Josef Košak and Anna Rogelj

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Both father's passed away in industrial accidents while still young with Anna passing away of disease shortly after herself. Josef Košak died after the birth of nine children in March 1912. Anna quickly remarried Jacob Žele but he also died of an accident at work in 1925 after having three girls with her. Then Anna died due to disease and the oldest son Joe Jr. had to take care of the large family. So while there is a Zele Rogelj page, we really cover most about the combined, single family here. The Kosak Rogelj and Kosak Zele database entries are available.

Josef Košak emigrated in 1887 and was 12 years older than Anna. Not much is known of his background at this time. It is believed he came from Žužemberk area based on family lore. He listed Novo Mesto in his ship departure record.. We have since found his birthplace and family there. See his parents page at Kosak Filipic for more information. See Slovenian Home Land for a map of the area.

Anna came with her sister Maria (Mary) in 1898. They both married within a month of arriving. It is not known if this was arranged between the families before hand. Anna's younger brother John followed in 1910 and married in 1915. Anna's father John and sister Josefine arrived in 1899 but quickly went off to Montana where the father had a mining claim to work. Josefine married and stayed there.

The siblings together in Cleveland were important to Anna's family although not identified as such directly to the grandchildren.. Mary Rogelj was 10 years older than Anna and Anna herself ten years older than John. The older sister Mary ("Mrs Jeric" as she was known) always lived nearby and helped the family even though she had many kids of her own and a husband who passed away in 1929 as well. Anna's brother-in-law Josef Jeric would serve as executor to settle the claims with the railroad company for the industrial accident that killed the young Josef. Anna's younger brother John Rogelj would help serve as a responsible uncle overseeing the family later on with his wife Mary and he being a godparent to many in this family. See the Jeric Rogelj family page for more information on older sister Mary's background. It is only with Mary's death notice that we even discovered she was a sibling.

In Mary Rogelj's death notice we first learn of Josephine and other siblings; some that likely stayed in Slovenia. Seems Mary knew and kept in touch with them all. We have not tracked down her many descendants to discover what they know. Oddly, no DNA match has popped up with any of them like for Josephine. Daughter Anna Kosak later wrote in an autobiography that her Father and sister Josephine were in America but in Montana. From all these hints we then found the passenger list for John and Josefine. Descendants of Josefiine in Montana popped up on DNA match lists and this branch has been fully developed.. We have not been able to track down the father in Cleveland or Montana; partly because the name combination is so common.

The parents spent their whole lives in America on East 81st Street in Cleveland (originally named Rural St when they first moved there). Most working in the steal related industries nearby (wire and bolt mill; rail yard, scrap yard) in the area. In 1910, they were just one of four families cohabiting in the same house. This would continue for many years as these new immigrants struggled to make a living in the new land. Upon the accident that killed Joseph, Anna used the $2,900 settlement money to buy two plots on 80th street and Union near where they lived but the other side of the neighborhood. She built two houses and used the rent to fund the family for the remainder of her life.

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Anna's offspring

With Joe Košak, Anna had the following surviving children:

• Joe Jr in 1900
• Anna/Annie in 1903 (later Sr Marie Antoinette)
• Rose/Rosie in 1904
• Frank in 1907
• Anton/Tony in 1909, and
• Mary in 1911

In the 1910 census, Anna declared she had 8 children but only 5 survived. As Mary was born after this census, this implies she had at least 9 children from this marriage. Joe would pass away of an industrial accident in March 1912. We did find one at-birth death certificate for a Francis in 1906. Soon after Josef's death, Anna remarried his boss, Jacob Zele

Jacob was three years younger than Anna and emigrated in 1905.
With Jacob Zele, Anna gave birth to three surviving daughters:

• Louise in 1915
• Albina in 1916, and
• Julia in 1919

In 1925 Jacob died of an industrial accident with Anna passing on from disease in 1927. Joe Jr was 27 by this time and took over the household with Aunt Mary living across the street and Uncle John nearby to help care for the family.

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Grandkids Galore

Aunt Mary Jeric was prolific with 11 children, and her oldest daughter with another 9. But the Kosak/Zele kids were not far behind. The 22 surviving first cousins from this family are:

• Joe had three kids: Valerie, Monica and Dale Philip "Phil"
• Ann joined the order of Adrian Domincans and lived a long life as Sister Marie Antoinette, an educator
• Rose and Kleiney Zabukovec never had any kids
• Frank had four: David, BettyAnn, Marjorie, and Daniel
• Tony had six surviving: Marcella, Anne Gertrude, Tony, Raymond, baby Mary Ann, Rosemary, Victoria, and baby Christine
• Mary joined the large Mervar clan and had Mary Lou, Kay, Linda Marie, and Tom
• Louise never had any surviving children (two died at birth) but was a loved aunt to many
• Albina had Ann Marie, William, and Robert
• Julia adopted Mary Kay and George after her first child died at birth

These cousins' birth years are spread over 40+ years thus making some a generation or more apart from each other. (Those in bold are on the email exchange list and still alive. We have been losing many these past few years, unfortunately.)