Cordelia Jane Lead
From the Daily World News
Our feisty and opinionated mother, grandmother, sister and auntie, Cordelia Jane (Lead) Cardwell, 67, passed away unexpectedly July 6, 2016, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Wash. Heaven has a new angel who will keep them in stiches and will be sorely missed and remembered by her many friends and family here on earth!
Jane was born Jan. 19, 1949, to William and Alice Lead in Portland, Ore. She grew up in Willapa Harbor and graduated from Raymond High School. She worked most of her life in retail, the seafood industry and in restaurants including the H&H and Blue Heron where she was an outstanding cook, bartender and server. Jane will be remembered for how amazingly fast she could shake a crab! Some of her favorite activities were gardening, garage/estate sales, Ebay and volunteering at Pennywise. Especially important to her was spending time with her grandchildren and other peoples’ pets.
Jane is survived by her three children Rodney (Danielle) Stallard, John Horne and Rikki Horne; Lead brothers John (Janice), Ray, Leon (Jill); sisters Linda Fisher, Cathey (Kevin) McMurry, and Jerry (Larry) Williams; eight grandchildren; Zane, Destyne, Ethan, Isaac, Rylee, Khloe, Faith and Matthew and over fifty nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, mother and brother Gary.
Dr. Jennifer James said, “If you could choose one characteristic that would get you through life, choose a sense of humor. Any kind of humor; self-deprecating, puns, dumb stuff, gallows humor and a sense of the absurdity of life, even at the darkest moments.” That was Jane! Her feistiness and sense of humor was mentioned on hundreds of Facebook postings after news of her passing.
Jane valued her family and her many friends and lived by the motto, “Friendship is a measure of our ability to love and be loved and our desire to feel close and share our life with at least a few others.” Friendship, like love, is something you do, something you give that comes back to you.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 8th Street Park in Raymond, Wash. on July 30, 2016, at 1 p.m. Memorials may be sent to Pennywise, South Bend School Christmas Store, or a charity of your choice.
July 30, 2016
I wanted to be there so badly today for her service. Too many health issues going on for me right now. Know that I am with you all in spirit. I am sure I met Jane somewhere along the line, probably as a kid. The family was pretty tight, but the conscious knowing didn’t come until about 20 years ago when I started a family group on Yahoo Groups (McClaskey). She was smart and sassy. She had lot’s of positive things to say and she added to the wealth of our families knowledge. We owe her a debt of appreciation. Privately, she listened to me when I had problems, helped me to laugh through the rough times, and commiserated like no one else could. There was a lot of family rituals (so to speak) that we both had lived through. Simply stated she understood, she loved me and her family anyhow. As for her mouth, it is one of those McClaskey traits that endeared a lot of them to us. She was just plain normal to me, but I grew up in the heart of the McClaskey clan. But, though I saw her as normal didn’t mean that I was brave enough to follow suit. I’m 54 and still looking behind the walls for my mother! LOL. I understood her good nature, and her unique way of making a point, and appreciated it so much. Those foul mouthed McClaskey’s are nearly gone on this side of the family. Cordelia Jane Lead was one of a dying breed, and I sure hate to see her go. I look forward to time when we can just sit and talk and just be without the earthly restrictions. I love and respect her and will indeed miss our talks. Peggy Ann Rowe, daughter of Alvin C. Rowe, grand daughter of Jane’s mother’s sister: Lily M. McClaskey Rowe. Thank you cousin for everything that you did, for everything that you were, and for having a heart of true understanding, and for more than anything else thank you so much for your candor. Cordelia Jane Lead — I will miss you.
A poem by one of Jane’s family members:
You Mattered To Me
You lived your life thinking that no one cared
You thought you were all alone, your heart feeling tattered
I am here to tell you that you were wrong
‘Cause you see – Mom – to me you mattered
I loved you when you were angry and mean
I loved you when you were kind as could be
I loved you not just because I had to
I loved you because you mattered to me
It hurts to know that now you’re gone
And never will your face again I see
I hurt not because I am supposed to
I hurt because you mattered to me
I have to live on each day without you
It doesn’t get easier as it is supposed to be
I feel the loss of you to my very soul
Because you see – Mom – you mattered to me
Your touch, your smile, your funny wit
The times it was just you and me
I will miss you, Mom, with all my heart
‘Cause you still matter to me…
By: Rodney Stallard, son of Cordelia Jane Lead.
Genealogy stuff:
Marriage Licences announced Danny Wendell Stallard and Cordelia Jane Lead, both of Raymond.
Publication: The Daily Chronicle
Location: Centralia, Washington
Issue Date:Saturday, July 16, 1966
Page:Page 2
