Jeanne Cordova

Our wonderful mother and grandmother Jeanne Cordova went to be with the Lord on Wednesday evening, January 5, 2011. She had a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease and it is comforting to know that now she is resting in the arms of our Lord Jesus and is with her beloved husband, Gilbert, who was called home by the Lord almost five years ago. She is survived by her children: Judy, Belva, Randy, Peggy, Alex and Stephanie and her grandchildren: Dawn, Adrian, Laura, Marcus, Gillian, Nicole and Daniel. She is also survived by 8 great-grandchildren.

Jeanne was 77 years old, and was born in and lived almost her entire life in Denver. She was a homemaker except for brief periods of time when she worked jobs to help with the family budget. She loved to cook, and we miss her wonderful meals.

Jeanne’s passion, however was serving others. She was actively involved in the startup of a gleaning program, where farm produce not sent to market is donated to food banks. She founded a Christmas Basket program still carried on in churches today. In 1975 and then following throughout her later years, she founded and ran Roadrunner for Christ, a ministry that delivers clothing, food and other necessities to the poorest of the poor in Mexico and on the Hopi and Sioux Indian reservations. The ministry name was based on her Hopi name, Hospoamana – Roadrunner Girl. She never envisioned a formal ministry when she and Gilbert first began taking food and clothing in their own vehicle and giving it to people in dire need. That activity was just a reflection of her gift of giving and of reaching out to those less fortunate than herself. But word spread about the work she was doing, and soon many congregations were asking her to pick up donations that they had gathered. The loads that Jeanne and Gilbert were transporting eventually grew to the point that they had to purchase a large cargo van in order to transport the large amount of donations. After some time, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) approached Jeanne and worked with her to incorporate the ministry. Today the work is being carried on by faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. In 1999 Jeanne was recognized for her work and was given the Spiritus Christi award by Concordia University, River Forest, IL.

Jeanne was a good actress and performed in many chancel dramas in her younger years. She also produced and directed some plays on her own. Many people will remember the Lighted Cross Players that she was actively involved in. Jeanne’s other interests were music, spending time at the family’s mountain property, traveling, and just having family and friends come by to visit. Her family misses being able to drop by anytime at the house that she and Gilbert owned for 50 years.

In the last years of Jeanne’s life, the Alzheimer’s disease took a terrible toll. She would not have wanted to live life that way, and so we know that the Lord’s decision to take her now is a merciful decision. Nevertheless, we miss her and are looking forward to the time when we will all be together again in eternity.

Visitation is Tuesday, January 11, 2011 from 4PM-7PM, Highland Mortuary, 10201 No. Grant St., Thornton, CO. Service is Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 10:00AM, King of Kings Lutheran Church, 8300 Pomona Drive, Arvada CO. Burial at Ft. Logan National at 1:30PM.

Contributions in Jeanne's name may be sent to Roadrunner for Christ, Inc., PO Box 1932, Wheat Ridge, CO 80034-1932.

Arrangements under the direction of Olinger Highland Mortuary & Cemetery, Thornton, CO.