Dejak was born in Lipovec, Slovenia, that has been sensed an integral part of Yugoslavia at that time

Immigrants

Eye Bailin, a contributor to your New york Moments, writes you to “[Cleveland]’s metropolitan area gets the prominent metropolitan population away from Slovenians – in the 75,100000 [by 1987], relying 2nd- and you may 3rd-age bracket Americans – exterior Ljubljana, Slovenia’s big town.”

Depending on the “Slovene” part of the Encyclopedia away from Cleveland History on Case West Set-aside University, Slovenians one immigrated so you can Cleveland after World war ii “were generally governmental refugees.” The brand new Slovenian area when you look at the Cleveland has also been “augmented by the second age group,” which means that second-age group Slovenians eg my Teta Lenka (“teta” is Slovenian for “aunt”) just who lived-in Cleveland and went on so you can embrace their traditions, have made sure you to definitely a Slovenian cultural exposure stays in your neighborhood now.

John Dejak, both

John F. The guy relocated to The united states regarding sixties after meeting a Slovenian girl entitled Amelia Starasinic in Germany. The pair of them had married and compensated during the Cleveland, Ohio, where John F. Dejak been their career due to the fact a professional. They’d its basic kid, a kid, from inside the ed him John Nicholas Dejak, Nicholas being just after Amelia’s oldest brother.

John N. Dejak grew up in Cleveland, Kansas and you can talked Slovenian once the 1st vocabulary. They are never as proficient on it now during the years fifty-five, but he was ridiculed within the kindergarten just after having talking about a fork since a beneficial “vilice.” The guy began doing work at the his father’s servers shop, Dejak Machine and you can Equipment Company, to the weekends as he was fourteen, and you will began a job since a physical professional just after graduating away from Cleveland County College or university into the 1989. He previously 1st kid, a girl, during the November 1998. They moved from Cleveland to help you Albe as he got other engineering job. The guy never ever trained their daughter simple tips to talk Slovenian.

Misko

Amelia, shortly after divorcing John F. Dejak inside 1995, met an excellent Croatian kid called Misko Maslac during the 1997 at a beneficial escape eating in the her niece’s house. These people were joyfully .

By 2000, Amelia currently had four young grandchildren according to the age around three. All these grandchildren invested extended periods of time through its grandparents, within Stama and you will Misko’s household, on the Sugarbush Way for the Doors Mills, Kansas.

It wasn’t up until 2007, when said grandkids was between your age 7 and you can eleven, that they discovered that the phrase “Misko” doesn’t mean “grandfather” inside the Slovenian. The fresh grandchildren went with the parents to satisfy a vintage son in the an excellent Panera Money on Mayfield Road, and brought him because Stariata, the grandfather.

Na zdravje

Regarding the English language, new Slovenian terminology “na zdravje” means “bless you” otherwise “in order to health,” but it most commonly usually means “thanks a lot.”

However, for people who head to Cleveland and you are having trouble on the enunciation, always muttering “sweet garage” in good Slovenian feature is going to do perfectly.

This words sets at the same time with a short cup from slivovitz, labeled as “Slovenian moonshine” to help you Clevelanders. Technically, slivovitz was Slovenian brandy produced from plums, but it’s easier for my loved ones to track down Croatian rakija from Misko’s buddy Hadjo inside the Cleveland, whom renders his own grappa out of grapes. But for all of us-slivovitz, brandy, rakija, grappa- each of them have the same loving but really unlawful bad taste, therefore we fool around with “slivovitz” because the a collective identity.

It’s custoily particularly, in order to pour a trial out-of slivovitz on a safe coming to Doorways Mills. Whenever a pleasant “na zdravje!” fills our house into the Sugarbush Lane, whether it’s during Thanksgiving or Easter or somewhere in anywhere co to ourteennetwork between, it’s always the beginning of an unforgettable household members reunion.

Palacinke

If it is as well thicker, increase the amount of h2o. If it’s also thin, increase the amount of flour. Temperatures a cooking pan or bowl and you may squirt that have Pam otherwise petroleum. Put the batter and you can change otherwise swivel the fresh dish so the batter talks about the base. If the corners try brown, flip it over. Suffice which have powder glucose and you can articles having fillings of your preference, in addition to not simply for: new berries, raspberry-jam, maple syrup, and/otherwise cream cheese. However if you happen to be a more youthful sis regarding exploit, always a Slovenian sausage connect will do.