SGSI

SGSI Wisconsin Chapter

Founded: October 1, 1996

I was born and raised in Ely, Minnesota to Frank and Mary Perovshek Deyak, both being 1st generation Slovenians. I attended Ely Jr. College (now Vermillion Community College) and then continued on at the University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD), graduating with an elementary education degree , and a K-12 special education licensure. From the University of Wisconsin, Superior (UWS) I received a Master's Degree in education and then continued on with credits in testing and measurements. I have spent all my teaching career in Duluth, Minnesota. My husband Gene was an elementary principal in Duluth.

Together Gene and I raised 4 children, Debbie Lou, Duluth; Michael, Allen, Texas; Thomas and John both of Seattle WA. And now we have 8 grandchildren!!

Gene and I are now retired and live in Iron River Wisconsin for 5-6 months of the year, and then in Gulf Shores, Alabama during the winter months.

We enjoy traveling, having visited countries in Europe, including Slovenia, Guam, with 2 trips to China and also the British Open in Scotland. As golf is a passion with us both, we have traveled throughout the United States to major golf tournaments. We were fortunate to attend practice rounds at the Master's Tournament in the pre-Tiger Woods era.

Upon retirement I found myself surfing the internet, and coming upon the Slovenian Genealogy Society. The rest is history. While I do not possess the skills needed to be a genealogist, I do have a terrific drive and organizational skills. I was told that was the only thing one needed to form a chapter in Wisconsin.

I also am a member of the Slovenian Women's Union, and receive the Ameriski Domovina paper. I do believe we must preserve all that is of Slovenian heritage, and align ourselves in all that is Slovenian.

References:

"Early Slovenians in Wisconsin"

Translated from Rev. J. M. Trunk's History of Slovene Communities, 1912

Wisconsin Historical Society

1.     "Wisconsin Local History on the Web"

The Wisconsin Historical Society Library recently mounted more collections on the World Wide Web for genealogists and local historians. "Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles" wisconsinhistory.org/wlhba/index.asp contains nearly 16,000 local newspaper articles published statewide between 1860 and 1940. These consist mainly of pioneer reminiscences, portraits of community institutions, interviews with early settlers, strange anecdotes of eccentric personalities, and other grass-roots information. These real stories of real people have not been altered in any way; images of the original newspaper articles display on the researcher's screen. All of them are easy to search by personal name or a variety of subject headings, about 50,000 pages of local history and genealogy in all.  There is no charge to use this collection. It is made possible by funding from the Wisconsin Dept. of Public instruction through the Library Services and Technology Act and through a very generous donation from the late Scott M. Cutlip, a UW-Madison professor of mass communications.

If you have any questions about the website, contact Michael Edmonds, Deputy Director, Library/Archives Division, Wisconsin Historical Society, at miedmonds@whs.wisc.edu, or use the feedback buttons on the web site.

2.     "Order Wisconsin Vital Records Online"

A new online service from the Wisconsin Historical Society lets you order a search of Wisconsin's pre-1907 birth, marriage and death records over the Internet.  Vital records are a fundamental information source for genealogists. They can reveal minute details about a person such as birth, marriage or death date, birthplace, maiden name, and religious affiliation, as well as information about their parents Genealogists use them as stepping stones to other valuable sources such as obituaries and census records.

Requesting a search online is quite simple. After receiving your instructions and credit card payment via our secure Web site, staff trained in researching Wisconsin vital records will carefully search for the records you specify and send photocopies of their findings. All orders are guaranteed to ship within 4 weeks; rush service is also available for an additional charge. For more information, including the fee schedule, visit the Society's Online Genealogical Research Service at wisconsinhistory.org/genealogy/ogrs/index or contact Michael Edmonds, Deputy Director, Library/Archives Division, Wisconsin Historical Society, at historydocs@whs.wisc.edu.

Wisconsin Genealogy

Welcome to Wisconsin     Wisconsin's table of County Bulletin Boards

Clark County Rootsweb   Bulletin Board

Clark County Gen Forum Bulletin Board

Clark County Geocities     Bulletin Board

Clark County Genboard     Bulletin Board

Clark County Cemeteries

Mary Urban's web sites on Willard, Wisconsin, and Waukegan, Illinois

Genealogy 2002

Genealogy 2000

A Letter From Mary Lou

To Members of the Slovenian Genealogy Society International, Inc., Wisconsin Chapter

It appears it is time for a project that all members of this chapter can participate in. Slovenian missionaries and immigrants established churches throughout Wisconsin. Bishop Baraga along with his Slovenian contingency were noted for many of these, I will begin this project in the spring, when I travel to Madeline Island and photo shoot the church and area that Bishop Baraga founded I also know of a church in Superior that was founded by Bishop Baraga. For each church a historical background will also be written.

These photos and histories will be posted on our SGSI, Inc. Wisconsin web page. If you have knowledge of such churches, you are encouraged to go ahead and take on the project. If you do not have access to camera equipment, please contact me.

As you probably have noticed in the image above, George Plautz, Larry and Sue Pakiz, and my husband, Gene and I, spent one long day in the Willard cemeteries. Took lots of pictures. Here they are!!!

Holy Family Catholic Cemetery and Willard National Cemetery

(Willard National Cemetery created by SNPJ for their members.)

Some photo's from the Lake Superior Regional Chapter meeting

at Ironworld's All Slav Days-August 2001

SPOMJINSKA ZGODIVINA (HISTORIAL MEMORIES)

A book which captures pictures and stories of the Slovene families who settled Willard, Wisconsin. This book is still available for sale. The cost is $16 and postage. Email Frank Pakizto order the book. The book has been indexed and the indices may be found under Digitized Indices in the Online Resource Guide.

Kuharice iz Willarda Compiled by Slovenska Druzba, Willard, Wisconsin, Not dated

This cookbook of recipes collected by residents of Willard, Wisconsin, the largest ethnic Slovenian farming community of the twenties and published by their Slovenska Druzba. The cost is $6.00 plus postage. You can order it through the Internet from Frank Pakiz. Place your order by clicking on Frank Pakiz to initiate an Email.

Willard Historical Society (Founded 2001)

Mary Lou’s Pick of Links

• Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin
• Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin-Everyone, Everywhere
• Rules for Teachers (Beginning Genealogy for Children)
• Ethnic Organizations in Wisconsin
• Haas/Davenport Home Page

A man in Toledo, Ohio decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco, and started working east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign, which read "$10,000 a minute." Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The Pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to God. The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas, Fargo, Minneapolis, and so on, he found more phones with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor. Finally, he arrived in Wisconsin. Upon entering a church in Green Bay, Wisconsin behold, he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read "Calls: 35 cents." Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor. "Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 35 cents a call. Why?" (I just love this part) The pastor, smiling benignly, replied, "Son, you're in Wisconsin now.....it's a local call."

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