Jeannine Gordon
A celebration of life graveside service for Jeannine Gordon, 78, formerly of the Verndale and Sebeka area, was held July 3, 2020 in the Wing River Cemetery. The recorded service is on YouTube channel: “First Congregational Church, Torrington Wyoming”.
Jeannine Mae (Crocker) Gordon went to be with Jesus on June 27 at 8:12 a.m. in her home in Grimes, IA with her loving family by her side. Much to our surprise, Jeannine was diagnosed with cancer in January of this year. Her journey in this life came to an end much more quickly than any of us would have thought.
Mom invited Jesus to be her personal Savior at age eight and kept her faith to the end of her time on this Earth. Her final story is one of encouragement that we must stay close to Jesus because salvation is worth everything. Her life’s Bible verse was Proverbs 3:5-6 and she did indeed trust in the Lord with all her heart.
Jeannine was born in Verndale on the Crocker family farm to Kenneth and Emily (Erickson) Crocker on July 26, 1941. She came from a hardworking farm family that raised livestock of milk cows, hogs and grew crops of corn and alfalfa. Jeannine was taught to work hard, and she learned it well. She attended and graduated from Verndale High School in 1959. She loved being a Verndale pirate and had been a cheerleader during high school. This position attracted the attention of many young men, but only one captured her eye. Dennis Gordon married Jeannine on August 5, 1961. They have been married for 59 years which is a miracle, if you know our dad. They attended St. Paul Bible College, currently know as Crown College in Waconia, preparing for a life of ministry. Jeannine was a homemaker, pastor’s wife and ministry support person her whole married life. They served in churches for 42 years, ministering with the Christian & Missionary Alliance Denomination, pastoring churches in Bloomfield, MT, Leaf River, MN, Hamlet, NE, Ocheyedan, IA and Vining, IA.
Mom taught Sunday School, played piano, led Bible studies, baked food, made a million bulletins and loved and helped people, making difference in their lives. She enjoyed working as a para-educator in public schools and loved her time working at the Tri-County Hospital in Wadena. Dennis and Jeannine retired close to the Crocker Farm being blessed to live by Hope Chapel Church, north of Verndale, by many friends and family who made Mom’s retirement year the best ever. Thank you to all her family, life-long church families and friends who made mom’s life so wonderful.
Jeannine loved attending Crocker family events and being with family, gardening, sewing, baking, music, reading, scrapbooking, games and caring for her mother, Emily, who lived to be 101. One of her favorite times of the year was Thanksgiving, when the Crocker family would come together and cut wood for grandma for the winter.
She is preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Kathy Bucknell; sisters-in-law, Mae, Betty and Cathy.
She is survived by her husband, Dennis; four children Denise (David) Bubeck of Grimes, IA, Matthew (Beth) Gordon of Lingle, WY, Michelle (Steve) Nawrocki of Eden Prairie and Jolene (Mark) Nawrocki of Wheatridge, CO.; 13 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and one on the way; four brothers, John, Jim, Jerry and Dan (Michelle); three sisters Julie (Roger) Riebling and Leola (Randy) Beebe, sister and brother-in-law, Dean and Francis Estabrooks; and brother-in-law, Leon Gordon; along with many other family members and friends from around the world.
Rest well mom, we will be together again. Thank goodness for Jesus!
Memorials may be given to Hope Chapel Alliance Church, Verndale; Camp Jim Bible Camp, Pillager, or Crown College, St Bonifacius.
Thank you to Unity Point Hospice and Dave and Denise Bubeck’s church family, Soteria Des Moines, for the wonderful love and care, God bless you all.
Arrangements with Hamilton Funeral Home, Des Moines, IA. (www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com/)
Local arrangements with Schuller Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Services in Wadena. (www.SchullerFamilyFH.com) We thank them for their care to our family for many years.
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