Joseph Schreiner was born in Montréal (Québec) on August 23rd, 1929. He is the son of Joseph and Anna, immigrants from Brezno in the Banská Bystrica (Slovakia). He also has a brother, Steven and a sister, Mary Zibrin (née Schreiner). As a child, Joseph Schreiner was taught Slovak at home by his parents and attended an English school. Following his 18th birthday, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces and served for 25 years, including several tours of duty abroad in Congo, Korea and Germany. After his military career, he worked at Weights and Measures. When he retired, he spent most of his time in Florida. He was married to Rita Schreiner (née Boyer) and has two children Susan Murray (née Schreiner) and Joseph Schreiner. He was also a father to Rita’s children Gerard, Alain and Donald Boucher.
Joseph Schreiner was quite involved in the Slovak Canadian community. He supported various fellow Slovaks and was a member of many Slovak organizations including the Canadian Slovak League and the First Slovak Catholic Union in Montréal. Most notably, he was a proud fan of the Slovak hockey team and cheered them during the 2014 World Junior Championships a few weeks prior to his death on January 9th, 2015 at the age of 85
Louis (L’udovit L’udo), Ján and Mary Doranský’s son, was born in Bratislava in April 1943. After the family moved to Montréal, Québec in 1950, he attended St. Roch school. Louis Doranský earned his high school diploma at the Cardinal Newman High School and, in his second year, enrolled in the Army Cadets.In his spare time, Louis and friend Peter Sidor founded a rock band where Louis played the drums. His high school completed, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program at the Sir William College in downtown Montréal.
In February 1963, Louis Doranský met his future wife, Sonia Canella. He also began working at the firm P.S. Ross and Partners, and afterwards, accepted a position at St. Vincent and Grenadine’s Aquatic Club. In 1966, he returned to Montréal (Canada) and married Sonia Canella. They have two daughters“ Stephanie and Christine. Following the birth of their children, Louis, Sonia, Stephanie and Christine Doranský moved to Toronto, Ontario (Canada).
In 1978, Louis Doranský became a senior consultant with the firm Touche Ross (later renamed Deloitte and Touche) and was given numerous international assignments. In 1990, he left Deloitte and Touche and founded his own firm Doransky and Association Inc. In his spare time, Louis Doranský collected objects from various countries he visited.
Louis Doranský has inherited his father’s and mother’s artistic talents. In addition to his love of music, he began painting in his early twenties. In 2013, his art works were part of an exhibition held at Toronto’s Gerrard Art Space.
Maria Anna (Mary) Barnard (née Doranský), Ján and Mary Doranský’s daughter, was born in November 1939. After the family arrived in Montreal in 1950, Maria Anna attended the St.Roch School along with her brother Louis. Maria Anna (Mary) earned her high school diploma at the Thomas d’Arcy McGee High School and afterwards studied teaching at McGill University's McDonald College, where she met her future husband Martin Barnard.
Maria Anna worked as a camp counsellor, folk dance teacher in Québec (Canada), physical education teacher at the Sacred Heart Convent in Ottawa (Ontario) and Marionpolis College. Maria Anna and Martin Barnard were married on April 28th, 1962. Following their wedding in Montreal, the Barnards moved to St. Vincent and Grenadine (West Indies) where Martin managed the Orange Hill Estates Limited plantations. They had four children: Denyse, Joanne, Leslie and Philip.
In the 1990s, the Barnards opened a travel agency, airline and yacht club. In July 2001, Martin Barnard became a Knight of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). The Barnards currently reside in St. Vincent and Grenadine.
Mary Doranský (née Jakl) was born in Linden, New Jersey (United States) on November 25th, 1915. Her parents were Josef Jakl and Mary Pinter (daughter of František Pinter and Maria Vondras). She had 3 siblings: Karel (Charles), Emily and Joseph.
In 1921, the Jakl family travelled back to Czechoslovakia, where her mother decided to remain with the children. Her father returned to North America and remarried.
Mary attended the Komensky School and Teacher’s College. Following her studies, she held several teaching positions in Vienna and Eastern Slovakia, mostly Rusha Volova where she met her future husband Ján L. Doranský.
