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Slovene Americans / ameriški Slovenci

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Top Surnames

Arko, Bahor, Baraga, Deutschman and 16 others
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Profiles

  •
    John Dajcman (1879 - 1909)
    ACCIDENT NO. 36 — May 13, 1909 - Louis Musso , Louis Rosso , John Dajcman , Red Jacket Shaft, C.&H.A fall of vein rock at the 65th level, North of No. 4, Red Jacket Shaft, was the cause of a sad accide...
  • Anton Varsek (1881 - d.)
  • Josef Jancar (1884 - 1964)
    Residence : St Louis, Minnesota, Duluth Residence : Houghton, Michigan, United States - 1920 Residence : Duluth, St Louis, Minnesota, United States - 1930 Residence : Same House - 1935 Residenc...
  • Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/196212576/jacob-jancar
    Jakob Jancar (1875 - 1906)
    Houghton County Mine Inspectors Report ACCIDENT NUMBER 10 — March 9th, 1906. Red Jacket Shaft, Jacob Jancar. This accident occurred at the 66th level Red Jacket shaft, about 9 P.M., causing fatal inj...
  • Anna Kestner (1889 - d.)
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Cropped from a United States federal government image. Public domain. Via https://si.usembassy.gov / https://d2v9ipibika81v.cloudfront.net/uploads/sites/259/Cirius-10.jpg / https://si.usembassy.gov/an-inspirational-visit-to-cirius-kamnik/

Slovene Americans (or Slovenian Americans) are Americans of full or partial Slovene/Slovenian ancestry. Slovenes mostly immigrated to America during the Slovene mass emigration period from the 1880s to World War I.

Today, fewer than 200,000 Americans claim Slovene ancestry. The states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have the largest populations. The cities of Cleveland, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pueblo, Colorado; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Joliet, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Eveleth, Minnesota have notable Slovene communities. ___________________________________________

American Slovenes are called "Griners"(sometimes "Grinders"). GRINER is a corruption of the German word for inhabitant of the Duchy of Carniola: KRAINER . Slovenians were thus called "Krainers" which became "Griners" in USA.

For more information on Slovene Americans, visit Wikipedia.

Notable Slovene Americans

Academics and scientists

Entertainment

Journalism and writing

  • Louis Adamič - author
  • Joseph Drašler (1911-2005) - journalist, publicist
  • Joseph Durn (1894-1959) - journalist
  • Edward Gobetz (1926-2020) - writer
  • Jože Grdina - writer
  • Ivan Jontez (1902-1979) - writer, journalist, publicist, editor
  • Jim Klobuchar - author and journalist
  • Anna Krasna-Praček (1900-1988) - writer, publicist
  • Charles Kuralt - journalist
  • Tea Obreht (1985) - author
  • Rose Mary Prosen (1931-2008) - poet
  • Jason Rezaian - journalist and former Iranian hostage

Military

  • Ferdinand J. Chesarek (1914-1993) - general
  • Frank Gorenc (1957) - general
  • Stanley Gorenc (1954) - general
  • Jurij (Žore) George Kraigher - air force pilot
  • John Stephan Lekson (1917-1992) - United States Army Major General
  • Warren Joseph Pezdirtz - major general
  • Rudolf Perhinek (1906-1982) - captain
  • William Francis Petrovic (1913-1991) - rear admiral
  • Jerome Edward Rupnik (1924-2006) - counter (rear) admiral, surgeon
  • Ronald Zlatoper (1942-2022) - four star admiral

Politicians

Religious

  • Friderik Irenej Baraga (Frederic Baraga) - Roman Catholic Bishop and Missionary
  • Elden Francis Curtiss (1932) - former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska and former Bishop of Helena, Montana
  • Joseph Mavsar - a priest of the Diocese of Helena
  • Ignatius Mrak (1818-1901) - Roman Catholic bishop
  • Francis Xavier Pierz - Roman Catholic bishop

