Arizona Death Certificate
Taken from Ron Bodiroga's article in the Arizona Republic dated 10/22/83 after his visit to Yugoslavia.
In 1906 our Grandfather Simo left his village in Yugoslavia and came to Wickenburg. He worked in the mines in the area. He died in an automobile accident in 1937. Mila arrived in Wickenburg in 1913 and died in 1964, also in an automobile accident.
Mila maintained contact with her family in Yugoslavia. I, Cheryll,can remember writing letters for Grandma to her relatives..but I wrote in English, not in her native language Serbo-Croation. There must have been someone to interpret the letters in the old country...I don't know.
After her death the connection to the old country was broken.
In August 1981 Ron Bodiroga received a call from Milan Bodiroga who lived in Winnipeg Canada. He informed us that he was our cousin and from a town called "Bodiroge" in Yugoslavia.
This is when Ron decided to make a trip to Yugoslavia to search out our relatives. He discovered that most of our relatives were living in Trebinje, Yugoslavia, a city of about 30,000 residents, but that the nucleus of our family, about 20 individuals still lived 12 miles away in the primitive mountaintop village of Bodiroge.
Everybody in that village was named Bodiroga. They lived in stone houses with thatched roofs. There was no electricity, no generators, no running water and no plumbing.
They shared with Ron that the departure of Simo Bodiroga in 1906 was "the event of the century for that village". Ron said relatives spoke of Simo's leaving as though it were fresh in their minds, and even thought they knew when Simo and Mila died they still had questions: Had they led a happy life? Had they been healthy? Did they have enough to eat? They had always hoped that Simo and Mila would come back to visit or that they would get to visit them in America. They could not know of the hardships in territorial Arizona or the travail of trying to raise a family of six children in Wickenburg during the Great Depression. The Bodiroga's dream of striking it rich in America and bringing over other relatives never materialized.
Ron also visited Mila's house which was in a village a half-mile around the other side of the mountain from where Simo lived. She left there at the age of 24 to go to the village of Bodiroge. Then she stayed at our great-grand-father's house for 15 days where they made her wedding dress. Then they packed her things and she and our great-grandfather walked 12 miles down the mountain to Trebinje, where he put her on the train to Dubrovnik. She went 15 miles on the train and took a 17-day boat trip to New York with $10 in her pocket. She didn't know a word of English. She stayed in New York by herself and then took a train to Phoenix, went by horseback from Phoenix to Wickenburg and married Simo at a place called Constellation.
And "there"......it began!
~~~~~~~~~~
October 1, 1937, p. 1
SAM BODIROGA DIES IN CRASH
Word was received late this evening that Sam Bodiroga was fatally injured in an accident on the Vulture road about 6:15 p. m.
The accident occurred about 1 mile off Highway to on the Vulture road. He was being towed into Wickenburg by Paul Knight and as they were coming down hill and around a sandy turn the grade, jerking the small pick-up truck Bodiroga was driving and from appearances the car turned completely over landing on its wheels.
He was brought to the Wickenburg hospital but lived only a few minutes, according to Lee Barnette, constable.
Mr. Bodiroga and his family have resided in Wickenburg since about 1915, and is very well known, having been in the mining business for many years around Wickenburg.
He is survived by his wife, Mila, and six children.
~~~~~~~~~~
October 8, 1937, p.1
SAM BODIROGA IS LAID TO REST
Sam Bodiroga, age 47, who was killed in an auto crash about 1-mile off Highway 60 on the Vulture road last Friday was laid to rest at the Wickenburg Cemetery Sunday afternoon, following services at the Community Presbyterian church, the Rev. Stewart, officiating. H. L. Coffinger was in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Bodiroga was very well known in mining circles around Bisbee, Globe, Miami, Jerome and the Wickenburg vicinity and friends from far and near gathered at the church to comfort the widow, Mrs. Mila Bodiroga and the six surviving children. Many beautiful floral offerings were sent by his many friends.
Bodiroga was born in the town of Trebeje in Austria, and he came to Wickenburg in 1910. he worked at the Monte Cristo mine in 1913 at which time and place he sent for and married Mila Mijanovich.
At the time of his death he was just on the verge of completing a deal on the Moon Anchor Mine property, the interested party arriving Saturday morning after the fatal accident.
