Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Colombie britanique for funeral details
We announce the celebration of Kenneth Elmer Jordan’s life who passed away peacefully on 19 December 2023 at the Veteran’s Memorial Lodge on Broadmead, in Victoria, British Columbia. Ken was 94 years old. You can send your condolences or leave a thought for the family at obituaries@timescolumist.com.
Ken was a genuine soul that will never be forgotten. He was predeceased by his dear wife, Loretta Margaret Jordan, his daughter Debora Masters, and grandson, Jonny Jackson Dickenson. He will be remembered by his surviving daughters, Linda (Don) McAllister of Woolford, Alberta; Rhonda (Bruce) Johnstone of Sooke, British Columbia; Cynthia Jordan of Oshawa, Ontario; Della (Dean) LaChance of Didsbury, Alberta; and Shelley (Steve) Richards of Pender Island, British Columbia; along with many grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Kenneth Elmer Jordan’s Eulogy:
Kenneth Elmer Jordan born May 15, 1929, was the eighth child born to Joseph Lewis Jordan and Ferel Cameron Brown. His dad, Joseph, played professional baseball for the Hutchison White Sox in Kansas. His position was ‘pitcher’. This may attest to Kenny showing up on the ball field with the older boys and men, playing any position from shortstop to pitcher.
Kenny’s parents, Joseph and Ferel, were married 2 October 1907 in Oklahoma, United States. They eventually immigrated to Canada in 1911 and homesteaded in Water Valley, Alberta by 1916. Kenny was a lovely young lad and very helpful to his mother. He would work with her in the garden, milk the cows, and attend to any other chores required that day. As a young boy of eight or nine years of age, he helped provide meals for his family by hunting. He had his own gun. One day he brought home a partridge for everyone. It was often that Kenny’s older siblings would come to him asking what was for supper. Ken’s ability to shoot from far away and landing his prey was noticed later on in his life when he was in the army.
He and a friend went out one day and on the spur of the moment decided to sign up and enlist in the army. Ken went into the signal core and would remain there during his career, sending coded messages throughout the armed forces. One of the most interesting places he worked was in a place informally known as “The Hole,” in CFB Penhold, Alberta. It was all underground in a hill. At one point when no longer in use by the Canadian Armed Forces, the Hell’s Angels wanted to buy it, so it was better decided to demolish it. Anyways, as a young soldier in training he found himself on the shooting range, when everything grew quiet. Looking around, Ken discovered that everyone had stopped shooting and gathered around to watch him shoot. His every shot was a dead-on bullseye. He was offered a chance to train as a sniper but turned it down feeling he could not do that kind of work. A few years later he served on a peace mission in the Congo in Africa and received an award for exemplary service. After twenty-five years Ken retired and was honorably discharged in 1979.
Back in his growing up years at home he remained dedicated to his family and especially his mother. It was Kenny who carried home his little brother, Denny, when he fell out of a tree and had broken his ankle. It was Kenny who went out in the cold of winter and would come back dragging a suitable tree for Christmas.
When he was old enough, he would work on the neighbor’s farm. Each day he would bring home a shiny coin and put it into a container for his mom and dad and younger sister. By then the rest of the children had left home.
Notes by Dad: First guy I ever worked for was Ernie Featherstone. He’d give me a job doing anything, cleaning up the yard, etc. for seventy-five cents a day. A bottle of pop was two cents. I liked Pepsi cola back then but hate it today. I would take a quarter and get a dollar back. Paid for my little sister, Inez, and mom’s needs at the Cremona store.
Many families experienced difficult days back in the thirties and forties. Kenny and his family were no different. They lived in a little two room cabin built by his father from trees he cut down on his property. Kenny remembers the wood stove in the middle of the room shining bright red right up through the ceiling. That was the winter the chickens froze on their roosts in the barn. One day he recounted that his brothers and sisters had roasted the last carrot. Then, with his feelings caught in his throat, he relayed how he watched them fight over it. There were many sad difficult days for young Kenny.
Kenny grew up on a quarter section which was 160 acres of beautiful forestry in Water Valley, Alberta, including cool mountain creeks, berries, mushrooms, and wildlife. They used the creek closest to the house to keep their milk, butter, and other perishables cold. The food was placed in a wooden box that was heavy enough to sit in the water and was usually tied down. The family enjoyed the long round logs of baloney brought home and set in the pantry. They would just hack off a piece when they wanted. Ferel, little Kenny’s mom, taught him where the berries and mushrooms grew on their quarter section of land. Kenny knew when and where every berry and mushroom would be, many he would say, were by the old broken-down wagon. Brownie was his dog who was a great help in retrieving the cache Kenny was able to secure for his family. Ken often fed Brownie blueberries as a reward. There were a few cows and a horse. One day when he was eight years old, the horse somehow had injured its underbelly and Kenny ran into the house and rounded up a needle and thread and proceeded to sew up the wound. He was a resourceful boy. The horse healed and was just fine. This may have been the beginning of his love for sewing. Ken is known for sewing clothes for Lori and his daughters and in his later years many beautiful quilts.
