merry christmas! - Slovene National Benefit Society

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Your 

News 

Official Publication of the Slovene National Benefit Society 

YEAR CII USPS: 448-080 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2009 

ISSUE 25 ISSN: 1080-0263 

Heritage Center anticipating the 2010 season 

by CAROL SADAR MARUSZAK (53) 

SNPJ Heritage Center Committee 

BOROUGH OF SNPJ, Pa. — The SNPJ 

Heritage Center is busy helping Santa fulfill 

wish lists with last-minute cookbook orders 

and other items from the gift shop. It’s too late 

to receive a cookbook in time for the holidays, 

but remember that special person for his or her 

birthday, wedding, anniversary or other special 

occasion. Valentine’s Day is just around the 

corner! 

The Heritage Center is closed and will reopen 

Sunday, April 18, 2010. Although we are closed, 

cookbook orders are still being filled. Thank you 

to Theresa Iskra of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, for 

Me r r y Ch r i s t M a s! 

• Olivia N. Jewkes 

Born July 29, 2008 

Helper, Utah, Lodge 689 

The members of Lodge 689 welcome the 

newest addition to their Lodge, Olivia Nicole 

Jewkes. Olivia is the daughter of Jeremy 

(689) and Tara Jewkes, sister of Josie 

Jewkes (689), and granddaughter of Billy 

and Barbara (689) Jewkes. We welcome 

Olivia to SNPJ and extend our best wishes 

to her entire family. 

selling and promoting the cookbook. It’s because 

of everyone’s continued interest that the SNPJ 

Heritage Center thrives today. 

SNPJ Lodge 689 in Helper, Utah, donated 

$100 to the Heritage Center. Donations from 

other Lodges and organizations support the 

Heritage Center, and assist in providing upkeep, 

overhead costs and sponsored programs. Thank 

you to Lorraine Babcock for her efforts and for 

sending the check to us. 

The positive feedback and support for the 

cookbook has been overwhelming. It has inspired 

the Heritage Center Committee to update 

displays and introduce new programs for 2010. 

There is a limited coal miner display in the 

• Frank J. Rote III 

Born June 3, 2009 

Fontana, Calif., Lodge 723 

Lodge 723 members welcome the newest 

addition to their Lodge, Frank J. Rote III. 

Frank is the son of Frank Jr. (723) and 

Stephanie Rote, grandson of Frank and 

Diana Rote (723), and great-grandson 

of Frank L. Rote. We welcome Frank to 

the Slovene National Benefit Society and 

extend our best wishes to his entire family. 

Heritage Center that is going to be expanded. 

Many Slovenians had jobs in the coal mines, 

and the Heritage Center Committee would like 

to share those stories with others. If you, a family 

member or friend worked in the mines and 

would like to share your personal story, please 

write it down and mail it to me. The stories 

will be shared in Prosveta and on display in 

the Heritage Center. I can be reached at maruszaklcgazette@yahoo.com 

or 2151 Larchmont 

SEE HERITAGE CENTER 2010 

ON PAGE 8 

The Slowind Quintet from Slovenia spent a few days in California performing for guests all 

along the coast. 

Slovenia’s Slowind takes California by storm 

by JEAN KOCI 

Lodge 786 Secretary/Treasurer 

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — What a joy to 

have the wonderful Slowind Quintet visit us once 

again in Laguna Niguel! The talented musicians 

of this ensemble performed another wonderful 

concert at St. Timothy’s Church Nov. 7. We 

were treated to an unusual selection of music by 

composers dating as far back as the 1700s up to 

the very youthful Nina Šenk of Slovenia. 

The audience was surprised and in awe when 

the fellows brought out wooden sticks to play 

the rhythm of American Steve Reich. Slowind 

found this music a few years ago, not in the 

United States, but in Mongolia. Also featured 

were Antonin Rejcha (1779-1836) of Czech 

heritage and Gyorgy Ligeti (1923-2006) of 

Hungary. 

A crowd of over 250 was in attendance, 

which was a smaller crowd than in the past, 

but it was a very appreciative audience that 

really enjoyed the evening. The concert was 

followed by a lovely reception where Matej 

Šarc, Aleš Kacjan, Metod Tomac, Jurij Jenko 

and Paulo Calligaris generously greeted and got 

acquainted with many of those in attendance. An 

abundance of potica, strudel and other pastries 

was served. For the Slovenians, of course, these 

were familiar treats, but for many of the others, 

they couldn’t believe all these lovely desserts 

PERIODICAL MATERIAL 

were homemade and delicious. 

The event was supported by many members 

of the parish; by students from several local high 

schools and colleges; by community members 

who read about the event in the local news; and 

by Slovenians from the San Fernando Valley, 

the San Gabriel Valley, Palm Springs, Fontana, 

Riverside County and all along the coastal communities. 

It was a joy to see younger Slovenians, 

some of whom are newcomers to Southern 

California, connect and gather together. They 

urged us to keep them informed about upcoming 

events. They didn’t want to go home because 

SEE SLOWIND STORM 

ON PAGE 5 

• Ryder and Dane Feltes 

Borough of SNPJ, Pa., Lodge 776 

In This Issue 

Up-and-Coming Calendar of Events.......... 2 

Slovenia From the Source ......................... 3 

Slovenska Stran ........................................ 4 

SNPJ Recommender Coupon ................... 6 

Fraternal Sympathies ................................ 8 

briefly 

Home Office closed for 

Christmas, New Year 

IMPERIAL, Pa. — The SNPJ Home Office 

will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 23, 

through Friday, Dec. 25, in observance of 

the Christmas holiday. The Home Office 

will also be closed Thursday, Dec. 31, 

and Friday, Jan. 1, 2010, in celebration 

of the New Year. Normal office hours, 8 

a.m. until 5 p.m., will resume Monday, 

Jan. 4. We wish all SNPJ members and 

friends a merry Christmas and a happy 

New Year. 

Get insight on SNPJ 

products at Lodge 106 

IMPERIAL, Pa. — SNPJ Marketing Director 

Greg Felton will be visiting Imperial, 

Pa., Lodge 106 Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. 

The regular Lodge meeting will begin at 

7 p.m. followed by a 15- to 20-minute 

PowerPoint presentation by Bro. Felton 

which will cover SNPJ history, products, 

fraternal benefits, etc. All members are 

welcome to attend to learn more about 

SNPJ or to have any questions answered. 

Register for e-mail notice 

of insurance premiums 

IMPERIAL, Pa. — SNPJ is now offering 

members the opportunity to receive their 

life insurance premium notices via e-mail. 

To register for this service, simply phone 

the SNPJ Home Office at 1-800-843-7675 

or e-mail rwright@snpj.com and request 

to have your bills e-mailed to you. We 

will be happy to send you a one-year 

supply of envelopes for your use when 

returning payments to the Home Office. 

The number of envelopes sent will be 

determined by the frequency of premium 

payments you make. 

Have you recommended 

a new member lately? 

IMPERIAL, Pa. — Be sure to take 

advantage of SNPJ’s Recommender 

Program which offers SNPJ members an 

enhanced benefit for encouraging family, 

children, friends and acquaintances to join 

SNPJ. The recommender will receive $10 

for each valid referral submitted. Every 

valid referral earns the recommender one 

chance in the quarterly drawing for an 

opportunity to win $100 and an additional 

chance in the year-end drawing for an 

opportunity to win $500. See page 6 for 

the Recommender coupon. 

THE 

DEADLINE 

The next two PROSVETA issue dates 

are Dec. 30 and Jan. 13, 2010. All material 

must be received by Friday, Dec. 18, 

for the Dec. 30 issue, and by Monday, 

Jan. 4, for the Jan. 13 issue. If you are 

running short on time and concerned 

about making the deadline, try faxing 

your submission to (724) 695-1555 or 

e-mailing prosveta@snpj.com. 

The members of Lodge 776 welcome Ryder Feltes, 4, and Dane Feltes, 2, as their newest 

additions to the Lodge. Ryder and Dane are the sons of Brad (776) and Katy Feltes, 

the grandsons of George Feltes (776), and the great-grandsons of Anna Feltes (776). 

We welcome Ryder and Dane to the Slovene National Benefit Society, and extend our 

best wishes to their entire family.

2PROSVETA 

December 16, 2009 

PROSVETA 

ENLIGHTENMENT 

(USPS 448-080) 

(ISSN 1080-0263) 

The Official Publication of the 

Slovene National 

Benefit Society 

247 W. Allegheny Road 

Imperial, PA 15126-9774 

Phone: (724) 695-1100 

Toll-Free: 

1-800-843-7675 (THE SNPJ) 

Fax: (724) 695-1555 

e-mail: prosveta@snpj.com 

web site: www.snpj.org 

ed i t o r: 

Jay Sedmak 

as s o c i a t e ed i t o r: 

Kimberly Gonzalez 

Subscription rate is $8 per year for non-SNPJ 

members in the United States (Fla. subscribers, 

please add 6 percent sales tax). Canadian and 

foreign subscriptions, $50 per year. Advertising 

information available by writing our office. 

Material concerning the official workings of 

the Slovene National Benefit Society is given 

publication priority. Unsolicited manuscripts 

returned only if a self-addressed, stamped 

envelope is enclosed. 

Postmaster: Send all address changes to: 

PROSVETA, 247 W. Allegheny Rd., 


(Issued biweekly on Wednesday) 

(Periodical postage paid at Imperial, Pa., 

and additional mailing office.) 

sNPJ Na t i oN a l Bo a r d 

Executive Committee: 

Na t i oN a l Pr e s i d eN t 

Joseph C. Evanish 

Na t i oN a l se c r e t a r y 

Karen A. Pintar 

Na t i oN a l tr e a s u r e r 

Robert J. Lawrence 

Correspondence received at: 

247 West Allegheny Road 


Office hours are Monday -Thursday, 8 a.m. 

to 5 p.m.; Fridays 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Finance Committee: 

Chrm.: Joseph P. Cvetas — 356 

Golfview Road, Unit 602, N. Palm 

Beach, FL 33408 

Robert Lawrence, Secretary 

Joseph C. Evanish 

Kenneth Anderson — 2400 Derby Road, 

Birmingham, MI 48009 

Roger C. Clifford — 102 Lang Road, 

Sewickley, PA 15143 

Supervisory Committee: 

Chrm.: Phyllis Wood — 9519 Evergreen 

Lane, Fontana, CA 92335 

Vincent Baselj — 1001 Grandview Ave., 

Apt. 903, Bridgeville, PA 15017 

Louis J. Novak — 6308 Highland Rd., 

Highland Heights, OH 44143 

Stan Repos — 1255 McCaslin Rd., 

Imperial, PA 15126 

Joseph M. Grkman Jr. — P.O. Box 584, 

South Park, PA 15129 

Regional Vice Presidents: 

Edward Kuzma, Region 1 — Box 217, 

Tire Hill, PA 15959 

James L. Curl, Region 2 — 503 Orchard 

St., Carnegie, PA 15106 

Nancy Koutoulakis, Region 3 — 4321 

Beverly Dr., Aliquippa, PA 15001 

Dorothy Gorjup, Region 4 — 23760 

Farringdon Ave., Euclid, OH 44123 

Tracey Anderson, Region 5 — 1014 

Edgewood Dr., Royal Oak, MI 48067 

Justina Rigler, Region 6 — 1116 Berkley 

Lane, Lemont, IL 60439 

John Zibert, Region 7 — 284 N. 200 

St., Arma, KS 66712 

Fred Mlakar, Region 8 — 13592 

Onkayha Cir., Irvine, CA 92620 

SNPJ Recreation Center 

270 Martin Road 

Enon Valley, PA 16120 

(724) 336-5180 • fax (724) 336-6716 

Toll-free: 1-877-767-5732 

web site: www.snpjrec.com 

e-mail: snpj@snpjrec.com 

Up-and-Coming... 

Have something for 

Up-and-Coming? 

Lodge/Organization 

Type of Event 

Site 

If a concert or dance, who is 

performing? 

Date 

Time 

Who to contact 

Phone ( ) 

Complete and return to: 

PROSVETA 

247 W. Allegheny Road 


e-mail: prosveta@snpj.com 

Busy hands for 

the Lodge A18 

holiday season 

by DIANE PEOPLES 

Lodge A18 Secretary/Treasurer 

BADEN, Pa. — Lodge A18 held its holiday party 

Nov. 29 in the Anthony Wayne Terrace community 

room. After the meeting and nomination of 2010 

officers, members and guests enjoyed dinner, door 

prizes and bingo. 

Everyone in attendance helped assemble crafts 

for a local school’s Santa Land. SNPJ Region 3 

Vice President Nancy Koutoulakis (721) and her 

husband were our special guests. 

The next Lodge A18 meeting will be held 

Sunday, Jan. 10, weather permitting, at the Anthony 

Wayne Terrace community room from 2 

to 4 p.m. We hope all members will join us for 

our election of officers, a planning meeting and a 

potluck dinner. 

For additional details or if you have any questions, 

please contact Lodge A18 President Susan 

Ramsey at (724) 869-0172. 

www.snpj.org • prosveta@snpj.com 

A look at events planned by the Slovene National Benefit Society 

• DEC. 27 ..........Herminie, Pa., Lodge 87 polka 

dance in the Crystal Ballroom, 2-7 p.m. 

Entertainment by the Mikey Dee and Karl 

Lukitsch bands. For more information 

contact Shirley Bailley at (724) 864- 

1606. 

• DEC. 31 ........Sygan, Pa., Lodge 6 New Year’s 

Eve dance, 7 p.m.-1a.m. Music by Frank 

Palombi’s Good Time Band. For more 

information phone Marianne Carchidi at 

(412) 200-2398. 

2010 

• JAN. 1 ...........Spring Hill, Fla., Lodge 778 New 

Year’s Day dinner dance. Dinner served 

from noon-1:30 p.m.; dancing to the Bob 

Turcola Orchestra from 2-5 p.m. For 

additional information phone Mary Ann 

Hiltz at (727) 376-8486. 

• JAN. 16 .........Verbick Fraternal Memorial Bowling 

Tournament at Riviera Lanes, West 

Allis, Wis. Bowling begins at noon. For 

more information contact Mary Donovan 

at (414) 817-0192. 

Lodge A18 members assembled crafts for a local school’s 

Christmas festivities during their November meeting. 

Everyone a winner at Lodge 745 Casino Night 

submitted by 

Dan Miller 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. — On Nov. 14, Golden 

Valley Lodge 745 members held their first-ever Casino 

Night. More than 45 members and friends gathered 

at Dale and Suzie Buse’s home in Newcastle, Calif., 

for this fund-raising event. For a $15 donation, each 

attendee received $150 worth of chips to use at five 

game tables including two blackjack tables, roulette, 

Pai Gow Poker and Texas hold ’em. Keno cards were 

available as well. For four fun-filled hours, beginners 

and seasoned gamblers alike sat side by side and took 

their chance with lady luck. 

