Medak USA Immigration

*On the southern outskirts of Medak heading west to its church (Sv. Jovan) and Brezik with the Velebit mountain range in the distance*

Medak was a key village south of Gospić, probably due to the relatively flat terrain on the road between Gospić and Gračac and the many surrounding villages. Around the start of the World War 1, the railway line from Ogulin was extended to Medak reenforcing its importance as a local area centre. Prior to this, the trip to the USA would have required significant effort just to reach a port of embarkation.

As with some other key Lika villages, people from surrounding villages would state they were from Medak, particularly those from Počitelj and Brezik where the boundaries with Medak were seemingly not precise. The Grujić reference is used to check if a person was likely from another village rather than Medak.

Relations

Life stories discovered in USA records starting with a manifest page. For some, the manifest record is the only record found. Please write to the website at lika.ancestors@yahoo.com if you’d like to share any information about any people from Medak who emigrated to the USA before WW1.

Names	Note
Josip Bruić	Arrived in 1906 and his mother, Stefanija, joined him in 1907, his father having died perhaps in 1904. Josip was in WW1 (Serbian army) returning to the USA in 1920 by ship from Dubrovnik. Josip’s wife, Anka, arrived in 1921 and states her father was Gajo Bruić (possibly Bobić). Anka and Josip had 6 children. Stefanija’s 1938 naturalisation record states Josip’s siblings as Mile and Marta who stayed in Medak.
Lasković, Maoduš, Mihić	Two 1st cousins arrived 1914, Milica Lasković (likely from Počitelj) and Sava or Sara Maoduš (Medak): both listed the same USA contact, Nikola Mihić, as their bridegroom. A pencilled note by Milica’s ‘bridegroom‘ entry is unreadable. It is also very possible they used Nikola’s name as a contact for entry to the USA as no marriage or related records can be found. The manifest shows a later date stamp indicating Milica was naturalised in 1942. Wider research shows that Sara Maoduš born 1887, arrived 1914 (1930 census) married Jovo Mrđenović (Joseph, Joe Mrjenovich in USA records). Jovo was likely from Kukljić although he used Medak in USA records. They are found in various records from 1917 living in and around Chicago. Their 1st child (8 in total) was born in 1916. Given the closeness of the name and dates this is almost certainly the Sava/Sara who arrived with her cousin Milica.

Names

Note

Josip Bruić

Arrived in 1906 and his mother, Stefanija, joined him in 1907, his father having died perhaps in 1904. Josip was in WW1 (Serbian army) returning to the USA in 1920 by ship from Dubrovnik. Josip’s wife, Anka, arrived in 1921 and states her father was Gajo Bruić (possibly Bobić). Anka and Josip had 6 children. Stefanija’s 1938 naturalisation record states Josip’s siblings as Mile and Marta who stayed in Medak.

Lasković, Maoduš, Mihić

Two 1st cousins arrived 1914, Milica Lasković (likely from Počitelj) and Sava or Sara Maoduš (Medak): both listed the same USA contact, Nikola Mihić, as their bridegroom. A pencilled note by Milica’s ‘bridegroom‘ entry is unreadable. It is also very possible they used Nikola’s name as a contact for entry to the USA as no marriage or related records can be found. The manifest shows a later date stamp indicating Milica was naturalised in 1942.

Wider research shows that Sara Maoduš born 1887, arrived 1914 (1930 census) married Jovo Mrđenović (Joseph, Joe Mrjenovich in USA records). Jovo was likely from Kukljić although he used Medak in USA records. They are found in various records from 1917 living in and around Chicago. Their 1st child (8 in total) was born in 1916. Given the closeness of the name and dates this is almost certainly the Sava/Sara who arrived with her cousin Milica.

Note that all the above details are publicly available across a number of websites.

Manifest Records

As research starts to focus more on central and southern Lika it is expected to find a far greater number of people who travelled to the USA from Medak.

5 May 1905: SS Gneisenau Bremen to New York

Name	Age	Going to	Note
Dane Crnokrak	35	Pavao Maoduš – cousin Pittsburg, PA	from Počitelj, possibly Medak. In the USA 1901-03 in Pittsburg.
Mile Maoduš	37	Jandrija Uzelac – friend Chicago, Ill
Sava Mihić	19	Ilija Maoduš – cousin Chicago, Ill	written ‘Mikic’, but only Mihić in Medak (& Kukljić)
Đukan Oklopdžija	35	Janko Oklopdžija – friend Chicago, Ill
Marko Uzelac	18	Jovan Uzelac – father	possibly in USA 1910 census living in Dauphin, PA

8 May 1907: SS Karlsruhe Bremen to Baltimore

Name	Age	Going to	Note
Stefanija Bruić	42	Josip Bruić – son Chicago, Ill	naturalised 1938, died 1950, Illinois. see ‘Relations’ notes

12 May 1910: SS Argentina Trieste to New York

Name	Age	Going to	Note
Jovan Vlaisavljević	18	Nikola Marunić Connellsville, PA	mother – Angelija in Lika

10 June 1914: SS Martha Washington Trieste to New York

Name	Age	Going to	Note
Milica Lasković	28	Nikola Mihić – tbc, Gary, IN	father Mile in Lika. naturalised 1942. see ‘Relations’ notes
Sava (or Sara) Maoduš	28	Nikola Mihić – tbc Gary, IN	uncle Mile Lasković in Lika. see ‘Relations’ notes.
Janko Oklopdžija	40	Jovo Mihić – friend Gary, IN	mother Kata Jelovac in Lika. In the USA 1907-08 in Gary,IN
Ivan Oklopdžija	14	Mile Oklopdžija – father, Gary, IN	mother Sara in Lika. naturalised 1934
		All above were living at 2389 Washington Street

22 February 1921: SS Leopoldina Le Havre to New York

Name	Age	Going to	Note
Anka Bruić	24	Josip Bruić – husband Gary, IN	father Gajo Bruić or Bobić in Lika. see ‘Relations’ notes
Boja Potrebić	21	Marija Potrebić – mother Gary, IN	father Mile at Medak #81 (Brezik?). naturalised 1943.

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