The chairman for the 2011 reunion was Boyd Cardon. The reunion was held Saturday August 13, 2011, in Riverton, Utah. Thanks, Boyd, for all your efforts and making the reunion a success. Thanks to your committee as well including Larry C. Porter, Ray Blake, R. Lavor Cardon, Carl Goodman, Charles “Dick” Cardon, Becky Cardon Smith, David & Linnea Cardon, Natalie Bluemel, Brookie Cardon Peterson, Carol Dyer, Jen Cardon, Bob Cardon, Roland Thatcher, Michael Cardon and Russ Cardon.
Details
The 2011 Cardon Family Reunion for all descendants of Philippe and Marthe Marie Tourn Cardon
When: Saturday, August 13, 2011 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, registration began at 8:30 am with exhibits available. Program began at 10:00 am.
Where: 1900 West 11970 South Brookwood Chapel Riverton 4th Ward, Riverton, UT
What: 2011 Cardon Families Reunion
Agenda:
- Louis B. Cardon “Highlights from the life of Louis Philippe Cardon” (He died 100 years ago).
- Jim Toronto “Waldensian Conversions to Mormonism.”
- Tributes: Giovanni Cena and Louis B. Cardon
- Michael Cardon “Short History of Philippe and Marthe Children in the US.”
- Scott Cardon “Video Highlights of the 2010 Italy Tour.”
- Ron Malan “Update on the Italian Notary Record Research.”
- 7 Displays and PUblications
- Break-out sessions
- Youth games at the pavilion and softsball field
Lunch: Hawaiian Luau by Aloha Catering $4.50 per person.
Donations: Suggested $10-$20 per family for handouts, etc. (Philippe Cardon Family).
PFO Donations: Needed to continue Cardon research in Italy (Piedmont Family Organization PFO).
Extra: At 4pm a tour of the Kennecott Copper mine which was 8 miles west was led by Spencer Thatcher.
KEEP CONNECTED TO THE CARDON CLAN!
Click here to view the program
Click here to view Waldensian Proverbs collected by James Toronto
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Cardon Family Organization Honorees 2011
Giovanni Cena: (Giovanni is unable to be with us, but sent his response for this award}:
I have been transcribing archival records for many years. If I think about how my life has crossed with your research, I have to say that in some ways I have been prepared and guided by the Lord.
I was born in a farmhouse at the end of World War II and my parents were farmers, therefore I was taught to work hard every day. I learned the local dialect, the technical terms used to measure farmland and the way local family relationships worked: all the ways of living of the Piedmont farmers.
I did not follow my father’s footsteps; I worked in factories during the day and studied at night, all the way through college. I met on my way people that have been teachers to me that told me few words that guided me to the discovery and acceptance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when I was 27 years old.
I married in the Church and had 5 children. The Church in Italy at that time was in its first years, with few manuals translated from English. We had to pray a lot and ask the young missionaries how to do things. I was called several times as branch president and no one knew how to do family history work. In a somewhat extraordinary way, through the university, I found professors that introduced me to archival research. I changed my course of study and specialized in family history. I learned how to use the Church software and other more sophisticated software programs and performed the genealogy of my whole hometown all the way back to 1490.
A brother from the branch where I was branch president moved to Utah and met Brother Boyd Cardon and Brother Ron Malan. They asked him if he knew someone who could do genealogical research in Italy for the Waldensian valleys. He answered: ‘I don’t know, but my branch president has done a lot of genealogical research”. They contacted me and we started this relationship that still lasts today.
The knowledge I acquired growing up, about the farmers of the Piedmont region and their ways of living, helped me to put together all of the pieces of genealogical research and reconstruct complex family relationships using the archival records.
I believe that the Spirit was guiding this process, that He inspired people to tell me words and prepared my mind to receive them. Around that time I was also praying to receive help to support my family since with 5 children money was always tight and it was hard to have sufficient money for them to be able to do extracurricular activities such as studying music and learning foreign languages. Meeting with you was a miracle because you have helped me. The money that I received for doing the genealogical work was used to pay for my children’s education at BYU and for their missions. I am very grateful for this help and I wish to sincerely thank you.
At times I have met some of you and I was able to get to know you and take you to the places where you ancestors lived. You have listened in the quiet groves of trees that surrounded the people that preceded you there. Every time you entered those places, those cemeteries, you entered in someone’s home, in the same place where someone prayed and lived. You have felt the life and the history of your people.
These visits have been pleasant and instructive, especially for the youth that were with you, to help them understand that in the world there are not only sidewalks and stores and restaurants, that life is not virtual like a video game.
In those places they were able to feel the essence of their roots and their heritage and learn the ways of living of their ancestors. When you took your children there, you showed them a way that they will later show to their own children.
I feel that the Spirit has accompanied us in all these years, I feel the Spirit as I write the names of the people contained in the old, yellowish pages of the abandoned archival records. Those people will remain dead if someone does not make them live again in their family relationships.
I thank you and bless you in your meeting as if I was present among you. I know that one day we will meet again together with all the people whose names we have transcribed through this collaboration.
Sincerely, Giovanni Cena
Louis Bellamy Cardon: Louis was born in Mesa, Arizona to Louis Sanders Cardon and Winnafred Mae Bellamy. He has an older sister, Brookie Mae Cardon Peterson and three younger brothers: Mariner Paul, Philip Worth, and Grover Leonard Cardon.
Louis graduated from college and was then called to the French Mission. One of the blessings from his missionary service was making the acquaintance of a sister missionary-Robin Cardon. Their occasional letters after they both returned home blossomed into something more than just friendship, and they were married in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. Louis continued his education by getting his Doctorate degree at the University of California Berkeley. During this time, their family expanded to include three children: Becky, Scott, and Carol. Louis became a professor at BYU in the history department. His expertise was in European History, and the entire family was fortunate to live in Europe on several different occasions.
After their children left the nest, Louis and Robin served a mission at the Swiss Temple. It was during this time that he had an amazing experience related to his Cardon ancestry. During the June closure of the temple, Becky, Carol and their families arranged a visit. It was prearranged that they would meet in the Piedmont area, the Cardon ancestral homeland. Louis and Robin went to Torre Pellice a day early so they could do some advanced scouting of the sites to see. Louis tells of his miraculous experience: “We had just arrived at the Torre Pellice train station, and started walking up the hill from the station….We had walked about a block when we noticed a rather elderly man walking parallel to us on a path a little higher on the hill than our road. He could evidently see that we were strangers and called down to ask us if we were looking for something. I called back ‘tourist office’ in Italian, whereupon he called down some instructions and pointed the way.” They again ran into this man just a few blocks later and he offered his help. This man spoke French and Louis asked him if he knew of any Cardons living in Torre Pellice. To their amazement, he responded that he was a Cardon. Thinking he didn’t understand, Louis pulled out his photo ID and in response the man pulled out his. The gentleman’s name was Elmus Cardon, son of Luigi (Italian for Louis) Cardon, and he and his wife were the only Cardons living in Torre Pellice (population about 5,000)! For the next few days, Elmus and his wife Carle became their tour guides. During their time together, Elmus told of his younger sister, Jenny, who had served in the resistance movement during World War II. She was arrested and executed on April 23, 1945, just as the War was ending. Louis and Robin were able to do her temple work before they returned home from their mission.
Louis serves as the patriarch of his family which now includes his wife, three children, 11 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren (with hopefully many more on the way). His life is a great example of love of family, God, Country (but don’t get him talking about politics), and respect for his ancestors.