Ethel Walter Gordon

Ethel Lydia Walter Gordon was born on April 29, 1914 in Wayne Township. She was the daughter of Homer and Hazel Benfer Walter. Ethel spent most of her childhood years on the family’s dairy farm that was between Winfield and Dundee with her two sisters, Ruth Walter Haager and Ann Laing (Betty) Radebaugh, and a brother Maurice Walter. They all preceded her in death. Next to the front door of the farmhouse, there was a little wooden box with a door that had a pad of paper and a pencil inside just in case a friend stopped by and no one was home. On the outside of the box it said “Let me live in the house by the side of the road and be a friend to man.” Ethel must have taken the friend part to heart because she spent her life making, and being, a friend to many people.

Ethel met Noel Gordon in elementary school, and after years of being sweethearts, they ran away to be married in 1932 where her friend Grace Lyons went along to stand up for them. Still friends some sixty years later, Grace was again standing up with Ethel when Noel, her husband for sixty -seven years, passed away on March 14, 2000.

Ethel and Noel had three children, Dr. Keith Gordon, Dr. Lynn Gordon, and Suzanne Gordon Halter. She was a wonderful, loving mother that stayed at home and raised her family. She always valued learning and began instilling in her children the need to continue their education. Ethel was determined that Keith would go to college. She did not know how to make sure her children had the opportunity, so she turned to another friend Thelma Shough, who gave Ethel the sound advice that she needed.

Ethel celebrated life with her family and friends. When her children were young, Sundays meant dinner with the entire family gathering at the farm. Nobody ever left empty handed because there was always something from the farm like produce, eggs or something grandma made. The whole family enjoyed games of all kinds and was pretty competitive, but always loved the rousing Friday or Saturday night card games.

Ethel never considered any other kind of life than staying at home with her children, but being a wonderfully creative and talented person whose hands were seldom idle, she was always looking for new ways to express herself. She took oil painting lessons from Grace Mason, whom she admired very much. She painted for about forty years, and was especially proud of her painting of the farm. She also knit and braided rugs. Although Ethel and her son Lynn have different expressions of their artistic talent, he inherited her creativity.

Twenty- seven years ago Ethel and Noel moved to Venice Florida. Although it was very difficult for her to leave her family, she felt it was a good move for Noel, so off they went. They built a home and she began making new friends. She joined many bridge groups and started giving oil painting lessons to friends that wanted to learn. She started taking china-painting classes and enjoyed giving china to friends and family. She always felt that giving something that she made was of more value than buying a gift. She enjoyed Florida, but always had her heart set on getting back to Ohio.

After Noel’s death Ethel looked forward to beginning a new chapter in her life in Ohio. She was not ready to give in to her age and physical condition. She still had new friends to make at the retirement community she found in Westlake, and old friends and family to catch up with. She was very perturbed that her body was not keeping up with her mind, and she had no intention of giving up on the idea of coming back. She talked of going to a rehabilitation center after her massive heart attack. To the amazement of the doctor she got up and went through a physical therapy test to get into a rehabilitation center. Again her body was failing, so her next idea was an air ambulance, but the damage was too great for her strong will to overcome, and she sadly had to give up her goal.

Ethel was very proud of her children, and later her six grandchildren, Scott, Keith, Lora, Erik, Neal and Elaine. She enjoyed seeing her great grandchildren Michael, Hunter, Rachel, Conner, MacKenzie, Taylor and Scott.

The greatest sorrow of her life was the loss of her beloved son Keith. She was a very strong person, but his death was almost too much for her to bear.

Ethel lived a wonderful life and will be sorely missed by her family and many friends.

Funeral services will be held Monday, May 5 at 2:30pm in Toland-Herzig Funeral Home, Dover with Pastor Roger Thompson officiating. Interment will be in the Bunker Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home one hour prior to services. Following funeral services a dinner will be held in the Winfield Grange Hall.

Memorial contributions may be made to Zion Lutheran Church c/o 4664 St. Rt. 516 NW, Dover, Ohio 44622.



Funeral Home:
Toland-Herzig Funeral Home
803 N. Wooster Ave
Dover, OH
US 44622