Fran Ksaver Meško, Slovenian writer, poet, dramatist and priest was born on 28th October 1874 in the village Ključarovci in the parish St. Tomaž pri Ormožu (Saint Thomas near Ormož). He attended primary school in Sveti Tomaž, the lower grade of the gymnasium in Ptuj, and the higher grade in Celje, where he also graduated in 1894. After that he studies theology for three years at the seminary in Maribor. The fourth year was in Klagenfurt, where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1898. In his deliberational novelettes he spoke out very openly, they were published in two books: Ob tihih večerih (at silent evenings) (1904) and Mir božji (Truce of God) (1906). The love to his homeland he spoke out in the novel Na poljani (at the large plain) (1907), the historical subject was discussed in the story Drama izza davnih dni (drama beyond former days) (1908), Črna smer (black direction) (1911) and Kobilice (grasshoppers) (1914). Meško also wrote many plays with a patriot, rural and religious subject and a lot of novelettes, short stories, thoughts, legends, articles, essays, travel diaries and personal memories. He built up his reputation as a juvenile writer which show particularly the six notebooks with juvenile stories with the title Mladim srcem (to young hearts), which were published from 1911 to 1964. Also the library in Ormož and Slovenj Gradec were named after him, in the centre of Sveti Tomaž there is his memorial place – a bust. In his hometown where there was his homestead is now only a memorial plaque.
