Mary Belle Jordan

Mary Belle Jordan, 98, of Gaithersburg, MD passed away peacefully on November 17, 2021, surrounded by family in her final hours. Mary Belle was preceded in death by her beloved husband Leo L. Jordan; her son Larry Jordan; daughter Mary Lou Black; sons-in-law Skip Walker and Harold Black; parents Lloyd L. Wineinger and Sarah May Wineinger; brother Leland Wineinger and sister-in-law Mary Wineinger; brother Bob Wineinger and sister-in-law Wanda Wineinger; and sister Betty Wells and brother-in-law Garland Wells. She is survived by her daughter Barbara Walker of Centreville, MD; son Joe Jordan and his wife Nancy of Lucas, TX; daughter Kathy Schmidt of Germantown, MD; and daughter-in-law Dottie Jordan of Burke, VA. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Mary Belle was born on September 13, 1923, in Idalia, CO, the daughter of the late Lloyd L. Wineinger and Sarah May Wineinger. At age 2 her family relocated to Luray, Kansas where she grew up and completed her education and graduated from High School in 1941. After graduation, she attended Brown Mackie Business School in Salina, KS. In January 1942 she was called to Washington, DC to work for the government as World War II got underway. She arrived in Washington and worked as a secretary for the War Department, Chemical Warfare Service from 1942-44.

In June 1943, she met the love of her life, Leo L. Jordan. He was on leave after receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps assigned to be a pilot on B-17 (Flying Fortress) airplanes. It was Love at First Sight and they courted by phone and letter as he moved from base to base. They were married on May 30, 1944 in Ardmore, OK. They lived in Oklahoma until November 1944, when Leo was deployed to England where he flew missions over Germany. Mary Belle lived with her family in Fort Smith, AR while he was overseas. In January 1945, Leo was involved in a mid-air collision and reported Missing in Action. Eventually, Mary Belle was notified that Leo was a Prisoner of War in Germany and he was held until May 1945 when the war ended.

Mary Belle was reunited with Leo in June 1945 in Washington, DC, where they started their family. They had 5 children, Barbara, Mary Lou, Larry, Joe, and Kathy. She was a stay-at-home Mom from 1946-1963 when the family moved to Silver Spring. She was Baptized and received First Holy Communion at the Church of Holy Face Catholic Church in Great Mills, MD in May 1958.

During 1963-1968 she worked as a Labor & Delivery Ward Clerk at Providence Hospital. For the next 10 years (1968-1978) she worked for Dr. James Frawley (OB/GYN) until she rejoined the Federal service in 1978. She worked as a secretary for NIH in the National Cancer Institute, Pediatric Oncology from 1978-1985 when she retired from Federal service. During 1986 until 2005 (age 82) Mary Belle worked as a part-time sales assistant at NV Homes.

In 1983, Mary Belle and Leo moved to Germantown, MD, where they lived together until Leo’s death in 1986 after 42 years of marriage. Mary Belle joined Mother Seton Parish in Germantown and was a devoted parishioner for 38 years. She was a founding member of the Sodality and a member of the Seton Seniors. Throughout the years she has been devoted to her faith and was blessed with many beautiful friendships.

In 2016, Mary Belle moved to Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, MD, where she lived independently until her death in 2021. She was very happy at Asbury and had many beloved friends. Her favorite pastime was playing games with her Asbury friends. She had a full calendar playing a variety of games 4 days a week. Over the past 6 months she had home care to help her through the breakfast and dinner routines. She was very fond of her caregivers and very thankful to have them with her.

Mary Belle had 98 wonderful years in this life on earth. She was a loving, kind, thoughtful, and beautiful person - inside and out. She loved her family and friends with all of her heart. She will be missed greatly by all who have had the privilege to know and love her. We are comforted to know she is resting in peace in everlasting life with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A mass will be held at Mother Seton Parish,19951 Father Hurley Blvd, Germantown MD 20874 on Friday, March 25, 2022 at 11:00AM. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be scheduled at a later date. Family and friends are invited to share on-line condolences and memories and to view details regarding future services at devolfuneralhome.com.

Contributions in Mary Belle’s memory can be made to Mother Seton Parish at 19951 Father Hurley Blvd, Germantown MD 20874 or Asbury Methodist Village Benevolent Care Fund at 201 Russell Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20877.