My direct line of Meznarich's goes back to present day Slovenia, the village of Bukosek (Bukošek), near Brezice (Breñice).  These names are the present day Americanized (Anglo) and Solvenian versions.  Slovenia is located in the northwest part of Yugoslavia (or Jugoslavia).  It is bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary, Croatia and the Adriatic Sea.  Where is Brezice?   Brezice is about 60 miles southeast of Ljubljana (the capital of Solvenia) - very near the Croatia border.  If you look northwest of Zagreb - about 20 miles you can also find it. Styria is the Anglo name for Štajerška, the area of Slovenia that is east of the Sava River.  In German, you will find it written as Steirmark.  (A lot of the records you come across will be written in German.  So, if you ever come across the town name of Rann, it is actually the German name for Brezice.)  Bukošek is within Štajerška and anyone from that area proudly calls themself Štajerc.  On the old maps of Austria, Brescia is not Brezice.  Northwest of Brescia, you will see a town called Laibach (German for Ljubljana). Brezice is south of a town called Jasko (old name for Lasko).  You can see a detailed map of Slovenia. Be sure to click your "Back" button to return to this page.

    Meznarich is the Anglo spelling of Meznaric (the c has a v shaped mark over it and that letter sounds like ch).  My great-grandfather, Michael Meznarich was born in Krean (possibly Kranj, a fairly good sized town just north of the capital Ljubljana.  It is located in a region called Gorenjska) in 1868 and he died in Bukosek in 1935.  Michael married Mary Proselc around 1892 in Bukosek.  She was born Maria in Rigonce, Slovenia 1871 and died in Wyanet, IL in 1958.  They had five children on the farm in Bukosek:  Michael Jr. (1892-1960), Joseph (1894-1943), John (1895-1958), Anna (1897-1987), and Theresa (1899-1975).

    Michael first immigrated to US in May 24, 1899.  The ship he came over on was SS La Gascogne.  He settled in La Salle, IL.  Where is La Salle?  It is about 90 miles southwest of Chicago in the northern part of IL where interstate highway 39(n-s) crosses highway 80(e-w).  He came there to find work.  His brother, Anton, was running a saloon and had been there since 1893.  His wife followed two years later arriving in the US on 1/27/1902, with her two daughters:  Anna -4 and Theresa -2.  They arrived via the SS La Champagne in New York.  Their departure was from Le Havre, France.  The three boys remained at home in Bukosek.  In La Salle, Michael and Mary had Marie (1902-2000) and Anton (1903-1918).  Michael and his family returned to Slovenia in 1905.

    Back in Bukosek, Michael and Mary had Frank (1905-1973), Caroline (1907-1973), Louis (1909-1968) and Vincence (1910-1911).  In February, 1911, Michael returned alone to the US - La Salle, IL.  Anna returned to the US, La Salle alone in June 1912.  Later in 1913, his wife and six children (Theresa, Marie, Anton, Frank, Caroline and Louis) rejoined him.

    For some unknown reason, Michael returned to Bukosek in 1925 alone - leaving his family behind in La Salle.  He died in 1939.  His last known address was Bukosek st 48, Posta Brezice Obsave, Spodno Stajersko, Jugaslavia.  In 1957, Michael, Jr. sold the family farm and moved to Maribor, Slovenia. (Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia).