Edward Frank Wnek, 88, Enjoyed Fishing and Cooking

He was born June 16, 1917 in Lorain where he was raised and graduated from Lorain High School with the class of 1935 B. Amherst has been his home for the last fifty years.

During World War II, he served in the US Army for four years in Scotland, England, France, and Germany. While in England, he was the chief clerk of the mail room, typing section and filing in the Eastern base section and commanded all the top secret, secret and confidential letters and remaining mail. Edward participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day and worked in the G-4 section of supply in the ETO. He was chief clerk and key member in the ETO in a Prisoners of War Overhead Detachment #2029 of the Central Prisoners of War enclosure #19. While in St. Mere Iglese in France, he handled over 100,000 prisoners records. He also supervised and directed all original processing, screening, shipping, administrative duties. He was in charge of escorting 5000 prisoners from France to England for labor camp duties. He directed 315 men in the coordination and the satisfactory operation of Prisoners of War Overhead Camp #19. He complied the Criminal War Registry of war security suspects.

Edward was employed at the former National Tube in Lorain from 1937 to 1947 as weighmaster and pyrometer technician. He later served as office and sales manger and auto mechanic for Wnek’s Auto Service in Amherst where he was in partnership with his sister and brother for thirty-eight years, retiring in 1984.

Edward was a member of VFW Post 451 where he traveled with and served as captain of the fast pitch softball team in Ohio and captain of the bowling league. He was a member of the Amherst VFW Post #1662 served as its chaplain for ten years, and organized the golf league and served as the league’s president and secretary. He was a member of the Amherst Military Honor Guard performing honors at funerals and parades. He was also a member of the Amherst Eagles Aerie #1442 where he organized a dart ball team and served as captain and traveled to ten Eagle Aeries in the Northern Ohio League. Edward was a member of the Amherst American Legion Post #118 and the Lorain PACC. He enjoyed fishing and cooking.

Survivors include his daughter Debra Ann Wnek of Amherst; his step son Charles Dean Finlay of Columbus; his step daughter Patricia Ann Ball of Abilene, Texas; three grandchildren; two great grandchildren; and his sister Agnes Zelinsk of Elyria.

He was preceded in death by his wife of forty-five years Bernice Genevieve Wnek (nee: Grills) on January 20, 2001; by his parents Frank and Mary Wnek (nee Szafran); by his brothers Stanley Wnek, Sr. and Theodore Wnek; and by his sisters Stella Nickolette, Anne Sniezek, and Lottie Cherney.

Friends may call Sunday, August 28, 2005 from 2-4 and 7-9 pm at Hempel Funeral Home, 373 Cleveland Avenue, Amherst. Closing prayers will be held Monday at 9:30 a.m. from the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 200 S. Joseph Dr. Amherst. The Amherst Military Honor Guard will perform honors. The Rev. Fr. Lawrence Martello, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Amherst.