The Preseren Home

My sister had a picnic near the Preseren home yesterday so she drove up to the gate and took this photo. I never recalled this beautiful stone sign with the harp. It is so beautiful and the sign alone brings back so many great BoJon memories.

Here is the main house you can see from  the gate. Goodness, the mountains in the background are just touching the sky. The first floor is the kitchen area with a large dining area. The second floor has a huge dance floor and those BoJon accordian players would fill up the dance floor.I can close my eyes and hear the sound of the creek rushing by at the bottom of the hill where the open bar area sits. So many wonderful memories here.

I am dreaming that my uncles Tony (left) and Louie (right) were once laughing and joking at the Preseren Home. But the Slovenian people did not purchase the Preseren Home until 1928 and Uncle Tony was killed in the mining accident February, 1927. Still it is a happy thought. Look how handsome these two brothers were. They were dressed so  nicely as well. A treasured photo. Thank you sissy.

My mother at a family reunion in Westcliff, Colorado with her cousins, Louie (left) and Joe Marold. One of their children owned a beautiful property at Westcliff and we enjoyed a wonderful day of fun and memories. I wish I could find my photo of the prize bull the Marold family owned. He was quite a sight to see.

This was the national flag of the former Yugoslavia. Similar to our flag without the stars.

A wonderful picture of my folks from cousin Juliane. I am thinking the baby must be a sibling of Juliane, Perhaps she will remind me. I love my mom's chapel veil on her head. Those old school Catholic days required women and girls to wear a head cover which they called a chapel veil. I always loved the longer version of it,  called a "Mantilla". The headpiece originated in Spain but became part of the Catholic church  religious practice. Another good memory from those days at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Here is a google image of a Lubjlana accordian player from our homeland in Slovenia.  One of the most famous accordian players was Frankie Yankovic. He was the son of BoJon immigrants. He could play "Roll Out the Barrel" and many other wonderful polka tunes. I bet all of you BoJons can polka! Don't be shy , you know you love it and still can tear up that dance floor at a wedding reception. don't be afraid to admit you love doing the Chicken Dance too.

Frankie was a Slovenian American who was a devote Roman Catholic and grew up in Cleveland. He was born July 15, 1915 and passed away October 14, 1998. Frankie Yankovic had eight children with two different wives and six of those children were boys! BoJon Power!

I have shown this photo before but Ang Jacklovich-Steblay and Louis Steblay  were pictured at Rye, Colorado and I am sure this was the Preseren Home. The Pueblo chieftain has an article regarding the Perseren Home from June 18, 1992. I could not get the link to load the page for me so if you google it you can read about the history of the Preseren Home in Rye.

I am excited to hear about Cousin Kay's trip to Slovenia next month. I am hoping she will snap a photo or two of Preseren Square which is a significant landmark in Lubjlana, Slovenia. Until next time: