Ferenc Marics

Ferenc Maric (Slovene: Franc Maric, Prekmurian: Ferenc Maric) (June 11, 1791 – after 1844) was a Hungarian teacher and poet.

He was born in Istvanfalva (Apatistvanfalva). His father Gyorgy Marits (sic!) was the first teacher and cantor in the village. Gyorgy was born in Gerecsavecz (Gerecavci, between Sveti Jurij and Veceslavci). Ferenc's mother Anna Trajber was of German descent from Ritkarocz (Ritkahaza, Ketvolgy).

Ferenc followed in his father's footsteps and became a teacher. He began his career in 1809 as an assistant teacher in Felsoszolnok, under schoolmaster Mihaly Bertalanits (who was born in the same village as Maric's father). He found the so-called Ruzsics Hymnal, a Slovene hymnal edited by a teacher named Ruzsics (first name unknown) around 1789. Both Bertalanits and Maric copied the hymnal and distributed it among the population of their villages: Maric in Istvanfalva and Bertalanits in Pecarovci. It is possible that they also rewrote parts of the book or added to it.

Maric married Terezia Ficzko in Felsoszolnok. Later they moved to Istvanfalva, where he took over a teaching job that belonged to his father who died five years earlier. He taught here until 1842 when he retired. He moved to the village of Cepinci, which belonged to the parish of Felsoszolnok. He was last mentioned in 1844 when his daughter Anna died; the date of his death is unknown.