Croatian Fraternal Union of America. Lodge 530 (Melcher, Iowa).

The Croatian Fraternal Union of America was organized in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1894 as the Croatian Union. Three years later, its name was changed to the National Croatian Society. In the 1920s, a movement began to unite all Croatian fraternal organizations. Subsequently, in 1924, the Croatian League of Illinois, the St. Joseph Society of Kansas City and the Young Croatian Society (Whiting, Ind.) merged with the National Croatian Society and adopted the name Croatian Fraternal Union. In 1939, the Slovenian-Croatian Union (Calumet, Mich.) also merged with the Croatian Fraternal Union. The Croatian Fraternal Union of America is a fraternal benefit association. It also encourages programs promoting the history and heritage of Croatians, and maintains scholarship and old age benefit funds.