While every house in Slovenia has a civic address, many houses also carry a household name. These names are how other people typically referred to that family. This house carries the name of Gornji Balkovci. This name is derived from the surname of the people who lived this house. The Gornji designation is used to differentiate this house from the Dolnji Balkovci of Balkovci 3. It is likely related either to the age of the house or the elevation relative to the other house.
Through the period of our studies, we have found five distinct houses which originally carried the Balkovec surname in Balkovci. This is the second of the five houses (in order of house address). The Balkovec surname is only originally found in Hrast, Balkovci and Zilje.
The oldest record we have found to date for a person from this house is for Marko Balkovec. He married Barbara Čadonič. Together, they had at least 4 children:
1A. Marko Balkovec b. 1818, m. 1839 to Ana Čemas (Majiščarova from Zilje) — they remained at this house.
1B. Ivan Balkovec b. 1821. At this time, it is unknown what happened to him afterwards.
1C. Miha Balkovec b. 1830, died at the age of 54. At this time, it is unknown if he was ever married or had children.
1D. Jurij Balkovec b. 1833, m. 1869 to Barbara Balkovec (Dolnja Hajdukova from Zilje)
Marko Balkovec [1A] and his wife Ana Čemas had 10 children, including:
2A. Jurij Balkovec b. 1850, m. 1869 to Ana Čadonič (Markov from Zilje)1 — they remained at this house.
2B. Katarina Balkovec b. 1852, m. 1869 to Ivan Čadonič (Markov from Zilje)1.
Marko Balkovec [1A] m. 1871 to his second wife Barbara Žugelj (Žuglojva from Zilje). Together they had 3 children, including:
2C. Marija Balkovec b. 1876, m. 1890 to Peter Balkovec (Maradinov from Zilje) — they lived at Zilje 14.
1. Ana Čadonič and Ivan Čadonič were siblings.
Jurij Balkovec [2A] and his wife Ana Čadonič had 4 children which died in early childhood.
Jurij Balkovec [2A] m. 1875 to his second wife Katarina Starešinič (Špeličeva from Zilje). Together they had 7 children, including:
3A. Franc Balkovec b. 1876, m. 1900 to Ana Grdun (Cvetašova from Zilje) — they remained at this house.
3B. Ivan Balkovec b. 1884, m. 1912 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Marija Kobe.
3C. Ana Balkovec b. 1888, m. 1907 to Franc Žugelj (Gornji Brožičev from Zilje).
3D. Marija Balkovec b. 1891, m. 1911 to Janko Krotec (Kovačev from Brdo).
Franc Balkovec [3A] and his wife Ana Grdun had 4 children:
4A. Jože Balkovec b. 1901, m. 1925 to Marija Grdun (Jurasova from Grduni) — they remained at this house.
4B. Marija Balkovec b. 1904, m. 1924 to Janko Valentič (Sela 7).
4C. Barbara Balkovec b. 1906, m. 1930 to Peter Balkovec (Škpelarov from Zilje).
4D. Ana Balkovec b. 1914, m. 1934 to Johan Malič (Husojov from Vinica) — they lived at Vinica 37.
Jože Balkovec [4A] and his wife Marija Grdun had 3 children.