For those who wanted a break from the gaming tables, 

a dance floor was provided in the middle of the room 

that was perfect for polka. Live music was performed 

throughout the night by Dale Buse on piano, Frank Rote 

on accordion, John Mlakar on accordion, Joe Mlakar on 

banjo and Suzie Buse on drums. Even the occasional 

guest would sit in and play a set. 

A delicious and seemingly never-ending buffet prepared 

by Lodge member Teresa Mlakar assured that 

everyone had all the fuel they needed to keep them going 

all night. As an extra fund-raising opportunity, the 

Lodge sold strudel made by members Lucille Mlakar 

and Julianne Wood for dessert. 

At the end of the night, everyone turned in their 

remaining chips in exchange for drawing tickets which 

by PHYLLIS WOOD 

Lodge 723 

FONTANA, Calif. — It always amazes me what 

little effort it takes of a few to fulfill the needs of 

many. In October 2009, the California Fraternal 

Congress – of which SNPJ is a member – sponsored 

their annual service project in conjunction with their 

annual conference. This year, the service project 

benefactor was the Sacramento Children’s Home, 

a foster home located in the city of Sacramento in 

Northern California. Approximately 30 children between 

the ages of infancy and 15 reside at this facility. 

The service project focused on providing 50 

backpacks of items for the children, with items 

donated by the various fraternal members of the 

California Fraternal Congress. As a member of the 

California Fraternal Congress Board of Directors, it 

was expected that I take a lead in raising donations 

from our California SNPJ Lodges. Each Lodge 

in California was contacted for donations, and I 

selected to purchase 25 stuffed animals from the 

“need” list. Extremely generous monetary donations 

were received from Lodge 745 in Grass Valley, 

Lodge 723 in Fontana and Lodge 786 in Orange 

County. A donation from the SNPJ Home Office 

was made to the annual congress meeting. 

Needless to say, we were able to purchase 25 cud- 

they applied toward five great prizes. The lucky winners 

left with themed gift baskets containing fun and useful 

items such as movie tickets, wine, martini glasses, bath 

products, videos and more. 

In the end, whether it was a gift basket, a package 

of strudel or a night filled with memories of fun and 

friends, everyone left a winner. It was a clear consensus 

that the Lodge 745 Casino Night was an overwhelming 

success. The membership is in eager anticipation of the 

next Lodge activity! 

Lodge 745 members and friends mastered their card 

playing skills during the Lodge’s recent Casino Night. 

dly stuffed animals and with some money left over, 

eight books for various ages were purchased for 

the center’s library. On behalf of SNPJ, Lodge 723 

member Julianne Wood assisted with the purchases 

and delivered the items to the Sacramento Hilton, 

where she also participated in the assembly of the 

backpacks and loading onto trucks. Julianne stated, 

“It was good to interact with other fraternal groups 

and to make a difference in my own city.” 

Lodge 745 member John Mlakar represented 

SNPJ at the congress. This was his first time at- 

• JAN. 23-24 ....Spring Hill, Fla., Lodge 778 Snowflake 

Dance Weekend. Entertainment 

featuring Frank Moravcik 6-10 p.m. Jan. 

23; 2-6 p.m. Jan. 24. For information contact 

Mary Ann Hiltz at (727) 376-8486. 

• JAN. 30 .........Spring Hill, Fla., Lodge 778 dance. 

Dinner served from 5-7 p.m.; dancing to 

Bob Kravos from 6-10 p.m. For details 

phone Mary Ann Hiltz at (727) 376-8486. 

• FEB. 6 ...........San Francisco Lodge 304 dinner 

dance at the Slovenian Hall, 2101 Mariposa, 

San Francisco. Dinner served at 

6 p.m.; dance music by the Joey Bajuk 

Trio. For additional information contact 

Diane Kresevich at (650) 588-3863. 

• FEB. 19-21 ....Florida SNPJ Days hosted by 

Samsula Lodge 603. 

• MARCH 5-7 .......... Florida Slovene Days and 

the SNPJ Florida Annual Golf Tournament 

hosted by Spring Hill Lodge 778. 

Weekend entertainment features the Mahoning 

Valley Button Box Club and The 

Polka Quads. For additional information 

contact Rita Hren at (352) 382-3721; for 

golf tournament information phone Betty 

Keber at (352) 686-9579. 

Lodge 6 will 

host the 2010 

W. Pa. Bowling 

Tournament 

by KEVIN RICHARDS 

SNPJ Fraternal Director 

IMPERIAL, Pa. — The Fraternal 

Department is pleased to announce 

that the bid to host the 2010 SNPJ 

Western Pa. Bowling Tournament 

submitted by Sygan Lodge 6 has been 

approved. 

The tournament will take place 

Feb. 26-28. The men will bowl at 

Sports Haven Bowl in Bridgeville, 

Pa., and the women will bowl at the 

Sygan Lodge 6 lanes. Turn to page 8 

for the entry form, and watch upcoming 

Prosveta issues for additional 

tournament information. 

Visiting Sygan Lodge 6 for bowling 

tournaments is always a great time. 

We look forward to bowling there 

again in 2010. 

Share the 

holidays with 

Sygan Lodge 6 

by RUTH WRIGHT (6) 

Youth Circle 36 Director 

SYGAN, Pa. — All Lodge 6 youth 

members are invited to the annual 

Lodge 6 Christmas party Saturday, 

Dec. 19, in the Sunshine Room. The 

doors will open at 1 p.m. Lunch with 

Santa will take place at 1:30 p.m. 

followed by games, activities and a 

stocking auction. 

SNPJ youth members will be admitted 

free of charge. Non-members 

are welcome for $5 and adult lunches 

can be purchased for $3. An RSVP is 

required by Dec. 14. Call or text Youth 

Circle 36 Director Ruth Wright at 

(412) 370-1726, or e-mail circle36@ 

comcast.net. 

A gift from the heart from the California Fraternal Congress 

T h e 2 0 0 9 

California 

F r a t e r n a l 

Congress service 

project focused 

on providing 50 

b a c k p a c k s o f 

items for children 

at the Sacramento 

Children’s Home. 

tending, and he was impressed by the number of 

fraternal organizations in California and the fact that 

they, like SNPJ, are having the same issues with 

decreasing membership and active members. We 

appreciate John’s attendance at the meeting. 

Many of the California Lodges utilized this 

activity as their Make a Difference Day project. 

And what a difference these SNPJ members made 

for many children who have little to nothing to 

call their own. Thank you, participating California 

SNPJ Lodges. 

• MARCH 21 ........... Spring Hill, Fla., Lodge 778 

dinner dance. Dinner served from noon- 

1:30 p.m.; dancing to Virgil Baker from 2-6 

p.m. For details contact Carol Drongosky 

at (352) 237-8039. 

• MAY 1-2 ........SNPJ National Bowling Tournament 

hosted by Indianapolis Lodge 34. 

For tournament information contact Fraternal 

Director Kevin Richards at 1-800- 

843-7675 or krichards@snpj.com. 

• JUNE 20-25 ......Youth Roundup at the SNPJ 

Recreation Center, Borough of SNPJ, 

Pa. Contact Fraternal Director Kevin 

Richards at 1-800-843-7675 or e-mail 

krichards@snpj.com for registration 

forms. 

• JUNE 25-27 ......SNPJ Young Adult Conference 

at the SNPJ Recreation Center, Borough 

of SNPJ, Pa. For registration information 

contact Fraternal Director Kevin Richards 

at 1-800-843-7675 or e-mail krichards@ 

snpj.com. 

• JULY 9-11..........Slovenefest XXIX and the 54th 

Miss SNPJ Pageant at the SNPJ Recreation 

Center, Borough of SNPJ, Pa.


GREG FELTON 

Marketing Director 

How much do 

you really need? 

Life insurance is easy to purchase, and people often 

choose a flat amount of insurance like $5,000 or 

$10,000. But last year, funeral costs alone averaged 

about $8,000. Is that enough insurance for your family? 

Most people plan to use their insurance to pay for all or 

part of the following types of expenses: 

Immediate Ongoing Future 

• Credit card debt/bills 

• Funeral ($8,000 avg.) 

• Mortgage 

• Car loans 

• Taxes 

• Estate settlement 

• Health Care 

• Food 

• Utilities 

• Housing 

• Clothing 

• Insurance 

Certainly, the immediate expenses should be covered 

right away. You should have sufficient life insurance protection 

to cover these urgent items. Then you have to think 

about the ongoing expenses for your family. Even though 

you are no longer in the picture, they still have a household 

to run and that takes money. Phone, gas and electric 

bills aren’t cheap, and they won’t be any less without you 

there. Of course, any good financial plan includes ideas to 

accumulate money for future expenses. These items may 

seem far off, but in reality they’re right around the corner. 

Attention to these future expenses allows for growth and 

other possibilities. 

When calculating your life insurance needs, use this 

simple formula: take your current and future financial 

obligations minus your spouse’s earnings, current savings, 

investments and any life insurance you already own. 

The difference is the amount of insurance needed. Buy it 

now while you’re in good health and before you get any 

older. 

For more help on this subject or to schedule a review, 

please contact your Lodge secretary, local sales representative 

or the SNPJ Home Office at 1-800-843-7675. 

• Thought for the Week — Who 

aims at excellence will be above 

mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity 

will be far short of it. 

Slovenian proverb 

Blood Will Tell 

Thousands of Slovenians immigrated 

to western Pennsylvania and eastern 

Ohio at the turn of the century 

to supply the labor market in the 

expanding steel and manufacturing 

industries. Craig Paulenich traces 

that legacy through his newest book 

of poetry, Blood Will tell. 

• Business 

opportunity 

• College 

• Retirement 

• Investments 

$20 each, includes shipping/handling 

Mail your order and payment to: 

Craig Paulenich, 6603 Depot Road, Lisbon, OH 44432 

POTICAS 

Keep your holiday tradition alive 

Order NOW from 

Wojtila’s Ba k e r y 

(216) 731-7080 

3 lb. potica for only $24. 95 plus s/h 

Available in 

Nut, Poppyseed and Raisin Nut 

Family owned by 

Don Wojtila • Baker and Polka Musician 

Chrissy Wojtila • Miss SNPJ 2000 

A CENTURY 

in the making 

Proud of your SNPJ membership? Then you 

owe it to yourself to delve deeper into SNPJ 

history through the pages of An Inspired Journey 

— The SNPJ Story: The First One Hundred Years 

of the Slovene National Benefit Society. 

This richly-illustrated chronicle of SNPJ 

history compiled and written by SNPJ Publications 

Editor Jay Sedmak is now available 

for purchase. 

$15.00 each — plus $2.50 s/h 

add $1 shipping for each additional copy ordered 

RETURN THIS ORDER FORM TO 

Slovene National Benefit Society 

247 West Allegheny Road • Imperial, PA 15126-9774 

Name _________________________________________ 

Address _______________________________________ 

City/State/Zip ___________________________________ 

Number of copies _______________________________ 

Payment in full must accompany all orders. Make checks payable to SNPJ. 

Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. 

Government paves the 

way for investigative office 

LJUBLJANA (STA) — In mid- 

November, Slovenia’s government 

adopted changes to the Police Act that 

determine conditions of future workings 

of the National Investigation Office, an 

independent body that will investigate 

all forms of white-collar, corporate and 

other serious crimes. 

Interior Minister Katarina Kresal told 

the press after the government session 

that the amendments determined the 

office’s scope of work, the director’s 

powers of appointment and the terms 

for employment in the office. According 

to the minister, the office is necessary 

because the existing organization and 

skills of prosecution bodies are not sufficient 

to achieve a breakthrough in the 

war against white-collar crime. 

Following analyses, the ministry 

opted for the Finnish model of a national 

investigation bureau, but upgraded it 

with a multidisciplinary approach. 

“Specialized investigative groups will 

have a common seat, which will enable 

protection of confidential and relevant 

data,” Kresal said. She added that the 

office will be highly independent in its 

work and decisions, and that it will be 

flexible – mean ing that it will be able to 

hire external experts for individual cases. 

One of the key points of the analysis 

was that the office should maintain 

good practices and not hamper current 

investigative work carried out by the 

police. “This is about improving the 

work of the police with an internal unit,” 

Kresal said. 

When asked about personnel, the minister 

replied that the office will employ 

between 70 and 80 investigators who will 

come from both within and outside the 

police force. Candidates will be selected 

throughout next year, she added. 

Fuzine Castle returned to 

the government’s hands 

LJUBLJANA (STA) — In its development 

plan for the 2009-2012 period, 

the Slovenian government included 

the purchase of Fuzine Castle at $7.54 

million, thus confirming a deal signed 

with the Ljubljana municipality in mid- 

October. The purchase of the castle, 

which is home to Ljubljana Museum 

of Architecture, was urgent because 

no other facility of 64,500 square feet 

is currently available for purchase, the 

government announced. 

In the long run, leasing the building, 

which is listed on the cultural heritage 

registry, is much more costly that actually 

buying it. The Culture Ministry therefore 

negotiated the purchase price with the 

Ljubljana municipality. The municipality 

will cover all other costs of the agreement, 

which should be signed by the end 

of the month. The government will reallocate 

the money for the purchase from 

investments in cultural facilities. 

Ljubljana U celebrates 

its 90th anniversary... 

LJUBLJANA (STA) — The University 

of Ljubljana, the largest and oldest 

university in Slovenia, hosted a series 

of events the first week of December to 

mark its 90th anniversary. The highlight 

of the celebrations was held Dec. 1 and 

included a special ceremony in Ljubljana. 

The celebration marked 90 years since 

the university’s first lecture on Dec. 3, 

1919, which was a culmination of decades 

of efforts by Slovenians to have 

their first university. 

Although formally 90 years old, the 

university traces its origins to the Jesuit 

College in Ljubljana, which started 

teaching moral theology in addition to 

high school subjects in 1633, according 

to the University of Ljubljana web site. 

The demand for a university had been 

a centerpiece of the Slovenians’ efforts 

to liberate themselves from Hapsburg 

rule, which gained momentum in the 

revolutionary year of 1848. The dream 

finally came true in 1919, after World 

War I and the collapse of the Hapsburg 

monarchy. 

The institution’s name has changed 

seven times, reflecting political and 

ideological circumstances in the tumultuous 

20th century. Initially named after 

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, it was 

called the King’s University of Ljubljana 

between 1941 and 1943, when it was 

given its present name. However, it was 

renamed the Edvard Kardelj University 

of Ljubljana between 1979 and 1990 

in honor of the Slovenian Communist 

official. 

from the 

source 

At its outset, the University of Ljubljana 

included faculties (departments) 

of theology, law, arts, technical sciences 

and medi cine, and it has since expanded 

to encompass 23 faculties and three academies. 

