THE people

Edward John Zobac

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

STATUS: 
Victim
DATE OF Birth:
City of Birth:
Year OF DEATH:
1915
City of Death:
Chicago,
 IL,
  Cook County,
 United States
GENDER:
M
OTHER KNOWN NAMES:
ETHNICITY:
Bohemian
KNOWN ADDRESS:
RELATED TO:

At the time of the tragedy.

AGE:
25
MARITAL STATUS:
Married
ROLE:
passenger

other information

CEMETERY:
Bohemian National
OTHER NOTES:

..set out with their picnic baskets...

Edward Zobac and his brother Joseph worked at Western Electric's Hawthorne Works. Edward was a machinist earning roughly $0.25 per hour. While Joe decided to use the day off from work to do some painting on his parents' home, Edward, his wife Anna, and her sister Blanka Jelinek set out with their picnic baskets for the excursion and picnic. They boarded a street car and headed downtown. The Eastland Disaster soon would claim the lives of Blanka, Edward, and Anna.

When they departed for the day's festivities, Edward and Anna had left their young children, Violet and Harold, at home in the care of their grandmother Zobac. The Eastland Disaster immediately orphaned Violet and Harold, and they became one of the 19 families who were left without parents. Courts later appointed Edward's sister, Josephine Zobac, as guardian for the two youngsters, with brothers Frank and Joseph Zobac being appointed as sureties. Frank raised his nephew Harold, while Violet was raised in her grandparents' home across the street.

Anna's locket and the young parents' wedding rings are reminders of their young love that was cut short by the tragedy.

Celebrate their story...
If you have more information about this person or the Eastland Disaster, we'd love to hear from you. We're constantly adding new information to our collection to help tell the whole story of the Eastland Disaster and the thousands of lives affected by the tragedy of July 24, 1915.
CONTACT EDHS