A Gentle Soul in an Unmarked Grave

Opinion
By Tim Hadac
Managing Editor, Southwest Chicago Post

Several weeks ago, I spoke with a dozen or so people in Garfield Ridge about one of their neighbors.

And they all agreed.

Annie Derdak was a nice lady.

Here are just a few samplings of what I heard about Annie:

• "She was such a nice lady."

Annie Derdak

• "Annie was the sweetest woman. She was a neighbor for many years and always had a kind word for everyone."

• "I did not know her well, but whenever I would be out walking with my daughters she would always stop and chat with us, and tell us stories. She was a truly delightful woman."

• "She was my neighbor for 15 years! My parents and I talked to her all the time when we lived one house down from her. She was an amazing woman with a gentle soul."

That makes this situation that much more sad.

Annie and her husband, Peter, lived in their home near 57th and Newcastle for many years.

They lived, they loved, they laughed. They grew old together.

Peter died in 2016 at age 89. Annie died in 2023 at age 91.

After Peter died, Annie made sure his grave at Resurrection Cemetery was marked and cared for.

But 18 months after Annie's passing, her grave--right next to Peter's, of course--remains unmarked.

The graves of Annie and Peter Derdak.

This has caused a great deal of frustration and even grief for those who loved her and remember her fondly--perhaps most notably, Don Krukowski, who since 2014 helped care for Annie and Peter in their twilight years.

"I made a promise to Annie that I'd make sure her grave was cared for the way it ought to be," Don told me. "To not be able to do that is so frustrating, I lose sleep over it. It's not right."

So Don did a considerable amount of digging for answers. What he learned is that Annie's grave (purchased years ago) includes a marker--so money is not the issue. Everything has been paid for.

In a case like this, it's up to next of kin to fill out some very simple paperwork to have the grave marker made and installed. When there is no next of kin (as is the case here), the task falls to whoever Annie designated as Power of Attorney.

Resurrection Cemetery officials would not tell Don who Annie had designated as Power of Attorney over her affairs. But he found out from another source that it's a couple living in the southwest suburbs--a couple who had befriended Annie.

Don repeatedly tried contacting them--going so far as to pay a visit to their home. But he says he ran into what sounds like a bunch of baloney--everything from "I don't know" to "I don't speak English" and so forth.

The couple also did not respond to several attempts I made to contact them.

So I put the question to Archdiocesan officials.

I received a brief response via email from Catholic Cemeteries Executive Director Ted Ratajczyk: "In this particular case, we are waiting for the next of kin to authorize the inscription information. We have sent repeated requests to the next of kin."

Ratajczyk added, "For the cemeteries as a whole, we are not having any systemic delays for memorialization."

I asked a reasonable follow-up question:

"I'm sure such cases are uncommon but not unheard of. Does Catholic Cemeteries have a policy or protocol in place when next of kin dies or moves away and can't be found--or next of kin is estranged--(and yet the grave remains unmarked)?"

No response.

And so, Annie Derdak, a sweet woman with a gentle soul, is forced to endure--in death--the insult of an unmarked grave.

I think Catholic Cemeteries can do better.

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