1921 ‘a pretty good year’
Friendship was in the cards for pair celebrating together on day they both turned 100
On Oct. 28, 1921, Lorraine Kane was born at German Evangelical Deaconess Hospital in Chicago.
On that same date, in the suburbs, Gloria Chyrchel was born.
The two woke up Thursday in their respective independent living rooms at Smith Crossing in Orland Park and that afternoon were treated to a party at the facility where family, other residents and staff members celebrated their hitting the century mark.
For two hours, well-wishers filled the Community Hall at the facility and hugged and talked with the 100-year-olds to kick off what was slated to be a pretty busy weekend for the pair. Hundreds of people came from all over the country to pay homage to these two women.
“I’m going to be exhausted when this is over,” Chyrchel said.
Two more parties were scheduled for Chyrchel over the weekend, including one in Tinley Park at her home of her daughter, Anita Rush.
Kane was scheduled to have a party in her honor at the Orland Chateau on Saturday
It literally was in the cards they would meet and celebrate their 100th birthday together.
The two became fast friends eight years ago when Kane came to the facility and they started playing cards together. Chyrchel had already been there, but when she turned 90 she became legally blind so she does not have any clue what her friend looks like.
The two also share one other bond as they both married their husbands six days apart in 1942.
Kane retired from work at age 98.
That is not a misprint.
The Harper High School graduate started working as a copy holder at the newspaper that is now the Daily Southtown. But she didn’t like the 8-to-5 hours. That was 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
“There were so many times I would get there and leave and it was completely dark,” she said.
After a year she held other jobs but in 1971 she and her son, Jack, founded Suburban Towing, Inc.
The Hazel Crest-based company is run by her grandson, Robert, and she continued driving there two days a week to do secretarial and financial work there until the pandemic hit. Another milestone is coming. “Suburban Towing will turn 50 on Dec. 12,” she said. “So, there will be another celebration for our family this year.”
She proudly said the company has a fleet of 19 tow trucks, and two great-grandsons work there full time.
Kane said the secret to turning 100 is to stay active, even though she never imagined she would hit the century mark.
“Never,” she said. “The closest person to me that I have known lived a long time was my motherin-law Katherine Kane, who lived to be 97. She went to a beauty shop on a Saturday then went to the hospital on Monday and the rest is history.
“I’ve had my ups and down with my health when I was younger, I had a lot of surgeries but haven’t had any problems since 1965. I just bounce with the ball. I have my aches and pains like everybody else, but it doesn’t keep me down.”
Chyrchel grew up in Elmhurst, attended York High School and Chicago Business College and Sherwood Music College.
She was a soprano who, under the tutelage of teacher Simon Arnold Greve, had a chance to put on her own concert in Chicago. Greve knew singing talent as his wife, Maria Immaculata HussaGreve sang in Vienna, Prague and Germany and the Chicago Opera House.
Chyrchel, who at the time was known as Gloria Clayton, turned
down the concert opportunity.
“He decided I should give a concert,” she said. “I decided I would get married instead. I guess I got scared.”
After marrying Robert Chyrchel, she continued singing in the Chicago area and recorded a few songs. After living in Arkansas for two decades, she is back in the area.
While researching their family tree Chyrchel and her family found out that three ancestors — Peter Browne, Richard Warren and Francis Cooke, arrived in this country on the Mayflower.
Both Chyrchel and Kane say they had “wonderful” lives and wished that their late husbands were able to be there to celebrate with them.
But they still had a lot of laughs, some tears and joy at their party last week.
“I guess 1921 was a pretty good year,” Chyrchel said.
“It was for me!” Kane exclaimed.