In the 2008/2009 academic year 

there were over 41,000 undergraduate 

students and nearly 4,400 students enrolled 

in post-graduate programs. 

Although events to mark the anniversary 

were held throughout the week, 

the Dec. 1 main celebration featured 

President Danilo Türk delivering the 

keynote address at the Cankarjev dom 

convention center. On the occasion, 

President Türk conferred the Order for 

Exceptional Services on the university 

for its contribution to scholarship, research, 

arts and teaching. 

...just as plans for a new 

private university dissolve 

LJUBLJANA (STA) — When the 

government annulled the registry of a 

new private university in January of this 

year, the Nova Gorica-based Faculty of 

Applied Social Sciences quit the project 

in October thus diminishing the hopes 

that it would ever come to life. 

Nova univerza, based at Brdo pri 

Kranju, sought to bring together the Faculty 

of Postgraduate State and European 

Studies at Brdo pri Kranju, the European 

Law Faculty and the Faculty of Applied 

Social Sciences in Nova Gorica, which 

together have more than 2,000 students. 

The latter has decided to join the University 

of Primorsko. 

Dean of the Faculty of Applied Social 

Sciences Matevz Tomsič explained the 

decision was in the best interest of the 

faculty’s future development. The faculty’s 

managing board and the senate 

unanimously decided to leave the Nova 

univerza project “based on a thorough 

analysis of pros and cons,” he noted. 

Chancellor of the University of 

Primorsko Rado Bohinc said that the 

faculty’s application had been accepted 

and that an evaluation showed positive 

results. He added that he was personally 

inclined to the annexation because the 

university would obtain a social studies 

program, which it was lacking. 

By joining a state university, the Faculty 

of Applied Social Sciences diminished 

all hopes that Nova univerza would 

become the country’s second private 

university, following in the footsteps of 

the University of Nova Gorica. 

Slovenian television in 

transition to digital signal 

LJUBLJANA (STA) — The transitional 

period during which television broadcasters 

must make the switch from analog 

to digital signals began in Slovenia on 

Dec. 1 and will continue until Dec. 1, 

2010. Government officials have asked 

households to adjust to the change in 

broadcast by purchasing the necessary 

equipment. 

Analog and digital transmissions will 

run parallel for the next year, at which 

time analog signals will be taken offline. 

By then, households viewing television 

broadcasts via regular aerial antennas 

will need to purchase digital tuners. 

During the transitional period, digital 

broadcasts will be available on the first 

digital multiplex in Slovenia managed 

by public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, 

the head of the Directorate for Information 

Society Nikolaj Simič told the press 

in Ljubljana. In addition to the public 

broadcaster’s channels, the multiplex 

will also carry the most popular commercial 

television stations, POP TV, 

Kanal A and TV 3, as well as several 

smaller Slovenian stations. 

Slovenian computer 

sales continue to decline 

LJUBLJANA (STA) — Slightly fewer 

than 50,000 personal computers were 

purchased in Slovenia during the third 

quarter of this year, a 20.6 percent decrease 

in comparison to the same period 

last year. According to data presented by 

the IDC market research and analysis 

firm, this means a continuation of a trend 

that began earlier this year. 

While a 27.9 percent drop was recorded 

in laptop sales, the decline was 

less pronounced in the sale of desktop 

PROSVETA 


3 

units, which was down only 9.8 percent. 

IDC attributes this disparity to the start of 

the school year and a boost in activities 

targeting educational sales. 

Pokljuka ski resort 

opens renovated hotel 

POkLJUkA (STA) — The Sport Hotel 

on the Pokljuka plateau reopened in late 

November after receiving a face-lift 

estimated at $1.96 million, 25 percent 

of which came from European structural 

funds. The hotel will cater to a variety of 

guests, including world-class athletes. 

Local Government and Regional 

Development Minister Henrik Gjerkes, 

who was on hand for the inauguration, 

said that the investment proved how important 

projects could be completed with 

the help of EU funds. Gjerkes called for 

better use of this type of funding. 

The renovated hotel can accommodate 

120 people in single, double and triple 

rooms. Prior to the renovation, the hotel 

catered mainly to skiers, cross-country 

skiers, hikers and mountaineers. The 

hotel will also be available to world-class 

athletes, who will find suitable facilities 

for training on Pokljuka, Slovenia’s 

cross-country skiing center. 

The hotel expects to maintain a 60 

percent occupancy rate, which means 

about 25,000 overnight stays per year. 

Reviewing past bookings, it expects 

two-thirds of its guests will come from 

Slovenia, and another major portion from 

Italy, Austria and Croatia. 

Including the Sport Hotel, there are 

now three accommodation facilities on 

Pokljuka; the Hotel Center and Villa 

Triglav are the other two. The Jelka Hotel 

is currently closed for renovation. 

Tintoretto’s St. Nicholas 

restored to former glory 

NOVO MESTO (STA) — A 1582 painting 

of St. Nicholas by Venetian master 

Jacopo Rubusti Tin toretto was returned 

to its home above the main altar at St. 

Nicholas Church in Novo mesto Nov. 30 

follow ing a $151,000 restoration project 

that took a year and a half to complete. 

The painting was restored at the 

National Institute for the Protection of 

Cultural Heritage, which was able to 

conclusively confirm that the painting, 

which measures a full 86 square feet, 

indeed came from Tintoretto’s workshop, 

according to Barbka Gosar-Hirci, who 

took part in the restoration. 

The painting was commissioned specifically 

for the Novo mesto church by 

Novo mesto Provost Polidor Mon tagnana. 

A Slovenian gets a shot 

at the welterweight crown 

PTUJ (STA) — Dejan Zavec, Slovenia’s 

highest-ranked professional boxer, was 

selected by reigning IBF welterweight 

champion Isaac Hlatshwayo of South 

Africa as his next challenger. The match 

was scheduled Dec. 11 in Johannesburg, 

South Africa. Zavec labeled his first 

world title opportunity as a “historic 

moment” as he addressed the press in 

his hometown of Ptuj. 

Zavec (27-1-0, 15 KOs) was Hlatshwayo’s 

first challenger. Hlatshwayo (29- 

1-1, 10 KOs) claimed his title a little over 

four months ago in Las Vegas. “I have 

finally gotten what I have been waiting 

for my whole life, my entire career,” said 

the 33-year-old, the first-ever Slovenian 

fighter to contend for a world title. 

Zavec, who suffered his only defeat 

last year against the then-European 

(EBU) champion Rafal Jackie wicz, 

prepared for the December fight at a 

slightly higher altitude to get accustomed 

to Johannesburg, which lies at 5,753 feet 

above sea level. “Everything is going 

according to plan. I have lost three kilos 

(6.6 pounds) already, I have five more 

to go until the fight,” Zavec said in an 

interview before the fight, adding that he 

and his German team would fly to South 

Africa a week before the big event at the 

Wembley Indoor Arena. 

Zavec admitted that did not know 

much about his 32-year-old opponent, 

having only seen a 30-sec ond clip on 

Youtube. “I know he is a good fighter, 

tough and very well prepared physically 

and in terms of stamina. While he will 

try to make full use of this, I also have 

my advantages, including the fact that I 

have nothing to lose and everything to 

gain,” he added. 

the articles comprising this feature have been 

reprinted with permission from the slovenian 

Press agency (sta).

4 PROSVETA 

16. Decembra 2009 

Slovenska 

Stran 

Ureja Vida Kosir 

Več kot 10.000 obiskovalcev 

v piranskem akvariju 

HEADLINE: More than 

10,000 visitors to Piran’s 

aquarium 

TOPIC: In its first month 

of operation, 10,560 admirers 

of the sea and sea life visited 

the Piran Aquarium. They 

sold that many tickets in the 

second half of October and 

in the beginning of November. 

“If we were to have this 

many visitors year round 

it would be exceptional,” 

said Marjan Tončič, director 

of the Portorož Nautical 

and Technical Educational 

Center, which is managing 

the aquarium. They would 

be very pleased if they could 

welcome 6,000 visitors every 

month of the year. 

“The newly renovated 

aquarium is a great achievement 

for many reasons. We 

have observed that the fish 

feel much better in it. Here we 

are able to heal many injured 

or ailing fish. Sometimes, 

because of the exceptional 

conditions in this environment, 

our aquarium is a real 

health resort for the fish,” 

Tončič said. 

Prvi mesec je piranski akvarij 

obiskalo 10.560 ljubiteljev 

morja in življenja v njem. To- 

HEADLINE: Flying man, 

Stanko Bloudek 

TOPIC: 2009 marks the 

50th anniversary of the 

death of Stanko Bloudek, 

an aviation pioneer, inventor, 

universal sportsman 

and builder. Bloudek had a 

vision of a flying man who 

embodied athletic, technical 

and inventive capabilities – 

first by designing aircraft, 

and later in the development 

and construction of ski jumps 

both at home and abroad. 

This year’s main exhibition 

at the Technical Museum 

HEADLINE: Fig 

TOPIC: The fig is the fruit of a 

tree that belongs to the mulberry 

family. Figs originated in Asia 

Minor, from where they spread 

across the Mediterranean. The fig 

tree produces fruit twice a year; 

first, large figs in June and July, 

and then again in August or fall 

when smaller but much sweeter 

figs grow. Only figs from the second 

crop are dried. 

Fig trees grow in the same climate 

as citrus, almond and olive 

Leteči človek, Stanko Bloudek 

of Slovenia was dedicated 

to Bloudek’s life and work. 

The exhibition, titled “Flying 

Man, Stanko Bloudek (1890- 

1959),” opened in April. 

It was completed with the 

cooperation and participation 

of various institutions 

and professionals who tried 

to highlight all the fields of 

Bloudek’s work (sports, aviation, 

ski jumps, architecture 

and design). The exhibition 

will be on display at the 

Nikolaj Pirnat Exhibition 

Grounds in Idrija until Jan. 

31, 2010. 

trees. Many different kinds of figs 

are cultivated (green, brown, blue 

and purple), but when the figs are 

dried, they all have a light brown 

color. 

The people in Goriška Brda dry 

most of the figs in Slovenia. When 

they are half dried, they are flattened 

with a finger so they take up 

less space when strung together. 

They also make fig brandy and 

honey. Fresh figs are eaten as a 

fruit; dried figs are used for fruit 

breads and desserts. The Italians 

HEADLINE: Radost Godovič golden 

one more time 

TOPIC: From Nov. 11-15, the Radost 

Godovič girl’s chorus and their director, 

Damjana Vončina, participated at the 

Franz Shubert International Chorus 

Competitions in Vienna. The chorus 

competed in the category of sacral 

music, and besides the competition, the 

girls held two additional performances 

in the center of Vienna. 

On Nov. 12 they performed with four 

other choruses at the grand opening of 

the competition. This was an honor for 

them because they received a special 

invitation from the competition’s artistic 

director. The competition and an 

evening concert were held Nov. 13. In 

the afternoon the girls competed in the 

sacral music category. Ten other choruses 

from Russia, Italy, Croatia, Austria 

and Norway also participated. 

Obnovili so poškodovano gnezdo štorkelj 

HEADLINE: They restored a damaged 

stork’s nest 

TOPIC: In Rapoča village, in the 

bowels of the Krajinski Park Goričko, 

storks had built a nest on the powerline 

support 20 years ago. 

In this wet year and during storms, 

the thick layer of branches which accumulated 

in the nest over the years 

started to disintegrate and the whole 

nest almost fell from its small base. At 

the suggestion of the Šadlov family, who 

have become attached to the storks, the 

employees of Krajinski Park Goričko 

prepared a new, larger and stronger 

base, and workers from Elektro Maribor 

placed it on the old base. They also 

liko vstopnic so prodali v drugi 

polovici oktobra in prvi polovici 

novembra. “Če bi bil obisk 

približno takšen vse leto, bi to 

bilo izjemno,” meni Marjan 

Tončič, direktor Pomorskega 

in tehničnega izobraževalnega 

centra Portorož, ki upravlja akvarij. 

Drugo polovico oktobra 

so našteli 7470 obiskovalcev, 

k čemur so pripomogle tudi 

jesenske šolske počitnice, 

novembra je bil obisk nekoliko 

manjši, kar je za ta čas 

razumljivo. Vodstvo srednje 

pomorske šole bi bilo zadovoljno 

tudi, če bi imeli vse 

leto po 6000 obiskovalcev 

na mesec. Tako bi se račun s 

pokrivanjem stroškov verjetno 

izšel. V enem mesecu so imeli 

42.000 evrov prihodka, pa tudi 

bistveno večje stroške. Samo 

elektrike so porabili za 8000 

evrov. “Toda ni nam žal. Prenovljen 

akvarij je lep dosežek 

tudi zaradi drugih razlogov. 

Opažamo, da se ribe v njem 

počutijo veliko bolje. Tukaj 

nam uspe pozdraviti marsikatero 

ranjeno ali bolehno ribo. 

Včasih je naš akvarij zaradi 

izjemnih razmer v tem okolju 

pravo zdravilišče za ribe,” je 

dejal Marjan Tončič. 

DELO 

SOGLASJE - Učitelj vpraša otroke: “Kdo mi lahko pove, 

po čemer se vidi, da se imajo stari ljudje še vedno radi.” 

Nina: “Lep primer za to so Moji stari starši: dedek smrči, 

babica pa ne sliši!” 

PES ČUVAJ - “Pa je ta pes res dober čuvaj?” - “Seveda 

je! Samo zbuditi ga morate, če pridejo vlomilci v hišo, in 

takoj bo začel lajati!” 

PO POMOČ - Pilot stopi pred potnike s padalom na hrptu 

in pravi: “Ni vzroka za preplah! Zdaj bom skočil in privedel 

pomoč.” 

replaced some branches and put back 

part of the old nest because the storks 

won’t return to an empty base. 

The Krajinski Park Goričko, where 

there is still plenty of marsh fields and 

aquatic surfaces, is home to 17 white 

stork nests. Close to 200 pairs of white 

storks nest in Slovenia, more than 85 

percent in the northeastern part of the 

country. 

V vasi Ropoča, v osrčju Krajinskega 

parka Goričko, imajo na električnem drogu 

na dvorišču Šadlovih štorklje gnezdo že 

dvajset let. Debela plast vejevja in humusa, 

ki se je v teh letih nabrala na gnezdu, je 

v letošnjem mokrem letu in med neurji 

začela razpadati in skoraj vse gnezdo je 

V letu 2009 obeležujemo 

50-obletnico smrti Stanka 

Bloudka, letalskega pionirja, 

konstruktorja, izumitelja, vsestranskega 

športnika in graditelja. 

