Frank George Giljum was born on January 28, 1921, to father Peter Giljum and mother Caroline Marie (Mühlhammer) Giljum. Frank lived with his parents and older sister Anne, in Pančevo, Yugoslavia (modern-day Serbia), for a short time after his birth. His father, born in the small village of Deutsch-Elemér, 90 km north, was attempting to avoid conscription into the German army as he had just started a family. They immigrated to the United States less than 3 years after the Treaty of Trianon was signed, which regulated the Austrio-Hungarian state and defined its borders after WWI had ended in 1920.
Frank and his family moved to the United States when he was 2 years old, celebrating the 1924 New Year while aboard his transatlantic voyage from Bremen, Germany on the USS Mount Clay, and while his mother was pregnant with his younger brother, Joseph. After arriving at the port of New York, he celebrated his third birthday while he and his family became US citizens in January 1924. They all settled in Monroe, Michigan.
Attending Monroe High School, Frank graduated in 1939. As a young man, he served as a Technical Sergeant for the US Army Air Forces, seeing combat overseas during WWII, repairing aircraft in-flight, at times while taking enemy fire. His brother Joseph also served in the Marine Corps. After honorable discharge at age 22, Frank met Shirley June Mayes whose kindness and sweet smile he fell head over heels for. They married 6 years later on September 24, 1949, in Monroe, Michigan, and had 5 children in the first 11 years of the fifty-three they spent together.
At home in Monroe, Frank worked for over 50 years as a dock foreman for Jefferson Smurfit, retiring in 1989. He was a skilled craftsman, and in 1958 he, Shirley and their first three children moved into the home that he framed, wired, plumbed and finished himself. In it, they both lived the rest of their lives, where over three generations of memories were made. He and Shirley were both devout members of the Plymouth Brethren congregation formerly on McCord Road in Sylvania, Ohio and opened their home to everyone in service to their Lord Jesus Christ.
Frank passed away peacefully in his home on August 2, 2002, in Monroe, Michigan, at the age of 81, and was buried in Roselawn Cemetery in La Salle, Michigan. He left behind his wife Shirley June (Mayes) Giljum; sister, Anne Rose (Frank) Nagy; brother, Joseph Paul (Bernice) Giljum; five children, Frank "Sam" (Janene) Giljum, Karen (Larry) Csokasy, Susan (David) Dick, Stephen Giljum, and Mary (Curt) Carter; fourteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents. He will be dearly missed by all the people that loved and knew him, and heaven welcomed him with open arms.
Frank and his family moved to the United States when he was 2 years old, celebrating the 1924 New Year while aboard his transatlantic voyage from Bremen, Germany on the USS Mount Clay, and while his mother was pregnant with his younger brother, Joseph. After arriving at the port of New York, he celebrated his third birthday while he and his family became US citizens in January 1924. They all settled in Monroe, Michigan.
Attending Monroe High School, Frank graduated in 1939. As a young man, he served as a Technical Sergeant for the US Army Air Forces, seeing combat overseas during WWII, repairing aircraft in-flight, at times while taking enemy fire. His brother Joseph also served in the Marine Corps. After honorable discharge at age 22, Frank met Shirley June Mayes whose kindness and sweet smile he fell head over heels for. They married 6 years later on September 24, 1949, in Monroe, Michigan, and had 5 children in the first 11 years of the fifty-three they spent together.
At home in Monroe, Frank worked for over 50 years as a dock foreman for Jefferson Smurfit, retiring in 1989. He was a skilled craftsman, and in 1958 he, Shirley and their first three children moved into the home that he framed, wired, plumbed and finished himself. In it, they both lived the rest of their lives, where over three generations of memories were made. He and Shirley were both devout members of the Plymouth Brethren congregation formerly on McCord Road in Sylvania, Ohio and opened their home to everyone in service to their Lord Jesus Christ.
Frank passed away peacefully in his home on August 2, 2002, in Monroe, Michigan, at the age of 81, and was buried in Roselawn Cemetery in La Salle, Michigan. He left behind his wife Shirley June (Mayes) Giljum; sister, Anne Rose (Frank) Nagy; brother, Joseph Paul (Bernice) Giljum; five children, Frank "Sam" (Janene) Giljum, Karen (Larry) Csokasy, Susan (David) Dick, Stephen Giljum, and Mary (Curt) Carter; fourteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents. He will be dearly missed by all the people that loved and knew him, and heaven welcomed him with open arms.
