Bio: Gregorich, John & Mary

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Pechavar, Petric, Gregorich, Lucas, Bonovec

----Source: Family Scrapbook

John Gregorich was born January 9, 1880 in Vavpcje, near Semic in Jugoslavia, the oldest of seven children. At the age of 12 John's father died. His mother soon remar¬ried to John Pechavar. A few years later Mr. Pechavar headed for America, the land of opportunity, send¬ing ticket money for his wife as soon as he could. Mary Petric was born April 18, 1884 in Mladica, also near Semic. She had 12 brothers and sisters, some of them died in infancy. Mary came to know John Gregorich briefly in her youth through Mary's father being the ad¬ministrator on the death of John's father.
John came to America soon after his mother's arrival, at the age of 18. He worked as a hired man in Bernard Iowa for $28.00 a month and as soon as he could afford to he went back to Slovenia. Dressed in a new suit he soon had the eligible young ladies eyeing him, hoping they would be the lucky one to get John's attention, but he only had eyes for dark-haired Mary Petric.

On February 6, 1905 they were married and bought some land. John left his young bride and set sail for America again to earn enough to pay for this land; which he did, but instead of coming back to Slovenia he decid¬ed to remain in Iowa where he said he had meat to eat three times a day. As soon as he could he sent for Mary.

It was a sad day as she bid her family goodbye, never to see some of them again, including her father. Arriving in Iowa, she lived with John's mother in a one room house. John continued to work five miles away until he saved enough for 50 acres of land and they rented a one room house. In due time their first son, Joe, was born.

Mary never wrote home to her parents about how times were trying, but always wrote on the cheerful side about how wonderful life in Iowa was. At one time she didn't even have a nickel to mail a letter. They lived on rented farms, also owned a few but moved quite often. In all they had five auctions profiting a little by each.

By now six more children came along: Martin, Matt, Edward, Mayme, Leo and Christine. Life went on, happy, yes, but homesick for their homeland. In 1921 they sold everything and moved back to Slovenia to the house and land they still owned in Semic, but after living there six months they decided to return to America as John had se¬cond thoughts about his children remaining in Semic. They were United States citizens, so back they came.

Once again they rented a farm in Iowa. In 1923 John visited his uncle John Lucas in Willard, Wisconsin. Mr. Lucas told him of a farm for sale nearby. John didn't look at the farm, but sent Mary and son Joe to Willard to look the farm over. John said the reason he sent Mary was if she bought the farm she could never complain about the place.

Mary looked forward to living with Slovenian people again so she bought Bonovec's farm for $17500.00.

There was a new unpainted barn and a long ranch type house, no basement. All the walls were covered with tin at one time. It was the first home for early settlers who bought land in the Willard area.

February 22, 1924 Mary and children arrived by train to Fairchild. They missed the train connection to Willard so she had to hire a man with a team and sleigh to take them, for the price of $12.00. The children were snuggled under blankets for the long, cold trip. Little Christine was so bundled up that Mary unwrapped her every now and then to see if she was still alive. The snow was so deep no roads were visible so they traveled over the fields and through the woods on their way to the Lucas farm where they were welcomed, fed and bedded for the night. The next day they went to their new home. John came the following day by train, bringing along chickens, 5 brood sows and a team of mules.

Together again, they settled down to many years of happy farm life. Into each life some rain must fall and so it was with Mary and John on the death of their 17 year old son, Martin, of pneumonia.

During the year of 1938 John and Mary decided to go back to their homeland in Slovenia to visit Mary's mother who was ailing in her 79th year, but they arrived too late. They remained there several months, intending to stay a few more months. The talk of war soon had everyone uneasy so they cut short their stay there and came back to Willard. Their house in Semic soon after Was burned down by enemy soldiers during World War II.

They farmed until 1947 then sold out to their youngest son Leo when he got married. They moved to a new home in Willard where they lived for many years. John passed away September 7, 1959 at the age of 79. Mary passed away in 1981. Edward passed away April 25, 1979.

The remaining children are Joe and Matt, living in Greenwood; Mayme in Willard; Leo near Willard and Christine near Greenwood. Leo's son bought the home farm in 1979.

Grandma Gregorich passed away in 1981.