19 Jun 1914 – 27 Jul 1990
Wife of Joseph Phillip Cardon
ANNA MARIE ROTHLISBERGER CARDON HISTORY
by Marie Cardon
The additions to this history in ( ) are from history written by Lavor Cardon in 1974.
(Jacob and Martha Rizpah Holgate Rothlisberger made a living on a farm in Kline, Colorado. Martha had to work by her husband’s side for he had a leakage in his heart and his doctor told him to never go anywhere alone. On June 19, 1914, Martha was working beside her husband in the fields, she felt labor pains begin) and on that warm summer evening of 19 Jun 1914 in a little town of Kline, La Plata, Colorado, a daughter was born to Jacob Rothlisberger and Martha Holgate. She was named Anna Marie (after Jacob’s sister who died when she was young), she was the fourth daughter and the seventh child. My father had a leakage of the heart all his life. When I was four years old, he died (1918) one night in his sleep. My mother was (40 years old) and left with eight children (to raise), the oldest being 15 years and the youngest 15 months. The youngest were twin girls, Nell and Dell. My father’s death was a shock to mother. She dreamed one night that he had been buried alive and she was determined to have him dug up to see. He couldn’t possibly have been as he had begun to decay before he was buried. (My mother was determined to keep her family together. She stayed four more years in Kline, Colorado working in the fields with the men. Marie’s early childhood was spent on that farm in Kline. She was exposed to the duties of helping on the farm at a tender age.)
My brothers and sisters were: Susanna, Martha, Genevieve, Clyde, Andrew, Nell, & Dell. My oldest sister was married in 1922 to Ervin John. I was baptized a member of the church 1 July 1922 (by Ralph Lee. Marie attended school in Kline and she had Mrs. McClendon as her first grade teacher. Some of us children had the same teacher when we started school in Durango, Colorado.). The same fall my mother went to St. Johns, Arizona to see her family. She decided to move there (because she would be closer to her father’s family) as she would have better chances to work and raise her family. (My mother worked hard to keep her family together. She taught her children to work and as soon as possible they were working for wages, especially the boys, in order to help support the family. Marie had to stay home to tend her twin sisters when her mother and older brother and sisters were working.)
Mother was a hard worker and she provided for her family. We all learned the value of work, for which we have always been grateful. (Marie grew up in this small town of St. Johns, Arizona. She graduated from Primary at the age of 12. She attended seminary and high school. While attending high school, Marie sang in the choir and participated in several plays. When someone would call her Anna Marie, she would not answer to it for she felt it was childish. As she grew older, she learned to like her full name and wished she was called Anna Marie instead of just Marie. She had a Sunday School teacher, Annie Lee, that took Marie under her wing as she was growing up. Pauline Gibbons, Martha’s cousin, was one of Marie’s teachers in St. Johns. One of Marie’s close friends in high school was Mary Johnson).
I graduated from high school the spring of 1932 and (also seminary at age of 18). My sister Martha and her husband, Lynn Zufelt, were living at Kirkland, New Mexico. I went to visit her for the summer. I found work at a dairy farm of Edie Wheeler. This is where I met my husband. When I first seen him, the thought ran through my mind that this is the man I am suppose to marry. (Dad, Joseph Phillip Cardon, however, wanted nothing to do with any girl with red hair. It didn’t take long for Marie to change Joseph’s mind though. They were soon helping each other with the milking, dishes and enjoying evening strolls together. They had the opportunity to spend many hours working together and sharing the thoughts of their hearts. Thus, they built a solid foundation on which to build the remainder of eternity that they would share.)
We were married 7 July 1933 in St. Johns, Arizona. (The Mesa Temple wasn’t open and Marie was not quite ready to go to the temple.) 26 September 1933, we went to the Arizona Temple where we were married for time and eternity.
