ABRAMOVIC, JOHN
Basketball-Military-Business
John,
or "Brooms" as everyone knew him, made a tremendous mark in the
basketball world. As a junior and senior at Salem College in West Virginia
(1942-1943), he led the entire nation in scoring. He averaged nearly 30 points
per game, which was unheard of at that time. He made First Team All American in
1942 and 1943 and still holds the Salem College record of most points in a game
(57), and in the season (777). He was the first player In college history to
score 2,000 points in a career. After spending three years in the Navy during
World War 11, he signed and went on to play professional basketball for several
teams in the National Basketball League, and the Basketball Association of
America. These two leagues formed the National Basketball Association (NBA) the
year after "Brooms" retired. He was inducted into the West Virginia
and the Pennsylvania Sports Halls of Fame. In addition to his basketball
career, John played professionai baseball and also was an avid golfer and
bowler during his lifetime. He was also a high school and college basketball
referee. He was very involved in coaching, and raising his two children. He was
a school board member for six years with the Mars, Pensylvania area school
district, and he was a parttime scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball
organization. John "Brooms" Abramovic, Jr., 81, died on June 9, 2000
at Memorial Hospital-Ormond, FL. He was a lifelong member of Guardian Angel
Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 4, Etna, Pennsylvania. At the time of his death
he had been a member for 63 years. John moved to Ormond Beach with his wife,
Jessie, in 1981, after retiring from his family business, Etna Broom and Mop
Mfg. Co., which he owned and operated with his brothers. He worked as a starter
at Riverbend Golf Club for a number of years. He is survived by his loving
wife, Bessie; son, John III and daughter-in-law, Cindy, Ormond Beach; daughter,
Wendy and son-in-law, David McFadden, Ormond Beach; stepdaughter, Jeanne
Russell, Boyton Beach; and four grandchildren, Andrew Ehrman, Ormond Beach,
Christie and Jonathan IV Abramovic- Ormond Beach, and Anna Sultety of Boyton;
three brothers, William of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Joseph and Albert, both
of O'Hara Township, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was preceded in death by his
parents, John and Dorothy Frketic Abramovic.
ABRAMOVICH, ROKO Tamburitza Hall of
Fame
Roko
Abramovich, musician, technician, and arranger, was born in Eureka, Utah, on
August 15, 1909. He spent the next 18 years of his life with relatives back in
Croatia, and came to Chicago area around 1927. In Chicago, Roko mastered the
farkash brac, and played with the "Selacka Stranka" orchestra, under
the direction of Aloise Jaksa. All of the other tambura instruments were added
to his credits in the next years to come, and for a time Roko played with the
Rotkovich family, filling in on the bugaria. During the war, Roko filled in a
number of times on bugaria, for Louie Kapugi also. For a few years he was a
member of the old Yavor Orchestra, and played with the likes of the late Vaso
Bukvich, and people like John Krilcich, Steve Vucinic, Tom Stefancic, and
Elizabeth Plasay. Later in the forties and fifties, Roko played with the Dave
Zupkovich Orchestra, where he featured on the prima. For those avid collectors
of the old 78 records, it is Roko who plays the lead in unforgettables like
Daniela, Cudo Jada, and the note perfect Caralama Kolo. In those years, Roko
played with Ernie Maty, Carl Schutzman, Steve Paulich in the Neven Orchestra also.
Later in the fifties and sixties we find him merging with Nick Skertich to form
the ever popular Veseljaci Orchestra, whose members from time to time have been
Mickey Kusecek, Ray Jankovich, Bucky Bukvich, and Ray Ratz. Roko was married to
the late Mary Bertovic in May 1934, and from that marriage they were blessed
with two beautiful daughters, Ann Marie and Marlene. Retired from the Steel
Mills, but not from music, Roko continues to contribute to the tamburitza field
by teaching two junior groups, the Chicago Juniors of the Croatian Fraternal
Union, and the Sacred Heart Juniors of South Chicago. He continues to fill in
with the Veseljaci Orchestra from time to time, and enjoys spending most of his
time with his six grandchildren. Roko has and will always be known to
Chicagoans as "Mr. Brac."
ABRANOVIC, ANTHONY Military-News
He
was born November 4, 1909, in Croatia, to Anton and Mary (Yankovic) Abranovic.
Tony was a U.S. Army veteran of WW 11. He started "Kittanning News"
in 1949, and retired in 1980 when he turned the business over to his two sons,
Mark and Anthony. Anthony "Tony" Abranovic, 79, of Kittanning,
Pennsylvania, died on Saturday, November
19, 1988, at his home. He was a member of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 29 of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Surviving are his wife, Mary (Stich) Abranovic; five
sons, Wynn of Amhurst, Massachusettes, Alan and Mark of Kittaning, Anthony at
home, and Paul of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey; one daughter, Ellie Abranovic, of
Irving, Texas; one brother, Albert, of Scottsdale, Arizona; two sisters, Olga
Lucas of Millvale, and Helen of McKees Rocks, and three grandchildren.
ACALIN, JERKO Fisherman
Jerko
was born on August 29, 1869, on the island Zlarin, near Sibenik, Dalmatia. He came to this country in 1912. A fisherman, he followed this profession,
first in the State of Washington, later moving to San Pedro. He married Milica, nee Lucev, and they had
seven children. During his fishing career,
Jerko was the owner of several fishing boats, and fished from Alaska to Mexico.
AGICH, PAVAO Tamburitza
Born
in Djakovo, Croatia in 1873. He was a barber and founder of Croatian Singing
Club "Preradovich" in Djakovo, Croatia. He had traveled with
tamburitza orchestra’s all over Germany
in the period from 1902-1903. He has worked for several years as a barber in
London, British Columbia and in Portland, Oregon. He lived in San Francisco
since 1914 and was a member and manager of the Croatian Tamburitza Orchestra in
San Francisco. He is also an active member of Knights of Columbus organization.
ALAGA, GAJA Scientist
One
of our best theoretical physicists was Prof. Gaja Alaga (1924-1988). He worked not only in Zagreb, Croatia, but
also at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen,
University of California, Berkeley, and Ludwig-Maximilians University in
Munich.
ALAGA, NICHOLAS FBI Agent-Attorney
Nicholas
Alaga was born May 21, 1912 in Watsonville, California. His field is Law, and is a graduate of the
University of Santa Clara. He received his LL.B. in 1937 from Stanford University. He was a special agent in the FBI and
currently practices law in San Francisco. He is presently residing in San
Francisco, and is a member of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI.
ALAGA, NICHOLAS N. Apple Grower and
Packer
An
extensive shipper of apples, who is also his own grower and packer, is Nicholas
N. Alaga, of 114 Maple avenue, Watsonville. Like many others in this locality,
he was born in Dalmatia, Croatia February 18, 1874, his parents being Nicholas
and Mary Lettunich. Nicholas N. Alaga had rather a hard time acquiring his
education after he had gone through the lower grades of the home schools, but
has gained a good knowledge of affairs since coming to the United States at the
age of seventeen years. After spending two years in San Francisco he went to
Santa Clara valley, where he lived a similar length of time. On the 14th of
July, 1894, Mr. Alaga came to Watsonville and went to work for his uncle, Mr.
Lettunich, acting as his foreman for some time. Having saved a little money he then
embarked in business for himself as a buyer and shipper of fruit in 1898. From
this small start, Mr. Alaga has attained to his present prosperity. He is a
member of the Chamber of Commerce and is a third degree Knight of Columbus and
a member of the Austrian Benevolent Society. Mr. Alaga was married in 1911 to
Miss Teresa Farlan, a native of Eureka, Humboldt county, California, and they
have two sons, Nicholas Jr., and Lloyd.
ALUJEVICH, ANTON Boilermaker
Anton
was born in Split, Dalmatia in 1887. He moved to America in 1907 and migrated
to San Pedro in 1918. As a youth, Anton
worked as a boilermaker in the shipyards of his native land and in
America. His wife Franka, nee Poklepovich
and Anton taught their daughters Bozica
(Nathalie) and Madeline to be proactive in the Croatian-American community.
