Josef + Terezija Lebar
Jozef(1926-2000) and Terezija(nee Geric) Lebar(1934- )
Jozef and Terezija along with their son Bryen, arrived in Winnipeg in August of 1957. Their journey to Canada began in the small village of Gornja Bistrica along the banks of the Mura River in Prekmurje. After leaving Slovenia by way of escape they made their way to the “lager” at Glassenbach, Austria. It was a refugee camp once used by the American Army to house prisoners of war at the end of WW2. There, Joe and Terezija received their documentation and travelling papers for Canada. They left for Canada on the ship Arosa Kulm sailing out Bremenhaven. After a rather unsettling 8 day sail, they landed in Montreal. There they were given $20 and train tickets to Winnipeg where Terezija had family.
Along the way, they met other Prekmurci making the same journey and upon their arrival in Winnipeg quickly joined up with the few Slovenians already living in here. The family attended picnics and social evenings organized by the Slovenian Club of Manitoba, which had formed in 1951. They attended Our Lady of Fatima Church with other Slovenians until the opening of their own Slovenian Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1963.With many others, Joe helped with the renovation of the old, rundown church, often going there after a long day on the construction site. Terezija joined the Ladies Auxiliary and then the CWL where she served as president. She remains a member.
In 1961, they moved from Point Douglas into 286 Horace St. in St. Boniface where they lived for 54 years. They raised 4 boys, Bryen, Mario, Tomislav and Joe Jr. in that house and Mom lived there until 2015.Terezija was a trained seamstress. She worked in various sewing factories and sewed commercially at home until Dad started his business in 1972.
Both Joe and Terezija volunteered their time freely to the community. Joe used his construction knowledge to help build the hall at our former picnic grounds and the addition to the garage which was used for Folklorama. He was a member of the Slovenian Klub for a number of years , and sat on the Church Council. Terezija was the first teacher of Zvoncek and she very much enjoyed teaching the little ones. She often said she would like to have been a teacher. She was also involved in the organization of Folklorama, acting as co-coordinator one year. She was known as a good cook and she could often be found helping in the kitchen for community dinners as well as baking pastry for sale in the Folklorama pavilion.
The Slovenian community in Winnipeg was central to Mom and Dad’s lives both socially and spiritually. They attended Mass each Sunday and looked forward to meeting up with friends. They made a point of going to each of the dinners and concerts held in the church hall over the years. Joe and Terezija supported the community all their lives.
November 2021
