Obituary of Edna Bredenko

Glens Falls: Edna Bredenko, 91, formerly of North Creek, passed away peacefully Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at The Pines at Glens Falls with her loving family at her bedside. Born November 18, 1922 in New York City, she was the daughter of Jan and Apolonia Dudzinski. As a child, Edna moved to Poland with her parents, and she then was required to return to the United States at the beginning of World War II because she was born an American citizen. She had to leave her father, mother, and sister behind. Edna and her husband, James, moved from New York City to North Creek in 1951 where she raised her family. Edna was an outstanding cook and worked in restaurants most of her life. She will be remembered by many of the “old timers” from the Red Diner and Smith’s Restaurant in North Creek. She also worked at the Delavan Restaurant in Lake George and then managed Edna’s Diner in Lake Luzerne. Edna considered her greatest accomplishments to have been the rearing of her five children. She was widowed very young with the death of her husband and she raised her children as a single mother. Although bringing up five children along and without much money was very difficult, through hard work and extraordinary effort, Edna was able to accomplish the task. Throughout her life, Edna always remained totally devoted to that welfare of her children and grandchildren. She was always there for them, giving wise advice whenever they needed her. One of Edna’s greatest strengths as a person was her optimism. She always believed in the possibilities of life. One of her favorite sayings was “tomorrow will be a better day”. When times were very difficult for her, this optimism helped her get through them. Because of the extraordinarily positive influence Edna had on the lives of her children and loved ones, she will live on forever in their hearts. Besides her parents, Edna was predeceased by her husband, James Bredenko, and her sisters, Eva Dudzinki and Viola (Anthony) Karolefski. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Reyes of Sebring, FL; her sons, Richard (Carol) Bredenko of Lake Luzerne, James (Linda) Bredenko, Jr. of Fort Edward, John (Michelle Boucher) Bredenko of Troy, and Lee Bredenko of Potsdam; grandchildren, Alexandra (William) O’Brien of Sugar Loaf, Barbara (Richard) Venerus of Charlottesville, VA, Erica (Todd) France of Fort Edward, John Bredenko of Schenectady, Alexis Bredenko of Schenectady, Gregory (Alyssa) Bredenko of Fort Mead, MD; step-grandchildren, Melissa (James) Epstein of Sebring, FL, and Robert Reyes of Tallahassee, FL; great-grandchildren, Hudson O’Brien, Jack and Ben Venerus, Eric, Evan, and Ethan France; step-great-grandchildren, Olivia, Harrison, William, and Ava Epstein, and Brennan Reyes. She also leaves behind two nephews, John (Linda Winick) Karolefski of Ohio, and Joey (Lucia) Karolefski of Texas. In deference to Edna’s wishes there will be no calling hours scheduled. A private graveside service to celebrate her life will be conducted in St. James Cemetery, North Creek in the spring. Edna’s family wishes to acknowledge the staff on the 3rd floor at The Pines for their care over the years, and a special thank you to Todd, Kelly, Misty, Christina and Ashley for their kindness and gentle attention to detail. To honor her desires to be sure everyone was well fed, expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations in Edna’s memory to the Maxfield Community Food Pantry, P.O. Box 490, Lake Luzerne, NY 12846. Please visit www.alexanderfh.net for online guestbook and condolences.