By Mary (Diaz) Murillo

Rasing a Family in Valley Junction

Cruz and Gregory had nine children, six boys; George, Nacio, Joe, Julie, Jess and Tony; three daughters, Mary, Maggie and Lupe. George (my father) attended Longfellow school, but being the oldest in the family, he left after finishing ninth grade to find a job and help his family financially.
George along with his two brothers; Nacio and Jess followed in their father’s footsteps and took a job working on the railroad. Joe and his brother Tony opened a barbershop on Vine between 4th and 5th Street and called it The Diaz Barber Shop. Julie went work for the Penn Dixie Cement Plant. Mary and Maggie stayed home to take care of their family and Lupe worked various jobs.
The children, who eventually married, continued living in Valley Junction raising their own families. All of their children attended Nellie Phenix grade school and went on to graduate from Valley High School, when it was located on 7th Street & Hillside Streets.

The families all resided in West Des Moines and stayed very close. Many times they would get together at each other’s homes for family fun and good food!
A few of the cousins continue to live in West Des Moines and stay in touch. They all have great memories of growing up in Valley Junction with all their uncles, aunts and cousins. They often share those memories with their children who will pass this history on to many more generations to come.

The Diaz family is proud to be a part of the history of Valley Junction, having lived in the area of a little over 100 years.

Hughes Brown Family Legacy

The Importance of Family Ties

The Hughes children focused on their careers, the community, and continued to grow the family. Lee followed in this dad’s footsteps in the construction business. Lee also had three children. Junior had one child and made a career in the meat packing plant. Freddie had a love of dance and could turn an event out. He was the family’s James Brown by wearing the same hair style, marcel waves and pompadour, and donning a cape. As Freddie performed for family and friends, his sisters were the background singers. When the tips came in, they twisted harder! He kept the family laughing. Freddie had one child. Janie made a career in insurance and accounting. Janie’s love of family manifested in her four children, adopting three children, and being a foster parent to numerous children for over 30 years. JoAnn had two children, and her career and volunteerism involved managing, coaching, and instructing people. Her volunteer work included Le Chic Fashion Ensemble co-director and instructor starting in 1989 at the Willike House, Miss Black Iowa and Miss Black Teen coach, Des Moines Gateway Dance Theater, and co-foundered with Terrance Martin and Mary Noel the Capital City Steppers Des Moines, IA estblished in 2011. The youngest sibling, Terry, coached community youth baseball teams, spent life in the field of insurance as an underwriter, and blessed the family with four children. In total there are 18 grandchildren and over 40 great and great-great grandchildren.

Charles Lamont Lovelady Trust Scholarship Fund In 2000 JoAnn’s son Charles Lovelady tragically died while in a chokehold of a bouncer. The Hughes family joined together to fight the use of chokeholds and leave a powerful legacy. The Charles Lamont Lovelady Trust Scholarship Fund was established in his honor and memory in the year 2000. The scholarship annually supports deserving students to continue their college education. Contributions from the community, corporations, and organizations of Des Moines and surrounding areas make it possible. Bouncer Bill requiring bouncer training to be required for a liquor license was proposed by the Hughes family with support from Concerned Citizens for Justice and (Rep.) Ako Abdul-Samad. Due to lack of funding the pilot for the bill ended.

Family ties are very important to the Hughes family. James and Genovia followed their parents to West Des Moines.

They were hardy young men who came from the rocky mountainous region of Lika, Croatia. Their ancestors lived in Serbia as early as 700 years ago. In the 14th century, the Ottoman-Turks invaded Serbia driving many Serbs and the Radocaj family further and further from their homeland. Settling in Croatia, the family served as border guards and watchmen of sorts to stave off advancement of the Ottomans into Hungary and Austria. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire allowed the Serbs to settle in the lands they had protected. They were finally able to put away the ways of war. Centuries of upheaval and war left its’ mark on the people. They never forgot the lives lost in battle. To this day, they sing of the valor and the blood shed by so many Serbs over the centuries to secure freedom and the protection of their Serbian Orthodox faith from Islamic rule of the Ottoman-Turks.

The family set down permanent roots in the small village of Krcana located near the market town of Udbina in the region of Lika, Croatia (see map). They farmed a small plot of land. The soil was rocky, but yielded to the calloused hands of the Serb farmer. Jobs were scarce, so most young men had to labor hard in the fields to help their families raise food for the table and sheep for milk and cheese. When the sheep were sheared, the women spun the wool into yarn making clothing, rugs and other items for the home and for barter or sale. Living in the mountains, they had to be self sufficient. Their income and living conditions were meager, but their hearts were full. They shared what they had with each other and they celebrated the harvest and religious holidays with food, festivities, music and dance.

When word of growing immigration to America as a land of opportunity reached the village of Krcana, the Radocaj boys left the village. One by one, they made their way down the mountains to Germany, some likely to France where they found work to earn enough money for their passage to America. Ray departed the port of Le Havre, France to sail to America.

Joe left home first immigrating to America in 1904. He was married, but left his wife, Mary, behind to join him later in America. Ray immigrated in 1911 at the age of 17. Other brothers came for a short time, but returned to the family in Krcana.

Each of the brothers arrived through Ellis Island, New York. Joe first settled in Chicago where there were a large number of Serbian immigrants also working in the steel mills. He likely boarded with other Serbs until Mary arrived and they started their family. Census records later show them living in an immigrant neighborhood of South Chicago near the rail yards. Later they moved to the Earlham, IA area where there was work in the mines, a rock quarry and cement plant.

Ray joined brother Joe in Earlham, IA in 1911. Records show him working for a rock quarry. A few years later, Ray wished to marry and set about trying to find a Serbian bride. In 1914, he wrote to his brother, Arsa, back home and asked him to find a young Serbian woman willing to come to America to marry him. Arsa picked Duka Popovich, the prettiest girl in the area to ask. Duka remembered Ray and agreed to make the journey. Only 18 years old and speaking no English, Duka faced the hardship of sailing for 8 days alone in Steerage without privacy or any comforts. Arsa paid for Duka’s passage and gave her $25.00 for her needs at sea and transportation from New York to meet Ray. Duka landed in Ellis Island, New York and was placed on a train with a note pinned to her coat, “Destination – Earlham, Iowa.” Conductors along the way must have looked out for her and other immigrants on the train.

The train arrived, but Ray was getting cold feet. He didn’t remember Duka and he was nervous about whether he would really want to marry her. So, he sent Uncle Slim Radocaj (no relation) to the train station to pick her up and check her out. Slim reported to Ray that he had just two minutes to decide, because he would marry her himself if Ray would not. That was enough for Ray. Ray and Duka were married for 52 years.

Curation & Preservation • Community Building • Cultural Education