(Their first home was in Kirtland, New Mexico.) Our first daughter was born in Kirtland, New Mexico 26 Jun 1934. We worked at farming. My husband’s father and brother decided to go to Allison, Colorado to buy a farm. Our second daughter, Ellen, was born 8 August 1935. Phillip, our first son, 17 March 1937; Anita, our last daughter, 16 October 1938; Neil, 6 November 1940. At this time my husband was working at the flour mill for Don Tanner. He got his hand caught in a roller and cut off most of the fingers on his right hand. He was laid up for the rest of the winter. Boyd was born 28 March 1942. At this time the World War II was going, my husband wanted to get into defense work. He took an aptitude test for the signal corp. He left the farm and went to Trinidad, Colorado. We stayed there for 4 months. We then went to Craig, Colorado. We stayed there for 5 months. My husband was sent to Chicago. We weren’t able to go with him, so we came back to Durango. He stayed in Chicago for 3 months. He resigned the corp., and came home.
We bought the house we live in from my sister, Susie. We remodeled it. Lavor was born 19 May 1944. My husband worked at various jobs. Ruland was born 24 July 1949. The children all grew up in Durango and graduated from high school. The four older ones went to college and got their degrees in their chosen fields. Loree, a beautician; Ellen and Anita, teachers; Phillip, a baker. Loree was the first one married. She married Dale Morton 9 September 1955; Ellen married Lynn Young 6 June 1958; Anita married Edward Simmons the same day as Ellen. All three were married in the Salt Lake Temple.
(Marie worked hard raising her children. At times it was very difficult for there wasn’t much money. She raised and canned most of our food. She sewed our clothes and made quilts for our beds. Marie taught us children to work right along with her. She was very strong in the church and made sure we attended our meetings. We were taught to be honest in all our dealings. Marie made our home a place where we all wanted to be. There was love and concern felt in our home. It was, indeed, like a heaven on earth.
Marie held many church callings. She has been a Cub Scout Den mother, a teacher in all the auxiliaries, and a Relief Society president. She fulfilled her callings faithfully).
Phillip accepted a call to go on a mission to the East Central States. He entered the mission home 13 April 1959. We were really proud of our children then and equally as proud of them now. Neil accepted a mission call to Argentina. We were happy and sad to have him go so far from home and be gone for two and half years. Boyd accepted his call to Uruguay. Lavor is now down in Mexico on a mission. All the boys filled honorable missions and done much in furthering the work of the Lord.
We have never had much of the material things of life, but we have been blessed with happiness and 8 wonderful healthy children. My husband had his appendix out the year that Anita was born. The doctor hold him that it was the clean life he lived that saved him. Boyd had his appendix out when he was 7 years old. His appendix had been bursted for 4 hours. He came through it just fine without any complications. We had 5 appendectomies in as many years.
(This paragraph inserted on 9 Dec 1997 by Ellen Young) Phillip married Murial Dene Mason on 28 Apr 1962 in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. Neil married Sandra Arthur on 14 Feb 1964 in Manti, Utah Temple. Boyd married Terri Le Horrocks on 13 Aug 1966 in Manti, Utah Temple. Ruland married Susan Louise Bertsch on 19 May 1971 in Logan, Utah Temple. Lavor married Marilyn Pessner on 21 Dec 1973 in Provo, Utah Temple.)
(Joseph and Marie took care of foster children for several years. Marie gave each of these children the motherly love they needed. It was very hard for both of them to have the children leave when they were adopted. Marie always loved to play games with the family and grandchildren. Some of her favorites were: Scrabble, Nerts, Uno, Skippo, and Yahtzee. She also liked to play practical jokes. She had a good sense of humor and was very witty.
(Joseph & Marie have always wanted to go on a mission together, but Joseph passed away before his dream was fulfilled. Marie was able to serve two missions. Her first one was in the Washington Seattle Mission and her second in Missouri Independence Mission. Marie served this mission for Joseph. She really enjoyed teaching people about the gospel. Both of her missions were very successful. She was a great example to all her children and grandchildren. When she was on her mission in Washington, Marie injured her shoulder and knee. She stayed with Lavor & Marilyn. While at their home, Marie slept in a water bed. She tried her best to get out of this bed by rolling back and forth. She finally had to get on all fours and crawl inch by inch to the edge of the bed. She never wanted to sleep in a water bed again.
Marie loved to make quilts. She made one for each of her children when they were married and for most her grandchildren and some of her great-grandchildren when they were born. She loved to crochet.
Marie has been a beacon of light to all those who have known and loved her. She was not afraid of work and when she set her mind to do something, she never stopped until it was done. She was a spiritual giant in our home when we were young. We all leaned on her testimony until ours were strong enough and we could stand alone.