Bloudek je vizijo o letečem 

človeku združeval z vrhunskimi 

športnimi, tehničnimi in 

izumiteljskimi sposobnostmi, 

sprva pri konstruiranju letal 

in kasneje razvoju ter konstruiranju 

smučarskih skakalnic 

doma in v tujini. 

V Tehničnem muzeju 

Slovenije so letošnjo osrednjo 

razstavo posvetili prav 

njegovemu življenju in delu. 

Radost Godovič še enkrat zlata 

To in ono iz Slovenije 

– This and that from Slovenia – 

KOPER - S priložnostno prireditvijo sta Radio Koper in 

Mercator pred dnevi sklenila štirimesečno akcijo zbiranja 

zamaškov za Anžetovo nogo. Anže Pratnemer, 26-letni 

absulvent računalništva z Iga pri Ljubljani, je januarja v 

hudu prometni nesreči ostal brez ene noge. Odločil se je, 

da bo kupil takšno nožno protezo, ki mu bo omogočila 

kakovostno življenje in gibanje. Ker stane do 50.000 evrov 

(proteza je dobesedno ulita na porabnika, pred dokončanjem 

pa na njej opravijo tudi do 3500 natančnih nastavitev), je 

s podporo mame Blanke začel akcijo zbiranja zamaškov. 

Vsak tehta dva grama, za 140 ton zamaškov, s katerimi bi 

zbral dobrih 40.000 evrov, pa bi morali zbrati 70 milijonov 

zamaškov. Kot je povedal Anže, da so doslej v vseslovenski 

akciji zbiranja zamaškov zbrali 70 ton zamaškov, za katere 

je Anže dobil 21.000 evrov, ko jih je oddal v predelavo v 

grosupeljsko podjetje Omaplast. 

Radio koper and Mercator recently closed their 

four-month activity of collecting bottle caps for Anže’s 

leg. Anže Pratnemer, a 26-year-old graduate computer 

student from Ig near Ljubljana, lost one leg in a bad 

traffic accident in January. He decided that he would 

purchase a prosthetic leg that would make it possible 

for him to lead a quality life. Because it would cost up 

to $75,000 (the prosthesis is literally cast on the user), 

with the help of his mother, Blanka, he started collecting 

bottle caps. Each cap weighs 0.07 ounces. To obtain 140 

tons of bottle caps, for which he would receive close to 

$60,000, they would have to collect 70 million caps. As 

Anže said, to date they have collected 70 tons of bottle 

caps in this all-Slovenian activity, for which he has 

received $31,500. 

DELO 

že padlo s premajhnega podstavka. Na 

pobudo Šadlovih, ko so jim štorklje prirasle 

k srcu, so zaposleni v Krajinskem parku 

Goričko pripravili nov, večji in trdnejši 

podstavek, delavci Elektra Maribor pa so 

ga pred dnevi namestili na prejšnjega. Na 

podstavek so naložili vejevje in vrnili del 

starega gnezda, ker se štorklje na prazen 

podstavek ne bi več vrnile. Na območju 

Krajinskega parka Goričko je sedemnajst 

še naseljenih gnezd bele štorklje, večina v 

zahodnem delu, kjer je če dovolj vlažnih 

ekstenzivnih travnikov in vodnih površin. 

V vsej Sloveniji gnezdi kakšnih 200 parov 

belih štorkelj, več kot 85 odstotkov v 

severnovzhodnem delu države. 

DELO 

Figa 

Razstavo z naslovom Leteči 

človek, Stanko Bloudek (1890- 

1959) so odprli letos v aprilu 

v tehničnem muzeju v Bistri 

pri Vrhniki. 

Uresničili so jo v okviru 

sodelovanja različnih institucij 

in strokovnjakov za posamezna 

področja, ki so poskušali 

osvetiti vsa področja Bloudkovega 

delovanja (šport, letalstvo, 

skakalnice, arhitektura, 

konstruiranje). 

Razstava bo gostovala v 

Razstavišču Nikolaja Pirnata v 

Idriji do 31. januarja 2010. 

IDRIJSKE NOVICE 

and people of Istria have many 

recipes for fig dishes. 

Figa - tudi smokva - Plod figovca, 

drevesa, ki spada v družino murvovk. 

Figovec je doma v Mali Aziji, pozneje 

se je razširil po vsem Sredozemlju, 

kjer rodi dvakrat v letu: prvič junija 

ali julija velike fige, drugič avgusta 

ali jeseni manjše in bolj sladke fige. 

Sušijo samo drugi pridelek. Figovec 

raste v enakem podnebju kot citrusi, 

mandlji in olive. Vzgojili so veliko 

sort, od zelenih do rjavih, modrih in 

vijoličastih fig. Toda posušene fige 

For their evening concert, the choral 

director selected an arrangement of 

Slovenian folk songs. The girls decided 

years ago that when performing abroad 

they would introduce Slovenia’s cultural 

history frequently and as extensively 

as possible. 

After the final competition, the Radost 

Godovič Chorus received a gold 

award in its category and jointly finished 

in fourth place. 

Dekliški pevski zbor Radost, Godovič z 

zborovodkinjo Damjano Vončina se je od 

11. do 15. novembra udeležil 26. mednarodnega 

zborovskega tekmovanja Franza 

Shuberta na Dunaju. Zbor je tekmoval v 

kategoriji sakralne glasbe, poleg tega pa 

so dekleta imela še dva dodatna nastopa 

v centru Dunaja. 

12. novembra so še s štirimi zbori nastopile 

na slavnostni otvoritvi tekmovanja. 

To je bila za njih čast, saj jih je umetniški 


vsem cenjenim bralcem in bralkam 

želim vesele božične praznike, ter 

srečno novo leto 2010! 

Urednica 

Tradicionalno: 

smrečica in domači piškoti 

Prazniki so pred vrati. To je dejstvo, kljub temu da vas 

morda predpraznično razpoloženje še ni zares prevzelo. Če 

se sprehodite po okrašenem mestnem središču in občudujete 

zanimivo izdelane izložbe trgovin, boste bližajoče se božičnonovoletne 

praznike zagotovo začutili. Priznati je treba, da 

je to najbolj pravljičen čas v letu, čas, ko namenjamo več 

pozornosti svojim najbljižjim in prijateljem, se obdarujemo, 

praznujemo... K prijetnemu počutju pa ne pripomore le sprehajanje 

po trgovinah in nakupovanje, ampak tudi praznično 

okrašen dom - vonj po pravi smrečici, pečenih piškotih in 

cimetu. Za toplo domačnost ni treba veliko denarja. Morda le 

več energije in kreativnosti. Krašenje smrečice, izdelovanje 

okraskov ali peka božičnih piškotov je lahko prijetno druženje 

s svojimi najbljižjimi in kreativno preživljanje prostega časa 

v dolgih zimskih večerih. 

Tradicionalno se novoletno drevesce krasi na večer pred 

božičem. K tradicionalni božično-novoletni okrasitvi sodi še 

smrečica, okraski zanjo in seveda lučke. Osnovni barvi sta 

rdeča, barva Božičkove obleke, in zelena, barva iglavcev. Ti 

dve se pojavljata tako na okraskih, svečah kot na pogrinjkih, 

prtih, lahko celo na krožnikih in drugem porcelanu. 

DELO 

postanejo vse svetlo rujave. Največ 

sušijo smirnske fige. V Sloveniji jih 

sušijo v Primorju, zlasti v Goriških 

Brdih, kjer jih na pol suhe penčajo, 

se pravi, da jih s palcem sploščijo, 

da zavzamejo manj prostora, ko jih 

nanizajo na vrvico. 

Slovenci delajo iz fig žganje, ki 

mu rečejo figovec. Iz praženih fig 

izdelujejo kavni nadomestek. Za 

figov med skuhajo fige v malo vode, 

da nastane gost sirup, ki ga spravijo 

v steklenicah za zimo. 

Sveže fige se jedo kot sadje, suhe 

direktor tekmovanja k temu sodelovanju 

posebej povabil. 13. november je bil dan 

tekmovanja in večernega koncerta. Točno 

ob štirih popoldne so dekleta tekmovala 

v kategoriji sakralne glasbe. Izvajale 

so skladbe Shuberta, Lukovskega in 

Močnika. Poleg njih je v tej kategoriji 

tekmovalo še deset drugih zborov iz Rusije, 

Italije Hrvaške, Avstrije in Norveške. 

Zbor je imel na sporedu še več koncertov. 

Zborovodkinja je na program uvrstila 

izključno priredbe slovenskih ljudskih 

pesmi. Dekleta so namreč že pred leti 

sklenila, da v tujini izvajajo in predstavljajo 

slovensko kulturno dediščino, kolikor je 

le mogoče pogosto. 

Po finalnih nastopih je mednarodna 

strokovna komisija razglasila vse rezultate. 

DePZ Radost Godovič je v svoji kategoriji 

prejel zlato priznanje in zasedel skupno 

četrto mesto. 

IDRIJSKE NOVICE 

Spet bodo 

cveteli kostanji 

HEADLINE: Chestnuts 

will bloom again 

TOPIC: In connection 

with the “For Environment, 

For Trees, For Tomorrow” 

project, Slovenska Bistrica 

planted 93 beech trees and 

43 wild scarlet chestnuts. At a 

small ceremony in front of the 

municipal building, Mayor 

Irena Majcen presented 

the cylinders containing the 

names of the project supporters. 

To date, 322 individuals 

and organizations signed 

the petition of support and 

have become the guardians 

of these trees. The guardianship 

is symbolic, expressing 

the support of additional 

plantings in the city. Last 

year the mayor ordered the 

destruction of 100-year-old 

chestnut trees, for which she 

was criticized. She responded 

that they would plant new 

trees this year, and she fulfilled 

her promise. Experts 

decided to plant wild scarlet 

chestnuts because they are 

less sensitive to the effects 

of an urbanized and traffic- 

burdened environment. 

V Slovenski Bistrici na 

Partizanski cesti v okviru 

projekta Za okolje, za drevo, 

za jutri posadili 93 dreves 

stebrastih gabrov, in pa 43 

dreves škrlatnega divjega kostanja. 

Občina je iz proračuna 

za saditev zagotovila 32.000, 

županja irena Majcen pa je na 

krajši slovesnosti pred občinsko 

zgradbo vstavila tudi prvi tulec 

z imeni podpornikov projekta. 

Doslej je podporo podpisalo 

že 322 posameznikov in organizacij, 

ki so tako postali 

skrbniki dreves. Skrbništvo 

ima simbolični pomen in izraža 

podporo nadaljnji zelenitvi 

mesta. Ko so lani in letos v 

Kolodvorski ter Čopovi ulici 

požagali dotrajane, skoraj sto 

let stare kostanje, so županjo 

zelo kritizirali, a je odgovorila, 

da bodo še letos posadili 

nove. Izpolnila je obljubo, 

strokovnjaki pa so se odločili 

za škrlatne divje kostanje, ker 

so manj občutljivi na vplive 

urbaniziranega in s prometom 

obremenjenega okolja. 

DELO 

uporabljajo za sadni kruh, slaščice, 

dodatek k jedem, zlasti svinjini, 

kuncem in perjadi, povsod tam, kjer 

uporabljajo slive ali marelice. Fige 

se lepo ujemajo s pršutom, janežem 

in sladkim komarčkom. Italijani (in 

Istrani) poznajo veliko receptov za 

jedi iz fig. Poleg slaščic lonzino, figov 

hlebček, figova salama in sadnega 

kruha s figami pripravljajo še nadevane 

ocvrte fige, vlagajo jih v sirup in 

olje.Slovenija je leta 2008 pridelala 

20 ton fig. 

DELO


CAL readies for 

a new, active year by 

by LINDA GORJUP (158) 

CAL President 

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Athletic 

League (CAL) would like to thank all of the 

families that participated in our CAL Family 

Bowling in 2009. Our next family bowling date 

is Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010, beginning at 1 p.m. at 

Freeway Wickliffe Lanes. We hope to see many 

returning families as well as some new faces. 

Please mark your calendar. 

In addition, CAL will hold its first meeting of 

the new year Monday, Jan. 18, 2010, beginning 

at 7 p.m. at Waterloo Hall. All representatives 

are encouraged to attend as we will be holding 

our annual meeting to elect officers. 

CAL officers extend wishes for a merry 

Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone. 

See you in 2010! 

Workmen’s Home 

sets annual meeting 

submitted by PAT NEVAR 

Lodge 158 

EUCLID, Ohio — The annual meeting of 

certificate holders of the Slovenian Workmen’s 

Home, 15335 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, will 

take place Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. The meeting 

will begin at 1 p.m. in the lower hall. 

The Board of Trustees cordially invites both 

individual shareholders and representatives 

from organizations that own shares to attend 

this important meeting. It is strongly urged that 

organizations send delegates who are not individual 

shareholders to ensure that everyone can 

exercise their right to vote. 

As usual, the agenda will include reports 

from the current board, suggestions for the 

future development and progress of Slovenian 

Workmen’s Home, election of trustees for 2010, 

and any other business pertinent to this meeting. 

You will learn about improvements made during 

the past year and pending projects dependent on 

available cash for capital improvements. 

To cut costs, individual letters are not being 

sent to shareholders this year. If any additional 

information is needed, please call (216) 481- 

5378. 

We look forward to seeing you at the annual 

meeting. We need you and your support to help 

us continue to function today, tomorrow and well 

into the future. 

During their visit, Slowind quintet members took in the sights 

of Southern California, including a catamaran tour. 

PROSVETA Crossword 

Holiday Traditions (#2509) by StatePoint Media 

ACROSS 

1. Treeless plain in Latin America 

6. R&R destination 

9. Half a ticket 

13. Gold, Latin 

14. Nada or nothing 

15. When the kids wake 

up to open presents 

16. Climate 

17. Mentally quick, e.g. 

18. Tony the Tiger’s exclamation: 

“They’re _____!” 