ANCHICKS, LOUISE Army Nurse-Prisoner of War
Louise
M., Captain Army nurse Retired., WWI and II, died in Palo Alto on October 30,
1977; beloved wife of Eli S. Prud’Homme; loving sister of Dorothy Smith of Riverside,
Illinois and Earl Anschichs of Dowers Grove, Illinois; also survived by neices
and nephews; a 52 year member of American Legion, a member of Nurses Post No.
452; served at Bataan and Corregidor, Prisoner of War, P.O.W., Santa Tomas
prison three years.
ANCICH, JOHN Fisherman
There
aren’t many people left in Gig Harbor, Washington who can do what John Ancich
Sr. can with thin knotted rope. Practitioners of the maritime art of
net-mending — once found in nearly every harbor home — are now scarce. But when
commercial fishing dominated the community, that skill was standard.
Understanding the subtleties of sea nature was once a standard-issue skill for
most locals. Now only a slim fraction of the Peninsula populace could have
accomplished the specialized repair job the 87-year-old Ancich performed Monday
on the Fishermen’s Memorial at Jerisich Park. Ancich, just out of the hospital
following a serious fall, got wind of the damage through his community fishing
contacts. He decided to mend the net on the memorial that bears the names of
eight local fisherman lost at sea. The name at the top is that of his only
child, John Ancich, Jr. The younger Ancich, like his dad, uncles, and
grandfather, was a fisherman from the get go. They all started going out on voyages
in their teens and kept at it through their lives. “That’s about all I did,”
John Sr. said. John Sr. and his brothers Joe and Peter, both deceased, were
well-known as the owner and operators of Voyager, a sardine seiner — considered
one of the most productive local boats during its heyday in the 1930s, 40s and
50s, said local maritime historian Lee Makovich. John Sr. fished for nearly 60
years. His son, who skippered several of his own boats, put in about 20 years.
He died from insulin shock aboard his ship, Heritage, in Hawk Inlet, Alaska,
about 20 miles southwest of Juneau, two years ago yesterday, at age 36. “It’s
been tough,” said John Sr., who has no other family locally. “It’s been hard to
take.” In Gig Harbor, Ancich’s maritime spirit showed itself in several venues.
He became a leader in the fishing community and publicly advocated the
preservation of maritime culture through art. He was among a handful of
long-haul backers who made the Fishermen’s Memorial a reality. While working on
that project, Ancich likely had the name Scott Tyree on his mind. Tyree died in
1995 aboard Courageous, a boat skippered by John Jr. that capsized in Canadian
waters. He brushed aside the potential peril as simply a regular part of being
a fisherman, a matter of course — like knowing how to mend a net. “I patched it
the best I could, “ he said. “I just did the best I could.” (Patrick 2003)
ANCICH, MARTIN AND ANNA
Fishermen
Anna came to the United States when she was six years old in
1900. Her mother made the long journey from Croatia to her brother's home in
Tacoma accompanied only by her three small daughters. She did not speak English
at the time. When her husband Martin passed away, Anna Ancich had to find a way
of supporting her large family. She inherited the boat, George A., which she chartered out for some years to local people.
Then, in 1937, Anna took a most unexpected action. She ordered the construction
of a commercial fishing boat! The vessel, a 75' sardine style purse seiner was
built at the J. M. Martinac Shipyard in Tacoma. As an ongoing reminder of her
initiative and enterprise, it was named the Anna
A. Widows often retained ownership of a commercial fishing boat. Anna did
more than that. She chartered her boat to fish processing interests in Seattle
and to canneries in Alaska. She negotiated all leasing and charter contracts
herself. Her skill in making these transactions was recognized and respected.
At various times, her sons Antone and George operated the Anna A. for her. Under her management, the business continued to
prosper. The Anna A. was sold in
1967. Anna died in 1968.
ANCIC, MARIO Tennis
Wimbledon,
England: Centre Court observers were pleasantly surprised to see a 6-foot-4
Croatian, Mario Ancic, giving Roger Federer a spirited match Tuesday. Then they
noticed that he actually was destroying Federer, to the tune of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.
And they realized how much the 18-year-old reminds them of Ivanisevic, last
year's champion and a longtime Wimbledon favorite. Ancic is right-handed, and
apparently without the eccentric sense of humor, but everything else speaks of
a kid who grew up idolizing Ivanisevic. It helps that they have the same build
and hail from the town of Split, Croatia and many of Ancic's mannerisms are
vintage Goran. He came into the tournament as a qualifier, playing only his
second tour-level match of the year. Now he's the kid who knocked off the
eighth-seeded Federer, conqueror of Pete Sampras at last year's Wimbledon. In
his press conference - and of course, he sounds like Ivanisevic, too - Ancic
said he's been hanging around his idol for years. "We always hit, even
when I was 10," he said. "We played some Davis Cup together, Olympic
doubles; he has always been like my bigger brother. But Goran is Goran. I am
me. I don't have the three personalities (laughter). Still one." 2002.
ANDRETTI, MARIO Wine Maker-Auto Racing
Mario
Andretti is putting his celebrity marque on a wine bottle. Andretti, the
four-time Indy 500 winner, owns 13 percent of AWG (short for Andretti Wine
Group), which recently bought a bankrupt 53-acre vineyard and winery in Napa County, California and is looking for other
properties. Like racing, Andretti said, “there’s a lot of romance to this
business.” Since his boyhood, Andretti
has been a wine fan and has made many visits to California’s wine country. In
1994, a San Diego promotions firm called Best Regards got Louis Martini Winery
to produce 15,000 cases of specially labeled Andretti cabernet sauvignon to
commemorate the Arrivederci Tour, Andretti’s final full season of racing. In
1995, Joseph Phelps produced 2,000 cases of Andretti chardonnay. “To continue,
we saw that we needed our own base of supply,” said Andretti. Best Regards
principals Phillip Dias and Sarla Perkins then got into the wine business. One of their plans was to convert auto-racing
fans from beer to wine. Last January, Dias and Perkins merged their infant wine
company with an inactive public company called American Arum Corp. Buying a “shell company” is a quick and easy
way to go public without the other and disclosure of requirements of a full
public offering. They changed the name of the company to AWG and its trading
symbol to VINE. Andretti said from his office in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, that
he has an eyeball on another property” and wants to establish a stronger supply
base. The plan is to produce $12 to $19
premium wines and even get into tours and tastings. The family name in Istria
is Andretic.
ANDRIJASEVICH, PETER
Goldminer-Saloon-Grocery
Peter
Andrijasevich, ( wife, Yela Mirko ) came via the Alaska goldmines. When he
arrived in Aberdeen, Washington in 1904 he bought a saloon in the downtown but
was unhappy there so he sold out and opened a grocery store at the corner of
Curtis and West Boulevard. He was a man who believed in helping others and
being active in community affairs. He played an important part in the
organization of two Croatian lodges.
ANDRICH, LUKA Bartender-Cultural
Luka,
as he was called by his friends, was a pleasant member around our Slavonic
Cultural Center. He attended our meetings and socials regularly and was always
a pleasant person to visit with. At our January meeting he served on the
election committee. Prior to his retirement he worked at Maye's Oyster House
and was in the culinary trade for over 40 years. It wasn't long ago that he
prepared one of our quarterly dinners.
He leaves his wife Iva, daughter Kathy, son Andrea, and daughter-in-law
JoAnne. We will all miss this pleasant and kindly gentleman. Luka died on March
11, 1995 in San Francisco and was born in Dalmatia, Croatia.
