Julia Leffel was born in Manhattan and raised in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. She was the third of six children. Her parents were Anna and Harry Leffel.[1]
She married Israel (aka Izzy) Waldbaum when she was 21, and he was 28. He owned a grocery store, and she worked there, they brought up three children together.
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In 1947, at age 55, her husband had died. At the time, the family-owned a chain of seven stores.
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In 1986, A&P bought the chain from the family. At that year, the chain consisted of 140 stores and had a revenue of $1.37 billion.
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In the 1960s, the chain expanded significantly and sold 400 products under the Waldbaum's label; almost all of them carried her picture along with her recipes, which she created at her home.
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She used to make 30 surprise inspections in the stores each month, even after the acquisition in 1986, taking care of quality, service, and cleanliness.
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She was the benefactress at charity fund-raising dinners, along with donations to opera and foster homes.
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Waldbaum died in her sleep at her home in Queens, New York City, at the age of 99.[2]
She was survived by a son, a daughter, ten grandchildren, and twenty-four great-grandchildren.
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