Dorothy May Jordan
Dorothy Jordan Obituary
Dorothy May (Buckley) Jordan, age 79, of Lusk entered eternal rest at Heritage Estates, Gering, Nebraska on May 30, 2022. A celebration of her life will be held Monday, June 6th at 10:00 a.m. in the Shooting Sports Building at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds. Pastor Tom Strock will officiate with assistance from Willy Wilcox.
Dorothy was born February 23, 1943, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Emerson and Aster “Lillie” (Rasmussen) Buckley. She grew up on the family ranch south of Harrison. She attended the Sioux County District #48 School (a one-room school about 2 miles from the ranch) through the 8th grade. She then boarded in town with the Grimm and Herren families through High School. Dorothy played volleyball and was a cheerleader for Sioux County High School, where she graduated in 1960.
Dorothy was the 5th of 6 children. She and her siblings found a variety of mischief to get into growing up. One of the stories they shared was of Dorothy when she was wearing a snowsuit that made her look like a bear. She fell into an irrigation ditch and would have likely drowned if it hadn’t been for her brother Junior who jumped in to save her. It may not surprise you to hear that Dorothy had quite a temper as a child. This earned her respect and possibly a little fear from her siblings. Those of you who knew her as an adult may have seen that temper and felt similar respect or fear. Her children knew she had “a look” that meant they were in trouble. And if you didn’t heed the look, she might use some colorful words to make sure you understood her point. But Dorothy also had a caring side for friends, family, and even strangers that outweighed her temper.
Dorothy graduated from cosmetology school in 1960 and worked as a beautician until she married Dale Jordan on July 31, 1962, in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. To this union, Diana, Danese and Dean were born. When Dale and Dorothy got married, they moved to the Jordan ranch northeast of Lusk. Raising her kids on the ranch and helping Dale with the feeding, occasional irrigating, and life as a ranch wife gave her much pride. Once Dale and Dorothy moved to Lusk, Dorothy worked as a flagger on a highway construction job in northern Niobrara County before she opened The Klip Joint where she resumed her career as a beautician. She and Brenda Aurzada added apparel to the shop to keep up with the changing times. Dorothy ran this until her retirement when she sold the business to Lucy Luker.
Dorothy and Dale were known for their love of dancing. When they were younger, they belonged to square dancing clubs in Lusk and Harrison, and Dorothy sewed matching dresses and shirts for the couples. They also taught ballroom dancing. They were graceful dancers and were able to glide across the floor with little effort. In their retirement years, Dale and Dorothy were regulars at the 4:00 o’clock pitch game and tournaments series. This was Dorothy’s favorite pastime, even more than dancing. Whereas Dale liked to play cards in order to have a couple beers and to socialize, Dorothy was all about the competition of the game itself. She used to say, “You should always play for money when playing cards or other games, because you’ll play better”. Much to her chagrin, Dale didn’t really care whether or not money was involved, nor did it impact how he played. Whether it was pitch, pinochle, bridge or playing pool, Dorothy played to win and quite often did so. She played an almost perfect tournament (and won) the week before she went into the nursing home. Her desire to win even applied to discussing politics. Her political leanings changed over the years, but not her desire to convince you that you should agree with her.
Dorothy lived in the Lusk area for her entire married life and was active in a variety of groups in the community. She was a member of the Indian Creek Homemakers Club, played in many bridge marathons, and was active with the Niobrara County CowBelles before it became Cattlewomen. She and Dale also played with the Harrison Bridge Club and a pinochle club in Lusk. She was hostess for many hunters and the numerous ice skating parties held at the ranch during the cold winter months as well. Dorothy and Dale were part of the original group to organize bringing the Rawhide back to Lusk in 1986. She became a member of the Lusk Baptist Church late in her life. She also delivered Meals on Wheels to the community with Dale and later with Donna Gunn.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; sister and brother-in-law Jack and Kathy Larson; sister and brother-in-law Erma and Daniel Barnes; and her husband of 59 years, Dale.
She is survived by her daughter Diana Martin of Gering, NE; daughter and son-in-law Danese and Jeff Reed of Lusk, WY; her son and daughter-in-law Dean and Kathleen Jordan of Windsor, CO; her sister Edith Mack of Scottsbluff, NE; brother Emerson Buckley Junior (Hazel) of Harrison, NE; brother Jack Buckley (Rowena “Sam”) of Harrison, NE; her grandchildren, LaTessa Martin (Anthony), Maggie (Joe) Collins, Mitchell Martin, Kaylee (Trevor) Barner, Kristen (James) Reed and Jordan (Jessie) Reed; twelve great-grandchildren, Christopher, Emerleigh, Crosby, Aurora, Briana, Raelyn, Joseph Junior “JJ”, Roarke, Ramsey, Odin, Quinn and Piper; and a host of relatives and friends for whom she cared dearly.
For those who wish, memorials to the Lusk Baptist Church, Legend of Rawhide, or the Niobrara County Fairgrounds Foundation would be appreciated by the family.
Following the service, a luncheon will be served. At 1:00 P.M., there will be a pitch tournament in memory of Dorothy and Dale.
Pier Funeral Home of Lusk was in charge of arrangements.
For those unable to attend the service, a Zoom link is available June 6th at 10:00 a.m. MST:
Topic: Dorothy Jordan's Celebration of Life
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4918776579
Meeting ID: 491 877 6579
.
Lusk, WY 82225
There will be lunch served after the service, and then a pitch tournament in honor of Dorothy and Dale.
DirectionsTo send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dorothy May Jordan, please visit our floral store.
