Wilda Herndon, a long-time resident of Champaign-Urbana, was
born in 1913. Her mother, three daughters and one son, Joe, came
to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois in the mid-twenties. The children
were enrolled in school and Wilda graduated from Champaign High
School.
As a young adult, Wilda became a member of the Bethel A.M.E.
Church and served in many capacities. Her love of community and
the people therein, led to her involvement in many clubs and organizations
whose prime objective was to serve those in need. Funds were raised
and distributed to areas such as the Burnham City Hospital, the
March of Dimes, Cancer Fund, and the Bethel A.M.E. Fund.
It was her desire to become a registered nurse, but due to circumstances
that could not be, so through the encouragement of Dr. Max Appel,
Pathologist at Burnham Hospital, she began on-the-job training
for Medical Technicians. She seized the opportunity, and with
this training, she was employed as a Medical Technician at the
University of Illinois McKinley Hospital and the College of Vet
Medicine's Small Animal Clinic where she remained for 19 years,
until retirement.
She also volunteered as a "Gray Lady" for the American
Red Cross and also as a Med Tech at the Frances Nelson Health
Center.
Wilda
Herndon