Loretta Hedrick

Loretta Hedrick, age 95, of Lake Geneva, WI and formerly of Powers Lake, WI, Lincolnshire and River Forest, IL, passed away peacefully at Arbor Village Residential Care Facility in Lake Geneva.

The former Loretta Gawron was born on March 20, 1923 in Chicago, IL the daughter of the late John and Mary/Marie Gawron Hedrick, Jr.  She attended Forman High School.  Loretta worked as a volunteer nursing assistant during WWII and initially as a fashion buyer in the Palmer House building in downtown Chicago.  On April 23, 1949, she married Everett “Russ” Hedrick in Chicago.  They always fondly remembered meeting while vacationing in Saugutuck, MI, and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary shortly before he passed away on March 31, 2001.

For many years, Loretta was a dedicated mother to her three children, John, Robert and Kathleen and was active in their school activities.  After years of volunteer service in Church and local activities, she returned to work at Trinity College Library and Plunkett’s Furniture and Design. (Both reading and design were lifelong interests to her.)

Her many interests included all forms of knitting/needlepoint, gardening and design.  She was also a collector of antiques and artifacts.

Loretta was a longtime member and active contributor to St. John the Evangelist Church in Twin Lakes, since they retired to Powers Lake in the late 1980’s.  Her participation in various ministries including Liturgical and Human Concerns, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Conference Vincentian and Volunteer at the Slades Corners Thrift Store, where she enjoyed working into the past few years.

She was an inspiration to her family for her decades of physical activities, including daily exercise, long walks, Senior Town and Country bowling league and Lady Hawks Golf League, which she continued through 90+ age.

She was an inspiration to others as a forty year survivor of late stage ovarian and breast cancer which she attributed to a positive mental attitude.

A Private Memorial Service and Celebration of her life is planned at the Haase-Lockwood & Assoc. Funeral Home and Crematory of Twin Lakes.  Memorial Remembrances in Loretta’s name may be made to: St. Vincent de Paul-St. John’s Conference, Box 74, Twin Lakes, WI. 53181.