Obituary of Cordelia Elizabeth Degner
Cordelia Elizabeth Degner (Cordy), 95, recently of Pearland, Texas, passed away on December 13, 2024 in Fresno, Texas.
A funeral service will be held at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 5515 Broadway St, Pearland, Texas on January 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. with Reverand Jon Salminen officiating. A future private burial will occur at Riverside National Cemetery, in Riverside County, California.
Cordelia was born in the parsonage of St. John’s Church in South Branch Township, Watonwan County, Minnesota to Rev. Walther and Alma Rolf on December 17, 1928. She was delivered by midwife AR Becker, who was also her baptismal sponsor.
Cordelia attended St. John’s Lutheran school for 8 years, and then she attended St. James High School for 4 years, graduating in 1947. Upon graduation, she attended Concordia College in St. Paul, Minnesota. After completing a summer teacher’s program, she accepted a call in 1947 to teach grades 1-8 at the Lutheran school in Elmore, Minnesota. She went on to complete summer school at Concordia College in Seward, Nebraska in 1949. She then received a call to St. John’s Lutheran School in San Antonio, Texas where she taught Kindergarten in the morning and grades 4-8 in the afternoon.
Cordelia later changed careers and took a job working for Braniff Airlines as a reservation agent in Fort Worth, Texas, and subsequently for American Airlines at the Dallas Ft. Worth airport for two years.
While living in Dallas, Cordelia became reacquainted with Hans W. Degner, son of Rev. Hugo Degner, who attended Concordia Seminary in St. Louis with her father, Rev. Walther Rolf. Hans had completed his service in the Korean war as a fighter jet pilot, and then accepted a job with American Airlines in 1955.
Hans and Cordelia were married on August 27, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, with both of their fathers officiating as ministers for the wedding service. Hans took a job at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois. They moved to an apartment near Wrigley Field at Grace and Broadway in Chicago. Two years later, they bought a house and moved to Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Their first son, John was born in 1958, followed by Richard in 1960. In 1964, they sold the house in Rolling Meadows and purchased an 80-acre farm near Union, Illinois, and moved there in November 1964, a week after the birth of their daughter Heidi. They began years of renovation on the old farmhouse and planted many trees that are enjoyed to this day by the grandchildren and great grandchildren who reside on the same farm.
Once her children were older, Cordelia pursued an education in Interior Design, earning an associate degree. She also obtained her real estate license in Illinois.
After Hans’ retirement from American Airlines in 1988, Cordelia and Hans retired to Fallbrook, California where they had an avocado ranch, and later moved to Laughlin, Nevada. Hans passed away in 1995. Cordelia later relocated to San Diego County, first to Sorrento Valley, and then to Carlsbad where she lived next door to her daughter Heidi’s family. In 2007, Cordelia moved to the Houston area to be near her children who had all relocated there. She lived in two retirement communities in Pearland, Texas, first in Country Place and then Watercrest, where she made many good friends. She was a member at Epiphany, Lutheran Church in Pearland for many years where she enjoyed a wonderful church family.
Cordelia is survived by her children, John, Richard (spouse Lisa) and Heidi (spouse Richard), all of whom live in the Houston area. She is also survived by her brother Richard Rolf and sister-in-law, Joy of Springville, New York; grandchildren Lindsey, Johnny (wife Jessica), and Russell, Hannah, Chelsie and Madison, Benjamin (spouse Natalie) and Annie; great-grandchildren Johnny, Charlie, Henry, Walter, Annabeth, and Theodore, and dozens of nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband Hans, parents Walther and Alma, and siblings Ernst, Henriette, Bernard, Anita, Ramona, and Walter.
Memorial donations may be made in lieu of flowers to the Lutheran Hour or to Epiphany Lutheran Church, Pearland, Texas.
Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Center Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63141-8509
800-876-9880
Epiphany Lutheran Church
5515 Broadway St
Pearland, TX 77581
https://www.shiningthelight.org/give/
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Pastor Jon Salminen who faithfully ministered to Cordelia during her many months as a shut-in.
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