Francis Austin Kendall was born February 15, 1853, in Rochester, Fulton County, Indiana, the son of John Kendall and Margaretta Snyder.
His mother passed away when he was just 3 years old. He attended the public schools in Indiana while growing up on his father’s farm and then traveled to Naperville where he attended Northwestern College (NCC) in Naperville in 1881 and afterward Chicago University.
Francis married Linnie Mae Strubler October 14, 1882, and they were the parents of Clinton Guy, Ralph Elmo, Oliver Julian (Judd), Grace, Olive (Mark Weisen Pickell) and Margaret (Louis Harry Clemens).
He was a teacher at the Naperville Academy from 1885 until 1889 and then became Principal and superintendent of Naperville schools for 21 years.
Francis began serving as the first Commission Form of Government Mayor of Naperville in 1913. As Mayor, he had been appointed Chairman of the General Committee for the Naperville Homecoming Celebration that was held May 29 to June 1, 1917. The celebration was the idea of the Naperville Association of Commerce and was held to highlight the progress that had been made in Naperville through municipal improvements in recent years.
He was the secretary and manager of the Illinois Pupil’s Reading Circle and was an active member of the National Education Association, the Illinois Teacher’s Association and the Northern Illinois Teacher’s Association. He also served as president of the Naperville School Board.
Francis was a member of Euclid Lodge No. 65, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, Euclid Chapter No. 13, Royal Arch Masons, Aurora Commandery No. 22, Knights Templar and the Medinah Shrine.
Shortly after the Homecoming Celebration, he died July 21, 1917, in Naperville and was buried in the Naperville Cemetery.
His former home is located at 43 E. Jefferson Avenue and is now occupied by Quigley’s Irish Pub.
Tim Ory is a fifth-generation Naperville native, descended from Francois Sebastien Ory, who immigrated to America from Alsace Lorraine, France, in 1844.
For 37 years, Tim Ory worked in the electrical construction industry, primarily in DuPage County, Illinois, but also in New Jersey, Indiana and California, before retiring in 2006.
He married Joyce Marko in 1970. They are parents of four children, grandparents of eight and great grandparents of one.
Tim’s interest in history is recent, beginning shortly after he retired.
In 1993 Tim joined the Masonic Lodge in Naperville, Euclid Lodge No. 65, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. Photos of the Past Masters of the Lodge hang on the wall in the Lodge room. Some were very well-known. For instance, Joseph Naper, founder of Naperville, was a charter member of the Lodge. Along with his photo are photos of two of his sons, Thomas and Mark.
Lewis Ellsworth also was a charter member of the Lodge. A street and school are named after him. The Royce brothers—Jonathan, George and Asa—of Royce Road also have their photos hanging with the rest.
Tim says many other names were unfamiliar. “When I started to research the Past Masters of the Lodge, I found that I was slowly amassing a large amount of information not only about these individuals, but also about their families. My curiosity eventually took me to Naper Settlement where I met Bryan Ogg who has provided me with invaluable insight into how to research and access the Naperville historical archives.”
Signing off as “Tim Ory, Historian, Euclid Lodge No. 65 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons,” Tim adds that he continues to research the History of the Masonic Lodge and Naperville every day.
