Jordan Q. Sample

Jordan Sample grew up in Cedar Falls, the middle of three kids, on a street where every yard ran into the next and dinner was whenever the streetlights came on. Jordan was the one who organized the games, kept score fairly, and made sure the smallest kid always got picked.

That carried into the hardware store on Fourth Street. For twenty-nine years Jordan stood behind the counter, learning every customer’s project before selling them a single screw. People came in for a hinge and left with a plan, and half the porches in town still hold the proof.

At home Jordan was a steady, funny, deeply present parent to Riley, Morgan, and Devon, and the spouse who read the crossword clues out loud whether Casey wanted to hear them or not. Jordan loved a slow Sunday breakfast, a quiet morning on the river, and a good story told twice. Jordan kept a small workshop in the garage and could fix almost anything with enough coffee and daylight. Jordan is missed in the exact shape they filled, which is to say everywhere.