113 years later, Spanish-American War veteran’s service recognized

Kyle Mitchell
·2 min read

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — One hundred and thirteen years after his death, a Spanish-American War veteran will have a flag at his grave for the first time this Memorial Day.

Frank Michalak is buried at St. Andrew’s Cemetery in Grand Rapids. On Thursday, his descendants, Marcey Tejeda and Cathy Smith, showed News 8 where.

There was no indication of Michalak’s service in the U.S. Navy when Tejeda, his great-niece, first went to the cemetery.

“I came here one day looking for his grave because I knew he was in the Spanish-American War and I didn’t have a key to get into the gate, but I knew this is where it would be at and there was no tombstone,” Tejeda said.

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Tejeda had reached out to the Catholic cemetery’s office when she was looking for the grave.

“They said no, ‘Frank does not have a tombstone.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, does he ever get a flag on his grave at Memorial Day?’ And they said, ‘No, but we will make sure we start putting a flag on his grave,’” Tejeda said.

Frank Michalak's grave at St Andrew Cemetery in Grand Rapids. (May 23, 2024)
Frank Michalak’s grave at St Andrew Cemetery in Grand Rapids. (May 23, 2024)
Cathy Smith (in black) and Marcey Tejeda (in navy) stand at their ancestor Frank Michalak's grave at St Andrew Cemetery in Grand Rapids. (May 23, 2024)
Cathy Smith (in black) and Marcey Tejeda (in navy) stand at their ancestor Frank Michalak’s grave at St Andrew Cemetery in Grand Rapids. (May 23, 2024)

Her interest in researching to find family members who served began because she knew about some veterans in her family tree, but not from all sides.

“I asked my mom because she was a Michalek about her dad’s side, if they had any veterans. And she’s like, ‘Well, I don’t think so because they came from Poland,’” Tejeda said.

Tejeda jumped into researching online and, with the help of public records, she made a discovery.

“Come to find out… I have a great-great-uncle that was actually in the Spanish-American War,” she said.

The family says he died in 1911 at the age of 33 from tuberculosis.

The documentation from Tejeda’s research will lead to burial assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“I find it wonderful that after 113 years, the government is willing to provide Frank Michalak a tombstone because they recognized his service,” Tejeda said.

“To know that finally he is getting a headstone and has the flag, he deserves that,” Smith said.

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