Our Lady of Lourdes parishioner celebrates 100 years

Friday, Sep. 02, 2016

MAGNA — How do you sum up 100 years? If you are the William Horace Sadler family, you look around a very crowded room filled with hundreds of family and friends on the birthday of the man who made it all possible, and you smile with great pride, because you know. 

William, better known as “Hod,” was born Aug. 26, 1916 in Bridgeport, Ala. to William Caleb and Alta Ruth Sadler. 

At the age of 17, Hod joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, where he worked from 1931 to 1934. He then worked for the Bureau of Land Management until 1941, and from there went on to work for Kennecott Copper until he retired in 1977. 

Growing up during the Depression provided many challenges for a young man, one of which was exploring faith and religion. After moving to Utah, Hod was approached on a regular basis by young men from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so he decided to investigate the Bible himself to find answers of his own. It was then that he became a believer of the Catholic faith. 

Hod married the love of his life, Shirley Wardle, on Jan. 17, 1937. Both converted to Catholicism and together, they created a family of 14 children – seven girls and seven boys, even though doctors had told Shirley she was barren. 

Hod lives in the same one-bedroom home in Magna where he and Shirley raised their family. When the children were younger, the girls slept in the attic and the boys slept in a make shift basement that Hod dug out himself. 

From this much-loved home, he still walks to daily Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Magna, where he has been a parishioner for more than 75 years and currently is the oldest parishioner in the parish.  

After losing his beloved wife Shirley in 1980, after 43 years of marriage, Hod became even more active in his parish. It was only last year he decided to retire his post as a sacristan for Mass, but he stills sets out the priest vestments. 

“Now he has his very own seat up front that was set up just for him,” said Camille Hartley Sadler, one of his grandchildren. “He is so cute sitting up there with his hearing-aid headset on so he can hear the Mass.”

Hod’s dedication to the Church has not gone unrecognized. In 2013, he received the Madeleine Medal, a lifetime of service award given by the Diocese of Salt Lake City. 

Many, many stories about him are remembered by his children and 62 grandchildren, who recall him as a man of heart, courage and integrity. 

“Their oldest boy Billy, (my father) was not even 2 when he came up missing one day and my Grandpa found him floating in the canal face down,” Camille said. “He wasn’t breathing, so my Grandpa started CPR on him. He worked on him for over 40 minutes before he heard any sign of life. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my Grandpa that saved my dad’s life that day.”

To celebrate the man who has impacted so many lives, the family hosted a birthday celebration for him on Aug. 27. More than 200 family and friends gathered at the  Our Lady of Lourdes Parish center to share food, memories and precious moments with Hod. According to his family, he was overwhelmed with joy that so many came.

“This man is an amazing man,” Camille said. “He is our role model and the foundation that holds this family together.”

And with 62 grandchildren, 114 great-grandchildren and 23 great-great-grandchildren, that is quite a feat.