Margit Bencsik

Margit Bencsik was born in a small farming village in Bokony, Hungary on November 2nd, 1941 as World War II escalated. She was the eldest daughter of Janos and Julianna Molnar. The Molnar’s lived a difficult life in Bokony as did many of their neighbors. This existence cemented in Margit the reality that hard work and drive were sometimes not enough to change your circumstance.

Margit had a thirst for life that she expressed in song, dance and acting. Her joy of singing and acting soon found an outlet in a local traveling acting troupe that would move from village to village, performing various plays and skits. This outlet gave Margit great pleasure but the reality of village life soon lead to a more practical career choice — that of a homemaker. As the eldest daughter, she was drawn to nurturing others at the expense of her own needs. This nurturing and selflessness soon found an avenue of expression with the birth of her first child, Janos, in 1959.

Life in Bokony was difficult and had few opportunities to better oneself. To pursue new opportunities, she left her entire family behind and moved to Budapest. This was an exciting time but also bittersweet since she missed her family greatly. Eventually they would all reunite in Budapest within several years of her moving.

In 1962, eastern bloc Hungary was struggling to find its own way after the 1956 revolution. Margit embraced the opportunities in Budapest and eventually worked her way up to supervising others at the shoe factory where she worked. She would remain nostalgic for those years throughout her life because she felt empowered that she was changing her life.

During her time in Budapest, she met Jozsef Bencsik while commuting home on the Budapest tram line. A romance soon blossomed and they were married in 1965. The young couple yearned for a better life and soon realized that America would provide them with that opportunity. Leaving eastern bloc Hungary in 1969 was no simple feat, so they decided to leave Janos behind and escape to Austria, where they applied and were accepted for political asylum. The refugee camp were they stayed was cramped and crowded but filled with excitement as to the infinite possibilities that awaited them in America. During this time, Margit and Jozsef forged friendships that have lasted to this day. In fact, some of the friends they met in Austria also ended up moving to the bay area and still remain friends to this day.

The journey to America started off in Redwood City in the latter half of 1969. Jozsef found work as a machinist and Margit as a seamstress. They both worked hard and saved as much as they could to bring Janos to America. During this time, a strong, tight knit Hungarian community was formed. This community would provide the support system and social outlet that Margit thrived on.

In 1972, just two days before Margit’s birthday, the Bencsik’s welcomed their new daughter, Margaret. This new addition to the family gave Margit an immediate outlet for her love. She poured her heart and soul into raising Margaret while still working more than full time and keeping up the household.

During this time, through hard work and savings, the Bencsik's fulfilled the American dream and opened their own machine shop in 1977. The business is still open to this day.

As Margaret grew older, Margit’s desires to artistically perform were channeled through her young daughter. The endless parade of tap dance, jazz, ballet and piano lessons soon filled young Margaret’s time. All of these activities were to build a life for her daughter that Margit never had. This loving attention molded Margaret into someone who respected hard work and the sacrifices her mother made for her family and children.

Throughout Margit’s life, she always had a kind heart and sacrificed everything for her family and friends. Her valiant battle with lung cancer ultimately took her from us on June 19th, 2010. Her spirit, dedication to family and selflessness will be fondly remembered. She will be lovingly missed by her husband Jozsef, daughter Margaret, son Janos, sisters Elizabeth and Irene, nephew William, grand niece Erika, son-in-law Jarie, daughter-in-law Agnes and her extended circle of friends and family.