided by Joanne
Rupar, the daughter of Pauline Rupar. She thought that the
photo was done in the late 1950s or early 1960s.
HVALA!
MARY ANN SCHELLINGER

17

BRANCH 2 - Chicago, Illinois
Contact Information: Judy Stoll
708.479.2864/judithstoll@att.net
After weeks of preparation, we held our Zveza Day picnic
on July 15 in Lemont. Despite weather reports that threatened temperature in the 90s and thunderstorms, it turned
out to be a beautiful day. We had a great day, wonderful
food, lively music, but unfortunately not too many people
attended. “This is the saddest picnic I’ve ever been to,”
said one of our workers, and she was right. The lack of
support from both Branch 2 members and the local Slovenian community was extremely disheartening and made us
realize that we just sponsored our last picnic. Enough said.
Sadly, Elsie Wojdula passed away this June at the golden
age of 96 years. She was such a nice person... helpful,
generous, respected, and friendly. We sure will miss her.
Gen Buol and Meta Hanzlik traveled to Slovenia this
summer with the ZarjaFest group tour.
Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, September
20 at Portillos. Hope to see you there.
JUDY STOLL
BRANCH 3 – Pueblo, Colorado
Contact Information:
719.569.7125/amtcharron@yahoo.com
Branch 3 honored our Member of the Year, Barbara
Greenwood, during the annual Mother’s Day luncheon
held on May 1 at Park East Restaurant.
Slovenian activities in the summer months in the Pueblo
area included the Preseren picnics in Rye, Colorado in June
and August and two Slovenian tennis players participating
in the 39th annual Paper Cup Tennis tournament held over

High school classmates at 2018 Member of the Year
luncheon in May (left to right):
Annette Sabo Charron, Barbara Gersick Greenwood,
M.T. Karlinger, Kathy Kochevar, and
Kathy Krasovec Chrisman.
18

the Memorial Day weekend in Pueblo. The Slovenian
community hosted a dinner at St. Joseph’s Hall in the
Grove neighborhood of Pueblo as a fundraiser for the two
visiting Slovenian tennis players.
Branch 3 will sponsor a bus to the Cripple Creek casinos
in September. Please send an e-mail to amtcharron@gmail.
com for the exact date, if interested. The annual Slovenian
Heritage Dinner at St. Mary’s is scheduled for Saturday,
November 3.
Monthly Branch 3 meetings will resume on Tuesday,
October 2 at 12:30 p.m. in St. Mary’s church hall.
ANNETTE SABO CHARRON
& BARBARA KARLINGER
BRANCH 13 - San Francisco, California
Contact Information: Michele Twers
michele.twers@comcast.net
We send our sympathy to the families of Bernadine
Madronich and Franci Pecavar. SUA member Bernadine
Madronich passed away on May 7. She leaves behind
her son Paul, daughters Marilyn and Jeanette, and three
grandchildren. We extend condolences also to member
Katica Pecavar and her family on the recent passing of her
husband, Franci Pecavar, on April 19. Franci was very well
known in the Slovenian community and was very active at
the Slovenian Progressive Home for many years.
Mark your calendar for September 30! Club Slovenia
will host their annual Grape Festival at the Slovenian
Progressive Home located at 2101 Mariposa Street, San
Francisco. For more information contact President Dave
McCormick at wilpen1887@gmail.com.
Here is wishing a happy birthday to all our members who
celebrate fall birthdays. We also send thinking of you and
get well wishes to our members who are under the weather.
MICHELE TWERS
BRANCH 16 - South Chicago, Illinois
We held our first meeting of the spring on Saturday, April
7 at Frankie V’s in Whiting, Indiana. It was great to get
together after the long winter, to catch up and begin planning our events for the year. The food was fantastic and
the meeting turned out to be very productive.
We received a surprise phone call this past month from
Dolores Hennelly, a founding member of Branch 95, who
joined us when our branches merged. Dolores lives in
Florida, still reads the Zarja, and looks forward to Branch
16 updates each issue. Helen Battista recently moved to
Marian Village in Homer Glen, Illinois, where she’s living
the “Life of Riley.”
On Saturday, May 19, we held our meeting followed by a
combined celebration of Our Lady of Brezje with Branch
16’s 80th Anniversary.
Member Janice Minton surprised us with an invitation to
an event she won at Eco-Chic Boutique in Dyer, Indiana.
Co-owners Trish Caruso and Diane Gross treated us to the

