Bio: Ruzic, Matt & Ana

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Bubanj, Ruzic, Butkovich, Vukonich, Svegel, Martin, Artac, Kramerich, Macknick, Kokaly, Mossak, Zupancic, Papesh, Scharenbrock, Koschak, Zupanc, Routar, Cesnik, Routar, Suda

----Source: Family Scrapbook

Matt Ruzic was born in Hreljen, Austria (Jugoslavia), on February 24, 1877 to Anton and Paulina (Bubanj) Ruzic. He had three brothers; Frank, Slavko and George. They came to Gallup, New Mexico in 1896 or 1897. They friends there and worked in the coal mines.

Matt left Gallup, returned to Austria (Jugoslavia) and married Ana Butkovich, daughter of Frank and Frances (Vukonich) Butkovich. Ana was born in Brezolvanje on June 17, 1884. They were married November 20, 1904 in Svet Ivan Zabno, Croatia.

Ana had two sisters, Julia and Angela; and two brothers, James and Joseph.

Matt and Ana had six children. Ivan was born in Svete Ivan Zabno in 1905. In 1907 they came back to Gallup, New Mexico. Matt loved horses; he had a livery stable in New Mexico. Vincent was born there in 1908. Angela was born in 1911. In 1912 they moved to Springfield, Illinois. Matt worked in the coal mines there. Two daughters were born there, Zora in 1913 and Frances in 1919. In 1919 they came to Willard and purchased the Frank Svegel farm. In 1925 Ann was born. They farmed until 1952 and then moved to the village of Willard. Matt died November 1956 and Ana died September 1962.

Matt Ruzic bought 160 acres north of Hay Creek from Clark County in the Township of Foster for pasture land in about 1928. It was for sale because of delinquent taxes. He had a well drilled there. The well driller’s name was John Martin. He also built a shed for cattle.

Ivan Ruzic married Angeline Artac (deceased) and lives in Milwaukee. Vincent Ruzic married Ann Kramerich and lives in Marshfield. Zora married Lloyd Macknick of Greenwood. Frances married Edward Kokaly and lives in Marshfield. Ann married Edward Mossak and lives in Milwaukee. Angela died at the age of 15.

Principal entertainment was house parties. Neighbors were Anton Zupancic, Anton Papesh, Andrew Scharenbrock, Louis Koschak and Frank Zupanc. All the neighbors helped build one another's buildings and had barn dances to celebrate. John "Happy" Routar played the Button Slovenian accordion. Ignatz Cesnik Sr. owned the building which is now Suda's Store as a real estate broker. Polka, Waltz and Square dances were held there. E.G. Ingham was the caller.

The school children remember carrying bricks to build Willard Parish House about 1921. They were paid per number of bricks they carried. Vincent and Zora remember that when they went to school the lot where the new Willard church stands all the way to Highway G was covered with 4' cord wood. The children played among the piles. The wood was hauled away by the Foster and North Eastern (F&NE) Railroad which went through Willard north to Greenwood and Owen and south and west to Tioga to Fairchild and Eau Claire. The cord wood was sold for firewood.

During the drought in 1935, Ivan Sr. remembers the crops dried up in the fields. Ivan herded the cattle along the Eau Claire River where there was feed. They went there in the evening to milk cows, stayed there all night, milked the cows in the morning and then came home for the day. Angeline (his wife) pulled weeds in the field to feed the pigs.