30 Dec 1907 – 23 Jul 2000
2nd-Great-Granddaughter of Philp Cardon and Martha Marie Tourn
Great-Granddaughter of Louis Philip Cardon and Susette Stalé
Granddaughter of Emanuel Philip Cardon and Amelia Mariah Merrick
Daughter of Emanuel Alonzo Cardon and Rosa Vilate Terry
A Sketch of My Life
I was born in St. David, Cochise County, Arizona the 30th of December 1907, the fourth child of Emanuel Alonzo Cardon Senior and Rosa Vilate Terry. I had 2 sisters, Dency and Irene, and a brother named Emanuel Alonzo Cardon Jr. and we were living at St. David, Arizona, another brother was born, Jesse Leo.
When I was still a baby, we moved to a farm just a few miles from Wellton, Arizona. This place was infested with snakes. I guess the thing I remember most was the rattlesnakes and sidewinders. Almost every day we would kill a snake close to the house. A few of these incidents stand out in my memory. One day my brother Jesse and I went into the chicken coop and there was a great big rattlesnake coiled up to strike and rattling like the dickens. We ran to the field and got Dad to come kill it. Another time we watched one of our cats kill one. One day mother was washing out under the trees and Jesse was playing stick horse when he came around the house there was a big rattlesnake going in and out his track, just inches from his heels. There wasn’t time to go for Dad this time, so mother and my sister Dency had to kill it. I never could figure out how we all escaped from being bitten.
One day Irene, Emanuel and myself were roaming around the countryside picking berries, I was only three at the time. We saw a white faced cow watching us so we thought we’d better be going. We went down a little hill and got behind a big tree and looked back and saw that cow coming at a run down that hill. Irene took hold of one of my hands and Emanuel the other and we fairly flew over the ground, luck for us there was a good fence close, we just barely got under it and she was up with us. She was one mad critter. She pawed the ground and glared at us. We thought she might have had a calf hiding someplace near and that we were after it.
Another time my sister and I were going to a neighbor’s house about 3 miles through the mesquite tress. We planned on riding our horse, but we couldn’t get him to budge. We coaxed, pulled and whipped him to no avail. We had to walk. We got about half way there when we saw some cows. Due to our previous experience we were afraid and climbed up in a tree and stayed there all afternoon until the cows had gone away.
We lived at Wellton, Arizona until I was 5 years old. Then in the early spring of 1913 we came to Utah. On our way up here we had to change trains at Yuma, Arizona. Mother had bought us new shows, mine were pretty black slippers and they hurt me so mother made my brother Jesse change shoes with me. He pulled the bows off and I cried and cried. We never did find them.
It was hot when we left Arizona but the farther North we came the colder it got. We didn’t have any real warm clothing.
We moved to Welton Arizona from St. David Ariz. when I was still a baby. We lived there until I was 5 years old. Then in 1913 we came to Utah. We first lived in Vernon, Tooele Co. where I started to school. We moved to Benmore, Tooele Co. Utah. I had 2nd and 3rd grades there, then we moved to the Fredricson Ranch, north of Vernon, Utah. I started the 4th grade here then when my oldest sister, Dency, got married, I went to Leamington, Millard Co. Utah to live with her – finished the 4th grade there. While I was in Leamington, my parents moved to Eureka, Juab Co. Utah. I attended the Eureka Public School for my 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. In the Spring of 1922 we moved to Hinckley, Millard Co. Utah. I attended the Millard Academy 3 years. I quit school at the end of my 3rd year and got married. After my marriage, I lived in Deseret, Millard Co. Utah. That was 30 April 1925. Our first child, a baby girl was born 20 May 1926. Then on 20 April 1928 a son was born; another son 20 May 1929. I was asked to teach a class in Sunday School, which I did for 6 months. Then I was asked to take the Kindergarten class and also to be Chorister. I was asked to help with the 15-16 year old boys and girls also during this time. I was working i the Primary as a teacher later, as chorister and Play Leader. In 1935 I was asked to take the Bee-Hive Girls in the M.I.A. I taught for 5 years. On 13 Aug. 1942 my last child, Sandra, was born. When she was just 1 year old we were divorced. Bonnie Jean got married. Les and Donnie went into Service so in 1945 Sandra and I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. We first lived at Mrs. Mary Browns, 742 So. 6 E. I worked in Cafe at Sears Roebuck for 6 months, then I went to work at the ZCMI Drug Store Lunch, first as a waitress, then as assistant Manager for 3 years. In 1950 we moved to 429 Alameda Ave. where we lived for 5 years. During this time I worked in the Noth 13th Ward Primary as Blue-Bird teacher then as Sea-Gull Teacher, also as the Stake Sea-Gull Leader. On 15 July 1955 we moved to this address 1018 E 2 So. We are in the 11th Ward at the present time. Nov. 1957 I am working as a Home Teacher in the Genealogy and a teacher in the Relief Society.
I was a member of the Hinckley Ward Choir when I was 14 years old. After I got married, I joined the Deseret Ward Choir. I did quite a lot of singing for different occasions, also readings and recitations. I also played the Harmonica.
One day I was in Deseret Cash store. I became dizzy & when I fainted I fell through a big plate glass counter. My clothes were cut by the glass clear down to my Garments. There wasn’t a cut of any kind on them. We do get protection from wearing our Garments.
I also had my health and strength restored to me by the Laying-on-of-Hands and administered to.
Transcribed from a family group sheet.
Obituary
July 25, 2000, 4:32 pm MDT – Rosa Vilate Cardon Conk passed away peacefully July 23, 2000 of natural causes to be with her father in heaven.
She was born December 30, 1907 in St. David, Arizona to Emanuel Alonzo Cardon and Rosa Vilate Terry. She married Henry P. Conk in the Salt Lake City Temple, later divorced.
She was preceded in death by husband, parents, Roger Johnson (grandson), three brothers and two sisters.
Survived by one sister, Faye Cardon Chalk (Leroy); and four children, Bonnie Jean Conk Johnson (Ward), Leo H. Conk (Maxine), Donald Ray Conk (Lorraine) and Sandy Conk Taylor Kemp (Skip). She has 21 grandchildren, 79 great-grandchildren, 19 great-great- grandchildren.
She was an active member in the LDS church holding several positions. She sang, played the piano and the harmonica. She enjoyed embroidering, ceramics and wood fibre flowers. She will be deeply missed for her crocheting table cloths, doilies, and especially for her crochet hangers and slippers. She loved flower gardens from sunflowers to roses, always having the beautiful smell throughout her home.
At her request instead of flowers, please make donations to the Primary Children’s Hospital.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Thursday, July 27th at Lake Hills Memorial Park Chapel (10055 South State Street), friends may call one hour prior to services. Interment will be held at Lake Hills Memorial Park Cemetery.
Lake Hills Memorial Park Cemetery
