Fred and Ann Cordova: The Grandfather and Grandmother of Colton

“We’ve always felt, if someone needs help and we can help, we will do it. You settle down, you make roots and you do the best you can do in your community.” Those are the words of longtime Colton resident and active community member Ann Cordova. Through the decades, she and her husband of 67 years, Fred Cordova, have established a reputation for community service, dedicating themselves to the betterment of their area. With so much good will in their hearts and on their resumes, it’s no wonder why they are considered by many to be the grandmother and grandfather of Colton. Past and present members of numerous committees and community organizations, age hasn’t quite stopped the couple, explained Ann, 88. Fred is 90. “If you stay active in your community, you don’t feel your age,” said Ann. "You’re active and contributing — and you have to contribute. A lot of people might have this, ‘Oh, let [someone else] contribute’ [attitude]. No, you contribute. We are all in this together. If we don’t do it together, our children after us are going to lose The couple has slowed down, explained Ann, due to bouts of illness and just due to older age, but she shared the two have always been committed to lending a helping hand. Until recently, Fred was a member of the Colton Utilities Commission. He has been involved with the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino and in 2002, was voted Senior of the Year. He is also the previous director of the California State Employees Association and has served on the San Bernardino Mental Health Commission. Ann has served with the Business and Professional Women committee, is on the county’s Senior Affairs Commission overseeing Colton, is a member of the Colton Women’s Club, and both she and Fred are ambassadors for the Colton Chamber of Commerce, an organization in which they have long been affiliated. Through the years they did it all while holding down full time jobs and raising two sons, Phillip and Conrad. The couple met when Fred made friends with Ann’s brother, and soon after being married, Fred joined the Army and was stationed overseas in Korea during WWII. Ann got a job working at Norton Air Force Base and after the war was over, Fred returned home and took jobs working for Colton High School and later at Cal State University, San Bernardino, after it first opened. Off and on for 38 years, Ann continued her work at Norton, eventually going back to school, learning shorthand and becoming the secretary to the base’s chief of police. “We were both working and had two boys at home, but it was rewarding,” said Ann. Oftentimes, Fred and Ann’s work meant raising funds for scholarships or for local businesses and organizations, to keep them thriving. It also meant handing out food or gift baskets to those in need during the holidays. “Especially when you could see the smiles on those kids’ faces and know they appreciated it," she said. "They saw (through our volunteer efforts) that you can do anything you want. If you try hard, you can do it.” To this day, the couple still finds time to help when they can and they continue to attend mixers and community function events to show their support. And if their long list of volunteer efforts were not enough, the couple also stands out in another way: they live in one of the oldest homes in Colton. Built in the 1890s, Fred and Ann’s home sits a block east away from Jean's French Restaurant on La Cadena Avenue and E Street. In December 1985, the couple’s home was part of the Holiday Home Tour, which brought residents through some of the city’s early neighborhoods to see the older homes. “There were only four houses on that tour,” said Ann. She and Fred at the time were active members of the Colton Area Museum Association. The couple’s family has also stayed close—son Philip lives in Yucaipa with his family and son Conrad is in San Bernardino, Ann’s birthplace. Fred and Ann have three grandchildren, all boys, and several great-grandchildren who also reside in the nearby area. “There’s always someone you can help,” said Ann. “If you want to get involved in your community, there’s plenty you can do. Fred and I feel, if there’s something to be done, we want to do it. We’ve enjoyed it.”