19. Unlike dinner, this can be burned 

21. Personal cleanliness 

23. Beak or snout 

24. In the near future 

25. Inquire about 

28. Technical school 

30. A person of no influence 

35. Ball on a string 

37. Let something sit, as in water 

39. Robin Williams in “Aladdin” 

40. Automatic Radar Plotting Aid 

41. Famous island for 

receiving immigrants 

43. On the sea 

44. Meat of coconut 

46. In addition 

47. Popular at college parties 

48. It celebrates 

African-American culture 

50. Capital of Norway 

EILEEN HARFMANN 

Lodge 778 Secretary 

SPRING HILL, Fla. — The Lodge 778 November 

clean-up day was a success. Our crew 

did an excellent job sprucing up the grounds 

and interior of our Lodge hall. Volunteers for 

the day included Rita Hren, Ben and Carol 

Drongosky, Ed and Patricia Klasa, Catherine 

Feil, Stan Konski, Jim Winkler, and Walt and 

Eileen Harfmann. Special thanks to Carol 

Drongosky for providing a warm meal for the 

volunteers, and to Jean Konski for donating 

a nut roll. Dedicated member Daria donated 

several types of plants to help beautify our 

surroundings. Where would we be without our 

52. U.S. Marine Corps gift recipient 

53. Transform ice into water 

55. Part of a play 

57. It’s greeted in Times Square 

61. Hanukkah’s spinning top 

65. Derived from gold 

66. Street in France 

68. One of Florida Keys 

69. To be avoided on golf course 

70. Many tree ornaments 

come in this shape 

71. Black and white treats 

72. It acknowledges a mistake 

73. Clever humor 

74. Old time strap for 

punishing children 

DOWN 

1. Having lace 

2. Comics character Little ____ 

3. Seed cover 

4. Disembodied spirit 

5. Western or Denver ______ 

6. It quickly puts a stop to fishing 

7. Spade on a playing card, e.g. 

8. In spite of the fact, arch. 

9. Hindu women’s dress 

10. Popular decoration target 

11. ____ Bator, Mongolia 

12. 8 bits 

15. Often spiked during holidays 

20. “The Biggest Loser” contestant 

22. In a distant place 

24. Superficial 

25. “Taken _____” 

26. Asian goat antelope 

27. Fraternity K 

29. A drink flavored with kola nut 

31. Used for pecking 

32. Thanksgiving is this 

time in the holiday season 

33. Dora’s animal-loving cousin 

34. Used for raising 

36. Less offensive D in PDQ 

38. Avoid mistletoe if 

you don’t want this 

42. Daytime energy 

45. Mesoamerican empire people 

49. American Heart Association 

51. Central American wildcat 

54. Cupid’s ammo 

56. Elizabeth II’s headdress 

57. International treaty organization 

58. EU money 

59. What you do to a present 

60. A golfer’s putting nightmare 

61. Mortgage, e.g. 

62. Actress Barrymore 

63. Between ids and super-egos 

64. Fail to win 

67. Upper respiratory infection 

The solution to puzzle #2509 will 

run in the Dec. 30 issue. 

generous, hard-working volunteers? 

Lodge 778 members and guests celebrated 

Thanksgiving a little early this year with a 

Nov. 22 dinner dance. The dancing crowd 

was a little smaller than we had hoped, but we 

served more than 70 dinners. Chef Richard did 

an excellent job once again. Everything was 

delicious and no one went away hungry. Steve 

Juricic and the Tropical Squeeze delivered a 

great performance, and everyone had a great 

time. We were glad to have fellow SNPJ 

members Mr. and Mrs. Frank Benedict visit 

us. Volunteers for the day were Grace Bouma, 

Nezka Novak, Richard Brown, Ben and Carol 

Drongosky, Richard Krcmaric, and Walt and 

PROSVETA 


5 

Samsula Lodge 603 looks to February for SNPJ Days 

JEANNETTE HUMPHREY 

Lodge 603 

SAMSULA, Fla. — Merry 

Christmas and happy New Year 

from Lodge 603 in Samsula. 

Youth Circle 57 members will 

present their annual Christmas 

program Saturday, Dec. 19. The 

Lodge will open at 6 p.m. and the 

program will begin at 7. Santa 

Claus will be making his annual 

visit to distribute gifts and goody 

bags. As always, Christmas at 

Lodge 603 is open to the public. 

If you would like your child to 

receive a gift, purchase, wrap and 

mark his or her name on the gift 

and have it under the tree before the 

program begins. The Circle children 

and directors Teresa Clancy 

and Nancy Bass will be making 

sandwiches, cookies, cakes and 

Christmas punch which will be 

served following the program. We 

are sad to see Nancy and Teresa 

retire from their director duties 

of our Youth Circle. They have 

done a great job, and our Lodge 

thanks them. 

Gifts and goody bags will 

be given out to Circle children 

and adult Lodge 603 members. 

Expenses for the Christmas party 

are being covered by Society funds 

from the Home Office in Imperial, 

Pa. 

The Lodge cooks will be taking 

a holiday break after a traditional 

Christmas meal served at 6 p.m. 

Friday, Dec. 18. The cooks will 

Thanksgiving celebration comes early for Lodge 778 

SLOWIND STORM 

FROM PAGE 1 

they were having such a good 

time! 

Thanks to Elvie Blasick, 

Virginia Johnson and Dorothy 

Jerneycic who baked poticas. 

Virginia also brought pizzelles 

and baked flancate. Teresa 

Koci and I prepared a lot of 

apple strudel that morning, 

and I made potica earlier in the 

week as well. It’s always fun to 

bake for a special occasion and 

watch people enjoy sampling 

the tasty treats. There were 

many who helped set up the 

reception and plate the desserts, 

including Dee Robideau 

who worked the whole time 

resume Friday night meals Jan. 

8, 2010. Thanks to all of you who 

support our Lodge functions! 

Get well wishes go out to Lodge 

603 Secretary Mary Ann Reichel 

as she underwent surgery Nov. 30. 

After a five-day stay at Bert Fish 

Medical Center in New Smyrna 

Beach, Fla., she was released 

home to her husband of 52 years, 

Johnny. Their daughter, Sharon 

Wolf, was in from Corvallis, Ore., 

for 10 days. Sharon, a lifelong 

SNPJ member, is employed at the 

university in the veterinary science 

building and hospital. 

While here on vacation, Sharon 

attended the Gaylord Palms Ice 

Show in Orlando, Fla., with the 

Reichel family, hosted by her aunt 

and uncle, Sue and Robert. The 

family also enjoyed several dinners 

out at local restaurants. She 

flew home following her mother’s 

successful surgery. 

Get well wishes are also extended 

to Joe Cvetas (787) and 

Phyllis Wood (723), both of whom 

serve on the SNPJ National Board. 

It has been reported that both are 

doing much better. 

Ruth and George Benedict, 

along with their children Bill and 

Ashley and friend Sheryl Lauck, 

enjoyed a five-day cruise to the 

Bahamas aboard the Carnival 

ship “Sensation.” The trip was in 

celebration of Ruth and George’s 

40th wedding anniversary. Ashley 

flew in from Lafayette, Ind., where 

before the concert and again 

afterward. Marcia Leathers, 

Dorothy Jerneycic, Virginia 

Johnson and Elvie Blasick all 

helped with the pastry plating. 

Elvie also did all of the flower 

arranging. 

Wes Robideau and Guy 

Johnson were at the ticket table. 

Ken and Arnold Koci roamed 

around, making sure things 

were being done. We had a 

great bunch of youth members 

taking care of the doors, distributing 

programs and taking 

tickets, including James Koci, 

Ellie Koci, Garret Jancich and 

Sara Lundgren. 

Young adult member Erik 

Lundgren was the official 

she is working on her Ph.D. in 

industrial engineering. Look for 

Ashley in the near future; she will 

be home for Christmas and staying 

for several weeks. 

Cheryl and Frank Benedict 

shared their travel news at our 

Lodge. They traveled to China 

with the Daytona Beach Chamber 

of Commerce on an eight-day 

excursion. According to Frank, 

“Cheryl and I were amazed at 

how modern China is today. We 

ate lots of rice, chicken and beef 

while we were there, and stayed 

in some fancy hotels. We had a 

nice climb on the Great Wall. A 

boat ride was quite interesting, 

and we saw many pagodas. We 

also visited Shanghai, Beijing, the 

Forbidden City and Tiananmen 

Square before heading back to the 

United States. The flights were 

long, but we survived.” 

Mary and Jack Pleterski enjoyed 

a vacation to their Virginia 

home for a couple of weeks. They 

are back home in Samsula to plant 

their winter crops to sell at the local 

farmers market in New Smyrna 

Beach. Mary had recent foot 

surgery, but after several weeks 

of recuperation she is back in the 

full swing of walking about. 

Jack’s sister, Jeanne Novatny 

of Bloomington, Ind., and her 

friend Dave visited Samsula. 

While here, they stayed at the 

Pleterski homestead with nephew 

Rudy Pleterski Jr. and great- 

photographer, and Krista and 

Jonathan Lawson helped as 

well. Teresa Koci took care 

of CD sales with some help 

from Sara. It was hard to keep 

track of everything that was 

done, but the cooperation was 

tremendous and we thank you 

all very much. 

Staff members at the church 

were very helpful setting up 

the hall, making coffee and 

allowing us to use the entire 

complex. We also had the opportunity 

to sell tickets to the 

congregation after services for 

a few weeks prior to the event. 

It was a great privilege to work 

with this generous group. 

The ensemble stayed with 

nephew Rudy Pleterski III. 

Ray Hafner flew in from Billerica, 

Mass., to spend time in 

Samsula with his SNPJ relatives 

and friends. While here, he stayed 

with cousin Albert “Shorty” 

Tomazin, and they took in several 

hunting excursions at the Samsula 

Hunting Camp. 

It’s time to make your plans 

for traveling to Lodge 603 here 

in Samsula for our Florida SNPJ 

Days celebration Feb.19-21, 2010. 

We sure hope you take the time to 

come and enjoy our Lodge, some 

food and drink. We have music 

lined up for your enjoyment, and 

we welcome everyone to bring 

their musical instruments and 

singing talents to share during our 

SNPJ celebration. 

Santa Claus will be making his 

annual visit to the Lodge 603 Hall 

in Samsula Saturday, Dec. 19, to 

distribute gifts. 

Eileen Harfmann. 

Our December meeting and Christmas party 

were held Dec. 9. Details of the fun will follow. 

On Friday, Jan. 1, 2010, Lodge 778 will be 

hosting a New Year’s day dinner dance. Our 

entertainment will feature Bob Turcola. Pork 

and sauerkraut will be the special treat for 

the day, as well as roast beef and Slovenian 

sausage. Food will be served from noon until 

1:30 p.m., and dancing will run from 2 to 5 p.m. 

Dance tickets are $10 and dinner dance tickets 

are $15. Our contact person is Mary Ann Hiltz, 

who can be reached at (727) 376-8486. 

Come one, come all! We’re hoping for a 

great turnout as we celebrate the New Year! 

slovenia’s slowind takes the California coast by storm 

us until Nov. 11. We had the 

opportunity to visit the Huntington 

Library in San Marino, 

Calif., thanks to Dorothy Jerneycic 

who is a docent there. 

We also had a great cruise along 

the coast on a catamaran. In 

the evening, the group put on 

a demonstration and concert 

at Soka University which was 

also a very nice event. We 

were sad to see them leave 

Wednesday morning. 

Thanks again to everyone 

who helped make this such a 

wonderful cultural event. It not 

only showcased these talented 

musicians, it also brought Slovenia 

and SNPJ recognition in 

the community.

6 PROSVETA 


Honorees attending the Conemaugh Valley Federation membership 

dinner included [from left] 50-year member JOSEPH VASILKO, 70year 

member MATTHEW ORESKOVICH, 50-year member AMELIA 

FRICK and 50-year member RAYMOND STRINGENT. 

Conemaugh Fed. honors 

membership milestones 

by EVELYN DIMPFL (749) 

Conemaugh Valley Federation 

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — For 30 

years now, the Conemaugh Valley 

Federation has had the pleasure of 

hosting a dinner dance to honor 

members of its SNPJ Lodges who 

have attained 50, 60, 70 and 80 

years of membership in the Society. 

This year was no different. 

The festivities took place at 

Aces Lounge in Johnstown where 

nearly 140 people gathered to 

celebrate an afternoon of fraternalism. 

We enjoyed a delicious 

meal, musical program and a 

wonderful guest speaker, as well 

as the introduction of honored 

guests and dancing. 

President Ed Kuzma (289) 

again made the dinner arrangements 

and Federation delegates 

handled other duties. President 

Kuzma extends his thanks and 

appreciation to all who helped, 

especially Evelyn Dimpfl (749) 

and Marilyn Alberter (3) who 

sent invitations to the honorees 

and kept track of who would 

be attending, and Marilyn who 

served as photographer for the 

day; Ken Zakraysek (174) who 

stepped in at the last minute to 

handle the financial end of the 

day; and Joanne Vasilko (749) 

and Marcella Micko (274) who 

ordered flowers for the honorees 

as well as the beautiful floral arrangement. 

As usual, also helping 

out were Tony Ukmar (749) and 

John Micko (274), who greeted 

The SNPJ Recommender Program provides an 

opportunity for adult members to encourage 

family, friends, children and acquaintances to join 

the Slovene National Benefit Society and take 

advantage of SNPJ’s competitive products and 

numerous fraternal benefits. Not only will you 

be helping a friend and strengthening our Society, 

you’ll also be receiving benefits yourself: 

Recommender Benefits 

• Receive $10 for each valid referral submitted. 

• Every valid referral earns the recommender 

one chance in the Quarterly Drawing for an 

opportunity to win $100. 

• Every valid referral also earns the recommender 

one chance in the Year-end Drawing for an 

opportunity to win $500 cash. 

By submitting one valid referral, 

you have the opportunity to earn 

a total of $610 in cash prizes! 

the guests with 50/50 tickets. Who 

can resist those guys? 

Following dinner, President 

Kuzma welcomed everyone then 

introduced Theresa McCloskey 

Stigers who sang the National 

Anthem. She did a wonderful job 

as usual. We were entertained by 

Bob Debevits and Joe McCloskey 

(274), as well as Theresa with several 

musical selections. National 

Treasurer Robert Lawrence gave 

very interesting personal comments 

and congratulated those 

present for attaining their membership 

milestones. This year’s 

honorees were 50-year members 

Raymond Stringent (254), Amelia 

Frick (749) and Joseph Vasilko 

(749); 70-year member Matthew 

Oreskovich (3); and 80-year 

member Anna Gojmerac (289). 

Congratulations to these members 

as well as those who were unable 

to be present. 

The flower arrangement was 

won by Joe Vasilko, who asked 

that it be given instead to Sis. 

Gojmerac. Then the dancing began! 

The Polka Quads once again 

provided excellent music. It is my 

understanding that the dancers 

stayed until the end. 

The committee extends sincere 

thanks to all who help to make this 

a very special occasion for these 

very special people: the workers, 

ticket sellers, Lodge secretaries 

and especially those who take 

the time to come and support the 

honorees. See you next year! 

SNPJ National Treasurer ROBERT LAWRENCE was on hand 

to congratulate the honorees, including 80-year member ANNA 

GOJMERAC. 

