2005 Oftedahl

2005 Recipient - Geraldine P. Oftedahl

Born in Chicago, Geraldine was the oldest of six children of Henry and Margaret Ptacek. Due to involvement with children and experiences with two cousins born with Down's Syndrome, Gerry majored in speech/Language Pathology at Mundelein College. While pursuing her MS in Communications Disorders at Northwestern University, Gerry met and married Ed Oftedahl. They relocated to Rochester NY when he accepted a position in research at Eastman Kodak Company. For seven years in Rochester, Gerry worked at the Hearing and Speech Center of Rochester as it became part of the Al Sigl Center.

In 1970, Regina was born and in 1972 her sister Christina joined the Oftadahl family. Being deeply grateful for the adoption of both girls, Gerry and Ed found parenting to be very reqarding and fulfilling. Gerry was pleased to be at home with the girls. As the years past, Gerry's hours devoted to part-time professional work were minor compared to her investment with her family and in pro-life work.

In 1975, Gerry receives a form letter from then Congresswoman Bella Abzug, warning that the "right to have an abortion" was in danger and help was needed. Long having felt particularly blessed to have two daughters who were such examples of the gift of life, Gerry commenced her involvement in pro-life work. That letter led her to contact the Rochester Right to Life Committee, Inc. and thus began her thirty years of volunteer pro-life work. She was involved with writing newsletters and speaking engagements. Gerry served on the RARTL Board of Directors and ultimately became RARTL Board President, a position she held until the mid-80s. After resigning, she was invited to join the New York State Right to Life Committee Board where she served as Secretary, Vice-President and then eight terms as President. She then returned to the role as president with the Rochester group for a brief time.

Spreading the pro-life message was possible not just through right to life activities but also in doing complementary activities. Gerry has written/edited the Rochester Area and New York State Right to Life Committee newsletters over a period of 25 years. Gerry was a Board member of the Catholic Family Center, there working with adoption education and other programs. She worked with a cross-section of pro-life people in establishing Faith Haven, a home for unmarried, pregnant women.

From its inception in 1997 until her retirement in 2004, Gerry has served faithfully as the founder and president of the Leo Holmsten Human Life Committee. She has been he driving force in cultivating the committee's initial purpose of recognized, much less thanked, for their support of innocent, human life threatened by abortion, and quite predictably, euthanasia.

In reflecting over the people, events and blessings which enabled the accomplishments she has been able to make for the pro-life movement, Gerry has expressed that she has received more than she has given. Most of all, she feels that her biography, as those of so many others in the pro-life movement, is a reflection of doing what can be done, with whatever is available, for as long as individuals are able and given the help of the Lord.

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