George Leslie Cavanaugh, a patriot described by his family and friends as a noble man without guile, passed away on the 12th of May, 2013. George was known in the community as the co-owner (with his wife, Marie), of Mrs. Cavanaugh’s Chocolates. He was also known as a humble and knowledgeable man with steady strength by those who had the opportunity to know him. Among conservative circles, he has been known as a staunch supporter of the Constitution, and had donated to many causes over the years. Zeldon Nelson, the CEO of the National Center for Constitutional Studies (NCCS) sent a letter to Mrs. Marie Cavanaugh in sympathy for George’s passing, but also in remembrance of his dedication to the cause of political freedom as demonstrated in the United States’ Constitution. Nelson’s letter stated that George was posthumously inducted into the NCCS’s Hall of Fame. George, along with Marie, and others in their family had been active in promoting freedom and in defending the United States Constitution, as well as warning of anti-God threats to our sovereignty. Marie and other family members continue this legacy.
Born, January 21, 1927 in rural South Dakota, George was the 9th of 12 children. George’s life was the life of a farmer growing up. His family farmed until the Dust Bowl hit, and his parents couldn’t pay the taxes. However, their neighbors couldn’t pay either; so many properties were simply abandoned – including the Cavanaugh’s. After several years, the government hadn’t done anything with the land so his family remained on the land, and eventually earned enough to pay the taxes and buy their land back. Some of the other neighbors didn’t return, so the Cavanaughs, over time, were able to purchase the abandoned land, which almost doubled the size of their farm.
In their family, George and a younger brother were the only boys really interested in farming, so as a young man George decided to raise the money to buy the farm. As a teenager and working the farm, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints (LDS) stopped by. George was interested, investigated, and converted. His mother and another sibling later joined. A few years after that, George was drafted into the Army. After his service during the Korean War, George returned to the farm.
Wanting to marry an LDS girl, as there were very few members of his faith in South Dakota, he attended Brigham Young University, where he met the love of his life, Marie. After a year of courtship they were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They returned to South Dakota, where George farmed and served as the South Dakota District president for the LDS Church for ten years. Marie also served as the District Relief Society president. During this time, he and his wife Marie started a candy business which in part helped the Relief Society to raise the funds needed to build chapels in Huron, Aberdeen, and Pierre, South Dakota. Pres. David O. McKay was prophet at that time, and the Church contributed twenty percent of the cost of the new buildings while the members had to raise the other eighty percent.
George and Marie have often served where they could help people understand the forces of good and evil about them including in politics. Disagreeing with government farm subsidies tha,t in principle, George didn’t want to accept, he sold the farm and moved his family to Utah where they continued to grow their candy business. George and Marie, upon the recommendation of Ezra Taft Benson, joined and served as members and chapter leaders of the John Birch Society. Known as Elder Benson to them and fellow Church members, he gave them the admonition to “waste and wear out” their lives if need be, in exposing the enemies of freedom and those who are destroying our Constitutional Republic.
Marie says they have “served faithfully in this lifelong calling since the late 1960’s.” Their cause is found in the Book of Mormon heading of Ether Chapter 8, and in verses 18-26 of the same chapter. She notes that “Moroni soberly warns us that if we allow this conspiracy—this modern-day ‘secret combination’ to ‘…get power and gain until they shall spread over the nation, behold they shall be destroyed...’ It is very clear that these murderous combinations are among us and it will be to our “overthrow and destruction, if ye shall suffer these things to be.” Marie says that, “George’s dying wish, if he could give another sermon, would be that all members of this Church would understand these warnings, as expressed in the above scriptures, so evil may be done away with and Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men (as in verse 26).” Marie and their daughter, Genise Martin, offered this request: “May God Bless America!”
George is survived by his wife, Marie, five children: Carla (Billy) Spencer; Lorraine (Brian) Tennant; Calvin Cavanaugh; Colene (Mike) Wall; Genise (Greg) Martin; twenty-five grandchildren; twenty-two great grandchildren; and more on the way…
