Early life Rayburn was born in Christopher, Illinois, the younger of two children of Croatian immigrants Mary A. Hikec (August 14, 1897 – April 29, 1985) and Peter Pero Jeljenić (January 17, 1887 – December 26, 1918). In an episode of Match Game ‘74, Rayburn spoke Serbo-Croatian with a contestant, mentioning that his parents were born in what was then Yugoslavia. His father died when Rayburn was an infant. Mary moved her family to Chicago, where she met Milan Rubessa. After she married Rubessa on November 10, 1919, Rayburn took the name Eugene Rubessa (). He had an elder brother, Alfred, who was killed when Rayburn was a child and a younger half-brother, Milan Rubessa Jr.
Early life Rayburn was born in Christopher, Illinois, the younger of two children of Croatian immigrants Mary A. Hikec (August 14, 1897 – April 29, 1985) and Peter Pero Jeljenić (January 17, 1887 – December 26, 1918). In an episode of Match Game ‘74, Rayburn spoke Serbo-Croatian with a contestant, mentioning that his parents were born in what was then Yugoslavia. His father died when Rayburn was an infant. Mary moved her. family to Chicago, where she met Milan Rubessa. After she married Rubessa on November 10, 1919, Rayburn took the name Eugene Rubessa (). He had an elder brother, Alfred, who was ki!lled when Rayburn :was a child and a younger h?alf-brother, Milan Rubessa Jr.