Zarja - The Dawn

meaning of the red carnation as she placed it on the casket.
Our sympathies to Sister Marlene’s family. We also offer
our condolences to the family of member Dorothy Koncar,
who passed away on January 21; to the family of member
Dolores Krzysciak, who passed away on April 28; to the
family of Rosemary Konopek, who passed away on May
9; to member Diane Hohenwater in the loss of her father,
William Beaird, on April 29; to member Sandra Kehring
in the loss of her mother, Gladys Mattox, on May 10; and
to member Bernice Ramsak in the loss of her niece, Linda
Ramsak, on June 25.
Several members attended and worked at St. Joseph
Church’s annual Homecoming Fair on June 24 at St. Joseph
Park. The day began with a Polka Mass in the cemetery

latest fashion tips and tricks. We had a great time and got
some great bargains at this high-end consignment boutique
(see them on FB).
BRANCH 20 - Joliet, Illinois
Contact Information: Georgene Agnich
773.205.1326/ jamesschaible1469@att.net
Our beloved Sister Marlene Ambrose passed away on
May 17. Some twenty members attended her May 24 visitation and prayer service. Seven members stood at Sister’s
casket as Jo Lustik recited SUA’s ritual prayer, then the
group prayed the “Our Father,” and Pat Figurowski told the

Jean Herbst, Marla Lustik, and Jo Lustik socialize in
Ferdinand Hall following the May 24, 2018 Mass in
honor of Maria Pomagaj at St. Joseph Church.

Fall 2018

Ray Koncar (left) and Eddie Korosa play Slovenian
music as Jo Lustik (left) and Pat Figurowski welcome
guests to Branch 20’s Member of the Year Banquet May
15, 2018.
grotto, followed by a pork dinner prepared by Branch 99
member Lillian Cepon, then a bake sale, raffles, games,
Slovenian music, and good friendship into the night. On
July 15, several members enjoyed the “Zveza Day” picnic
given by Branch 2 on the spacious grounds of the Slovenian
Mission in Lemont.
Member Eileen Plese is proud of her granddaughter, Lacey
Viano, who won an all-expenses paid American Slovenian
Education Foundation fellowship to study food science
and nutrition for ten weeks this summer at the University
of Ljubljana.
Bojan Cvelfar, Director of the Archives of the Republic
of Slovenia, visited Joliet on June 21-22 between stops in
Cleveland and Toronto to officiate at ceremonies marking
the 1990 Slovenian vote for independence and the 1991
Slovenian declaration of independence from Yugoslavia.
He was greeted at SUA’s national office by SUA National
President Mary Lou Voelk and her husband, Gene; Honorary Slovenian Consul John Vidmar; Branch 20 members
Diane Hohenwater, Georgene Agnich, Carol Novak, and
Carole Terlep; and Branch 99 member Bill Zerial, who
19

had baked a potica for the occasion. Bojan toured the museum and saw a demonstration of SUA’s burial insurance
scanning project by Carol Novak and Carole Terlep. The
lovely bells of St. Joseph Church rang at 6 p.m., just as
all were leaving for Merichka’s Restaurant for a dinner in
Bojan’s honor. Branch 20 President Char Kobe and her
husband, Bill, along with members Sandy Rodeghero and
Mike Vidmar joined the dinner party. After dinner, accompanied by Gene and Mary Lou Voelk, Diane Hohenwater,
and Georgene Agnich, Bojan toured St. Joseph Cemetery,
just as the fireflies were rising from the grass. He quietly
spoke the Slovenian names on gravestones he passed and

one and a quarter mile long. Our tree was planted on April
27 and is flourishing thanks to the watering and pampering
by Linda and Jeff Struna.

Bojan Cvelfar, Director of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia, enjoys meeting SUA National President
Mary Lou Voelk and Honorary Slovenian Consul John
Vidmar on June 21, 2018, at SUA’s national office in
Joliet.
left the car briefly to look at the row of gravestones of
several pioneer Slovenian priests; he seemed heartened
and moved to see so many Slovenian names so far away
from Slovenia. Bojan stayed overnight June 21 in the
museum’s apartment, then attended 8:30 am Mass at St.
Joseph Church before starting his ten-hour drive to Toronto
the next day. Bojan hopes to return to Joliet when he has
more time to spend there.
GEORGENE AGNICH
BRANCH 24 - LaSalle, Illinois
Contact Information: Diane Data
diane3121@comcast.net
Zivijo! A suggestion was made by Linda Struna for our
branch to plant a linden tree at Oakwood Cemetery in
LaSalle since the emerald ash borer had destroyed numerous ash trees in the cemetery. The linden tree, a tree of
friendship, love and loyalty, is a symbol of Slovenia. It is
considered a magnificent tree and is said to also have health
benefits; many Slovenians prepare a linden tea from linden
flowers. In Slovenia, linden tree-lined avenues of trees
planted several hundred years ago have been preserved to
the present day. The most famous of these is Napoleon’s
Linden Avenue at the entrance to the town of Logatec
along the state road which was once the major road from
Ljubljana to Trieste. It comprises 290 trees and is almost
20

Zarja - The Dawn

At our April meeting, the three open offices were filled:
Vice President-Debbie Pohar, Secretary-Barb Krogulski,
and Treasurer-Mary Pryde. We had our annual May luncheon at the Maples Supper Club - always a good afternoon of delicious food and fellowship. We discussed our
summer picnic which was hosted by Barbara Pohar at her
beautiful backyard. Brian Benske provided music as we
enjoyed some traditional Slovenian dishes and desserts.

It is with great
sadness we report the passing
of two members and two
husbands of
members. Mary
Kaye Washkowiak lost her
husband, Bob,
age 76, on April
19. Bob was an
Air Force veteran and also leaves behind his son, Scott, and family of
Colorado. On May 9, our president, Shirley Eide’s husband, Bob, unexpectedly passed away at age 74. He was
a veteran of the Air Force and is survived by his wife and
three daughters, Jennifer, Julie, and Janell (all members of
Branch 24) and a son, Jeff and two grandsons.
On June 19, Mary Gertrude Piletic-Johnson, a longtime
member passed. She is survived by two daughters, Rita and
Rebecca, and two sons, Joseph and John, 16 grandchildren
and one brother, Ken Piletic. On July 8, Ethel Bregant
age 94 passed away in Manor Court. She is survived by
her son, David, and daughter, Donna, along with three
grandchildren. At each of these services, a group of our
members meet to place a carnation with our loved ones
and recite prayers in their honor. May they all rest in peace
and let’s continue to pray for healing for those they left
behind. Dober Dan!
DIANE DATA

Fall 2018

BRANCH 43 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Contact Information: Jan Gehm
414.321.1413/twogames@wi.rr.com
Our Member of the Year celebration was well attended.
The dinner was delicious and our honored couple, Dave
and Linda Absteter, were very appreciative of the accolades given.
REMINDER: Martinovanje will be celebrated on Saturday, November 10, at the Root River Center on Rawson
Avenue, just east of 76th Street. The festivities will begin
at 6 p.m. with music to start at 7 p.m. Zadnja Kaplja from
Chicago will be the entertainment for the evening. The
price of the ticket is $25 per person and $45 a couple and
will include entertainment, appetizers, and coffee. There
will be a cash bar and Slovenian wine by the glass will be
available. This will be a fun night, and you will not want
to miss it. Tickets will be available soon.
Join us on Wednesday, September 26 at noon for a delicious lunch with our meeting to follow at the West Allis
Library.
MARY “MICI” BREGANT
BRANCH 47 - Garfield Heights, Ohio
Contact Information: Debbie Duris
330.467.2281/dcduris@gmail.com
Members plan on attending our next luncheon at Glenwillow Grill on Saturday, September 15 at 1 p.m. located
at 2975 Pettibone Road in Glenwillow. Please note this a
later Saturday than our usual.
Our Christmas luncheon is on Saturday, December 1, at
1 p.m. at LockKeepers at 8001 Rockside Road in Independence. Please call Debbie Duris at 330.467.2281 to be
included in our reservation.
Our branch and other Cleveland branch members are
firming up our plans and activities for the 2019 National
Convention. More information will be in the upcoming
issues of Zarja. Cleveland will be the place to be from
June 13-16, 2019!
KATHLEEN FERRANTE
BRANCH 93 - New York, New York
Contact Information: Kathleen Simmonds
917.780.9412/kathleensimmo@gmail.com
We are very proud of our new Monthly Professionals
Social Series! Our May gathering was hosted by Slovenia’s
Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Darja
Bavdaž-Kuret, and our special guest panel included former
Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the UN, former
President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic
of Slovenia, and current adviser to the President of the
Republic of Foreign Affairs, Ernest Petrič, as well as Slovenians working at the Secretariat of the United Nations:
Aleksandra Gorišek, Grega Petek, Andraž Melanšek, and
Marko Javoršek. At the end of June, the AmCham Slovenia
Business Development delegation visited New York and
21

