My grandparents, Anton and Louise Starcevich were natives of Yugoslavia. They immigrated to America around 1903 and settled in the Jerome community of Appanoose County, Iowa. Grandpa worked in the coal mines and farmed and Grandma cared for their large family. They were parents of three sons and five daughters, in order of birth they are: Paul Matthew 1-10-10, Frank John 1-27-11, Mary Pauline 6-1-12, Vincent, Anna Marie 7-13-15, Marie Kathryn 1-26-17, Louise Frances 4-20-19 and Ella Mae 5-1-21 (my mother also known as Helen). Though I cannot elaborate on all of them and their families, I can share some part of each one. Vincent died at the age of 2.
Paul served in the Army during World War II. He married Honora Workman of Centerville. He lives in Denver, Colorado and has three children: Mary Louise, Edward and Andrew.
Frank served three years overseas active duty with the First Infantry during World War II. He was a wounded and decorated hero. He lives in the home place in Jerome.
Mary married Frank Zemo (now deceased) and had four sons: Frank, Jr., Marion, Eugene and Michael. Mary resides in a Centerville nursing home.
Anna married George Albert Buban on 9-27-36. They have lived on an acreage east of Cincinnati since then. George is a well known local carpenter and Anna a housewife and seamstress.
Marie married Harold Risher of Mystic. Marie passed away in 1983. Their daughter is Kathy Huffman of Centerville.
Louise (known as Pep) married Bruno Thomas (now deceased) of Peoria, Ill. Their four children are: John, Tom, Kathleen and Rose. All reside in the Peoria area.
My mother, Ella Mae (Helen) married John Ambrose Sacco 8-31-40. I, Linda Marie, was born 11-5-42. My sister, Margueritte Ann, was born 5-27-46. (See John Sacco story.)
All the children of Anton and Louise attended the Jerome School.
Grandma had two sisters and two brothers who also came to America. They settled in California and Oregon.
Grandpa had two brothers, Matt and Paul, who settled in Mystic, Ia. He also had more family in Yugoslavia.
My favorite memories of Grandma Starcevich were her sweet, smiling disposition and hard working nature. We visited there almost every Sunday. She was a wonderful cook who seemed to serve a never ending supply of fried chicken, homemade bread and other goodies -- all made on the wood burning cookstove and served at the round oak table in the "shanty" (Croatian for kitchen). I feel very fortunate to have that round oak table in my own home today. She also saw no harm in letting us grandkids drink coffee richly laced with cream! Grandma's family and devout attention to her Catholic faith was her way of life.
I remember Grandpa as a tall, handsome, quite man with sandy hair and moustache who rolled his own cigarettes with infinite precision. He worked in the coal mines and farmed the 80 acre farm with a team of horses. He never drove a car. He held all offices in the Croatian Fraternal Lodge.
Both grandparents were injured in a funeral procession accident in 1957. Grandma died in 1906 and Grandpa in 1964. They are buried beside son Vincent in Oakland Cemetery in Centerville.
Anton became a naturalized citizen October 3, 1904.
---Linda Marie Sacco
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Marion Zemo wrote in an email to the editor on 13 March 2009: "My aunt was just telling me last week how Grandpa (Starcevich) use to walk from his farm south of the Buyons (across from Sedgwick's) early on Sunday morning with a bucket of corn cobs and kerosene to start the fire for Sunday church services (at the Catholic Church).
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Linda Marie Sacco's article transcribed with permission from the Appanoose County Historical Society from Appanoose County Iowa, written by the people of Appanoose County, compiled in 1984-1985 by the Appanoose County Historical Society, and printed by Taylor Publishing Co., Dallas, Texas (1986).
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