Donald Daum, Permanent Deacon
(Shown with wife, Joan)
Don Daum was born in Chicago in 1924. He attended first grade
at St. Thecla school. His grade school history included years at St.
Hilary and St. Pascal before graduating from St. Matthias in 1939. High
school was one year at Amundsen and three at Lane Tech on north Western
Ave. Don graduated from Lane in June, 1943, and was
inducted into the Army in July. On the coast of North Carolina he
learned to fire 90mm guns at flying targets as a member of the Coast
Artillery Corps. Just as they got good at it, the outfit was disbanded
and were sent to Georgia to learn infantry fighting. As soon as they
learned the nomenclature of an M1 rifle, they went to France as members
of an Infantry Replacement Battalion. However, due to some loss of
people in an Anti Aircraft outfit and Don's previous training, he was
sent there. This greatly reduced his personal risk factor and had a lot
to do with his getting home in 1946. The last five sentences can be
reduced to "served in the Army for three years". In 1946 Don married
Joan Roethel, who had graduated with him from St. Matthias in 1939.
They were married at Assumption Church on Illinois Street, a block
north of the Merchandise Mart. Don and Joan moved into an apartment at
6731 Jeffery. By the time their second child was born they had moved to
4341 W. 99 Street and Don was working for Illinois Bell. That was 1948
and they learned they were living St. Gerald Parish. However,
they began going to Holy Redeemer with most of their neighbors. In 1952
Queen of Martyrs was opened and they became part of that parish. In
1962 St. Germaine was begun and here they are. In St. Germaine Don got
to be a CCD teacher and then a Eucharistic Minister. In 1983 Don was
accepted for deacon training, which led to ordination in 1986. Since
then he has enjoyed being a deacon here at St. Germaine.