Lauretta wants you to know that her work here is done. Most of us cannot fathom spending 96 years on this beautiful planet, let alone spending those years the way Lauretta did. She woke with the sun each morning. With a work ethic rarely seen, Lauretta was a survivor dedicated to her family and a skilled craftswoman loved by her children. Her journey began in 1925 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she was born the youngest of five brothers. At only six years old, Lauretta lost her Mother, Laura, to a heart condition and her father to a burst appendix a week later. Orphaned with little family left, Lauretta found a home with her Aunt Gladys on Pittsburgh's South Side.
As an orphaned girl during the Great Depression, Lauretta's renowned work ethic developed from necessity during a difficult time in US history. Her aptitude for hard work in the wake of World War II landed her a job at the Wolverine Toy Factory, crafting toys for kids, and detonators for troops. After the war, she met her future husband, James (Jim) Arthurs, through mutual friends. Together, Jim & Lauretta had four children, Carol (Reckard), Kim, Bill, and Gary, before Jim's death in 2009.
The family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, a place the Arthurs call home, in 1965. Here, Lauretta established herself as a fine seamstress and designer of window treatments. She would spend 12 hours a day, usually seven days a week, in her workroom. Throughout her career, she worked with Wilmington's top interior designers, her work adorning the windows of the finest homes in Delaware.
Since her "retirement," Lauretta continued her craft, helping others develop their sewing skills. She continued paying close attention to her children and five grandchildren - Brian Arthurs, Bobby Reckard, Lauren Arthurs, Carly Arthurs & Lily Arthurs - and great-granddaughters Frankie Mejia & Callie Arthurs.
We continue to take valuable lessons from Lauretta's life, like "clean the corners and the middle will take care of itself." Fanatically clean, obsessively opinionated, and loved by many- now is her time to, at last, find rest.
Donations can be made to the Daily Bread Community Food Pantry in Collegeville.
Arrangements are Private.
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