Bertha Sadler

Bertha Cordilla Sadler was born to John Holiday and Katherine "Katie" Sarah Elizabeth Ellis "Holiday" on May 27, 1917, in Pine Bluff Arkansas, Dyes County. She is the last born of sixteen children. As a small child she would enjoy watching her father make furniture from Willow Tree branches and frequently rode with him in the family wagon to sell his wares. She spoke of the time when she went to work with her mother, the country mid-wife, to help Mrs. Cash deliver her baby boy, named was Johnny, who is known all over the world as Jonny Cash, the legendary Country/ Western singer. Bertha left school after she completed the fourth grade. She, like many children stopped going to school to help her parents by going to work in the fields to pick cotton. In 1931, she met and married her first husband, Midge Williams. Bertha always said,' that boy sho' was fine." Three children were born to that union: Elizabeth Louise Williams, Aldrene Williams and Ezra Eugene Williams. After her first marriage ended her Ex-husband married and had six children, who affectionately referred to her as Mother Bertha and Bertha's Children affectionately referred to his Wife as Mother Elnora. Bertha was a hard worker. She was known to be a person of strong character in many ways. She was determined to raise her children even if she had to do it alone and vowed that she would not raise a "Man-Child" in a southern racist environment, if she could help it. She and her two little girls picked cotton with the promise that they were working so that they could all move to the north, while their little brother rode on their cotton sacks. Bertha, now barely about to be in her twenties, along with her three little children one day walked out of the state of Arkansas to Illinois and never picked cotton again. Her mother, Katie Holiday, soon joined them. During the Great Depression, She became a cook at a local boarding house. There she said that the lady owner was very kind toward her and always found a way for her to cook just a little more than needed and bake and extra pie in order to help her provide for her mother and children. Toward the end of the Depression, they moved to Omaha, Nebraska so that her mother could be near her other children. Bertha worked as a Butcher at a packing company. While at the "packinghouse," she saved enough money to buy a home. She became a homeowner during a time when single women were not allowed to apply and/or own real estate. In 1944, she met her second husband, A.Y. "Jack" Sadler, at a New Year's Eve dance party. They married on Valentine's Day. Bertha said that his last kiss was the same as the first kiss. She went on to say, "That boy sho' can kiss." He was the love of her life. Six children were born to that union: Jack Sadler, Norris Sadler, D. Dale Sadler, Myra Sue Sadler, Vickie Sharon Sadler, and Denise Darcel Sadler. The three sets of children were raised in the same state and became a blended family of siblings. Soon afterwards Bertha's mother died. Bertha encouraged her husband to keep his job at Firestone but to attend night school to become a body and fender car repair specialist. The family moved to California. Bertha convinced her husband to go into business for himself. They opened their first body and fender car repair shop in the late 1950's /early 1960's. In the beginning, she worked almost as hard as he did. The new business crawled along, started taking baby steps until the business was up and running. Sons, Jack and Norris were very instrumental in the success of the business. They worked on weekends and summers, while attending high school, learning how to repair cars too. When Norris and Dale went to college, Jack continued to help run the business until it was successfully established. Bertha never had to work again. She only worked when she wanted to, mostly for special shopping sprees. When they semi-retired, they moved to Denver, Colorado where they took advantage of the opportunity to become property investors. Bertha and her husband owned sixteen properties in the Park Hill and Montbello areas. Bertha and A.Y. "Jack" Sadler raised their children under the admonition of holiness. Two of their children battled physical challenges; she never allowed the other children to treat them differently. They ran, jumped and played just like the other children. Her other children never gave those two any preferential treatment, either. Many times they excelled in sports, school elections, and building automobiles (inside and out) almost from scraps. They wanted their children to always have good character. Even their babysitter was one of the church mothers, Eva Mae Hayes, a dear and close friend. Bertha was a member of the Church Of God In Christ - Bishop Bradford, Omaha, Nebraska, Prayer Garden C.O.G.I.C. and Bishop Milton Mathis, San Jose, California, where she served as a mentor to young married women. She and her family were also members of the East Oakland Faith Deliverance Center Church - Pastor Ray E. Mack, Oakland California, Antioch C.O.G.I.C. – Bishop Frank Elijah Johnson, Denver Colorado, and Now Faith Christian Center Church – Apostle Leon Maurice and Pastor Yvonne Emerson – Denver Colorado. Toward the last days of her life, she attended church with her daughters at the Glory to Glory Christian Center Church – Pastor Joelle Suel, Aurora, Colorado. In her earlier years, Bertha enjoyed sewing and usually designed and made all the girls' dresses for the church holiday programs. They all said their speeches in style. Most of the family would call on her to have their girls ears pierced, the good old fashioned way. She loved gardening and other yard work. Bertha was most excited by football games. Any team could make her scream, "Get him, get him!" She loved to riding in airplanes. She was a frequent flyer before the phrase was coined. After her second husband passed and went home to be with the Lord, on May1, 1980, she became a pet owner. She loved miniature poodles. She will be fondly remembered by her friends for her fashion sense. She and her best friend, Sister Missionary Pastor Mable Brown, were divas from way back when and then. Her favorite scripture reading is Psalms 27:1-14. Her favorite saying is:" Nothing beats a failure but a try." A true soldier in the Army of the Lord Bertha Cordilla Sadler folded her tent and departed this dimension of life, to embrace her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on September 29, 2015, in Denver, Colorado. She leaves to cherish her memory, her children: Elizabeth Louise Ellis, Aldrene Berry, Ezra Eugene Clark, Jack (Paulette) Sadler, Norris Cary-(Catherine Esq.) Sadler DMD, D. Dale (Patricia) Sadler Esq., Myra Sue Lee, Vickie Sharon Moore, and Denise Darcel Ellis; her grandchildren: Aldrene Maria DuVaul, Gene Rothelle (Annette) Berry, Nilene (Richard) Moore, Ezra Eugene ( Esther) Clark Jr., J. Everett (Kenya) Young, Sherron Denise Pinkard, Jo'van Sadler, Jerad Evan Young, Justin Eugene Moore, Donte' (Rochelle) Sadler, Tel Bush Cary-Sadler, Doris Katherine Sadler-Walker, Reid Holiday Cary-Sadler, Elizabeth Michelle (Xavier) Sadler Danho, Joshua Edward Ellis, Marcus Moore, Jonathan Dale Sadler; twenty-four great grandchildren and eleven great-great grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends. Bertha lived to love five generations of her children.

Funeral Home: Pipkin Braswell Funerals and Cremation - 2050 Uinta Street, Denver, Colorado
Visitation: 10/2/2015 at 4:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 6601 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO
Service: 10/3/2015 at 12:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 3370 Ivy Street, Denver, CO
Family Gathering: 10/3/2015 - Following the Service. Pipkin Braswell Reception Center - 2428 Ogden Street, Denver, CO