ANGELICH, MATE Bridge Builder-Auto
Dealership
Mate
"Mike" Angelich, aged 97, of Fort Salonga, Long Island, New York,
died recently in Huntington (N. Y) Hospital. He was born September 8, 1902 in
the village of Medici, Sinj, Croatia to Ante and Ruzica Andjelic. Mate came to
the United States in the 1920's. One of his earliest jobs was that of a high
iron worker. He was part of the construction crew that built the George
Washington Bridge in New York City. He strung the suspension cables 600 feet
above the Hudson River. At age 97, he
was probably the last surviving member of the bridge's construction crew. He
went to school in New York City to learn auto mechanics, and opened Grand
Central Motors in Jackson Heights, Queens. Before permanently settling on Long
Island 50 years ago he lived in Tucson, Arizona and Miami, Florida. Later, he
expanded his business activities by opening Three Star Auto in Huntington, N.Y
- an auto dealership that sold imported cars such as Borgwards, Daimlers, Singers
and Morgans. He also owned Mike's Service Station in Northport. When he
"retired", he began a nursery and raised thousands of beautiful
azaleas, and made his own wine. He also took a strong interest in cow breeding
at the family farm in New Hampshire. He was an active member ofthe Croatian New
Yorker Club - where every year at the annual picnic he was responsible for the
Bar-B-Que. He was one of the first people interviewed for the Croatian
Fraternal Union - Croatian New Yorker Club Oral Histories Project. He is
survived by his wife of 60 years Keti Angelich - former proprietor of Halesite
Real Estate, son Michael and daughter-in-law Gail of Huntington, son Anton of
New York City and New Hampshire. He leaves behind brothers Silvestar, Jure,
Filip and sister Luce in Europe, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
He lived a very rich and full life, and was a very happy, caring and optimistic
person. "He was unique, and one in a million!" He will be sadly
missed. Services were conducted by the Rev. Daniel Bitsko, of the Holy
Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Church, internment was at St. Patrick's
Cemetery, Lloyd Harbor, NY.
ANTICEVICH, ANTE
Fireman-Policeman-Wrestler
Ivan
Anticevich-Vidoja, was born 1884 in Janjina, Dalmatia, Croatia. He arrived in
Galveston, Texas in 1898. He started as fireman 1906 and stayed until 1912.
From 1912 to 1923 took the job as city policeman, and from 1923 to the present,
works as city worker for the water department. Ivan was a very strong man and
participated in heavy weight wrestling. He was the winner in 28 matches in
Texas and Louisiana. He visited Croatia
in 1923 and 1928. In Janjina he doesn't have any close family. In America he
has a brother and two sisters. He is the
member of the Knights of Columbus and honorary member of Croatian Sokol in
Janjina.
ANTICH, ROBERT C. Teacher-Public
Servant
Robert
Antich was a graduate of Lew Wallace High School. He graduated with bachelor
and master of science degrees from Indiana State University. He was a member of
the Gary Teacher's Union. His dedication to the region extended to Lake County
and Gary, Indiana government as a public servant for over 30 years. He
represented his precinct for twelve years as committeeman. For eight years he
served on the Calumet Township Board of Trustees. He finished his political
career after eight years as the Lake County Clerk. He was proud of his heritage
and was a member of the Saint Joseph the
Worker Croatian Church and was an active member of the Croatian
Fraternal Union of America, Lodge 170, where he served on the Board of
Trustees. Robert C. Antich, 60, passed away Tuesday, August 7, 2001. He was,
preceded in death by his beloved parents, Petar and Anna, his brother Joseph,
his nephews, John Antich Jr. and David M. Bade and his brother-in-law, Michael
Bade. He leaves behind his sister Rosemary Bade of Hobart, his brother, John
(Mary Jane) Antich of Grovertown, IN, his sister-in-law, Rose Ann Antich,
Indiana State Senator of Merrillville, nephews, Dr. Daniel M. (Dr. Suzanne
Stolarz) Bade of Munster, Douglas J. (Suzanne) Bade of Chicago, Marc (Stacy)
Antich of Crown Point, his nieces, Violet Bade of Crown Point, Pat (Mark)
Nieubruupt, Christine(David) Palmer, Carol (Ed) Bracich and Rachel Antich, all
of Grovertown, IN; many great-nieces and nephews; uncles and aunts, Joe and Kay
Olds of Crown Point, Tom and Evelyn Olovich of Noblesville, Indiana and Cecelia
and George Olovich of Hobart.
ANTOLAK, SYLVESTER Medal of Honor
Rank
and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry
Division. Place and date: Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, 24 May 1944.
Entered service at: St. Clairsville, Ohio, Birth:
St. Clairsville, Ohio. G.O. No.: 89, 19 October 1945. Citation: Near
Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, he charged 200 yards over flat, coverless terrain
to destroy an enemy machinegun nest during the second day of the offensive
which broke through the German cordon of steel around the Anzio beachhead.
Fully 30 yards in advance of his squad, he ran into withering enemy machinegun,
machine-pistol and rifle fire. Three times he was struck by bullets and knocked
to the ground, but each time he struggled to his feet to continue his
relentless advance. With one shoulder deeply gashed and his right arm
shattered, he continued to rush directly into the enemy fire concentration with
his submachinegun wedged under his uninjured arm until within 15 yards of the
enemy strongpoint, where he opened fire at deadly close range, killing 2
Germans and forcing the remaining 10 to surrender. He reorganized his men and,
refusing to seek medical attention so badly needed, chose to lead the way
toward another strongpoint 100 yards distant. Utterly disregarding the hail of
bullets concentrated upon him, he had stormed ahead nearly three-fourths of the
space between strongpoints when he was instantly killed by hostile enemy fire.
Antolak is probably Antoljak and many are found in Croatia.
ANTONOVICH, MICHAEL D. State
Assemblyman
California’s
youngest and best-known Croatian-American lawmaker is Assemblyman Michael D.
Antonovich of Glendale. The name
Antonovich (Antunovic) is hardly new to California. The family began immigrating from the Konvali
region with Florio Antunovich during the 1850’s. Michael Antonovich’s grandfather came from
Croatia to settle in Bisbee, Arizona as a goldminer. His uncles settled in Grass Valley, Fresno
and Jackson. Of all the
Croatian-American lawmakers in California, none is more aware of his Croatian
heritage than Antonovich. His capitol
office is graced with a large Croatian shield hand crafted by Luka
Biondich and a map of Dalmatia. He stays abreast of Croatian politics and is
a regular speaker at Croatian celebrations throughout the state. He has traced his family back to 1700 and can
relate the story of his grandparents’ immigration in detail. He visited Croatia in 1970 and hopes to do so
again in the future. Born in southern
California in 1939, Antonovich attended Los Angeles City College and California
State University at Los Angeles (M.A.).
He served as a student body officer for four years and was president of
his graduate class and his fraternity.
While his academic study progressed, he also attended the Pasadena
Police Academy, graduating as a reserve officer in 1967. Even with his
legislative duties, he remains a reserve police officer today. From 1966
through 1972, he served the Los Angeles School District as a government and
history insructor. His concern for
quality education led him to seek a position on the Los Angeles City College
District Board of Trustees in 1969. Out
of and original field of 139 candidates, he won with a record 406,000
votes. He later served as president of
that board which directs the affairs of the eight campus, 100,000 student, 100
million dollar-per-year system. Antonovich served the Goldwater campaign in
1964 and was a regional chairman for Reagan in 1970. In 1972 he easily won his own Assembly
seat. He was reelected in 1974 and in
1976 no opponent could be found to challenge him. He quickly became known as the state leader
in criminal justice and pro-life legislation.
In 1976, at the age of thirty-six, he was named Minority Whip of the
Assembly after having been chosen Outstanding Legislator of the Year, for both
the 1973-1974 ad 1974-1975 sessions.
