Loretta Helen Waldo, 93, of Turtle Lake joined our lord on Saturday, June 22 after suffering an illness while a resident Of Care and Rehab Cumberland. She was surrounded by family and was blessed with visits from friends and the support of St Croix Hospice.

Loretta was born November 11, 1930, in Turtle Lake to George and Helen (Chartraw) Cordes. She grew up on a farm on the south shore of Horseshoe Lake with her parents, younger brother Nick Cordes and her Uncle Nick (Enoch) Chartraw. She enjoyed swimming, fishing, sewing, and working on the farm. As part of a very large extended family (her mother was one of 13), she was very close to her 100+ 1st cousins and there were always cousins and other family visiting the home farm and enjoying the lake

Loretta started school just up the road at the Horseshoe Lake grade school and graduated from Turtle Lake High School. She met Arlo Waldo at 4-H camp while in high school and they married on September 2, 1951.

Loretta and Arlo built a house on Horseshoe Lake, where they raised their family. While the kids were little, she worked several canning seasons at Stokley’s in Cumberland and part-time at Becker’s Hardware store in Turtle Lake. Once Mike, the youngest, went to school – she took a job as school secretary for Turtle Lake High School. Loretta spent 30 years helping educate and mentor more than two generations of Turtle Lake students. She very rarely missed any of the countless sporting events, concerts, plays, field trips, spaghetti dinners and FFA events that her children were involved in and continued to do so after they graduated from Turtle Lake. Loretta said she enjoyed all the students over the years but had a special place in her heart for the “naughty” ones (I assume you know who you are)!

She was very active in a wide range of other interests. Loretta was a lifelong member of St Anne’s Catholic Church, singing in the choir and working dozens of church dinners and events over the years. She enjoyed card parties with neighbors and friends. She was an active member of the Horseshoe Lake Homemakers group and Garden Club.

Arlo and Loretta enjoyed traveling in the US. Once Loretta retired, two of her main activities became family scrapbooking and quilting, especially after Arlo passed away in 2011. She created scrapbooks for each of her kids as well one for several of her cousins’ families. Each of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren (and many others) were the recipients of one of her beautiful quilts.

Loretta is survived by her brother Nick (Donna) Cordes of Turtle Lake and four children - Pete Waldo (Wendy) of Atkin, MN; Mary Helen Waldo of San Mateo, CA; Joe (Mary Beth) Waldo of Turtle Lake, WI and Mike (Kelly) Waldo of Maple Grove, MN; fourteen grandchildren – Kristi (Dan) Thill of Forest Lake; Phil Waldo of So Charlotte, NC; Darin (Jamie) Waldo of Otsego, MN; Clare Miller of Maple Grove, MN, Nick (Mary Kate) Waldo of Kansas City, KS; Kate Becker of Morgan, UT; Julie (Brad) Fullbright of Sugar Creek, MO; Tony Waldo of New Brighton, MN; Paul (Monica) Roskowitz; Sheri (Bryan) Berscheid; Jacquie (Greg) Engler; Jeremy (Ayla) Schadow; Ryan (Christie) Schadow; and Sarah (Jim) Carnes.

She is also survived by twenty-none great grandchildren – Josh (Haley) Thill, Joe Thill, Nicole (Brandon) Henke, Grace Thill, Ellie Thill, Shane Waldo, Jake Waldo, Owen Waldo, Aurora Miller, Grayson Miller, Bo Waldo, Madison Waldo, Jonah Waldo, Eli Waldo, Rebecka Fullbright, Hudson Fullbright, Tyler Roskowitz, Tanner Holman, Jenna Holman, Brady Holman, Ava Engler, Maya Engler, Isaiah Schadow, Leah Schadow, Jaylen Schadow, Kaedi Bowers, Brody Schadow, Riley Carnes, and Ivy Carnes. and five great-great grandchildren – Rylee Thill, Bowin Henke, Emma Schadow, Flynn Schadow, and Kinsley Schadow.

She was preceded in death by her husband Arlo in 2011, parents George and Helen Cordes, daughter Christine, daughter-in-law Patricia Waldo, and too many aunts, uncles and cousins to name.

A visitation will be held from 3:00-6:00 pm on Sunday June 30 at Skinner Funeral Home, 260 Industrial Ave, Turtle Lake, WI. A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 on Monday July 1 at St Annes Catholic Church, 300 Pine St S, Turtle Lake, with visitation starting at 10:00 AM. Internment will be at St Anne’s cemetery following the mass. A lunch will be served at St Anne’s Center following the service.

In lieu of flowers, any donations made out to 'The Family of Lorrette Waldo' will be used to help set up a new scholarship in Loretta’s name for Turtle Lake school students. Cards in Loretta’s name can be mailed to 93 155th Ave, Turtle Lake, WI 54889.

Last Update: Jun 24, 2024 6:55 pm CDT