Joan Cardon

Joan Rollo (Mortensen) Cardon passed away on August 19, 2023 at the age of 88 after a brief illness. She was born on July 8, 1935 in Pima, Arizona to Clint Rollo and Della Randall Rollo. She was the oldest child of four sisters. As her father was a teacher and school administer, the family moved around the state of Arizona every few years and they lived in Thatcher, Tucson, Wellton, Mesa, and Pine. Joan wanted to be a teacher like her father and attended Eastern Arizona College and Graduated with an associate degree in 1968. She then earned a BA Degree in Elementary Education & History from Western New Mexico University in 1969. She began her teaching career in Clifton and taught 5th grade for three years and then taught in Duncan for 20 years. In 1975 she received a Master’s of Education from WNMU. She was a well-loved teacher by her students. While teaching she took the opportunity to travel the world to enrich her teaching skills. She went to Alaska, Hawaii, England, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Greece, Turkey, Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. Joan was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a teacher and in many other callings. She had a beautiful voice and sang in programs and with singing groups. She was an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma. She was also a member and officer in the Maricopa East Camp of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. She loved to read and loved music. She had a great love for Family History and Genealogy work and spent her life working on it and teaching others about it. Joan married Hans Mortensen (deceased) of Virden, NM. They were blessed with four children: Michael, Cheryl, Leslie, and Lyle. As Hans was employed at Phelps Dodge in Morenci the family lived in Duncan, Morenci, and finally settled in Virden, NM to raise their family. They were later sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple. She was the loving grandmother to 19 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. After the passing of Hans, Joan met and married Rodney H. Cardon (deceased) of El Paso, Texas. While living in El Paso, she taught one year of American History at El Paso Community College. Rod and Joan served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the England Leeds Mission living in Sheffield and Rotherham and made many wonderful friends in England. With this marriage she gained a bonus family of five children: Gayle, Jill, Chris, Jenny, and Anthony (deceased) and was blessed to know, love, and to be the grandmother to another 15 grand-children and 24 great-children. Joan was proceeded in death by her parents Clint Rollo and Della Fox, her husbands Hans Mortensen, and Rod Cardon, her daughters-in law Gail Norene Mortensen, Kimberly Mortensen, and Vonnie Mortensen, and one great-grandson Emmitt Rogers. She is survived by her sisters Elaine Miles, Eloise (Jerry) Grigsby, and Cindy (Jeff) Williams. Her children Mike (Tammy) Mortensen, Cheryl (Norman) Wright, Les (Crystal) Mortensen, and Lyle (Alicia) Mortensen. Bonus children Jill(Marshall) Pratt, Gail Dickman, Chris Cardon, and Jenny (Wayne) Young. Her grand-children Ronnie Mortensen, Stephanie Hendricks, Kevin Mortensen, Nate Mortensen, Elisa Roberts, Jason Wright, Tiffanie Wright, Jorden Wright, Rachel Pulsipher, Michael Mortensen, Katie Rogers, Jennifer Nelson, Brian Mortensen, Amber Vigil, Jullie Hoskins, Eddie Mortensen, Levi Mortensen, William Mortensen, and Melody Wilson. She has thirty-two great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. Bonus grand-children are Nathan Pratt, Meredith Bauman, Adrienne Linton, Kyle Pratt, Trevor Pratt, Jeremiah Pratt, Valerie Ramos, Tony Cardon, Ashley Cardon, Bryan Nichols, Tanner Nichols, Katie Jo Maxwell, Brock Nichols, and twenty four great-grandchildren. Services for Joan will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at the Duncan Stake Center for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the viewing starting at 9:30 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 10:30 with interment in the Virden Cemetery. https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTY5MzAxODUzMTI2ODcwOSZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==