Political trailblazer: South Strabane woman, who has voted since ’44, celebrates 103rd birthday
First female South Strabane supervisor celebrates 103rd birthday
Frances Hudak is among the millions of Americans who have already cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
But it’s far from the South Strabane Township resident’s first ballot.
Hudak turned 103 years old on Wednesday, and she voted for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The centenarian is proud of her lengthy voting record, saying it’s every citizen’s “civic duty” to take part in the election process.
“My father came from Italy and he served in World War I, and he got me to register to vote because that was an American duty,” said Hudak, who has been a registered voter since 1944. “I do remember voting for Roosevelt; it’s been so long ago, but I believe that’s when I first started.”
During World War II, Hudak worked as a “Rosie the Riveter” for Fleetwings Aircraft Co., in Bristol, Pa., before she became homesick and moved back to the Washington area, where she took a similar job at Duncan and Miller Glass Co. as a “bucker,” who paired up with an aircraft riveter to secure metal plates together on warplanes.
Hudak was one of roughly six million “Rosies,” women who worked in factories, shipyards, and manufacturing plants during World War II.
She and her husband, the late Willard Hudak, a World War II veteran, were married for 63 years before he passed away in 2012.
The couple raised two children, Willard Hudak Jr. of Eighty Four and Andrea Miller, who lives near Philadelphia. For Hudak, “family means everything,” and she enjoys spending time with her children, three grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
“My mom’s an amazing woman. Family has always been so important to her. She always took care of everybody and she has kept our family together. I don’t think anybody could have given us a better gift than having her as a mother,” said Miller.
Hudak’s family held a birthday party on Wednesday to celebrate her 103rd birthday.
It was, in fact, her second birthday celebration of sorts. Last week, Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi visited Hudak’s home to wish her a happy birthday and to present her with a certificate of recognition honoring her decades of community service.
A political trailblazer, she made history in 1976 by becoming the first woman elected as a South Strabane Township supervisor (two years after U.S. women gained the legal right to get credit cards in their own name).
Hudak also served as a poll worker at South Strabane Township during elections for several years, and she was a longtime member of several Democratic women’s groups.
Before she became a stay-at-home mom (and an accomplished cook, whose bacon dumplings are a family favorite), Hudak worked at Bell Telephone Co.
“Looking back, the accomplishments she’s had in her life are remarkable. I try to be like her and my father. Their guidance through life has been fantastic, spectacular. They’ve been the best role models,” said Hudak Jr.
Hudak’s secret to a long and happy life: “I tell everybody I try to treat everybody the way I want you to treat me. I am living a real good life. I just lived my life the best I could; I did what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. And I pray.”
And, she encourages young people to register to vote.
“Young people need to read and learn about what’s going on, and they need to vote,” said Hudak. “I worry about what’s going to happen to them as they get older, what’s the world going to be like? One of the things we still can do is vote, and we have to do it.”