Bio: Fortuna, Anton & Maria

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Fortuna, Kershisnik, Romosh, Cesnik, Foster, Slemec

----Source: Family Scrapbook

Anton Fortuna was born 1874 and left his birthplace home in 1899, trata Gorenja Vas-nad-Skofa, Jugoslavia. He left the rest of the family of 12 behind. Of the twelve, three brothers and one sister followed him four years later. The sister was in Pennsylvania.

All he told of the trip over to the U.S.A. was that they landed in the Southern U.S.A. at Galveston, Texas work¬ing their way up to Gallup, New Mexico and on up until they landed in Rock Springs, Wyoming, the coal mining town. At that time there were mostly all Chinese on the work force. At the deflated wages at that time, 10 hours made $2.00 a day. So God helps those who help themselves.

He struggled to get his three brothers and his love, Maria to this country in about 1902. In October they were married. They struggled until 1911 also with six children.

Mother Maria was born August 15, 1874 in Dobrava to Mr. and Mrs. Steve Kershisnik whose address was the same as Anton Fortuna except the town is of another name. As Maria told in later years, she was the one that suffered a lot and the most. As she was leaving her home her parents and brothers and sisters all wept.

Only Anton Fortuna did not weep as he only wanted to get out of the poverty and go to the New World and a better way of life. Oh how they dreamed of that better life and world as even the first of their labor and work did not bring enjoyment for many years.

So again came the time to be on the move out of the 1911 coal mining town of Rock Springs, Wyoming to a better life in the wilds of Central Wisconsin. So Anton and Matt Romosh read the advertisement put in the paper by Ignac Cesnik the agent for the N.C. Foster Lumber Company. Both men then made the trip to Willard and each purchased 80 acres from N.C. Foster and agent Cesnik. It was Section 16 west of Willard.

Again began the hard struggle to make a good life in the wild woods of Wisconsin as they were at that time. So at last they did win out with a lot of hard labor. They had two children, one in 1912 and one in 1914. The progress was complete.

In 1948 Louis, their son, purchased the estate so that it would stay in the family's second generation. Louis is deceased since December 1973 as are Anton, Joe and Agnes. Now Christine, his wife, owns the farm. Other children in the family: Frances Slemec, 79 of Owen; Mary Savage of Illinois; Anna Fortuna, 69 of Wyoming; and John Fortuna, 72 of Loyal.

Submitted by John Fortuna of Loyal