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Pancake Breakfast

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Communities Come Together for Children of Slain Oak Forest Woman

Faith United Methodist Church in Orland Park will hold a pancake breakfast Jan. 26, with proceeds benefiting the children of homicide victim Erica Rodriguez.

Oak Forest and surrounding towns are rallying around the children of slain Oak Forest woman Erica Rodriguez. Faith United Methodist Church in Orland Park will host a pancake breakfast Jan. 26, in support of Rodriguez's three children.  Erica Rodriguez, 40, was found strangled inside her family's Oak Forest home Dec. 18, after firefighters extinguished a blaze. Her husband Martin Rodriguez, 48, faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated arson. Rodriguez was found outside the family's home with his throat slit.  The couple was married for 17 years, with children 17-year-old Sylvia, 15-year-old Andrew and 6-year-old Gloria. Erica was a devoted nurse and beloved member of the community.  The breakfast will take place from 8 a.m. to …

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Bob

12:52 pm on Monday, February 4, 2013

I certainly hope you follow through with what you wrote, although every scam artist for a benefit I've seen has said pretty much the same thing . It just seems a bit unusual the way its being handled from a legal standpoint. If there's no Trust, is the money part of your daughter's estate? If so, her alleged murderer/husband may have a legal claim to it. What happens if you're involved in a law …   more ›

Monday, February 13, 2012

Oak Forest Man Donates 190th Pint of Blood, In Memory of Daughter

Forty years after losing his 3-year-old daughter to leukemia, Jim Watson continues to help others—and honor her memory—by donating blood.

Forty years after the death of Jim Watson's 3-year-old daughter Joleen, he still has trouble talking about it. The grief never quite goes away, he said—he's always thinking, 'what if.' Joleen succumbed to leukemia in 1971, and with today's technology and advances in medicine, he wonders if she might have survived. He tries not to dwell. Instead, he lies down, rolls up his sleeve, takes a deep breath and gives blood. On Feb. 12, he donated his 190th pint during the Oak Forest Rotary's Annual Pancake Breakfast. "My passion is for my daughter," Watson said. "That's what keeps me going." Shortly after her death, Watson started the blood drive in Joleen's name. At the time, he was employed by Montgomery Ward, which helped publicize his efforts …

Craig Miller

8:52 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012

I met Jim Watson as a result of Rich Simon spearheading the Veterans Commission effort. Through Richs Passion, I have been blessed to meet so many outstanding folks and happy to call Jim Watson my personal good friend. I regretfully Never gave blood until hearing the story of Jims Daughter Joleen. Since then, I am proud to say I have not missed one of Jims/ Rotary's blood drives. Even as I was …   more ›

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