Aircraftman Second Class Arnold Leo Galenzoski - Royal Canadian Airforce

Arnold Leo Galenzoski was born on 2 February 1921 in Southey, Saskatchewan, the son of Ludwig Galenzoski (15 August 1885-26 October 1970) and Annie (Kramer) Galenzoski (10 December 1895-17 March 1979). His father had emigrated from Austria to Canada as a boy in 1892 and was naturalized in Regina on 15 December 1899. The Galenzoskis farmed near Southey and were among the early prairie settler families.

Arnold grew up in this rural environment during the difficult Depression years, helping on the farm and attending local schools. He was remembered as a neat, intelligent boy with a liking for mechanics and a gift for softball. In 1941 he worked for a season as a farm labourer near Keeler, Saskatchewan, then returned to school to continue his studies. He achieved Junior Matriculation standing and, according to his R.C.A.F. enlistment papers, was regarded as “very good material…well qualified academically with a good A.L. score…should do well.”

Arnold enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at Regina, Saskatchewan on 27 February 1942. He was taken on strength as an Aircraftman Second Class (A.C.2) and was selected for training as an Aero-Engine Mechanic under the War Emergency Training Plan. Although his aptitude and conduct were good, Arnold’s period of active service was brief. By the autumn of 1942 his health had declined, and he was discharged from training on medical grounds on 4 November 1942 and placed under hospital care.

Arnold was admitted to Christie Street Military Hospital in Toronto, where he died on 4 March 1943 at the age of 22. The official cause of death was acute myocarditis and pericarditis. Unofficial sources note that he had leukemia or cancer of the nose and face. Although no longer in training at the time of his death, federal authorities recognized it as “due to service,” and his mother received the Memorial Cross. He was laid to rest in Southey Cemetery, Saskatchewan, not far from his family home.

Ludwig Albert (Louis) Galenzoski (Gale) Louis was born on 27 March 1914 in Southey, Saskatchewan and died 1 November 2001 in Ottawa, Ontario. He married Larissa (Clarissa or Netta) A. Stewart (28 July 1916-) on 12 March 1943 in Toronto, Ontario. They had two children, Heather and Kenneth. A graduate of Central Collegiate in Regina and later of Normal School, Louis taught for five years in Saskatchewan before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. After the war he graduated in mathematics and physics from Queen’s University and became a Dominion Geodesist, working for the Federal Government in Ottawa. He also studied in Sweden for a year and was a visiting professor at the University of New Brunswick. Following his retirement, he taught for many years at Erindale College, University of Toronto. Walter Jacob Galenzoski (Gale) Walter Galenzoski (Gale) was born on 29 October 1915 in Southey, Saskatchewan. He married Helen and they had two children, Donna and Ron. According to his obituary published in a Vancouver newspaper, Walter died on 5 August 1992 of a heart attack in his sleep. He was a veteran of the Second World War. Carl Henry Galenzoski (Gale) Carl was born on 7 February 1923 in Southey, Saskatchewan and died on 21 August 2001. He married June Eva Kimber (25 June 1927-2 September 1992) on October 27, 1949, a teacher at the Kingsville School. They had one son, Gordon, and three grandchildren. Carl was the sixth child in the Galenzoski family and grew up on the family farm near Southey. He attended Kinsgville School, where as a boy he also worked as the school fireman, lighting the furnace each morning. He and June lived on the family farm until 1967, when they moved into the town of Southey. He continued to farm until 1992. For the last seven years, Carl lived in a Regina care home. He was a devoted Toronto Blue Jays fan and an enthusiastic reader. Margaret Emelia Galenzoski Margaret Galenzoski was born on 2 February 1919 in Southey, Saskatchewan and died on 28 May 2004. She lived much of her adult life in Burnaby, British Columbia. Little else is known about her life. Lily Frieda (Galenzoski) Moore Lily Galenzoski was born on 14 August 1917 in Southey, Saskatchewan and died on 21 June 2006. She married Vincent Moore on 19 September 1945 in Southey. Vincent was born on 14 February 1900 and died on 16 January 1967; he is buried in Vancouver, British Columbia. Little is known about Lily’s later life. Viola Mabel (Galenzoski) Escobar Viola Galenzoski married Alfonso Wenceslao Escobar Risco on 12 September 1965 in a traditional Peruvian wedding ceremony at Union Church in Lima, Peru. The wedding followed Peruvian customs, with Gerhard Fast of Lima as padrino and the groom’s mother as madrina. Viola wore a full-length white faille gown with a lace bodice and carried a bouquet of white margueritas, a traditional Peruvian flower. Records show they had at least one child, Victor Survig Escobar Galenzoski. Further details of Viola’s later life are not known. Loreen Esther (Galenzoski) Frost Loreen was born on 9 September 1928. She married Reverend John James “Jim” Frost (18 July 1931-7 July 2019) on 8 September 1956 at the Christian and Missionary Alliance Tabernacle in Regina, Saskatchewan. Together they raised five children. Throughout their ministerial career, Rev. and Mrs. Frost served in Christian and Missionary Alliance churches in Wheatley and Thorold, Ontario; St. John, New Brunswick; Montréal, Québec; Midland, Ontario; and finally in Gibbons, Alberta. Rev. Frost also served in denominational leadership and was involved in the sponsorship of Vietnamese boat people. Loreen’s life was devoted to her faith, her husband’s pastoral ministry, and raising their family. Irene Lucille (Galenzoski) Stilwell Irene married Harold Stilwell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Stilwell of Edmonton, Alberta, in a ceremony held at her parents’ home in Regina, Saskatchewan, on 5 May 1956. Irene wore a navy blue dressmaker suit with pink accessories, carried a white Bible, and wore a corsage of miniature pink roses. After their marriage, Irene and Harold lived in a number of communities across Alberta during Harold’s career as a radiologist. Irene passed away on 16 December 2024.

Arnold Leo Galenzoski is remembered as one of the many young Canadians whose lives were claimed not in battle but by illness during his wartime service. His name is preserved in the rolls of the Royal Canadian Air Force and in the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and his headstone stands in the prairie cemetery of his hometown. The story of Arnold and his siblings reflects the journey of a prairie settler family — from immigrant farming roots to service in war, to later generations who became teachers, ministers, farmers, professionals, and parents across Canada and beyond.