VERONICA ORDOG, NEW JERSEY – AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN
My grandmother, Veronica Ordog, was a Hungarian immigrant, who arrived in America in the early 1900’s by way of Ellis Island. She was the mother of five children, Veronica, Anthony, Joseph, Paul, and Margaret. Unfortunately, she became a single mother in July of 1920, when her husband, Antal, suffered a heart attack at the age of 36. She would never remarry.
As a result, in order to remain in her house in the village of Roebling, she had to work in the John A. Roebling’s Sons Company Steel Mill. They specialized in making wire rope cables. She became a machine operator in the screen shop during the summer of 1920 and would retire in 1949.
Her children were very young at the time. My Dad, Paul, was six months old when his father died, and in 1929 another tragedy occurred when Margaret, who was fifteen years old, drowned in the Delaware River.
My Grandmother persevered through the Great Depression and World War II. As the news story explains, all three sons served in the military during the war. Fortunately, all three returned home safely. During the war, my Grandmother and many other women worked in the factory, which made submarine nuts, airplane controls, aircraft carrier cables, and other supplies for the war effort.
As was true in other factories throughout the nation, once the war was over, the men returned home to their jobs and many women were no longer employed. Veronica worked in the factory until 1949.
As you can see by this brief account, Veronica Ordog was one tough woman who was devoted to her family, her faith (she was deeply religious), and her country. She was proud to be an American. Despite the hardships in her life, she lived to the age of 88, when she passed away May 2nd, 1977. She set an example for her family to follow in the years afterwards, and made us all proud to call her Grandmom.
I have included the story of Veronica Ordog which was published in The Roebling War Worker, January 29th, 1943.
Written by Grandson Stephen Ordog, SR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The John A Roebling’s Sons Company were innovators in the making of wire rope, particularly for cables and suspenders in the building of suspension bridges, such as The Brooklyn, George Washington, and Golden Gate. Other products produced by the company were wire used for telegraphs and telephones, wire controls for vehicles, elevator cables, and the original “Slinky.”
The village of Roebling was built as a company town beginning in 1902. The family-run operation was sold to CFTI Steel in 1954, and the factory closed in 1974. The town is listed in the National Historic Register.
You can find more information on the John A. Roebling’s Sons Company at Roeblingmuseum.org