The Setinas Immigrate to Kansas - Heather's Genealogy Corner

We were very fortunate to get to visit with our Setina cousins in Slovenia, as well as meet many of them online via my genealogy work. With multiple generations to share, let me start with who/what/when they came to the United States.

Grandma Jennie Setina came over with her mother (Mary Vrhovnik) and her next 5 sisters, Mary, Rosalie, Louise, Anna and Frances in October 1905. Gail was the first of the siblings born in the US about a year later.

For those following closely, Gail was the 7th daughter, to be followed by Julia and Tillie, daughters #8 and 9. The Setina’s 10th child was a boy, Frank and the 11th, John. Sadly, it was only 7 years after the family was complete and when Frank was 12 and John 7, when Gaspar and Mary would pass away. Here’s one of the last family photos I have of the Setinas:

However, before we get that memorable event, let’s talk about Gaspar and his brothers.

The first Setina to immigrate to the US from Slovenia was Franc Setina. His future wife would immigrate on the same ship, Agnes Skodlar, in 1900.

Gaspar Setina (my great-great grandfather) would immigrate 3 years later to the same town as Franc (Frontenac, Kansas) with his brothers, Lawrence and Jakob. A younger brother (possibly nephew) would later immigrate as well.

While Franc, the eldest brother who immigrated would not have children, he passed along a great photo album to my great grandmother and was in the local newspaper for Frontenac for his work with helping local immigrants nationalize, in addition to his work with the local socialist party. Here’s a rough translation of his obituary from the Prosveta:

Announcement and thanks

It is with a heavy heart that I announce to my relatives, acquaintances and friends the sad news that a cruel death has severed the thread of life of my beloved husband.

FRANK ŠETINA

He died on February 20, 1938 after a long and painful illness. He was born on March 20, 1864 in the village of Zbilje near Medvode above Ljubljana. His funeral was held on February 24, 1938, according to his last wish, with a civil ceremony at the City Cemetery in Frontenac, Kansas.

He lived in America for about 40 years, all the time in the vicinity of Yale, Kansas, but he was known far and wide as a progressive and freethinker, always agitating for societies and for workers’ rights. He was a member and founder of society No. 9 of the SNPJ and at the time of his death was president, as well as a delegate of this society several times. He also belonged to society No. 14, SSPZ. He was a diligent reader and subscriber to the journal “Prosvete.” He renewed his subscription on time, as well as the society assessments, although he had been unemployed for many years now.

Let me take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the councilors, members and members of these two societies for the beautiful fresh wreaths they donated and also to all who attended the funeral in full numbers. Thank you for the beautiful graveside speech at the open grave to John Sajovic and Frank Klučevšek. Many thanks to Mr. Anton Šular from Arma, Kans., for the beautiful farewell speech at the home by the coffin of the deceased, and also to the singers who sang sweet songs in the final farewell.

I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who donated beautiful fresh wreaths and flowers, including: Mr. and Mrs. Luke Setina, Mr. Lawrence Setina and Ernest Setina, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Jama, Mr. and Mrs. John Kozjek, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Setina Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Joe Knapić, Mr. and Mrs. John Malnar, Mr. and Mrs. Andy Cuder, Mr. and Mrs. Anton Skodlar (Colorado), Mr. and Mrs. John Majdič (Wyoming), Mr. and Mrs. Jack Yenkole, Mr. and Mrs. Ignac Skodlar, Mrs. Mary Rupar & family, Mrs. Frances Mohorich & daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Mohorich, Mr. John Sodnik, “The Setinas of Chicago, Ill.”, Mr. and Mrs. Anton Rupar, Mr. and Mrs. Anton Susteršič.

If I have omitted any names by mistake, please forgive me. My deepest thanks go to the relatives and friends who helped me during his serious illness and tried to ease his and my grief, and to all those who did me good, who visited my husband during his illness and death, and who listened at his funeral, and to all those who accompanied him to his final resting place and provided free transportation.

Many thanks also to Frank Starčič and Peoples Undertaking Co. for the well-deserved funeral and good service. So once again, my most sincere thanks to all of you and for all of you. The large number of wreaths and the large attendance at the funeral testified to the fact that the deceased was very popular.

To you, my dear husband, who left me all too soon, your thorny path is over, and now the cold earth covers you. You have left us, but death does not erase your memory, because you were an honest man and always worked for the benefit of the suffering, so we keep you in our eternal memory. Rest peacefully in the cold American soil until we meet again.

May the warm sun shine upon you,

Let the grass grow green around you. When spring comes, all in bloom,

Let them decorate your grave with flowers.

The remaining mourners are: AGNES SETINA, wife, and many relatives in this vicinity. In the old homeland, three brothers and one sister, and several other relatives. (Brother Lawrence Setina, who lived here in America, died one month before his death.)

Pittsburgh. Kansas, R. #1.

Grandpa and Lawrence’s intent to nationalize paperwork:

And the charter from the SNPJ lodge they helped establish in Kansas (notice Mary Podobnik’s brother Anton was also on the Charter and Grandpa Pozun):

And here’s a photo of many of the Setinas and cousins in Kansas. This was Luka Setina’s wedding to Mana Lockniskar:

While there are many more details to dig into, it is also worth noting that of the 4 brothers who came to the US, Jakob ended up returning to Slovenia. The story goes that his wife decided she didn’t want to follow and so he returned after a few years.

Oh yes, and before I forget, it seems as good a time as ever to share the lore around the Setinas that many of the children and us great-grandchildren remember. Even when I was growing up, my grandmother told stories about how her grandmother and grandfather (Gaspar and Mary) died very close together. Grandpa died on April 10, 1923 and Grandma died on April 18th, believing grandma died of a broken heart. The story as I remember it is that they had a burial for grandpa, but when grandma died they exhumed grandpa so he could be buried with grandma. As grandma Jennie told it to me and I remember it “it was the darnedest thing because grandpa’s beard had grown”. You can lookup the cause of that if you’d like, but I share this story because of the 11 kids and their children, this was a pretty memorable if not terrifying life event to attend this funeral and is a story that has been passed along to many subsequent generations.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply