1 Apr 1902 – 22 Sep 1991
Great-granddaughter of Philip Cardon and Martha Marie Tourn
Granddaughter of Jean Paul Cardon and Susannah Goudin
Daughter of Louis Samuel Cardon and Rebecca Ann Ballard
For the family reunion, we all wrote some things that we remembered about our father, except Margaret. She declined to do so. Instead, she commissioned her son, Louis, to do it for her. Louis knew his grandfather very well, having lived with them in his childhood. Louis knew his grand- father and loved him. He was more like a favorite little son, than a grand- son. Therefore Louis submitted some of his choice memories of his grand- father, and we appreciate it very much.
Margaret was the first daughter, and the first child born to Louis and Rebecca Cardon after he came from his long three year mission to the Swiss and German Mission. That was only one of the reasons that they welcomed her so greatly. She was a symbol of their wonderful and enduring love, and of three long years of loneliness for each other.
She was their pride and joy, and to make it better, she was a beautiful little girl with a sweet disposition and golden curls. Who can blame them for loving her in a special way, especially as she was closely followed by Rebecca, a homely, fat, freckled nuisance, always into things.
Margaret was more timid than some of the rest of us. She never learned to milk the cow, drive the car, love the calf and teach it to drink, or clean the mites out of the chicken coop.
She always had the first choice of gifts, because she was the oldest. Rebecca remembers that she always chose the one that Rebecca would have loved most.
Because she was Grandma Ballard’s name sake, she got all of the mementoes such as grandma’s watch on a chain for the neck, the largest pieces of drawn work, and the beautiful little round table, made by grandpa by hand.
When Margaret grew up she was beautiful and good, and everyone loved her. She was the oldest, and therefore put in charge when the folks were away. She was the trusted one, and -worthy of their trust, but oft times to the rest of use not so good. We had babies regularly and for about 2 weeks each time, we also had a hired girl, which delighted us, for the dishes were done before we came home from school at night. One “hired girl” was heard to remark, Margaret Is such a sweet, pretty little thing, but that next one is something else. She is so ugly that only a mother could love her”. (Rebecca often doubted that even her mother did, but she never doubted that her father loved her, and all of them.)
Margaret married, and when Louis was born, she and her husband separated. Margaret and Louis lived at home and Margaret went to work at the office for our father. Mom tended Louis, with the help of all of us, spelling her off.
For this reason, Margaret probably got to know our father closer and better than any of us. We know he loved her, and came to depend on her in a business way. They had many experiences together. She must have known many things that happened in his life that we all wish it had been our privilege to share. Maybe someday she will write some of them for us.
We know that she was heartbroken at his death, the same as were all of the rest of us. We had wonderful parents and are a favored and blessed family. But I, Rebecca, at least remembered the love and the joy that Margaret brought to our father, and I rejoice that she could do that for him. We shared a wonderful father, Louis S. Cardon.
by Rebecca Cardon Peterson