OCONTO COUNTY MILITARY SERVICE PAGE

PROFILES

Histories of The Individuals Who Served

Peter P. Fonferek

U.S. Army
May 10, 1894 - January 24, 1978
burial: St Michael Catholic Cemetery, Town of How, Oconto County, Wisconsin.
Enlisted: July 21, 1918
Honorably Discharged: July 19, 1919.

Joseph P. Fonferek

U.S. Navy
January 17, 1887 - May 28, 1971
burial: St Peters Cemetery, Eagle River, Wisconsin
Enlisted: June 6, 1918 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Honorably Discharged: April 9, 1921

Frank E. Fonferek

U.S. Navy
February 14, 1892 - August 18, 1982
burial: Union Cemetery, Breed, Oconto County, Wisconsin.
Enlisted: June 6, 1918 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Honorably Discharged: Sept 30, 1921 at Great Lakes, Illinois

U.S. Army - U.S. Navy

World War I

World War I photos and research and contributed by: Bill Fonferek

Please click on each photo for a larger view.

A photo of my Uncle Peter P. Fonferek. He was a Private in Company C, 3rd Battalion of the Field Artillery Replacement Depot that served in France and the Alsace region of Germany during World War I. He was born on 10 may 1894 in the Town of DePere, Brown County before his family moved to Town of Breed, Oconto County, from where he enlisted. He was a teamster, driving a team of horses to resupply Army outposts. Uncle Pete was in France and was on his way to the front when the war ended.

My Uncle Joseph P. Fonferek served in the US Navy during World War I (United States Naval Reserve Force). He was a Weapons Technician,

United States Naval Reserve Force (WWI) Read more at http://acronymsandslang.com/definition/227512/USNRF-meaning.html

Petty Officer on a troop transport ship the USS Huron (photo below) crossing the Atlantic Ocean 13 times. He was born in the Town of DePere, Brown County, in 1887 before his family moved to Town of Breed, Oconto County from where he enlisted. He enlisted along with his brothers Frank and Peter--Frank also in the Navy while Peter joined the Army--and served as a Watertender (WT) aboard the troop carrier USS Maui, crossing the Atlantic a total of thirteen times over the course of his service. He died in 1971, and is buried in Eagle River, Wisconsin.

Circular bronze medallion pendant from red, white, blue ribbon on pin-back. Obverse: eagle above base of stars and stripes; legend "They Did Not Pass"; under eagle's right wing "1917 1918". Reverse: "Presented to J. P. Fonferek by the city of Green Bay, Wis. in grateful recognition of patriotic service in the World War;" below, laurel leaves, surrounding circular emblem showing an Indian canoe and a log fort, inscribed in center "Green Bay", on rim "La Baye Verte 1634 Navarino 1829 Fort Howard 1816 Astor 1835". The second Medal is World War I medal issued to all those who fought.

Frank Fonferek enrolled in the United States Navy on 6 June 1918 in Milwaukee and served 4 years before being honorably discharged on Sept 30, 1921 at Great Lakes, Illinois. He rose to the rank of Seaman 2nd class. Service # 1535355. He was born on 14 Feb. 1892 in the Town of DePere, Brown County before his family moved to Town of Breed, Oconto County, from where he enlisted. Frank Fonferek returned to live in Breed, Oconto County, Wisconsin after the war where he reached the age of 90 years and died 18 Aug. 1982.

World War I photos researched and contributed by: Bill Fonferek

Please click on each photo for a larger view.

Photo contributed by Bill Fonferek

Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command

The USS Huron, taken in 1919 while docked at Newport News, Virginia, after the disembarkation of troops at the final trip across the Atlantic as a U.S. Naval vessel and being readied for decommissioning. My Uncle Peter Fonferek was a member of the troops who crossed the Atlantic.

USS Huron (Navy ID-1408) was a United States Navy transport ship during World War I. She was built by Germany in 1896 as a Prussian passenger liner - packet and mail ship originally named the SS Friedrich der Grosse (Steam Ship Frederick the Great), sailing the Atlantic Ocean routes from Germany to the United States, Italy and Australia. When World War I began in 1914, the ship was held in port by the United States. Later, when the U.S. entered the war in 1917, the German ship was seized and converted to a troop transport.

The ship was renamed Huron, for the Great Lake, while undergoing repairs and conversion at a U.S. Navy yard. As the Huron, the ship transported 20,871 men to the European battlefront in her eight voyages. After the Armistice of November 11, 1918, in the postwar months, Huron conducted a further seven turn-around voyages, bringing back some 20,582 healthy veterans, and 1,546 wounded and sick.

The ship was decommissioned September 2, 1919, and was sold to a private company, refitted as the SS City of Honolulu and was sunk after a fire on October 12, 1922 left her unable to be towed to port. There were no casualties to passengers or crew as a result of that fire and abandoning the ship.

Please click on each photo for a larger view.

A photo of the Wisconsin Troops on parade in New York at the conclusion of World War I.
The check mark on the photo is my uncle, Private Peter Fonferek

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