Loretta Wardenski
Loretta Lyszczasz was the fourth child of Magdalena & Franciszek. Her baptismal records at St Adalbert Parish in Elizabeth indicates that she was born on Sunday November 30, 1924. No one will ever know why for sure, but her birth date was listed as December 1, 1924 when she was registered in the City of Elizabeth. It was the December date that she celebrated as her official birth date.
She was baptized in St Adalbert’s on December 2nd with the name Wladyslawa which is the feminine form of Wladyslaw. While Wladyslaw was the name of four revered Kings of Poland, it was more likely that she was named in honor of her Godfather, Wladyslaw Szaro. Wladyslaw means to rule with glory. Loretta is the Italian variant of Lauretta or Lora which means "laurel". The name is considered honorable since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. How her name went from Wladyslawa to Loretta remains yet another of life’s great mysteries. Her Godmother is listed as Anna Ruszala. As this was Franciszek’s mother’s maiden name, Anna was most likely a cousin.
Young Loretta was strikingly beautiful, athletic and vivacious. In fact, as a result of the color of her hair, her softball teammates nicknamed her Red. Soon adopted by her family and friends, the nickname stuck throughout her life.
She worked at Phelps Dodge in the Bayway section of Elizabeth – the same company that other members of the family worked including her Dad. During World War II, Loretta worked at Eastern Aircraft in Linden becoming part of the legacy of “Rosie the Riveter”. She was one of the six million women who entered the workforce for the first time during World War II, many of whom worked in the manufacturing plants that produced ammunition and war materials. These women took the places of men who were on the battlefields. Rosie is considered the first feminist icon by many.
And she loved to dance! In fact, it was outside of Lenard’s Dance Hall that Loretta first met a dashing young man named Edward Wardenski. When exactly, no one knows but on November 29, 1947 Loretta and Edward married in St Adalbert Parish. Their best man was Edward’s twin Walter and the maid of honor was Loretta’s dear friend Jean Golda.
Loretta and Edward lived for a while on Henry Street in Linden with her mother and brother Joseph moving in after her father’s death in 1953. In the 1960’s, Loretta and Edward moved a few blocks away from Joseph to Main Street in the Tremley Point section of Linden. Her mother also made the moved and live with Loretta and her family until her death in 1969.
Loretta and Edward’s home, filled with eight children, was always filled with a flurry of activity and was very often the gathering place for many family get togethers. In order of birth their children were Patricia, Stanley, Joan, Kathleen, John, Christine, Steven and Susan.
Though her beloved Edward passed away in 1987, Loretta continued to live her life full of optimism and love – love of family and God. She loved to hunt at garage sales, to whip up delicious foods from memories and taste rather than a recipe book, and to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. She was a very active member of her Church, practicing her faith through action and words.
Sadly, Loretta passed away on December 3, 2008. She will be missed by all who loved her but was warmly welcomed by the God she served all of her life.
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