Santa Clara County Biographies


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm



NICKOLAS ZAREVICH
From Majkovi, Dalmatia to Santa Clara County
1889
 
SURNAMES: Klunak, Simonitsch, Stockard, Ladner,

A successful and progressive rancher who has been a resident of Santa Clara 
County since June 2, 1889, is Nickolas Zarevich, who was born in the village of 
Majkovi, near Ragusa, Dalmatia, February 18, 1871, a son of Anton and Mary 
(Klunak) Zarevich, farmers who were representatives of very old farmers in that 
county, their lives having been devoted to husbandry. Nickolas was the youngest 
of their five children and he and his brother Anton, also of Santa Clara County, 
are the only ones in the United States. He was brought up on the home farm, 
having the advantages of public schools of his section. Having decided to cast 
his lot with California, of which he had heard as well as read favorable 
reports, he started for New York when eighteen years of age, arriving in San 
Jose June 2, 1889. He immediately found employment in orchards and began 
studying horticulture, thus obtaining the knowledge and experience in this 
branch of agriculture that has been so valuable to him in later years. During 
this time he was six and one-half years in the employ of Capt. Blake of 
Cupertino. Having accumulated some means, he invested his money in a ranch which 
he was fortunate to sell at a profit and in this way owned four different places 
before he purchased twenty-five acres, the nucleus of his present place.

At. St. Mary's Church, San Jose, April 24, 1898, the ceremony uniting Mr. 
Zarevich and Miss Annie Simonitsch, was performed by Rev. Joseph Miller. Mrs. 
Zarevich was born at Richmond, Minn. Her father, Jacob Simonitsch, was a native 
of Kranska, Austria, and came to Minnesota when a young man, becoming a 
prosperous merchant in Richmond, There he married Gertrude Stockard, of German 
descent. On account of his wife's health, Mr. Simonitsch removed to Oregon, 
where his wife died in 1889. In 1891 he came to Santa Clara County and began 
fruit raising, becoming a large orchardist. He passed away September 11, 1897, 
leaving two daughters, Mrs. Mary A. Ladner of Cupertino and Annie, now Mrs. 
Zarevich, who was educated in Notre Dame Academy, Santa Clara.

After their marriage, Mr. And Mrs. Zarevich engaged in fruit raising on their 
orchard place, which they have given great care. Meeting with success, from time 
to time have purchased additional acreage until they now own 112 acres, all in a 
body and conveniently located on Stevens Creek Road; ninety-five acres of the 
place is devoted to a prune orchard and the balance is in apricots, the place 
being operated with the most modern machinery. Mr. and Mrs. Zarevich have two 
children; Teresa is a graduate of Note Dame high school, San Jose, class of 
1919, now attends the State Teacher's College in San Jose. Ivan was educated at 
Santa Clara College and Headland Business College, San Jose, and is now 
assisting his father. Mr. Zarevich is a member of the Knights of Columbus, St. 
Joseph's Benevolent Society, the Austrian Benevolent Society, the Salavonian- 
American Benevolent Society of San Jose and with his family is a member of St. 
Joseph de Cupertino Catholic Church. Mrs. Zarevich is an active member of the 
Alter Society of the above church and of the Catholic Daughter of San Jose. Mr. 
Zarevich is a believer in and supporter of the Republican principles, and is a 
member of the California Prune & Apricot Association.

Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara 
County, California,
published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1650