The Stimach Boys Go to War

    

When World War II broke out in Asia and in Europe, the Stimach boy's rushed to to join up.  Anthony became a Sergeant in the Army and was stationed with the 8th Army Air Corps in England in the 385th Fighter Squadron.  Frank joined the Navy and served on the USS Saratoga, one of the most celebrated of the US aircraft carriers.  It was torpedoed several times and struck by Kamakazi planes, but was never sunk.  It was also one of the ships used in the nuclear bomb tests in the South Pacific after WWII.  Ed served seven months with the army in Panama and later in Hawaii.  Joe was a Sergeant in the US 3rd Army under Patton and was wounded in France in 1944.  He received the Purple Heart, the Presidential Citation, Combat Infantry Badge, and the Bronze Star for his service.
 
   
 Ed remembers his service this way:  "I enlisted in January 1944 as an aviation cadet.  They had more cadets at that time than they could handle and most of us were disbursed throughout the army where they saw fit.  If I knew they were going to do what they did, I would have joined the Navy.  I really wanted to get a piece of the action!  Here is how it went:  Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis Missouri for 4 weeks in January of '44, then to Sarasota, Florida at a P40 Air Base testing aircraft radio for 3 months.  Then I was in Panama for about 4-6 months.  I returned to the US and went to the infantry out of Alexandria, Louisiana for one month, then to Fort Oro, California, and then to Hawaii for jungle training.  When the 1st bomb was dropped on Japan, they figured they wouldn't need  us, so again, we were scattered.  Someone must have looked at my military file and discovered I had trained and worked on radios and transmitters, so they put me in the signal corps, Radio Intelligence Group.  We operated directional finding units, monitored and located Japanese transmission sites in Hawaii.  I was discharged in March of 1946 at Ft. Logan, Colorado. If the military treated recruits now like they did then, we would have a damn small army.  They twisted my arm to get me to reenlist for four more years, but I had enough points to get out--AND I DID."

     Although the family was large and there wasn't always enough money, there was always enough food for everyone.  Mary Ann, a daughter of Pop and Mary's remembered that her mother could always create something out of nothing.  The boys would also sneak into their neighbor's apple orchard and would often take what they wanted, and Mary would fix all kinds of apple pies, cakes, and best of all--apple strudel.  Ed remembered that there were "about 40 acres of apples and apples sold for about 50 cents a bushel, so the neighbor never cared about us.  He couldn't sell them all anyway."

     Throughout their years together, Pop and Mary strove to build a good family with wholesome values.  They also passed on many cultural and familial tradition that are still practiced by their descendants today.  Such as making apple strudel and povititca, and making home-made wine and beer, as well as many other dishes such as T'salma balls.

     Mary died in 196, but Pop lived on to see many grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Pop died on January 12, 1986 after having lived almost 95 years.

     Pop loved the accordion and came to love watching baseball in his later years and his presence was felt whenever you visited Mary, Stella, Helen, or Albert's homes in Kansas City, Kansas.  IN the early 1980s, the family made a video of Pop talking about his early life and how he came to America and many of his stories about the various "adventures" of his life.  It is a wonderful thing to see. 

Florian Stiglich  Born 1867 in Croatia.  Died 1936 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Married
Francis Cindrich  Born 1876 in Croatia.  Died 1924 in Kansas City, Kansas.

Children:
1.  Mary M. Stiglich  Born: Feb 2, 1894 in Croatia.  Married Ivan "Pop" Stimach on August 8, 1911.  Died August 27, 1963 in K.C., Kansas. 
2.  Slava "Stella" Stiglich  
3.  Pete Stiglich
4.  Francis Stiglich  Born:  1899
5.  Joseph Stiglich
6.  George Stiglich


Ivan "Pop" Stimach   Born February 27, 1891 in Pozarnica, Delnice, Croatia.  Died  January 12, 1986 in K.C., Kansas.
Married  August 8, 1911 in K.C., Kansas
Mary Margarite Stiglich  Born February 2, 1894 in Ongiline, Croatia.  Died August 27, 1963 in K.C., Kansas.

Children:
1.  John T. Stimach.  Born May 16, 1912   Married Emma Poje on May 15, 1936.  Died March 26, 1985.
2.  Stella Ann Stimach.  Born December 26, 1913.  Married Joseph Edward Belke on June 15, 1935. 
3.  Joseph M. Stimach.  Born April 4, 1915.  Married Nomi Weber.  Died on December 17, 1996.
4.  Frank M. Stimach.  Born April 14, 1917.  Married Evelyn Smith. 
5.  Mary Ann Stimach.  Born September 26, 1918.  Married George Goodell on April 1, 1944.
6.  Peter Stimach.  Born and died in 1920.
7.  Anthony G. Stimach.  Born April 26, 1922.  Married Dorothy Campbell.  Died on September 14, 1985.
8.  Helen F. Stimach.  Born March 12, 1924.  Married Carl Jorgensen on June 28, 1947. 
9.  Edward F. Stimach.  Born May 6, 1926.  Married Shirley Belle Rhine on October 23, 1948. 
10.  Albert Joe Stimach.  Born September 30, 1929.  Married Dorothy Harris.
11.  Ernest P. Stimach.  Born January 10, 1933.  Married Margarite Snider.  Died on April 24, 1997.