The Rev. Ken Fleck, a longtime Catholic priest of Southwest Chicago churches, including St. George in Tinley Park, has a passion for growing giant pumpkins in the garden of his weekend home in Michigan City, where he spends his “semi-retirement.”
His more recent vine-produced wonder is just a couple hundred pounds away from tipping the scales at one-half a ton, and it’s in need of home.
“I’m a retired pastor of St. George as of June 30, 2020, but I still go back to help at St. George as well as St. Julie, St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Barnabas, as well as other parishes around Southwest Chicago who may call upon my services,” Fleck wrote in his email.
Fleck, 73, explained that the once robust gardens on the St. George church grounds no longer exist, as they were previously tended to by dedicated parishioner Jay Surufka until he was 98. Surufka passed away in February 2023, a month after his centennial celebration.
“He was a true friend to me and kind to all the children who helped plant or harvest the garden over the years,” Fleck said.
“Jay was also fascinated by the many years we tried to surpass the 243-pound pumpkin that we had grown in 2007, and named Baby Huey, along with a collection of other large pumpkins, weighing 48 to 115 pounds, about 10 in all, which I named after Robin Hood and the characters in that story. We even offered prizes for those who donated money to the Tinley Park Food Pantry, raising more than $300, from anyone trying to guess Baby Huey’s weight.”
Two years ago, Fleck said Jay was very pleased to know his priest pal had finally met their pumpkin-pound-shared-promise with the orange unveiling of “St. Paul” weighing 305 pounds, and St. Peter, an even heftier 315 pounds, with the seed-filled duo later donated to St. Catherine’s and St. Terrence’s churches as altar decorations for the Fall season.
This growing season, Fleck has grappled with a bit of pumpkin problem finding a home for his 2023 “pie in the sky” accomplishment.
“This pumpkin I have now is so large in my garden that it measures 110 inches around its waist, and 109 inches from stem around the bottom blossom end,” Fleck explained during a telephone interview this week.
“There are charts available on Google which I referenced since I don’t have a scale to weigh such a huge pumpkin. Those charts calculate my pumpkin’s weight to be between 740 to 825 pounds. It is almost a perfect shape and I consider it a sign that Jay Surufka is watching over my garden from heaven. This particular pumpkin, which I’ve named ‘Independence Pumpkin,’ was pollinated on or close to July 4th.”
Fleck estimates it will take at least four men to move the pumpkin, which has been declined by St. George, St. Catherine’s and St. Barnabas churches.
“If nobody wants it, I guess I will use it as a decoration at my cottage here in Michigan City, where I have been blessed to live for the past 41 years enjoying my gardening,” Fleck said.
Anyone interested in this more-than-just-plump pumpkin, and with the means to move it, can reach Rev. Fleck at [email protected].
TV news passing
Gary Mayor Jerome A. Prince is among the many offering tributes this week after beloved Chicago television news anchor Harry Porterfield died Monday at age 95. A long time media fixture on WBBM-TV Channel 2 Chicago, his broadcast career in radio and then television spanned the 1960s until his retirement at age 87 in 2015.
At the time of his death, he, along with wife, Marianita, lived in the retirement and assisted living community of Hartsfield Village in Munster, which was also the home during later years for WGN weatherman Roger Triemstra, who died a year ago at age 92. Previous to the couple’s move to Munster a few years ago, they were residents of the Miller Neighborhood of Gary for more than 50 years.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the Porterfield family and the many friends and fans who admired Harry Porterfield,” Mayor Prince said.
“For many years, Harry exemplified honesty and journalistic integrity. It’s a point of pride to say this Gary resident was a role model for many solid reporters. In fact, Harry, who also was an attorney, commuted to Chicago from his Gary home for many years. Harry truly was ‘someone you should know,’ and he will be missed.”
An accomplished violinist, Porterfield was a dedicated philanthropist of the arts, including the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, attending concerts regularly with his wife, the latter who served on the board of the directors for the orchestra’s umbrella organization South Shore Arts.
In addition to his wife of 55 years, Marianita; he is survived by son, J.J., also of Munster; daughter, Allison; a stepson, Eric Shropshire; a stepdaughter, Gina Shropshire; granddaughter, Amanda Porterfield, who is a news anchor at CBS 58 in Milwaukee; and a great-grandson.
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‘Price is Right’
East Chicago resident-turned-game show contestant Aleah Adell will be appearing next week on a taped-in-advance episode of “The Price is Right” which will air at 11 a.m. on Halloween, Oct. 31, on CBS. Launched in 1972, “The Price is Right” was hosted by Bob Barker, who died at age 99 in August, until his retirement in 2007, when Drew Carey took over the hosting helm.
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at [email protected].