American Serb History 101

From part of Milan Karlo's speech when he was the Speaker at the FIRST SNF Youth Conference, 1941.

Karlo-Bizic Scholarship

   Fund Established: March 29, 2009                                               

        Wedding of Gus and Milana (Mim) Karlo Bizic,       St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church, Aliquippa, PA     V. Rev. Vlastimir Tomich, officiating, 6/9/63

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Scholarship Endowment

The +Gustav and Milana Karlo Bizic SNF Scholarship was funded by the late +Gustav and Milana Karlo Bizic to honor their parents, +Dorothy Klaich Bizic and +Peter Bizic, and +Laura Mamula Karlo and +Milan M. Karlo.  

A sizable monetary contribution was placed in a special account at the Serb National Federation where it has been invested and will grow in perpetuity. Annually, a portion of the income is used for financial aid, while the remaining funds are allowed to grow.

The +Gustav and Milana Karlo Bizic Scholarship will assist a qualified applicant in obtaining a degree from an accredited academic institution of higher learning. 

Amount and Eligibility

• The amount of this scholarship will be for $1,000, but in years to come and with successful investments, this amount is subject to increase.
• Given to a student of Serbian heritage who is already successfully attending an accredited degree-granting college or university and pursuing a Bachelor, Master’s or Doctoral degree.
• Based on character and personal merit and commitment. Merit has been demonstrated through leadership in school, church, civic and extracurricular activities, academic achievement, and motivation to serve and achieve.
• Should 2 or more candidates prove to be equally worthy, the student attending the University of Pittsburgh shall be chosen above the rest.  This is in keeping with the opportunities provided the Bizic family from Pitt scholarships in the past.  

The SNF Scholarship Committee is in charge of this award and their guidelines will be followed on GPA, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. 

Please know that I do NOT see any of these applications. 

I learn of the Awardees usually through announcements in the SRBOBRAN, too!

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a member of the Serb National Federation and joined prior to January 1, 2009.
2. Be a citizen of the United States
3. Have successfully completed two (2) semesters of their undergraduate program from an accredited degree-granting college or univeristy.
4. Present a letter of interest to the SNF Scholarship Committee demonstrating the applicant's qualifications, including certified transcripts from all undergraduate or graduate schools attended.
5. Present a Resume
6. Provide TWO (2) letters of recommendation, at least one from a person qualified to outline the applicant's interest and commitment to the Serbian community.

For the 2013 Award, letters of application and transcripts must be submitted no later than May 31, 2013 to the Serb National Federation.

Serb National Federation

Attention:  Karlo-Bizic Scholarship

938 Penn Avenue, 4th Floor

Pittsburgh, PA  15222

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The wedding of Dorothy (Klaich) and Pete Bizic, Sr. May, 1930

Gus, Pete and Dorothy Bizic, Mim on the occasion of the 50th wedding anniversary of Pete & Dorothy, May, 1980

Annie, Mom Dorothy, Pete Jr., Gus Bizic

Bizic/Klaich Family on Nick's 6th Birthday,

America's Bicentennial

The Karlos:  Nick, Sammy, Milan, Blackie, Anne, Mildred, Lepa (Sophie/Joyce)  Missing is Aunt Draga who had already passed away, and George Karajlovich (Karlovich/Karlo) died at age 2.

This was at the Karlo Reunion on the Brnilovich Farm, during the SNF 3-Day Weekend, 1989, in celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo. 

A 200 page Karajlovich Family 1989 book was published in honor of the occasion.

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Laura Karlo 1918-2006

Click on the lower left hand corners of the pages below to enlarge and read the story of one of the world's greatest mothers!

Look at the joy seen here with Baba Laura Karlo at the wedding SKUP of her grandson, Ncik Bizic, to Dana Hickey Bizic, October 5, 2002.

The Karlo-Bizic Scholarship has been given with an eye to the future in the hopes of aiding deserving students of Serbian descent who will someday give back to their Serbian Community in Time, Talents or Treasures.

Mim/Gus, August 1979

To date, seven yeaers have passed, with SIX fine students (one repeated)  have been recipients of the fund that hopefully will be continued in perpetuity.

2009

Amy Yurko,
Monroeville, PA

Amy is well-known for all the beautiful icons she has painted fand donated to her Kumovi and her St. Nicholas Church in Monroeville, PA

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2010

Nicholas Vranasevich, McKeesport, PA

Nick is shown here as Kum for Alex Brnijolovich's wedding Sept. 20, 2014. He is currently teaching elementary music/strings at Plum High School in Pittsburgh!  Nick ALWAYS gives back to his community in so many ways!

