GRILL, VATROSLAV J.

GRILL, VATROSLAV J. (1899-21 Mar. 1976), a leader in the Cleveland Slovenian community, was born in Slovenia, son of Joseph and Anna (Hribernik) Grill. He came to the U.S. with his parents in 1914 and finished high school at Cleveland Preparatory School in 1915. In 1919, Grill became editor of the Slovenian daily newspaper ENAKOPRAVNOST (Equality); he soon began studying law at Cleveland Law School, and in 1925 passed the bar examination.

By 1929, in addition to being an editor and practicing attorney, Grill was a teacher in the Slovenian school, director of dramatics of the IVAN CANKAR DRAMATIC SOCIETY, a singer in the ZARJA SINGING SOCIETY, and a member of the board of directors of the SLOVENIAN NATL. HOME. In 1928 he was elected national president of the Chicago-based Slovenian Progressive Benefit Society, later editing its Napredek (Progress). Grill was active politically. In Feb. 1942 he was named assistant police prosecutor by Law Director Thos. A. Burke, Jr.; he resigned as Enakopravnost editor but remained president of the American Jugoslav Publishing Co. until 1959. By 1954 Grill was assistant prosecutor in the city's law department, but by 1956 he returned to publishing, as editor of the New Era Semi Monthly in 1958 and 1959. Grill was also a referee for the Industrial Compensation Board and assistant attorney general in Columbus before his retirement. He moved to Yugoslavia ca. 1971 and lived there 4 years before returning to the U.S. to live in Santa Clara, Calif., where he died.

Grill marrked Anna Bergoch on 28 Dec. 1929. They had 2 children, Edwin and Raymond. Grill was buried in Santa Clara, Calif.