William John Hamernik ^{1 2 3 4}

  General Notes:

William J. (Bill) Hamernik, apprentice seaman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph C. Hamernik, 611 Huff Street, who enlisted in the Navy, is now stationed at Farragut, Idaho. His address is Company 24-44, Camp Hill, U.S. Naval Training School, Farragut, Idaho. The address of Joseph A. Hamernik, aviation ordnance man second class, his brother, is N.A.T.T.C., Hangar 99, Normal, Okla. The latter just returned to his base after spending a 14-day leave with his parents.

(Source: Winona Republican-Herald, Winona, Minnesota, 14 Jan 1944, page 3)
-----------------------------------------

  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1930 US Census in Winona, MN on 9 April 1930. ²

1930 US Census
Sheet 7B, District 85-29, Family 170, Roll 1135
Winona, Winona County, Minnesota
462 Sioux Street; Home Rented, $20
William J. Hamernik..Son..3..MN

(Living with parents.)
.

• He appeared on the 1940 US Census in Winona, MN on April 1940. ³

1940 US Census
Sheet 3B, District 85-36, Family 50, Roll 1969
Winona, Winona County, Minnesota
611 Huff Street; house rented, $13
Residence in 1935: Same Place
William Hamernyk..Son..13..MN..8th grade

(Living with parents.)
.

• He resided in Winona, MN on 24 April 1959.
Listed as living in Winona, Minnesota as of 4-24-1959 (per mother's obit)
.

• He resided in Winona, MN on 26 November 1971.
Listed as living in Winona, Minnesota as of 11-26-1971 (per father's obit)
.

• His obituary was published in the Winona Daily News.com in September 2014 in Winona, MN.

William (Bill) John Hamernik, 88, passed away peacefully in his home Sept. 24, 2014, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Winona, June 2, 1926, the son of Joseph and Ann (Drugan) Hamernik, Bill lived his childhood in the Winona area moving many times, as families of the Great Depression often did.

Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17, and proudly served his country in the Navy's Pacific Fleet aboard the wartime aircraft carrier the USS Makassar Strait and then the USS Antietam. After the war he witnessed the atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll during "Operation Crossroads."

Upon returning to Winona, Bill worked at Bay State Milling. Bill soon met and married the love of his life, Joyce Redmann in 1949. Bill then worked at Markell Oil Company. He left Markle Oil to join the Winona Fire Department and remained at the fire department until his retirement in 1989, after 28 plus years.

Bill loved fishing, traveling on family vacations, Al Jolson movies and songs, trips to Laughlin, NV., coffee with his friends at HyVee and watching his sons' dirt track racing. An avid race fan, he attended his last race just a month ago. Bill and Joy also excelled at roller skating and dancing.

Bill had an amazing memory and could tell you every detail of his time in the Navy during World War II, and also the history of ownership of most homes in Winona, because he visited them delivering pizza for Rocco's Pizza, delivering dry cleaning for Haddad's and delivering furniture for Smith Winona Furniture in his part-time jobs providing for his large family.

Most of all, Bill loved his family. He will be sadly missed by his wife of 65 years, (May 28th), Joyce; brother, Wayne (Joanie) of Winona; sister, Theresa, of San Diego; sons, Paul (Florence) of Winona, Ross (Tami) of Eyota, Drew (Linda) of Naples, Fla., Guy of Rochester; and daughters, Leslie Bunke (David) of Winona, and Sherrie Russell of Scottsdale, Ariz. Bill will also be missed by his grandchildren, Krystal Hamernik, Nicole Scheck, Christopher Bunke, Cory Hamernik, Marc Hamernik, Taylyr Hamernik, Jaeden Hamernik, Derek Russell, Paige Russell, Brenden, Alex and Logan Hamernik; and his eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Joe; and sisters, Vivian Brown and Geraldine Atterbury.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, 2014, at Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home. A service of remembrance will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, with an hour of visitation prior at Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Words of sympathy of remembrance may be left at www.fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com. Services entrusted to Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Winona, and Fountain City, Wis.

(Source: Winona Daily News.com, http://www.winonadailynews.com/print-specific/obituaries/veterans/william-john-hamernik/article_22f57fd5-b6b0-576f-8eec-8357fa9d7193.html, Accessed 4 Nov 2014)
---------------------------------------------------------------
.

• He was buried on 30 September 2014 in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Winona, MN.

Find A Grave Memorial #136620859
. ⁴