Bio: Dergance, Matt & Mary

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Dergance, Vodash

----Source: Family Scrapbook

One of the old settlers and families in the Willard area was Matt and Mary Dergance. They arrived in the Willard area in 1916 and settled in the woods, which now is the Edwin Dergance farm.

Matt Dergance was born in Monverna Vas (Posta Semic), Jugoslavia and migrated to California at the age of 15. His parents gave him $5.00 and a lunch and saw him to the ship headed for the U.S.A.

Matt met his older brother in California and worked there for some time. He heard of the gold mining in Alaska and decided at the age of 16, to "strike it rich" and headed for Alaska. He spent some time in Alaska mining gold but did make a couple of trips back to Jugoslavia to see his family.

He returned to the U.S.A. where in the state of Washington met Mary Vodash, who was born in Crane, Washington. Mary became Matt's bride in Seattle, Washington in 1911.

William, their oldest son, was born in Black Diamond, Washington in 1912. Matt, Mary and little son, William then traveled to Cripple Creek, Colorado where the gold mines were operating. Matt found employment in the mines. Their second son, Albin was born at that location.

Sometime later they migrated to the Willard area and began their farm life, hewing a clearing for the house and barn and clearing land for the fields. Three more sons, Vernon (Barney), Edwin, and Matt were born to that union at the Willard location.

Mary Dergance died at the age of 49 in 1946 and Matt died at the age of 86 in 1966.

Matt had many tales to tell about his gold mining days and their early days of pioneering, which were of interest to all.

At the present time Edwin and Barney and their families are still in the Willard area, Albin resides in Chicago, Illinois, and William and Matt are deceased.