Taken from Ron Bodiroga's article in the Arizona Republic dated 10/22/83 after his visit to Yugoslavia.
In 1906 our Grandfather Simo left his village in Yugoslavia and came to Wickenburg. He worked in the mines in the area. He died in an automobile accident in 1937. Mila arrived in Wickenburg in 1913 and died in 1964, also in an automobile accident.
Mila maintained contact with her family in Yugoslavia. I, Cheryll,can remember writing letters for Grandma to her relatives..but I wrote in English, not in her native language Serbo-Croation. There must have been someone to interpret the letters in the old country...I don't know.
After her death the connection to the old country was broken.
In August 1981 Ron Bodiroga received a call from Milan Bodiroga who lived in Winnipeg Canada. He informed us that he was our cousin and from a town called "Bodiroge" in Yugoslavia.
This is when Ron decided to make a trip to Yugoslavia to search out our relatives. He discovered that most of our relatives were living in Trebinje, Yugoslavia, a city of about 30,000 residents, but that the nucleus of our family, about 20 individuals still lived 12 miles away in the primitive mountaintop village of Bodiroge.
Everybody in that village was named Bodiroga. They lived in stone houses with thatched roofs. There was no electricity, no generators, no running water and no plumbing.
They shared with Ron that the departure of Simo Bodiroga in 1906 was "the event of the century for that village". Ron said relatives spoke of Simo's leaving as though it were fresh in their minds, and even thought they knew when Simo and Mila died they still had questions: Had they led a happy life? Had they been healthy? Did they have enough to eat? They had always hoped that Simo and Mila would come back to visit or that they would get to visit them in America. They could not know of the hardships in territorial Arizona or the travail of trying to raise a family of six children in Wickenburg during the Great Depression. The Bodiroga's dream of striking it rich in America and bringing over other relatives never materialized.
Ron also visited Mila's house which was in a village a half-mile around the other side of the mountain from where Simo lived. She left there at the age of 24 to go to the village of Bodiroge. Then she stayed at our great-grand-father's house for 15 days where they made her wedding dress. Then they packed her things and she and our great-grandfather walked 12 miles down the mountain to Trebinje, where he put her on the train to Dubrovnik. She went 15 miles on the train and took a 17-day boat trip to New York with $10 in her pocket. She didn't know a word of English. She stayed in New York by herself and then took a train to Phoenix, went by horseback from Phoenix to Wickenburg and married Simo at a place called Constellation.
And "there"......it began!
~~~~~~~~~~
October 1, 1937, p. 1
SAM BODIROGA DIES IN CRASH
Word was received late this evening that Sam Bodiroga was fatally injured in an accident on the Vulture road about 6:15 p. m.
The accident occurred about 1 mile off Highway to on the Vulture road. He was being towed into Wickenburg by Paul Knight and as they were coming down hill and around a sandy turn the grade, jerking the small pick-up truck Bodiroga was driving and from appearances the car turned completely over landing on its wheels.
He was brought to the Wickenburg hospital but lived only a few minutes, according to Lee Barnette, constable.
Mr. Bodiroga and his family have resided in Wickenburg since about 1915, and is very well known, having been in the mining business for many years around Wickenburg.
He is survived by his wife, Mila, and six children.
~~~~~~~~~~
October 8, 1937, p.1
SAM BODIROGA IS LAID TO REST
Sam Bodiroga, age 47, who was killed in an auto crash about 1-mile off Highway 60 on the Vulture road last Friday was laid to rest at the Wickenburg Cemetery Sunday afternoon, following services at the Community Presbyterian church, the Rev. Stewart, officiating. H. L. Coffinger was in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Bodiroga was very well known in mining circles around Bisbee, Globe, Miami, Jerome and the Wickenburg vicinity and friends from far and near gathered at the church to comfort the widow, Mrs. Mila Bodiroga and the six surviving children. Many beautiful floral offerings were sent by his many friends.
Bodiroga was born in the town of Trebeje in Austria, and he came to Wickenburg in 1910. he worked at the Monte Cristo mine in 1913 at which time and place he sent for and married Mila Mijanovich.
At the time of his death he was just on the verge of completing a deal on the Moon Anchor Mine property, the interested party arriving Saturday morning after the fatal accident.
