Jim Liden 1948-2010

Today would have been my dad’s 67^th birthday! In honor of that he is my first featured ancestor in what I hope will become a regular series.

 

James Robert Liden was born to Hazel (Donovan) and Vernon Liden on October 6, 1948. He was the third of four children. When he was born his father was 31 and his mother was 28. He joined big sister Margie and big brother Ed. They lived on the south side of Chicago.

Jim (in front) with cousins

When he started school in about 1953 he attended Sacred Heart grade school near 70^th & May in Chicago. At about the age of 6 or 7 he contracted rheumatic fever. It’s suspected that this illness led or contributed to the heart problems that he had throughout his life. In 1958 at age 9, he became a big brother to sister Pat.

He later told me stories that during his grade school years he wanted to be a priest when he grew up. Even pretending to give communion with "wafers" he had cut from bread using a milk jug cap. By many accounts he was a sweet and caring child.

He began high school in 1962 and attended St. Rita High School on Chicago’s south side. He struggled academically and left St. Rita to attend a Chicago Public School. He said that after a week at the public school he knew if he stayed he wouldn’t graduate. He begged his father to help him reenroll at St. Rita. He took a part time job to pay his own tuition as part of the deal. He pulled his grades up and his parents paid for the rest of his high school education after that year. He took an extra year to complete high school and graduated in 1967. In a funny coincidence, during his time at St. Rita he had band with Mr. Louis Ricci who would later instruct his future sisters in law (Margaret and Charmian), brother in law (Art) and his daughters (Melanie and Paula).

When he turned 18 the Vietnam War was still going on. When he went to register for the draft it was discovered that he had a very irregular heart beat and other heart issues so he was declined. His brother Ed was drafted and served in Vietnam.

At some point after high school he worked as a manager at Dog N Suds and that is where he met Connie in 1968. Jim and Connie were married in February 1971 in Chicago. This was followed by the birth of their first daughter Melanie in September of the same year. At that time they still lived on the south side but further west. Jim’s father passed away when Jim was 25, in 1974. Around that time they moved to the south suburbs and lived in apartments in Chicago Ridge and Alsip. It was while they lived in Alsip that their second daughter Paula was born when Jim was 28.

Jim with daughter Melanie

At age 30 in 1979 Jim and Connie divorced. Jim moved to an apartment in Bridgeview. He also lived in various other suburbs including Frankfort and Bolingbrook. During this time his career focused on restaurant management including Rustler Steakhouse and Taco Bell. Also in 1979 Jim’s mother Hazel died.

In the summer of 1979 Jim took a road trip with his then 8 and 3 year old daughters. The trip was from Chicago to California with various side trips along the way. This included a meet up with his brother and sister Margie in Las Vegas. Time was spent in southern California, including a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm before returning to Chicago just in time for Melanie to start 3^rd grade!

In 1984 Connie had a son Robert who was given the last name Liden and Jim always referred to as his son.

During these years Jim was very active in YMCA Indian Princesses with Melanie and Paula. He was also very involved in the Young Single Parents Group. Both groups involved many camping trips which Jim loved. And he brought along any gadgets that he could find. At one time he owned a tent large enough to be called "the hotel." It could sleep 8 people!

In the mid 1980s he lived in Summit, IL. By this time he had transitioned to driving a truck for various companies. All local driving.

In 1988 at age 40, Jim moved to Homewood, IL and married Mary Carter. They divorced in 1989.

In the early 1990s he lived in South Holland and shared a home with Carol White, though they never married.

Jim became a proud grandfather for the first time in 1994. When Paula welcomed a baby girl.

In 1998 he moved to Cleveland, Tennessee and married Debra Moore. During this time he also did some long haul truck driving. While living in Tennessee he became a grandpa again when Paula had a son. Not long after this Jim was back in the Chicago area.

In the early 2000s he took a truck driving job in Central Illinois. Briefly he lived with his Aunt Rose in Chillicothe and then he settled in Decatur, Illinois. He loved Decatur, often saying it was the best place he had lived. In 2008 he married Nancy Matich. Unfortunately his health was on a slow decline. It was around this time he had a defibrillator implanted. This seemed to be a miracle worker for a while, as he felt better than he had in a decade. Unfortunately years of an underperforming heart, and the medication to support it, had starved his liver of blood. Liver complications began to become more frequent. When he and Nancy separated he relocated back to the Chicago area to be closer to family. He insisted he didn't want any of his kids have to take care of him, so he moved to a place near his sister Pat. On his birthday in 2009 he found out he was going to be a grandfather again. He told friends he had to be here to meet his grandchild.

In April 2010 Jim's daughter Melanie welcomed a baby girl and Jim got to meet his granddaughter.

On July 12, 2010 Jim passed away at his home in Oswego. Not from any of the heart problems that had followed him since childhood but non alcohol related cirrhosis.

Jim was a loving father and grandfather. He loved camping and cars. The Bears, the Blackhawks, and NASCAR were among his favorites. He enjoyed his "puter" and always said he knew just enough to break it.

He was my dad but he was also my friend.

Jim with his grandchildren and Connie - May 2010