QUOTES FROM HER CHILDREN
Loree: Mother laid the foundation for my future in the example of her life and in the teachings she gave her children.
Ellen: Mother helped me to build my character. She gave me the energy, courage, and the will to do what is right. She taught me to have faith and belief in God and in His Son through mouth and example.
Phillip: Mother always had work for me to do. It seems as though I never was able to play with my friends. My friends never had to work like I had to. As I look back on my childhood, I am so thankful that my mother was very strict. I have really grown to love mother since I have a family of my own. When mother decided to do something, she put her whole heart into it.
Anita: it was through Mother’s great love and concern for me that helped me over the pitfalls of my teenage years. Mother was a great example of honesty, thrift, tithing and clean living. I have always wanted to raise my family like mother raised us all.
Neil: Anna Marie Rothlisberger, my mother, has influenced my life in a very affirmative way. It began with the tenderness she showed me as an infant; the reassurance as a toddler the power of direction during my adolescence; the hope, faith, encouragement and sacrifice as I developed into a man.
Her teachings in my childhood created a reservoir of persistence that guided me in my time of need. As a missionary in Argentina, when my task seemed unendurable and I felt to give up and suffer humiliating defeat, the wisdom of phrases she often repeated to me and stories she read to me in my childhood and youth came to my aid and encouraged me to move onward and upward. Such phrases as ”Yard by yard it is hard. Inch by inch it is a synch”. The story of the little red train chugging a burdensome load up a mountain saying, “I think I can! I think I can!” Never losing courage he eventually arrived at the summit and went down the other side whistling all the way.
Mother taught me the value of work. She never asked me to do anything she was not willing to do herself be it gardening, work on the house, etc. I remember putting stucco on the garage addition to our home. I had mixed the stucco and had applied much of it on the house. I knew I would have to mix more soon. I turned to come down from the scaffolding and I saw Mother carrying a one-hundred pound sack of stucco mix to the mortar box. She was going to mix another batch of stucco for me so I could continue stuccoing without interruption.
Mother was always supportive of my father. She loved him very dearly. She adored him. 1 don’t remember her ever uttering anything of a negative nature about him. She was a perfect example of loyalty.
She always exercised great faith. She never sent us to church. She always went with us. She served willingly and tirelessly in whatever calling she had. She encouraged prayer, fasting, service and worship. She had eminent reverence for all forms of life and encouraged me to do likewise. I am proud of my mother and love and respect her immensely.
Boyd: “God could not be everywhere so he sent mothers”. Mother’s divine influence has molded my life. She seemed to always match the responsibility with the appropriate age. Never was the task too great for the child’s capacity. Her life seemed to say, “To be a man, my son, one must enjoy work.” Love is shown by what one does, not says. Mother was constantly loving and giving. From her being the words would softly say, “To be a man, my son, one must love.” She insisted that we be honest. Mother would often say: “Remember who you are.” Her actions seemed to say, ”To be a man, my son, one must know God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ, and keep their commandments.”
Lavor: Mother has always worked hard and enjoyed it. 1 have always been amazed at how much she can accomplish in one day. Therefore, she taught me how to work as I worked by her side. Mother gave me the desire to get an education. She took night c1asses in nursing and typing even with her large family. In my studies, she always seemed to say, “Lavor, you can do better, just try.” The one thing that I appreciate and remember most about Mother is the home that she and dad created. A home where there was unity and an attitude of sharing. Mother was the type of women described in Proverbs 31: 26-30: ”She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. ‘Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that fearth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
Ruland: I think the most serious time I spent with mother was when I was 15 and I gave mother and dad such a rough time. I remember that mother would talk to me several times to try to straighten me out. The most joyous time that I had with mother is the time that mother, dad, Lavor and I traveled to Mexico City. I really got to know mother and share her thoughts and feelings a lot more.
1990: The five boys have served missions and fourteen grandchildren have served or are serving missions. Mother has been loved by her eight children, forty-six grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by two grandchildren and her beloved husband, Joseph. Mother is also survived by two sisters, Martha and Nell and by one brother, Andrew. As of today, 9 Dec 1997, Marie is survived only by one sister, Martha John who lives in Grand Junction, Colorado.