Markel Moments: March 2013

I looked forward to the week of service with great anticipation thinking we could make a positive difference in the community. I believe we achieved that goal even though we were small in numbers.

Tuesday night was a success, and we had a lot of ladies come and participate. There was something for everyone. We had a group of ladies in the kitchen making up meals for families in need in the future. Ladies learned how to crochet baby blankets from those who were more skilled at the craft. Books of Mormon were marked, birthday bags for the Russell House were prepared and even a few books were collected for PCRMC. It was fun walking around listening to the different conversations going on. I enjoyed getting to know the ladies better.

On Wednesday afternoon, we met at the Community Partnership. We did a lot of work sorting and hanging clothes. We got a lot accomplished in the two hours we were there. It was nice knowing someone would be able to come and purchase the clothing for themselves and their family. Those who attended: Sister Georgia Cox, Sister Sue Christensen, Sister Hanke, Sister Debbie Blank and Sister Chantel Markel.

Thursday morning was the highlight of the week for me. We were able to go to the Russell House. Domestic Violence shelters are dear to my heart as I have been a victim advocate for many years. Angela was so great in giving us a tour of the facility. The facility is very impressive and houses approximately 62 people (women and children). It was so clean and very well run. We had the opportunity to go to a storage room where there were clothes everywhere. We pulled everything out and sorted clothes by size and gender and folded them and put them on shelves according to size and gender. We also hauled out things that needed to be donated to Community Partnership and also took some trash out. It looked fantastic when it was completed, and we all left feeling like we had accomplished something great. The clothes closet is being given a name of a young boy who lived there with his mom at one time and loved the Russell House. He died of an asthma attack about 6 months ago, so they felt it was appropriate to name the clothes closet after him. They are in need of more boys and teenager boys clothing. Those who attended: Sister Tina Miller, Sister Sue Christensen, Sister Sheila Lloyd, Sister Chantel Markel.

On Saturday and throughout the week, sisters went to visit Sister Beemer. Some of us weren’t able to get in to see her – perhaps she was resting. But, I’m sure she felt loved from those who were able to visit.

I feel blessed to have been able to serve in the community. It was a great opportunity to see the good that people are doing within our church and within our community.

I was blessed to spend the last four days of Cherie's life with her in her home. I will treasure these days in my memory for as long as I live. I feel so lucky to have been able to be there. I am forever thankful for Kari and their children, Katelyn, Spencer, Hayden and Paige for allowing us to be in their home all day long. Cherie wanted her bedroom to be a happy place, full of family during the last several weeks of her life. She filled the room with laughter and jokes. She had a positive attitude and fought through her own sorrow in order to protect her children and husband and even the rest of us. I grew so much closer to my sisters, Kim and Julie and my parents and to Kari and my nieces and nephews. I moved away from Bountiful when I was 20 years old and haven't been as close to my family as I would like to be. I oftentimes longed for a relationship with my sisters that I would see with other sisters, but never could quite achieve it. Most of this was due to my having moved away from home at a young age. Another part of this was due to my independent nature.

Cherie and I were not extremely close growing up even though she was only two years older than me. Cherie and Julie were close because they shared a room together, and they didn't like us little kids (Kim and me) hanging around them. So, Kim and I would usually do our own thing and let them do their own thing. I always looked up to Cherie from a distance. She was very pretty with her olive skin and green eyes. Her hair was such a pretty color. It was brown but had natural hi lights of auburn and blonde mixed in at the perfect places. She was a bit of a tomboy and was outgoing, friendly and good at sports. I was so impressed when she played on the Powder Puff Football team in high school.

I missed all of the big events in Cherie's life which always made me very sad. I was in Israel when she got married to Kari, and I rarely got to see her children as they were growing up. She has such amazing children! They are so much fun to be around. They each have very different personalities, but they are all fantastic. I wish that I could have been a better aunt. I sent cards for birthdays now and then but have never been able to attend dance recitals, games, etc. I missed a lot of great opportunities. I hope they know I love them even though they don't know me very well. Kari is so funny and was so kind and patient with Cherie. He adores his children as much as Cherie did. Cherie took care of everything at home while Kari worked very hard at EA Sports for long hours each day. Cherie was a very dedicated, loving and committed wife and mother. She ran the home and her children's schedules with amazing organizational and management skills that would make any CEO envious.

When Cherie would call me, I am embarrassed to admit that I would sometimes wonder if I had time to talk to her because I knew that it would be a long conversation. It was always an enjoyable conversation, and I was always so happy we talked. I grew up in a family that didn't say I love you very often, but Cherie was different. After every phone conversation she would tell me she loved me. I enjoyed it and truly felt her love for me. Cherie could always make me laugh - she and Kari were a great team that way. They made laughter in their home a common occurrence.