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2011

Natalia Savatic,
Lodge 74 Waukegan, IL.

Baking & Pastry Arts, Food Service Management

Johnson & Wales Univ.

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2012

            Sam Korach,               Lodge 52, Lackawanna, NY   Student Research Fellow at Center of Business Excellence Miami Univeristy '15.

Sam was awarded the Provost Award in 2014!

   Sam was one of eight students to win the prestigious Provosst Award!

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2013

Luka Celic,

Lodge 345, Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada

Mechanical Engineering,  University of Windsor

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2014

Blaise Michael Borovich, Lodge 170, Hebron, Indiana

and again in 

2015

Blaise Michael Borovich

It is with great pride that we learned that young Mr. Borovich has been named for a second year as the recipient of the Karlo-Bizic Scholarship.

From what we understand, Blaise is very deserving of this honor for embellishing all the traits sought in the scholarship, giving back already to the Serbian Community with his Time, Treasures and Talents.

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2016

This year's SNF winner for the Karlo-Bizic scholarship was Milena Raketich, who is a Research Assistant at the Conversation Lab at Vanderbilt Univeristy, in Valparaiso, Indiana, studying Human and Organizational Development and Political Science..

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2017

Hooray for Milica Djokic, this year's Karlo-Bizic Scholarship winner!  Milica is studying Public Health and Pre-Med at Tulane Unviersity.  She is the daughter of Drs. Miroslav and Divna Djokic.

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2018

You?

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Mim and Gus Bizic, 1969

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Milan & Laura Karlo in Front at Highland Park, 1938, with cousins Nellie & Frank Cwiklik

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Laura cheering on her favorite team, the STEELERS!

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Obituary from the Sewickley HERALD

Gus Bizic, 65, teacher, craftsman, after long illness.

     Gustav "Gus" Bizic, 65, passed away peracefully after suffering from multiple illnesses, in Sewickley Valley Hospital.

     Born in Ambridge, PA, he was the son of Dorothy (Klaich) Bizic and the late Peter Bizic, Sr.

     He was a retired OVT (occupational/vocational/technical) teacher for the Pittsburgh Public School District, teaching at Conroy Junior High School and Greenway Middle School.

     Previously, he taught metal and wood shop for Center Area High School and welding in the evenings to adult classes.  He was a superb craftsman, learning the art of woodworking from his father and his Uncle Joseph Bizic, of Bizic Brothers Cabinet Shop in Ambridge.

     Mr. Bizic served in the military, retiring after 23 years of service in the Air National Guard, and as Chief Petty Officer (CPO) of the U.S. Navy Reserve.

     He was a member of the St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church in Aliquippa, Masonic Lodge 701 of Ambridge, the Valley of Pittsburgh Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, the American Serbian Eastern Rite Brothers (ASERBS), the Sewickley Senior Men's Club, American Federation of Teachers, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers and Retired Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, and the Sewickley Sunshine Stroke Club.

     Gus Bizic was also a former member of the Leet Township Planning Commission, was Vice President of the Little Sewickley Creek Watershed Association, served on the Quaker Valley Council of Governments, and was a member of the Sewickley Valley Historical Society, as well as a member of the SewickleyNET Board of Directors.

     Surviving in addition to his mother, are his beloved wife, Milana "Mim" (Karlo) Bizic; a devoted son, Nicholas Bizic of Ben Avon; a sister, Anne B. McClure; a brother, Peter Bizic Jr.; sisters-in-law Danica Bizc, Dr. Rose K. Gantner and Alexandra K. Nolan; three nephews, Peter Bizic III, Mark Gustav Bizic and David McClure; and three nieces, Mary McClure, Elaine McClure Arazawa and Angela B. Nolan.

     A service was conducted at the St. Elijah Serbian Church in Aliquippa with the V.Rev. Fr. Stevan Stepanov officiating.

     In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Serbian Relief Fund, c/o 1617 Davidson St., Aliquippa, PA 15001.

     Arrangements were handled by the Wayne N. Tatalovich Funeral Home of Aliquippa.

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It should be noted that in addition to flowers, many donations to St. Elijah Seribian Orthodox Church and St. Elijah Choir were VERY generously given; however, more than $4,500 was sent to the orphans in Banja Luka in +Gus Bizic's name.  We thank our dear friends, neighbors, everyone who gave so willingly to help the less fortunate.  It was sincerely appreciated by our family.

In regards to the Orphans:

"The test of our Progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

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Here is a great photo of Peter Bizic, Sr., and the hard-carved table he and brother Joe Bizic made in 1936.

 Click lower right hand corner of photos to enlarge.

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