Arizona Death Certificate
Taken from Ron Bodiroga's article in the Arizona Republic dated 10/22/83 after his visit to Yugoslavia.
In 1906 our Grandfather Simo left his village in Yugoslavia and came to Wickenburg. He worked in the mines in the area. He died in an automobile accident in 1937. Mila arrived in Wickenburg in 1913 and died in 1964, also in an automobile accident.
Mila maintained contact with her family in Yugoslavia. I, Cheryll,can remember writing letters for Grandma to her relatives..but I wrote in English, not in her native language Serbo-Croation. There must have been someone to interpret the letters in the old country...I don't know.
After her death the connection to the old country was broken.
In August 1981 Ron Bodiroga received a call from Milan Bodiroga who lived in Winnipeg Canada. He informed us that he was our cousin and from a town called "Bodiroge" in Yugoslavia.
This is when Ron decided to make a trip to Yugoslavia to search out our relatives. He discovered that most of our relatives were living in Trebinje, Yugoslavia, a city of about 30,000 residents, but that the nucleus of our family, about 20 individuals still lived 12 miles away in the primitive mountaintop village of Bodiroge.
Everybody in that village was named Bodiroga. They lived in stone houses with thatched roofs. There was no electricity, no generators, no running water and no plumbing.
They shared with Ron that the departure of Simo Bodiroga in 1906 was "the event of the century for that village". Ron said relatives spoke of Simo's leaving as though it were fresh in their minds, and even thought they knew when Simo and Mila died they still had questions: Had they led a happy life? Had they been healthy? Did they have enough to eat? They had always hoped that Simo and Mila would come back to visit or that they would get to visit them in America. They could not know of the hardships in territorial Arizona or the travail of trying to raise a family of six children in Wickenburg during the Great Depression. The Bodiroga's dream of striking it rich in America and bringing over other relatives never materialized.
Ron also visited Mila's house which was in a village a half-mile around the other side of the mountain from where Simo lived. She left there at the age of 24 to go to the village of Bodiroge. Then she stayed at our great-grand-father's house for 15 days where they made her wedding dress. Then they packed her things and she and our great-grandfather walked 12 miles down the mountain to Trebinje, where he put her on the train to Dubrovnik. She went 15 miles on the train and took a 17-day boat trip to New York with $10 in her pocket. She didn't know a word of English. She stayed in New York by herself and then took a train to Phoenix, went by horseback from Phoenix to Wickenburg and married Simo at a place called Constellation.
And "there"......it began!
~~~~~~~~~~
October 1, 1937, p. 1
SAM BODIROGA DIES IN CRASH
Word was received late this evening that Sam Bodiroga was fatally injured in an accident on the Vulture road about 6:15 p. m.
The accident occurred about 1 mile off Highway to on the Vulture road. He was being towed into Wickenburg by Paul Knight and as they were coming down hill and around a sandy turn the grade, jerking the small pick-up truck Bodiroga was driving and from appearances the car turned completely over landing on its wheels.
He was brought to the Wickenburg hospital but lived only a few minutes, according to Lee Barnette, constable.
Mr. Bodiroga and his family have resided in Wickenburg since about 1915, and is very well known, having been in the mining business for many years around Wickenburg.
He is survived by his wife, Mila, and six children.
~~~~~~~~~~
October 8, 1937, p.1
SAM BODIROGA IS LAID TO REST
Sam Bodiroga, age 47, who was killed in an auto crash about 1-mile off Highway 60 on the Vulture road last Friday was laid to rest at the Wickenburg Cemetery Sunday afternoon, following services at the Community Presbyterian church, the Rev. Stewart, officiating. H. L. Coffinger was in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Bodiroga was very well known in mining circles around Bisbee, Globe, Miami, Jerome and the Wickenburg vicinity and friends from far and near gathered at the church to comfort the widow, Mrs. Mila Bodiroga and the six surviving children. Many beautiful floral offerings were sent by his many friends.
Bodiroga was born in the town of Trebeje in Austria, and he came to Wickenburg in 1910. he worked at the Monte Cristo mine in 1913 at which time and place he sent for and married Mila Mijanovich.
At the time of his death he was just on the verge of completing a deal on the Moon Anchor Mine property, the interested party arriving Saturday morning after the fatal accident.