SNPJ Recommender Program 

I would like to introduce 

_________________________________________ 

for SNPJ membership 

Please contact: __________________________________________ 

(Parent or guardian if under age 18) 

Address: _______________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

City/State/Zip: ___________________________________________ 

Phone: ( ) _________________________________________ 

Indicate Preferred Agent ___________________________________ 

(Optional) 

My Name: ______________________________________________ 

My Lodge Number: _______________________________________ 

Address: _______________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

City/State/Zip: ___________________________________________ 

Phone: ( ) _________________________________________ 

e-mail __________________________________________________ 

Each individual must be informed that an agent will contact him/her and the referral 

must have some interest in SNPJ in order for the recommender to be considered valid. 

Complete this coupon and return to 

Slovene National Benefit Society 

Att’n: Marketing Department 

247 West Allegheny Road • Imperial, PA 15126 


Lodge 559 holiday season in full swing 

by ANITA VITOUS 


CHICAGO — Pioneer 

Lodge 559 welcomed the 

beginning of the holiday 

season by once again attending 

a delightful musical 

at the Drury Lane Theater 

in Oak Brook Terrace, Ill., 

Nov. 19. 

Drury Lane is a magical 

setting with its opulent 

crystal chandeliers and 

twinkling white lights. This 

year’s featured musical was 

“Thoroughly Modern Millie.” 

Who can resist singing 

along to “Long As I’m Here 

With You” or “Falling in 

Love”? 

Prior to the musical, 

members were escorted to 

Badger Jabber 

by BOB SMOLE 

Lodge 584 

MILWAUKEE — The USPEH 

Slovenian Chorus held their annual 

Christmas concert Nov. 29. The concert 

was presented in Greenfield, Wis., at 

St. John the Evangelist Church, 84th 

and West Coldspring Road. A sizeable 

group of supporting individuals were 

in attendance on this cloudy, chilly 

Sunday afternoon celebrating the start 

of the Christmas season. The sounds 

of traditional and Slovenian holiday 

songs echoed throughout the church in 

splendor, focusing everyone’s thoughts 

on the upcoming season. 

In the first segment of the program, 

the chorus preformed as skilled singers, 

enhanced by solos from Bro. Tom and 

Sis. Jan Gehm (584). A short intermission 

was followed by the second part 

of the program, which included a solo 

by Bro. Mike Maren (584). The concert 

concluded with Music Director Mici 

Bregant asking the audience to participate 

in singing “Sveta noč” (“Silent 

Night”) performed in both Slovenian 

and English. 

This traditional concert is presented 

each year by our wonderful Slovenian 

group. It’s one that always gets you in 

the yuletide spirit. Needless to say, the 

USPEH Slovenian Chorus managed to 

accomplish it again this year. All the 

talented individuals that make up the 

chorus, not forgetting the music director, 

put forth a lot of time rehearsing 

and preparing for this event, and they 

deserve our applause and gratitude. 

Much time and effort is expounded 

by all participants to make this an 

entertaining and successful program. 

Job well done! 

I do have a correction to last issue’s 

“Badger Jabber” article. Bruce Korosa 

has his own band in Illinois and has the 

“Polkas on Tour” radio show Sunday 

mornings from 9 to 10 a.m. on WJOL 

1340 AM and www.wjol.com. Bro. 

Grant Kozera does not have a radio 

show as was printed in the article. 

The SNPJ youth Christmas party 

was held Dec. 5 in the Bevsek-Verbick 

lower lounge/meeting room. There 

were 20 smiling and happy SNPJ youth 

members in attendance, along with par- 

the dining room to enjoy a 

gourmet meal. The menu 

was extensive, and we all 

ordered selections that were 

immensely enjoyed. Following 

our meal, President Jean 

Cherway gifted each of us 

with wonderful homemade 

muffins. Yum! By this time 

we were all ready for a nap, 

but the anticipation of the 

musical kept us going. 

On Dec. 11, Lodge 559 

officially celebrated the 

Christmas season with a party 

at Czech Plaza. Following 

our business meeting, dinner 

and cake were served, and 

then we exchanged gifts from 

our $5 grab bag. Everyone 

enjoyed celebrating the season 

with fraternalism. 

ents, grandparents, uncles and aunts to 

support them. We have to acknowledge 

the fact that if it weren’t for the efforts 

of some, this party would not have happened. 

First of all, we need to recognize 

Badger Lodge 584 for stepping up 

and acting on the fact that Milwaukee 

no longer has a Federation to pick up 

the tab for these events. The Badger 

Lodge, under the direction of Sis. Mary 

Donovan, pursued efforts to continue 

this longtime tradition as was presented 

in the past by the Federation. 

This event was sponsored by Lodge 

584 with the understanding that any 

youth and adult members or guests from 

other Lodges would be responsible for 

a portion of the expenses, such as gifts, 

food and beverages that were paid for 

out of the Badger Lodge treasury. We 

need to acknowledge Sis. Donovan for 

her efforts in conducting this party so 

that all were treated equally and had a 

great time. 

The young members were occupied 

with a craft making session that was put 

together by Sis. Michelle Schweiger 

(584), followed with a sing-along with 

Sis. Jane Lynch (584) on her guitar. 

Entering stage right was jolly old Santa. 

He arrived to distribute presents and 

have a heart-to-heart talk with all the 

little ones, listening to their requests 

and wishes from their Christmas lists. 

Santa had questions for each of the 

kids as well. After all the presents were 

distributed, the climax came as the 

countdown began for opening the gifts. 

Paper, ribbons and bows were flying every 

which way, and were accompanied 

by hollers, screams and laughter as the 

children opened their gifts. 

A lunch was served and enjoyed 

by everyone. Sis. Michele Phalen 

(584) was on the lunch committee and 

helped set up the buffet line that contained 

barbeque beef and hot dogs as 

the main dishes, with an assortment of 

sides and desserts brought in to share 

by parents. Supporting the “big guy” 

in red was John Bolka as “Billy the 

Brownie.” We had the assistance of 

two SNPJ scholarship recipients, Eric 

Demshar and Courtney Grant, who 

were fulfilling their requirements for 

Lodge participation. 

Lastly, we need to thank Bro. Frank 

Bevsek (764) for the use of his facility 

for this event. It was a last-minute 

change due to a conflicting date at 

Pioneers Lodge 559 members ushered in the holiday 

season with a November production of “Thoroughly 

Modern Millie” at Drury Lane Theater in Oak Brook 

Terrace, Ill. 

another location. The accommodations 

were excellent and very much appreciated. 

Thank you, Bro. Bevsek. 

Time is running out to put your teams 

together for the annual Verbick Fraternal 

Memorial Bowling Tournament at 

Rivera Lanes, 85th and W. Greenfield 

Ave., Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, at noon. 

You must be a member of SNPJ, KSKJ, 

CFU or Sloga in order to participate. 

The price will remain the same as last 

year, $80 per five-man team. Mixed men 

and women teams, as well as between 

the four participating fraternal organizations, 

are acceptable entries. Teams 

paid in full will be given priority. If you 

have any questions or would like to be 

placed on a list of available bowlers to 

fill-in as needed, you must contact Sis. 

Donovan at (414) 817-0192. 

As you read this, the Christmas 

holiday is nearing. It’s an exciting time 

of year as we gather with family and 

friends to exchange gifts, friendship, 

fellowship and, most of all, love. Please 

keep in your thoughts and prayers the 

special people who make it possible for 

us to enjoy the freedom we have. The 

people who have given themselves and 

are away from their family and friends at 

this holiday season. The people who put 

their lives on the line so we can continue 

to have the freedom our country has 

fought for. Yes, it’s the individuals in 

the military who need our prayers and 

thanks for their sacrifice. Keep them in 

your thoughts and prayers during this 

holiday season – and always. 

January starts the new year, and our 

regular Badger Lodge 584 meeting will 

take place on the third Thursday of the 

month, Jan. 21, 2010, at St. Peter’s 

Church Hall, 7929 W. Lincoln Ave., 

beginning at 7:30 p.m. Start off the 

new year by attending the meeting, 

visiting old friends and making new 

friends, enjoying camaraderie, and 

don’t forget the wonderful desserts 

served immediately after the meeting. 

Stop in and say hello. 

As I prepare to confront the remainder 

of the holidays and the coming new 

year, I would like to wish all of you a 

very merry Christmas and a happy New 

Year. I hope that 2010 will be filled 

with good health and prosperity for all. 

Good health is something we all need, 

while prosperity is something we all 

want. Health and prosperity together 

make life easier. 

Cookbook for 

the Ages 

The cookbook sponsored by 

the SNPJ Heritage Center is now 

on sale! For additional information, 

contact Carol Maruszak 

at (440) 944-4229. 

$20 each 

plus $3 s/h for first 2 copies 

For 3 or more books, 

add $1 shipping for each copy. 

Return this order form to: 

SNPJ Heritage Center • 270 Martin Road • Enon Valley, PA 16120 

Name _________________________________________ 

Address _______________________________________ 

City/State/Zip ___________________________________ 

Phone __________________ Number of copies _______ 

Make check or money order payable to SNPJ Heritage Center.


[Left to right] Sis. GRACE DOERK, a 60-year member of 

Pioneer Lodge 559, celebrated with SNPJ member and 

Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU) National President Bro. 

BERNIE LUKETICH, Lodge 559 member Bro. EMIL GOLUB 

and Frank Jerbich at a November CFU activity. 

by EVELYN DIMPFL 


JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Since my last 

articles were published in August, a lot 

has happened to change my life forever. 

In one of the articles I mentioned 

that my husband Ken and I would be 

heading to the SNPJ Recreation Center 

for Senior Roundup, which was a 

wonderful and happy time spent with 

many good friends. I also mentioned 

in a Conemaugh Valley Federation 

article that we would be on a threeweek 

trip beginning Sept. 2. But those 

plans came abruptly to an end. 

In the early hours of Sept. 1, Ken 

suffered a serious stroke which affected 

his right side and his speech. 

He was hospitalized for two weeks 

then discharged to a rehabilitation 

facility for more intense therapy. It 

was very slow progress, but I was 

hopeful that with time he could return 

home. Unfortunately, he suffered a 

50-Year Members 

December 2009 

Lodge Member 

2 Dorothy D. Komnick 

34 Dennis L. Ster 

87 Thomas A. Sedmak 

223 Janet Lee Allderdice 

223 Louise A. Myers 

225 Linda J. Benso 

254 Frank J. Dolence 

292 Janet T. Bolt 

459 Mary Szabo 


December 2009 

Lodge Member 

2 Louise J. Fedor 

11 Stephen J. Balint 

21 Geraldine W. Kalister 

34 Danica S. Scott 

41 Rita Marie Oblak 

107 John E. Teisa 

138 Herman Mikec 

225 Billy Joe Billiard 

Lodge Member 

1 Mary Petriko 

2 Genevieve Grilc 

3 Betty Baran 

6 Jean Lewis 

41 Albert Oblak 

41 Margaret Bickerstaff 

89 Nick M. Bozic 

117 Cecilia Pomi 

120 Matilda V. Anaya 

142 Diana M. Cernigoj 

Lodge Member 

564 Kathleen G. Kaiser 

603 Robert A. Strah 

604 Diane Bencin Sutyak 

614 Joseph J. Blatnik 

615 Louis Pavlic 

715 Carolyn J. Meyers 

723 Rita K. Murdoch 

723 John D. Viencek 

738 Gary Gorsha 

Lodge Member 

289 Frances M. Cebular 

292 Edward M. Kavcich 

419 Betty J. Mason 

476 Suella Ann Dolence 

665 Robert H. Gramc 

778 Joyce E. Peterson 

778 Raymond Carl Bozich 


December 2009 

Lodge Member 

142 Frances Keck 

268 Anne Maras 

268 Ann M. Techar 

449 Helen McFarlin 

559 Helen Kachel 

584 Helen C. Gumsey 

584 Christine Musick 

665 Amelia P. Bunder 

723 Joseph Rea 


December 2009 

Lodge Member 

1 Johanna Ferraro 

8 Edith Podlesnik 

117 Elizabeth Mackovsek 

138 John S. Progar 

heart attack Oct. 17 and died a short 

time later. 

Ken was a true SNPJer who loved 

so many facets of the Society. He 

served as treasurer of Lodge 749 and 

the Conemaugh Valley Federation, as 

well as three other organizations. He 

loved going to the Rec Center and was 

a delegate to several conventions. 

I’m fortunate to have my sons, their 

wives and one darling grandson who 

was the apple of his grandfather’s 

eye. My sister, Joanne Vasilko, and 

her family, as well as all of Ken’s 

family, have been very supportive. 

His death was a complete shock, but 

I believe he is happy where he now 

lives, free of any handicap. I thank all 

of our family and many friends who 

have given me comfort and strength 

through it all. 

Other members of our Lodge who 

have passed away include Mollie 

Andrykovitch. Mollie is survived 

Lodge Member 

564 Mary Likovich 

626 Mary Zodnik 

721 Frances Zakrajsek 

749 Stella DePolo 

Uncle Sam wants your 

money... and it’s up to you whether 

you pay now or pay later. 

SNPJ now offers Roth IRAs 

in addition to our regular IRAs 

and annuities to help build a 

safe financial future for you 

and your family. 

We’ve helped build secure 

futures for our members for 

over a century. Phone 

1-800-843-7675 and we’ll be 

happy to help you too. 

News from 

Here & There 

by GRACE DOERK 

Lodge 559 

CHICAGO — Thanksgiving is over, and 

now is the time to start preparing for the 

Christmas holiday. Our Thanksgiving was 

wonderful. We spent two days in Michigan 

and were overjoyed to see my sister’s first 

grandchild. I’ve never seen such a good 

baby; Ryan smiles all the time and cries 

very little. 

The holiday season is starting to get 

hectic for us. Today alone I had four 

things to attend. Among them was the 

annual Christmas concert held at the Joliet 

Junior College. Many of those performing 

were students from the music store where 

I work. I must say that the cookie sale at 

by George E. Andrykovitch of Palm 

Coast, Fla. Please accept my condolences 

on your loss, George. I hope 

you find the peace you are looking 

for. Member Verne Allendorfer, a 70year 

member of SNPJ who was to be 

honored for that accomplishment, also 

died recently. While I don’t know her 

family, I extend sincere sympathies to 

her son, Charles, as well as any other 

surviving family members. 

A very good friend and member, 

Margaret “Peg” Kopler, passed away 

Nov. 24, just two days before Thanksgiving, 

after suffering bravely for a 

long time. She was the daughter of the 

late Henry and Gladys Ahlborn. Peg 

is survived by her husband Lou and 

daughter, Colleen Runyon of Virginia, 

as well as a darling granddaughter, 

Lindsey Runyon. 

