Collection 2341 - Anna Zellick Oral History Collection, 1987-1991

Creator: Zellick, Anna

Provenance Note: The Anna Zellick Oral History Collection was donated by Anna Zellick, of Lewistown, Montana, to Special Collections on 11 November 1995. One additional interview of Daisy Tuss Monkelin conducted in 1969 and fomerly assigned collection number 2025 was added to this collection on October 30, 2018.

Historical Note: Anna Zellick is a descendent of Slavic immigrants to Montana and has taken a keen interest in documenting their history. Ms. Zellick conducted seventeen interviews for her research on Slavic immigrants and settlers in the Red Lodge, Bearcreek, and Roundup areas. Her research has materialized in the form of at least three publications: "We All Intermingled" in Montana: The Magazine of Western History, Summer 1994, on behalf of the Montana Oral History Association Oral History Project; "South Slav Pioneer Settlers in Bearcreek and Red Lodge, Montana, 1889-1944"; and "Fire in the Hole: Slovenians, Croatians, and Coal Mining on the Musselshell" in Montana: The Magazine of Western History, Spring 1990. The interviews in this collection include: John Barovich, Mike Barovich, Eddie Blazina, Dimich Family, Mildred Chesarek Harbolt, Loretta and Lillian Jarussi, Rose Jurkovich, John Kaselitz, Rev. Dusan Koprovica and William Petrovich, Daisy Pekich Lazetich, Alice and Richard Mallin, Rose Naglich MacFarland, John Michnovich, Daisy Tuss Monkelin, Vera Marinchek Naglich, William Romek, Tony and Shirley Zupan, Luke and Ann Zupan.

Content Description Note: The subject material within the interviews spans from around 1890 to 1944 and primarily regards the life of Slavic immigrants in Red Lodge, Bearcreek, and Roundup, Montana. These interviews cover immigration, coal mining, education, employment, ethnicity, religion, and the general social make-up of the respective communities. These interviews are helpful in restructuring and illustrating the life Slavic miners led and the community they belonged to. Also, the interviews identify the relationships that the different Slavs shared with one another. For example, John Barovich is Montenegrin Slavic and the Dimich Family is Serbian Slavs. In the Barovich interview, reference to the Dimich Family can be found. Also, the interviews give socio-ethnic information relating to class, wealth, and social standing. The original tapes, duplicate transcripts, and item level descriptions of the interviews are held by the Montana Historical Society. These transcribed interviews are loose leaf, and have been individually indexed. A Master Index with broad subject headings follows the inventory of this finding aid.

Contents

Box 1

1. Barovich, John, interview on 24 May 1991

2. Barovich, Mike, interview on 9 May 1991

3. Blazina, Edward, interview on 7 May 1991

4. Dimich, William and Danny, interview on 12 June 1991

5. Harbolt, Mildred Chesarek, interview on 1 April 1991

6. Jarussi, Loretta and Lillian, interview in June 1991

7. Jurkovich, Rose, interview on 8 June 1991

8. Kaselitz, John, interview on 7 June 1991

9. Koprovica, Rev. Dusan and William Petrovich, interview on 9 October 1991

10. Lazetich, Daisy Pekich, interview on 7 May 1991

11. Mallin, Alice and Richard, interview on 10 June 1991

12. McFarland, Rose Naglich, interview on 6 June 1991

13. Michunovich, John, interview on 12 October 1991

14. Naglich, Vera Marinchek, interview on 25 May 1991

15. Romek, William A., interview on 9 May 1991

16. Zupan, Tony and Shirley, interview on 9 June 1991

17. Zupan, Luke and Ann, interview on 9 June 1987, Audio tape of interview

18. Monkelin, Daisy Tuss, interview on November 13, 1969, Audio tape of interview.

Anna Zellick Oral History Collection Master Index

Contents | Special Collections

Updated: 10/30/18