Taken from Ron Bodiroga's article in the Arizona Republic dated 10/22/83 after his visit to Yugoslavia.
In 1906 our Grandfather Simo left his village in Yugoslavia and came to Wickenburg. He worked in the mines in the area. He died in an automobile accident in 1937. Mila arrived in Wickenburg in 1913 and died in 1964, also in an automobile accident.
Mila maintained contact with her family in Yugoslavia. I, Cheryll,can remember writing letters for Grandma to her relatives..but I wrote in English, not in her native language Serbo-Croation. There must have been someone to interpret the letters in the old country...I don't know.
After her death the connection to the old country was broken.
In August 1981 Ron Bodiroga received a call from Milan Bodiroga who lived in Winnipeg Canada. He informed us that he was our cousin and from a town called "Bodiroge" in Yugoslavia.
This is when Ron decided to make a trip to Yugoslavia to search out our relatives. He discovered that most of our relatives were living in Trebinje, Yugoslavia, a city of about 30,000 residents, but that the nucleus of our family, about 20 individuals still lived 12 miles away in the primitive mountaintop village of Bodiroge.
Everybody in that village was named Bodiroga. They lived in stone houses with thatched roofs. There was no electricity, no generators, no running water and no plumbing.
They shared with Ron that the departure of Simo Bodiroga in 1906 was "the event of the century for that village". Ron said relatives spoke of Simo's leaving as though it were fresh in their minds, and even thought they knew when Simo and Mila died they still had questions: Had they led a happy life? Had they been healthy? Did they have enough to eat? They had always hoped that Simo and Mila would come back to visit or that they would get to visit them in America. They could not know of the hardships in territorial Arizona or the travail of trying to raise a family of six children in Wickenburg during the Great Depression. The Bodiroga's dream of striking it rich in America and bringing over other relatives never materialized.
Ron also visited Mila's house which was in a village a half-mile around the other side of the mountain from where Simo lived. She left there at the age of 24 to go to the village of Bodiroge. Then she stayed at our great-grand-father's house for 15 days where they made her wedding dress. Then they packed her things and she and our great-grandfather walked 12 miles down the mountain to Trebinje, where he put her on the train to Dubrovnik. She went 15 miles on the train and took a 17-day boat trip to New York with $10 in her pocket. She didn't know a word of English. She stayed in New York by herself and then took a train to Phoenix, went by horseback from Phoenix to Wickenburg and married Simo at a place called Constellation.
And "there"......it began!
~~~~~~~~~~
October 1, 1937, p. 1
SAM BODIROGA DIES IN CRASH
Word was received late this evening that Sam Bodiroga was fatally injured in an accident on the Vulture road about 6:15 p. m.
The accident occurred about 1 mile off Highway to on the Vulture road. He was being towed into Wickenburg by Paul Knight and as they were coming down hill and around a sandy turn the grade, jerking the small pick-up truck Bodiroga was driving and from appearances the car turned completely over landing on its wheels.
He was brought to the Wickenburg hospital but lived only a few minutes, according to Lee Barnette, constable.
Mr. Bodiroga and his family have resided in Wickenburg since about 1915, and is very well known, having been in the mining business for many years around Wickenburg.
He is survived by his wife, Mila, and six children.
~~~~~~~~~~
October 8, 1937, p.1
SAM BODIROGA IS LAID TO REST
Sam Bodiroga, age 47, who was killed in an auto crash about 1-mile off Highway 60 on the Vulture road last Friday was laid to rest at the Wickenburg Cemetery Sunday afternoon, following services at the Community Presbyterian church, the Rev. Stewart, officiating. H. L. Coffinger was in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Bodiroga was very well known in mining circles around Bisbee, Globe, Miami, Jerome and the Wickenburg vicinity and friends from far and near gathered at the church to comfort the widow, Mrs. Mila Bodiroga and the six surviving children. Many beautiful floral offerings were sent by his many friends.
Bodiroga was born in the town of Trebeje in Austria, and he came to Wickenburg in 1910. he worked at the Monte Cristo mine in 1913 at which time and place he sent for and married Mila Mijanovich.
At the time of his death he was just on the verge of completing a deal on the Moon Anchor Mine property, the interested party arriving Saturday morning after the fatal accident.
Gravesite Details
Married Mila in Phoenix on November 8, 1913
