The Stories of the Joe Rodish & Ray Rodich Families of Valley Junction
The Stories of the Joe Rodish & Ray Rodich Families of Valley Junction
Life wasn't easy, but they struggled to learn the language and make their way in the hardscrabble railroad town of Valley Junction.
Between 1904-1911, farmers Jovo Radocaj and younger brother Rada Radocaj immigrated to America from the small village of Krcana in Lika, Croatia. Over the journey into America through Ellis Island, New York, in 1904, they shed their Serbian names and became known as Joe Rodish and Ray Rodich immigrating. Joe first settled in Chicago, boarding with other Serbs working in the steel mills. Census records later show them living in an immigrant neighborhood of South Chicago near the rail yards sometime after 1914. Joe and Mary, who came later to Chicago, had seven children: son (child buried in Chicago, Illinois area) Ely (died as a 12 yr old youth buried in Glendale Cemetery, Des Moines, IA); Pete, Andrew, Sam, John, and daughter, Mildred. At a young age, Joe passed away around 1920 and was buried in the Chicago area near the burial site of their young son.
Raising a Family in Valley Junction
After Joe’s death, Mary Rodish married Mike Dicklich and moved to Earlham, IA for work in the limestone rock quarry, the mines and cement plant. It was 1910 when Andrew (Andy) Rodish was born to Mary and Joe Rodish. As he grew up, Andy and other siblings worked to help support the growing family. Teen Andy shared his Earlham cement plant wage with the family. Mother Mary sewed the cloth cement bags at the plant. Mary and Mike Dicklich had three daughters: Helen (died in 1967), Amy, and Anna. Eventually the blended family left Earlham and settled in Valley Junction with other Serbian families doing similar work.
Andy married Mary Frances late 1930 and started a family: Brenda, John, Steve, Sharon, Daniel, Linda, Dennis and Dino. Naturally, Andy found maintenance work at the Des Moines Hawkeye and later at Marquette Cement Plant. They lived in several places in Valley Junction to include 10th and Railroad, 200s block of 7th street and 12th and Maple. Mary Frances was an astute homemaker who loved her community. She was President of Phenix School Mothers Club, and many other organizations.
Rooted in Values
The Rodishes loved spending time with friends and family enjoying dinners and card games. During one gathering, with friends June Ferrari and Bev Turks they discussed girls’ softball in Holiday Park. June’s husband, Frank Ferrari, was the Superintendent of Public Works in WDM, while Jack Kimball was the Superintendent of the Parks Department. In 1963, Mary Frances led efforts to create the Holiday Park Girls Softball Association, resulting in several fields being named in honor of the pioneers: Rodish, Turks, and Kimball.
Andy would often take the children to the airport to watch planes and to Commerce to watch the speeding Rock Island Rocket passenger train zoom in from Chicago. The family enjoyed going to the drive-in movies watching the movie in the back of their dump truck. The Rodishes were a happy family. The family valued hard work, honesty, helping others, and education. Andy volunteered as a little league coach.
The Rodish family values of hard work and community were evident in their adult children. Brenda was a homemaker and waitress. John worked in maintenance at Hawkeye Cement Plant. Sharon and Linda found work in the Meredith Printing plant. Steve joined the Navy, owned his own businesses, and served the community with Dennis as a volunteer firefighter. Steve also joined his brother Dan, Dennis, and Dino to work for the City of West Des Moines.
Dino, a dedicated businessman and proud resident of West Des Moines, embraced the opportunity to serve as Mayor from 1993 to 1998, embodying leadership and commitment to his community.
The Story of the Joe Rodish & Ray Rodich Families of Valley Junction