Ján L. Doranský and Mary Jakl married on February 5th, 1939. Following their wedding, they moved to Ján L. Doranský’s hometown of Trstená (Slovakia) and then Bratislava where he began organizing a Cultural Affairs Division within the Ministry of National Defence. During their stay in Bratislava, Mary Doranský gave birth to two children: Maria Anna (Mary) and Louis.
In 1945, fearing retaliation from the Red Army, the Doranský family fled Bratislava. After stays in Austria, Oberfeldkirchen (Bavaria), Assisi, Rome and Naples (Italy) and northern Germany, the Doranský family arrived in Montréal on February 9th, 1950. For the next years, Mary Doranský held several jobs as a button-maker, lampshade stretcher, cleaner, assistant florist and administrative assistant.
Following her husband’s death on April 5th, 1973, Mary Doranský moved to St. Vincent and Grenadine to be near her daughter Maria Anna (Mary) Barnard (née Doranský). In 1979, she moved to Toronto (Ontario) and lived in the Seneca Towers where she painted, babysat and looked after her grandchildren. On November 25th, 2015, Mary Doranský turned 100 years old. She passed away in 2018.
The creation of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio began in 1936 with a visit from a delegation of four intellectuals from Slovakia, led by writer and Matica Slovenská (Slovak Institute of Arts and Science) secretary Jozef Ciger Hronský. During their visit, the delegation donated around 3,000 Slovak books published since 1918 to Cleveland’s Slovak-American community. This donation served two purposes: to thank the community for supporting Slovakia’s independence and to help reconnect Slovak-Americans with Slovak communities in Europe. The books were initially housed at St. Andrew Svodad Abbey, which is now the site of the Slovak Institute.
In 1943, the Slovak League of America provided funds to St. Andrew Svodad Abbey to create a Slovak museum in Cleveland. After World War II, the museum became a center for Slovaks in exile who were fleeing communism. In 1952, under the leadership of Abbot Theodor Kojis, the museum was transformed into the Slovak Institute. The Institute not only housed a museum, but also a library and an archive center. From 1952 to 1989, the Slovak Institute represented Matica Slovenská abroad and played a significant role in Slovak culture, including publishing and secretly shipping books by Slovak writers in exile.
In 1989, the Slovak Institute’s mission shifted to focus on strengthening ties between Slovak-Americans and Slovakia. It continues to maintain its collection of Slovak books, archives, and publications, while also supporting research and public interest in Slovak culture.
The Slovak League of America was established in 1907 during the Cleveland Slovak National Congress, with the goal of supporting Slovakia’s independence and promoting Slovak culture and interests in the United States. It aimed to unite Slovak Americans to improve the welfare of their homeland and strengthen their community in the U.S.
In the early 20th century, Slovak immigrants in America became increasingly aware of the struggles their fellow Slovaks faced under Hungarian rule. With a growing sense of national identity and freedom, Slovak Americans sought to aid their homeland by offering financial and moral support. By 1906, Slovak Americans had sent over seventy thousand crowns to Slovakia for political and national causes. However, their support led to harsher repression from Hungarian authorities, and the Slovaks knew they needed a more organized response.
The Slovak community in America had learned the importance of unity through their various local and national societies, with membership exceeding 100,000 by the early 1900s. They realized they needed to form a unified front, combining their efforts across different organizations. This effort culminated in the founding of the Slovak League of America on May 26, 1907, at the National Slovak Congress in Cleveland. The League brought together numerous Slovak American groups, including fraternal organizations, cultural societies, and women's unions, to advocate for Slovakia's liberation and the well-being of Slovak immigrants.
The League’s founder, Father Furdek, emphasized the need for effective, non-partisan action rather than futile complaints. The League’s goal was to work for Slovakia’s freedom and national revival. Over the years, the Slovak League of America has made significant contributions, including advocating for the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918, providing support during both world wars, and organizing political and cultural events.
The League continues to serve as an important voice for Slovak Americans, publishing an annual journal, *Slovakia*, and promoting Slovak heritage and interests across both continents. The Slovak League’s legacy includes its role in key political events, the creation of the Slovak state, and its continued support for Slovak culture and independence.