5/4/2009
Mary Mae (Sherwood) Jordan was 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, a 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, and 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
than 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, and 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 a deaconess, and 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, and one daughter, Tomma Lou Maas; daughter-in-law, Paula Jordan; infant grandson, Matthew Jordan; and three brothers, J. Wesley Sherwood, Kermit Sherwood, 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 and Nora Lee Ingle of Mitchellville; one brother, Robert
Sherwood of Knoxville; one son-in-law, Randy Maas of Cedar Falls, IA; along with
her grandchildren, grandchildren.
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.
Memorials may be given in memory of Mrs. Jordan to Fairview Christian Church, Church of the Nazarene in Knoxville, or Hospice of Central Iowa in Knoxville.
Condolence messages may be sent to the family at www.williamsfhknoxville.com.