Frank and Mary Medved

Members of the Year 2010

Twin Cities Slovenians

 

Frank and Mary Medved have helped form the backbone of the SWUA Branch 109: Twin Cities Slovenians. This past year Mary chaired our exhibit in the Festival of Nations held in May at the St. Paul Excel Center. Our exhibit won the highest award of excellence and a cash prize of $ 200. In addition, Mary initiated a “Family Name” book identifying family connections in Slovenia which has led to a new Member Directory that was published January 2010. Mary graduated as an English teacher from St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul in 1964.

Opposite the distaff side, Frank is our technology expert. Graduating from the University of Minnesota as an Electrical Engineer, Frank has designed two DVD’s for our entries into the Festival. In addition to his technical abilities, Frank added his carpenter skills in shaping “Urban” the Ribničan in last year’s Festival and designed a model “peč” and bench for our 2008 entry. One of his crowning achievements this year was securing a grant from the Slovenian government to help in financing our Festival goals. Our Branch is truly blessed to have Frank as the “bridge” to understanding and appreciating our Slovenian ancestry. We learned that Frank and now Franc Cardinal Rode were boyhood friends in the Spittal refugee camp from ’45 – ’49. Frank and Mary attended Rode’s consecration in Rome in 2006.

On a more personal level, Frank and Mary have opened their home to numerous potluck dinners where, with a “little” wine and Slovenian homecooking, we have managed to plan some of the activities for Branch 109 plus learn more about the legacy of his Slovenian family.

Mary: The fun of doing any of this is sharing it with our grandchildren – whether it’s rolling potica dough, or manning the Festival booth. This is what celebrating our heritage  is all about.

Frank and 100% Irish Mary have seven children ages 22 to 43 and eleven grandchildren.

 

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