Sun City resident recalls time at orphanage

Boney Bones: that’s the name that Joanie Berg was known by at St. Hedwig.

“In the forties, my sister Sally, who was two years older, and I were put in St. Hedwig’s orphanage in Niles. My mother died of cancer at the of 34 and my father was in the U.S. Army in Europe, fighting the Germans,” Berg said.

Sun City resident Joanie Berg was once known as Boney Bones to the other kids at St. Hedwig orphanage, where she lived for ten years from 1943 to 1953. Here she holds a brick from St. Hedwig. (Photo by Christine Such/My Sun Day News)

The orphanage was built in 1910 by the Polish-American Catholic parishes in the Chicagoland area on 7135 Harlem Avenue. Saint Hedwig’s Industrial School opened its doors on July 12, 1911, to 34 boys and 29 girls.

Berg said, “I have lots of stories about my time there. I was surprised to learn many of the children came from Poland. I was there for 10 years, from 1943 to 1953. I graduated from St Hedwig in 1951, but continued to live there while I attended high school.”

The orphanage took in children from around the world. World War II left many children orphaned and homeless. The Soviet Union led by Joseph Stalin captured thousands of Polish people, leaving many children homeless.

Berg said, “Catholic Charities had some nuns go to Poland to bring many of the orphan children to live in my new hope. It’s amazing how the Felician sisters traveled from Illinois to Poland, to Russia, to Iran, to India, to San Francisco, to Mexico, and then to Niles.”

During its 50 years, St. Hedwig’s housed 10,000 boys and girls.

Berg said, “We all had chores to do, clean the offices, church, classrooms, stairs corridors, help cook and do dishes in the kitchen, sort clothes from the laundry room. You’ve heard and seen stories like the play or movie ‘Annie,’ but we were treated well. I missed my mom and dad, but the sisters were like aunts and family to us.”

The orphanage closed on October 1, 1960. It was then used as a seminary. The buildings were demolished in 1995. St. Hedwig still exists in the memories of thousands of adults who spent time there.

Berg said, “My best friend, Jane was one of the kids of Poland. She would often wonder what would we do in the future when we left Hedwig’s?”

Berg hopes that some of her orphanage brothers and sisters are here in Sun City. Berg said, “Please give me a call at 847-669-7911. I was Joanie Janek, or Boney Bones, Class of 51.”

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