Gerald Allen “Jerry” Fendon 1930 - 2023

One of the remaining few local “Old-Timers” and part of a generation now nearly gone, Gerald Allen Fendon, passed-on peacefully at home with his family surrounding him on January 2nd, 2023. “Jerry” was born on the South Side of Chicago on July 12th, 1930, to Tony and Kinga Fendon, Jerry’s mother, Kinga Dudek, was born in the United States and was of mostly Polish and German descent and lived in Chicago, IL. Jerry’s dad, Tony (Donato Antonio Fundone), immigrated from Melfi, Italy, with his family at 9 years old and arrived at Ellis Island in New York City in 1911.

After being allowed to enter the U.S., Tony’s family made their way to Chicago, IL where they settled. As Tony grew into a young man, he changed the family name to “Fendon” due to racism and slurs directed at European immigrants in the early 1900’s. He and Kinga never taught their children to speak Italian, Polish or German as they wanted them to speak and sound American.

As a young child, Jerry contracted Spinal Meningitis and suffered from pain and various levels of bodily paralysis for a number of years during his early childhood. During Jerry’s early and formative years, he often heard of and felt his parents’ concern that he might not survive his illness and if he did, as an adult, he might be permanently handicapped and unable to find work or take care of himself.

Jerry had two older brothers and his mother had to look after them and run the household too as Tony, his father, typically worked 15-18 hours a day at multiple jobs to provide for the family. Jerry’s dear aunt, Ursula Dudek Foh, did not have children and helped take care of Jerry becoming like a second mother to him.

Jerry’s mother, Kinga, having unsuccessfully sought any kind of conventional cure that might have helped Jerry’s suffering from spinal meningitis, eventually heard of Christian Science which had a significant reputation for physical healing through prayer to God.

Kinga enrolled Jerry in a local Christian Science Sunday School. His Christian Science Sunday School teacher, Mary Mark Sturm, saw in Jerry a receptivity to spiritual things and faith in God. Mary Sturm was a teacher and educator by training and a deeply committed Christian Scientist. Mary worked with Jerry in Sunday School each week for several years and gave him regular prayerful treatment as taught in Christian Science and in-time, he healed.

By the time Jerry was in his early-teens, he was free of all pain and only had a slight bit of remaining paralysis in his right hand which limited his dexterity in that hand. Throughout Jerry’s life he resolutely gave credit for his restored health to his understanding of God which he gained through Christian Science and the prayers of his Sunday School teacher, Mary Sturm.

Although he was living the life of a typical 16 year-old young man on the South Side of Chicago in 1946 in the wake of the Great Depression and World War II, Jerry still had challenges to overcome. Because of his illness of many years as a child, he missed a lot of school and therefore, had great difficulty with academics and reading. He struggled in high school, but did graduate on-time from Bowen High School in Chicago. What Jerry lacked in reading ability, overall education and lack of normal function in his right hand, he more than overcame with a zest for life, faith in God to take care of him, a love of people and a strong work ethic.

By the time he graduated from high school at 18, Jerry had a third brother and a large, close-knit family

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