hosted our Social, along with top young professionals from
the VTIS Society and special guest Ambassador of the
Republic of Slovenia Nj. Eksc. Stanislav Vidovič. These
happy hours are well worth attending, and we look forward
to seeing more and more Slovenian community members
there. If you are a member of another branch, please make
sure you let us know if you are passing through New York
so we can invite you along!
On May 17, with her team Slovenian designer Nina Susnjara exhibited her first independent fashion presentation
in NYC for her clothing brand SUSNYARA. Hosted at our
very own St Cyril’s Church, Nina’s “PARADOX” collection, known for walking the fine line between high fashion
and ready-to-wear fashion, blew us away! SUSNYARA
is inspired by the contemporary, modern and confident
woman (with a hint of rebellion drawn from the hippy,
glam and rock’n’roll eras). Please support by checking out
www.susnyara.com and following Nina on social media
@ninasusnjara.

NYC | PARADOX fashion exhibition - @susnyara
Member and Branch Reporter Kathleen Simmonds closed
her show, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at Bryant Park in
June. Drawing crowds of over a thousand people a night,
Bryant Park Shakespeare is a highlight of the summer
theatre season in NYC. The audience becomes a part of
the performance while sitting on blankets and enjoying
22

their picnic in the park. We are so proud of Kathleen and
her continued contribution to the performing arts. Shows
run until September.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for Bryant Park
Shakespeare with Member Kathleen Simmonds.
KATHLEEN SIMMONDS
BRANCH 99 - Lemont, Illinois
Contact Information: Jana Hlade
jmhlade@hotmail.com
Welcome Fall - my favorite time of year! Hope you are
enjoying the cooler weather and change of colors. We are
hoping to host a culinary class this fall. If you are interested
in attending a class, please contact Bill Zerial at billzer@
sbcglobal.net or 312.208.5683. We will create a class
based on interest.
Also, a great big thanks to Bill Zerial for his monthly
e-mails. We appreciate him remembering our members’
birthdays and informing us of news and trivia about Slovenia.
It is with great sadness to report that
member Wanda Kocinec passed away
in June. Wanda was
an active member of
our branch and will
be truly missed. Our
deepest sympathy to
her family.
Good luck to all
students going back
to school. Wishing
you a great new
school year. Watch
your e-mail for any
announcements and
have a fun and safe
Halloween!
Wanda Kocinec
JANA HLADE

Zarja - The Dawn

BRANCH 100 - Southern California
Contact Information: Jean Koci
949.495.0097/ajkoci@cox.net
A good number of members of Branch 100 met on Saturday June 9 at Centro Basco Basque restaurant in Chino for
a delightful lunch. Before the meeting, we packaged about

50 zip lock bags full of toiletries, water, snacks, socks, and
other useful items to be handed out to those in need, who
are many times standing on a corner in various places as we
drive around town. Members took as many as they thought
they might be able to distribute for this purpose. Members
had brought large quantities of the needed items to the
meeting. Everyone pitched in filling the bags. Afterwards
we had our meeting, followed by a delicious lunch. We
are grateful for the wonderful participation in this project.
We will meet again in December for our Christmas
Luncheon at Napoli’s Italian Restaurant on Saturday,
December 8. Watch for a notice on this and any special
announcements.
JEAN KOCI

