Preserving the home ties

They had come to escape religious persecution and mandatory service in the armies of their oppressors - Austria-Hungary, Prussia and Russia. They were treated like second-class citizens in their own country, and their language and culture suppressed. But in America, they were free to express themselves and in Globeville they took every opportunity to celebrate and preserve their heritage.

Lydia Heck remembered, “St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was at 4438 Grant and that’s where we went to German school. We went after regular school a couple times a week. It was the same as Bible School, where we would learn catechism and to read and write in German.” Pauline Rodie added, “Our German people also had their Volga Gesangbook. The songs were long and people knew them from memory.” 

 

Volga Gesangbook courtesy of Virginia Laber

 

In 1889, Globeville’s Poles established the Polish National Alliance (PNA). In addition to providing burial insurance, the lodge offered a place to hold events like Polish Constitution Day, and for young people to perform plays and concerts in the Polish language. In 1902, due to the fund raising and promotional efforts of the PNA, St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church was dedicated. In 1920, the resourceful Father Jarzynski was able to purchase the Colorado and Southern Depot for use as an elementary school, ensuring the continuation of old country faith and customs.

 Children's concert, PNA Hall. Photo Courtesy of Cathy Gizeski

 

In 1920, Globeville’s Slovenes built Holy Rosary Church and, in 1927, Holy Rosary School. Several fraternal organizations, the KSKJ, the American Fraternal Union, the Slovenian Women's Union and the Western Slavonic Association, provided financial services and a place for athletic teams, dramatic groups and choirs to express their Slovenian heritage. This child’s book was published in 1917 and carries the imprimatur of Father Cyril Zupan, OSB from Pueblo. It teaches the Slovenian alphabet, and provides simple descriptions of Slovenia, fairy tales and Bible stories.

 Jezus prijatelj otrok. Jesus is a friend of the children.

Helen Kohut Capron grew up in Globeville’s Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church. “They tried, really tried, to teach us to speak and write in Russian. We had to go to Russian school once a week after regular school. It was like Sunday school. When my grandmother Anna passed away in 1950, we no longer spoke the language and I’ve forgotten most of it.”  
These pioneers and the fraternals are gone. Their descendants have grown up away from the neighborhood and are unaware of much of their heritage. Only the churches remain.