Janet Elizabeth Gordon

Janet Elizabeth Willits Gordon died May 22, 2014, in Rochester. She was born Nov. 3, 1927, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, to Selma Long Willits and Charles Robert Willits and grew up on the family Century (1854) farm, Shadynook, four miles northeast of Mount Pleasant. Jan attended Pleasant Lawn School through 11th grade and graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1945 and St. Luke's School of Nursing, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1948. She studied operating room procedures and management at Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago. Her nursing career included service in hospitals in Honolulu; Amarillo, Texas; Madison, Wis.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Sandy, Utah. She married John Lynn Gordon on May 27, 1955, in Amarillo, Texas. They had three children, Mark Robert Gordon (Denise), of Bartlesville, Okla., Carron Alice Gordon Kopren (Douglas), of Sandy, Utah, and Andrew Land Gordon, of Red Wing. Jan is survived by her husband and children; brother, Bob Willits (Ruth); grandchildren, Jake Williams, Austin Williams (Chelsea) and Sara Berry Esnaola (T.J.); niece, Deborah Sianchuk (Curtis); and five-plus great-grandchildren and many cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; half brother, Jay; half sister, Elin; and nephew, Stephen Willits. Jans favorite activities, contributions and achievements included high school cheerleader, 4-H projects, helping start the Mount Evans Home Health Hospice (Evergreen, Colo.), volunteer nurse for Mayo Clinic Hospice (Rochester) and Sunday school teacher. She was a compassionate Hospice volunteer for over 30 years. Memorials (in lieu of flowers) to the charity of your choice, to Mayo Clinic Hospice Rochester (philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donateMC) and/or to Mount Evans Home Health Hospice, Evergreen, Colo. (mtevans.org/giving).