Vesta O. Jordan, age 81, of 335 Canton Street, Troy, Pa., formerly of Meadville, Pa., passed away on October 14, 2008 at home. Vesta Olive was born March 27, 1927 in Arcadia, Nebraska. She was the daughter of C.O. and Anna Maud Twombley. When Vesta was still young, the family gave up farming and moved to Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Vesta graduated in 1944 from Cambridge Springs High School in Cambridge Springs, Pa. She married Dwight M. Brink on January 25, 1945. Together they had three children, Cynthia, Dwight and Robert. The couple divorced and Vesta subsequently married Paul Jordan of Meadville, Pa. on May 31, 1969. They resided just outside of Meadville from 1969 until Paul?????s death in 1990. She then sold their home in rural Meadville and moved into an apartment in Meadville.
Vesta was employed at various places during her lifetime, including secretarial positions with United Oil in Cambridge Springs, and Richmond Real Estate in Meadville. She worked for JoAnn Fabrics for a few years, and finally, in what should have been her retirement years, she spent a few years working in the children?????s department of the Meadville Public Library.
Vesta was an accomplished seamstress and needle crafter. Her children and later her grandchildren benefited greatly from her talents in the way of beautiful handmade clothing. At a very young age she was an avid reader and continued to be until the end. Vesta always had a book in progress. She and her husband, Paul, both enjoyed traveling and together they made a trip to Botswana, Africa, to visit her son, Robert, and his wife, Po. Vesta later went to China with her son and daughter-in-law and then to Alaska with another friend. Last year she traveled to Newfoundland to visit Robert and Po at their seasonal home in Pouch Cove. She documented all her travels with beautiful photos.
She was a community volunteer for the area blood bank, the YWCA, the Baldwin Reynolds mansion and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. She was also a member on the board of the Meadville YWCA for many years where she had many friends and could be found many mornings swimming in the YWCA pool with her special friend, Betty.
After suffering a stroke in 2001, she resided in Troy, Pa., with her daughter, Cynthia, and her husband, Harold Caldwell. Vesta derived great pleasure being closer to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Vesta was preceded in death by her son, Dwight; her husband, Paul; a sister, Elizabeth; four brothers, Harold, Dean and Hadley Twombley and Bruce Petersen. She is survived by two children, Cynthia Caldwell and her husband, Harold, of Troy, Pa.; Robert Brink and his wife, Po Chun Lau, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Verna Evans of Texas and Martha Martin and her husband, Donald, of Florida. Following Vesta?????s wishes, there will not be any formal services. The family plans to gather at Cynthia?????s home in Troy, Pa. for their own remembrance of Vesta.
Martha and Don: Sorry to hear of Vesta’s passing. We offer our sympathy and condolences. Always enjoyed planning class events with Vesta.
Missed her at last couple of class reunions.
May God be with her and all of you.
Al and Jo
My name is Kelly Gunn. I worked with Vesta at JoAnn Fabrics and came to consider her a very good friend. On nights that I was to close the store and lock up she and Paul would always stay, essentially, to ‘watch over me’ while taking trash out to the dumpsters behind the store and see me safely to my car. She was an incredible woman with great insights into people, an enviable sense of adventure, and a wonderful sense of humor. I was so privileged to get to know her. I’m deeply sorry for your loss.