March 19, 2024

Gordon L. Enyart

June 29, 2016

Gordon Lowell Enyart was born July 16, 1929, and entered heaven from his farm home on June 29, 2016, after a hard fought battle with cancer. Gordon was born to Esten and Mildred (English) Enyart southwest of Prairie City, and that was to be his home for the next 21 years. Gordon attended the Yaeger one room schoolhouse before graduating from Prairie City High School in 1947. On Feb. 16, 1951, he married the love of his life, Shirley (Jennings) Enyart, with whom he celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this past year. In August 1951, Uncle Sam pointed his finger and said, “we want you,” and with that he was drafted into the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, Calif., where he served as a cook and baker for two years. After his discharge in 1953, Gordon and Shirley settled on the Neff family farm southeast of Prairie City, where he dedicated his life in the fields cultivating crops and tending to livestock, earning the Wallaces Farmer Master Farmer Award in 1977.

Gordon was a humble servant to his family, friends, church and community. He was a long-standing member of the Prairie City United Methodist Church serving in many roles, but his favorites included serving as a Sunday school teacher and superintendent, as well as a Missions Committee member. Gordon served two terms on the Monroe school board, 39 years on the Central Iowa Rural Water Association Board, 62 years with the American Legion, several years as a township trustee, 45 years as a member of Preston Lodge #218 and served as Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Iowa during the years of 1999-2000. His family and friends knew Gordon as the “Candy Man,” preparing and delivering 100+ plates of candy each year at Christmas time. No stranger did he meet, that did not soon become his friend.

Gordon is survived by his wife Shirley; son Douglas (Kathleen) Enyart of Monroe, and daughter Doreen (Michael) Pearson of Ankeny; grandson Scott (Kristin) Enyart of Pella; granddaughters, Andrea (Christopher) Dana of Pella, Michelle (Benjamin) Cole of Urbandale, and Beth (Robert) Baetzel of Alsip, Ill.; eight great-grandchildren, Hannah and Zoe Enyart, Anderson and Leilani Dana, Sarah and Maryn Cole and Matthew and Peyton Baetzel; and sister, Eunice (Robert) Jennings and family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Esten and Mildred Enyart.

To honor, celebrate and remember a life well lived, a visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 5 at the Prairie City United Methodist Church, with the family present from 5 to 8 p.m., followed by a Masonic service at 8 p.m. The memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 6 at the Prairie City United Methodist Church, followed by internment at the Waveland Cemetery in Prairie City. You are welcome to join the family for a luncheon at the church.

Memorials can be made out to the Gordon Enyart Memorial Fund to be distributed to Hospice of Pella, Prairie City United Methodist Church Missions Program and the Preston Lodge #218 Scholarship Fund. Condolences may be left for the family at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com.