Obituary: Hilda "Siggie" Cardinalli

Hilda "Siggie" Cardinalli passed away early Sunday morning on September 9, 2012. She was 104 years old.

Siggie's parents came from Iceland via Liverpool, England and then to Montreal and Winnipeg to settle in Minnesota and North Dakota. From North Dakota, they relocated to Canada, where they homesteaded and Siggie was born. Her parents moved back to the U.S. when Siggie was four years of age.

She taught school in Eastern North Dakota for six years before accepting a teaching position in Eureka, NV in the fall of 1932. She was a very courageous person, driving alone from to Eureka to North Dakota in her 1930 Model A coupe. Siggie received a gold medallion necklace in the spring of 1969 for 20 years of dedicated service teaching at Eureka Elementary school.

She met and married her husband, John, who was a miner in the area. They were married for 29 years before his passing.

Two sons were born to them: John "Jack" and wife Julie of Carson City, and David, now living in Mt. Aukum, California. She has six Grandchildren, 15 Great Grandchildren and one Great Great Grandchild.

Siggie discovered a little community called Ryderwood, WA in Collier Magazine. In 1969, she moved there and stayed until 2005. She then moved back to Carson City to live at Sierra Place.

Say friends and family who knew her, "she has a great smile and a kind word for everyone." She lived to 104 years old, and lived independently for 97 years. She taught jazzercise and mowed her own lawn into her nineties. An excellent artist and knitter, a wonderful friend to all, an inspiration to her mates at Sierra Place, Siggie will be missed by all who knew her.

Siggie wanted no services, but if she is to be remembered, please send any donations on her behalf to: Eureka High School Alumni Association, PO Box 543, Eureka, NV 89316.