Pauline "Cardella" Ryser

Pauline “Cardella” Ryser was born on December 9, 1926, the sixth of seven children of James Daniel and Florence (Clemmer) Muncrief. Her place of birth was Platter, Oklahoma. From Platter her family moved to Woodville, Oklahoma where she lived until her sophomore year of high school. Her parents were farmers and made their living selling produce from the farmland as well as selling milk from their cows. All the siblings helped with the farm work; chores, gardening, canning, cooking, sewing, and all the effort it took to live and provide for the needs of the family. Cardella’s time living on the small farm one mile outside the town of Woodville was the highlight of her childhood. Living in a house where the cooking was on a wood stove; heating for the house was provided by two fire places; light provided by kerosene lanterns; drinking water drawn by hand from a well; milk from the cow milked by hand daily; butter churned by hand; vegetables grown in the garden, canned, and stored in the cellar; chickens killed, dressed and eaten fresh for dinner (country fried of course); hogs slaughtered and smoke cured in the smoke house; dresses made from flour sacks and sewn by hand; walking to school (no school bus); and transportation to town for shopping was a horse drawn wagon. As a child who grew up during the Great Depression, Cardella often commented that her family always ate well, and their needs were met due to lots of hard work. The family attended church regularly, which had a tremendous influence on Cardella’s life as a young girl. It was while attending the weekly church services with her family, Cardella responded to an alter call and gave her heart to Jesus. The influence of her family, church, community she grew in, and her Christian faith, would provide a spiritual anchor for the rest of her life. Cardella and her siblings remained very close all their lives. Their relationships were like the best of friends, and when they were together there was always lots of laughter. The connection and closeness with Cardella’s family was perpetuated by family reunions on Lake Texoma every summer. Cardella moved from her home in Woodville to Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1944 to live with her sister Gladys. She graduated from Muskogee Central High School in 1945. After graduation she went to work with Southwestern Bell Telephone as a long-distance operator. While working for SWBT in Muskogee she met Fred Albert Ryser Jr. Fred was a rodeo cowboy. He competed as a contestant and performed specialty acts such as trick riding and roping. Fred’s father and two brothers were all involved with rodeo and were known as the “Ridin’ Ropin’ Rysers”. The Rysers performed in rodeo and wild-west shows until WW II which interrupted their performing as a rodeo family. Only Fred Jr. continued a rodeo career after the war, and it was during his preparation to resume his trick riding and roping acts that he met Cardella. Cardella and Fred were married on May 29, 1946. They lived in Muskogee while Fred continued his re-entry to rodeo. Cardella never dreamed she would be married to a rodeo cowboy. She was welcomed into the Ryser family and the rodeo way of life. She traveled with Fred to all his rodeos throughout Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. On February 26, 1947, in Muskogee Cardella gave birth to her first son, Fred Albert Ryser III. Cardella had a busy life caring for their new son alone while Fred was traveling to rodeos. Once little Fred was older, the three of them would travel together. Fred’s rodeo career continued to be successful, and the number of rodeo contracts increased each year. In 1950 the family moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas where Fred partnered with a Rodeo Producer who lived there. This was a favorable move for Fred’s rodeo career. While living in Fort Smith Cardella gave birth to her second son, Tony, on December 20, 1950. Now with two young sons, Cardella’s burden for her family to be united in Christian faith weighed heavily on her, because her husband did not share her faith. Since she had been raised in a Christian home, she desperately wanted the same for her family. She began a season of prayer for Fred. Cardella attended church with her sons, but without Fred. This was a challenge; she wanted Fred to be receptive but did not want to pressure him to make a commitment to Christ. On Easter Sunday morning 1951, Cardella suggested the whole family attend a sunrise service held at a drive-in theater. With her diplomatic and gentle persuasion, she convinced Fred to attend this non-traditional service. So Cardella, Fred and their sons attended the Easter sunrise service and Fred’s life would never be the same. Later that day, Fred experienced a miraculous conversation of his faith. Not knowing how to pray, he asked his precious wife to lead him in a prayer of salvation, accepting Jesus as his Savior. Fred became a born-again Christian that day. Not long after Fred’s conversion due to the mentoring of the pastor from the church they attended, Fred felt the call and desire to enter the ministry. Now Cardella had gone from being the wife of a rodeo cowboy to the wife of a preacher. They moved to Fort Worth, Texas where Fred attended seminary to train for the ministry. For the next 30 years Cardella was a dedicated wife and partner to Fred in the ministry and a committed mother to her two sons. Fred and Cardella pastored small rural and community churches in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. Tragedy struck the family on May 3, 1968. Son Fred III was killed in commercial airline crash two weeks before graduating from college where he was also preparing to enter the ministry. Fred and Cardella were devastated with the loss of their oldest son, especially husband Fred. Life would never be the same as the void that was left in their lives was like a permanent scar. The loss of Fred III, who had brought so much joy to their lives and had such promise of a successful ministry, was a crushing life experience for the entire family. By the grace and love of God that was extended to the family through Christian friends and family members, healing from the grief did come over time. Cardella was so strong in her faith at this time, had it not been for her help, her husband would not have overcome this tragedy. Fred and Cardella were able to move on with life and continue in ministry. They had three more opportunities for pastoring churches in Texas and Oklahoma after the death of their son. Cardella took a job at Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association in the correspondence department in 1975. She would work there till 2002 when she retired at 75 years of age. Her job functions allowed her to respond to OREA VIP partner calls which gave her the opportunity to continue in ministry. This job was such a blessing to her; many of the repeat callers would ask to speak with Miss Cardella as they shared their prayer requests and appreciated her words of help and encouragement. As Fred’s health began to fail, Cardella was very faithful to care for him until his death in June 1988. She became a widow at 61 and never remarried. Cardella was blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law Kathy, wife of son Tony, who in turn blessed her with three granddaughters, Julia, Mary, and Rebekah. Thanks to her 3 granddaughters, Cardella was blessed with 7 great grandchildren: Eli, Tori, Sheridan, Bristol, Aspen, Dru, and Asher. She was a long-time active member of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa. Cardella lived her faith daily and always seemed to have a countenance of joy. In her spare time, she enjoyed a variety of past times such as cooking, sewing, flower gardening, and doing water aerobics at the YMCA through her 80’s, but most important to her was her faith and her family. She was especially known for her incredible homemade pies. In the final years of her life, spending time with her grand and great-grandchildren brought her the greatest joy and fulfillment. Time spent singing hymns and recalling the Lord’s faithfulness with daughter-in-law Kathy were among the most precious moments Cardella spent in her final years in the Baptist Village. Her son Tony’s faithful and steadfast care in his daily visits carried her to the Finish Line. Cardella passed the baton of faith to her family, and we all rise up and call her Blessed. She is survived by: Her Son; Tony Ryser 3 Granddaughters; Julia Soules and husband Steve Mary Thomas and husband Brian Rebekah Davies and husband Walter Great Grandchildren; Eli Thomas, Sheridan Soules, Tori Thomas, Bristol Soules, Aspen Soules, Dru Davies, Asher Davies. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dan and Florence, siblings, Lily, Gladys, Littie, Robert, Janice, and Wilda, husband, Fred, her son, Fred Ryser III, and her daughter-in-law Kathy Ryser. A service will be held 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 10, 2024, at the Memorial Park Cemetery Chapel in Tulsa. There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service at Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Cardella’s memory to Baptist Village Owasso, 7410 N. 127th E. Ave, Owasso, OK 74055.

Pauline "Cardella" Ryser

December 9, 1926 - April 30, 2024