Janice Skinner Gorden passed to her Heavenly home on December 9, 2025. She was born on February 9, 1930, in Georgetown, Texas, to Raymond Patrick and Gladys Burleson Countryman. During her childhood, she and her family moved frequently around central Texas, since her stepfather, Dean Skinner, was involved in building many of the roads and highways of central Texas in the 1930’s and 1940’s. She was also blessed with having Bill Countryman, as her stepfather, who gave her away at her wedding.
She was a 1947 graduate of Temple High School. She married Billy Bain Gorden, the great grandson of the founder of First Baptist Church, Anderson Clark, on August 8, 1948, at First Baptist Church in Temple, Texas. Prior to the birth of their children, she worked at First National Bank of Temple, and the McCloskey Veterans Hospital in Temple. She was very active in all three of her children’s schools and sewed most of their clothes as they were growing up. She faithfully worked beside her husband, running to town for parts and supplies so he could keep up the needed repairs on the farm. She was also an avid gardener, alongside her mother-in-law, picking and processing the season’s garden harvests. She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church, where she also served as Pastor’s Secretary for twenty-four years. After her retirement, she was very busy keeping up with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and taking care of her mother and husband. Janice was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
Janice and Bill are the proud parents of Robert Gorden (Colleen) of Temple, Todd Gorden (Debbie) of Huntsville, Texas, and Terri Martin (Norris) of Temple. They are also survived by eight grandchildren Jennifer Holder (Jeremy), Jeremy Gorden (Laura), Sarah Sudlow, Stephen Sudlow (Sara), Candi Ketcham (Steven), Brian Gorden (Kayla), Justin Martin (Kennedy), and Lana Martin (Dylan), eleven great grandchildren Lenore Phy, Ben Gorden, Sean Gorden, Clara Gorden, Jackson Hilliard, Lukas Hilliard, Daniel Sudlow, Taylor Ketcham, Skylar Ketcham, Lucas Gorden, and Zoe Gorden, and sisters Judy Manion (Adrian) and Linda Swedberg (Chad). She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 68 years, Bill, her parents and stepfathers, sister-in-law Minnie Ruth Sanderson, and nephew Gorden Ray Sanderson.
Services for Janice will be at 11:00 am Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at First Baptist Church in Temple. Visitation will be at 10:00 am, prior to the service. Burial will follow at Little Flock Cemetery in Temple.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to First Baptist Church, Temple, Texas or Little Flock Cemetery Association.