Sports

  • Mike Adamle - American football player - Northwestern Wildcats and NFL - also a television and radio sports reporter and WWE wrestling announcer
  • Tony Adamle - American football star - Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns(member of 1950 and 1954 NFL Championship teams)
  • Amar Alibegović (1995) - NCAA basketball player and son of Teoman Alibegović
  • Jeff Blatnick (1957-2012) - Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling
  • Frank Brimsek (1915-1998) - ice hockey player
  • Goran Dragić - basketball player
  • Zoran Dragić - basketball player
  • Bryant Dunston (1986) - professional basketball player for the Slovenian national team since he acquired Slovenian citizenship in 2015
  • Bob Golic (1957) - American football star (Notre Dame Fighting Irish and NFL - Cleveland Browns, among other teams) - also an actor Saved by the Bell: The College Years
  • Mike Golic (1962) - American football star (Notre Dame Fighting Irish and NFL - Philadelphia Eagles, among other teams) - also ESPN radio personality and host on Mike and Mike in the Morning
  • Randy Gradishar (1952) - American football star (Ohio State Buckeyes and Denver Broncos)
  • John Gruden (1970) - ice hockey player
  • Eric Heiden (1958) - Olympic speed skater, winner of five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics
  • Luke Hochevar (1983) - athlete, Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Frank Hribar (1917-1976) - NFL Washington Redskins
  • Wally Judnich (1916-1971) - Baseball player
  • Anže Kopitar (1987) - ice hockey player
  • Joe Kuhel (1906-1984) - Baseball player and manager
  • Les Kuntar (1969) - Ice hockey player
  • Trajan Langdon (1976) - basketball (NBA and Europe) player
  • Dan Majerle - basketball (NBA) player
  • Ariel McDonald (1972) - former basketball player who played for the Slovenian national team in 2001 since he acquired citizenship
  • Sam Mikulak - Olympic gymnast and NCAA champion
  • Ken Novak (1954) - American football player
  • Anton Peterlin (1987) - soccer player
  • Anthony Randolph (1989) – basketball (NBA and Europe) player
  • Peter Vidmar - Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast, highest scoring gymnast in U.S. history
  • Fritzie Zivic
  • Jack Zivic - boxer
  • Peter Zivic - boxer
  • Mark Zupan (1975) - athlete, wheelchair rugby team captain

Other

Slovene Americans (or Slovenian Americans) are Americans of full or partial Slovene/Slovenian ancestry. Slovenes mostly immigrated to America during the Slovene mass emigration period from the 1880s to World War I.

Today, fewer than 200,000 Americans claim Slovene ancestry. The states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have the largest populations. The cities of Cleveland, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pueblo, Colorado; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Joliet, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Eveleth, Minnesota have notable Slovene communities.

For more information on Slovene Americans, visit Wikipedia.

Notable Slovene Americans

Academics and scientists

Entertainment

Journalism and writing

  • Louis Adamič - author
  • Joseph Drašler - journalist, publicist
  • Joseph Durn - journalist
  • Edward Gobetz - writer
  • Jože Grdina - writer
  • Ivan Jontez - writer, journalist, publicist, editor
  • Jim Klobuchar - author and journalist
  • Anna Krasna-Praček - writer, publicist
  • Charles Kuralt - journalist
  • Tea Obreht - author
  • Rose Mary Prosen - poet
  • Jason Rezaian - journalist and former Iranian hostage

Military

Politicians

Religious

  • Friderik Irenej Baraga (Frederic Baraga) - Roman Catholic Bishop and Missionary
  • Elden Francis Curtiss - former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska and former Bishop of Helena, Montana
  • Joseph Mavsar - priest, monsignor of Diocese of Helena
  • Ignatius Mrak - Roman Catholic bishop
  • Francis Xavier Pierz - Roman Catholic bishop

Sports

  • Mike Adamle - American football player - Northwestern Wildcats and NFL - also a television and radio sports reporter and WWE wrestling announcer
  • Tony Adamle - American football star - Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns(member of 1950 and 1954 NFL Championship teams)
  • Amar Alibegović - NCAA basketball player and son of Teoman Alibegović
  • Jeff Blatnick - Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling
  • Frank Brimsek - ice hockey player
  • Goran Dragič - basketball player
  • Zoran Dragič - basketball player
  • Bryant Dunston - professional basketball player for the Slovenian national team since he acquired Slovenian citizenship in 2015
  • Bob Golic - American football star (Notre Dame Fighting Irish and NFL - Cleveland Browns, among other teams) - also an actor Saved by the Bell: The College Years
  • Mike Golic - American football star (Notre Dame Fighting Irish and NFL - Philadelphia Eagles, among other teams) - also ESPN radio personality and host on Mike and Mike in the Morning
  • Randy Gradishar - American football star (Ohio State Buckeyes and Denver Broncos)
  • John Gruden - ice hockey player
  • Eric Heiden - Olympic speed skater, winner of five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics
  • Luke Hochevar - athlete, Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Frank Hribar - NFL Washington Redskins
  • Wally Judnich - Baseball player
  • Anže Kopitar - ice hockey player
  • Joe Kuhel - Baseball player and manager
  • Les Kuntar - Ice hockey player
  • Trajan Langdon - basketball (NBA and Europe) player
  • Dan Majerle - basketball (NBA) player
  • Ariel McDonald - former basketball player who played for the Slovenian national team in 2001 since he acquired citizenship
  • Sam Mikulak - Olympic gymnast and NCAA champion
  • Ken Novak - American football player
  • Anton Peterlin - soccer player
  • Peter Vidmar - Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast, highest scoring gymnast in U.S. history
  • Fritzie Zivic - boxer
  • Mark Zupan - athlete, wheelchair rugby team captain

Other

  • Bogdan Grom - painter, illustrator, graphic designer, sculptor
  • Martin Hozjan - community worker
  • Milan Pecharich (Pečarič) - bussines man
  • Gregor Perušek (Harvey Gregory Prusheck) - painter
  • Joe Sutter - manager of the design team for the Boeing 747
  • Josephine Tratnik - community worker
  • Melania Trump - fashion model and First Lady of the United States
  • Josephine Zakrajšek - community and politics worker
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