SLOVENIAN HISTORY, CULTURE, RELIGION AND HERITAGE Part 6

 

1916-1936 Father John Perše

 Father John Perše is a 1^st cousin 2x removed from Theresa Strutzel.  Here is his relationship to the Sterbenz-Strutzel family:

(Fr. John Perše 1867-1936 was the son of  Mihael Perše 1823-1892 and his father was Jurij Pavel (George Paul) Perše (Persche) 1780-1843 and his daughter (sister of Mihael Perše) was Marija (Mary) Perše 1810-1893 and her son was Mihael (Michael) J. Šterbenc (Sterbenz) 1839-1924 and his daughter was Mary Sterbenz 1866-1954 and her daughter was Anna Theresa Strutzel 1893-1933 and she married Max Peter Medved 1892-1949.)

            John Perše was born in 1867 in Stari Trg ob Kolpi, Austria—later to become Slovenia.  He was born to Marji Mihelic and Mihael Perše.  (Marji Mihelic had 3 children from her first marriage to Jurji Panjan).  John was the 4th child of Marji Mihelic and Mihael Perše.  His mother died in April 1870 when John would have been 3 years old.  John continued to live with his father Mihael Perše and step-mother, Katarina Luster (Suster).  Two more half-brothers were born to this union.  When he was about 12, John left Slovenia and traveled to the US to join an older half-brother, Jurji Panjan (George Panian).

            George Panjan (Panian) had left Slovenia in 1871, not too long after his mother had died.  He traveled to Iowa to meet up with friends he’s met on the 18-day ocean crossing.  He married Anna Maria Haberkorn in Dubuque, Iowa and they eventually moved to Westphalia, Iowa where he bought a store. 

            It was in Westphalia that John joined the family of George, Anna Maria, Mary Ann, Theresa, and George Panian, Jr.

            While in Westphalia, George recognized the intelligence and drive of John, and he (John Perse) was sent to school in Harlan about 10 miles away.

            The family moved to Royalton, Minnesota in 1881, about 1 year after John joined the family.  Another child was born while in Royalton.  They were only there about a year when the family moved again to Zell, South Dakota where George built a store and became the postmaster. 

            John was not listed on the 1885 South Dakota census so it isn’t known whether he was still with the Panians or if he stayed behind in Minnesota to go to school.  According to his own records, he attended St. John’s University, school of Theology in Collegeville, Minnesota which was about 50 miles from Royalton. 

            He also received training in Mt. Angel Abby in Oregon and Muncie, Indiana. 

            Father John received his ordination papers on June 4, 1898 in Denver, Colorado.  He was an archdiocese priest (as opposed to a ordered priest.) His first church was in Leadville, Colorado, where he was instrumental in raising $15,000 from the 1000 Slovenia immigrants to build a church and later a school. 

            He became ill from the mining activities, developing lung disease and left Leadville for Hot Springs, California for rehab.  In 1919, he was assigned as the first full-time priest at Holy Family Church in Kansas City, Kansas. 

            In Kansas City, he again built a new church, serving as architect and builder.  In 1936, he died from a brain tumor and was buried in the priest section of Mt. Calvary Cemetery, in Kansas City, Kansas.