ANTONOVICH,
RUZA Doctor-Radiology
Ruza Zupan was born in Barlete, Croatia. She graduated from medical school in Zagreb
and married Dr. Ivica Antonovich. She served as a staff radiologist at
Oregon Health Sciences University until 1977, when she joined the Veterans
Administration Medical center where she was chief of radiology until 1995, when
she began concentrating on patient care and resident-eduction programs. Her research articles in angiography,
interventional radionoly, intervetional radiology and chest radiology were
published in medical journals, and she lectured and served as a visiting
professor in Europe. She is the daughter of Tomo and Anka Zupan, two
charter members of the Croatian American Cultural Center.
ANTUNOVICH, FLORIO Goldminer-Coffee
Saloon-Restaurant-Capitalist
Florio
Antonovich, from Konavlje, Dalmatia, Croatia arrived in San Francisco in 1851
on the famous clipper ship, “The Flying Cloud,” the ship that made the record
time from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn. He was a member of the Tuolomne Society in 1853 and probably made a gold strike, as he
returned to San Francisco and operated a coffee saloon and restaurant at the
corner of Clay and East at 403 East Street.
He listed as a capitalist in 1891 and voted in 1871. He was from Konavle. He was a Charter Member
of the Slavonic Illyric Mutual Benevolent Society. He was President of the Society at one
time. In 1868 he returned to his native
country, and there he married a young lady from Bresecine, returned to San
Francisco with his bride same year, and brought into the world a lovely family
of children. He died in 1898 at the age of seventy-three. He is survived by his
widow, Mrs. Florio Antonovich, daughter Mrs. Annie Ashley, and two sons,
William G. Antonovich, a well-known attorney in our colony, and Emile P
Antonovich, Captain in the United States army.
In 1882, Mrs. Nicholas Buja and Mrs. Florio Antonovich, were selected by
the Slavonic Society to raise money for the Society’s new banner, Majika
Slovinska (Mother Slavia). the presentation
of the banner to the Society was made by two young girls, now married ladies,
Mrs. Cora Maroevich and Mrs. Antionette Forrest, in old Platt’s Hall, located
on the Montgomery Street where now stands the Mills Building.
ANZULOVIC, BRANIMIR Professor-Author
Born
in Zagreb on April 26, 1926 he grew up surrounded by parents native from Jelsa,
two sisters and a brother. He graduated from the University of Zagreb School
of.Philosophy in 1952. As a young intellectual he left Croatia. From there he
moved to the United States to continue his academic career. Branimir Anzulovic
obtained his doctoral degree in comparative literature at the University of
Indiana in 1972. During his teaching career he wrote and taught about
literature, cultural history and literary theory at the University of Indiana
and the University of Arizona. An experienced translator and interpreter, he
worked in that capacity for various institutions in Washington, D.C., including
the Voice of America, the U.S. Department of state and the International
Monetary Fund. Among his early achievements, he published film and theatre
reviews in Zagreb during 1950s, and throughout his life he authored numerous
articles and book reviews for literary journals. He also worked as an assistant
editor of Croatia: Land, People, Culture (University of Toronto) from 1964 to
1970. In 1999 he published an important book entitled Heavenly Serbia From Myth
to Genocide (New York University Press). Branimir Anzulovic, recording
secretary of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 1984 and a cultural historian and
alumnus of Croatian University, died November 3, 2001, in Virginia. He is
survived by his former wife Visnja and his two children, Maja and Radovan.
ARBUNICH, ANTHONY Cultural Activities
Anthony
Arbunich joined the Slavonic Society some 58 years ago like his father Martin,
and uncles Tony Bartul, Martin Mihovilovich and Tony Arbunich before him. “It
was and has been a great place to meet friends and relatives that share the
many customs, humor, and love of life.” Tony related. Anthony and his older
sister Pearl, were the children of Martin and Marie Arbunich, who were from the
Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Anthony’s dad owned and operated a very
successful restaurant at 14th and Market street. hard work and long hours soon
enabled him to purchase a little cottage situated on a knoll with a sweeping
view overlooking Mission Street. This was in the year 1910 and young Tony was
just a year old. three days after they moved into their new home, Martin, on
his way to work and only 32 years of ago, was struck by a street car that flung
him to the pavement resulting in a fatal head injury. There were relatives and new arrivals from
the old country and she would rent rooms to help make ends meet. The first war
came and went and in the early 1920’s, Marie’s sister died of the dreaded flu
that took so many lives. Her husband owned and operated the California Grill in Santa Rosa and
Marie chose to adopt her two nephews and niece. So it was that the little
cottage on Gladys Street was the home of five youngsters, Marie, and a roomer
or two. It was about this time that Marie had two large bedrooms added to the
cottage. The home became known as the “Slavonian
Depot” since so many people came and stayed until they became financially
set. Anthony says it was always a happy place for everyone. After high school,
Pearl began working for a furrier, a line for work she followed until her
recent retirement. Tony went to Fremont School and Cogswell High until his
junior year whe he quit school. His very first job at the age of 16 was an
apprentice butcher at the old Spreckles Market. Life long friend, Jack,
Radonich, several years younger than Tony, worked there also as a wrapper. In 1936, Tony went to work for the Southern
Pacific Railway, working on the maintenance crews servicing the rail cars. he
held this job until his recent retirement in 1975. Marie, Tony’s mother, who
had cared for so many, would enjoy taking her family to Slav picnics and
gatherings whenever possible. Sorrowfully, in her early 60’s, Marie passed on
in 1938. Tony still loved seeing his old friends and attended all the picnics
and gatherings...getting on the street car to the Ferry building and taking the
Ferry to Oakland, then the train to Neptune beach, John Park or the various
picnic grounds and gathering places. It was at an Irish picnic at Portola Park
in 1947 that Tony met the lovely lady Margaret Harte, who was to become Mrs.
Peggy Arbunich. So it was, and is, Tony and Peggy have lived at the happy
cottage on Gladys street raising a wonderful family of three sons, Martin,
Mitchel, Mark, and one daughter, Barbara. Tony has served our society for 30
years as a trustee and the passed 30 as the chairman of the board of Trustees.
ARKOVICH, TONY Restaurant-Saloon
Tony
Arkovich entered the U.S.A. in 1911 at the age of 15 years. He experienced the normal reaction of most
emigrants and would have returned immediately.
His first job was working as a water boy in sewer construction.
After witnessing the way the men had to dig up the dirt and toss it
from platform to platform, they would sweat and strain to do, so he
quit. Next he went to a dairy where he
wore hip boots and washed bottles all day.
By the end of the day he was
sopping wet, hip boots or no. He left
and went to work in a restaurant. In order to save his shoes he walked to
work barefoot. While sweeping the floors and cleaning the booths he often
found money. This added to his income. Gradually he went up the line. While he
cleaned vegetables he would watch the cooks.
One of them took him under his wing and he would stay 4 or 5 hours after
his shift helping him. Next he was a fry
cook then the chef. In 1917 Tony Arkovich, Joe Dzaich, and Andy Leko
opened Joe’s Cafe, 613 South Olive
Street, Los Angeles. Changes come
about-they moved to Bohemian Grill and
Bar in 1936 at Eight and Grand. Next
in 1940 they moved to Eight and Fedora. During the first move Andy Leko
dropped out. Tony moved on to open the Larchmont Grill in 1948. The
last move was to go into business at Nickodell
Melrose with Jack Ban, Leonard Beidle, and Jack Vojkovich buying the
business at Nick Slavich’s retirement. He retired in 1972.
ARNERICH, A. J. Baseball-Alameda City Council
Mr.
Lil Arnerich was born and raised in West Oakland and now resides in Alameda
with his wife, Norma. They have four children and twelve grandchildren. Mr.
Arnerich attended St. Mary's College and completed additional studies at U.C.
Berkeley and San Francisco State.
After
playing six years of professional baseball with the old Oakland Oaks, Lil has
had a very distinguished career in public service. He became Supervisor of
Athletics for the City of Alameda Recreation and Park Department where he
served 34 years until his retirement in 1986. Today, he still serves as a
member of the Alameda City Council. Lil has received over fifty honors by many
public and private sector groups and is truly deserving of this prestigious
honor and award.
