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From: JEO <>
Subject: Slovenian grandparents
Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 23:39:14 -0700 (PDT)


My maternal grandparents came to the United States just after the turn of the century (1900). My grandfather, whose Ellis Island records list him as Franc Brodar, came in 1903 to Arkansas. My grandmother, Mary Bele, came a year later, leaving my mother behind in the village of Smolenja Vas, which is near Novo Mesto. My mother was conceived before my grandparents were married in Arkansas. After they were married, my grandparents had three children. They eventually moved to Montana where my grandfather worked in coal mines, operated a meat market and eventually began homesteading. He died in a fall from a horse-drawn wagon in 1924. My uncle and grandmother sent for my mother, who came here in 1938 at the age of 35.

I have been unsuccessful in searching for any information about my grandfather, whose name in this country became Frank Bruder. I have had several genealogical researchers in Slovenia try to find information on my grandfather, but they were unsuccessful. I still have relatives in Slovenia, but they, too, cannot find much.

I know that my grandmother, Mary Bele, spent at least two years in Vienna working as a maid for a Jewish family. I have been told that my grandfather, too, spent time in Vienna working at different jobs. I could be wrong but I have an idea that he served either in the military or as a policeman, which leads me to believe that he might have been a gendarme.

If anyone can lead me in the right direction (and I have checked many genealogical Web sites) to find more information on either the Brodars (Bruders) and/or the Beles of Slovenia when that country was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I would be immensely grateful.

A friend and I are writing a book about my heritage and background, and any information would be very useful.

Thank you,
James E. Oset
Billings, Montana

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