Nancy Gorden

Nancy D. Gorden, 79, of Johnston, Iowa, passed away at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, December 15, 2016 at Taylor House, Des Moines.

Nancy was born on April 30, 1937, in Traverse City, Michigan, the eldest daughter of Harry L. and Vera V. (Donner) Doty. She lived the first seventeen years of her life in Traverse City surrounded by many other relatives and friends. Music was a vital part of Nancy’s life. She began piano lessons at age 6 and became an accompanist at church at age 8, at her junior high for choir and later for the high school women’s quartet that won the state finals. She also played cello during her high school years. She attended the local schools from kindergarten through 11th grade when her father’s job moved the family to Miami, OK.

Nancy graduated from Miami, OK, High School in 1955. She then went on to attend Graceland College, Lamoni, IA, for two and a half years, receiving her Associate of Arts degree in Education. It was there she met Jerry L. Gorden, who would become her husband for 49 years before his death. After graduation from Graceland, she moved to Des Moines and worked at the Farm Bureau prior to her marriage to Jerry on June 1, 1958. She and Jerry moved to Council Bluffs, where she taught fourth grade in Underwood, IA, for one year until her son Steven was born in 1959. Daughter Shelly came along in 1960. Following life in Council Bluffs, the family lived in Ames, Nevada, and Altoona prior to moving to Johnston in order for Jerry to be near Camp Dodge in 1969. Daughter Sherry arrived just a few months after the move into their new home.

Nancy worked for the Men’s Garden Clubs of America for seventeen years as their executive secretary. When Pope John Paul II was coming to Des Moines, she was hired as executive secretary for the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. She worked with staff to prepare for the Pope’s visit, while Jerry, in his role with the Iowa Army National Guard, was preparing for the safety and security of the Pope. One of her proud accomplishments was typing the Pope’s speech.

Nancy later went back to the Men’s Gardens Clubs and then to Lutheran Hospital’s Childcare program. She later volunteered and then worked for the Des Moines Stake of the Community of Christ (RLDS).

Nancy grew up in a home where faith in our Creator and living a life of service to Him and others was of the utmost importance. She was a member of the Community of Christ. When the denomination began ordaining women into the priesthood, Nancy was the first to be ordained in the Des Moines area and one of the first in the whole denomination. During her life, she served as a pastor, youth camp and family camp director, organist, pianist and children’s choir director.

Survivors include her son, Steven (Ann Howe) Gorden, Des Moines, her daughter, Sherry Long, Johnston, three grandchildren, Lindsay (Nathan) Wendland, David Wayne Gorden, and Nathan Long, four step-grandchildren, Robert Reed, Tenya Anderson, Natasha Reed, and Jacob R. Howe, sister, Diane (Richard) Mayfield, brothers-in-law, Kenny Wren, Tom Gorden, David Gorden, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Shelly Gorden, her parents and her sister, Darlene Wren.

Services will be held at 3 p.m., Tuesday, December 20th, at the Community of Christ Church Northwest Branch, 3003 62nd Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50322, with a short reception to follow. Private burial will be at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, Nancy requests memorials be sent to Autism Speaks at www.autismspeaks.org or Childserve, 5406 Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA, 50131.

Condolences may be expressed at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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