I feel much sorrow in knowing that I was not with her very much during the last four years when she had battled cancer. My sister Kim came up from Las Vegas regularly to help her through her surgeries and her chemotherapy. Julie, who lived in Bountiful, visited her often and took care of any needs Cherie had. Julie and Kim and Cherie would spend hours and hours together while Cherie was at the hospital having her chemo treatments. They would laugh and talk, and everyone looked forward to them coming because they always made an unpleasant experience much more bearable. She became very close to everyone there. I longed to be there every single time they went. I really wanted to be able to help her through this difficult time. The infrequent phone calls were not good enough. But, she always made me feel good by telling me that the phone calls were just what she needed to help her get through another day of physical and emotional pain. She always made me feel better when my intention was to make her feel better. She had a way of making everyone feel happy and loved.

The day Cherie died and the days following have been an extremely low time in my life. I didn't realize how much this would effect me. I think of her constantly and dream of her always. I miss her so much and long for the day when we will be reunited. I am happy she is no longer in pain and while I understand that she is now in a better place, it is still hurtful to me to think of all of the things she will miss. I think of her children and husband every day and worry for them. They are all so strong, and I know Kari will take such good care of them. I know that Cherie will be with them always. But, I know there will be many sad days ahead for them all. Again, I find myself longing to live near them so that I can show them my support and love. I hope I can soon find peace in knowing that all will be well and that we will be sisters forever and will become so close in the next life when we don't have the miles between us and when time is endless. I love you, Cherie. You are my strength. You are my inspiration. You are my hope.

Here is the Life Sketch that Julie presented at the funeral:

Life Sketch of

Cherie Cable St. John

Cherie Cable St. John was born on November 24, 1965 in St. George, Utah to Wayne and Claudine Cable, the second of four girls. I am just two years older than her, so we basically experienced childhood together. When I think of our childhood, I mostly remember long Summer days where we did a little bit of everything. We used to play records on our parents’ stereo console (our favorites were Donny Osmond, the Carpenters, Olivia Newton John, and Helen Reddy), turn them up loud, and sing along, pretending we were famous. One time when I was 9 and she was 7, we recruited our neighborhood friends and created an elaborate show with music and dancing, and our Mom indulged us by helping make invitations for all of our neighbors, and even made refreshments. I remember one time we made a pretty awesome tape recording of every commercial jingle we could think of.

We lived in Bountiful for most of our school years, attending Valley View Elementary, Millcreek Junior High, and Bountiful High School. Cherie went on to BYU where she majored in English. She has always loved to sing, and was a part of Xela, Bountiful High’s all-girl singing group. She was also really athletic, loved to play football, and even understands the rules! I think my Dad loved that, because she could fill the role that none of his other daughters could. Cherie worked for American Stores, and later as the Human Resources Director for Cap Soft in Provo, Utah. She loved her jobs, and made some friends during that time that are near and dear to her heart.

Cherie met her husband Kari in November of 1991 while they were both living in Provo, and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 12, 1992. They spent their first year of marriage in a small basement apartment, and in the summer of 1993 bought a really cute small home that was a definite “fixerupper.” Cherie was expecting Katelyn at the time, so said she provided the moral support for the project while Kari did the hard labor.

Katelyn was born on September 23, 1993. Such a joyful time! Cherie was still working, so Kari spent his days with Katelyn as he was a student at the time and really loved the time he had with her.

A couple of years later they decided to build a house in Lehi, which was such a cute home. Spencer was born while they lived there, on April 24, 1996. They lived in this house in Lehi until Kari decided to go to the U of U to finish up a degree in computer animation and work for a company named Headgate in Bountiful. They moved to a home in North Salt Lake, and I was really excited, because by then I lived in Bountiful too. It was great to be able to enjoy lots of time together during the few years they lived in that home. Hayden was born while they lived there, on May 4, 1998. One day when Hayden was a baby and Spencer was just three years old, Cherie lost track of Spencer and couldn’t find him anywhere. Just as they were really beginning to panic, they checked one last time in Hayden’s room where Hayden was napping in his crib, and found Spencer in the crib also, sound asleep with his arm around his brother.

In the Summer of 1999, Kari was offered a job working for Electronic Arts as an Art Director. This was a great opportunity for Kari, but would take them to Orlando, Florida. They saw it as a grand adventure and left for Orlando with great expectations. Paige was born while they lived there, on November 22, 2000. They all really loved their time in Florida, and Cherie especially loved the great place it was to raise her little kids. As with everywhere she lived, she made a lot of wonderful friends there. They spent lots of time swimming, as they had a pool at their house, and she especially loved going to the beach. She also became a pro at garage sales, and found some of the coolest treasures that way! My girls and I visited them there a couple of times, and it was obvious to me why she loved it so much.