To all the families suffering the 

death of a dear one, I now understand 

your loss. You truly have my deepest 

Senior Corner 

by CARL ZVANUT 

Lodge 800 

DEVON, Pa. — Living in an assisted 

living home is, for me, an exercise in 

regimentation. Regulations from the state 

define what is needed to be considered an 

assisted living home, and regulations by 

the assisted living home define the limits 

of what I can do as a resident. Then there 

are the limits I have to impose on myself 

to be within the limits of what I can do 

as a resident. 

Regimentation begins with adjusting 

my getting up so that I am on a par with 

the rest of the building. If I am early for 

breakfast, I have to wait for the rest of 

the world in these walls to catch up. If 

I’m late, I have to catch up with them. 

Needless to say, I still like to eat at noon 

and in the evening, so there are more 

adjustments needed to stay on par with 

the regulations. 

I have no problem with the people 

who get my room ready for the day. They 

always come after breakfast and since I 

like to eat, I’m dressed when they come 

in. It’s best that I not be around when they 

are doing their thing though, because then 

I’d see how much better they do the job 

than I would. 

I have a big problem when a new home 

regulation comes along because I read 

somewhere that changes are upsetting, 

and I don’t want to be an exception. I can’t 

argue with regulations that aim to maintain 

order, but I can feel my hackles coming 

up when there’s a move to get me to do 

what someone else is doing, especially 

when I think I’m paying for it. But, that’s 

been going on in daily life for so long that 

I’ve forgotten what it was like to go into a 

grocery store and have someone else hand 

me the bottle of milk I came in for. Service 

just isn’t what it used to be. 

Then there are my regulations of me. 

Every seven days I wind the family desktop 

pendulum clock that I now think is a good 

PROSVETA 


7 

thing for someone else to take care of. 

Intentions to the contrary, I know it’s time 

to wind the clock only when the pendulum 

isn’t moving. There’s remembering the one 

pill I take once a week before breakfast. 

Leaving a note on the bathroom mirror the 

night before was a loser because I’d forget 

to put the note up. I thought about putting 

up a note to remember to put up the note, 

but that sounded silly, so now the note is 

up seven days a week. I’ll have to leave 

room for another note because there’s 

been a problem setting out the laundry 

once a week. 

While health care is settling down in 

Congress, I’ve been reading what I missed 

while staying too close to health care. I 

liked the exchange between Bess Truman 

and her husband, our 33rd President, Harry. 

After seeing his wife burning her letters 

to him, he said to think of the history, and 

she answered that she had. Then there 

was my table partner’s adage of weight 

loss, leading to “being too thin to go out 

in the wind.” 

SNPJ Scholarship Fund Donations 

for the month of November 2009 

California Federation of SNPJ Lodges ..........$525 

SNPJ Lodge 289, Tire Hill, Pa. ......................$200 

In memory of deceased members Regina 

Zablotney, Margaret Intihar, Lucille Balya, 

Anne Cebular, John Smear and Conemaugh 

Valley Federation Treasurer Ken Dimpfl 

Young Americans Lodge 564, Detroit ............$100 

Joe & Bea Cvetas (787), N. Palm Beach, Fla. ...$100 

In memory of Al Jergel 

SNPJ Lodge 782, Glenshaw, Pa. ..................$100 

In memory of Alvin Jergel 

Robert & Janice Rockwell (138), Middletown, Md. ..$42 

Robert & Janice Rockwell (138), Middletown, Md. ..$35 

Mary A. Kozlowski, Franklin, Wis. ...................$25 

In memory of John Skusek 

Arnold & Jean Koci (786), Laguna Niguel, Calif. .. $25 

In memory of Thomas Kaucic 

SNPJ Lodge 786, Orange County, Calif. .........$25 

In memory of Thomas Kaucic 

Mr. & Mrs. Frank Barbish (138), Canonsburg, Pa. .. $10 

In memory of Ludwick Barbish 

SNPJ Lodge 634, Sheboygan, Wis. ................$10 

In memory of Joseph Turk 

The following donations were made 

in memory of Bro. Ken Dimpfl (749): 

Bob & Julie Barr and Dave & Sue Hinton, Canton, Ohio; 

Chris & Susie Theobold, North Canton, Ohio; and Jon 

& Sharon Hinton, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. ............$150 

Evelyn Dimpfl (749), Johnstown, Pa. .............$100 

Office & Staff of Conemaugh OB/GYN Associates, 

Johnstown, Pa. ..............................................$100 

Vic (559) & Betsey Glavach, Wheaton, Ill. .....$100 

John & Gigi Houlihan, Wheaton, Ill. ...............$100 

Mr. & Mrs. Scott Ritchey, Schwenksville, Pa. .. $100 

the Slovenian Catholic Center was really 

nice, offering all kinds of cookies packed 

in decorative Christmas tins. 

On Dec. 12, members of the former 

Perfect Circle 26 held their annual Christmas 

reunion at the Bohemian Crystal in 

Westmont, Ill. I was sad to hear that June 

Zasadil would not be in attendance since 

she is now in a nursing home. That really 

shook me. 

The Chicago Federation of SNPJ 

Lodges held their annual youth Christmas 

party Dec. 5. Tina Rigler again emceed the 

program and did a great job as usual. Held 

at the Slovene Catholic Center, the party 

included a meal, a visit from Santa Claus, 

and fun and games for everyone in attendance. 

Vince Rigler provided the musical 

entertainment and did an excellent job. I 

had one granddaughter, Annie Wysopal, in 

attendance. The rest of my grandchildren 

are either in or out of college. 

Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor 

is making history these days. He singled 

sympathies. 

We recently received notice that 

10 members from Lodge 800 have 

been transferred into our Lodge. We 

graciously welcome all of you and 

hope you will remain steadfast to 

the Society. 

For the Thanksgiving holiday, I 

traveled to McMurray, Pa., to celebrate 

with my son Joe and his wife, 

Beth. We enjoyed a traditional turkey 

dinner on Friday and were joined by 

my son Ken, his wife Amy and little 

Felix. It was so good to be with them 

this holiday; it meant more than ever. 

Over the weekend they did a bit of 

Christmas decorating and we paid a 

visit to the Meadows Casino where 

we made our deposit. 

On Sunday, Joe, Beth and I visited 

Larry and Millie Spezialetti in 

Greentree, Pa. They are dear friends 

we met on an SNPJ trip to Slovenia 

in 2004. We hit it off right from the 

SNPJ Lodge 274, Dunlo, Pa. .........................$100 

Chris & Cindy Bridgeman, Ortonville, Mich. ..$100 

Ed & Mary Lou Nosko (749), Fairfax, Va. ......$100 

Frances R. Remshak, Milwaukee ..................$100 

Allison Engel (138), Pittsburgh ........................$50 

Alex & Susan Yenyo, Springfield, Va. .............$50 

Sally Glavach (254), Clarkston, Mich. .............$50 

Larry & Julie (749) Wagner, Johnstown, Pa. ...$50 

Linda Millmine, Holly, Mich. .............................$50 

Al & Janet Yenyo, Fredericksburg, Va. ............$50 

Frances Mavri (749), Hollidaysburg, Pa. .........$50 

Mary Wukina (749) & Steven Wukina Jr., 

Hollidaysburg, Pa. ...........................................$50 

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Getzey, Johnstown, Pa. .....$50 

Corporate Security Services Inc., Johnstown, Pa. ..$50 

Malcom & Shirley Haskell, Ocean City, N.J. ....$30 

Jack & Phyllis Wilson, Johnstown, Pa. ............$30 

Elgene & Evelyn Biber (749), Johnstown, Pa. ..$25 

John Langerholc Jr. (749), Marietta, Ga. .........$25 

Mr. & Mrs. Larry Spezialetti, Pittsburgh ...........$25 

Terry & Eileen Miller, Johnstown, Pa. ..............$25 

Robert & Eileen (749) Wagstaff, Davidsville, Pa. . $25 

Mr. & Mrs. Russell Johnson Family (138), Pittsburgh . $25 

Mr. & Mrs. Lou Miljanovich, New Kensington, Pa. . $25 

Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, Johnstown, Pa. ........$25 

Lou & Peg Kopler (749), Johnstown, Pa. ........$25 

Jack & Maurene E. Ercol, Davidsonville, Md. ..$25 

Jack & Barbara Shearer, Johnstown, Pa. ........$20 

Dolores J. Stringent Family, Virginia Beach, Va...$20 

John & Marcella Miko (274), Windber, Pa. ......$20 

Dennis & Marilyn Alberter (3), Johnstown, Pa. $20 

Robert & Mary Lou Walker (749), Johnstown, Pa. .$20 

Josephine Romani, Johnstown, Pa. ................$20 

out the signing of the border arbitration 

agreement with Croatia as the biggest 

foreign policy achievement in the first 

year of his government. He believes solving 

this issue opens the door for Slovenia 

to again become an important player in 

Southeastern Europe. 

Prime Minister Pahor has predicted 

that the Slovenian economy will need a 

few years to stabilize in the aftermath of 

the global financial and economic crisis. 

In Pahor’s opinion, the results Slovenia 

has achieved, despite or because of the 

economic turmoil, would enable the 

country to emerge from the crisis more 

competitive and more solidarity-minded 

than it had been before, based on a good 

exit strategy. 

We hope that all of our SNPJ friends 

enjoy the Christmas season. It seems the 

holiday comes so fast, and before long it’s 

all over and we face the New Year. Enjoy 

the holidays, and until next time, my very 

best wishes. 

Lodge 749 welcomes transferred members, readies for the start of a new year 

start and have enjoyed their friendship 

ever since. Thanks for the nice 

afternoon! 

Speaking of Slovenia, I’ve been 

wondering if SNPJ will be sponsoring 

another trip to Slovenia in the near 

future. It’s been over two years since 

the last one, and it sure seems about 

time for another. 

Our annual Lodge meeting will 

be held Dec. 30 beginning at 7 p.m. 

All are welcome to participate. The 

meetings are held in my home, 549 

Highland Ave. in Johnstown. For 

directions or more information, I can 

be reached at (814) 536-6134. 

Keep in mind that an SNPJ product 

would make a great Christmas 

gift for that hard-to-buy-for person 

in your family. Or what about your 

grandchildren – do they really need 

another toy? Think about it! 

Best wishes to all for a very warm, 

wonderful and merry Christmas. 

Eileen Martin, Johnstown, Pa. .........................$20 

Patrick Martin, Midlothian, Va. .........................$20 

Jerry & Mary Frances Sandusky, Johnstown, Pa. .. $20 

Julie Prociak (749), Hollsopple, Pa. .................$20 

Sue Woodall, Johnstown, Pa. ..........................$20 

Marion Cigich (749), Johnstown, Pa. ...............$20 

Alvene Paluchak Family, Johnstown, Pa. ........$20 

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Thomas, Windber, Pa. ......$20 

Eleanor Beltz (749), Johnstown, Pa. ...............$20 

Genevieve Berezonsky (749), Johnstown, Pa. ..$20 

Janet Rengh, Seward, Pa. ...............................$15 

Mary & Mafalda Mastrolembo, Johnstown, Pa. ...$15 

Mr. & Mrs. C.P. Arnone, Johnstown, Pa. .........$15 

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Vasilko (749), Johnstown, Pa. ..$15 

Christine Smith (3), Johnstown, Pa. ................$10 

Ethel Meyers (749), Johnstown, Pa. ................$10 

Frank & Betty Lopez, Johnstown, Pa. .............$10 

Tim & Judy Younger, Nicktown, Pa. ................$10 

Roy & Nancy (749) Boldin, Armagh, Pa. .........$10 

John & Bette Dabbs, Johnstown, Pa. ..............$10 

D.J. McClain, Johnstown, Pa. ..........................$10 

Ron (749) & Phyllis Korber, Johnstown, Pa. ...$10 

Adam & Mary Zemyan, Johnstown, Pa. ..........$10 

Edward Kuzma (289), Tire Hill, Pa. .................$10 

Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Pavlosky, Johnstown, Pa. ...$10 

SNPJ Lodge 190, St. Michael, Pa. ..................$10 

Glen & Olive Roseman (289), Johnstown, Pa. .. $10 

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Kranyc Family (274), Windber, Pa. $10 

Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Vasilko, Midland, Mich. .........$10 

Georgene Trikojat, Johnstown, Pa. .................$10 

Mary Jane Zupan (749), Johnstown, Pa. .........$10 

Albina Sweltz (254), Johnstown, Pa. ...............$10 

Bob & Dawn Boyle, Johnstown, Pa. ..................$5

8 PROSVETA 


Br o. Ke N N e t h K. di mP f l 

• Lo d g e 749 • 

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — The 

Dimpfl family and members 

of Lodge 749 sadly announce 

the Oct. 17, 2009, passing of 

Bro. Kenneth K. Dimpfl, 66, of 

Johnstown. He was a 41-year 

member of the Society. 

Ken was born Dec. 11, 1942, 

in Johnstown, a son of Karl and 

Margaret (Wagner) Dimpfl. 

He was a graduate of Ferndale 

Area High School, Class of 

1960, and the University of 

Pittsburgh. 

Bro. Dimpfl served in the 

U.S. Army during the Vietnam 

War. He was later employed by 

Corporate Security as a guard. 

Ken was a member and lector 

at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 

GBU, Knights of Columbus 

8244 and Msgr. James E. 

Fitzgibbon Council. He was 

also a member and treasurer 

of the Slovenian Fraternal Independent 

Beneficial Society, 

Knights of Columbus Fourth 

Degree and All Saints Assembly. 

At the time of his passing, 

Ken was serving SNPJ in his 

38th year as treasurer of the 

Conemaugh Valley Federation 

and 25th year as treasurer of 

Lodge 749. He and his wife 

Evelyn, who is the Lodge 749 

secretary, enjoyed SNPJ trips 

to Slovenia and, in recent 

years, Senior Roundup at the 

Recreation Center. 

Bro. Dimpfl was preceded 

in death by his parents and a 

brother, Fred Dimpfl. He is 

survived by his loving wife, 

Evelyn (Glovach) Dimpfl; beloved 

sons Kenneth K. (Amy) 

Dimpfl II of Columbus, Ohio, 

and Joseph (Elizabeth) Dimpfl 

of McMurray, Pa.; and cherished 

grandson, Felix Dimpfl. 

He is also survived by siblings 

Cheryl (Thomas) Gross of 

Johnstown, George William 

(Linda) Dimpfl of Yorba Linda, 

Calif., and Karlene (Peter) 

Rambish of Johnstown. 

A funeral Mass was celebrated 

Oct. 20 at St. Patrick 

Catholic Church with Father 

Matthew Reese as celebrant. 

Committal followed in Grandview 

Cemetery. Donations 

may be made to the SNPJ 

Scholarship Fund in Bro. 

