Happy Belated Birthday, Tony Hernandez

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By Kathy Headley

Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor

6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778

As you know, over the last several years, many neighborhood newspapers have found it impossible to continue publication. We have been fortunate to have escaped that fate. So, that being said, when a neighboring community that has lost their local newspaper asks if we might be able to help them honor someone, we will do all we can within reason.

This request has come from the American Legion Central Park Post 1028.

So even though his birthday was earlier this year, let’s take a few minutes to wish a Happy 100^th Birthday to Back of the Yards resident Tony Hernandez and thank him for his service. The son of Mexican immigrants, Tony was born in San Antonio, moving to Chicago when he was four years old. Tony’s dad used the money he saved laboring in the Texas fields to open a small grocery store. As Tony grew, he helped his parents in the store and that included getting up early every morning to help make Mexican candy before school.

Kathy Headley

The Post tells us that at the age of 18, Tony joined the military, enlisting in the Army to help the fight during World War II, serving in the Signal Corp of the Army Air Corps, spending time in the Philippines, the Panama Canal Zone and Japan. And while in the army, Tony earned the nickname “Panther” for his boxing skills.

Football Mania is back at St. Thomas More, 2825 W. 81^st St. A $20 donation gives a chance of winning one of 18 prizes for all 18 weeks of the professional football season. There are also two grand prizes at the end of the season. Each Football Mania card provides you with three teams for that week and prizes are won based on the total points your team scored. Tickets can be checked weekly at Charitymania.com and are available after all weekend Masses through Sept. 9 and at the rectory until Thursday, Sept. 7.

Over at the Southwest Regional Senior Center, 6117 S. Kedzie, seniors are invited to join in for a Cubs watch party this Friday, Aug. 18, beginning at 1:15 p.m. as the Chicago Cubs take on the Kansas City Royals. Wear your Cubs jersey, shirt, hat or whatever to show team support.

Then on Wednesday, Aug. 23, it’s a White Sox watch party at the senior center as the Sox take on the Seattle Mariners at 1:15 p.m. Remember your Sox jerseys, t-shirts and hats.

This Saturday, Aug. 19, Unearthed Histories takes place at Marquette Park beginning at 2 p.m. by the lagoon outside the fieldhouse, weather permitting. The Marquette Park Composers Workshop partners with local poets to bring us a transformative musical exploration into the history of music and art in Chicago. Everyone is invited to “share in a reverence for our collective history and radical imaginings of our future.” It sounds pretty interesting, doesn’t it?

Sunday Cinema brings the 2023 PG-13 Paramount Pictures film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves to the Chicago Lawn Branch Library this Sunday, Aug. 20, beginning at 2 p.m. This PG-13 film is suitable for teens ages 13 – 19.

Coming up on Saturday, Aug. 26, the Sisters of St. Casimir invite everyone to their annual Founder’s Day celebration. This year marks the 116th anniversary of the founding of the SSCs and has been named Rooted in Love – Grown in Grace. As always, the celebration takes place at the Motherhouse/St. Casimir Chapel, 2601 W. Marquette Road, beginning with Mass praying for the beatification of Venerable Maria Kaupas, at 9:30 a.m. Refreshments and a chance to visit, with the Sisters and old friends, will follow.

Over at Nativity BVM Parish mark your calendars for the annual Our Lady of Siluva Masses and novena which will begin on Sept. 8 with an 11 a.m. Mass and novenas continue from Monday, Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 17.

The Gage Park High School Class of 1970 is planning a reunion set for Saturday, Oct. 7, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Lemont VFW Post 5819. The cost is $20. Pay at the door. Food will be catered and a cash bar will be available. Cutoff date for reservations is Sept. 22. If you are planning on attending, email olliecapra3@gmail.com.

Now back to 1973. Last week we were stopping at a popular hobby place in the neighborhood to check out the Make-It-Yourself Purse Kits they had on sale. Don S. was the first to deduce it was Trost Hobby Shop because that would be where he would go for his model car kits.

Now let’s say that before we went to Trost, we spilled something on our good clothes when we stopped for a bite at Pere Marquette. Let’s stop home for a quick change of clothes and get that stained outfit over to the “clever” cleaners. Where are we going?