Jordan, Mary M. (Sherwood) 1918-2009

JORDAN, SHERWOOD, HAINES

Posted By: Ernie Braida (email)
Date: 11/6/2009 at 19:42:59

Born at home on the family farm on July 28, 1918, Mary was the fifth of eight children of John Wesley and Effie (Haines) Sherwood. She grew up in Marion County, ten miles east of Knoxville, Iowa and graduated from Knoxville High School with the class of 1935.

She married the love of her life, Tommy L. Jordan after meeting on a blind date. They married in 1937, and started their life together in a vacant house on the family farm. They owned a cow, calf, and some chickens. In 1948, the young couple bought the “home place” on Highway 181, where they lived for 25 years. They moved across the road in 1973, and relocated to Knoxville Colonial Terrace in 1999.

After Tommy passed on, Mary moved to Prairie Village and then Park Lane Assisted Living in 2005. She recently spent a few months as a resident of Griffin’s Nursing Center in Knoxville.

Along with being a mother of three, grandmother of seven, great-grandmother of eleven and a farm wife, she found time to make several full-sized quilts to give to her family. She loved gardening and was apparently able to pick rhubarb faster then anyone. Mary loved growing flowers, and writing daily in her journals for the past 30 years. She enjoyed entertaining friends and family, especially on holidays. At Thanksgiving, one could not leave the table without stating three things you grateful for, and the weather could not be one of them! Mary was an avid reader, interested in farm news and current news and events. She studied the Bible, read daily devotions, and on Saturday mornings after the grandkids stayed overnight eating homemade pizza and playing dominos, they were asked to read devotions before breakfast was served. Mary was a very active member of the Fairview Christian Church, where she served as deaconess, taught Sunday school and Bible School. She faithfully attended the Church of the Nazarene in Knoxville as often as she could. That was where she met many dear friends. Mary was also active in the Farm Bureau’s women’s group. Her passion was playing the organ; she loved music and playing for the church and other social functions, accompanying Tommy who played the electric guitar. Mary joined Tommy in many parades riding their Case Steam engine and participating at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa in the Old Thresher’s reunion.

Mary Mae Jordan passed away on May 1, 2009 at the Knoxville Area Community Hospital at the age of 90 years.

Mary Mae Jordan was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one daughter, Tomma Lou Maas; daughter-in-law, Paula Jordan; infant grandson, Matthew Jordan; and three brothers, J. Wesley Sherwood, Kermit Shewood and Billee Sherwood.

Those left to mourn her passing are her son and his wife, Dan and Jan Jordan of Knoxville; one daughter, Rosalie Ackerman of Akron, OH; three sisters, Martha Shivvers and Frances Kirkwood of Knoxville added Nora Lee Ingle of Mitchellville; one brother, Robert Sherwood of Knoxville; one son-in-law, Randy Maas of Cedar Falls, IAA; along with her grandchildren, great

Services were held on Monday, May 4, 2009 at Williams Funeral Home with Pastor Steven Bagby officiating. Interment was in Lincoln Cemetery, rural Marion County, Iowa.

Musical selections were “Amazing Grace”, “He Touched Me” and “One Day At A Time”. Casket bearers were Hugh Ackerman, Jeff Jordan, David Ingle, Josh Kennedy, Marty Scott and David Van Rheenen. Other service participants were Eneatha Rankin, organist; Lela McKinney, soloist; Nora Lee Ingle, eulogist and Heather Jordan, reader.

Williams Funeral Home May 4, 2009