Biography John J. Semsey

John J. Semsey was born on December 24, 1908
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He was the son of a Czechoslovakian immigrant
who came to America in 1900.
His father’s name was Alex Semsey.
His mother’s name was Anna Semsey-Vojtko.
She moved to America in 1904.
The family lived in Philadelphia City Ward 38, block 8, PA.

John had 3 brothers:  Michael, Joseph, and Stephen and
2 sisters Anna & Mary.
He grew up holding a job as a laborer at Nabisco Company in Philadelphia.
John married Sophia Gregory Chomentowska on June 22, 1940.

Shoulder Patch 78th Div.

John J. Semsey enlisted into the US Army in May 27, 1942. His service number was #33315116.
John was a Staff-Sergeant of the 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division. 

Staff Sergeant John J. Semsey was killed in action in Kirchen, Germany.
On the morning of April 6, 1945. He was reported Missing In Action. Several days later he was found to have been killed by a shrapnel fragment wound to his chest. He is buried at the Netherlands American cemetery of Margraten.
On Plot I, Row 14, grave 2.

Sophia Gregory was born in Philadelphia on July 10, 1911.
Sophia enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps (W.A.C) on
October 12, 1944. Service Number A-319538. She was in the army
till June 20, 1947.

Sophia Semsey

After her husband, John got Killed in Action in Germany. Sophia Semsey remarried Ronald Urites and settled down in Winter Garden, Florida. Sophia was a member of the St. Andrew Catholic Church in Winter Garden, Florida.

In 1961 the church built a school St. Andrews Catholic School and Sophia Semsey-Urites sponsored the flag pole and memorial plaque to honor her late husband S Sgt John J. Semsey. Sophia Semsey-Urites passed away on February 1, 1985.

This is us after the ceremony of the flagpole with

Eric Wilhelmson – above left
(Sophia’s nephew),

Curt Myhre -above right (of the school’s men’s club),

my father John and my mother Resie and myself (Ralph).

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