The life of seaman Sigmund Farkas before and after war.

Though a soldier is known for their time serving, Sigmund Farkas’ life began long before WWII ended long after. Sigmund Fred Farkas was born to Hungarian immigrants Stephen Farkas and Josephine Szabo Farkas on Dec 21, 1924, in Sig Falls Wisconsin. As Catholics and Eastern Europeans, they were a part of the significant immigration of their 2 respective demographics that took place during this time. They likely came to America for the opportunity of a better life but, their lineage would end up serving the country bravely.

Sigmund was a twin to his sister Anna Farkas and had another sister named Maria. He had an older brother named Valentine “Val” Paul Farkas, born the prior year on June 21. He and his for the time somewhat average family of 6 moved to 1462 Cleveland Avenue Waukesha Wisconsin no earlier than 1930, which was when the house was built. Representative of their middle-class immigrant standing, their home was small and rustic. 

Like many young men of the time, they were presumably eager to join the war effort. Val enlisted in January of 1942 at the age of 18 and died six months later on June 6th. He served in the Air Corps as an air cadet. He was stationed, killed, and buried in Australia where an accidental gunshot cost him his life.

This was certainly a difficult time for Sigmund and the rest of the Farkas family. Sigmund enlisted in January as well even though he was only 17 years old. It can be assumed they enlisted together. Sigmund however entered the Navy where he served as an apprentice seaman. He spent time at training camps in Great Lakes, Illinois, and San Diego, California before being posted on the naval craft USS PC 570, which was stationed in the Pacific. Being so far away from family and losing a brother in the early months of service would have been a heavy cross to bear.

After the war ended, Sigmund was discharged on November 15, 1945, with the rank of seaman first class. After returning from the Pacific he met Ruth Truinshky who he married Saturday, October 1st, 1949. Truinshky, who is 2 years younger than Sigmund, came from Waukesha where she lived with her father William, and mother Norma. They lived on 921 Pales Avenue.  A year before the marriage, Sigmund's mother had this to say about the passing of Val in the Waukesha Daily Freeman on Saturday, June 5th, 1948: “In loving memory of our beloved son and brother, Val Paul Farkas, who went away 6 and one-half years ago today to fight for freedom and peace in far off Australia. He now lies in a peaceful grave in Sydney, Australia. The land for which he gave his young life. How easy it could be, for all the people to agree. If they would just listen to one God. The good that is locked in all our hearts”. It can be assumed that after the war had ended on September 2, 1945, and Sigmund returned home, the family as well as the country as a whole, finally began to mourn those lost in the war years after. Like many Americans of faith, his family turned to god in their time of struggle and mourning. Sigmund applied the mechanical skills he would have gained as a seaman when he began working as an automotive mechanic. This working-class job made around 70 cents to $1.20 an hour for the time. In today's money that would be a range of $9 to $22 an hour. This would most likely make providing for and raising his four children challenging. These four children would have contributed to the baby boom of the 1950s that resulted in the return of soldiers following WWII. His children were Sigmund G Farkas, James Farkas, Fred Farkas, and Pauline Vance. Sigmund died in Argentina on February 6th, 2014 at the rare old age of 89. This would have been two years before his 3rd son Fred Farkas, born on May 18, 1951, passed on March 22, 2016. Fred like his father served the U.S. in Germany for three years, likely as a result of the German division during the Cold War. The Farkas family represents the sacrifice many middle-class, immigrant, and American households made to protect our country.

“Occupational Outlook Handbook / U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics 1949.” HathiTrust. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32435051428019&view=1up&seq=209. 

“Fred Farkas Obituary (1951 - 2016) - Phoenix, Az - the Arizona Republic.” Legacy.com. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/azcentral/name/fred-farkas-obituary?id=17002782

“Fred Farkas Obituary (1951 - 2016) - Phoenix, Az - the Arizona Republic.” Legacy.com. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/azcentral/name/fred-farkas-obituary?id=17002782

“Navsource Online: Submarine Chaser Photo Archive.” PC-570. Accessed March 8, 2023. http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/010570.htm. 

“All Results for Sigmund+Fred Farkas.” Sigmund+Fred Farkas - Ancestry.com. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://www.ancestry.com/search/?name=Sigmund%2BFred_Farkas&event=_waukesha-waukesha-wisconsin-usa_54717&birth=1924&child=Fred&father=Stephen&mother=Josephine%2B&searchType=searchassist-criteriaentered&spouse=Ruth. 

“Ruth Truskinski in the 1940 Census: Ancestry®.” Ancestry.com. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Wisconsin/Ruth-Truskinski_2rrn03. 

Zillow, Inc. “1462 Cleveland Ave, Waukesha, WI 53186.” Zillow. Accessed March 8, 2023. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1462-Cleveland-Ave-Waukesha-WI-53186/40711062_zpid/

The Megaphone, Waukesha High School yearbook staff.1942.

Service Card of Sigmund Farkas.July, 18, 1946.

A Century of Grace. St. Joseph's Church. Not dated. 139.