Anton Guich was born in Dalmatia, Austria to Mr. and Mrs. Christmas Guich. He immigrated to the United States entering the port of New York in 1903. As early as 1909, Anton was documented as making an impact on his new “home” of Biloxi by contributing 25 cents, along with other Croatian immigrants, toward the building of a hospital annex. [Daily Herald, March 1909] In 1917, while married to Kora Vincich Guich, also from Dalmatia, Anton petitioned to become a US citizen, was naturalized in 1923 and resided on First Street in Biloxi, MS. They had no children together and Tony was widowed in 1931.
In July 1931, Anton married Marguerite (Margaret) Misko Marinovich, a widow with three children. Together, they owned several pieces of property in the area called “Summerville Addition”, now East Biloxi. Mr. Guich contributed to the seafood industry, not only with his hard work as an oyster fisherman, but by making available his land on which other migrant workers were housed while they provided for their families. This land was part of his legacy to his Marinovich “stepchildren” along with his wisdom and guidance that would later lead them to pursue roles in the industry, as well. He was a faithful member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Biloxi.
As a member of the St. Nicholas Slavonian Society, Anton “Tony” Guich was so well regarded by his peers that the society attended his funeral “in body”. Among his pallbearers were other citizens notable to Biloxi’s seafood industry history as Steve Mihojevich, Sam Kuljis, Sam Marinovich, Ernest Mladinich, Steve Sekul and Lawrence Skrmetta. Tony passed away at the age of 68 at the Marine Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana and was interred at Biloxi City Cemetery and is commemorated at the Slavonian Lodge in Biloxi. His legacy and contributions to Biloxi’s rich seafood history will live on.
Comentários