Gordon Paul Watson

GORDON PAUL WATSON

Washington

Gordon Paul Watson, 81,

of Washington, died Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, at Mercy

Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Washington Mennonite Church. Visitation will be from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, with the family present from 3 to

7 p.m. at the church. A private family burial will be held prior to the service at the Bethel Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Disaster Service.

Gordon was born in Pleasant Plain, Iowa, on Nov. 9, 1938, to Carlos H. and Helen E. (Bell) Watson. He graduated from Pleasant Plain High School in 1956, then furthered his studies at AIB in Des Moines. He served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959.

In 1960, Gordon married Beverly Ann Chalupa, who predeceased him. He married Karen Kay Roth in 1969. Gordon and Karen celebrated their 50th anniversary in November 2019, with their entire family.

Gordon grew up on a farm in Pleasant Plain and was involved in agriculture for much of his career. He started working for Tindal Farm Supply in 1966. He then worked for L-W Service Co., retiring as sales manager in 1994. In his retirement years, he worked for Beatty Funeral Home.

Gordon was a member of Washington Mennonite Church. He was a board member of Parkview Nursing Home in Wayland, Iowa, for six years.

Gordon enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, traveling, and tending to his lawn and beloved roses. He took great pleasure in delivering his roses to friends, family and even strangers.

Gordon is survived by wife, Karen of Washington; brother, Keith of Pleasant Plain; sons, Paul (Mary) of Riverside and Todd (Kate) of Texas; son-in-law, Peter Wiklund (Kathy) of Davenport; grandchildren, Caitlin Ford (Craig), Chloe Doessel (John), Sydney and Abigail Watson, and Sophie and Hudson Wiklund; step-grandchildren, Seth, Morgan, Grace and Emma Schneiderman; and great-grandchildren, Claire, Owen and James Ford and Johnny Doessel.

Gordon was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Beverly; brother, Charles; and daughter, Tina.