ARNERICH, FRANK Restaurant-Goldminer
Among
the rising young men of San Jose, who have accomplished much, although young in
years, is Frank N. Arnerich, who started in the restaurant business when only a
lad of seventeen and now owns a place of business under the name of The Oyster Loaf Restaurant. He was born on the Island of Brac, Dalmatia,
Croatia on June 11, 1888, and was the son of Nicholas and and Antoinette (Chargin) Arnerich. His father came to California in the year
1875 and settled in Amador County in 1900, joining his brother, and there
attended the public schools of Amador City and later went to night school in
San Francisco. Having learned the
business of restaurateur in San Francisco and in San Jose, at the early age of
seventeen he engaged in this line in San Jose in the year of 1905, and has
continued here ever since. He engaged in
business for himself and with his experience in this line, he has built up a
good trade, and he has since been very successful; his up-to-date restaurant,
The Oyster Loaf, being both popular
among the San Jose’s residents and increasingly profitable to himself. Mr.
Arnerich’s marriage united him with Miss Lucy Chargin, who was also a native of
Brac, and a sister of Joseph, Jerry, and Nicholas Chargin. They are the parents of three children-Antoinette
Frances, Lawrence Nicholas, and Beverly Lucille, and the family reside at 137
North Sixth Street. Mr. Arnerich is a
member of the Order of Red Men, and of the Slavonic-American Society, and San
Jose and is past officer in both orders.
He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Elks, and is a charter member
of the Commercial Club.
ARNERICH, JAMES Attorney
A
graduate of the University of Santa Clara, where he was a star football player,
Mr. Arnerich was appointed state director of professional and vocational
standards by Governor Warren in 1946. He resigned his post in 1953 after Warren
was appointed chief justice of the United States, and he went into private
practice. When Mr. Arnerich retired in 1980 he was general counsel of Forest
Lawn Corp. in Glendale. Mr. Arnerich was a native of Los Angeles and served for
four years in the Navy in World War II. Mr. Arnerich, a retired attorney, died
on Wednesday at St. Francis Memorial Hospital after suffering a heart
attack. He was 73. He is survived by his
wife, Rita; a daughter, Mrs. Kathleen Peck of Novato; a son, Robert Theobald of
Northridge; two brothers, Paul of San Francisco and Frank of Santa Clara; a
sister, Marie, of San Jose; and by five grandchildren.
ARNERICH, MATEO Vineyard-Farm-Goldminer
Mateo
Arnerich was born on the island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia in the Adriatic
Sea. In 1826, when fourteen years of
age, he became a sailor boy. He followed
a sea faring life for fourteen years, visiting every sea and ocean. He came
from China to San Francisco in 1849, and never left the State of his adoption
but once, when he went, in 1872, to visit the scenes and friends of his
childhood days. From 1849 to 1852 Mateo
mined for gold in the Calaveras. In 1852 Mr. Arnerich came to the Santa Clara Valley,
and soon after became interested in agriculture. In May, 1856, he was united in
marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth (Brown) Moylan, widow of Edward Moylan. They
bought property in the Narvaze grant, and opened a farm, which they occupied
for twelve years. They then found that no valid title to it could be obtained,
and so left the place, and by pre-emption and purchase secured 160 acres of
choice land, which constitute the present family homestead in the Union
District. The ranch is located in an angle of the Santa Clara and Guadaloupe
road, which bounds it on the north and east. Mr. and Mrs. Arnerich commenced
life on the ranch in a comfortable house, which several years ago gave place to
the substantial family residence of
today. Mr. Arnerich was an active, energetic man, and carried forward the
improvement of his property quite rapidly. The neighborhood lost in him a
citizen actively interested in all movenents tending to the general good. His
death, which occurred May 3, I883, was caused by injuries received in being
thrown from a buggy, near his own home. His widow and her seven children, John,
Catharine, Elizabeth, Mateo, Paul, Isabelle, and Margaret all yet making their
home with their mother, are quite well provided for. Mrs. Arnerich was born in
County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1831. She was nine years of age when her parents,
William and Catharine Brown, emigrated to Australia, whence, after a residence
of ten years, they came to San Francisco. Later they becarne pioneers of Union
District. Mr. Brown's death, resulting from an accidental fall, occurred in
1854. William D. Brown, the chief of police at San Jose, is a brother of Mrs.
Arnerich. The first marriage of Mrs. Arnerich occurred at San Francisco in
January, 1851. Her husband died of consumption ten months later. Quite a large
portion of the family homestead is now devoted to the raising of grapes and
fruit. A vineyard of sixty acres furnishes a general variety of wine and table
grapes. In the orchard can be found olive, fig, pomegranate, orange, and lemon
trees. Mrs. Arnerich and her children are members of the Catholic church.
ARNERICH, PAUL Weather Bureau
Paul
was born in Los Angeles, California and his working career was with the United
States Weather Bureau where he started in Burbank and subsequently was assigned
to Oklahoma, Hawaii, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. His career was
interrupted for a long time in World War Il when he was in the US Navy in the
Armed Guard project - a branch of the service formed to protect American crews
on Maritime vessels. In 1951, Paul and Juanita Snyder-Franchina were married in
San Francisco. Paul was a quiet man but his worth and depth were known to many.
Paul and Juanita enjoyed gardening and their lovely home was warm and friendly.
They both loved animals and their patio hosted friendly "little
critters" from the woodlands surrounding their home. Paul was also
interested in geneology and sports. He had been a 49er fan from the time of
Buck Shaw and Frankie Albert. Delving into geneology, he enjoyed many hours
tracing the many Arnerichs from Brac. He was a member of the Slavonic Society
of San Francisco. A true gentleman departed our midst last month just two weeks
before his 84th birthday which would have been on the 20th of June. Paul died
on June 1, 1996. Paul is survived by a brother, Frank and a sister, Marie. He
was predeceased by a brother and his parents, as well as his beloved Juanita.
ARNERICH, PAUL J. State Senate-Sheriff
A
man of especial gifts who easily
impresses others with both his natural ability and his acquirements through experience
is Paul J. Arnerich, a native son, having been
born near San Jose on September 23, 1869. His father was Mathew Arnerich, and he
married Mrs. Elizabeth (Brown) Moylan, the widow of Edward Moylan. When fourteen years of age, Mathew Arnerich
shipped as a sailor, and in the historic year of ‘49, he voyaged from China to
San Francisco. Three years later, he
removed to Santa Clara Valley and here engaged in agriculture. In 1856 he married, and purchased 160 acres
in the Union district. He died on May 3,
1883, from injuries received in a fall from a buggy. Mrs. Arnerich also came from an old pioneer
family, she died here about 1910. As kind parents this worthy couple provided
the best training for Paul in the public schools, and when he had finished with
his studies, he worked with his father on the home farm until he was
twenty-one. Then, for several years, he
farmed for himself, and in 1905 he ran for the State Legislature, in which he
served a term. He was then appointed to
the United States Marshal’s office as deputy marshal and discharged that
responsibility for ten years, he ran for the Legislature, was elected in 1915,
and in 1917 he was reelected. Next he
was deputy sheriff in Alameda County for a couple of years, and finally was
engaged in the real estate business for a number of years until he became
deputy sheriff, serving under Sheriff Lyle of Santa Clara County. At San Jose,
on February 21, 1898, Mr. Arnerich was married to Miss Eva LaMontagne, a native
of Santa Clara County and the representative of another pioneer family; and
four children blessed their union. They
are Bernice, Francis, Genevieve and Elizabeth.
Mr. Arnerich belongs to the Republican party, and when he gets tired of
politics he turns for recreation to hunting and other outdoor sports.