In 2005, EA transferred Kari to their studio in the San Francisco Bay area. Cherie was very sad to leave the Florida beaches and her great friends, but Pleasanton, California turned out to be her very favorite place to live. The schools were fantastic, and the kids all loved it there. Kari worked long hours and had a ridiculously long commute, so eventually they made the decision to move back to Utah. When school ended in 2007, Kari moved his family to Utah and commuted to California for 8 months. That was a tough time for them, as they had to spend so much time apart. It was a relief when Kari was able to join them here in Utah.

As they moved around, Cherie would inevitably be called to serve in the Primary. She loves working with children, and held many callings in the Primary, but she especially loved being the chorister. She has a way of making everyone feel special and loved, and all the kids loved her right back. She also thoroughly enjoyed teaching Relief Society, and over the last few years has had the great privilege of working with the Young Women in this ward. They felt her love as well, and we had many conversations about her callings in Young Women and how much she loved the girls she worked with.

In September of 2009, Cherie got the news that would change her life forever. She faced many surgeries and rounds of chemo and radiation with a brave heart and very clear focus on her family. She insulated her family as much as possible from the pain she was going through, and continued to support her kids, going to all the soccer, lacrosse, football games, and other activities that she possibly could. Every decision she made with regard to her treatment was made based on how it would affect her family. How painful or grueling it was didn’t matter, as long as it would prolong her life so she could have more time with her family. As I sat with her during long chemo treatments, I would watch as she managed her family’s schedule from her cell phone, making sure her kids got to all the places they needed to be. I personally want to thank all of you in her ward and her other friends who have helped her family. Through this entire ordeal, our family has watched as her friends and this ward served her tirelessly. During this time, her love of working with kids led her to work at Oak Hills, where she has been a reading specialist for the last several years. Cherie really loved this job. As she served the kids at Oak Hills and interacted with the other teachers and staff there, it took her mind off of her own challenges and provided her an opportunity to help others.

I’m sure all of you who are here today know and appreciate Cherie’s sense of humor. In my mind, her happy, cheerful, and determined attitude defines her. During the years when either she or I lived outside of Utah, we spent a lot of time on the phone with each other. I always knew I would leave the conversation having laughed. Cherie encouraged me during the hardest times in my life and, with humor, helped me keep my eye on the goal and my perspective in check. I have always known that I could call Cherie with any problem. She had an uncanny way of helping me see that all wasn’t lost.

Cherie’s family is absolutely the most important thing in her life. Everything in her world revolved around her kids. No matter what they were involved in--soccer, lacrosse, football, band, choir--anything--she was there as their biggest fan and supporter. They also had several pets through the years, and she had special bonds with their dog Copper, and her dog Jazzmin. Jazzmin has been her loyal companion over the last several years, instinctively knowing when she was in pain and providing great comfort.

When Cherie was a junior in high school, she was given the assignment to write her life history. This is the last paragraph of that history:

“As I have said before, I would love to have a career someday. More important than a career; however, is a family. I want to be married in the LDS temple and to have a family. This is my biggest goal and my greatest desire.”

Cherie accomplished her biggest goal and greatest desire, and it turns out that because she chose to have a family, we have all been, and will continue to be, greatly blessed. My sister lives on in her kids. I see her in their faces, in their determination, in their humor, and in their goodness. It is such a privilege for me to be a small part of their lives. I know Cherie will be there for them in spirit for the rest of their lives. I am beyond grateful for the knowledge I have that we will all get to see Cherie again. She is happy, and finally free of the heavy burden she has been carrying for the last four years. It will be a glorious reunion for all of us when we see her again. I bear testimony that we will.

This was Cherie's hospice nurse. She was so perfect for Cherie. We were blessed to have her at this difficult time.

Jazmin was so careful with Cherie and didn't like to leave her side. She could definitely tell that Cherie was sick and took very good care of her. She was so careful with her. When normally she would lay right on top of her, she could somehow tell that she needed to be extra gentle with her and only laid her head on her arm. Cherie found great comfort in having her near her.

When Cherie passed away, Jazmin came up to lay next to her. She was so devoted to her, and did not want to leave her. When the mortuary came to take Cherie away, Hayden had to pick up Jazmin because she refused to leave her side. After that she laid down next to Spencer with the saddest face I have ever seen.

The day after Cherie died, all of the kids at the high school and junior high school wanted to offer support to Hayden and Spencer, so they all dressed up shirts and ties and dresses. At the basketball game, they all wore pink. It was an amazing show of support and made them feel so good.