On Friday, April 13, 2021, Gertrude M. Heckens, loving mother of Michael Mansfield and Sherrie Vavrichek, passed away at age 92. She was born on April 25, 1928, to Ben and Blanche (Goodman) Jacobson. Gertrude and her older brother, Burton, were born in Chicago, IL and raised in a neighborhood called South Shore. Her early years included the Great Depression, but since her accountant father was always employed, she had a carefree childhood. This included visits with friends--usually accompanied by her beloved Irish Setter, Lady--and going to Rainbow Beach and Jackson Park(where former president Obama’s library will be built) during the summer months.
South Shore High School was a different experience. The war had broken out, she had a picture of FDR taped to the inside of her locker, and she became aware of the outside world for the first time. One summer Gertrude worked as a Harvey girl in the main train station downtown. It was an exciting time…she loved the hustle and bustle of travellers from all over the world—regular people as well as celebrities, and was especially awed by the men and women in uniform. She went home each night with her pockets full of tips feeling very grown up, and even dreamed of joining the navy. The next summer she volunteered as a Candy Striper at Billings Hospital, located on the campus of the University of Chicago. Years later she found out that behind a plain, unmarked door under Stagg Field, guarded by one lone sailor who she walked by and greeted every day—the US military was working on a top-secret mission: designing the first atomic bomb, one that would later end the war.
In 1946 Gertrude met and married former Seabee, Robert Mansfield. In a somewhat eerie coincidence, Bob’s assignment right after the war had been doing reconstruction work in Nagasaki, Japan, where one of the atom bombs had been dropped. That bomb had been developed at a secret lab at Stagg Stadium, where Gertrude used to pass by on a daily basis just a few years earlier. Gertrude and Robert’s first child, Sherrie, was born in April, 1947. Their first son, Michael, was born in February, 1951, and their third child, Glenn, was born in August, 1952. Gertrude and Robert divorced in 1956. In 1964 Gertrude married John P. Heckens, the manager of a car dealership. Their marriage included many trips throughout the US and Europe, which provided material for tales of adventure and excitement. Inspired by her travel experiences, Gertrude and a friend published two guidebooks on Chicago eateries: Lunching in Chicago (1983) and Hanging Out on Halsted (1991), both of which she was very proud. After John passed away in 1993, Gertrude worked in various office settings until she was in her 70’s, and was still active and travelling until well into her 80’s.
Even though she had many happy times, she also endured many hardships, the worst of which was when her son, Glenn contracted AIDS and died in 1986. She was resilient, though, and in later years she would say that all in all she had had a happy life. She greatly enjoyed her apartment, which was filled with beautiful souvenirs and paintings that reminded her of her good times and many adventures. But her greatest sources of joy were her relationships with others, especially with her grandchildren, Aaron, Jesse, Diane, and Julie.
Despite her youthful attitude and adventurous spirit, age and illness eventually took its toll, and after several years of declining health, Gertrude died peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by the artwork, souvenirs, photographs of her family and friends, and other reminders of her rich and interesting life. She is survived by daughter Sherrie Vavrichek, son-in-law Bruce Vavrichek, granddaughters Diane and Julie Vavrichek; son Michael Mansfield, daughter-in-law, Connie Lejuene, and grandsons Aaron and Jesse Mansfield. Gertrude was preceded in death by her parents, Blanche and Ben Jacobson (1983), her brother Burton, her son, Glenn (1986), her first husband, Robert Mansfield (1999), and her second husband, John Heckens (1993).
One of Gertrude’s favorite songs was “Time to Say Goodbye.” Although it is mostly in Italian (which she didn’t speak), she loved it. It makes reference to sailing off to new horizons with the sun, moon, and sea as witnesses. See link to the song below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynd0zn9SkjI&list=PLfsGtQ1bZjYDA-DMUS5xKo_fzyJT56fMg.
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