WWI medals discovered after 100 years

Published: 15 January 2023

By Mark Harrington
via the WSPY News radio station (IL) web site

Yorkville Doughboys

Long ago, they stood at attention for a black-and-white panoramic photograph in Yorkville.

Dressed in their military uniforms, they were awarded a medal.

For some, however, the medal was never received.

The Kendall County medal

The Kendall County medal

Hidden away for over 100 years, until recently, that’s when Kendall County Circuit Clerk Matt Prochaska discovered them.

Now Prochaska is on a mission to deliver the medals to their rightful owners, like Anne Sears of Plano, whose grandfather Louis A. Sears fought in World War One.

A picnic at the old Kendall County Courthouse was the presentation ceremony, the date September 25th, 1919.

Only now the historical mystery remains amidst speculation.  Why were these medals never received by the 11 county soldiers? Some may have been harvesting their fields, others simply had moved out of the area, while four never returned home.

Red, white, and blue ribbon is attached to a bronze-colored medal.  On the backside, in small raised letters, are these words: “presented by the people of Kendall County, IL in gratitude and recognition of the patriotic services rendered during the World War 1917-1919.

Genealogy sleuth Alice Wolfe Workman of Plano researched into the wee hours this week, combing records and stories of these men.

Read the entire article and listen to the audio on the WSPY web site.

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