Verda Virlee Cardin

Visitation: Tuesday, December 3, 2013 from 10:00 – 11:00 AM in the Chapel.

Funeral Service: Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 11:00 AM in the Chapel.

Burial: Denlow Cemetery

Memorial Contributions: Hospice Compasses or Parkinson’s Association c/o the funeral home.

Verda Virlee (Hutsell) Cardin, Mountain Grove, Missouri, passed away at her home Saturday morning, November 30, 2013, following a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was born near Dawson, Missouri on October 1, 1921, the daughter of Everett Elmo and Audrey Eva (Young) Hutsell.

Virlee attended grammer school north of Mountain Grove and graduated from Mountain Grove High School in the class of 1939. She taught at small schools in the area, as well as Mountain Grove High School, for six years while attending State Teachers College in Springfield during the summers, graduating in 1945.

Virlee married Audie Vernon Cardin on June 30, 1946 at her parents’ home in Rayborn, north of Mountain Grove. To this union three sons and one daughter were born. Virlee, Audie, and their family moved frequently to accommodate Audie’s career as an engineer for Exxon Oil Company. Upon Audie’s retirement in 1980, they bought a farm and left Houston, Texas, to return to the Mountain Grove area.

Virlee became a Christian early in life and was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Mountain Grove where she enjoyed helping with the children’s programs. She was also a member of Sigma Gamma Theta Club. She liked to travel, read, garden, and quilt. She also enjoyed a variety of needlework projects such as knitting, crocheting, and embroidery.

Virlee was a loving and devoted wife, mother, sister, and friend, always generously sharing her calm and gentle spirit. She could invariably find good in each person and situation. Even at the end of her battle with Parkinson’s disease she was still graciously intent on always expressing her gratitude.

Besides her parents, Virlee was preceded in death by her husband, Audie, in 1985 and a son, Greg, also in 1985. She is also preceded in death by two brothers, Harlin Kent Hutsell and Hulen Eugene Hutsell. She is survived by her loving family including Ron and Nancy Cardin, Danny and Gina Cardin, and Cathe Cardin. Her grandchildren include Kelly and Ashlea Cardin, Taryn and Jay Lemery, Andrew Cardin and Katy Cardin. She was blessed to see the arrival of her six great-grandchildren including Major, Elsa, and Delaney Cardin, Maeve and Zada Lemery, and Khloe Cardin. She will be greatly missed by them all.

In addition to her immediate family, Virlee is also survived by her sisters, Vera Austin and Valera Blackwell, her brother, J.D. Hutsell and wife, Wilma, sisters-in-law, Winnie Hutsell and Jurea Cardin, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

The family would like to thank Virginia Postlewaite, Peggy Rust, Rachel Pedraza, and Jane Belavia for their compassionate caregiving, and gratefully recognize the expert in-home services and generous, tender support of Hospice Compassus and Dr. Lori MacPherson. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice Compassus of Mountain Grove or the Parkinson’s Association.