FORDEN, James John

1912 - 1955  (43 years)

• Name	FORDEN, James John
  Born	21 Aug 1912	Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois
  Christened	22 Sep 1912	Chicago Saint Gabriel, Cook Co., Illinois
  Gender	Male
  Buried	Sep 1955	Chicago Saint Mary's Cemetery, Cook Co., Illinois   [1]
  Died	4 Sep 1955	Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois   [2, 3, 4, 5]
  Person ID	I534	Reich
  Last Modified	27 May 2023

  
  

  Father	FORDEN, Charles Walter,   b. 5 Dec 1888, Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois ,   d. 8 Aug 1929, Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois  (Age 40 years)
  Mother	HARRISON, Catherine Mary (Katie),   b. 9 Apr 1891, Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois ,   d. 16 Jan 1962, Norwood Park Chicago State Hospital, Cook Co., Illinois  (Age 70 years)
  Family ID	F92	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	JESPERSEN, Gertrude,   b. 25 Jun 1916, Cook Co., Illinois ,   d. Abt 2003  (Age 86 years)
  Married	1931	Illinois
  	James and his wife Gertrude lived over a store on 65th Street in Chicago. Jim served in World War II as a cook. He was part of Illinois Tec 5, Co. C 291, Engr Combat BN. He died of skin cancer (melanoma) that reached his lungs. After his death, Gertrude married Kurt Buchner, and had Charlene. Per Dolores Anderson Miller, 27 Nov 2003: Jim and Gertrude married very young. Gertrude was a terrible housekeeper, smoking and reading magazines all day. Jim got into drinking. When the war broke out, Jim enlisted. Gertrude went to work in one of the war factories. At that time, their third child, James, was taken care of by Mrs. Mack, who owned the candy store at the corner of grandma's house (the barracks). Mrs. Mack's husband was also an alcoholic, so when she went to work she hid his clothes. Apparently, when the thirst was on him, he borrowed her clothes to go out to buy liquor. Anyway, Mrs. Mack was from Michigan, and after the war, she went back there, taking Jim with her. Because Jim had been raised by her for so many years, Gertrude allowed him to be raised by Mrs. Mack, yet still kept a good relationship with her son. As a child, Gertrude developed diabetes. She was excellent at taken her insulin, and never developed other consequences of her illness. Dolores believes she is still alive in 2003, or recently died. Dolores saw her around Charlotte's 80th birthday party, and at that time was just beginning to show signs of dementia.
  Children	1. Living   2. Living   3. Living   4. Living
  Last Modified	2 Apr 2012
  Family ID	F410	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S376] Find a Grave, (https://www.findagrave.com) (Reliability: 3). [S794] Illinois, Chicago, Saint Mary Cemetery, for James J. Forden, Lot 1641, section O (Reliability: 3). [S61] Illinois, Cook County, Death Certificate, (file 605958), File Number 6064217 (Reliability: 3). [S233] Illinois, Chicago Tribune - Obituary, September 5, 1955, page C8 and repeated on September 6, 1955 page B6. (Reliability: 3). [S494] Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916-1950.