Thelma May Card
Our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Thelma May Wilkes Card passed away June 4, 2018. A brief sketch of her life follows:
Thelma May Wilkes Card was born in Bedford Wyoming, to Russell and Ila Wilkes on April 24, 1925. She always says it was so cold when she was born, that they put her in the oven, and she's been "half baked" ever since. Thelma was the oldest of four children and was always very fond of her three brothers, Kay, Lynn and Garth. When she was very young, she would always pick out treasures from the Sears Roebuck Catalogue for her brother, Kay. Thelma learned to be a hard worker at a very young age, as all of her generation did. Living on a farm in a cold harsh environment like Star Valley, Wyoming, during the depression helped mold her into a very independent and able young woman who was very good at handling her finances, and working hard to make ends meet. This came handy later in life when she was left to raise five children as a single mom.
She graduated at age 17, and moved to California to work for Douglas Aircraft, to help with the war effort. When the war ended, she moved into The Beehive House in Salt Lake City. She always told her family that it was one of her fondest memories, living with all of those fine young women. She enjoyed the friendships she made there and kept in touch with some of the ladies later on. While living there she worked for Arden's Dress Shop as a bookkeeper, which was one of her favorite jobs. She left the Beehive House when she married.
She told stories of being pursued by handsome young men. After all, Thelma had become a very beautiful young woman. It was there that she was introduced to the love of her life, Clinton Stone Card, whom she later married. He was a handsome Air Force pilot, one of the few chosen to fly a glider into enemy territory. He was wounded in that battle and earned a Purple Heart for his bravery.
After Clinton's graduation from the University of Utah, they moved to Midland, Michigan for awhile, where Clinton pursued his career as a Chemical engineer for Dow Chemical Company. They made many friends and their family grew. When her children were partially grown, Thelma got a job at Mountain Bell where she worked until about 1990 when she retired. During that time she also sold Avon products for several years.
Thelma has known tragedies in her life, such as losing her beloved son, Doran, at a very young age, and then losing her brother, Lynn, later on. In spite of these hardships, she managed to keep a positive spirit. Thelma always loved her family and made them the center of her world. Thelma was a wonderful mother to her five children, Duane, Dennis, Ann, Doran and Bruce. As the only daughter, Ann remembers many beautiful clothes sewn by her mother and also many doll clothes!! Ann spent many hours watching and learning how to sew herself. Thelma's other talents included gardening and cooking wonderful wholesome meals for her family. Every summer the family would plant a huge garden, and Thelma would can wholesome foods all summer long. She also baked wonderful bread for the family. Thelma has always been delighted with the simple things in life, such as beautiful flowers and spending time with her family.
Preceded in death by sons, Doran and Dennis Card, and brothers Lynn, Kay and Garth Wilkes. Thelma is survived by Duane & Nikki Card, Bruce & Tammy Card and Ann Barcellona and Richard Brown. Thelma will be truly missed by all of her loved ones.
A graveside service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday June 8, 2018 at the Bedford Cemetery in Star Valley, Wyoming.
The family would like to express their gratitude to Alta Ridge Memory Care, Alta View Hospital and Starks funeral Home for the professional help they have received during this difficult time.