Long before he passed away in 2023, Steve Domjanovich held plenty of jobs, working as a curator in two museums in Oklahoma, teaching at a junior high school in California and being employed as a technical applications analyst in Virginia.

When construction of the pavilion at the Reed House in Wellsville was completed, the Prairie Life Historical Foundation decided to dedicate the building in honor of the longtime Oklahoma resident. A ceremony was held on Sept. 13 with nine of Domjanovich’s family members in attendance.

“It’s quite an honor,” said Liza Darr, who was the head organizer of the event. “We’re just so delighted that all of these people came for this day. It’s just lovely and it’s something that they can think about for a long time. I hope they remember Steve and have fond memories of him.”

Two of those members were his sisters, Jane Rosen and Nancy Domjanovich. They talked about Domjanovich’s life as well as the Reed family history.

Domjanovich (pronounced Dom-yah-no-vich) was the great-grandson of Calvin Reed, who owned the Reed Mercantile, a building that was popular in the early 1900s, and built the Reed House in 1912. After Reed died in 1920, he left the Reed House to his three sons, including Domjanovich’s grandfather, John Reed II.

The Reed House was later given to the Prairie Life Historical Foundation with a 501 (c)(3) status and was rebuilt in 1997.

A buffet and an ice cream social was held under the pavilion before the dedication ceremony. Sept. 13 was the official opening day of the pavilion, which completed construction after having several building issues.

“For years, we were going to build a gazebo,” Darr said. “That’s always been in the back of our mind. After much thought, we decided that the pavilion will be much more useful here. We can have all kinds of activities, weddings and all kinds of gatherings.”

Domjanovich passed away on Feb. 27, 2023 at age 75 in Oklahoma City. He lived outside Norman, Okla., for over 20 years until his death.

Nancy Domjanovich said her brother created plenty of friendships throughout his life.

“Steve was a real talker,” she said. “He talked to people and made friends that way.”

During the 1970s, Domjanovich was an assistant curator of the Philbrook Museum, then curator of the Bacone College Museum, both in Oklahoma. He taught history and social studies at Wilmington Junior High School in Los Angeles, Calif., in the 1980s. He worked as a technical applications analyst for Litton/PRC in Fairfax, Va., in the 1990s.

Domjanovich was also a football standout, earning all-state honors at Ada High School. He turned down a scholarship to play football at Oklahoma State University.

“My dad was very unhappy about that,” Rosen said. “My dad played college football. He thought that was the thing to do. (Steve) was happy with his decision. I think he did the right thing.”

Domjanovich graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Russian Studies at the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s degree in history at Northeastern State University.