I may be of assistance to each of you. I must say that it is interesting to finally speak or write to two of my second cousins and yet I have never had the opportunity to meet either of you and we all grew up essentially in the Bay Area. The story of our family is not one built on the foundation of love but rather fractured glass shards that permanently scattered our family to remoteness. I am the great granddaughter of Vicko and Antoia Srsen – my Mother is Sharon, my Grandmother Mary (Vicko’s youngest of four known children). I have traveled to Yugoslavia and trekked where our ancestors were born. Yugoslavia is much more beautiful that the story. Both Vicko and Antonia came through Ellis Island (at different times) and made their way to the Bay Area where they met and were married. It was not a loving marriage; she was more or less forced into marriage as an agreement of sorts. Antonia was a loving parent, however, Vicko was everything but. Vicko was a physically and mentally abusive alcoholic to Albert (Bartholomew - great Grandma didn’t speak much English and the hospital wrote the name down incorrectly – his nick name was Boro), William and Ann his three older children. He seemed to have been kind to Mary, only believed because she was still too young for the battery of abuse. He left the family when the boys would have been in their teens and the boys took the mother and sisters away with them when they all seemingly fled.
I beleive that William Vico Srsen took the name William upon entering the United States becasue it is an English name and not slavic. Additionally there is no information from Austria on a William Srsen, but Vicko is referenced and I have been able to trace his parents.
Al and Bill cared for the needs of their two younger sisters and their mother. Their mother was blinded in her left eye by the way by Vicko - by a sugar bowel – white.
Al, Bill, Ann and Mary all had children. Al and Aunt Raney had Joanne and Steven. Steven was killed in the Vietnam War a few days after his 20th birthday – a tragedy that should have brought our family together but even in death it did not occur. Joanne has a daughter – Linda who started this web page. She would be your cousin Billy.
I know little off the top of my head about Bill. I have this all written down at home and on the home computer. Anyway, I do know that Bill has a son – Billy that received a fellowship to Oxford to study and that is all I know on that end – again off the top of my head.
Ann had two children, Patricia and Leonard, both live in the Bay Area. Ann married three times and was widowed by two husband before she died in 1998 (?) survived by her spouse, James Brown of Watsonville. My Auntie Ann was always very kind to me and my family.
Mary married Robert Gordon Bishop of Minnesota and had three children, Sharon, David and Michael. Robert died about 11 years ago from heart failure. Grandma is a healthy age 82 and currently resides in Watsonville California.
Sharon Bishop married Robert Andrew Jones of Montana and had three Children, Robert (1964), Cynthia (1966) and Andrew (1968). Robert and Sharon (age 59) now live in Tehachapi California – Retired after raising their three children in Fremont California. Sharon and Bob do not have any grandchildren.
Robert (Bobby) and his wife Rita live in Fremont California. Bobby works for the parks department and is actively involved in his church and volunteers with Children’s Services for special needs children.
Cynthia resides is Murfureesboro Tennessee, Graduated from Cumberland University and Tennessee States University with degrees in English and Accounting. Cynthia is an accountant for a healthcare insurer. Cynthia is dictated to her volunteer work in children’s services, animal rescue, Boy Scouts of America, environmental education, Doctors without Boarders and to her local running team, The Nashville Striders. Cynthia is currently in the process of adopting her first child.
Andrew lives in Lodi California with his wife Michelle. Andrew works for a shipping company in the valley. Andy a truly gifted musician attended Ohlone College and UC Hayward.
David Bishop (current age 54) married Victoria (Vicki) and they had two children, Mark and John. David and Vicki divorced and later David married Joyce. David for a short time attended the seminary (catholic), then went into the Navy, attended many universities and is now retired as a superintendent of schools for Huntington Beach California and Joyce is a retired Psychologist. Both still reside in Huntington Beach.
Mark Bishop age 32 and John Bishop age 30 are single and currently reside in Huntington Beach.
Michael Bishop (current age 48) previously owned his own business and is now a driver for a Union transportation company in the South Bay Area. Michael currently resides in Watsonville California.
That is it in a nutshell. I have many items at home that may be of interest to you. Please advise if you want additional information or correspondence and also if you have anything to share.