Over the years it became obvious that Ken was a determined talented man at most of what he tried in recreational sports: darts, curling, baseball of course, shuffleboard, bowling, and golf. He won the men’s open at the Balmoral Golf Course, in Red Deer, Alberta, along with many other trophies and plaques.
As time ventured forth a young girl showed up in Ken’s life. Ken married Loretta (Lori) Margaret Laveck on September 10,1953, in Cremona, Alberta. His sister Edith lovingly helped this event come to pass. Ken and Lori raised six beautiful daughters, Linda, Rhonda, Debby, Cindy, Della, and Shelley while Ken and family were transferred around the country for his career. The family lived in Water Valley, Alberta; Kingston, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; Winnipeg, Manitoba; CFB Penhold, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; and Greenwood, Nova Scotia, ending up back in CFB Penhold where he finally retired before moving out to Sooke, British Columbia. Ken and Lori settled there for the remainder of their days.
During this time Ken and Lori worked at many jobs and paid off their mortgage. Ken worked as a chimney sweeper, a janitor at the Bishop Cridge Center for the Family (Lori was a cook), a security guard at the CanWest Mall, a janitor at the Victoria General Hospital, and a Commissionaire for the City of Victoria. Ken would drive into Sooke, park, and catch the bus into Victoria every day to work. One day when he was walking across the parking lot he was struck by a car and was in the hospital for quite some time recovering.
When stationed in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Ken decided to coach girl’s baseball. It was at that time Linda, Rhonda, Debby, and Cindy were old enough to play. It was decided to call the team the Blue Angels. Each girl received a blue tee-shirt with the inscription “Blue Angels” and our names. Mr. Jordan would rally us before a game and give caring sermons and hand out gum. It was clear he cared about the team more than winning the game. One time the other team was bigger and older and wearing cleats. Our coach pulled us out before the second inning. We ended up winning the fastball championship for our division. The parents clearly appreciated Mr. Jordan and donated resources so we could have a celebration and thank you barbeque in our back yard. Our dad, the coach, was presented with an electric razor and many thanks. Our team showed up in the local newspaper receiving the winning trophy.
It was well known that Dad loved to sing, yodel, play the guitar, and every now and then the harmonica. Kenny may have learned on his dad’s guitar that was in the little cabin he grew up in. By the time he was seventeen years old he had his own band and had cut a 45mm record. That record should exist somewhere out there today.
Notes from Dad: Crossroads hotel: Sang Wedding Bells (first Hank Williams song I ever learned to sing) four times and got paid $5. Lake Louis: Could sing any night I wanted to. Got paid $10 for singing 2 to 3 hours. Age 15-16. Uncle Denny played the banjo. Sounded fine. People loved it. Lots of clapping. Sang the old songs – going songs at that time.
Ken had a few bands over the years, and he loved to sing to his family at home. We would gather around his knee and shed a few tears for Old Shep and many other oldies. Eventually the girls began to join in singing, and Ken taught them how to play the guitar. One time the girls (Rhonda, Debby, Cindy, Della) appeared on TV in Red Deer, Alberta. This talent and love for music was also passed on to many of the grandchildren.
Ken enjoyed baking. When we were growing up, he would take charge of the Christmas dinner including baked bread, pies, cookies, candy, cakes, etc. Us girls would love to stand around for a piece of the bread dough, etc. As a family we shared dinner time together and always had three good nutritious meals a day. This was an absolute because they grew up in hard times of drought and they and their families struggled going without many times. To mention just a few cookies, we would enjoy: peanut butter, chocolate chip, short bread, mince meat, and sugar cookies. There were pies of all kinds: pumpkin, apple, berries, etc. Lemon meringue pie was to die for. Every bit of baking was perfectly done. Dad took his time to perfect something. The pie crust was a Mona Lisa in the making. He would bring his finished unbaked pie dough to Mom who was his taster. If she even hesitated a blink, he would take it, throw it in the garbage, and start again. Finally, he took a batch into her, and she immediately said yummmm and that was it. All his equations of ingredients were in place for the perfect pie dough. Cakes range from chocolate, orange chiffon, angel food, standard white one bowl cake, and more. There are also his turkey balls, shepherd’s pie, pancakes, meat loafs, and much more. It could be said Ken’s daughters have taken an interest in their dad’s cooking and made it a tradition in their own lives. We can’t say enough about dad’s cooking and baking.
2024
Death notice for the town of: Sooke, Province: Colombie britanique
death notice Kenneth Elmer JORDAN 2024
obituaries notice Kenneth Elmer JORDAN 2024
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Kenneth Elmer JORDAN 2024 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