ARNERICH, VINCENT G. Attorney
Born
in San Jose California in 1909- graduated from Loyola University Class 1930
“Magna Cum Lauda”, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree. He was chosen commencement speaker delivering
the thesis in philosophy which he prepared for his degree. In 1932 he received his Bachelor of Laws
degree “Cum Laude.” Within this time he
was awarded six medals of honor, one for his thesis in philosophy, and another
for general excellence in class work throughout the four years of his Law
School Course. Admitted to the Bar in 1932 he practiced law in the firm of
Arnerich and DeValle, and resides at 5880 south Flower street in Los Angeles.
ARTUKOVICH, JOHN A. Contractor
John
A. Artukovich Jr., a Los Angeles-area contractor whose work included the Los
Angeles aqueduct through the Mojave Desert, the Bunker Hill Redevelopment
Project Tunnel and other projects across the United States, has died. He was
72. Born in Los Angeles to Croatian-immigrant parents, Artukovich lived most of
his life in San Marino and Arcadia. His
father founded the John A Artukovich Co. a construction firm, in 1909 and
Artukovich had been president since 1952. Artukovich's sudden illness shocked
his family who said he had never had to go to a hospital and was working seven
days a week until he became sick.
"He was the rock in our family, a role model and mentor," said
Anita Artukovich, his daughter. Artukovich went to Loyola High School and
Loyola University in Los Angeles. He
also served in the Army during the Korean War until he was given an emergency
discharge after his father died. In addition to his daughter Anita, Artukovich
is survived by three sons: John A.
Artukovich III, Matthew and Michael.
ARTUKOVICH, VIDO Construction
The
late Vido was born on July 15, 1892 in the village Klobuk, district of
Ljubuski, Herzegovina. As many hundreds of other Croatian young men from
Herzegovina, he left his native land and came to America in 1912. He
permanently settled in Los Angeles and lived there until his death. The late
Vido Artukovich brought with himself all the values of a Herzegovinian village:
the commitment to his religion, the true love for his Croatian people, the
traditional Croatian honesty, the big heart and open mind, as well as
entrepreneurial spirit and perseverance at work. His beginning was very hard as
the livelihood was hard to all of our immigrants, but the late Vido didn't give
up. During forty years of hard and persevere work, at the beginning together
with other Croatian pioneers and then at his own, he succeeded to establish the
construction firm he and all of the Croatians in California should be proud of.
Vido Artukovich, a prominent member of our colony, died on Tuesday, July 16,
1964, the day after his 73rd birthday anniversary. He passed away of a short
illness, comforted from his wife, children and numerous grandchildren.
AUSEZ, FRANK Contractor
One
of the leading cement contractors in Richmond and vicinity is Frank Ausez of
No. 2100 Burbeck Avenue, Richmond. He was born in Croatia on December 3, 1883,
one of five children in the family of Frank and Catherine Ausez. His father was
a builder and it was natural that Frank,Jr., should take to the building trade.
After finishing his education in his native land, in 1905, Mr. Ausez landed in
America and crossed the continent to Lafayette, Colorado, where he spent three
years. After this he traveled through the northwest looking for a suitable
place and in 1909 landed at Richmond,
California. After some deliberation he concluded he would try his luck here and
began work as a concrete and cement contractor, a business he had become
competent to handle in every department. From the first he was successful and
as the years have passed he has had his share of the cement and concrete work in
this locality and has done considerable bridge and street work. As he has
prospered he has invested in property and owns his home and is well satisfied
that he cast in his lot with Contra Costa County. He became a full-fledged
American citizen. In San Francisco in 1919. Mr. Ausez was married on November
9, 1913, to MIss Mary Yanezich, also a native of Croatia and a daughter of John
and Annie Yanezich. She has one brother living in Richmond. Mr. and Mrs. Ausez
have three children: Frankie, Annie and Frances. Mr. Ausez is a member of the
Builders Exchange and takes an active interest in its meetings. He belongs to
the Woodmen of the World, the Red Men and the Richmond Elks. To help boost the
city of his choice he is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
AVIANI, ERNEST Restaurant
One
of the first good fish eating places upon approaching Fisherman’s wharf is the Neptune at 2737 Taylor Street. The proprietors are Robert Soljack and Ernest
Aviani from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia. Robert Soljack claims five
years of experience at Fisherman’s Wharf
and he and Chef Aviani took over this historic location about one year ago in
1936. They renovated the building, made
some changes and today have a comfortable eating house and surely a suggestion of good sea food with
the open kitchen and charcoal broiler. When lunching or dining at the Neptune
one may eat at the counter, or at open tables or in booths. About 140 persons can be accommodated at one
time. The place is famous for its cioppino, fried crab legs, abalone,
deviled crabs, charcoal broiled fish of various types, and other seafood
specialties. Fish is bought from the boats when they arrive from the sea at
Fisherman’s Wharf, and is served the same day.
Menus are made out according to fish available. Some 300 meals are served daily. With such food, with such panorama of hills
and bay, with such a picture of fishing scenes, a net mending, of crab cooking,
of displays of fish for sale, of the teeming life of those who make their
living by the sea spread before one, it is indeed a treat of treats to enjoy a
fish dinner prepared as the specialists of the Neptune know how to cook it, and
thus enter into one of the typical phases of life in San Francisco.
BABAJKO, CHRIS Sailor
Chris
“Ito” Babajko will be remembered not only by people on the Island of Olib but
also by his fellow Olibljani in America as someone who did the almost
impossible. Ito came to the US in 1960 when he was a 18 years old. He worked at various jobs in the Los Angeles
area. In 1982, at age 40, he decided to
return to Olib for a visit. Instead of
flying like most people, he sailed to Olib in his 13 meter (about 40 feet long)
sail boat. This was quite an undertaking. It would be quite a feat for a full crew of
men to make this trip under the best of circumstances. As it turned out, Ito sailed much of the way
single handed. First, a little background on Ito. He was born on Olib in
1942. When Ito was three years old he
was stricken with Polio and both his legs were effected. There was no doctors
on Olib to help him. Although his legs
were weak even as a child, his upper body was very well developed. Today his body resembles that of a “body
builder.” Equally, he has always had a
very strong will and once he decided to do something, he did it no matter how
difficult it was. It was therefore no
surprise to his classmates on Olib when they heard of his adventure.
Accompanying Ito on the onset of the trip were two of his American friends, a
man and a woman. They all left Los
Angeles and sailed to Mexico where they encountered rough waters. So they
docked at the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta where they celebrated New Years
day, 1982. While in Puerto Vallarta the
woman in his crew did not continue the journey.
This left him with only his male crewman. The two men continued on until they reached
Costa Rica. After arriving in Costa
Rica, Ito’s remaining crewman decided against going on to Olib with him. In Costa
Rica, Ito met Maria who decided to go with him to Olib. It took them 36 days
to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The engine
of the boat broke down while they were in Panama and they had no alternative
but to use the sails for the remainer of the trip. To add to this already difficult endeavor,
Maria was so sea-sick most of the trip, Ito had to tie her to the mast of the
boat to keep her from going overboard.
Ito had to sail this very large boat by himself from Costa Rica to
Olib. Ito not only accomplished this, but he and Maria arrived safe and
unharmed at the port of Zadar. The Croatian
newspapers in Zadar interviewed him on his arrival. Later, Ito and Maria were married together
they have a daughter. One can only say
this is something to be proud of and a great deal of praise should be given to
Ito for this accomplishment.
BABAROVIC, JOHN Architect
John
Babarovic was director of long-range planning at American Airlines in the late
1960's. He represented the airline in the design and engineering of the Super
Bay Hangars in Los Angeles and San Francisco. These were the largest in the
world at the time, designed to accommodate four of the new Boeing 747's and two
DC-10's under one roof. He also designed the American Airlines terminal at San
Francisco. While with the firm of Harrison & Abramowitz in New York, he
worked on the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center and the Citibank
headquarters. At the time of his death he was working on a double- decker
docking system for the Airbus A380, a superjumbo jet that is planned to have
two seating levels. Mr. Babarovic was born in Susak, Croatia, and was a
graduate of St. George's College in Argentina and Syracuse University in New
York. He served in the United States Army, in military intelligence, in the
Korean War. John A. Babarovic died on November 2, 2001 in London, England where
he lived. He was 69. He is survived by his wife, Anne Crawford Babarovic of
London; a sister, Frances Baglantzis of New Rochelle, New York; two daughters
from a previous marriage, Juliana Babarovic Jaynes of Newport News, Virginia,
and Christina Maria Babarovic of London; and a grandson.
