Father Eugene W. Szalay Collection

Eugene William Szalay was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. September 26, 1915. He was the son of Eugene Szalay, Sr. and Julia Kinczel Szalay. He received a Bachelor's degree from Saint Bonaventure University in 1940. He continued his studies at Christ the King Seminary, Saint Bonaventure University, received a Master's in 1944. He was ordained June 3, 1944 at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Buffalo, N.Y. and assigned to the Diocese of Rapid City.

In 1944 he spent three month as the Administrator at St. Joseph's Parish in Gregory, S.D. He spent the next two years as an Assistant, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, in Rapid City, S.D. From 1946-1953 he served as the Pastor at St. Thomas of the Apostle in Mission, S.D. on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. From 1953-1958 he served as a Chaplin with the United States Army I Corps 7th Division in Korea and on the Electronic Proving Ground at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. He also served on the Worm on the Rhine in Germany. He received four citations including a Letter of Commendation with a Medal Pendant.

Upon returning to South Dakota he spent 1958-1959 as the Administrator at, St. Bonaventure's at McIntosh, St. Michael's at Watauga, and Sacred Heart at Morriston. In 1959 he became Pastor at Immaculate Conception in Winner, S.D. where he remained for the next 10 years. 1969 and 1970 he spent in Graduate studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In March of 1970 he became Pastor at St. Joseph's Parish in Spearfish, S.D.

His interest in history was vast and eclectic. He often wrote and spoke on the history of the Norther Black Hills. He was a member of the State Historical Society and of Westerners' International as well as the Spearfish Kiwanis Club, Spearfish American Legion Post 164, and VFW Post 5860. He died June 14th, 1975, and is buried at All Saints Cemetery in Summit County, Ohio.