MILDRED WALDMAN IS CELEBRATING HER 100TH BIRTHDAY ON APRIL 17, 2015 AT SCHAEFER GARDENS IN UNION, NEW JERSEY. ALTHOUGH HER BIRTHDAY IS ON APRIL 4TH, HER FAMILY WILL BE COMING IN FROM CALIFORNIA TO CELEBRATE HER BIRTHDAY ON APRIL 18TH AND HER PARTY WAS PLANNED FOR APRIL 17TH IN ORDER TO INCLUDE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WILL BE ARRIVING THE DAY BEFORE.
MILDRED WALDMAN WAS BORN ON APRIL 4, 1915 IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY TO REBECCA AND DAVID FRELING. SHE ATTENDED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN NEWARK AND GRADUATED FROM SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL ALSO IN NEWARK. SHE ENJOYED SCHOOL AND WAS ALWAYS ON THE HONOR ROLL. WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOLSHE PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL ACADEMIC CLUBS. IN HER SENIOR YEAR SHE WORKED PART-TIME AT SEARS ON ELIZABETH AVENUE IN NEWARK.
MILDRED WAS ONE OF THREE CHILDREN, HAVING AN OLDER BROTHER, (BEN) AND A YOUNGER SISTER, (PEARL). MILDRED SAID HER PARENTS COULD NOT AFFORD TO SEND HER TO COLLEGE, SO SHE WENT TO WORK AT SHEFFIELD FARMS (A DAIRY COMPANY) ON CENTRAL AVENUE IN EAST ORANGE. HER JOB CONSISTED OF CLERICAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
MILDRED WAS THE FIRST OF HER SIBLINGS TO MARRY. ON DECEMBER 19, 1936, MILDRED, AT AGE 21, MARRIED GEORGE WALDMAN, AGE 23. THEY MARRIED AT THE AVON MANSION IN NEWARK, A WELL-KNOWN PLACE WHERE WEDDINGS WERE HELD. WHEN SHE MARRIED SHE MOVED TO MAPLE AVENUE IN HILLSIDE INTO A THREE- ROOM APARTMENT. MILDRED AND GEORGE HAD TWO CHILDREN, A SON BARRY AND A DAUGHTER, MARSHA. BOTH CHILDREN GRADUATED FROM HILLSIDE HIGH SCHOOL. HER SON BARRY IS A GRADUATE OF RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE. HE RECEIVED A JOB OFFER IN CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE LIVES TODAY, WITH HIS WIFE OF 30 YEARS. MARSHA, MILDRED’S DAUGHTER, PASSED AWAY IN 2005.
AFTER BOTH CHILDREN GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, MILDRED AND GEORGE MOVED TO BURNET AVENUE IN UNION. SHE LATER JOINED THE UNION TOWNSHIP SENIOR CENTER. ONE OF HER RESPONSIBILITIES WAS RUNNING DAY TRIPS TO LUNCHEON/THEATRE VENUES. MILDRED AND HER HUSBAND CONTINUED TO LIVE ON BURNET AVENUE UNTIL HIS DEATH ON MARVH 1, 1989. APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS LATER MILDRED MOVED TO SCHAEFER GARDENS SENIOR HOUSING IN UNION. SINCE MOVING TO SCHAEFER, MILDRED HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN SEVERAL VOLUNTEER EFFORTS, INCLUDING, FLOOR CAPTAIN AND TREASURER OF THE TENANT’S ASSOCIATION FOR 6 YEARS. SHE WAS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE LINE DANCING CLASSES, PLAYED MAH JONG AND CANASTA, AND ASSISTED WITH THE NUTRITION PROGRAM. IN SDDITION, MILDRED ALSO OVEERSAW THE CHANUKAH HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS AT SCHAEFER. SHE ENJOYED KNITTING, AND ONE OF HER PROJECTS WAS MAKING 30 CHILDREN’S HATS, WHICH SHE DONATED TO AN INDIAN RESERVATION.
ANOTHER VOLUNTEER EFFORT INCLUDED WORKING WITH CHILDREN. ONE EFFORT INCLUDED BEING BUSSED TO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON A WEEKLY BASIS FOR 3 – 4 MONTHS, WHERE SHE ASSISTED A CHILD IN IMPROVING HIS READING SKILLS. ONCE A YEAR, MILDRED WOULD ALSO ATTEND THE CHILDREN’S THANKSGIVING DAY PROGRAM AT THE UNION Y, AND THEN HELP TO SERVE A THANKSGIVING DAY DINNER TO THE CHILDREN. “I CONSIDER MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO BE MY 2 CHILDREN, MY 4 GRANDCHILDREN AND MY 9 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. OF COURSE, I HAD A LITTLE HELP FROM MY HUSBAND”, SAYS MILDRED.
TODAY MILDRED IS HAPPY AND ENJOYS HER DAYS AT SCHAEFER GARDENS. SHE IS PROUD TO BE A RESIDENT FOR 25 YEARS AND SHE CONSIDERS SCHAEFER GARDENS HER HOME. “I HOPE IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE HOME, BUT NOT FOR ANOTHER 25 YEARS,” CONCLUDES MILDRED.