Fall 2018

BRANCH 102 - Willard, Wisconsin
Contact Information: Candy Johnson
candyjohnson1718@gmail.com
Greetings from Branch 102! It’s been a quiet spring/
summer. We’re all off doing our own thing, celebrating
summer in our own way.
The latest adventure for Candy Johnson, Sarah Trunkel, and Ruth Zwieg was dinner out at ZA51 in Altoona,
Wisconsin (yummy pizza) and a murder mystery/comedy
play in Eau Claire. Check out the photo of them on their
night out!

Candy, Sarah, and Ruth met DEAN MARTIN at ZA51 - and
we had our picture taken to prove it! (Okay, it was a cutout of
Dean, but it looks pretty real to me!)

Candy is also having a proud mother moment - her
daughter Megan’s art work was featured on the back cover
of the last Zarja!
CANDY JOHNSON
BRANCH 108 - Olney, Maryland
Contact Information: Bernadette Fitzsimmons
bettekfitz@verizon.net
On May 12, Branch 108 members once again participated at The Embassy of Slovenia Open House, introducing
several thousand guests to the SUA. Approximately 3,000
visitors walk through annually on this day; however, very
few are of Slovenian descent or are truly interested in
learning about our organization. Most guests come to experience the food and culture of Slovenia. This year’s theme
was “BEES,” so the highlights of the day were honey and
23

medeni liker tastings, and a real beehive with Slovenian
beehive panels on it. Medeni liker (honey liqueur) is a

delicious strudelj. The faces of the guests experiencing
the Embassy of Slovenia Open House event was one of
interest and awe on how such a small country could be so
uniquely awesome.
Among the crowd, a young Slovenian woman named
Tina Varagic walked up to our table with a complete look
of surprise when she saw our banner and couldn’t believe
there was a SUA branch in Maryland, the state she had
recently moved to with her American husband. She was

natural alcoholic drink which has been used in Slovenia
for centuries. In relation to beekeeping, it is characteristic
of the history of Slovenes and is the Slovenian national
alcoholic beverage. On top of this cultural experience,
there was Slovenian polka music, samples of kranjse
klobase, bread, sunflower oil, and baking demonstrations
by Albina Medved and her sister Rose Anttila making

delighted beyond belief to have found a bit of her Slovenian homeland in her new home state of Maryland. She
quickly exchanged contact information with Bernadette,
who initially welcomed her, and later was introduced to
Tanja, all dressed in narodna noša for the event. When
they met, the expressions on the two young women’s
faces were priceless, as they are both native Slovenians
with American husbands. Soon after that fateful day of
meeting each other, Tina and Tanja met for coffee, which
is a customary tradition in Slovenia.

24

Zarja - The Dawn

Our booth this year included copies of beehive panels,
information about their origins, and copies of the Forget
Me Not children’s books series in Slovenian/English. We
were very grateful for Brittany Kokal’s help in working at
the table set up to make Slovenian Mother’s Day, birthday
and get well greeting cards. Brittany dressed in narodna
noša and learned the pronunciation of Slovenian sayings.

Many children and adults of all ages stopped by for a
few minutes to create a Slovenian card and learn how
to express greetings in the Slovenian language. It was a
memorable day filled with smiles for our branch members,
Tanja Nelson, Margy Whitmore, Bernadette and Juliana
Fitzsimmons. We missed seeing members Nika Kovačič
and May Kokal who didn’t venture out on such a sweltering hot, humid day in DC for the Embassy Open House.
Branch 108 member Matthew Fitzsimmons is spending
his summer in Slovenia as an American Slovenian Education Foundation Fellow (ASEF). At ASEF’s July 4th
celebration in Slovenia, Matthew met Dejan Valentinčič,
PhD, a researcher with a special interest in Slovenian
migration and how second and third generations maintain
their “Slovenian identity.” Dejan mentioned his upcoming
trip to visit Cleveland, Ohio, and Matthew sparked his
interest to visit the DC area as well on this upcoming trip
to the United States. Now we are getting ready to host
Dejan and organizing a dinner party for him to meet the
Washington area Slovenian community. Stay tuned in the
next Zarja for news about this event.

