Bio: Rakovec, John & Antonija

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Rakovec, Zorko, Cesnik, Butcher, Routar, Scharenbrock, Gosar, Artac, Trgatev, Pekol, Svet

----Source: Family Scrapbook

Mr. Rakovec was born in the village of Polsica, parish of Usise near Podnart, area of Gorenjskem. He came to America in 1902. His wife, Antonija Zorko was born in the village of Raka, near Krskem. She came to America in 1904. They were married in 1905 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Joe Jr. and his twin brothers Tony and Richard were born here. Tony died in infancy.

Mr. Rakovec first came to Denver, Colorado. Then he went to Gallup, New Mexico where he worked for five months. From there he went to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, next to Ohio and back to Pennsylvania.

The family went back to Europe in 1906. Mary, Frank, and Cyril were born there. Later they returned to Pennsylvania and then on to Sunnyside, Utah. In 1914 Mr. Rakovec purchased land northeast of Willard on the border of Greenwood and Willard from Ignac Cesnik. Cyril and his son now farm the family farm. John was the only child born in Willard.

Mr. Rakovec was a blaster in coal mines in Pennsylvania and in Springfield, Illinois. For about ten years after they settled in Willard he went back to the mines around Thanksgiving and came home for haying each year. Joe Jr. and his mother did the farming including plowing with the walking plow, etc. Mr. Rakovec also worked in the mines in the Ely - Hibbing area for a year. The land had plenty of brush and large pine stumps but they did not give up.

In 1922 Lucien Butcher sawed lumber for their new barn built in 1923. Water for the steam engine was haul¬ed from Rocky Run Creek with horses. "Happy" Routar made the stone wall and John Scharenbrock Sr. built the top.

Mr. and Mrs. Rakovec were both very active in church activities. Mrs. Rakovec played an important role in the community. She was a jolly, hardworking lady, making parties not only for neighborhood folk's birthdays but also for wedding anniversaries for people of the Willard Community.

She was one of a "trio" of very active K.S.K.J. No. 174 officers with Mrs. Gosar and Mrs. Artac. To get her they planned doings for the society and for the church.

Many picnics and dances were held as fund raisers. Before each dance she and Mrs. Gosar spent hours mak¬ing crepe paper flowers of many colors and kinds to be used as dance tickets.

Mr. and Mrs. Rakovec installed dance flooring in their barn too, so that dances could be held there for the church.

After the hall was built and dances were held there, she and Mrs. Gosar took care of the lunches and their husbands managed the refreshments.

The trio were chief cooks for bazaar and other dinners served at the hall before the 1960's. Her "krofe" were superb! She ordered "her boys" to help with the beating of this dough. They also helped in the stringing of wires in the hall for the Vinske Trgatev as well as tying branches and hundreds of other chores that needed to be done.

Clearly pleasure did not take precedence over faith. They attended church regularly with their family, often walking 3 ½ miles to get there in frigid weather.

Mr. Rakovec died in Willard in 1954 and Mrs. Rakovec died in Willard in 1964.

Family members are: Joe who lives in Marshfield, Wisconsin; Mary (Mrs. Frank Pekol) who lives in Willard; Frank and John live in the Loyal area; Richard lives in Chicago; Cyril lives on the home farm which has expanded to over two hundred acres.

Submitted by: Joe Rakovec Jr. and Novi Svet