Hello James and Tami, I recall when you began your search, but can not recall what was mentioned. First checking US phone numbers and Social Security Death Indexes finds no listings for BELOBRIDICH, however there are listings for BELOBRAJDIC, BELOBRAJDICH, BELOBRAYDICH and BELOBRAIDICH. Have you checked out any of those Social Security records or checked with any of the phone listings to see if there is a relationship? Belo means white and perhaps brajd (sounds like bride) is from the Croatian word brada, meaning bird. You might try Emailing to the Croatian Fraternal Union in Pittsburgh PA, which is the largest Croatian organization in the world, having been founded in 1894! If you Email to them put ATTN: Ed Pazo in the subject line and Ed may search for you, although being a member would make it more likely. You will find a link to the CFU in my link list and their Email address at that web page. http://www.croatia-in-english.com/rj/index.html Here is a link to Midwest Croatians, with some Email addresses for contacts in Detroit area. Don't know if they will reply but hey who knows! http://www.midwest-croatians.org/calendar.html#detroit Also you may try Saint Lucy's in Troy Michigan (prior to 1992 this church was called St. Anthony's Croatian Catholic Church) and located in Detroit. St. Lucy Croatian Catholic Church, Troy 200 E. Wattles Rd. (248) 619-9910 Hope this is of some help Robert Jerin ----- Original Message ----- From: "Birkholz, James" <James.Birkholz@usa.okmetic.com> To: <CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 6:43 PM Subject: RE: [CROATIA-L] Belobraidic from Grubisno Polje > Do you know of any resources off the beaten track that might help learn more > about Mato Belobraidic's life in the US? Here are some details. > > It is unknown whether he was married when he immigrated about 1905, or > whether he married shortly after. Born in Grubisno Polje late in 1886, he is > in Akron, Ohio for the 1910 census. 1910 was also the year of the birth of > his second of three children (Dragntin or Charles), whose birth certificate > declares Mato was a Rubberworker. I believe the census has his name as > "Michal Belobridich". > > Two years later, the birth of his third and last known child started a > series of tragic events that have caused problems for his children and > grandchildren ever since. His wife, Helen Skuban became infected during > childbirth and the high fever damaged her brain, leaving her a paranoid > schizophrenic. Mato placed her in the state hospital, and the three children > in an orphanage. > > He then disappears, surfacing in 1925 to visit his wife in the hospital, > telling the staff that he was working in a bath house in Detroit. > > Later in life, he called one or more of his children, seeking assistance in > his last year or years of life. One daughter received some of his > possessions after he died including a trunk that was intended for his only > son. This son (Dragntin/Charles) however, was so bitter from the hard life > that he lived as an orphan, that he refused to have anything to do with it. > This man and the one sister who was adopted by a loving family have died in > the last 10 years. The third sister disappeared after being turned away from > the orphanage when she turned 18. She turns up in correspondence with an > orphanage in San Francisco in 1932 at age 20. And she once called her > brother for help but was treated in the same manner as her father was. > > So we are trying to determine what happened to Mato. We don't even know when > or where he died, the descendants became interested too late to get reliable > information from his two children. And we'ld like to find out what happened > to the third child. > > So if you know of any Craoatian in the US resources for us to search, please > let me know. > > TIA, > James and Tami Birkholz >