Fall 2018

25

Understanding Slovenian Sayings by Bernadette:
Sladek je ko med.
He’s as sweet as honey.
Resnični prijatelji so redki.
True friends are rare.
BERNADETTE FITZSIMMONS
BRANCH 109 - Twin Cities (TC) of Minnesota
Contact Information: Elaine Barthelemy
elaineab@yahoo.com
Twin Cities Slovenians, led by co-chairs Sue Rademacher
and Mike Koski with help from Marian Brezovec, presented another successful exhibit at the annual Festival of
Nations in St. Paul. This year’s theme was Then and Now
- Exploring Cultural Traditions. Our Slovenian display
focused on the Kravji Bal (Cow Ball) held every September
in Bohinj, Slovenia. Thousands of festival-goers enjoyed

the picture of beautiful Lake Bohinj, and many joined Don
Pizzella and Elaine Zimmerman as they led a reenactment
of the Cow Parade by dancing to Slovenian music with the
“cow” from our exhibit. Over thirty members of Branch
109 volunteered at the festival and/or helped with design,
construction, set-up and take-down of the booth.
Twenty plus Slovenian class members celebrated our
eighth successful year of studying the language and culture
under the guidance of lead teacher Frank Medved with help
from John Zakelj. John Perhay, who also is our webmaster,
further developed the computerized learning opportunities
this year. Dr. Ksenika Rener Sitar, original founder of the
class in 2011, was visiting from Slovenia and was able to
join the party.
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Slovenia Miro Medved and his wife, Karen, welcomed Branch 109 members
along with many other Slovenians to their home on June
23 for a wonderful celebration of the Anniversary of
Slovenia’s Independence. The Slovenian Consulate event

The Brie Quartet sang Slovenian folk songs.

Sue Rademacher and Mike Koski in the exhibit featuring the
picture of Lake Bohinj.

Don Pizzella, Cindy Gauthier and Elaine Zimmerman lead
dancers at the Festival of Nations.
26

included the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and
the Slovenian National Anthem. Minnesota Slovenian
Senator Amy Klobuchar was unable to attend but her outreach director was there to read a letter from the senator.
We also welcomed guest of honor, Consul General from
Cleveland, Ohio, Andre Rode and his family. Everyone
sang the toasting song “Kolkor kapljic, tolko let” and
feasted on Slovenian sausage and an amazing buffet.
Eight avid balinanje teams competed in our annual tournament. Winners were Team Radovljica (John Perhay, Kevin
and Michelle Thompson, and Danielle Steel. Runners-up
were Team Maribor (Kathy Skubitz, Gary Hahn, John
Medved, and Kathryn Keefer). Everyone received beautiful
oak trophies hand-made by Miro Medved. Folk songs by
a quartet from the group Brie Notes and accordion music
by John Stark rounded out the day’s activities. Najlepša
hvala to Miro and Karen and everyone else who helped
make this event so enjoyable.
At our September member meeting, Rick Pisa will reveal
the 2019 TCS Calendar. Sophia “Trix” Stazler-Wyant and
Maria Stalzer Wyant Cuzzo will share their experiences in
their presentation, Gotschee Journey. In October, Slovenian Master Chef Katrina Kozar, with help from Kathryn

Zarja - The Dawn

Keefer, will teach us how blood sausage is made. Chuck Podominick always finds the best speakers and topics for our
member meetings each month.
ELAINE BARTHELEMY
Slovenian class participants celebrate another year of learning.

