Joseph Cardenas

Joseph Cardenas, 79, of Mt. Pleasant died Sunday, Nov. 28, 2004 at Gratiot Community Hospital. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant with Father Robert Byrne officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call at Lux Funeral Home on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. and Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. There will be a Moose Lodge service at 7 p.m. Tuesday and a vigil service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Visitation continues at the church on Thursday from 10-11 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the family. Envelopes are available at Lux Funeral Home. Joseph was born March 25, 1925 in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Teodosio and Tomasa (Rodriguez) Cardenas. He married Rachel Ceja on Feb. 18, 1967 at Sacred Heart Church. He had worked at the Downtown Restaurant in the 1960's. The majority of his working life was spent at Central Michigan University where he retired in 1990 after 21 years. Joe enjoyed spending time with his family and visiting his friends at the Moose Lodge No. 195, where he belonged. But most of his love was reserved for his grandchildren who will miss him dearly. Joe is survived by his wife, Rachel Cardenas of Mt. Pleasant; daughter, Lisa (Tony) Rood of Mt. Pleasant; five granddaughters; five great-grandchildren; sister, Mary Mullins of Ecorse; and special niece and nephew in the Detroit area.