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The Rajer/Rajar family immigrated from the Dolenska region of Slovenia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) to the U.S. around 1900 and settled in Cleveland, OH. Gregor and Frank (Franc) Rajer were brothers and settled in the Collinwood area of Cleveland, near E. 156th St. and Holmes Ave., where many other Slovenian immigrants settled. Gregor and Frank's parents
were from the parish of St. Lawrence and/or Dobrnic, near Trebnje. Some records indicate that Gregor and Frank were born in Martinja vas, others indicate Gregor was born in Obcine.
Gregor married Mary (Marija) Turk and lived at 699 E. 156th St. in Cleveland. They had seven children, Joseph, Louis, Mary, Anne, Amalia, Albina and Frances. My grandmother was Anne. Anne married Anthony Stark (Anton Starc), another American of Slovenian descent and they were the parents of my aunt, Constance, and my mother, Marcia.
The surname was changed to Rayer at somepoint, as that was probably the English spelling that would more closely match the Slovenian pronounciation. Another spelling, found in City Directories, was Rajar, and often changed back and forth from Rayer to Rajer to Rajar. This has added a little more time to the research effort!!
I am related to Rayers in Ohio and California. I am currently in contact with Rajers in Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma and Florida, but have not made a definite link to a possible relation (yet!).
I have conducted archival and field research in Slovenia since living there in 2001-02. I supplement that with local research in Cleveland at the Western Reserve Historical Society. I have developed an extensive database of various Rajer/Rajar families in Slovenia and would gladly share that with other researchers. If you would like to share any information on the Rajer/Rajar/Rayer family, please contact me.
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