Gail Winters Obituary

Dear Gary and Friends of Gail,
Again, reflecting on my interactions with Gail, I wanted to share another incident which has affected my life in a very positive way.
Gail, Nancy, and I commuted to Morton H. S. in Cicero by taking the CTA bus which started in the Cermak Plaza and traveled east down 22nd Street (Cermak Ave.) toward the CTA elevated at Central Avenue in Cicero. We would get off at Austin Blvd. and walk south to Morton High School. I would usually get on the bus at the Plaza because there was always a bus there and I could get on immediately. Nancy and Gail would get on at Home Ave. , the next stop to the east.
On one occasion the "girls" told me that they saw this cute guy get on the bus along with Chuck Strnad (who was a cousin of Georgene Strnad, a student of our elementary school) at their bus stop. Soooo, one day I decided to walk over to Home Ave and get on the bus with them and ALSO see this cute guy. Well, after a few walks to join them at the Home Ave. stop and not seeing this guy, I returned to my Cermak Plaza bus stop. I did, however, become more alert to who got on at Home Ave. and, sure enough, one day Chuck and his friend Jerry Mejdrich got on. Chuck introduced Jerry to me and the rest is history. Jerry and dated during our entire high school and college careers and married in 1962. We've been married for almost 58 years!.
Thanks to Gail and Nancy!

Dear Gary,
I am so sorry about your loss. Your Mom, Nancy Kral, and I all went to Jefferson Elementary School.If my memory serves me right, your Mom lived on 21st and Wenonah Ave and I lived at 1936 Maple Ave. I moved to Berwyn and only attended Jefferson for 5-8th Grade.
Your Mom was always very welcoming and accepting which made my transfer from my Chicago School to Jefferson easier. We all walked to and from school (no bussing then) and so we would see each other on the way to and from school four times a day. No lunch at school then.
Our high school (Morton) was extremely over crowded and so we attended on a split-shift schedule. As freshmen we started later in the morning and though I don't remember having a class with your mom, we did commute to and from school via the CTA buses. They started the route at Cermak Plaza and went all the way to 54th and Central where they connected to the L. We would get off at Austin Blvd.
Your Mom was responsible for me (Lois Svitalek) and my husband Jerry of getting to know one another. Your Mom and Nancy Kral caught the bus on Home Avenue and I would get on at the end of the line in Cermak Plaza. When we would reach Home Avenue, and your Mom and Nancy would get on they would tell about this great guy who looked like Tab Hunter would get on with them. They encouraged me to walk east to their bus stop. I did, a few times, but he never got on. So I returned to taking the bus at my regular stop. l did get to meet him on the bus and also through his friend and classmate (Piper School) Chuck Strnad who was a cousin of Georgene Strnad who was a classmate of ours at Jefferson. The rest is history. Jerry and I dated through Morton, went on to Lake Forest College. We ended up graduating from DePaul and Loyola respectively. During that time we saw your Mom at reunions every 5 years. We decided as a group to get together for lunch as local girls from Morton and Jeanette Roasch Bartels coordinates that function. Your Mom and Nancy came regularly---certainly more so, than I, but we always hugged and kissed each other. The good thing about good friends is that you never lose them...you take up right where you left off no matter the time in between!
I know that you have some fond memories of this great woman, friend and Mom. I hope you will find comfort in them.
I will look for pictures that I may have from Jefferson and send them to you if you wish.
Fondly,
Lois and Jerry Mejdrich