Obituaries

Lucille Korsich and Louis Vuksinich 

I read the obituaries every chance I get. Online, and always, the big edition in the Sunday newspaper. It's a family pastime.

My mom would call my brothers, Bill or Joe, or my sister Susan, or me, and if the purpose of the call was to notify someone of an obituary, there would be no small talk. Mom would start right in. "Lucille Vuksinich died." Then there would be pause while she collected her "data." And I would make myself comfortable and wait for the litany of facts: who the person was, where their family came from in the old country, where they live in Globeville, who they married, how many children they had and what our family connection might be.

Mom continued, "Lucille was a Korsich and we're related somehow. Her father was Leopold, 'Polde' they called him, and he and grandpa and Anton 'Tony' Kumar all came over together from the same town in the old country and settled in Globeville and worked for the Globe Smelter. And Polde married Teresa Gerbic - they'd known each other in the old country but they got married in Globeville.

"And they had five children, two boys - Leo and John, and three girls - Mary, Rose and Lucille, and Lucille was the youngest.

"Now Lucille was older - she was 36 - when she married Louis Vuksinich. And they probably met at St. Jacob's Croatian Hall or the Slovenian Home. And they just had the one son, Larry.

"Lucille went back to the old country, all by herself. It was after Louis had died and it was Yugoslavia then. And she stayed for three weeks with the Korsich family. And then they kept in touch."

When mom had related all the pertinent background information, she would finally get to the purpose of the call, which was to say when and where the Rosary and funeral Mass would be held. And we would attend, of course. Because we're related somehow.

A week or so ago, my sister Susan called. "Did you see the listing for Priselac?" "I did," I replied. Susan continued. "Eighty eight years old, graduated from Annunciation High School and was real proud of his Slovenian and Croatian heritage. Weren't there some Priselacs at Holy Rosary?"

I wished I could call mom.

June Jackson Egan 

Father John A. Canjar

Humble circumstances, an immigrant community and a faith-filled family provided the environment that nurtured Father John Canjar. Born June 24, 1921 in Globeville, the sixth of 10 children of a Croatian immigrant, Frank Canjar and his wife Mary (Boytz) Canjar, John Canjar attended Holy Rosary Grade School, Annunciation High School, and St. Thomas Seminary in Denver. Father Canjar was ordained on June 4, 1949 and served at Holy Ghost, Holy Family, St. John's in Stoneham, Sacred Heart in Cheyenne Wells, Holy Rosary, Cure d' Ars, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Mark's parishes.

Father Canjar would succeed Monsignor Judnic at Holy Rosary in 1959, a time of turmoil in both the church and in the neighborhood. January 1959 signaled the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, which introduced sweeping changes in liturgy, lay participation, interaction with other Christian denominations, and involvement in social issues. In a parish where the Mass had been said in Latin, and the homily delivered in both Slovenian and English, the changes were viewed as monumental.

There were also big changes in the neighborhood. The Stapleton Public Housing brought "outsiders," Mexicans and Blacks, into the tightly-knit community - they were not welcome. But Father Canjar reached out to the newcomers, regardless of their ethnic or religious background. ”Father Canjar felt that when people asked for help, we needed to respond,” said Jerry and Janet Wagner. The Wagners owned a small grocery, and, with cash donated by Father Canjar, began making up food baskets for Christmas. “Depending on the size of the family, there would be a couple of chickens, potatoes, beans or a sack of flour, enough to make a meal.” Father Canjar was also active in anti-poverty programs and was elected to the North Denver Action Center, a part of the Model Cities program.

The construction of I-25 and I-70 during the 1950s and 60s displaced many parishioners and businesses and demoralized the neighborhood. Another blow to the community was the record-breaking Platte River Flood of 1965, but Father Canjar worked tirelessly to clean and repair the parish buildings afterward.

Father Canjar retired from active ministry June 9, 1996 after 47 years of service. He moved to the Gardens at St. Elizabeth's where his sister Mary also lived, and then to Mullen Home, facing many physical challenges with courage and grace.  Father Canjar passed away November 20, 2014 and is buried at Mt. Olivet. He is survived by sister Lucille (James) Stanaway, sister-in-law Mary (Leo) Canjar and numerous nieces and nephews, and was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Frank, Ray and Leo; sisters Helen, Mary, Catherine, Florence and Margaret.

John Canjar is the tallest young man (with glasses) in the back row.

1937 graduating class from Holy Rosary

Father John Canjar, 1969

Father John Obituary