James Wesley McDaniel and Martha Lucille Dzaich married on June 15, 1951, and raised 6 children, one of them me. I’ve lately begun exploring the generations before Jim and Martha, two very distinct family lines: the first, the Scotch-Irish McDaniel family who go back many generations in the American South, and the second, Croatians immigrants who emigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. I’ll use this page to add their stories and pictures as they emerge.
The picture below is the earliest I have found of Joseph and Kata Ribarich Dzaich as a couple, apparently in their first home on Bunker Hill in Los Angeles. My mother cannot identify the others in the photo, but they appear to be friends and neighbors. I’m speculating this photo must be dated 1922, given that Kata Ribaric married Joseph Dzajic (as their last names were spelled in the old country) in 1920, and their first child, John, was born in 1923. If you look closely at my grandparents in the middle of the table, my grandmother appears to be exhibiting the “mask of pregnancy,” reddened blotches on her face. When I was first pregnant she warned me I might have that happen to me. Fascinating group of people – who were they?
this is SO COOL! I wonder, too. Looks like some kind of special occasion…the flowers…
Mama’s mask of pregnancy bothered her a lot. She sent me to the 10cent store to buy “Golden Peacock Bleach Cream” for her. That generation believed if you were fair and blue eyed or had fine delicate nose and lips you were from a higher class. Papa teased her about her full lips. Today women get shots to achieve that look.
I am so excited about your trip we tried janet, sue and I to get dad to go with us a couple of years ago to croatia but he declined. This is on my bucket list! for in 2-4 years so I am excited to see and hear what you learn Archer and I plan on croatia for the grandparents home town tours and also to Lucca Italy for the Italian Cheannelli (sp)parentage of archer dad in tuscany . thank you for this maggie n mike!
We hope you have a great time. We’re looking forward to your photos. Chris is particularly interested in pictures from Slovenia, which was the homeland of his landlady in Amsterdam when he lived there in 1969. Enjoy.