Gerda Bardygula

October 24, 1935 - February 5, 2021

Born in Zufenhaussen, Stuttgart Germany on October 24, 1935. She would witness incredible changes to her world early in her life and as a result an ability to survive and make the best out of every situation growing up during WWII was engrained in her at a very young age. She could always make something out of nothing, clothing from donated yarn, a wholesome meal from whatever was available to her. Since the war made being in the city very dangerous, at age 7 she and her siblings were sent to live on work farms. By 1945 the war was over and she found sanctuary in a convent in Ludwigsburg for 3 months before reuniting with her family. The nuns treated her so well that she wanted to stay and devote her life to God. After a few months had passed, her Mother was able to find all her war scattered children except her eldest son who was MIA. This was now a time when the American Red Cross would drop boxes from planes to provide supplies to the German people. In one, Gerda found cloth and ice skates that she made into shoes. By 1945 the schools were opened and she would attend every other day, sharing the one pair of makeshift shoes with her younger sister, Inge. Her life improved when father finally returned home from the war factory in 1948. Upon graduating from grammar school, she went straight to work in a paper company at the still young age of 14. While some US troops remained to help the citizens of Germany, Gerda met her loving husband Walter Bardygula, who was serving in the US Army and they were married in Stuttgart in 1952. She immigrated by boat to New York City in 1953 with their new infant daughter Irene, soon settling in Chicago upon her husband’s return from serving overseas. Gerda learned how to read and write in English, learned to speak Ukrainian and proudly became a US citizen. She was the beloved mother of Irene Bardygula, Ronald Bardygula, Lidia (Bardygula) and Dr. Robert Nonn, and Paul and Dawn (Achtenberg) Bardygula, and proud grandmother of Paul and Dawn’s sons Christian and Nicholas. She was predeceased by her devoted husband Walter, daughter Irene and son Ronald, her parents, Cecilia Tryk Keith, Christian Keith, sister Inge Keith Supper, brothers Paul Tryk Keith and Edmund Keith. Gerda lived a full life as a wonderful mother, homemaker and hard worker - both inside and outside the home. She particularly enjoyed being the receptionist for St. Joseph Church in Chicago prior to retiring to Casa San Carlo Retirement Community. Gerda and her family were members of St. Nicholas church for many years then joined St. Joseph parish in 1964. She volunteered many hours in fundraising events, making varenyky with the Alter and Rosary Society ladies, tending to the alter flowers, assisting with the church’s annual carnivals of which her husband was the carnival chairman for many years. Because she was multi-lingual, many parishioners sought her help in translating war-related documents from German to English or Ukrainian. Though a city girl at heart, gardening was also a passion, and she did, for many years provide the parish with Palm Sunday pussy willow branches. She had many accomplishments though most impressive was learning to run her husband’s gas station and bicycle businesses with a limited formal education. She loved to read and her appetite for learning was insatiable. She was an avid reader until her sight was compromised from her diabetes. She also loved to cook and share her tips with everyone, she kept an immaculate house and was highly skilled with knitting needles and crochet hooks. She greatly enjoyed time with friends at her weekly prayer shawl crochet group. She still continued to crochet by memory, creating thousands of hats, scarves, mittens, slippers and blankets that she would donate to hospitals, cancer centers, churches, police departments, friends, family and of course to the nuns she respected and so dearly loved. She persevered thru many difficulties through out her life. She was never bitter, always saying there are others who have it so much more difficult, let’s pray for them. She would like to be remembered for her kindness, fairness to all, her dedication to God by being the best person she could be. Most of all she loved her family, treating all four of her children equally and instilling in them her strong values and survival spirit. She was especially thrilled to have grandchildren, whom she greatly adored. She will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts. Mom would’ve wanted to recognize and send her sincere thanks to, among others, longtime Casa San Carlo Staff Deborah for her assistance, work ethic and smile, Margarite for her thoughtfulness, selflessness and care, her “adopted son” Javier for his ever present kindness, caring and help with the (many) big things and, Giacomo (and his wonderful staff) for making sure her nutrition was 99% diabetes approved and for the 1% that wasn’t. She always mentioned all of you and how you made Casa truly feel like home. Please know you have another angel in heaven looking out for you. In lieu of flowers, Sister Ellen’s prayer shawl knitting group (Casa San Carlo) will accept donated yarn to enhance their mission of providing warmth and comfort to those in need.