Zarja and Slovenian Sports

by Rich Terselic

Luka Doncic, Basketball Player Extraordinaire
Longtime readers of Zarja know that it generally deals
with subjects related to Slovenian history and culture. An
article about Slovenian sports might come as a surprise.
A contact of SUA President Mary Lou Voelk recently informed her of a very talented young athlete from Slovenia, Luka Doncic, and believed he deserved reporting in
Zarja.
Luka, 19 years old, is a professional basketball player
who has played in Slovenia as well as with a Spanish
team, Madrid Baloncesto. He is 6’8” in height, weighs
228 pounds, and began playing with the Madrid team
when he was 16. Luka is an extraordinary player and has
averaged 14 points per game. Luka was born and grew
up in Ljubljana. His father is of Serbian heritage and was
also a star basketball player and coach. Luka’s mother
operates a hair salon.
There are several Slovenian citizens who have been drafted by American professional sports teams, and Luka joins
them in having been conditionally drafted by the Dallas
Mavericks team. The team had to make some adjustments
to its draft choices in order to select Luka.*

Fall 2018

Slovenia and Sports
Sports of all kinds are very popular in Slovenia including
soccer, basketball, ice hockey, handball, cycling, tennis,
swimming, and skiing, to name a few. Sports are organized at both professional and amateur levels, broadening
opportunities for participation.
Over the years, distinguished Slovenian athletes, such as
swimmer, Martin Strel, have captured world attention.
Teams as well as individuals travel throughout Europe
to compete in leagues. Since becoming an independent
country, Slovenian athletes have regularly competed in
both Winter and Summer Olympic Games.
American-Slovenian Athletes
American-Slovenian athletes have made their marks in
athletic pursuits both individually as well as members of
teams. As generations of Slovenian women have married
persons with non-Slovenian surnames, recognizing accomplished athletes with Slovenian heritage has become
difficult. For example, Heiden is not a Slovenian family
name, yet Eric Heiden, the Olympic ice skater, is, in part,
of Slovenian heritage.
* As reported in the July 9, 2018 online newsletter of the
American Slovenian Education Foundation.

27

Matthew Fitzsimmons, Branch 108:
In Slovenia as an American Slovenian
Education Foundation Fellow (ASEF)
Here are Matthew’s thoughts so far about spending
his summer in Ljubljana, Slovenia an American Slovenian Education Foundation Fellow:
My visit to Slovenia has been a dream come true.
Getting to reconnect with my Slovenian heritage while
building my career in music in the incredible city of
Ljubljana is already making this one of the greatest
summers of my life. When coming to live in most
cities for the first time, it’s easy to feel intimidated
or unwelcome. Not Ljubljana. Despite somewhat of
a language barrier, the culture has been extremely
inviting, and I already feel more at home on the
cobblestone streets downtown than I have in places
I’ve lived in for much longer. The last time I was in
Slovenia was during the summer of 2001, and it’s
been incredible meeting family here that I haven’t

seen in 17 years and learning about the culture and the
language through their eyes. It has also been amazing
seeing the beauty of this country on the weekends, and
I recently enjoyed visiting Lake Bled and the coastal
town of Piran.

When I arrived in Ljubljana two weeks ago, I was
warmly welcomed by my mentor, Franc Kosem, who
is principal trumpet of the Ljubljana Philharmonic
and a professor at the Ljubljana Academy of Music.
He immediately got me involved in the music scene
here, introducing me to Slovenian music students at
the academy and allowing me into rehearsals with the
philharmonic where he is preparing me to perform as
a substitute trumpet in the coming weeks. I also sat
in on final exam performances of trumpet students in
Ljubljana and was introduced to some of the other
great trumpeters in Slovenia from whom I will receive
some additional mentorship, such as Jure Gradišnik,
principal trumpet of the Slovenian Radio Orchestra.
I’ve also been rehearsing with Cantabile Orchestra in
Logatec, Slovenia http://www.cantabile.si/ and will be
performing my first concert in Slovenia with them this
weekend with an enjoyable program, including show
tunes from The Sound of Music! I’m beyond excited
2018 ASEF Fellows attended the Jesuit Priest Ordination at by the performing and mentorship opportunities here,
Cerkev sv. Jožefa. They had the opportunity to speak with Fa- and I’m looking forward to becoming even further
ther Peter Rožič SJ, one of the founding members of ASEF, involved in the community here through music in the
about their experiences in Slovenia thus far.
coming weeks!
28

Zarja - The Dawn

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