Page 46 - March 2022

The Women Left Behind
Heart of Gold
Maria Marmolejo keeps up her husband’s call to serve by taking over as Gold Star Families chair
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
Two women of the Chicago Police Department recently shared an emotional telephone conversation. Pauline Kan- er, nearly 52 years removed from losing her husband, Officer Kenneth Kaner, to an assassination while sitting in his beat car, chatted with Maria Marmolejo, the new chair of the Gold Star Families.
Pauline, whose son, Kurt, is on with the marine unit, shared stories of how the Gold Star Families began and how they helped her move forward to the life she is currently leading in California. Faith and inspiration reverberated back and forth, making two women thousands of miles apart feel like they had their arms around each other.
“I’m like, ‘Oh my God, she’s me in 50 years,’” exclaimed Mar- molejo, whose husband, Eduardo, was lost in the line of duty in that horrible train accident on Dec. 17, 2018. “We had this long conversation, and just to have somebody to talk to, somebody who understands we have lost so much, was amazing.”
Maria also heard Pauline describe the strength that it takes to be the woman left behind in a line-of-duty death.
“She was telling me, ‘I keep moving forward. Faith has given me this and that,’” Maria continued. “And I don’t know, I just find so much courage and strength hearing from another wom- an who already went through what I went through.”
The women left behind are the women who still wear the badges on their hearts. Marmolejo confided that she has never been the person who likes to be leading out in front. Coordinat- ing behind the scenes has always been her forte.
But when Chicago Police Memorial Foundation (CPMF) Ex- ecutive Director Phil Cline asked her to take over as Gold Star Chair from Shelly Perez, who served so gallantly for so long, Ma- ria felt her beloved “Lalo” pushing and inspiring her. Eduardo would have said, “You don’t have to,” but Maria truly represents the women left behind who feel compelled to continue their husbands’ calling to serve.
“I needed to be there for him in a sense. I needed to be the person representing our family. I feel like I kind of built that courage over time to be more in the forefront,” Maria related. “It’s freaking heartbreaking, but if I can just show my strength and my resilience, then maybe the next person can, too.”
Beyond her husband being on the job and the calling to serve, Maria has a connection to the female officers of CPD. She has incredible strength, the result of being raised by a strong wom- an, she noted.
She has followed in Lalo’s footsteps by becoming an even more avid runner. What she has gained from running is the un- derstanding of continuing to put one foot in front of the other and, if you keep going, you get stronger.
Maria is perpetuating that strength in her three daughters. Anybody who saw her oldest, Becca, read that incredible letter at her father’s funeral knows the strength is flowing formidably.
“Losing my husband triggered me to be like, ‘I’ve got to work on myself and raise three strong women without letting their
46 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2022
Maria Marmolejo at National Police Week in May 2019 honoring her hus- band, Eduardo, who was lost in the line of duty on Dec. 17, 2018.
Maria Marmolejo with her three daughters.
Eduardo and Maria Marmolejo.