Army veteran of World War II. Arrangements are by Thornridge Funeral Home, (708) 460-2300.
Rev. Edwin Bohula
At age 63, the Rev. Edwin Bohula believed he would live out his retirement in peace - until he got a call from officials at St. James at Sag Bridge Church in Lemont Township.
His job as a part-time pastor of the historic church turned into a labor of love, as he worked to return the 163-year-old church to its former glory.
The popular pastor died Dec. 2, 2007 at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge after a lengthy illness, officials said. He was 77.
The Rev. Bohula, a Vietnam veteran and former military chaplain, oversaw the revitalization of the hilltop church, 106th Street and Archer Avenue, after coming out of retirement in 1993 at the behest of church officials.
The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was in dire need of repair, having been seriously damaged by a tornado in the early 1990s. The Rev. Bohula worked with the St. James at Sag Bridge Preservation Society, which raised more than $400,000 to restore the church.
His success with the church led archdiocesan officials to make him the full-time pastor of the parish, officials said. After retiring in 2003, the Rev. Bohula left the church with a $1 million surplus in its accounts.
In a 1998 interview with the Daily Southtown, the Rev. Bohula called his church a "jewel of the archdiocese."
Born in Chicago's Roseland community, the Rev. Bohula was ordained at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in 1955 and served as parish priest at Immaculate Conception Church in the city's South Chicago community from 1955-59.
After serving five years at a parish in the Humboldt Park community, he enlisted in the military, serving as a chaplain for the Navy and Marine Corps. After 28 years in the armed forces, the Rev. Bohula earned the rank of captain and earned 17 service awards.
The Rev. Bohula is survived by his sister, Pauline.
Visitation is scheduled from 2 to 7 p.m. today at Our Lady Mother of the Church in Willow Springs. A funeral Mass will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church.
Dan Hattan
The man who always acknowledged the service of others now is being remembered for his endless contributions to the Frankfort community.
Those who knew Dan Hattan, 57, "Frankfort's man about town," are mourning his sudden death Saturday. Services will be tonight from 4 to 9 p.m. at McGann Funeral Home, 10727 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago, with the funeral at 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Christina's Catholic Church, 11033 S. Christina Ave., Chicago.
He was a "big man with a big heart, willing to talk, willing to help and wiling to take the lead. Dan will be missed by our entire community and will live on in our hearts forever," said Frankfort Fire Chief Jim Grady, who worked with Hattan on many projects.
Hattan served as president of the board of directors of the Frankfort Preservation Foundation since its inception in 1995. He was a lifetime member of the Frankfort Area Historical Society, a former park district commissioner, a cable television volunteer and a member of the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce.
"Dan was always looking for ways to be involved in his community. So many people knew him in so many ways," said village administrator Jerry Ducay.
Hattan also was described as a "role model for unfailing dedication," a man who worked "countless hours ... to recognize the contributions of former and current 'Frankforters' - as he liked to call them - who loved community like he did," said foundation board member Rachel Gilmore.
The Frankfort Preservation Foundation will add Hattan's name to the list of public servants and people of character and honor.
"We've been doing all these things in memory of other people. It's time for him to be recognized," foundation vice-president Judy Herder said.
