Ridzon, Ján

• Ridzon, John

Ján (John) Ridzon was born in the village of Polhronska Polhora, near Brezno, Slovakia. Having grown up in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he learned to speak fluent Hungarian as Slovak was not recognized in the school system. His parents however had been careful to pass on Slovakia's ancestral language and culture to their descendants. At the age of 17, John served briefly in the Austro-Hungarian army during the First World War. He was inspired to come to Canada by the stories of others, including his own father, who had come to America three times
to work in the mines.
In 1926, John applied to immigrate to Canada. Receiving no response, he decided to marry Adela at Polhora, on February 13, 1928.
A few weeks after his marriage, John learned that his application to immigrate to Canada had been accepted. John left Slovakia on June 15, 1928 aboard the SS Arabic (Red Star Line) and arrived in Halifax on June 22, 1928. Adela joined him in Canada in 1932 and they settled in Delhi, Ontario. .

Both worked very hard before they were able to buy their first home in Delhi. John was a railroader with CN and also worked in a factory. He was dedicated to the independence of Slovakia and was a life member of the Slovak World Congress. Adela and John never ceased to promote the Slovak language and taught their four daughters to speak Slovakian. John returned to his homeland once, in 1979, with three of his daughters. Adela was unable to make the trip due to her health. There, he visited his three brothers and sister in Polhronska Polhora.

John died in 2000.