BABICH, JOHN Baseball
John
Babich, the tall right hand pitcher whom Connie Mack grabbed off the Yankee
farm at Kansas City, a year ago, might well be called: "Jack the Yankee
Killer" for, despite the fact the Athletics finished last, Babich defeated
new York five times out of six starts, and New York lost the pennant by only
two games. John held the Yankees to thirty-six hits in the six contests. In the
only game he lost to New York. Winning fourteen and loosing thirteen games for
a team that had a percentage of only 351 at the end of the season was a great
feat for Babich, especially when it is recalled that in 1936, John was believed
to be through as a pitcher. In fact, that was what everyone thought except
John, himself. He had developed an injury to his right elbow when with the
Boston Bees and was forced to undergo an operation for the removal of a chipped
bone. He went on the voluntary retired list and returned to his home in
California.John had little to do but think about his future and when someone
told him that George Uhle had been able to stage a comeback by reason of
learning how to throw a "slider", John decided he would try to do
likewise. He essayed to pitch for Boston again and also for Jersey City without
success in '37 and was sent to the Mission team in California. Won twelve and
lost eight. He became encouraged. In '38, he won nineteen and lost seventeen
for Hollywood. The Bees recalled him but when the chance came to get Shortstop
Miller from Kansas City, they tossed in Babich. He really staged a comeback
with the Cowboys, winning nineteen and losing only six games. Despite that
excellent record, the Yankees brought in Pitcher Breuer in preference to the
veteran and this gave Connie Mack the chance to land the courageous Croatian in
the draft, about the best bet Mr. Mack ever made in the annual selection. The
training season in California was not a week old before the dean of managers
knew that he secured a most dependable hurler, one who should be a regular starter.
Johnny, who by the way, is a neighbor of Sam Chapman, also of the Athletics,
was just eighteen when he reported to the San Francisco club for a trial. He
was shipped to Globe, Arizona but recalled to win five and lose three games
late in the season. The next year, 1932, he was free agent, he signed with the
Missions and did so well in 1933, he was sold to Brooklyn. His trade to Boston,
his injury and operation followed. Now at age of twenty-seven,Johnny finds
himself really starting. More power to him.
BABICH, JOSEPH G. Judge
Judge
Babich was first appointed to the bench as a Municiple Court Judge by Governor
Goodwin Knight in 1957. He was elevated to Superior Court in February 1964,
when he was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Sr., and served until he
retired from the bench in April 1984. During his tenure as Superior Court Judge
he was reelected to that office three times. During his term as Judge, among
other duties Judge Babich was elected by his fellow Judges to serve as
Presiding Judge of the Municiple Court ( 1962) and also of the Superior Court
(1975, 1977). Judge Babich's father, Josip was born in Runovici, Croatia and
came to the United States in 1906. His mother, Helen (Skrmetta) was born in the
village Bobovisca on the island Brac, Croatia and came to the United States in
1900, when she was two years old. Judge Babich was born and raised in
Sacramento, California. After service during World War 11, Judge Babich
received his Bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1948, and his LL.B.
degree from University of San Francisco Law School in 1951. He was admitted to
the California Bar in 1952. Married with six grown children, Judge Babich
resides in Sacramento with his wife of 45 years, Eleanor.
BABIC, NICHOLAS S. Guidance Counselor-Teacher
Nicholas
Babic is a Guidance Counselor at Cleveland Heights High School Cleveland
Heights, Ohio. Born October 31, 1929 of Croatian parents in
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania; married with one child. Educated at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania B. Ed., 1952; Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 1955-64;
John Carroll University Cleveland, Ohio 1965-66 with a major in Education and a
specialty in Humanities and Guidance Counseling. Member of American Personnel
and Guidance Association; National Educarion Association; American School
Counselors' Association. U.S. Army Education and Information Supervisor, Ft.
Sill, Oklahoma 1954-55 .
BABIN, TOMO Longshoreman-Military
Croatian-Americans
have been a part of many different political movements in the United States.
Communism was no exception. Indeed, Croatian Americans constituted in the early
years of the history of the Communist Party of the United States of America one
of the largest ethnic groups in the Party. Since the fall of Communism, documents
have been released from various archives which shed some more interesting light
on this often overlooked aspect of our history. One of the more incredible stories involves Torno Babin,
born in 1901 in Preko - Poljane, near Zadar. We do not know too much about
Babin's early life although after he arrived in New York he appears to have
mostly worked, like many of our immigrants from the islands and Dalmatia at the
time, along the docks of New York's West Side. By the early 1930s, Babin became
active in Communist Party organizations and a member of the Party as well. The
outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
saw Babin volunteer for the International Brigades and he served as commissar
of a battalion while there.
After
his return to New York, Babin assisted in organizing the Yugoslav Seamen's
Club. Primarily consisting of Croatian seamen and shipyard and dockworkers, the
Club was a Communist-controlled front organization. It nevertheless achieved
great importance in the Croatian-American community and, during World War 11,
became one of the most vocal supporters- of Tito's Partisans. During this time,
Babin came to the attention of the American Office of Strategic Services, the
precursor of the CIA. The OSS, and its British counterpart, the SOE, recruited several
dozen primarily Croatian-Americans and Croatian-Canadians who were to be
parachuted to Tito's forces. At the time the Allies had yet to establish formal contacts with the
Partisans. Apparently, the OSS and SOE believed that these immigrants, all of
whom appear to have been Communists, would be perfect for such activities.
While
Babin never made it to the Partisans, he engaged in surreptitious activity on
behalf of Soviet Military Intelligence, known by its Russian initials as the
GRU. Authors John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, in their work Venona: Decoding
Soviet Espionage in America (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), note that
certain documents, recently released by the America's National Security Agency
(and available on their website) show that Babin provided the GRU with
information about his recruitment work for the OSS and SOE as well as providing
it with "a steady stream of information ... about American shipping in New
York harbor."
The
Americans never caught Babin. After World War 11, he joined Yugoslavia’s
Ministry for Foreign Affairs and served, at least publicly, as Yugoslavia's
attache for relief work and for its merchant marine at Yugoslavia's embassy in
Washington, D.C. He continued to remain a liason with the Croatian-American
community and is known to have had contacts with various Croatian-American and
other Communists.
In
1948, however, he left the embassy after having announced his support for
Stalin following the Tito-Stalin split,
Babin, who had married to an American-born Croatian, sought political
asylum in the United States, claiming that he would be persecuted if forced to
return to Yugoslavia. However, the United States had already instituted
repressive measures against Communists and initiated deportation proceedings
against him. American authorities finally succeeded in deporting Babin to
Poland in 1950 and he died in Warsaw in March 1956; far from both his native
Preko and his wife and children in the United States.
BACH, NENAD Recording Artist-Composer
Nenad
is a recording artist, composer, and performer who has recorded for Sony,
Polygram and many other labels. Two of his albums reached No. 1 in Europe, and
to date he has sold over one million records. In addition, he has performed all
over the world with a wide range of artists, including Luciano Pavarotti, Bono
& The Edge (U2), Brian Eno, Indigo Girls, Richie Havens, Garth Hudson &
Rick Danko (The Band), Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead), Martin Sheen, Michael
York, John Malkovich, Ellen Burstyn, and many more. He performed at Woodstock
'94, and in 1998 he made a compilation album with Bruce Springsteen, Leonard
Cohen and Allen Ginsberg. In March 1999, he opened the Miss Universe pageant in
Europe with his new song "Miss Universe." Nenad also writes and
records music for film and theater. He has scored many features and short
films. One such project was "King of Cool," a biopic about the life
of Steve McQueen, which premiered on American Movie Classics (AMC), to over 65
million households. Another was "Life beyond Timothy Leary".