Dimpfl’s memory. 

SNPJ Crossword 

VIDEO GAME CLASSICS (#2409) solution 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

2010 SNPJ W. Pa. Bowling Tournament 

February 26-28, 2010 

Men at Sports Haven Bowl 

143 Carol Ave. 

Bridgeville, PA 15017 

Phone: (412) 257-2695 

Doubles & Singles 

Friday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. 

Saturday, Feb. 27, 8:30 a.m. 

Saturday, Feb. 27, 1 p.m. 

Team Event 

Sunday, Feb. 28, 8:30 a.m. 

Sunday, Feb. 28, 12:30 p.m. 


Entry fee $26.00 per person 

Friday/Saturday Only 

Five Person Team Event 

Entry fee $65.00 per team 

Sunday Only 

Women at Sygan Lodge 6 

540 Third Ave. 

Bridgeville, PA 15017 

Phone: (412) 257-4007 

Lodge 

No. 


Friday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. 

Saturday, Feb. 27, 8:30 a.m. 

Saturday, Feb. 27, 1 p.m. 

Team Event 

Sunday, Feb. 28, 8:30 a.m. 

Sunday, Feb. 28, 12:30 p.m. 

Highest 

Average 

2008-09 

Submit bowlers’ names by position in lineup 

Lodge 

No. 

All-Events 

$5 per 

person 

YES/NO 

Highest 

Average 

2008-09 

Team name _____________________________________ 

Team captain’s name, phone number & e-mail address: 

The entry fee in each event is $13.00 per bowler, $3.75 of which shall be used for prizes, 

$8.00 for bowling and $1.25 for tournament expenses. An extra $5 is charged to all 

who desire to compete for handicap all-events prizes. 

Return form, along with fees of $13.00 per person, per event, to: 

John Baselj 

742 Mill St., Bridgeville, PA 15017 

Phone: (412) 221-1689 

Make checks payable to SNPJ Lodge 6 

ENTRY DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 8, 2010 

The Home Office will verify all memberships. Complete tournament rules are 

available by contacting the SNPJ Fraternal Department, 247 West Allegheny 

Road, Imperial, PA 15126. Rules are also available online at www.snpj.org. 

SNPJ fraternal sympathies 

On behalf of Lodge 749 and 

the Slovene National Benefit 

Society, we extend our deepest 

condolences to Bro. Dimpfl’s 

family, relatives and friends 

on their loss. 

sis. am a l i a st e w a r t 

• Lo d g e 689 • 

HELPER, Utah — The 

Stewart family and members 

of Lodge 689 sadly report the 

Oct. 11, 2009, passing of Sis. 

Amalia “Molly” Stewart in Auburn, 

Calif. She was an 84-year 

member of the Society. 

Molly was born in Buer, 

Germany, Dec. 25, 1909, and 

joined SNPJ Dec. 1, 1925. 

Sis. Stewart was predeceased 

by her parents, Frank 

and Amaija Krajnc, husband 

Aaron Stewart, daughter Veloy 

Stewart, brothers Frank 

and Vennie Kraync, and sister 

Hilda Yoklavich. She is survived 

by son Aaron Stewart, 

daughter Aarene Zajc, nine 

grandchildren, eight greatgrandchildren, 

three nieces, 

three nephews, and many great- 

Sis. AMALIA STEWART (689) 

nieces and great-nephews. 


the entire Slovene National 

Benefit Society, sincere sympathies 

are extended to Sis. 

Stewart’s family, relatives and 

friends on their loss. 

sis. ma r y il e r s i c h 

• Lo d g e 603 • 

SAMSULA, Fla. — The 

Ilersich family and members 

of Lodge 603 sadly report the 

Nov. 9, 2009, passing of Sis. 

Mary (Boris) Ilersich, 91, of 

Strongsville, Ohio. 

Mary was born in Beaverdale, 

Pa., where she later 

married William Ilersich. The 

couple lived in Lloydell, Pa., 

where daughter Carol was 

born. Their son, William Jr., 

was born in Cleveland. 

Bill, Mary and Bill Jr. made 

their home in Strongsville for 

nearly half a century. In the 

1980s, Bill and Mary enjoyed 

a winter home in Edgewater, 

Fla., just south of New Smyrna 

Beach. They stayed active 

with the local SNPJ Lodge 

and transferred their SNPJ 

membership from the former 

Lloydell Lodge 60 to Samsula 

Lodge 603. 

Sis. Ilersich loved to sing, 

dance and listen to polka 

music. The family developed 

a routine of going to Sunday 

picnic dances in the summer at 

the SNPJ Farm in Ohio, where 

Mary was a Friend of the Farm 

for many years. In the winter, 

they’d visit places like Sneaky 

Pete’s in Florida. On Tuesdays, 

they went to Wolter Park in Ak- 

DEATHS REPORTED 

For the month of September 2009 

DATE OF 

LODGE NAME DEATH CITY/STATE 

A01 Eugene Castellan 05-03-09 Monaca, Pa. 

2 Raymond E. Jakse 09-10-09 Murphys Boro, Ill. 

2 Louise T. Fox 08-31-09 Rock Falls, Ill. 

6 Peter Tambellini 08-21-09 Pittsburgh, Pa. 

6 John A. Keilbach 09-25-09 Pittsburgh, Pa. 

8 Alan J. Labaj 08-12-09 Momence, Ill. 

34 Anna Sanders 08-01-09 Greenwood, Ind. 

34 Katherine J. Willis 08-27-09 Clinton, Ind. 

41 Maxene A. Butcher 09-05-09 North Huntingdon, Pa. 

53 Dorothy Mihevc 08-21-09 Mayfield Heights, Ohio 

87 Marybelle D. Jablonsky 12-10-07 Greensburg, Pa. 

87 Esther DeBone 09-13-09 Irwin, Pa. 

106 Timothy J. Connell 08-24-09 Weirton, W.Va. 

106 Mary K. Hartzer 09-09-09 Coraopolis, Pa. 

106 Rudolph A. Tomazich 09-21-09 Carnegie, Pa. 

138 Richard J. Kern 08-22-09 Canonsburg, Pa. 

142 Mirko Cepek 09-24-09 Cleveland, Ohio 

158 Susan L. Rancich 08-15-09 Cleveland, Ohio 

174 Frances B. Palko 08-17-09 Greensburg, Pa. 

190 George Yauneridge 09-01-09 Portage, Pa. 

218 Marlene Ricottone 09-05-09 Pueblo, Colo. 

218 Charles Mataya 09-02-09 Sacramento, Calif. 

225 Rose L. Lyons 08-28-09 Kansas City, Kan. 

225 Benjamin W. Veach 03-25-09 Freeman, Mo. 

268 Thomas N. Gregorich 08-12-09 Chisholm, Minn. 

268 Mary Malkovich 06-02-09 Lansing, Mich. 

274 Terry R. Jerome 09-12-09 St. Michael, Pa. 

358 Joseph M. Mellon 08-30-09 Lisbon, Ohio 

391 Pauline D. Ulyon 09-08-09 Utica, Ohio 

576 Stella Rupe 07-10-09 Willoughby, Ohio 

614 Angela Baranowski 09-02-09 Willoughby, Ohio 

626 Yolanda Nemeth 09-13-09 Hamilton, Ohio 

643 Stephen V. Bacon 08-26-09 Poland, Ohio 

686 Ileana M. Babich 09-06-09 Hurley, Wis. 

689 Viola L. Skriner 09-08-09 Helper, Utah 

713 Alice Ograyensek 07-07-09 Oviedo, Fla. 

715 Nellie M. Frankovich 08-27-09 Beaver Falls, Pa. 

715 Ronald G. Farran 08-30-09 Hermitage, Pa. 

715 August W. Podobnik 09-08-09 Pittsburgh, Pa. 

715 James W. Stahl 08-23-09 Verona, Pa. 

721 Sam Ratkovich 08-31-09 Midland, Pa. 

723 Jerry Majdic 05-30-09 Riverton, Wyo. 

764 William J. Bashell 08-20-09 Milwaukee, Wis. 

800 Bernice I. Irwin 09-17-09 Sheldon, Wis. 

KAREN A. PINTAR 

National Secretary 

Remembering our dear ones 

during this holiday season and always... 

Fr a n k J. Vi d e r g a r 

Lo u i s Li p o V e c 

Ma ry Li p o V e c gL a d 

Mi c h a e L gL a d 

Fr a n k & Ma ry Vi d e r g a r a n d ed i t h 

May they always rest in peace. 

Sadly missed by Mary Lou (Lipovec) Vidergar; 

Frank, Gretchen, Anna & Ivan Vidergar; 

Keith, Lisa (Vidergar) & Mia Lucas. 

Sis. MARY ILERSICH (603) 

ron, Ohio, and Bill would play 

his accordion. They enjoyed 

dining, dancing and spending 

time with friends. 

Mary loved people, especially 

children. At family gatherings 

she made sure everyone 

was fed and having a good time. 

The Ilersich family attended 

every Jakopin Family Reunion 

since its inception in 1978, and 

every Beaverdale Reunion 

since its rebirth in 1989. 

Sis. Ilersich worked tirelessly 

around the home and at 

family endeavors. In Strongsville 

there was their tavern 

businesses, the nursing home 

and the Melbourne Restaurant 

and Microbrewery, one 

of the first microbreweries in 

the Cleveland area. Mary and 

Bill continued working the 

Melbourne well into their 80s. 

They were a team that enjoyed 

taking care of their home and 

family, and worked to make 

their businesses successful. 

Mary and Bill were at this 

year’s end-of-the-season polka 

Mass and picnic dance at the 

SNPJ Farm. Soon after, they 

both ended up in the hospital. 

Mary and Bill were together 

in the same room at Falling 

Water Nursing Home in 

Strongsville. 

Sis. Ilersich was the beloved 

wife of William of Florida; 

dear mother of Carol Dunn 

and Bill Jr., both of Florida; 

sister of the late Joseph Boris; 

and loving grandmother of 

Shawn of Florida and Adam 

of Hawaii. 

Services were celebrated 

Nov. 14 at Jardine Funeral 

Home, Strongsville. 



Benefit Society, we extend 

our sincere sympathies to Sis. 

Ilersich’s family, relatives and 

friends on their loss. 

Br o. ru d o l P h a. Kr a m z e r 

• Lo d g e 6 • 

SYGAN, Pa. — The Kramzer 

family and members of Lodge 

6 sadly announce the Nov. 10, 

2009, passing of Bro. Rudolph 

A. “Rudy” Kramzer of South 

Fayette Township, Pa. 

Rudy was born May 14, 

1916, in Sygan, a son of Max 

and Frances Visnecker Kramzer. 

He was the former president 

HERITAGE CENTER 2010 

FROM PAGE 1 

Dr., Wickliffe, OH 44092. 

We look forward to hearing 

from you! 

Donations from the Heritage 

Center were sent to Dale Bucar, 

Sharon Ujcich Lubich, Val 

Pawlowski, Tony Petkovsek, 

Cindy Placek, Kay Sefcik, and 

Pam and Jerry Zagar for their 

support promoting the Heritage 

Center cookbook and events 

on their radio programs. Tune 

in to these radio personalities 

and show your support. 

A Heritage Day is being 

planned at the SNPJ Heritage 


of Small Arms Manufacturing 

Co. and Federal Firearms, and 

served as chairman of the board 

of directors for the former 

Reliable Savings and Loan in 

Bridgeville, Pa. 

Bro. Kramzer was an honorary 

member of Valley Brook 

Country Club, and a member 

of Seven Oaks Country Club, 

SNPJ Lodge 6 and Santee 

Hunting Club. 

Rudy was the beloved 

husband of Ann Demsher 

Kramzer; loving father of Carol 

Ann Kramzer; and brother of 

Sophie Kramzer and the late 

Max Kramzer, Justine Erbrecht 

and Elsie Kramzer. Also surviving 

are many nieces and 

nephews. 

A Mass of Christian Burial 

was celebrated Nov. 13 at St. 

Barbara Church, Bridgeville, 

with the Rev. Richard Yagesh 

as celebrant. 

On behalf of Lodge 6 and the 

entire Slovene National Benefit 

Society, we extend our deepest 

sympathies to Bro. Kramzer’s 

family, relatives and friends 

on their loss. 

Br o. Ja m e s a. ya N o s iK 

• Lo d g e 265 • 

SOUTHVIEW, Pa. — With 

sadness, the Yanosik family 

and members of Lodge 265 announce 

the Nov. 12, 2009, passing 

of Bro. James A. Yanosik, 

62, in Allegheny General 

Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Bro. Yanosik was born Oct. 

7, 1947, a son of the late John 

L. and Anna Yanosik. He was 

a graduate of California University, 

Pa., and a social studies 

teacher in Fort Cherry School 

District, McDonald, Pa., where 

he also coached baseball and 

basketball. 

James was a member of 

St. Ann’s Roman Catholic 

Church in Bulger, Pa. He was 

also the secretary of SNPJ 

Lodge 265. 

Surviving are his wife of 40 

years, Donna Kosem Yanosik; 

a son, Jason (Amy) Yanosik 

of North Huntingdon, Pa.; a 

daughter, Jodi (Josh) Kirby of 

Carnegie, Pa.; grandchildren 

Justine and Jenna Yanosik; a 

brother, John (Linda) Yanosik 

of Texas; and sisters JoAnne 

(John) Hixenbaugh of Florida 

and Anne Marie (Richard) 

Stuhler of Canonsburg, Pa. 

Deceased is a brother, Jerome 

Yanosik. 

A Mass of Christian Burial 

was celebrated Nov. 16 at 

St. Ann’s Roman Catholic 

Church, Bulger. Interment 

followed in Center Cemetery, 

Midway. 



Benefit Society, we offer our 

sincere condolences to the family, 

relatives and friends of Bro. 

Yanosik on their loss. 

the sNPJ Heritage Center 

preparing for the 2010 season 

Center to kick off the new season 

and to preview the updated 

displays. Mark your calendar 

for Sunday, April 25, because 

you won’t want to miss this 

new event! Slovenian crafters 

will be displaying their talents 

and trades, and ethnic food will 

be available for purchase in the 

dining room. In addition, for 

any purchase made in the gift 

shop, you will receive 10 percent 

off the total price! Watch 

for details in Prosveta. 

Thank you for a very successful 

year. Merry Christmas 

and happy New Year. See you 

in 2010! 

Always in our thoughts 

Frank Joseph Vidergar 

March 15, 1935 — Dec. 27, 2007 

Two years have passed 

since you left us. 

We will always love you. 

Mary Lou 

Frank Jr., Gretchen, Anna & Ivan 

Lisa, Keith & Mia

merry christmas! - Slovene National Benefit Society

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