Could that be Stajarsjo in Slovenia? Donald Marinkovich ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frank Kurchina" <frankur@worldnet.att.net> To: <CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 1:14 PM Subject: Re: [CROATIA-L] Skuban from "Sloyerska" > > > "Birkholz, James" wrote: > > > > On her son's birth certificate in Akron, Ohio, Helena Skuban's birthplace is > > listed as > > Cicilia Sloyerska > > > > Some time ago, I was told that "Sloyerska" meant Slovenia (I think). > > > > Well I knew where Slovenia is, it was on the opposite side of Croatia from > > the Bjelovar district where her husband was listed as being born. > > (Incorrectly spelled "Grubisko Polje" instead of "Grubisno Polje".) > > > > Yesterday, I'm looking at maps of the Bjelovar area and am shocked to see > > Slovenia directly to the east (and a little south) of Bjelovar (but still > > part of Croatia). > > So I check another map and confirm that it was where I thought it was, to > > the NW of Croatia. Then I see that they are spelled differently. > > The one by Bjelovar is "Slavonia". Huh! > > > > So now I'm wondering if "Sloyerska" (or more probably a similar spelling) > > can be tied to "Slavonia". This would be helpful, as the only Skubans in the > > online Croatian phone directory are in Vukovar, which I believe is in this > > Slavonian part of Croatia. > > > > I'm half convinced that the "Cicilia" reference is a mistaken answer to the > > questions and refers to the father's grandmother's name, rather than the > > mother's birthplace. > > > > I've tried checking the old version of the online phone directory, using the > > list towns by county feature, for Bjelovar, Vukovar and Osjecko districts. > > CELIJE in the Vukovar district might be the Cicilia referred to in the birth > > certificate. > > James > > > You bring up some interesting possibilities. > In Slovene, the country known as Slovenia is Slovénija > and Slovakia is Slovás^ka. > While Slavonia (Croatia-Slavonia) is known as Slavonija. > > Some who seek Slovenija (Slovenia) think it is the the same > country as Slovakia (Slovensko) > > Slovenia was once a part of former Yugoslavia in the Balkans. > Slovakia was a part of former Czechoslovakia in Central Europe. > Now both are independent republics. > Of course, pre-WW I, neither Slovakia or Slovenia existed, while > Croatia-Slavonia did. > > If you write to Slovenija and don't use Slovenia, the letter > probably gets mailed to Slovakia. If you use Slovensko for Slovakia the > letter probably ends up in Slovenia ? > Today, U.S. Postal Service only recognizes these countries under > "Slovenia" and "Slovak Republic". > > When I first read your query ignored the name as being a place name > because Cicilia had looked like a reference to a female first name. > Cicely/Cecilia (E) is Slovenian given name Cecilija (dim. Cilka) But, > to the best of my knowledge was not a Croatian name. > > Or perhaps, Cicilia was a reference to Celije ? > In 1991, the Serbs ethnically cleansed the Croats in eastern > Slavonia in 3 mos., especially in Celije, Erdut, Aljmas, and Dalj. > > v > Frank Kurcina >