Subsequently, Nenad scored the Mladen Juran film "Transatlantic",
which was the Croatian entry for consideration as Best Foreign Film in the 1999
Academy Awards. He just finished scoring a new film directed by Burt Young called
"Murder on Mott Street".
Finally,
Nenad is also a record producer with a special interest in documenting the
fascinating but little-known musical traditions of his homeland, Croatia. His
most recent work includes the production of three new acappella albums:
"Fire on the Sea," by Klapa
Fortunal; "Following the
Cross," a collection of Lenten chants based on 600-year-old Gregorian Chants never previously recorded;
and just released "Novaljo, Novaljo," by Klapa Navalia. Nenad's work
and his life story have been featured on all the major US TV networks (CBS,
ABC, NBC), on CNN, on Sky Channel, and on TV channels in Russia, France,
Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Japan, and many other countries. Press
coverage has been similarly widespread, ranging from The New York Times to
Billboard, from The Washington Post to Corriere Della Sera, and from The Boston
Globe to the New York Daily News. Nenad's most recent solo record is
"Thousand Years of Peace" which will be released in 2001. The album
was recorded in Nenad's own recording studio, which he also uses for his
scoring and production work and which was designed to accommodate anything from
acappella vocals to rock and roll to symphonic orchestras on a location.
He
is currently in preproduction for a new solo album, which is due for release in
Spring 2002. Nenad sang in the new recordings of "We Are Family"
benefit for the Sept. 11th fund as well as scored the film "The Making and
the Meaning of We Are Family". His label just signed a contract for the
worldwide promotion and distribution of "The Pharos
Cantors"(Glagolitic Chants based on Gregorian Chants). He also recently
completed work as a language consultant
for the literature and film project for all four of the Harry Potter
books. Through his singing and songwriting Nenad's goal is to spread the
message of joy and universal peace.
BACHAN, LUKE G. Fruit Packer
He
came from Dalmatia, Croatia where he was born February 28, 1889, the son of
Luke Bachan, a hardworking farmer whom he never knew, for he passed away when
the son, L. G., was about three years old. His devoted mother is still living.
On October 6, 1907, he landed in New York, eager to try his fortune under the
more favoring Stars and Stripes; and soon after setting foot on American soil
he boarded a train and started for California. On the 13th of October, 1907,
Mr. Bachan reached the Pajaro valley in Watsonville and immediately went to
work. Luckily, he had been able to save
a little money from his dollar-a-day income, and, though his beginning was
unpretentious enough, he has been, by hard work, foresight and thrift, very
successful. This is evidenced by the fact that he has just bought the Dunbar
& Hansen plant, with all the equipment -a very important adjunct. His
success here has developed an intense interest on his part in all that pertains
to the growth and future of Watsonville. Mr. Bachan has been twice married, his
first wife being Miss Tresa De Lares, by whom he has had two children,
Catherine Anna and Luke George, Jr. Mrs. Bachan, who was beloved by all who
knew her, died November 1, 1922, and he had subsequently married Miss Maria P.
Alaga, by whom he has one child, Alice Maria. He is a republican; has attended
to the third degree in the Knights of Columbus; is a Forester of America; and
belongs to the Austrian-American benevolent Association.
BACHMAN, JOSIP Tamburitza
Josip
Bachmann was the organizer and director of the Tamburica orchestra "Croatia" in the Croatian
parish of St. Anthony's in Los Angeles. As an expert of Croatian tamburica
music which interested and occupied him since his early youth in his native
Osijek in Croatia. He was born January 7, 1915. In his native Croatia he
belonged to the Croatian eagle Club and the Croatian Krizarsko Bratstvo. He played for Radio Osijek. Music was always
a great part of Josip Bachmann's life-especially after his musical education,
which he finished at the Osijek Musical Academy. Josip arrived in the United
States in 1957, where he continued to contribute to the artistic life of the
Croatian community in Southern California. As a conductor of the "Croatia
Orchestra" he held many a concert-not only in the parish halls of St.
Anthony but also in many of the musical institutes of the United States. In
this way, many thousands Americans first heard Croatian tamburica music. He
also conducted for three phonograph albums: "Croatian melodies",
"Croatian Sounds" and "Songs from Croatia." Many of these
were difficult selections from very accomplished Croatian tamburica composers.
Maestro Bachmann devoted much of his time-even as he worked regularly-to the
Croatian children and young people to whom he taught the different tamburica
instruments free of charge.
BACICH, STELLA Fashion Designer
Stella
Bacich, or “Stella of Hollywood”, became a successful fashion designer of
women’s sports clothes in the 1930s and was commissioned by various movie stars
to design sport slacks. She was an
American citizen, originally from Los Angeles.
Stella was one of the youngest of California’s designers to be in
business for herself. She also worked in
such movie studios as Film Modes, Kay Dell Screen Modes and Dorothy Newman.
BADOVINAC, JOHN Editor-President CFU
John
Badovinac, former president of the Croatian Fraternal Union, edited Bulletin
(Vjesnik) of St. Nicholas Lodge No. 14 of the CFU in the late 1960s. He also
edited The American Croatian Pioneer, which was issued monthly by the Lodge No.
663 of the CFU in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and is still a rich source of
information on Croatian local history. For over ten years The American Croatian
Pioneer was dedicated to the service of its members and to all CFU members in
the greater Cleveland and northern Ohio areas. John Badovinac published many
articles on Croatian history and ethnic history; these were published in the
Zajednicar newspaper of the Croatian Fraternal Union. John’s family came from
Zumberak, Croatia.
BADURINA-JUSTIS, LORRAINE M Reference
Librarian
Lorraine
Badurina is a Librarian at the Oregon College of Education, Monmouth, Oregon.
She was born to Croatian parents June 25, 1945 in Vancouver, Washington.
Education includes Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 1963-67, B.A.;
University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, 1967-68, M.L.S. with a major field in
English and a sprecialty in Librarianship.
BAGARIC, DALIBOR Basketball
Dalibor Bagaric has changed his summer plans after a
heart-to-heart with operations chief Jerry Krause, who convinced the
second-year center it would be in his best interests to participate in the
Bulls' summer program. Bagaric had grown so disenfranchised with a lack of
playing time, he vowed to stay in Croatia throughout the summer. But Bagaric
has seen more playing time since Brad Miller was traded to the Indiana Pacers,
and Krause made sure Bagaric understood the importance of remaining in Chicago. ''Dali
and I talked,'' Krause said. ''He's going to stay here. "He's going to go
home to get married, then come back for the summer program, like everybody
else. ''He's a nice young man who was frustrated. But we never have had any
problems with Dali. He's a hard worker.'' Bagaric said he has adjusted his
attitude after talking to Krause, who drafted him with the 24th pick in 2000.
''[Krause] told me what I have to do and what I'm supposed to do, and I will do
it,'' Bagaric said. ''We had a good talk. ''And now I'm playing more, and it's
a better situation. I will be here.'' Bagaric is under contract through
next season. March 10, 2002.
BAHORIC, JOHN Professor
Born
June 21, 1936, Chigago, Illinois. Educated at 1955-57 Menlo College, Menlo
Park, California, A.A. 1958; 1961-64 University of the Americas, Mexico City,
Mexico, B.A.-1964; 1964-66 University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado,
M.A.-1967; 1969 University of New Mexico, Ph.D. Candidate in Ibero-American
Studies. Instructor of Spanish at University of New Mexico, Department of
Modern Languages, Albuquerque, New Mexico. He specialized in Spanish and Latin
American Literature. U.S. Army Service in Germany, 1957-1959 and study in
Austria. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese
and German and is a member of the Modern language Association.
BAHR, CAROLINE Tamburitza