Loretta Ann Mendel Gerard
Eulogy
Loretta Ann Mendel Gerard – that’s her name: the amazing woman we’ve all come to memorialize today.
Good morning, my name is Karen and I am her firstborn. She was a last born. As a child she said she adored her older brother and sisters. She was born several years after her siblings and oddly enough, she thought of herself as “a mistake” until she saw photos of the birthday parties they gave her! That must be why our birthdays were so special.
By the time she was in her early 20’s, 2 of her sisters and her beloved mother had passed away. With having 7 children in 10 years time and my father working hard to provide for us all, Loretta’s living sisters, Jean and Honey, became key emotional supports for her. We grew up understanding and enjoying the need and love of extended family on both my mom and dad’s side of the family.
Loretta was proud of being a “Mendel Girl” and proud of her Polish heritage. Her children, grandchildren, and their friends enjoyed the culinary delights of pierogi, golumpki, and all the cultural and familial festivities of Christmas Eve, her favorite day of the year. She “pinched pennies” all year long to be able to have and host a feast in her little house for all her family and any friends who wanted to come celebrate and sing “Happy Birthday, Jesus.”
Loretta had a strong faith in God. Through the teachings of the Catholic Church and her relationships with Priests like Father Gaston and the nuns at St. Emmas she learned about and leaned on the power of tenacious prayer to bring healing, comfort in grief, and see miracles.
She made sure we all attended Catholic Elementary School so we could have a foundation in God’s love, morality, and Christian values. She herself was unwavering in these things and often found herself a confidant of many friends and family including her grandchildren. They knew she would be forthright and nonjudgemental. That she would hold their secrets in her heart and in her prayers. She called the Holy Spirit her friend.
Amid all the many challenges of life, we could tell Loretta and Bill loved each other very much. She said he “claimed her” in high school. (Although my dad rarely got the last word … my mother was very quick witted and spunky!)
My mother taught both her sons and daughters that if we made good grades in school and worked hard, we could become anything we wanted to be … even President (I don’t think she understood much about politics lol). These words instilled confidence and purpose in us.
One of her keys to navigating life: truth would always prevail against lies.
She became quite proficient in anything that she chose to pursue.
A veracious reader from Russian Novels to current thrillers
Sewing, crocheting, needlepoint (life-size raggedy Anne dolls, prom gowns, halloween costumes)
Refinishing antique furniture
Gardening
Upwards! (She was the reigning champ!)
She was a perfect blend of creativity, practicality, and competitiveness.
She was so proud of all her accomplishments and we were proud of her. She taught us how to be very proud of our own accomplishments, without being prideful.
She taught herself or found someone to teach her all of these things including how to cook and bake.
Before there was Google or YouTube there was Loretta. (Lasagna, Apple Pie, Lady Locks, Nut Rolls, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Carrot Cake.) **She was also the Easter Bunny. We could ask her for a recipe, and she would tell you the recipe and the “tricks” she had learned or how to make it the “best” … always the best.
Loretta was an incredible grandmother. When possible, and almost always, she was present in their first few days of life. Nurturing them and caring for us her daughters. She traveled to Maryland, California, Florida, and New York to spend time to help and to develop special relationships with each of her 12 grandchildren. She was at graduations, plays, concerts, birthdays, and weddings — cheering them on.
A “special” playtime tea party was as important to her as Christmas Eve celebrations. She loved participating in a variety of activities with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some of these activities included:
Playing Cards
Reading Books
Philosophical discussions
Nighttime prayer
And of course watching her favorite Steelers football team!
She had an uncanny way of connecting with little children. I saw this again recently with my youngest grandchildren, her great-grandchildren. They were drawn to her childlike, happy spirit … “y’hoo!” is now a 4th generation exclamation of glee for her youngest great- grandchildren.
Lastly, Loretta had an amazing way of truly enjoying and dwelling on the simple things in life … an infant's smile, the deer walking in the trees behind her house, her “red bird” that came to see her on her porch, the new flowers blooming on her plant that you had to see, the colors of the sunset and rainbows, the dolphins jumping in the ocean, her new finds at the convent, dancing the polka with my dad …
She taught us not to just notice these things but to really see, treasure, and enjoy them, “LOOK, LOOK SEE!” She would exclaim.
She loved ”weather.” Oddly enough she experienced hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes, which she found thrilling!
As we consider this life story about Loretta, let’s give glory to God for creating Loretta Ann Mendel Gerard and be grateful for the choices she made to leave us such a rich heritage of faith and prayer, forgiveness and kindness, frugality and generosity, and confidence and courage to pursue our dreams and for leaving a beautiful example of enjoying the simple moments of life. She and my father really were what the Bible calls the “salt of the earth” and she truly “let her light shine” in all our lives.