Frank George Giljum was born on January 28, 1921, to father Peter Giljum and mother Caroline Marie (Mühlhammer) Giljum. Frank lived with his parents and older sister Anne, in Pančevo, Yugoslavia (modern-day Serbia), for a short time after his birth. His father, born in the small village of Deutsch-Elemér, 90 km north, was attempting to avoid conscription into the German army as he had just started a family. They immigrated to the United States less than 3 years after the Treaty of Trianon was signed, which regulated the Austrio-Hungarian state and defined its borders after WWI had ended in 1920.
Frank and his family moved to the United States when he was 2 years old, celebrating the 1924 New Year while aboard his transatlantic voyage from Bremen, Germany on the USS Mount Clay, and while his mother was pregnant with his younger brother, Joseph. After arriving at the port of New York, he celebrated his third birthday while he and his family became US citizens in January 1924. They all settled in Monroe, Michigan.
Attending Monroe High School, Frank graduated in 1939. As a young man, he served as a Technical Sergeant for the US Army Air Forces, seeing combat overseas during WWII, repairing aircraft in-flight, at times while taking enemy fire. His brother Joseph also served in the Marine Corps. After honorable discharge at age 22, Frank met Shirley June Mayes whose kindness and sweet smile he fell head over heels for. They married 6 years later on September 24, 1949, in Monroe, Michigan, and had 5 children in the first 11 years of the fifty-three they spent together.
At home in Monroe, Frank worked for over 50 years as a dock foreman for Jefferson Smurfit, retiring in 1989. He was a skilled craftsman, and in 1958 he, Shirley and their first three children moved into the home that he framed, wired, plumbed and finished himself. In it, they both lived the rest of their lives, where over three generations of memories were made. He and Shirley were both devout members of the Plymouth Brethren congregation formerly on McCord Road in Sylvania, Ohio and opened their home to everyone in service to their Lord Jesus Christ.
Frank passed away peacefully in his home on August 2, 2002, in Monroe, Michigan, at the age of 81, and was buried in Roselawn Cemetery in La Salle, Michigan. He left behind his wife Shirley June (Mayes) Giljum; sister, Anne Rose (Frank) Nagy; brother, Joseph Paul (Bernice) Giljum; five children, Frank "Sam" (Janene) Giljum, Karen (Larry) Csokasy, Susan (David) Dick, Stephen Giljum, and Mary (Curt) Carter; fourteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents. He will be dearly missed by all the people that loved and knew him, and heaven welcomed him with open arms.
Frank and his family moved to the United States when he was 2 years old, celebrating the 1924 New Year while aboard his transatlantic voyage from Bremen, Germany on the USS Mount Clay, and while his mother was pregnant with his younger brother, Joseph. After arriving at the port of New York, he celebrated his third birthday while he and his family became US citizens in January 1924. They all settled in Monroe, Michigan.
Attending Monroe High School, Frank graduated in 1939. As a young man, he served as a Technical Sergeant for the US Army Air Forces, seeing combat overseas during WWII, repairing aircraft in-flight, at times while taking enemy fire. His brother Joseph also served in the Marine Corps. After honorable discharge at age 22, Frank met Shirley June Mayes whose kindness and sweet smile he fell head over heels for. They married 6 years later on September 24, 1949, in Monroe, Michigan, and had 5 children in the first 11 years of the fifty-three they spent together.
At home in Monroe, Frank worked for over 50 years as a dock foreman for Jefferson Smurfit, retiring in 1989. He was a skilled craftsman, and in 1958 he, Shirley and their first three children moved into the home that he framed, wired, plumbed and finished himself. In it, they both lived the rest of their lives, where over three generations of memories were made. He and Shirley were both devout members of the Plymouth Brethren congregation formerly on McCord Road in Sylvania, Ohio and opened their home to everyone in service to their Lord Jesus Christ.
Frank passed away peacefully in his home on August 2, 2002, in Monroe, Michigan, at the age of 81, and was buried in Roselawn Cemetery in La Salle, Michigan. He left behind his wife Shirley June (Mayes) Giljum; sister, Anne Rose (Frank) Nagy; brother, Joseph Paul (Bernice) Giljum; five children, Frank "Sam" (Janene) Giljum, Karen (Larry) Csokasy, Susan (David) Dick, Stephen Giljum, and Mary (Curt) Carter; fourteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents. He will be dearly missed by all the people that loved and knew him, and heaven welcomed him with open arms.
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